toys-r-plastic

For the purpose of this post I am going to venture into an arena I am not very familiar with - but certainly an aspect of it, I am passionate about!  I am sure I maybe missing something here -feel free to enlighten me!

Last evening, the husband and I walked into a big box 'toy store' to buy something to gift a friend's one year old at his upcoming birthday party. Given I have often either bought gifts for children from trusted online sources or clothes coupled with the fact that I haven't really done much of it, I was certainly shocked on walking into the store.


Almost all of it was plastic! I may have been aware about this at the back of my head - but seeing the shear volume together was certainly shocking. Its probably the most amount of plastic I have seen together at one time. I am sure a percentage of it may be recycled and/or green in some other way but is this really the amount of plastic a child at a tender age should be exposed to? I am not even going to go into the aspect of bad plastic, BPA etc - just the amount in itself was shocking enough!

We walked in and walked out of the store in precisely 5 minutes as the husband sensed an andolan* about to be started by yours truly right then and there.

Emotions apart, there are life lessons hidden here too - do we really want to expose the future of our lives in such huge quantities to a material that is so 'plastic' (pun intended!) ; most of which will pretty much never disintegrate and probably sit there in a landfill even after mankind disappears! 

Does a child really need ALL that junk? Of course they need to play - but there are so many other choices that can be made. After all our life style is mostly a reflection of what we have been exposed to and taught at an early age!

For now I am going to happily stick to my trusted resource - Inhabitots for ideas and suggestions for buying gifts for children!

*andolan - protest in hindi 

of Writing and Design

Writing and Design to me are like two sides of the same coin in many ways! 

- They are both pieces of a puzzle floating in different parts of your brain waiting to fall in place. The peace of mind comes only when that 'falling in place' finally happens. 

- While they both may rely on intuition and require one to be gifted and creative to a certain extent, good design and good writing are often dependent on solid  well grounded research and analysis. 

- They both have this great ability to keep you awake in bed for hours, thinking! 

- You can spend hours of your work day trying to solve the puzzle - but more than often it falls in place at some random time in the day - like while cooking, showering, reading, watching TV or while falling asleep or waking up! and then there is the sudden sigh of relief! 

- They are both at their core ,tools of communication and expression, but often times a means to influence lives in many ways

- While design is mostly my profession and writing mostly a hobby,  I often find myself 'designing' my writing and 'writing' my 'design'! 

Local jewels

Houston may or may not be good for many things but it is certainly a great place for 'eating out' (and I don't mean national or international chain restaurants). I remember once long ago, a friend telling me how you could eat at great restaurants every day and not repeat any for years and I completely agree with her. Of course, we never do that! Mostly out of choice, to be good to our pockets, health and mainly because we love to cook, eating out is restricted to 1-2 times a week.

While my familiarity with Houston goes back a couple of years as a weekend resident of the city, it is only in the last month that Houston has become home, day in and day out - 7 days a week and I am experiencing life as a daily resident.  Without further ado let me get to the point - while we have eaten at a number of great restaurants in the city, one that it quickly climbing up on the list of my favorites is 'Ruggles Green'. Having been to lunch there twice in the past week, I can say that  this restaurant hits all the 'must-haves' in my list. It is a Certified Green Restaurant, has a great menu, great ambience, super-fresh organic  and local ingredients,  a good organic/bio dynamic wine list,  all natural and most importantly ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

So here's to exploring little jewels in the city- one at a time!

Sharing is...

Shareable: Design for a Shareable world is one of the latest additions to my RSS feed list and I am just a little disappointed in myself for finding about it only recently. Better late than never!


'Share' is such the key word to a better life- on a personal as well as big picture level!
We share lives, resources, ideas.. just about anything and everything...


... this one to caring!

Even baby steps will do!

Last night as part of Architecture for Humanity's Houston Chapter's fund raising event for rebuilding effort in Haiti we watched the film 'One Peace at a Time'. In case you haven't watched it you can find more information about the movie here .

The film features the work and insights of various Noble Peace Laureates and many others with fundamental issues related to education, food, water, shelter, peace.

As individuals who have had the privilege of a great education and lifestyle, I am quite surprised by the minimal number of people I come across who are interested in being part of any cause or contributing towards it. Many a times there seems to be interest and empathy but a number of excuses. The most popular ones I have heard are:

1. I want to do something but not in this region- Why does passion for a cause or an issue be have to be bound by boundaries? And even if you feel strongly about a certain community in a certain region, with the ease of a global world, living thousands of miles away is no excuse any more.

