Shoes Solve Many Problems
I’m not the kind of person who gets depressed. No, I am far more likely to get irritated and/or angry too quickly for any other emotion to set in. Ali and Maya can attest to this, as can a slew of slow left-lane freeway drivers and the numerous obnoxious kids who hog the park’s spinner. So it is unusual that I was feeling kind of sorry for my hair and myself this weekend. I have to say though that all of your very kind comments, plus Ali’s constant reassurances that I don’t look like a boy put me in a much better mood!
Other things that improved my lackluster mood this past weekend were…
An excellent Italian dinner at Locanda del Lago.
Butternut Squash Risotto with Seared Scallops
A delicious brunch at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica.
Huevos Rancheros - Corn tortillas, poached eggs, black beans, salsa, and guacamole
Another pair of gorgeous shoes from my mother-in-law. Just because.
I had no idea Kate Spade even made shoes, nevermind ones as pretty as these.
Indian food at a new-to-us restaurant in West L.A called Electric Karma.
Appetizer - Aloo Tikki
Salad with Tandoori Mushrooms, Eggplant, and Paneer
Memorial Day lunch at my parents’ place.
Salmon, Lamb Chops, Brown Rice Salad, Corn, Green Salad, Garbanzo Bean Salad, and Maya's sneaky little hand setting up her place at the buffet table.
And I also had a great time answering the last few questions from my Formspring account. These are the last of them!
Q: Any advice on success? (I’m a college student getting a BS in Marketing and minor in psychology ) and also whats your favorite non-fictions books? (BTW -LOVE YOUR blog, the humor is pick me up in the morning!)
A: First off, your compliment just made my Wednesday morning, so thank you for that. Secondly, I’m not sure I am qualified to advise on success as I am still trying to achieve that myself, but if there is one thing I can’t emphasize enough it’s that you should pursue a career that you LOVE. Looking back, I really wish I’d gone a different route instead of choosing the more stable/realistic path because I believe I would be much happier and further in my career now.
My favorite non-fiction book include The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster (although her subsequent books are not nearly as entertaining), and Slave by Mende Nazer. I could not put this last book down, and to put that statement in perspective, I was in labor while I was reading it.
Q: Are you religious? (How) does this play a part in your daily life? You look like such a fun parent! Love your blog!
A: Thank you for the compliments! I am fairly sure Maya doesn’t consider me much of a fun parent now but I do hope she does eventually.
I am fairly religious in some ways, i.e. I fast during the month of Ramadan and I pray regularly. But I also wear things that I probably shouldn’t. I try! I have to work harder than most because both my brother and Ali demand that I do prayers on their behalf. They are THAT lazy.
And my brother is going to kill me for writing that.
Q: What is the craziest thing you ever did in college?
A: For some reason I have a feeling my brother asked this question. He wants me to admit that I got a tattoo during my college days, and even though I’ve sworn up and down numerous times that I do not have a tattoo, he doesn’t believe me.
The truth is that I was almost as boring back in college as I am now. The worst thing I ever did was wear a few things my parents wouldn’t have approved of. There were also few months during my junior year where I smoked a few cigarettes here and there. I have no idea why I did it but I am really glad that habit never stuck. All I can say is that if Maya is even half as boring as I was then I will be a happy mother.
Q: Does your kid drive you crazy?? Your posts make it seem that way sometimes. 🙂
Yes, Maya does drive me nuts! But please take my sarcasm and complaining with a grain of salt because I am prone to exaggeration and I have little patience in general. The truth is that Maya is a really good, smart, loving kid and I love her to death!
I am a Saver…
Ali makes fun of me for many reasons, but mainly because I am always saving for a rainy day. Whenever we get an unexpected windfall, i.e. a tax refund or a nice birthday gift in the form of a check, I immediately run to the bank to deposit it. I even started saving for Maya’s college education before I met Ali!
Yes, I am that fiscally responsible.
