She couldn't sit straight. Her legs refused to cooperate with her. They were doing their own version of the jive under the table. 'Damn it, Why did I have to wear a skirt today?', she thought.
It didn't feel like the middle of December anymore. She started to feel hot and soon felt like ripping off the sweater she was wearing. Her hands became clammy and droplets of sweat started making their way down her forehead.
Her mouth went dry, her lips felt like they were stuck with super glue. Her heart began to pound... it started slowly at first, but soon she could feel the palpitations occurring more rapidly. She became concerned- she wondered if she should cry out for help.
She started feeling short of breath. Though she tried to breath through her mouth, she couldn't. It almost seemed like she had forgotten how to breath. She felt faint and every breath became more difficult to take. She was sure she was going to fall off her chair any moment. She only hoped that her fall would be dignified. What if her skirt flew up in the air when she fell! The mere thought was mortifying. She felt her eyes glazing over, her vision blurring when...
Suddenly, a thundering roar interrupted her thoughts. She thought it must be a storm outside. But when she looked around, she realized that it was a a big round of applause! She could hear her name being called and looked up to find her professor calling her and announcing to the audience'And now, we have my graduate student who'll be defending her thesis today. She'll be presenting the work she has done for the last two years.' She took a deep breath and walked up on stage. 'Lets do this!, she told herself. 'Its gotta be better than fainting and having my skirt fly up in the air!'.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
SISTERLY ACT
Kalpana and Sangeetha were sisters,just a year apart. Both were tall, had powerful brown eyes and long black hair that curled up into little ringlets at the ends. They were beautiful girls and were mama's pride and joy since the day they were born.
But the two sisters never got along. They fought constantly. When they were little, they fought over toys. When they became a little older, boys replaced toys. They constantly competed with each other. In school, both girls competed to get the better marks; they competed to get more prizes than the other in all the cultural shows. The girls competed for their teachers' praise and for their mother's attention. They were ruthless to each other; friends who knew them wondered how sisters could treat each other this way.
For instance, for Kalpana's sixteenth birthday, she was throwing a huge 'sweet sixteen' bash at home. She had planned for it for months and was very excited about it. But Sangeetha wasn't- she despised the fact that her sister would be the center of attention at the party instead of her. So, the night before, when Kalpana was sleeping, Sangeetha crept into her room with a pair of scissors and got to work. It was a good thing Kalpana was a sound sleeper. The next morning, the entire house was woken up by a piercing scream from Kalpana's room. When her mom ran into the room, she saw Kalpana sobbing on the floor, with hair all around her. Her crowning glory was gone; her beautiful long hair mangled. Instead, she was left with frayed locks of hair, some that reached down to her shoulder, some to her neck and some only to her chin. Kalpana's sixteenth birthday was ruined and there was a pall of gloom all around the house except in one room... where Sangeetha slept peacefully, with a smug sense of satisfaction.
More than 10 years passed like this. Kalpana got married and started teaching at a local arts school. Sangeetha went the scholarly route which meant that after doing her bachelors and masters in Chemistry, she was now pursuing a PhD and doing top-notch research in the same field. What this really meant is that at 28, Sangeetha was still single, still dirt poor, still living in a small apartment with roommates and was spending her 5th year doing research that no one gave a flying rat's ass about. Though both sisters lived in the same city, a huge distance had crept between them. Several bitter fights had completely ruined their relationship. After their mother passed away, the only unifying thread between them was gone. So they never met or spoke to each other again.
One day, Kalpana got a phone call from her sister. She was very surprised and didn't really know what to say. Sangeetha asked if they could meet and they agreed upon a local coffee shop for the meeting. That evening, Kalpana walked into the coffee shop to find Sangeetha sitting quietly at a corner booth. But she was unrecognizable- she looked thin and frail, her face pale and her cheeks hollowed. After greetings were exchanged and coffees were ordered, they began to talk and Sangeetha had some shocking news. She said that she had been diagnosed with Stage II Lymphoma a little over two months ago. She said that the disease was progressing, but that she would be starting chemotherapy from next week to fight it. She said these things in a calm, almost emotionless manner- it terrified Kalpana. They spoke about it for over an hour and at the end of the meeting, Sangeetha asked if Kalpana could come sit with her for some of her chemo sessions; she said that she really needed family now. Kalpana agreed without hesitation.