2. Wish I had the time - Well, I am guessing you don't have the time because you are busy making money out of it - how about donating some of that then?

3. I cannot find anything I can be involved in or that matches with my area of expertise/ interest- Really? Have you tried? I can help you find something if you are really interested. 

I believe an education is fruitful even if a small part of it is applied to something that's bigger than yourself. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects... we all have something that we got in our training that we can contribute to a great cause- that of humanity.

The movie makes a beautiful case for just finding something you are passionate about and acting on it. Could be as small and simple as not using plastic or driving a hybrid or as big as working towards opening a school or bank in an underprivileged community ! It really is about the choices we make, isn't it? 
As was rightly stated in the movie - 'the thing that thrives most is the one that you feed well!

We always have something to say!

The advent and wide spreading popularity of the 'social media' has certainly given each individual, young or old, popular or not, a medium to express- and these days everyone has something to say.

With this phenomenon an integral part of our lives- an addiction if you will, I am beginning to wonder, especially about the younger generations - in a race to state your own and be heard is one losing the ability to listen and to read? 

Are the abilities to listen and read patiently, to acknowledge and process what one has to say seem to be on the road to becoming rare virtues... seems like the average mind already jumps to something it wants to say. 

It's great that we all have so much to say...  I just hope someone is listening.

Cheers to the ' art of listening' ! 

the red fins...

... seen above are from one of the buildings on the ASU downtown campus on my visit to Phoenix last November! 

the frame above

My blog header has been a place for random images - there is randomness in the way I select the images to put on my blog - but a common theme that came to me when I posted this one - each image is associated with a travel memory... and most likely an image that only my travel partner  and I can tell where it came from...
so this one above... Kolhapur, India - Rankala Lake


the one prior to this (a sweet tooth) - with the hot chocolate - no guesses... Brussels, Belgium!


and the one prior to that (unfocused) - a forest of silver winter Aspen trees - from Aspen, Colorado!

Ring Roads of the world - poster

came across this poster through the Archinect website - for those familar with houston - sprawling cities and urbanization might find this poster very compelling like i did

Ring Roads of the World 

Rice School of Architecture, 2009
22 by 32 inches
Production by CPY, Houston

This poster is designed as a sort of calling card for Rice School of Architecture, located in Houston. We collected ring roads from 27 international cities and layered them all at the same scale. As it turned out, Houston has the largest system of those we surveyed. (Beijing was second)

1/4

Here is where I came across it - could associate with the description and thought was a great representation of an idea! 

http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/blog.php?id=C0_539_39

they say...

... you get used to something if you do it for three weeks...


apparently that proved to be true in case of me getting used to driving in India on a right hand drive/ left side of the road ! Proof you ask?


- I keep reaching out to my right hand side for the turn light signals
- I forget about the free right turns
- I am quite impatient at traffic lights... but no I haven't jumped any!
- I forget that I can 'cruise control'
and the BIGGIE
- I almost... only almost honked at a pedestrian this evening!

SOBO

A little late -but I learnt a new acronym on our trip to India this time around
SOBO


In the spirit of SOHO and LODO...
SOBO is South Bombay... shouldnt it be SOMU though? - for South Mumbai... :) oh well! - if only it sounded as cool as SOBO!

It is not just the weather…

… that lacks the warmth!


So do…


the people
the culture
the surroundings
the food
the celebration
the expression
the love


Oh I am so cold…
take me home- to where I belong!!!

find all the mistakes:)

NJ - this probably fits better on your blog - Dekha Hai Aise Bhi!

an assorted p.m mind!

Holiday lights have adorned the street - its all pretty and shimmery outside! 

The red holiday cups have brought back the delicious Eggnog lattes! 

With that the need to work out more! 

Was too cold to go to the gym today - so just did  a 30 min Bollywood routine at home instead! The last quarter has been filled with traveling 

Sometimes I feel I would love a job that has primarily to do with travel - cultural interpretations - dining- wining - the whole package! 

Something like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations - not just about food though - its always about the holistic experience in my realm!!!

 Not the Rachel Ray/ Andrew Zimmern type of show - the biatch in me cannot be that sweet all the time - there are somethings (ok many things!) that I don't like and I am very vocal about it! I don't dislike them - but they just seem to like everything they see, experience and eat! 

