Stress free living

I've always been a nail biter... usually because of stress, work, and nervous habits. But look Mom, I've got nails! My life without work and relaxed style of living is really treating me well.

Random

To Do This

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit "random"
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on "explore the last seven days"
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5 - Post it to FB with this text in the "caption" and TAG the friends you want to join in. (you can untag yourself if you don't want this photo up)

Copyright of my pic: Juliet at Studio 81, Preston, Lancs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piratemoo/3285358205/

Me Like-y

I was recently introduced to a song that i'm totally diggin right now... Swtichfoot's Mess of Me.

Mess Of Me lyrics

I am my own affliction
I am my own disease
There ain´t no drug that they could sell
No, there ain´t no drug to make me well

There ain't no drug
There ain´t no drug
There ain´t no drug
It´s not enough
The sickness is myself

- Chorus -
I've made a mess of me I wanna get back the rest of me
I´ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
I´ve made a mess of me I wanna reverse this tragedy
I´ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
The rest of my life alive!
...

A couple notes:
1) They sound good and 2) They're good lookin surfer dudes from San Diego... need I say more?

Lookin forward to their album Hello Hurricaine out on November 10th (although I'll prolly manage to buy a copy out here on the streets of Bangkok before it's even released ;)

Oh Really

Getting A Date:
How To Be "Just Friends"

How many times have YOU moved in the last 10 yrs?

Ugh. Boxes boxes boxes. Why are there so many boxes. How can I have so much stuff?

I'm wondering if I can count the number of moves I've made on 2 hands. Here's my count.

1. High school to University Dorms

2. University Dorms to Summer Camp

3. Summer Camp to University Dorms

4.University Dorms to Home to Summer Camp to Home

5. Home to Year Abroad

6. Year Abroad to Home

7. Home to University Fortuna House

8. Fortuna House to Home

9. Home to Friends house (2 months) to Anderson Apt

10. Anderson Apt to Willow Apt

11. Willow Apt to Mulberry Studio

12. Mulberry Studio to Frederikssund, Denmark

13. Frederikssund, Denmark to Malmö, Sweden

14. Malmö, Sweden to San Diego, CA

15. San Diego, CA to Home

I can't recall if Home was always Portland, because at times it was Palo Alto. I've driven 1-5 Palo Alto to Portland to many times to count. All in all that's a lot of moves!

Oops!

Gayatri says: sorry was reading you rblog..why was your car full of animals? on you rway from california to arizona?

Shobs replies:

oh haha - we were visiting Debbie Aunty, so it wasn't the car that was full of animals, it was her house! :)

I have a fan club!

Thanks Facebook, for reminding me that people do care

From Santa Barbarian Chica Meets Eat Pray Love

To those who made the Facebook "Top 21 list" thanks for keeping in touch and putting a smile on my face, because it's the small moments that are so important in life.

To those who've left comments and followed my blog, you rock.

I love you guys (napkin, tear drop, awww)

Hot News from Mumbai!

My cousin, Mumbai Fashionita Mitali, has just informed me that "Desi Girl" the song of the summer has been replaced by these two Bollywood Beats: "Chor Bazaari" and "Aahun Aahun". Good to know!

Maybe I'm old skool, but I'm still hung up on Desi Girl. That was the craze at my sisters wedding. Let's see how long it takes to get these stuck in my head.





XOXO -
Shob-a-nator

London, Lund, or Budapest?

Wow. I've been in Europe for 2.5 weeks now - packing up all my stuff in Malmö, which is almost complete. I've had some awesome times... Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin the stories and pictures are yet to come. But I sit here now debating... where should I spend my last 4 days? It all depends on how quickly I can finish up these boxes and get them to the post office. Hurry up, Shobs!

Shastri Portland to North Carolina Roadtrip... COMPLETE!

Wow. What day is it? Thursday. In the month of August, I have been in/through 11 states and 3 different timezones. And now I'm sitting in Malmö, Sweden trying to recall it all.

Here's the jist.

OREGON(OR) - CALIFORNIA(CA)
Tuesday: Started from Portland. Drove to the bay. Arrived Palo Alto, CA. Met longtime friend who currently works at Stanford.

Wednesday: Saratoga, CA for Lunch. Had Thai Food Dinner and Gelato (now called the usual) with cousins in Mountain View, CA. Spent night in San Francisco,CA with soon-to-be married cousin... so now I have the scoop on his wedding :)

Thurday: Tried to accomplish Reson work - didn't work so well. Met the Bordeaux Peeps :)

Friday: Lunch with cousin at El Salvadorian Resto. Made 12 noon decision to go to Santa Barbara, CA. Arrived Santa Barbara evening time. Partied Fiesta.

Saturday: Finished Reson work. Partied Fiesta.