The next week, Sangeetha started her chemotherapy sessions and Kalpana showed up at the hospital as promised. Sangeetha watched her sister enter her room and thought she looked different somehow. She was wearing a red salwar kameez but she had draped her dupatta over her head- maybe it was sunny outside, Sangeetha thought . But, when Kalpana removed the dupatta, it was Sangeetha's turn to be shocked. All that beautiful black hair was gone- Her sister was completely bald. Kalpana broke the silence and said,
"Once your chemo kicks in, you'll start losing your hair. I've never let you be the first at anything, You didn't expect me to let you be the first in this,did you? So I beat you to it!"
Sangeetha understood and smiled. She reached for her sister's hand, gave it a tight squeeze and smiled.
short story
But the two sisters never got along. They fought constantly. When they were little, they fought over toys. When they became a little older, boys replaced toys. They constantly competed with each other. In school, both girls competed to get the better marks; they competed to get more prizes than the other in all the cultural shows. The girls competed for their teachers' praise and for their mother's attention. They were ruthless to each other; friends who knew them wondered how sisters could treat each other this way.
For instance, for Kalpana's sixteenth birthday, she was throwing a huge 'sweet sixteen' bash at home. She had planned for it for months and was very excited about it. But Sangeetha wasn't- she despised the fact that her sister would be the center of attention at the party instead of her. So, the night before, when Kalpana was sleeping, Sangeetha crept into her room with a pair of scissors and got to work. It was a good thing Kalpana was a sound sleeper. The next morning, the entire house was woken up by a piercing scream from Kalpana's room. When her mom ran into the room, she saw Kalpana sobbing on the floor, with hair all around her. Her crowning glory was gone; her beautiful long hair mangled. Instead, she was left with frayed locks of hair, some that reached down to her shoulder, some to her neck and some only to her chin. Kalpana's sixteenth birthday was ruined and there was a pall of gloom all around the house except in one room... where Sangeetha slept peacefully, with a smug sense of satisfaction.
More than 10 years passed like this. Kalpana got married and started teaching at a local arts school. Sangeetha went the scholarly route which meant that after doing her bachelors and masters in Chemistry, she was now pursuing a PhD and doing top-notch research in the same field. What this really meant is that at 28, Sangeetha was still single, still dirt poor, still living in a small apartment with roommates and was spending her 5th year doing research that no one gave a flying rat's ass about. Though both sisters lived in the same city, a huge distance had crept between them. Several bitter fights had completely ruined their relationship. After their mother passed away, the only unifying thread between them was gone. So they never met or spoke to each other again.
One day, Kalpana got a phone call from her sister. She was very surprised and didn't really know what to say. Sangeetha asked if they could meet and they agreed upon a local coffee shop for the meeting. That evening, Kalpana walked into the coffee shop to find Sangeetha sitting quietly at a corner booth. But she was unrecognizable- she looked thin and frail, her face pale and her cheeks hollowed. After greetings were exchanged and coffees were ordered, they began to talk and Sangeetha had some shocking news. She said that she had been diagnosed with Stage II Lymphoma a little over two months ago. She said that the disease was progressing, but that she would be starting chemotherapy from next week to fight it. She said these things in a calm, almost emotionless manner- it terrified Kalpana. They spoke about it for over an hour and at the end of the meeting, Sangeetha asked if Kalpana could come sit with her for some of her chemo sessions; she said that she really needed family now. Kalpana agreed without hesitation.
The next week, Sangeetha started her chemotherapy sessions and Kalpana showed up at the hospital as promised. Sangeetha watched her sister enter her room and thought she looked different somehow. She was wearing a red salwar kameez but she had draped her dupatta over her head- maybe it was sunny outside, Sangeetha thought . But, when Kalpana removed the dupatta, it was Sangeetha's turn to be shocked. All that beautiful black hair was gone- Her sister was completely bald. Kalpana broke the silence and said,
"Once your chemo kicks in, you'll start losing your hair. I've never let you be the first at anything, You didn't expect me to let you be the first in this,did you? So I beat you to it!"
Sangeetha understood and smiled. She reached for her sister's hand, gave it a tight squeeze and smiled.
short story
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Shoe-ing away unhappiness!
Lily pulled out the cream colored stilettos from the shoe box. They had been kept neatly wrapped in tissue, for a deserving occasion. The shoes were almost 5 years old, but the creamy faux animal skin looked brand new. Looking at those shoes brought back a lot of memories - these were shoes she had worn during the good times, for dances and late night parties, for romantic walks in the park and of course when John proposed to her 2 years back. But those good times were over- what she had with John was over, the relationship she had invested several years on was over. She quickly dressed, picking out an outfit to match the shoes and got into the car.