 I'll go for Anthony Bourdain - like how he is MEAN and TRUTHFUL!!! 

Certainly not a show like Guy Fieri- I like his show - but the amount of red meat he has to eat ! or let alone be exposed too - too unhealthy for the eyes, let alone the stomach! 

Aspen was gorgeous - was a relaxing- indulgent weekend! 

Phoenix was such a let down - one of the fastest growing cities in America????

Sprawling paradise it is if you ask me

Ironically I went there for Greenbuild - was good but not great- was hoping to come back much more inspired! 

For those unfamiliar - Greenbuild is an international conference on Sustainability - involves issues related to the topic in the built environment - buildings, cities, engineering, policies etc and everything that goes with it!

Oh - thanks to that though I got to hear Al Gore live ( second time now!) and attend a Sheryl Crow concert! 

The year end is close-  holidays even closer

Beginning to feel the pinch - so much to do! so little time!!! 

thats ALWAYS the STORY! 

Ethics out the door...

People of Walmart


have your headphones/speakers on!!!

I really hope  Wal-Mart does NOT pick up any steam in India! 

- from a happy NON Walmart shopper! 

for the love of FOOD

Our last book club read was in Defense of Food: An eater's manifesto - by Michael Pollan

(this time I was guilty of not reading the book- but as a means to encourage a bigger group to attend we always are happy when people show up and contribute to the conversation  even if you haven't read the book- we all know how much we talk about the actual books in a book club session right ?)
So now its lined up as my next reading - after I finish 'the geography of bliss' (another post on that someday)

This one pager that someone brought to the discussion comes from the book- In Defense of Food below and I believe is valuable to all us! Enjoy! its a useful reminder to have on our refrigerators or office desk displays!

of October snow and BLOG friends

If you follow me on twitter, are friends with me on facebook or happen to be on my g-chat list ( the whole world seems to land there - wonder how- anyway, lets leave that for another post) you have probably read my little statements like ' snow storm'; 'loving the orange sky', 'beautiful snow' and 'commute to work this morning wasn't fun'.... however since it's considered to be an 'epic' snowstorm - first in 10 yrs to have hit Denver so hard in the month of October I think it calls for a post on my Blog...

Yes - my Blog - its my oldest outlet on the 'social media' circle - now there is facebook, twitter, linked in - and what not (and you can find me on all!) - but my blog happens to be my oldest and also clique'iest' of the lot - a place known to my few loyal readers who have been with me through the past five years - through thick and thin...through my happy posts- grumpy posts - opinionated posts - green posts - intangible posts - cryptic posts-  random posts- grammatically incorrect posts and on days like these - posts which start with one topic and move on to another .... thank you dear blog 'clique'  for sticking with me-  a unique group of friends - my BLOG friends!

Now back to the October snow storm - the snow started as a heavy consistent downpour on Tuesday evening - went on all day Wednesday and Thursday - spiced up at intervals with gusty winds and COLD temperatures on Thursday- very different from the storms I have seen in Denver before - this one wasn't as dramatic or as Blizzardy ( yumm- the word makes me think of dairy queen bliazzards:) ) as the ones in the past years but was Consistent - kept pouring - 4"-6"-8"-12"-18"- almost a couple of feet - it didnt cause disruption as the ones before - but has piled up a TON of snow....  the white stuff that's the beautiful powder when it is fresh and either deadly ice or slushy slippery mess the next day! Here's to a White October!
Happy Halloween

experiences

its been pretty busy on this side of the world of late - hence the lack of new posts at my end here! 

between busy work schedules we also managed two mini vacations to two DIVERSE cities that share a few core values! In my mind they are both... 

Culturally unique

Culinarily marvelous
Soulfully rich

Artistically inclined

... in very different ways...while San Francisco pretty much defines what a contemporary cultural experience should be like for this side of the continent, New Orleans is rich in its the historic charm! 

First time in New Orleans - loved it! looking forward to going back

Not first time in SFO and around - as always - loved it! looking forward to going back

Date Nights...

.... at home are always so fun!

Last night's menu :

- Mixed herb salad with black grapes, walnuts and olive oil, peach-apricot, chili flakes dressing!
- Tilapia Fish Fry
- Sol Kadhi
- Lemon scented basmati rice

a mangotini for the lady and dirty martini for the husband :)

Nutella update!

now that the chocolate hazelnut goodness has been finger licked to emptiness there will be guilt free evenings....

.... till we get another jar!