Sunday: Drove San Diego, CA

CALIFORNIA-ARIZONA
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday : Tuscon, AZ with 4 samoyeds, 3 cats, 2 humans and a turtle

ARIZONA-NEW MEXICO-TEXAS
Thursday: El Paso, TX. No offense, but A-hole of America... we were at a truckers stop right on the US-Mexican border. And I thought Fres-nasty was bad, hehe :)

Friday: Austin, TX. Met my freshman year UCSB roomie and her two kids. Stayed with Singaporean cousin in her Mother-in-Law layout home.

Saturday, Sunday: Enjoyed weekend in Austin. Watched Rogue woman's "Sweet & Twisted" triathlon.

LOUISIANA
Monday, Tuesday: Fun times in New Orleans, LA. Managed to lock the keys in the car. What trip would be complete without a call to AAA?!

MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA-GEORGIA
Wednesday: Stop over in Atlanta, GA - sorry I missed you Curly!

SOUTH CAROLINA-NORTH CAROLINA
Thursday: Arrived Chapel Hill, NC.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Hung out w/ Bro, toured campus, checked out Franklin St., made some cupcakes, visited the Duke hospital with cousin, spent time with 2 darling little nieces

Cross Country Road Trip... done. Would I do it again? Um...I need some time to think about it :) It would definitely need to be super luxury car that was not a 5-speed transmission to start with. Nor would I choose to drive through the desert in the middle of August. Some key factors to keep in mind... hehe.

The Poster Child for Culture Shock

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm experiencing culture shock. It's that crazy feeling when you've been outside the country and then you come back and you think is my home country really all that fantastic? A lot happened while I was away... and before I can really get adjusted, I've decided to run off again. Smart? To some people maybe not. For me, it's what I need to do.

Five Stages That People May Experience With Culture Shock

Stage 1: Excitement and fascination with the new culture. This is where they will overlook minor problems and look forward to learning new things.

Stage 2: Crisis period. This is where excitement turns to disappointment and there are more and more differences that occur. Problems start to be overwhelming and irritating and may use the "fight-back" technique by saying rude remarks or making jokes.

Stage 3: Adjustment phase. This is where they learn to accept the culture and to change their negative attitude to a positive one.

Stage 4: Acceptance and Adaptation phase. This is where they will feel at home and become involved in activities and may enjoy some of that countries customs.

Stage 5: Reentry shock. This is experienced upon returning to the home country and the return may follow with initial euphoria, crisis or disenchantment. It may be hard to readjust and may feel like they are not accepted.

Which calander do you follow?

According to the Hindu calendar, today is Rakhi (aka Rakshabandan), which in the past my family has fiercely celebrated thanks to my mothers belief in Hinduism. However, as I walk around on the streets of San Francisco, I am completely unaware of it's occurence. It gets me thinking... in the land of America, what are our holidays? How do we incorperate tradition, without religion? How do we allow so many people to practice what they believe without fighting over whose right and whose wrong? And are we able to manage this successfuly... really?

I decided to Google and I came across the following...

*****************************************************************
Search term: American Secular holiday calander
Result: http://www.usa.gov/citizens/holidays.shtml

American Holidays

Official information and services from the U.S. government

Americans celebrate a variety of federal holidays and other national observances throughout the year. American holidays can be secular, religious, international, or uniquely American.

With the wide variety of federal holidays, and the many levels of American government, it can be confusing to determine what public and private facilities are open on or around a given federal holiday. You can usually find such information in the daily newspaper or by calling the office you wish to visit.

The following are American federal holidays and other common national observances. Federal holidays are indicated as such.

New Year's Day is January 1.

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January.

Groundhog Day is February 2, and has been celebrated since 1887.

Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14.

Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday observed the third Monday of February to honor George Washington, the first President of the United States. This date is commonly called Presidents' Day and many groups honor the legacy of past presidents on this date.

Easter falls on a spring Sunday that varies from year to year. Easter is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Earth Day is observed on April 22.

National Arbor Day was proclaimed as the last Friday in April by President Richard Nixon in 1970.

Mother's Day celebrates mothers every second Sunday of May. President Woodrow Wilson, who issued a proclamation in 1914, asked Americans to give a public expression of reverence to mothers on this day.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed the last Monday of May.

Flag Day, celebrated June 14, has been a presidentially proclaimed observance since 1916. Although Flag Day is not a federal holiday, Americans are encouraged to display the flag outside their homes and businesses on this day to honor the history and heritage the American flag represents.

Father's Day celebrates fathers every third Sunday of June.

Independence Day is July 4.

Labor Day is the first Monday of September. This federal holiday honors the nation's working people, typically with parades. For most Americans it marks the end of the summer vacation season and the start of the school year.

Columbus Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October.

Halloween is celebrated on October 31. On Halloween, American children dress up in funny or scary costumes and go "trick or treating" by knocking on doors in their neighborhood.

Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11.

Thanksgiving Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition and almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is December 7.

Christmas Day is a federal holiday celebrated on December 25. Christmas is a Christian holiday marking the birth of the Christ Child.

