Day 2 (Art Every Day Month)

The Elements

(This picture contains all that I want most in my life,
and it was hugely therapeutic to do, yay!)

IT IS ART-EVERY-DAY MONTH!!! First post for November:

Trinket detail

A Poyem named Ju jooo beee

that same old restlessness
that same old familiar feeling
where will you take me my friend?
on to newer shores, vaster lands?
where i will discover new friends?
what new and exciting tidings do you bring with you?
who do you wish to introduce to me now?
i know you exist, that space of vast unfamiliar
that space that lies between the known and unknown worlds
a grey area, an unknown area, but one that exists all the same
is that where you wish to take me?
here i am waiting, anticipating
heck, i am taking
i am taking this new journey with you
you are exciting, a fresh breath of familiar
a divine overseeing, a divine under taking
a place, a person, a poopoo
love, love, LOVE to you!!!

Some wisdom, even if you don't like it

We are acutely aware of our own humanity, but rarely of our divinity. What if we chose to pay more attention to the latter?

I have walked one way for a very long time. To change course does not take courage, it only takes willingness.

My first steps were preceded by the ones before them.

Pay attention, even to the smallest stillest voice that rises from the deepest depths of your silence.

Kindness can result from a mere change in perception.

A good idea can be worth more than all the dollars in the world.

A good bra can make you a better person.

*- more additions later -*

Cabbage soup

Cabbage soup, ladies and gentlemen, can be prepared in a number of ways. You can do it clear, or creamy. With or sans mushrooms. Vegetarian or non. Just a beautifully bland vegetable that lends itself to the soup bowl easily without a sliver of protest. All you need is a good knife, seasoning and some liquid. Anything else is entirely optional. Nature is truly a brilliant artist. How on earth did she manage to create every single thing that goes into a well stocked kitchen? How did she realise that we would need pepper and salt, because cabbage soup simply cannot do without either? I mean how?! How did she know that the French will convert us all to their exclusive religion? (Here I shall interject: anyone who disagrees with the brilliance of French cuisine is a heretic). Lead me unto the altar (stove) dear lord, and I shall obey your command (my stomach growls) willingly!!

Ok, confession time. I am addicted to chillies. There, I said it..the truth is out! Even though I am quite devoted to my faith, I do it no justice by killing my taste buds everyday with hot peppers. I can't help it. I've been on it since I was a kid, thanks to my Telugu heritage. It is a beautiful thing though. But I will save my ode to the mighty green pepper for another day.

So back to cabbage soup. Noodles give it that certain je ne sais quoi to it..a certain chewy consistency. I owe this knowing to one of my very good friends who herself is an addict to cabbage soup. She also adds egg to it, which is quite delightful on the tongue, but in appearance it ends up as sad white things floating about in the mixture. But. Who cares if it tastes good - the proof of the pudding is in the slurping after all!

I will try out a few recipes (particularly those of a French persuasion) and put up the pictures. I also had a great idea for a Chicken steak (can you say steak?) recently...avec sauce chocolat, sound delightful? I thought so. May be you get to see that too, as a bonus. Perhaps it will be the main course. Et pour le dessert? Hmm...I was thinking of using the left over musk melon in the fridge and create a fruit sorbet perhaps. I wonder if anyone has ever made musk melon sorbet before. I could be the first.

Ok darlings, a tout! Et...bon appetit!!

Life is for the living / Self absorbed crappiness

I am watching `Julie & Julia' and I am surprised that they actually mispronounced boeuf bourguignon. Incroyable!! You would think that they would have at least hired a few French speakers just to make sure.. especially when Meryl Streep is involved.

The movie (and I am just watching it) resonates with me. I too am at a time of my life when I am asking the question: really, what should I be doing?! Somehow, there is a part of me, a small voice that cries: I know you are going somewhere, and it is going to be reeealll goooddd..laughs (that little voice, inside).

Yeah. Real good. Some place nice, special, spectacular, great. In the movie, Julia's husband asks her: "what is it that you really like to do?". I asked myself the same thing, and of course the first answer was a bit..not that easy.

I chewed on it for a bit and the first thing - movies. And jewellery. Clothing. I love beautiful things, I cannot help it. I also love a good story. I always told ghost stories. Perhaps I should have been the first M.Night, but Shyamalan beat me to it. It's alright. Since he hasn't produced any big budget feature lately, I'm guessing the spot for supernatural superstar is still open. We'll see.

I used to like travelling until I realised how routine it can get. Leaning tower of Pisa? Check. Eiffel Tower? Check. The Empire State? Check. You get the idea...so travelling is out now. But films? Stories? Not out yet. I love telling stories. Especially when I get into the mood. I also love my time with friends, but how am I ever going to make that into a career unless I start a cool new restaurant/cafe or some other place to hang out at, that can't be made into an actual career. I even considered TV and the broadcasting business. But now my engine runs low for that. I can't be this big TV personality all the time. It can be very demanding, stressful and mad.

I'm even considering jewellery design, but not completely sure for now. I think something tells me: it's film, film, film. And music too. But that could go with the films I make. So yeah, film, film, ..

I am quite contemplative and think with a fair amount of clarity. But I cannot be a counsellor and listen to everyone's sob stories. It's too much. I tend to get involved and then it hurts.

I like: films, jewellery, clothing, friends, wine, cooking. In that order. A good film with a meal at a good party with friends is where it's at.

To be continued..

Music and Dance

Here are some simple songs you can sing and dance to, just because you gotta!! Note: done better in small or large groups, but please don't let that stop you from prancing around naked in your living room (with the curtains drawn, please). And remember to clap after each line - it adds some rhythm to the mix.

"Dance if you want to, sing if you must. The beat's gonna get you, one day it will have to!!!"

Another simple one: "You gotta do the huppa huppa huppa dance - high note" Chorus (people shout): HUPPA!!! You gotta do the huppa huppa dance - low note" HUPPA!!!

p.s. after I created this one, I looked up `huppa' and it means Jewish wedding canopy. neat huh?! The word actually means something!!