It's fairly fitting that just as some people's blogs experience a resurgence of activity over summer, I decide to leave daguerreotyped. I'm done writing entries with public consumption and the accompanying self-regulation at the back of my mind. The main purpose of this blog has evolved to become a quick reminder of where my time has been going. And there are a couple of exciting projects in the works that I'm either not allowed/yet willing to write about on a public forum - but if certain things work out you'll probably come to find out anyway, so there's no need for a blog to do that. So since that's all there is, let's keep dancing, break out the booze and have a ball.

So long, kids (:

Terrible bout of guilt is possessing me so I'm confessing here: I got through 2 parts of Volume I of Das Kapital, and decided to Wikipedia the rest. It's too dense and my brain is already frying from reading 1984 documents on American economic history!

This collection is so ridiculously yummy:

What a fantastic coat and pants! The coat's seriously gorgeous; all slouchy and sad at the top and then boldly striking out from the shoulders into a definite shape. But Tim Blank's right, the pigeon chest is a uniquely English attribute (maybe a couple of the munjen boys can pull it off) so don't try the inner shirt at home children. Also, as far as I'm concerned, mens' long pants should always cover their ankle. Hear that, Ennio Capasa? Don't care if you're wearing high-tops with an ankle skimming pair of pants, SO does not work.

I've never been a huge fan of olive green but Christopher Bailey could make a hemp sack look sexy. The pants fit so well and the entire outfit is so Dior Homme!

Ignore the top; what pants! They're positively dreamy with the perfect crease down the centre, perfect fit around the thighs, and topped (bottomed?) off with scrumptious loafers.


I just realised that bag options are so limited for guys. Bailey featured some bags as well, and they're lovely, but I can't really see a guy carrying them on the street without looking like his girlfriend palmed off her tote on him.

I cannot wait for Shriram to be old enough so I can dress him up. I'm thinking 16 is a good age; 1 more year of horrendous, maternally-influenced styles! I love my mother to bits but her clothing choices for my brother are so dull; I can't wait to go home and jazz up his wardrobe. Now that I've discovered that menswear can actually be vaguely interesting (for which I must grudgingly acknowledge A, Am and assorted males for bullying me into picking out clothes/shoes for them, or in A's case, entire wardrobes), having a brother suddenly seems to have its set of perks. Killing his individuality is a small price to pay for style.

Hahaha what a hottie.

I love the coat and folder, but is it just my taste or do shiny black pants in that fabric and length just not work on anyone? Gorgeous shirt.

Major loving - although the male model's got a wee bit of paunch there. But you've got to love a man who can work a zipper (:

It took some squinting to figure out if that's a shirt underneath the blazer, but affirmative, it is. That's a heaven of a jacket though - why are the men's collections actually more interesting than the womens'?
edit: scrolling to the next picture revealed that the shirt is actually this:

Soooooooo not to sound too delighted or anything, but GERMANY IN SEMI-FINALS YEEEEEE HAAA! Not too thrilled that their captain's a Chelsea man but if Germany can get to the finals and hoist that baby, I'm willing to call Ballack bhaijaan.

Have been shopping in the city a fair bit, and enjoying the beautiful weather that has finally made its appearance. Bay Area, TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH. Dresses are finally actually wearable, and my beautiful Dior sunnies have a purpose again. Despite classes and 10 - 12 hours of research a week I actually am getting the holiday feeling. Which comprises of outings, lots of books and reading, pretty floral dresses and enormous floppy sun hats. Marvellous (:

It's been a mad week. Aside from the sudden, random and utterly debilitating fever/flu routine that gripped me, I had to finish a midterm, a presentation and an essay in the same period of time and move into my new apartment (I had moved my stuff in, but not my actual person in until a week ago). So this weekend is really the first chance I've had to consider unpacking and more importantly, clear my life of the ridiculous amounts of paper I manage to accumulate. My apartment houses part of the Amazonian rainforest.

Since the last time we met!

- My lovely Adie came to Berkeley from Texas and we had a grand evening/early morning. It basically consisted of laughing much too loudly on public transport, realising desis own every motel/hotel/inn in California, four hours of sleep and much much heartwarming chatter. Despite her swiping of my contact lens solution (haha), it was really warm and fuzz-inducing to have her around.
- I flaked on numerous meetups and opted for huddling up in a corner of my bed, taking my first Panadols in years, wheezing very attractively and calling my mum in a very congested voice to inform her that I needed some pepper rasam Fedexed over, ASAP.
- Persevered! Through the haze and plugged through assignments, realised how hellish life can be without the Internet and introduced a whole class of PEIS kids to the amazingness that is Ryno's.

I wish the weather would stop being so schizo, it's wreaking havoc on my health and allergies. BAH.

The Internet is so much more missed when it is not in constant, perpetual availability. I have been off the Net for a while now and it's positively draining on the spirit pshah.

Am looking forward to reading "The New Asian Hemisphere", anti-Western-bias-laden though it might be. The reviews are pretty discouraging, but I'd like to see Mahbubani's take on it anyway.

Before anything else,




I'm so ridiculously happy for my newly debauched son (: Now if I could only find a picture where that kid actually SMILES. How grand life would be.

In other news, I'm all moved in to my new apartment. NO more disgusting cat in the house, no more 20 minute treks to campus, no more uphill treks back home, glorious wondrous close-to-campus/gym/healthcenter Southside beckons! So I can finally give you my new address, ask me if you want it.