*****************************************************************

Growing up in a middle-upper class suburb in Oregon we were a small Hindu family surrounded by a large number of Christians. The school calendar followed the religious calendar. 3 weeks off in December was "Christmas vacation" and 1 week off in Spring was "Easter break" As a family with relatives all over the world, we somehow made it work.

I'm not sure what we celebrate anymore, but I certainly hope we get back to some family traditions. It's one of those important things in life.

Thanks to family and friends all over the world and working and living abroad I am now well aware of the following calanders... Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, French, Swedish, Danish, East Coast, West Coast, Public School, Private School & Indian. And believe me, each place does it different.

They Call It A Boyfriend Tee

I have been fascinated with graphic t-shirts - what a trend! I've always had ideas on the back burner... I think it's time to start designing my own. This David & Goliath shirt was gifted to me this past weekend -


...and within 10 minutes of wearing it out, I received a compliment by the cashier at the grocery store. It's an interesting way to make a statement - "let's give them something to talk about"

Side Note: David & Goliath looks like an awesome company!

My First BBQ... mine or the houses?

We have this interesting dilemma of possession and ownership in my family. I have to say, through American culture, I've learned a lot of "me, me, me, my, my, mine." But Indian culture says, "With family, what's yours is mine, share, share share."

Take this example I experienced today... Mom, brother and I have been searching for a BBQ. Mom grimaces at the talk of buying a BBQ because "It's for meat (she's vegetarian), it uses charcoal (which to her is chemicals), it's not environmentally friendly, it's expensive, the list goes on and on... Brother wants a BBQ for steaks and meat slabs. Shobs wants a BBQ for grilled stuff at her party. Does anything happen? No. So, Shobs goes out and buys a BBQ. She does it with her money so that way it can't be returned by her mother (which often happens, when parents control the dough). She buys a new BBQ from Home Depot, a simple, small, personal grill. She comes home, puts it together... not a single word of opposition is heard. And then suddenly at dinner, the Shas3 family has a BBQ! Our new baby! Mom wants to grill her garden zuchini and tofu. Brother wants to grill chunks of meat. Who makes the ruling? Shobs. She owns the BBQ, she makes the call.

I've decided that my BBQ is a veggie lover, there will be no meat on my grill and that's to honor my mothers veggie household. Got it? Good.

Shas3 Pioneers

I read a title from an Indian newspaper - "It's Time for India to Brand Itself!"

Well, I think it's time for the Shas3 family to brand ourselves. My parents came to the U.S. in the mid-70's, they had two chicas in Florida, and eventually ended up in Portland where "the golden child" was born.

Why Shas3? Shastri is pronounced Shas-three. Shas-three = Shas3. Get it?

We are a family of firsts and only's. We were one of the first Indian families in the Portland community. Out of my parent's siblings, we were the first to settle in America. My siblings and I were one of the only Portland, Indian families to suffer a 'divorce'. Out of all the first cousins on my fathers side, we were the only children to attend American Universities. We are one of the only "mixed" families - considering my parents had a "love" marriage and were not arranged. We are a family of travelers, cooks, business smarts, engineers, athletes, languages, and left handed individuals (and I'm talking my immediate family - no "cousin brothers" or "cousin sisters" included) We are a family of traditions (last single digit, name-bless-and-marry-your-car, respect your elders) We are savers, scouters, semi-nesters and at this very moment West Coasters... until Mom goes to India, brother goes back to the East Coast and Shobs goes who knows where?

What can I say? Shas3 proud. Shas3 strong.

My Kind of Wedding

Memories

Gnarles Barkley - Crazy

I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space

And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice, that's my only advice

Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are,
Ha ha ha bless your soul
You really think you're in control

Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember is thinking, I want to be like them
Ever since I was little, ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done

Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably

Uh, uh

[Thanks to Jo (x_Pretty_Babeh_x@hotmail.com) for these lyrics]

I Wanna Take a Ride on Your Disco Stick

Oh dear. American music is awesome. Let's play a Love Game.

However, props to Lady Gaga. She's done what only Avril Lavigne and Maria Carey have accomplished with #1 Singles. You go girl! Just Dance, Poker Face... Songs that got me through Scandinavia. Oh and the 3am parties at my sisters neighbors house in Pacific Beach. Awesome.

Mark this day July 26th 2009. Where will Lady Gaga be in 5 yrs, 10 yrs. My brother says "Lady Gaga will be ga-ga-ga-gone..." I says she's the next Madonna. Hells ya.

Travelling on the Cheap

Traveling and living abroad teaches you many things. As a person who wanted to see, touch, feel, do everything I worked out a way to make it happen. My father, the primary provider during my college years was extremely controlling with the money he would allow me during my endeavors abroad. I didn't let it stop me. While I was based in Bordeaux, I managed to travel to Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Florence, Vienna, Rome, Nice, Montpelier(Coldplay), Lisbon, Grenada, Paris, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Brighton, Cork, London, San Sebastian, Barcelona, Madrid, Dresden, Berlin, Copenhagen, Zurich, Interlaken, Brussels, Antwerp (Red Hot Chili Peppers!), Marseille, Monaco and more...