She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she walked into the restaurant. Her eyes immediately went to the floor- She started to observe people's feet. She saw hardy leather boots and worn out tennis shoes. Open toed heels and even a pair of bedroom slippers - the kind with a big fat loony toons character on top. Her eyes moved quickly from one pair of feet to another until they stopped at a pair of new brown penny loafers! When she looked up, she saw that the owner of the penny loafers was a young man with deep brown hair and gentle eyes- he was also looking at feet. When he saw her stilettos, he looked up and smiled.
She had been hesitant about going on a blind date- she had been even more hesistant when her date suggested they identify each other by their shoes. But now that she was here, she was rather excited. So she took a deep breath and walked over to her date. This was her new beginning and she was starting it with her cream colored stilettos... hoping for more good times and hoping for much happier endings.
short story
She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she walked into the restaurant. Her eyes immediately went to the floor- She started to observe people's feet. She saw hardy leather boots and worn out tennis shoes. Open toed heels and even a pair of bedroom slippers - the kind with a big fat loony toons character on top. Her eyes moved quickly from one pair of feet to another until they stopped at a pair of new brown penny loafers! When she looked up, she saw that the owner of the penny loafers was a young man with deep brown hair and gentle eyes- he was also looking at feet. When he saw her stilettos, he looked up and smiled.
She had been hesitant about going on a blind date- she had been even more hesistant when her date suggested they identify each other by their shoes. But now that she was here, she was rather excited. So she took a deep breath and walked over to her date. This was her new beginning and she was starting it with her cream colored stilettos... hoping for more good times and hoping for much happier endings.
short story
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Religious fundamentalists anyone?
The word religious fundamentalism might make you think of something you've heard on the news, about bomb threats, about things happening half way across the globe. But you don't have to look to the news to find these fundamentalists- There's a good chance you might know one yourself! These fundamentalists aren't trying to take over the world, they aren't threats to the society. But they do possess a quality which is characteristic of fundamentalism- INTOLERANCE!
An incident occurred recently which made be realize how big a problem religious fundamentalism really is. Now, keep in mind that I'm not trying to target any particular faith with this story- this is merely an example. Fundamentalists can belong to any faith.
I made a friend recently- a nice college educated 21 year old. A devout Christian and a child of missionary parents, she seemed to be a very principled and kind person. But, some of her beliefs took me by surprise. One day we were listening to a song about the 'end of the world' when she told me that for a Christian, the end of the world is a happy event. When I asked why, she told me that she believed that all Christians would go to heaven when the world ended. But she said it is also slightly sad because those not belonging to the faith would not go to heaven. I realized that she was politely telling me that I would go to hell if the world were to end. I was a little bit taken aback by her beliefs so I prodded her some more.... only to understand that in her mind, this made total sense and was completely fair.
She went on to tell me that this is the reason missionaries go around the world trying to 'save' those non-Christians... from the awful fate that awaits them.
I was not offended by what she said, but I was shocked at how firmly she believed this- I realized how easy it is for an average person to be so engrossed in her beliefs and fundamentals that she becomes intolerant of others' beliefs. I belong to a different religion and hope I can attain salvation by following the teachings of my religion, but I don't believe that my religion offers the ONLY path to salvation. To me, it seems like different religions just offer different paths to God or salvation, or as she put it, heaven. This is tolerance, tolerance that I have always taken for granted. It is saddening that in this day and age, there are many people, decent and kind people who are lacking this basic tolerance. Seems like religious fundamentalism is in more places than we would like to believe.
fundamentalism intolerance religion
An incident occurred recently which made be realize how big a problem religious fundamentalism really is. Now, keep in mind that I'm not trying to target any particular faith with this story- this is merely an example. Fundamentalists can belong to any faith.
I made a friend recently- a nice college educated 21 year old. A devout Christian and a child of missionary parents, she seemed to be a very principled and kind person. But, some of her beliefs took me by surprise. One day we were listening to a song about the 'end of the world' when she told me that for a Christian, the end of the world is a happy event. When I asked why, she told me that she believed that all Christians would go to heaven when the world ended. But she said it is also slightly sad because those not belonging to the faith would not go to heaven. I realized that she was politely telling me that I would go to hell if the world were to end. I was a little bit taken aback by her beliefs so I prodded her some more.... only to understand that in her mind, this made total sense and was completely fair.
