Festivities, etc.

This morning, my mom came with a handful of baby powder in her hand and she went about the house pasting it on our faces saying "happy phagwa" and kissing us then asking us to do the same for her. So I played phagwa with my mom. It was her version of celebrating phagwa since no one had the chance to buy abeer or even the powder. It worked though. After my mom, nan and i were done playing in the house, my mom and I went outside where Vin was potting a little plant and I emptied baby powder all over his head, forcing him to take another shower in less than one hour. He did not expect it at all! Even with a little bottle of baby powder, we celebrated our Hindu new year. Believe me, we can improvise! Later on my mom made a whole bunch of fried foods---pholorie nah! (which my dad enjoyed immensely--he took his lunch break to come home and have it while it was still hot) and chutney to go along with it. The chutney was the best! It was really hot but i guess my mom put some sugar in it to make it less sour and that was all i needed to eat. Not that I like peppery stuff because it makes you eat more than usual. Just the same, this kept me eating until I had to remind myself that the pholorie was deep fried.

Later on, at work, I felt sad because my coworker's boyfriend left for Iraq and she was scheduled to work when his flight was supposed to take off. He came to see her on her lunch break--only a half hour--and when she came back she was crying and I just stood there for a while, looking at her and totally unsure of what to do. It was awkward. At first I tried telling her that he would come back safely and that it was going to be a short time but then I thought of myself and how I would react to someone giving me that same advice. I thought of how hard it is when I do not see Ami for a day and I decided to stop talking. I guess the last thing she wanted was to hear anyone say that he will be back because the point is that he was leaving and going into a war zone. I really wanted to say, "F*&k the A*&hole who put us into this 'war!'" This is different from just a regular trip. I mean, there are uncertainties everywhere, no matter what the situation is but sometimes I still wonder if this 'war' in Iraq is just. Finally, I hugged her and just let her cry until she was finished reasoning with her thoughts. I do not know how she did it but she made a quick comeback and together, we were able to close at 229% today. She is a strong girl and I guess all you can do in a situation like that is be positive and hope that some of the positivity transfers over to the other person. And at the end of the night, my coworker was able to smile again and look a little better even if she wasn't feeling a hundred percent better.

Oh, I've forgotten to mention..I have been getting recommendations from parents to other parents about getting their baby's ears pierced by me. The first time a parent came, i did not believe that i was the one who the other parent had described until the lady related what the parent told her about the location of the store. She said that the girl had long dark hair. I said well that must be my coworker. The lady was adamant that it was not my coworker and I was certain that it was not me until she got tired of beating around the bush and finally she said that the person who she was told about was Indian. Then I realized that it was me. Really, I do not think i am great at piercing but I like doing it a lot and if i like something, I will put all my attention into it. As a scientist, I get to practice my sterile techniques. I suppose that is what makes the difference though.

I've started reading a new book. I will blog on this in another post though. Actually, like some of my other friends, I've been doing a lot more reading and less blogging. however, I've begun to make notes on the margins of my book so I will dedicate my next blog to Russian Literature and my love for Fyodor Dostoevsky's novels.