My entire year abroad - plane ride, education, and travels combined cost less than a two week organized tour of an African Safari.

So when you think you can't do it - I raise an eyebrow and say, "Really?" Because I did.

Laughter

Ok Then.

I am amused. I beleive that this analysis would only be done in the good ol' U.S.A. Analyzing how much your Mom is worth? C'mon now. She's priceless.

Forget Working for Google. I'll be my own Super Hero.

Introducing comics themes for iGoogle

Love comics? Personalize your homepage with themes ranging from superhero and alternative comics to manga and more. Get themes from your favorites like Superman, The Hulk, Mutts, and over 50 other celebrated comics.

Seriously?

What is this?!? Only in America...


Ok I'm going to go check it out now. Hehe ;)

The 8-ball knows all...

Sister says:

So I asked the eight ball if mom should go to Thailand and the eight ball said "no" i wasnt sure if that was the right answer so then I asked again and it said "try again later" so I asked it one more time and it said "concentrate and ask again" so last but not least I tried one more time and.......



So I guess the answer is no

If you know my Mom, you can see how powerfully correct the 8-ball is. I need to ask the 8-ball if Mom is coming with me to Sweden...

Will the fiercly independent woman please stand up?

How to nurture the independent woman.

Step 1: Just accept that she's right.

Step 2: Say ok honey, if that's what you want we'll make it work

Step 3: Sometimes she wants to do something but the way she's executing it is a$$ backwards. Rather than tell her, maneuver things in a way that are more logical

Step 4: Have a bickering battle, a blowout fight, get it out there, blow your steam at each other. Then kiss and make up and laugh about how ridiculous each one of you were in the whole thing (although in my experience I was NOT ridiculous... he was ;)

Step 5: Most of time she just wants your help in things she knows she can do herself. Just help her, ok?


I had a massive blow-up with my brother over moving a couch. Me and another lady were lifting a cumbersome piece of furniture and I asked my brother to pitch in. He responded, "Give me 15 mins" because he was plugged in to some T.V. show and didn't want to be interrupted. I blew my lid because we were literally in the middle of moving the couch and we needed the help right at that moment. I went crazy with rage at the lazy, inconsiderate, disrespectful behavior of my brother.

What's funny is that the next day I was camping out in Stevenson, WA. I met a woman there who was extremely pissed at her boyfriend because she told him that she was going to break down their tent and he didn't offer to help. I saw myself in that girl, she was so angry at the fact that she was doing the task by herself. Three of us ladies pitched in to help her, while two guys just sat sort of immobile and watching. I thought, "Wait a bit, what's wrong with this picture?" So, I approached the guys and said, "I can't seem to get this stake out of the ground, would you mind helping me?" And boom, they jumped on the bandwagon. I have to admit, I could have taken the stake out of the ground myself. As an independent, do-it-herself type person it's sometimes just sheer determination that keeps me from asking for help, but at the same time it's nice to recognize that the more hands involved the quicker the job can get done. It really is a matter of asking the right way. Guys don't think the same way woman do, and they don't like being told what to do... but asked the right way, they fall right in line ;)

Ready, Set, Roof!

Roofing project, Day 2 - things are going really well. We're gonna have this roof done in 3 days - only in America... :)

When did YOU join Facebook?

I joined Facebook in Spring 2005... a link was sent to me by my good college friend Jess saying, "Check this out!" I was enamored - social networking, who'd have thunk? Anyway, Facebook has really helped bring people back into my life (and allowed me to snoop on people I've always wondered about). MySpace is a fun one too (a co-worker at the Residence Inn got me to join) but MySpace is better for artists and musician folk.

So this has got to be one of the coolest messages I've gotten - I'm thrilled :)

Message 1:
hey i was trying to find my friend from childhood, so was wondering if u ever lived in pune, india back in 1991, aka, 4th grade, & attended nagarwala school & were u born in FL?

Message 2:
wow:) i am pretty sure ur my childhood friend i was looking 4:)
well i can confidently say that coz i remember that ur sister's name was anisha. do u remeber zarina shaikh & that bday party that we had all come to ur house in kalyani nagar.... wow lots of childhood memories:) gud 2 c u on fb after all these yrs:)

Well, not only do I remember Zarina Shaikh, I still have all her letters. Thank you, Facebook!


The party that this girl is talking about was my 9th b-day. In my family it's a big deal to celebrate your ninth because it's your "last single digit birthday." I got two parties. One for friends and then one for family. Jeez that was 15 years ago. I remember a lot of people gifted me pens... I loved those things! And Tanya made this killer angel cake w/ strawberries and pinapple and cream. I still make that cake every once in a while. Yum.