She went on to tell me that this is the reason missionaries go around the world trying to 'save' those non-Christians... from the awful fate that awaits them.
I was not offended by what she said, but I was shocked at how firmly she believed this- I realized how easy it is for an average person to be so engrossed in her beliefs and fundamentals that she becomes intolerant of others' beliefs. I belong to a different religion and hope I can attain salvation by following the teachings of my religion, but I don't believe that my religion offers the ONLY path to salvation. To me, it seems like different religions just offer different paths to God or salvation, or as she put it, heaven. This is tolerance, tolerance that I have always taken for granted. It is saddening that in this day and age, there are many people, decent and kind people who are lacking this basic tolerance. Seems like religious fundamentalism is in more places than we would like to believe.
fundamentalism intolerance religion
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
University talents
Sometime last week, I went to a musical at my school- performed by the University's theatre students. Initially I was a little wary of going because of some bad experiences I've had before with musicals(Producers for example...what were the Oscars people thinking??). This musical was called 'Smokey Joe's Cafe'- with 40 ROCK & ROLL SONGS! I wasnt sure if I would be able to sit thru that many songs...and more than me, I was worried about the friends that I was dragging along with me... both guys who would prefer a hindi/tamil movie to a long English musical. I knew I was under pressure...these guys were coming only to give me company and if the musical sucked, I knew they would let me know it! I wouldnt hear the end of it.
But, I was amazed with the show- Two hours flew by and I was left wanting more. There was not a single dialogue said during the entire 2 hours- It was nothing but song and dance (and I didnt know most of those songs) but I was thoroughly entertained. I was left in awe by the talent these guys and girls possessed. They could sing, dance, act...they could even run in huge heels...I was bowled over.
Even after I got home, I couldnt stop thinkin about those actors- They were just college kids, most younger than me....Kids doing their bachelors in theatre. And yet, they were so immensely talented in their field. I mean, I did my bachelors in Computer Science- But I'm nowhere as good in my field as these people were in theirs. I thought about what they had that I lacked and I narrowed it down to one thing: Something called PASSION! They probably got into theatre because they wanted to...they were and are passionate about what they are doing. But, me...I got into Computers due to some amount of compulsion... and I'm definitely not passionate about it. And last week I realized just how much difference passion could make!
But, I was amazed with the show- Two hours flew by and I was left wanting more. There was not a single dialogue said during the entire 2 hours- It was nothing but song and dance (and I didnt know most of those songs) but I was thoroughly entertained. I was left in awe by the talent these guys and girls possessed. They could sing, dance, act...they could even run in huge heels...I was bowled over.
Even after I got home, I couldnt stop thinkin about those actors- They were just college kids, most younger than me....Kids doing their bachelors in theatre. And yet, they were so immensely talented in their field. I mean, I did my bachelors in Computer Science- But I'm nowhere as good in my field as these people were in theirs. I thought about what they had that I lacked and I narrowed it down to one thing: Something called PASSION! They probably got into theatre because they wanted to...they were and are passionate about what they are doing. But, me...I got into Computers due to some amount of compulsion... and I'm definitely not passionate about it. And last week I realized just how much difference passion could make!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Scribbles from California
I arrived at Orange County, California late yesterday night. I'll be here for around 4 months for my Internship. Am excited and scared at the same time... Its an awesome place, lovely weather-lotsa things to do...but I've gotten so used to my life in Richmond...My friends who have become more like family, their pranks and jokes ( of which I WAS ALWAYS THE VICTIM), the house (always loud and lively unlike this one), my school and the school atmosphere, my lil corner in the lab where nobody cared about what I was doing, my room with that huge johnny depp poster rite above the bed, Panda Veg food, the Indian cart lady and even my annoying neighbor...I'm gonna miss it all!
But at the same time, I'm hopeful that I'll have a nice time here in California- Orange county is such a pretty place- wide roads, beautiful palm trees, and a nice breeze greeted me when I landed. OC is supposedly one of the richest counties in the US and it shows...I've been here only for a day and I've already seen 3-4 limos and hummers on the road...Nobody even gives them a second look here. The houses are huge..not multi storey buildings that go straight up like in Richmond city but spread around a huge landscaped area. My apt is very pretty- Its a two storey building with stacatto walls traditionally found in these warmer coastal areas. There are two nice outdoor swimming pools, lawn areas, and a gym. Today we went shopping for groceries and I was very happy to find that there are several different stores nearby...Best thing is that we can bring the shopping cart from the store all the way home from where the cart is picked up later... Only I know what a blessing this is...after two years of 'backbreaking shopping', carrying those grocery bags home in bookbags, this is def something to cheer about. Another thing that made me very happy is the public library that is just 5 minutes away... Disney land is also nearby and the beach is also reachable by car. So, there's so much this city offers, so much to do and so many places to see... I cant wait to explore them all.
