This week was a mishmash of adrenaline,
blistering heat and no air conditioning,
unintentionally getting drunk on a Monday night,
sitting on the fire escape,
iced tea lemonade,
rain,
Harry Potter,
stress at work,
Bastille Day parties,
ice cream (in both cups and cones),
good beer,
AVOCADOS,
everything smelling like fabric softener,
butterflies (the internal kind),
more phone conversations than usual,
TV I will never admit to watching,
and coffee and catching up.

In other words, summer.

Lianna (who is staying with me until she finds a room for her 3 to 4-month stint in New York) and I are going on the SPECIAL K CHALLENGE together. I have no idea whether it will work or not, but it's only 2 weeks, and it's probably one of the easiest diets that we'll ever find out there.

Lianna's only doing it for a week (DAMN HER AND HER HIGH METABOLISM) and I am going to do it for the full 2, possibly 3 or 4 if it seems to be working well enough.

My only concern -- is when the website says "drink beverages as normal" -- does that include alcohol as well? (Probably not. But I'll ignore what I choose to ignore.)

And at the very least, it's a good way to avoid REAL cooking for a couple of weeks -- and, as Muse said yesterday, it's a great way to save money as well. Anything for cheap eats these days.

My roommate is gone. The apartment feels so weird without her here.

I should be packing right now, as I move across the street into a new building on Sunday, but instead...

The massive graduation update/photo post!

( +25ish. who uses dialup anymore? )

Tomorrow I am going with my parents on a double decker bus tour of New York City, and I am super excited because I have always wanted to do one of those.
Then it's more packing and coming to terms with the fact that because only old people are alumni,
and because I have just graduated,
I, by the transitive property, am OLD.

I'm done, kiddos.

This week has been ABSOLUTELY insane.
Longer update and tons of pictures as soon as graduation craziness is over.

OK, so, this picture from Senior Dinner last night officially ranks as the cutest picture taken of us EVER.



LIANNA JEAN (O.) HEIDT, what the HELL am I going to do without you next year?!

The dinner itself was so much fun. I was a big nostalgic mess by the end of it, and I haven't really been nostalgic about school ending so far.
It was really the first time that the majority of our class had been under one roof together since freshman orientation.
I have a bunch of other photos from last night to post too, but right now I need to take all of my aggression regarding a different situation out on the two papers I have due on Friday. It's not over yet.

In the words of Dean Austin Quigley, from his speech last night:
"If there is one thing you should take from your experience at Columbia, it is this:
Love makes the world go round...
but alcohol makes it turn twice as fast."

A few days ago, Lianna was listening to the Talking Heads song "Wild Wild Life" on repeat and screaming "OMG ROOPA THIS IS THE BEST SONG EVER." (Yeah I know, considering I made the playlist that it was on!) The song contains the lyric "You've got some wild wild life."

Last night, I accompanied her to the grocery store, mainly because I didn't want to go home and do work.

She picked up a can of chicken and wild rice soup.

To which I said: "You've got some wild wild rice."

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. When the jokes get this bad, you know that we are LOSING IT.

It's definitely time for school to be over.

Lianna and I at Winter Gala (senior formal) last night.

( more winter gala madness. )

I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted, but it's OK. Other people have more that I will collect eventually.

Being bedridden can be fun.

Not so much, though, when you have a terrible fever.

My boss sent me on a run on Monday. The morning had been beautiful and I decided to dress for summer, so I was wearing a cute little skirt, a tank top, and strappy sandals. However, when I got to 37th street, I was hit with a surprise rainshower. And I had nothing with which to protect me. I was forced to wander around midtown, for around 10 blocks, in the rain.

So it's no surprise that the next morning, I felt like shit.

I spent 3/4 of Tuesday and all of yesterday in a state of delirium. I called out of work yesterday and today and played episodes of Sex and the City and Hindi movies in the background while I drifted in and out of fever-induced sleep. Somehow when I'm sick I can't fall asleep in complete silence. I need something playing on TV.

I would, however, like to thank a couple of people:
--Jess, for bringing me water and soup and returning my rented DVDs on Tuesday night even though she was on her way out on a date.
--Paulash, for calling/IMing every few hours to check up on me and make sure that I'm not dead.
--My mommy and daddy for putting up with me calling at 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm with "I feel so yuckyyyyyyy..."
--My TV (yes, it is a person) and Kim's Video for providing me with wonderful background noise to fall asleep to. [On a side note: I always thought that in order to work at Kim's you needed to have a bad attitude, but today I had a conversation with the guy who was checking me out about how awesome SATC is! And then the girl who handed me the DVDs as I was walking out actually SMILED at me. WHOA. What is happening to the universe?!]