1 Angel Cake
1 Bottle Jam - Strawberry, Raspberry, anything thick and sweet
1 Can Pineapple Rings
1 Pint Strawberries
Heavy Whipping Cream
Sugar to taste

Slice the angel cake into two layers. Spread Jam on each layer. Put Pineapple on each layer. Put some sliced strawberries on each layer. Use the pinapple juice from the can to soak each layer of the cake. Whip the cream, add some sugar. Assemble the cake back together. Spread whip cream over the entire cake. Garnish with strawberies on the outer layer. Mmm mmm good.

Just My Size

Only in America would someone even attempt to build the worlds largest cupcake. Hehe - love it.

In this photo provided by cakes.com, pastry chef JodiLee Knops celebrates setting the Guinness record for the world's largest cupcake at Mall of America in Minneapolis on Saturday July 18, 2009. It weighed in at nearly 151 pounds, including 15 pounds of fudge filling and 60 pounds of yellow icing. It was one foot tall and two feet wide. (AP Photo/cakes.com)

Good vibes

Found it!

Travelling My Home Country

Been a lot of places, seen a lot of faces.

I've encountered a number of Europeans that were completely surprised at how much of Europe I had traveled - many of them had never been outside their home country. For me, I would find myself thinking, "That's crazy?! All these destinations are a short hop away, how could you not go visit all these incredible, historically rich, vibrant, interesting places?!?" At the same time, many of the well traveled Europeans had seen more of the U.S. than I've ever seen. Eat your own words Shobs.

I've never seen the Grand Canyon. I've never been to Texas. I've never been in the MidWest. Even though I was born in Florida, I've never been back since I was 1 yrs. old. I've been dying to see New Orleans. My Brother has been living in North Carolina for 2 years and this will be my first time visiting him. So this roadtrip with my Mother and Brother is a true chance to see some of these places, and spend some quality time discovering my family and my country. One of the first stops is Big Sis who's the only responsible one in the family. She's just gotten married, and she's working hard so when this whole thing comes crashing down, we'll know where to find her. She's definitely the anchor point in this equation, and without that this ship just ain't sailing.

I feel as if there's no better time than the present for my travels. I'm not working and I've consciously decided to take a break until January 2010 and spend this time rediscovering the world. But most importantly I am 1) exploring America because it is a seriously cool place and there is so much to see within my countries borders and 2) visiting the places I've already been because I am 1,326.92% positive that I'm looking at these places with a different set of eyes. (That's 1,326.92% positive. No more No less. Got it?)

One last note - It's incredible how long it's taken for me to be truly proud to be an American - I've been living on the fence for a while, listening to other voices, believing other thoughts. I've been embarrassed by actions that weren't even my own and hiding under the umbrella of an Indian heritage. Well that stops now. I've realized I don't have to choose between one or the other. I can be both. I can be a multi-dimensional human being and be proud that I don't fit the grade.

I'm looking for a song that I've been hearing on the radio. Kind of reggae-ish singing something like "Been around the world but I'm back. I love you. I love you. I love you" Anyone know it?

Rediscovering Radio

Oh Pandora how I've missed you!

I just have to say, American radio is amazing. My mind is on overdrive with all the new songs I've been discovering by listening to the radio. The rest of the world is behind the times...

A side note on Pandora - they are teamed with a product called Sonos - which is a Santa Barbara based company. I happen to have partied in CEO of Sonos's house, since my old co-worker was subletting his house. Definitely inspiring - maybe something I could rig up in my mothers house :)

I heart the Disney classics

There's a new Disney animated fairy tale coming out! Could this beat my all time favorite "Beauty and the Beast"? We shall see...

My Network is Better Than Your Network

I'm re-realizing life is all about sharing good times with other people. And more often than not, it's more about who you know over what you know. For example, I don't know how to run a restaurant. But I know someone who does and I know I can learn how to do it.

On July 14th - Bastille Day, Kerry's Birthday, Anniversary of knowing Will, my Mother actually signed to get a roof. WOOOHOOOO! We popped a bottle of wine and celebrated. And then we went to a midnight showing of Harry Potter, which I should have skipped cuz I most definitely dozed off a few times. I'd have preferred to watch that one curled on the couch with a bag of microwave popcorn.

The Alchemist - A Fable to Follow Your Dreams

I've been carrying around this book - "The Alchemist", by Paulo Coelho which was gifted by a friend just recently. I've been told (multiple times) that I need to read it. What's amazing is the reactions I've encountered just walking around with it....

1. The woman sitting next to me on my flight from San Diego to Portland said it was very good.

2. My roommate Patty-Cakes wants to borrow it because she's seen it around and heard about it a lot.

3. One of my best friends, Jena, shrieked when she saw it "I love that book! I love that author!!"

4. My massage healer friend Annique mentioned something of kings, and fables, and being a magician in one of sessions which I found so interesting because I'd just received this book.

This book is celebrating it's 20th Anniversary. I love how classics cycle their way back into society. When I actually read the book, maybe I'll manage a little book report post.