Only thing I hope for is to meet good people here...cuz thats def something I had around me at all times in Richmond.
california orange county personal musings
But at the same time, I'm hopeful that I'll have a nice time here in California- Orange county is such a pretty place- wide roads, beautiful palm trees, and a nice breeze greeted me when I landed. OC is supposedly one of the richest counties in the US and it shows...I've been here only for a day and I've already seen 3-4 limos and hummers on the road...Nobody even gives them a second look here. The houses are huge..not multi storey buildings that go straight up like in Richmond city but spread around a huge landscaped area. My apt is very pretty- Its a two storey building with stacatto walls traditionally found in these warmer coastal areas. There are two nice outdoor swimming pools, lawn areas, and a gym. Today we went shopping for groceries and I was very happy to find that there are several different stores nearby...Best thing is that we can bring the shopping cart from the store all the way home from where the cart is picked up later... Only I know what a blessing this is...after two years of 'backbreaking shopping', carrying those grocery bags home in bookbags, this is def something to cheer about. Another thing that made me very happy is the public library that is just 5 minutes away... Disney land is also nearby and the beach is also reachable by car. So, there's so much this city offers, so much to do and so many places to see... I cant wait to explore them all.
Only thing I hope for is to meet good people here...cuz thats def something I had around me at all times in Richmond.
california orange county personal musings
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Neighbors and Noise
LATEST NEWS: We might get evicted outta our apartment within the next 21 days! We've been getting regular notices for a while because of noise complaints from our neighbor downstairs but, today we got our final warning - One more complaint in the next 21 days and we will be KICKED OUT!
I must say it's kinda excitin though! This is the closest I've gotten to anythin illegal or requiring being kicked out! :) I always wanted to be one of those cool college kids who party all nite till the cops are called to quiet them down! But sadly, my life is not quite that excitin- No late nite parties here, only late nite studyin- and we get complaints for that!
The first notice we got said that we were walkin too loud in the nite- walkin of all things! So, we bought everyone in the house soft chappals and put carpet on the floors... That kept the lady downstairs quiet for a while. Then, the next complaint was that we were moving things on the floor too late in the nite... So we stopped draggin our furniture- we only LIFT them past 11. This was followed by a string of complaints for loud music, talkin too loud...I'm waitin for the 'breathin too loud' notice now!
Sometimes the lady downstairs decides to take matters into her own hands...Literally! I'll never forget the time when I was sitting on the floor late one night packing for a morning flight. I had to drag out my suitcase from under the bed and immediately after I had pulled it out, I felt two or three sudden thuds on the floor, right where I was sitting. It really took me by surprise. Apparently the lady thought she would inform me of the noise I was making by using a pole to bang on her ceiling, my floor! So, we have these mini earthquakes nowadays to let us know that we are being too loud. I wonder... Does she ever sleep? Or does she wait all night with a long pole in her hand, listening for the slightest noise, waiting to bang at the ceiling?
personal musings
I must say it's kinda excitin though! This is the closest I've gotten to anythin illegal or requiring being kicked out! :) I always wanted to be one of those cool college kids who party all nite till the cops are called to quiet them down! But sadly, my life is not quite that excitin- No late nite parties here, only late nite studyin- and we get complaints for that!
The first notice we got said that we were walkin too loud in the nite- walkin of all things! So, we bought everyone in the house soft chappals and put carpet on the floors... That kept the lady downstairs quiet for a while. Then, the next complaint was that we were moving things on the floor too late in the nite... So we stopped draggin our furniture- we only LIFT them past 11. This was followed by a string of complaints for loud music, talkin too loud...I'm waitin for the 'breathin too loud' notice now!
Sometimes the lady downstairs decides to take matters into her own hands...Literally! I'll never forget the time when I was sitting on the floor late one night packing for a morning flight. I had to drag out my suitcase from under the bed and immediately after I had pulled it out, I felt two or three sudden thuds on the floor, right where I was sitting. It really took me by surprise. Apparently the lady thought she would inform me of the noise I was making by using a pole to bang on her ceiling, my floor! So, we have these mini earthquakes nowadays to let us know that we are being too loud. I wonder... Does she ever sleep? Or does she wait all night with a long pole in her hand, listening for the slightest noise, waiting to bang at the ceiling?
personal musings
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Only in the US!
