How Meliha stole Halloween

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you should know by now that Halloween is coming. Like The Grinch at Christmas, I feel like stealing Halloween. Let's just say I'm not Halloween's biggest fan.

Dressing up as something or someone else is just NOT my thing. Last year, I told myself if I were going to dress up as ANYTHING for Halloween, I'd be Wonder Woman. This year, I actually considered it...until I remembered that I hate dressing up in costume.

Meet Nafisa Haji

I recently blogged my book review of The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji (Amazon: Kindle / Hardback).

Well, it turns out that she lives in the San Francisco Bay area. I sometimes contact authors when I enjoy reading a book. This time, I contacted Nafisa and asked whether she had any events coming up where I could get a book signed. (For those interested in contacting her, try the link on her website.)

Hello it's Mr. (or Mrs.) Nasty

So often in life we're faced with people who are...let's just say "difficult" to deal with.

When I was in high school, a course I was taking had us read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (Amazon: Paperback). Hate is such a strong word to describe how I felt about that book...so let's just say that I remember not diggin it. Even now, after reading the Wikipedia summary to refresh my memory, the advice still seems a little offensive and...dated. (The last portion titled Seven Rules For Making your Home Life Happier actually reminded me a lot of The Good Wife's Guide distributed by Good Housekeeping in 1955, but I'll save that discussion for another day.)

Like to write? Join NaNoWriMo 2009!

For those who like to write creatively, NaNoWriMo starts next Sunday at 12:01am. If you've never heard of it and haven't participated before, it's a shotgun approach to novel writing. It starts at 12:01am on Nov 1 and ends at midnight on Nov 30. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel, with the importance being on quantity, not quality.

I heart mehndi

One of my favorite cultural elements from south Asia is mehndi (also known as henna).

Mehndi is usually applied using a cone filled with a paste mixture that originates from a henna plant. The design, which can vary, is usually applied to feet and hands since the color bonds to skin better there. The final color usually becomes a reddish brown shade but other colors (like orange and brown) are also possible depending upon the original mixture made by the mehndi artist. After the design has been applied, it hardens as it dries and can then be flaked off to reveal the stained design. The design can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks (or sometimes as long as a month, like mine did during our wedding!).

Gentlemen -- and mosquitos too! -- prefer blondes

We were talking with some friends the other night and somehow the conversation turned to mosquitos. I pointed out to our friends that I had heard that mosquitos have preferences as to who they bite -- they prefer blondes. I was almost laughed out of the car.

So I google it on my iPhone and, after wading through several links to blonde jokes (who cares "what's the difference between a mosquito and a blonde?"), I came across an old story about it how mosquitos prefer color contrasts and will choose a blonde over a brunette. No wonder I always get bit!

Book review > The Writing on My Forehead

At the recommendation of my nand (sister in law), I recently picked up The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji (Amazon: Kindle / Hardback). I had a hard time putting it down after getting it from the library Friday afternoon. So much so that I ended up finishing it that evening.

Climate changes in south Asia and doing my part

When the movie The Day After Tomorrow first came out 5+ years ago, I remember thinking "Oh this is such an exaggeration, there's no way this can happen." Since then, I'd like to think that I've matured a little bit and, as such, my view has changed. These days, the environment is always in the forefront of my mind. Since climate change is such an important issue (and a big part of environmental issues), I'm devoting this blog entry to bringing attention to it by taking part in Blog Action Day 2009, the topic of which this year is climate change.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

So my last blog post talked about south Asian dress styles that can be worn to formal functions.

After re-reading that post, I think I need to back up a little bit. I realized there were a few things that might require further explanation to those who are unfamiliar to these types of clothes.

What to wear...what to wear...?

There's a desi wedding coming up that we'll be attending. As far as desi clothes for formal events go, the possibilities are nearly endless since everything is custom tailored. So what should I design and wear to the wedding functions...?

Guilty...? Innocent...? How about DISMISSED (with thanks of the court)!

I've always been mildly interested in politics and the law. In high school, I served in the student legislature and on mock trial. My first year in college, I majored in Political Science but changed it after I realized I probably couldn't lie to save my life, let alone do it on a regular basis like politicians do.

Be kind to animals!

WARNING: This blog entry is of a serious nature, so if you find this topic disturbing, you might want to stop reading after this paragraph. For those who prefer to read more funny blog posts, don't worry...I'll be back with a less serious blog post soon.

For those who are still interested, read on.

The A-Team movie is coming!

If you watched any tv during the 80s, then you probably caught The A-Team on tv. In one of my recent posts, I mentioned how I thought Hollywood should make The A-Team into a cheesy movie. Well...they're doing it, and the lame has-been team has been chosen.

My next dinner party

So I was driving around in my MINI Cooper in full-on British mode the other day blasting none other than The Beatles, and it got me thinking: If I could invite ANYONE -- living OR dead -- to dinner, who would it be?