Chamillions and Communication

I had a conversation with a friend last night about being a multi-dimensional human being. With me, what you see ain't what you get - there are so many experiences and life moments I carry that I just can't be a "typical 2nd generation Desi girl" And trying to do that just goes against my nature.

My friend called himself a chamillion. He's able to fit in to various crowds and surprise people with the layers beneath his surface. I think of it more in terms of languages and communication. I have never considered myself a strong communicator - but I'm realizing that's not true. My entire life I've been embarrassed about my writing, always thinking it wasn't good enough and believing that I was a terrible writer. My friends tried to convince me otherwise, but I never accepted it. Ok, so maybe I'm not the strongest writer or speaker... but I'm still a master of many languages. Perhaps I don't know all the grammatical rules and my vocabulary is limited, so what? I can still listen, understand, reply and get my point across - which at the end of the day I think is the most important. I can no longer believe that:

if (shobs == engineer)
then shobs != good communicator

That would be a typical engineering attitude. Ok so here's a rundown of the languages I speak.

"Formally" I speak Hindi, English and French. Hindi was the first language I learned and I spoke it with my family until I was 5. English is a given. And French I picked up in high school, reinforced in a study abroad program and rounded out with a minor in French at UCSB. I am so proud of that minor - originally engineering students weren't allowed to minor in liberal arts subjects because it would deter them from their "4 year track" Because I graduated 1.5 years late, the rules had changed by the time I applied.

I also speak a little Spanish - just from living in So Cal and being around Mexicans. But I've never invested much time into learning more. I push Spanish speakers to use their English and I encourage them by being open and understanding to what they refer to as "poor English"

I speak "bleep bleep blurp blurp" My friend refers to my engineering/computer science talk as bleep, bleep, blurp, blurp.

I speak customer service. I've worked behind the counter, behind the front desk, I've been in the kitchen and on the catering staff. Those are environments I'm familiar with. I think my love for travel draws me to those places.

I speak green. I'm all about conservation, saving, giving back to mother nature. In high school I volunteered for the Ivy Project which involved pulling Ivy off trees to save them. I also ran the pop can recycling project for Key Club where we collected cans and bottles turned them into cash.

I speak video composition, graphic design, web design, art and animation. Well I don't speak animation so well yet, but I will continue to learn.

I speak leadership. Cat crew, UCSB RHA, gymnastics coach in the US and abroad, camp counselor, career peer advisor - I have loads of leadership experience.

I speak compassion. I feel for old people, strugglers, "free loaders" hehe, people lacking education - helping them helps me. And I love animals. Pets are usually very friendly with me.

I speak corporate life. Not an environment I like too much, but I've been there. In 7th grade I was made president of a mock company - a project my teachers Mr. Filer, Mrs. Gordon and Mr. Whitten had masterminded. I was not excited by the placement... I had wanted to be the accountant. Still, I rose to the ocassion. We formed Dreamcatchers Inc. We were one of the most successful companies - turning the largest profit amongst my peers. Not being very business minded, I spread myself thin over all aspects of the company and ended up being entirely worn out.

I understand military. I've worked with General Dynamics customers, and Raytheon consultants. A large group of my classmates ended up at Raytheon, so I know the environment. I've been cleared by the Danish navy. I've traveled to SAAB underwater systems where they build torpedoes and underwater vehicles at least 5 times. I've been offered a position with STL, a very low profile government run project in Santa Barbara.

I speak Scandinavian. Even though I never learned Swedish too well, I still picked up on a lot by being there. I speak European, West Coast, and Indian. Working on the Indian part and I think my travels to India will help with that. I speak minimal Hungarian. I speak Australian and New Zealand thanks to all my friends at summer camp.

I speak adventure, unpredictability, and excitement. 6am train rides, 4am flights, my life is organized in my own mind and chaotic to everyone else. It makes it fun.

How may we help you?

I hate automated phone systems. Seriously the most frustrating thing ever. No "Jane" I'm not trying to go from Bora bora, Boontown to Out-There, Psychoville. I'm trying to get from San Diego to Portland. Thank you.

Give me someone to talk to. Please?

I Speak Mom

I don't know what it is. My Mom and I - we have a special language that noone else in the family seems to have.

So I have made this monumental decision to settle in the Pacific Northwest, which is so exciting, because after years of living in boxes and anticipating my next move I can finally unpack and call a place home. Yay. Travel hungry Shobs has decided to give it a rest... temporarily. Ok so I'm a walking, living contradiction. Deal with it people.

Anyway, a stroke of brilliance came to me today. Lets go back in the Shas3 time machine... 3 kids, my mom, house full of random crap which was accumulated by my Mothers absolute passion for garage sale-ing. The lady is addicted.

There is no taking bargain shopping out of my mother, it would be as painful as removing her pinky finger. Ouch. Anyway jump forward to 2009 - Shobs has discovered she has amazing kitchen gadgets packed away in boxes - so what has she done? She has created a garage sale in her own house. Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen - 9am-3pm there is an exclusive members only garage sale for one Mrs. Shastri and one lazy spoiled baby Shastri. First come first go. Love it.