With these self-described quirks, it should come as no surprise that I find it very difficult to splurge on things. I blame it on my Indian upbringing! Luckily my wardrobe doesn’t suffer too much because I am quite fortunate to have a fantastic mother-in-law who keeps my closet fully stocked. Otherwise I may still be wearing the ugly Express Ponte Pants I bought 9 years ago, which, incidentally, are still hanging in my closet because it makes me feel great to know that 5 years after having Maya I can still fit in a size 2. I pretend that isn’t due to the fact that the pants are made out of a very cheap, stretchy material.
Some of the things I refuse to splurge on include:
- Very expensive restaurant dinners – I’m talking about places that charge $18 for a Caesar Salad composed of a few leaves of lettuce and a couple of croutons.
- Designer Jeans – I’ve learned my lesson on this one, although Paige still holds a special place in my heart.
- Haircuts – Every single time I’ve spent a lot on a haircut I’ve had to spend more at another salon to get it fixed.
Apparently I am a slow learner because I spent $75 last week to get a trim at a so-called reputable salon, only to have my hair literally hacked to death. I had no idea what to say when I saw the end result so I did what any other non-confrontational person would do – I told the stylist that it looked great, I gave her a fat tip, and I headed to Supercuts.
I almost cried when the Supercuts stylist said, “Oh honey, what happened to your hair?” I almost cried again when she told me that she’d have to cut 3 inches off in order to correct my chia pet look.
Before:
After:
Don’t let my moronic smile fool you – I am really quite upset that my hair is gone and I look like a boy. So, as I ponder why I am a complete idiot for not telling the stylist the truth (although she could obviously tell she did a terrible job), and I avoid mirrors like the plague, I am off to Target to splurge on some much-needed hats.
I see myself wearing a lot of those for the next few months.
Definitions
First off, thank you all for your very kind comments on the “How We Met” post. It is amazing what a talented makeup artist and brilliant photographer can do for even the most challenged of brides, i.e. myself. As always, your comments make my day, so thank you again.
And now on to your regularly programmed sarcasm featuring definitions that you won’t find in any Random House Dictionary…
Teacher In-Service Day: Thinly disguised teacher holidays designed by school administrators to get rid of kids when they need a break.
Zen-Like Moments: The blissful 50 minutes of yogadownload.com that I crammed in at 5 am yesterday prior to Maya popping out of her room dressed, full of questions, and ready to go at 6:10 am.
Babydoll: Maya’s doll who was also wide-awake, dressed, and ready to go at 6:10am.
Subtraction Concepts: “If I have 15 M&M’s and Babydoll eats 10, how many do I have left?” “5 Mama, 5!”
Who knew that practicing math would kill 30 minutes? Who knew that Maya could progress from writing numbers backwards to nearly mastering addition and subtraction questions in less than a month? Who knew I’d manage not to yell at her even once?
(We’ll all pretend that’s true).
Saving Grace: The unexpected phone call from my brother, inviting us to come see his new office. You’d better believe I piled us both into the car faster than anyone could say“I’m bored, what should we do now Mama?”
Workplace Environment: My brother’s beautiful office in Santa Monica with lush landscaping, ducks, water fountains, and an unlimited supply of candy and Goldfish to ply even the whiniest of guests.
Early Lunch: A meal that falls after breakfast but before noon, which no normal person would consider a reasonable lunch hour.
But since feeding Maya is the best way to keep her occupied, an early lunch it was. Luckily Locanda del Lago was open at 11:30am to assist Maya and my brother in some early carb-overloading.
Double Espresso, Squared: The 2 double espressos my brother needed to revive himself after the aforementioned early bird lunch. Maya can do that to you.
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Quiche: The untraditional, yet fantastic concoction I consumed from Le Pain Quotidien, where Maya and I met my mom for lunch at the far more reasonable hour of 1:30 pm.
Ask Your Teacher: My standard answer for when I get asked questions like the one Maya asked me yesterday, “After we die, does God make us again or do we stay dead forever?”
Maya Din: A crazy, question-filled, energy-laden, 5-year-old eating machine, who enjoys sleeping in the brand new sleeping bag my mom sent her, with her head in a box and two umbrellas to keep her feet dry.
Maya’s Mother: An equally insane member of the Din family who, thanks to Maya’s day off yesterday, now needs her own “Teacher In-Service” day to recover.
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 
