Day 8: A place you've travel to and where else you want to travel

I've been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to travel abroad - to see and experience the excitement of a new culture and all that it has to offer. Those are images and moments I know that I may never be able to replicate or even come back to. But I think within our own beautiful country, there are so many cities and places left to explore. Its been two years, but Chicago was one of the few cities I've visited where I could actually picture myself living. The picture above is what I snapped atop the John Hancock tower. It has a charm, mid-western in its essence, but all its own too. I loved the architecture, the food, the lovely skyline, the clean streets, the diversity, the green parks filled with dogs, families and couples, and the feeling of being content. I think visiting in the fall during a time when the city was displayed like a child in his sunday best helped a great deal - but I couldnt help but think that it showed the best parts of big city plus small town. I cant wait till I can go back and visit again, but hopefully not in the middle of a snow storm.

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The home of South by Southwest, an amazing art community, live music at its best, and many a yummy delight for the foodie in us all- Austin, Texas. I'm hoping to be able to swing my way down south to this vibrant city in the Lone Star state and experience all it has to offer next year. Don't y'all worry, once I visit I reckon I'll share some little diddies on my blog (bad, i know but I couldn't help it).

Day 7: What Makes You Happy

ill repost my things i love....because they are synonmous with what makes me happy:

home-cooked food; totn; my dad's endearments; gingerale; friday's with the naviners; making music videos with my cousins; sunsets; my ammachi's enveloping hugs; haagan das; activists; clooooney; brooklyn heights summers; the cosby show; Love Actually; the washington redskins; sitting on the front porch with my appachen; cafes; Kerala; compassion; old people; idealism; keepin it real; lomo saltado; nerds; childhood friends; being a chechy; 521 adventures; The Navins; Team E; OA; instant connections; carlton dances; Trader Joe's; the hope of a new immigrant; hooded sweatshirts; my mom's strength; volunteering; photo albums; inside jokes; drawing; softball; Siracha sauce; all the excitement of watching a Skins game at Fed-Ex; my brother's imitations; american studies; handbags; home design; the color turquoise; naps without interruption; chubby, smiling babies; hard workers; cleveland park; changing into my home clothes; jasmine scented anything; being brave; new york city; people watching; bonding; compelling lyrics; down comforters; lifehouse, live; silliness in all forms; henry street; freedom fighters; chocolate chip cookies; chai done right; real fans; Onam; weddings; photography; emails; new books; old books; blankie; buildings with a story to tell; leaders who step up; everyday heroes; honesty; art museums; sunset roses; integrity; mint; being curled up inside on rainy days; planning trips; thai food; pavams; DC; letting something speak for itself; days off during the middle of the week; goofy sayings; akkara episodes; family; Qurbana; ginger; jewelry; originality; buying gifts; making a list and checking it twice; board games; clean sheets; bookstores; a warm cup of tea; kindness; my girls; traveling; realizing goals; totn; catching up; rocos; Sangria; loyalty; laughing out loud; reciprocation; long conversations; movie theaters; roadtrips with fun people; being right; reading blogs; skirt weather; nicknames; telling stories; being home after a long trip; RDTHSing; kenneth the page; spring; faith; chivalry; acceptance; smiling with your eyes, too; humility; the ability to woohoo; spreading the light; believing without seeing

Day 6- Pet Peeves

long commutes due to three drops of rain; bland, flavorless food that ends up costing an arm and a leg; people that don't answer emails, texts, and other forms of electronic communication; not holding the door open for the person behind you; bitterness and its best friend apathy; promotion codes that expire; my unorganized room; bratty children; litterbugs; never finding my shoe size; constant 20 second commercials while you're watching your fave show online; brown-nosers; going to the store and then forgetting the most important thing on the list; rude customer service; waiting in line and paying a cover to go somewhere lame; not cleaning your machines/weights off at the gym for the next person; losing/damaging things due to my stupidity/carelessness; wanting to update my blog, then not.

Day 5: What song inspires you.

Imagine- John Lennon

You, you may say I'm a dreamer
But Im not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one...

I was eight years old when I first sang these lyrics to a crowd full of Indians alongside some childhood friends. Crowds reaction: confused smiles. We were performing for a cultural program and as awkward performances go, this one ranked up there. Despite that, this song still moved me then as it does today. Maybe because the message behind the song can inspire both a young child and a cynical adult just as it did when the late great John Lennon penned it.

A world filled with peace and hope....just Imagine. And I do.

Day 4: My parents

Well geez, get me all choked up why dont you 30 Question Survey? When my parents arent lecturing me on my life problems, they are are seriously fun times and yes, even my bffs. I could hang with them all day and not be bored in the least, they just crack me up. I have been truly blessed with two amazing parents who I think the world of, and I can wholeheartedly say they are the two people I love most on this Earth. I can only hope to one day have a marriage such as theirs- one that is built around each other, God, and their children. To me they are the definition of love, hope, faith, strength, sacrifice, perserverance, and compassion. I learn from them everyday and I am so proud to be their daughter.

Day 3: Your First Love

"Show me that smile.......as long as we got each other, we go the world's spinning right in our hands, baby you and me, we gotta be, the luckiest dreamers who never quit dreaming"

That's right Michael Aaron Seaver, I'm singing to you! Forget any elementary school school yard crushes, Mike Seaver was my first love. Just a flash of that winning smile and those brown eyes and he could get out of any hair-brained situation he was in. He certainly had Jason and Maggie eating out of his hands as the end of the day. My nine-year-old self would eagerly wait until the end credits Who's the Boss finished ticking by so I could catch a glimpse of my main man. Mike Seaver- he stole every scene he was in with his mischievous, fun-loving self. And when he wasn't incessantly teasing them, he was a great older brother to Carol and Ben and always had their back. He ends up being a teacher too, and somewhere out there I still see him living closeby to the old house, raising our half sitcom-half real children during his summers off. Sigh, what a dreamboat.

Day 2: Nicknames

I was named after my two grandmothers (Aleyamma is the Malayalam version of Elizabeth, and Lisa is a shortened version of this), so I am doubly blessed right :-) My name means Oath of God, which i think is just awesome. Most of my friends call me "Lis" or "Lisers" "Lisy" and so forth. One of my favorite phrases is "WOOHOO!" so some people have told me that they put that next to my name on the phone to distinguish myself from the other Lisa's in their lives. Lisa - Woohoo! I'll take it.

Also to many of you I am known as CL, which stand for 'Cousin Lisa.' I was donned this moniker during the flog era, where upon meeting many a new malu person, I found I was somehow related to them. Hopefully Im everyones favorite cousin and not the one you want to avoid in the family.

I take to shortening the names of most people in my life. I think there are very few that I call by their full names. It adds to a familiarity and closeness, thats just fun. On that note, HAPPY FRIDAY!

love,
Lis, Lisers, Lisy, CL, WOOHOO