6 Tell Tale Signs Shobs is NOT a Cook

1. I have never furnished my own kitchen. Every place I have lived, I have used the items that my roommates own.

2. Even when I moved into a studio apartment and was living on my own, someone else set up my kitchen.

3. There are places I frequent to buy meals food from on particular days (i.e. Sunday is Rosarito Taco day)

4. My Mom is an amazing cook - it's always been her domain, so I've stayed out. Why bother learning when Mom's around. (Bad Bad Bad Shobs)

5. I can count the number of times I've handled raw meat on one hand.

6. Between the three kids, my Sister is the Gourmet Chef, my brother is the B-fast Boy and I am the Baker. I never wanted to mess up social order.

Examples

I'm really trying to life my life as an example for the people around me - and learn from the masters who seem to have it figured out. I have amazing sisters - and that's my #1 place to start.

Typical

Found this in the garage. It reads "Yatins. Keep your grubby hands off Shobs" Have no idea what this is referring to. Oh man, my family is awesome.

Baking Master

“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”

Anthony Robbins

Bundt Cake #1 - San Diego, CA - Iron Tire.
(Choco cake, marshmellow, choco chips)


Bundt Cake #2 - San Diego, CA - Tire Blow Out.
(Choco cake, white choco chips, served with raspberries and whip cream)

The Upgrade

I've upgraded from the living room to the "storage room" in our house. Ha! 10 years after moving out to go to college here I am back at home. College degree, check. Study and Work abroad, check. Independent life, check. Free loading in my Mom's home with 2 amma loving hippies (who I've now nicknamed Bernie Mac and Patty Cakes) check. Who said the quarter life crisis can't be entertaining?

How to Have a Safe Summer Road Trip | eHow.com

Getting ready for the x-country roadtrip. Still have dates to be settled, playlists to be made... sometimes fun requires planning. :)

How to Have a Safe Summer Road Trip | eHow.com

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Before and After

OMG. Ronav your mommy and aunty love you - we swear!

Reena's Wedding - Toronto - Sept 2007


Anisha's Wedding - Portland - June 2009

My burger kicks your burgers butt

Ok so there's a little competition on the best burger in San Diego... Here's a breakdown of the "apparent" top two.

Hoedad's
Cool atmosphere. Good milkshakes. Decent burger. Long line. Very crowded. Slow service.
Score: -4

Rocky's
Dive atmosphere. Good beers on tap. Delicious burger. Enough space to have your elbows on the bar and eat your meal with true table manners.
Score: +5

Eat Rocks Hoedads!

Sister & Brotherhood of the Travelling Bundt Cake

Ok. So I have found a mission on my upcoming travels. To perfect the "super easy super yummy chocolate bundt cake" Yea. Didn't quite work out on my first go.

Surprised Nish and Joel w/ a chocolate cake. But against my instincts, I was convinced to toss in some marshmellows. Mistake #1. And then I tried to make the cake eggless to accommodate for my Dad. What was I thinking?! Cake without eggs? Not trying that again.

Result: mushy unbaked cake with crusty burnt marshmallow topping. Hey, at least I did a good job setting the bar reeeall low. :)

Bay area, San Diego, Tuscon, Austin, Raleigh, Sweden, Bangkok, India, NZ, Australia, Singapore here I come! (with a bundt cake. yes.)

I am living Arrested Development

I'd like to think that I'm Michael Bluth. But I think my Sis and I are competing for that position. My brother is a toss-up between George Michael and Gob... sometimes a good kid, sometimes wildly irresponsible. My mother - Lucille - sure. And my father is most definitely George Bluth Sr.

Oh man with my a little more thought I'm sure I could find players from my family for each part.

Ron Howard can you narrate my life please?

Feeling Dense

When you spend time out of the country... it takes a while to remember how things work when you get back. When's the last time I bothered with my phone plan? I've just been paying the bill. Oh yea, now I remember... Night and Weekends, Anytime Minutes, Rollover, Text Messages, and Voicemail.

Goal 1: avoid a $50,000 phone bill. It only takes once to never do it again. Well at least for me. I hope.

We all live in a Master Bed-a-room. A Master Bed-a-room. A Master-Bed-a-room

Dude. My family owns a 5 bedroom house and it's being controlled by hippie-amma worshiping maniacs. This has gotta change.

Today

Photo Booth

Finally, I have located the photo booth pics! Enjoy :)

Shumi

I've made my decision

After a few days of absolute, mind-blowing off the charts fun, some fantastic conversations, a couple nervous breakdowns, and a lot of tears the answer has come to me. And suddenly my whole body has released all it's tension and I am calm.

I've made my decision.

I'm going to stay in Portland, road trip the country to North Carolina and then go to India.

I would never be where I am today if it weren't for my sister and my new brother-in-law. Blogs about their wedding to come.

