Happy Song

I thought this blog needed some uplifting - so here is a song I heard at the recent Kelly Clarkson concert I went to with my sister. This guy was the opening act and I really like this song, its got a beat that makes me tap my foot!



http://www.erichutchinson.com/

The song is Rock N Roll by Eric Hutchinson, a DC native!!

Follow-Up on Visit

Back from Florida - it was very hard, not only seeing my grandfather dying, but because he is not taking this well. He is very angry and its like some monster has taken over his body, he was rallying against everyone and everything. I've never seen him so mean before. Has anyone ever dealt with that, with a dying loved one who hasn't come to terms with dying? It doesn't help that he is areligious, he believes in God but doesn't really care for Him - so one can't even comfort him through spirituality (which would help me).

I just left him feeling worse than when I went. Sigh.

On a different note - Atlanta airport (ATL) sucks! It is huge and does NOTHING to really help you get from point A to point B, beyond that people mover subway thing. But even there, when you stop at your terminal, they have only TWO escalators - really, only two? One up, one down. I was running today to make a connection, from D terminal to C terminal and I got slammed both going down and coming up, couldn't move, people standing everywhere. Than when you get to the terminal the hallways are VERY small/narrow so I had to keep bobbing and weaving as I ran, to make it to my gate. The subway-people mover spits you out at gate 24, of course my gate is number 8. NOTHING to get you down that hall fast at all, except LOTS of people moving as slow as honey or walking like a drunk! And don't even get me started on the security at that airport, could they be more rude and slow?? Seriously, its official, my least favorite airport, in the entire world is Atlanta!!!

"Glen Beck is Satan's mentally challenged younger brother," Stephen King. I saw this quote and I had to put it up, cause it made me laugh and I agree.

"Abercrombie & Fitch Faces Lawsuit Over Muslim Headscarf" - saw this headline on the Time magazine website (http://www.time.com/). I am so not surprised. I have long despised A&F because I felt they were racist (whenever you go in there are NO models of color on the wall posters and good luck trying to find someone Asian or Black in the catalog!). This news story just reaffirms my beliefs about this establishment. I ask you to boycott said store if you feel as I do, that A&F is racist (and also in my case, as an ethnic woman, why should I spend my hard earned money at your place of business when you don't even have the decency to represent me or someone like me in your advertising??).


And finally an image of my beloved Copenhagen - because I really need that right now - this is actually a picture of the bridge I would cross ever Sunday to get to St. Alban's, my Anglican church experience while in Denmark (which I loved and miss terribly!). Of course I would be crossing early Sunday morning and it was never that busy but quite calm and peaceful (and that boat, with the sails, is permanently there, I think it might be a restaurant? the white building, just as you came off the bridge, houses an ice cream palor on the bottom floor, I remember walking past the big life-size plastic ice cream cone, next to it is a Thai restaurant).

My Nana

I am trying really hard to keep it together - I head down to Florida in about two hours. My grandfather (whom I call Nana) is dying.

I can't even imagine my life without him in it, I was unabashedly his favorite grandkid. Plus, its like this whole period of my life, my fabulous childhood, summers spent in India or excitement when he and my grandmother would come over to visit, it will be over, placed away in some box. Can it ever be revisited, without him around?

But to God I am grateful, I got an extra 15 years with Nana - when he first came to America in 1994 (following my grandmother's death), he was diagnosed with lung cancer and given six months to live.

May Allah help us through this time.

Eid Mubarak!

I was going to put up a sweet spiritual message but this comic was too funny, so there you have it.

EID MUBARAK!!!!

The holy month of Ramadan (the month of fasting) is now over and we mark the end of this month, with the holiday of Eid! It is a day of celebration, no one fasts, we visit each others homes, wear new cloths. Everyone heads to the Mosque before noon, for special prayers, it is a joyous and fun day!! We wish each other Eid Mubarak (happy Eid in Arabic, the language of Islam). May everyone's Eid be lovely!!

Missing Monday

Age: 18
Sex: Female
Race: Black
Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 130LBS
Missing From: PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Missing Since: 02/12/2007
Details: ALESHA WAS LAST SEEN ON FEBRUARY 12, 2007 WEARING A BLACK TEE SHIRT WITH A "ROCAWEAR" LOGO, BLUE JEANS AND A BLACK COAT. SHE MAY STILL BE IN THE LOCAL AREA.

Contact:
Prince William County Police Department OFFICER W.S. DREYEK 703-792-7200

This lady is local, which is why I picked her out of the many missing people on the Virginia State Police website. What could have happened to her? Where was she walking? What was going on in her life, why was she walking? All I know is that obviously someone loves her, they reported her missing and it is for them, that loved one, that I pray daily for peace of mind. May Alesha be found.

Who would you invite to your birthday party?

I'm listening to BBC Asian Network at work (like I do everyday, its great combining two of my big loves, Bollywood music and England), anyway this post is not about my radio/streaming internet listening habits, but about the question they have posed on one of the shows I listen too...if you could invite anyone to your birthday, with the certainty they would come, who would it be?? And why would you be inviting them?

If I was having such a lavish party I would definitely invite all of my family and friends but for the big celebrity names here goes:
1. President and Mrs. Obama (I would love to just talk with him, he seems like such a great guy!).
2. New Kids On The Block (my favorite boy band!)
3. The Archbishop of Canterbury (because next to Islam, I love the Anglican church, plus I'm sure he would be great conversationalist).
4. Queen Margathe II of Denmark (duh, I love royalty).
5. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (my favorite ice dance couple).
6. Dawn French (the star of the Vicar of Dibley, hilarious!)
7. Jody Williams winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize (I am inspired by her).
8. JK Rowling (I must know more about my favorite characters from Harry Potter!)
9. Nathan Fillion (cause I'm crushing on him).
10. Prince William and Prince Harry (this goes without saying).

I've limited it to 10, because otherwise it just gets crazy, no?? Who would you invite??

Outsider

Feelings of middle school have invaded me - which is crazy, I know. At work yesterday, as I was gathering my things to leave for the day, I overheard of a picnic someone here at work is giving, one of those informal Labor day affairs. Some people around the office (all the cool kids) have gotten invitations and I wasn't one of them.

I felt a bit bad about not getting an invitation, though its not like I even want to go. I don't even really enjoy the company of many people here at my office (actually I just gave my letter of resignation, I'm moving to Arizona in October, but that is for another post). Regarding not being invited, I think it just has something to with being included or excluded as the case would be. Its like being on the playground all over again, no? No one wants to be picked last or not picked at all.

I am puzzled over my feelings, do they make sense? Do I just have an incredibly high level of insecurity and lack of confidence?? I need to achieve better levels of zen, so these things fall off my back like water.