All Things Indian

I feel like I am surrounded by all things Indian lately.

@ Had Indian buffet two days ago. It was so good but hard to stay awake afterwards.

@ Just saw "Slumdog Millionaire" last weekend. It was one of the best movies I've ever seen.

@ Did some research on Dharavi, the slum in Mumbai that was the backdrop of the movie.

@ Reading "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri, a collection of short stories about the Indian Diaspora.

@ I want to read "The Namesake" next, also by Lahiri.

@ For the first time in my life I want to visit India.

@ Looking forward to some good Indian food when we visit Indian neighborhood in Chicago.

@ Actually checked out Indian baby names, although realistically they are a bit too exotic.

Here We Go Again

Judging from the ticker above I am a bit pregnant. To be honest, I am terrified of the prospect of managing TWO of them. I think back how hard the first year was and the fact that it is still hard. Lia is a very energetic, intense kid and so demands a lot from her mommy. I keep hearing that the second baby is often easier and I cross my finger that will be true for us.

We still haven't decided whether to find out the sex. I would like to but Rich is on the fence. I want to know because for me it gives the baby an identity. When we found out Lia was a girl it made such a difference for me.

September 3... have a plate of sushi for me!

Detroit Is Drowning

GM's and Chrysler's survival plans to Washington dominated the news today. As a Detroiter, I can't help but sit and bite my nails wondering what would happen if one or both of them doesn't get the federal money. There is much debate over this matter. As a resident of the Motor City, I am literally living in ground zero. We will be looking at an economic Katrina if these companies go under, as so much of the local economy is directly tied to the fortunes (and misfortunes) of them.

Now I can't say I am entirely pro-U.S. auto industry. After all, much of the ills they now face have been self-inflicted, through four decades of blind mismanagement. Their products, for the most part, are unimpressive and therefore uncompetitive. I have owned a Honda and now a Toyota and have vowed never to buy American cars again. The ownership experience with these imports are so much better than with my former Dodge, Mercury, and Ford products.

So that leaves me in a sort of uneasy quagmire. I want the auto companies to stay afloat simply because our fragile U.S. economy cannot take another hit. And certainly Detroit would be swallowed up by the unemployment tide if the worst was to happen. But at the same time I don't know if I will ever gain enough personal trust in the companies to buy their products. Perception is hard to break and I know I am not alone. It may be too little too late.

One-Baby Band

Valentine Sweetheart

Welcome Back!

After several months of non-activity, I am "re-launching" this blog. With a new name, layout and colors, this will be less "Lia-centric" (though she will still be the source of many cute photos and videos) and more about my outlook, opinions and just general gabfesting and sharing. Hopefully, cross my fingers, I will be able to blog more often.

With that, I am relieved, and aren't we all here in the midwest, that things are thawing! Yes, after so many endless weeks of single digit temperature everyone is dying to get some warmth, any warmth. So when the thermometer hits the freezing mark, people are dressing down to their fleece! It's as if summer is here. And the layers of snow that have accumulated are melting and probably flooding some low lying areas.

Now if only someone will go out there and buy a car.