Post-finals period has been brilliant. It's consisted of

• Bears' Lair with the econs kids,
• DJ TIESTO which was my first ever rave, and absolutely brilliant: a night of epic stories, adventures and music that made it worth every penny. 20,000 people + Ferry Corsten + Markus Schulz (discovery of the night! IS AMAZING!) = ridiculous atmosphere and such good times (:
• two consecutive days of shopping with T on the first day and a bunch of people the next (I BOUGHT THINGS! Really hawt stuff actually, I'm surprised I found enough to grab my attention) in SF,
• helping Am pick out a birthday present (karmically, it had better be really nice stuff when it's my turn, given the sheer number of girls who have benefited from my quite amazing taste in jewellery),
• summer school; Classical Political Economy has begun and I'm loving the readings (mostly because it's an excuse to read familiar material again, and much more closely),
• self-pampering in the form of a mani-pedi, facial and scented candles every night (:
• The Prestige, which is hands-down, one of the top three movies I have ever watched (if we count the LOTR trilogy as one very long movie). If you haven't watched it, I'd highly highly recommend it - marvellous cinematography, swoon-worthy actors (Hugh Jackman! Christian Bale! Scarlett Johanssen!), fantastic plot line, overall brilliant.
• moving apartments,
• various scrumptious meals at La Note, Barney's, Cheeseboard, La Med and Mint Leaf. Berkeley food is heaven. There's even fantastic Indian food!
• Die Fälscher, a Holocaust movie about Operation Bernhard (one of the largest counterfeiting operations in history) - an interesting movie, but not that different from your average Holocaust film (empathy and human sacrifice

And they say bullet points can't summarise!

OMG I am OFFICIALLY ADULT. GROWN-UP. With a white hair to show for it, bah.

So here are summer plans:

1. Classes - I'm signed up for Classical Theories of Political Economy, Introduction to International Business, History of Economic Thought and Financial Economics at the moment. That's four classes over two sessions, but I think I'll be dropping financial econ since the syllabus seems very syllabus to the class I took this semester. Besides, I foresee time being needed for the following:

2. Research - There's a conference taking place here in June, and papers to read for it, opinions to form and write about, and (hopefully) long discussions to be had with brilliant minds if I can actually hold my own for more than 2 minutes - i.e. recipe for brain-gasms. Also in the works: editing chapters of an upcoming book that's an extension of the paper we worked on earlier this year, and overhauling website to include an alumni network and redoing the current storyboard the website's operating on.

3. Driving lessons - This is LONG overdue and needs to happen ASAP. Stay tuned for narratives of how I instill fear in the drivers of California. Although very lovely people have offered to teach me, I feel that maybe it's a good idea to get a professional to help with my breakdowns first-hand - not the best idea to let my friends see me scream "ITWON'TSTOPwaitAHHHHH$*&#@!". Must maintain veneer of respectability for as long as humanity allows me.

4. Dance lessons - Probably one of the most exciting developments, because goddd how much I've missed my classes. Actually found a place in SF that's commutable to without a car, and it's the perfect opportunity to do some shopping on the side! The level of non-consumerism experienced this semester has been truly disgusting and I will not STAND for it.


5. Sun-soaking - If you haven't gotten sick of listening to me gloat about the weather, here's some more - summer in Berkeley is PERFECTION. Lots of sun and greenery, constant cool breezes, plenty of open soft clean grass to lie on, and the sheer amounts of picnic food here make staying indoors positively criminal.

6. Concerts - Going to ETD Pop tonight! And there's West Fest with Snoop Dogg 15th June, DCFC 21st June and Coldplay 24th July to look forward to. As I am not made of money, tell me if any of these tickle your fancy and I'll go accordingly. Coldplay and DCFC do sound amaaaaazing though (: Plus the jazz bars that are now very welcoming of this 21-year-old!

(p.s. Yeah I know I didn't blog about my 21st but it was very sweet with midnight birthday surprise - admittedly not that much of a surprise since I could hear Vonne loudly directing them outside the door - "No! No! We need to all go in TOGETHER - get in formation! (...muffled sounds) Oh no, those are Vaish's friends, that's why they're here." Haha I love you anyway Vonne, and am glad N only wanted your phone number in order to plan it. Is somewhat creepy to have two besties getting to know each other! So basically 21 = birthday cake, really wonderful friends, study buddies who made it a point to tell everyone who passed "Wish her! It's her birthday!" (hahaha gotta love Dank/Tor), not to mention the books/bags/chocolate received from the besties abroad (: Much more than a girl taking three finals right after has any right to expect. Major feeling-loved!)

Campus has emptied quite dramatically and I suddenly realised that without my pillars around I feel somewhat abandoned. Am missing my best friend quite a bit, who has been gallivanting around New Delhi while we slog over finals. Plus N, Am, Vonne are gone and M's leaving tomorrow. What's a girl supposed to without her besties?

Oh ho ho ho I am so DONE! And officially a junior, and losing all my beautiful senior babies who will be graduating after this semester/summer and leaving me here all alone. Life without Um/Hem/Rad/Pun/Rah/Sab is going to be too strange to imagine. Waaaayyyy too strange.

If you'll excuse me, I have two months of Vogue and Desperate Housewives to catch up with. And a much-needed mani-pedi for my overworked limbs. OVERWORKED, I tell you.

If one more person calls me to gloat under the pretext of wishing me good luck for my final, I will drop the sweet-I'm-OMG-so-happy-for-you-congratulations!-girl act and hang up. I don't even want to study for Econ anymore - not that I have, since I started whining about it 2 hours ago. GAH so dead.