The Climb

I never thought I'd be taking advice from an 11-yr old, but hey Miley Cyrus has some words of wisdom. I don't know what to say, I was just really moved by this song when I heard it on the radio.

The Climb - Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it,
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing,
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes they knock me down but
No I'm not breaking
The pain I'm knowing
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on,

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith

Where's Happy?

I've gone from Denmark, "The Happiest Country in the World"...

to San Diego where "Happy Happens"...

I'm still working on happy.

I want more Stephanie Plum!

I finished reading the Janet Evanovich series - 14 saucy fiction novels that are pure entertainment reading. Apparently there's a new one coming out this summer... Hooray! The series starts with "One for the Money" continues with "Two for the Dough" and goes all the way up to "Fearless Fourteen". Stephanie Plum, the main character of all the novels is described in Wikipedia as

"a spunky combination of Nancy Drew and Dirty Harry, and although a female bounty hunter - is the opposite of Domino Harvey"

Her romantic relationships are with Joe Morelli and Ranger. Lately, I have been trying to find real life actors to fit the image formed in my head of these two characters. So far I have decided that:

Joe Morrelli is Jeffrey Donnovan, inspired from character on the USA TV series Burn Notice.

And Ranger is Gilles Marini known most recently for his appearance on Dancing with the Stars. His accent helps complete the Puerto-Rican persona (even though he's apparently French).


With these two men in mind, I can see where Stephanie's dilemma comes from. These guys are hot, hot, hot! :)

Really. Seriously?

Something I've noticed since my return has been the extensive use of the words "really" and "seriously" in conversations.  Maybe I even talked like this before, but it has really stuck out in my mind.  My personal favorite is:  "I mean, like, really?  Seriously?"  It's not just Californians, but it's definitely American.    

R.I.P. Fishy

After talking to MyAnna today, I discovered the fate of Fishy - my dear house pet that I had to leave behind when I left the country. Well, it's no big surprise... Fishy jumped his tank AGAIN, (for like the 7th time in his career!), ended up in ray of sunlight on the carpet floor and dried to a fishy crisp. Poor guy. Feisty little bugger he was, always breaking out of his tank to explore the big big world. I could learn a few lessons from that brave little soul, something like: shoot big, and no matter how traumatizing the fall, you can pick yourself up, try again and still survive (just don't keep trying 7 times, I guess...)

Mixed Signals

I want a crystal ball to tell me my future. Or maybe I can be a time traveller like Hiro Nakamura. The computer generated 8-ball and Facebook quizzes are certainly not giving me clarity.

Sweden: Yes or No?

Back in the USA

On April 9th, after 7 months abroad, I returned to American soil. It hasn't been all that "shocking" to be back in the States - not like it was when I returned from 10 months in France. Not surprising, though, since I didn't really immerse myself much in the Scandinavian life, language or culture. I have to admit, overall I'm feeling a sense of relief. I've been ridiculously homesick.

There have been some things that have stuck out though

- Insulation in homes is MUCH better in Denmark/Sweden

- The toilet flush here is mighty powerful!

- My feet aren't used to flip flops and I'm sore in between my toes from wearing them

That's about it.

The Sun is Out and I'm Pissed

It's amazing how the light, the sun, the arrival of Spring and warmer weather can bring about a mental calmness and make things seem better. I don't accept it. After months of being consumed with feelings of anxiety, desperation, insanity I can't believe it can all be washed away with rays of sunlight. I'm angry to have let the darkness invade my life and to not have put up a better fight. This is war. I have a score to settle.
Round 1:
Mother Nature - 1 Shobhna - 0

The Update

There will be no posts in Danish, because my Denmark adventure is over. The update is that I quit my job and moved out of Denmark. Although it was a drastic and fatal decision, I don't entirely regret the choice that I made. I made it out of necessity, because I couldn't continue with the way things were. And while I can't really pinpoint how things went so wrong, they did, so I'm sort of at ground zero reassessing my life and trying to figure out the next move.

What happened? It started in October with loneliness and isolation. As the winter months progressed, the cold and darkness seeped in and my hibernating tendencies kicked in full gear. Somewhere mid-November misery and desperation took over. And then I started to isolate myself. Eventually I stopped functioning all together. I decided I needed out, because there was no way I was going to cope or that things would get better. So I put in my notice and forfeited my life in Denmark.

That was 2 months ago. Since then, I moved to Malmö and just fell deeper into depression. I haven't been able to climb my way out of this giant hole I've been in. It's time to go home.

So my wild and crazy Scandinavian adventure has not been so wild and crazy after all. I failed to have any fun, make any friends, travel, learn, enjoy - accomplish anything that I set out to do. Life just crumbled to pieces.

I have the chance to try again with a job opportunity in Sweden. But before I can go forward, I need to get myself to a better place and gear myself up to try this a second time. So here's to the end of Part 1 of this journey. To be continued? I'm not sure yet...