I've been in the US for over 7 years now and there are some things here which I still cant get used to.
'Dont talk to strangers'
Whats with all these strangers asking me how I am- Do they really care? And when they ask that, what am I supposed to say? "Well my program didn't work in lab, I have to present my research tomorrow but, all I've been doing is sleeping in front of the computer, so not so great!" Truth is before I can even say 'I'm fine', they've already walked past me.
What's worse is when they actually want to carry on a long conversation. For example, when sitting next to someone on the bus or taking the elevator, I feel like saying ' I don't even know you, do I really have to listen to your stories about what your dog did today.. and worse, pretend to care?' Back home in India, when you see a stranger on the road, you usually just give him a cold stare implying 'what u looking at me for?' - Its not considered rude or anti-social, its normal!
Sue-crazy Americans
Only in America can you sue a fast food company because you spilled coffee on yourself- and actually win a million dollars! This is one of the many silly court cases that take place in the US. A lady sued a fast food joint for not having labels on their coffee lids saying that the hot coffee may actually be hot...and she won. This cautionary label is found on all lids now! You can sue anyone for anything in the US-and its very evident that companies, Doctors and even regular people live under the constant fear of being sued for their actions. Thats why you can find sleeping pills with the warning 'may cause drowsiness' and match boxes with the label 'the contents may catch fire'. Dumbed down America, anyone?
All that food!
Why are the serving sizes in the US so large?? Everything from a starbucks coffee cup (the smallest size is called TALL) to a plate of pasta is huge- A good example is popcorn at the movie theaters - picture a water bucket, filled to the rim with popcorn and drizzled with a good amount of butter- Thats what it looks like.
Now, I am a desert freak- absolutely luv them. But, I hardly ever get to eat deserts when I go out here- By the time I finish half of the main dish, I have no space for anything more! :( Me thinks the US restaurant ppl need to go take a look at Saravana Bhavan- Their sizes are so small that everyone orders two, three dishes... So, they end up making more money and the customer is also happy cuz they get to taste a variety of things. Kinda like having the cake and eatin it too... Oooh... CAKE!
culture shock personal musings
'Dont talk to strangers'
Whats with all these strangers asking me how I am- Do they really care? And when they ask that, what am I supposed to say? "Well my program didn't work in lab, I have to present my research tomorrow but, all I've been doing is sleeping in front of the computer, so not so great!" Truth is before I can even say 'I'm fine', they've already walked past me.
What's worse is when they actually want to carry on a long conversation. For example, when sitting next to someone on the bus or taking the elevator, I feel like saying ' I don't even know you, do I really have to listen to your stories about what your dog did today.. and worse, pretend to care?' Back home in India, when you see a stranger on the road, you usually just give him a cold stare implying 'what u looking at me for?' - Its not considered rude or anti-social, its normal!
Sue-crazy Americans
Only in America can you sue a fast food company because you spilled coffee on yourself- and actually win a million dollars! This is one of the many silly court cases that take place in the US. A lady sued a fast food joint for not having labels on their coffee lids saying that the hot coffee may actually be hot...and she won. This cautionary label is found on all lids now! You can sue anyone for anything in the US-and its very evident that companies, Doctors and even regular people live under the constant fear of being sued for their actions. Thats why you can find sleeping pills with the warning 'may cause drowsiness' and match boxes with the label 'the contents may catch fire'. Dumbed down America, anyone?
All that food!
Why are the serving sizes in the US so large?? Everything from a starbucks coffee cup (the smallest size is called TALL) to a plate of pasta is huge- A good example is popcorn at the movie theaters - picture a water bucket, filled to the rim with popcorn and drizzled with a good amount of butter- Thats what it looks like.
Now, I am a desert freak- absolutely luv them. But, I hardly ever get to eat deserts when I go out here- By the time I finish half of the main dish, I have no space for anything more! :( Me thinks the US restaurant ppl need to go take a look at Saravana Bhavan- Their sizes are so small that everyone orders two, three dishes... So, they end up making more money and the customer is also happy cuz they get to taste a variety of things. Kinda like having the cake and eatin it too... Oooh... CAKE!
culture shock personal musings
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