Now. Back to bed until later this evening. But I'm feeling a LOT better now and (hopefully) ready for a weekend of debauchery with reeya. I shouldn't say that though. Don't want to jinx things any more than I already have... ;)

Last night and today totally made up for the hours between 5 and 9 yesterday!

Last Night:
As I was brooding about not having anyone to hang out with on my birthday, I got a call from my sister-in-law Priya, who was heading into the city from Providence (where she had spent the day meeting a client). She and I decided to meet up in the village for dinner and my first legal alcoholic beverage. We went to this cute little Italian restaurant on Macdougal. The ONLY bad part about the whole deal was when I ordered the drink, the waiter didn't card me. Dammit.

When I got back, I met up with the ever-lovely J.Chan who took me to 1020 and bought me a beer. I didn't get carded there, either. Dammit.

The Columbia scene was dead, but in a way it was good because we had the whole back area of 1020 to ourselves and we spent a long time just chatting. Our conversations are always so awesome. We went to Roti Roll afterwards and the door dividing the restaurant and the gay bar next door was open. It was karaoke night. We listened to a couple of people perform really bad renditions of "Dancin' in the Streets" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." We decided that next time, we're going to get obliterated and go and perform and pretend to be lovers. Yes. Hehehe.

Today:
Met up with Payal and Paulash in the city for lunch and then a trip to the Museum of Natural History. It was sooo much fun. I had never been before and pretty much dragged both of them there with me. What can I say, I <3 MUSEUMS. Yes, I'm a dork. There are a ton of ridiculous pictures that absolutely need to be posted soon. (Hint, hint, Bandy.)

Today was actually my first time meeting Payal; she's really cool and absolutely hilarious. And Paulash definitely asked the waiter at the restaurant to card me -- even though I didn't order any alcohol -- since I didn't get carded at all last night. Aww.

The past 30 hours have been fantastic. Things were looking down for a while but I think my 21st was celebrated in a fabulous manner. I didn't get drunk, but whatever. I have plenty more weekends this summer to do so.

I CANNOT stop listening to The Colour and the Shape by the Foo Fighters. I also have a lot of stuff to write on concerning music that I've been listening to recently, but I'll save it for next time, when I'm not sniffling (from spending a day in weather BELOW 90 degrees! I know!) and I don't have a ridiculously messy room.

So what was anticipated to be a half-hour excursion for dessert tonight ended up being a three hour romp around Morningside Heights and the Columbia campus with my favorite ex-roomie, J.Chan.

Our conversation was absolutely priceless. Snippets follow, mostly for memory's sake, but also because most of them are hilarious.

"HEY! You know what?! We're TOTALLY the female version of Harold and Kumar!"

( and people wonder why us living together worked so well. )

A-HEEHEEHEEHEEHEE. Love you, Jess. :D

Conversation with Jess, with whom I had a lovely dinner just now.

Starseed1241 (11:03:29 PM): i am sooooo full right now i want to explode.
Jess (11:03:42 PM): oh im eatin raisin bran
Starseed1241 (11:03:49 PM): ahahahaha.
Jess (11:04:07 PM): i eat nonstop. its what i do.
Starseed1241 (11:04:21 PM): you should look into doing that full-time.
Jess (11:04:28 PM): i am. job starts monday =)
Starseed1241 (11:04:33 PM): hehehehe!
Jess (11:04:48 PM): if that doesnt work out, im moving to japan to become a sumo wrestler
Starseed1241 (11:04:54 PM): HAHAHAHA.
Jess (11:04:54 PM): they feed you a lot in that profession

I won't say WHO pressured me into posting these *cough* Mr. Cool Rider *cough* but they've been sitting in my computer for a month or so. But since a bunch of people have been posting anonymous letters, I figured I might as well join them. There are only five of them -- that's all I had time to write before my life exploded -- and they're a bit outdated -- I may write more soon. But for now...

( ...here they are )

There's other stuff that's happened today too, and I'm a little overwhelmed. But, in the meantime, keep guessing on my previous post. I'm not unscreening the comments until the majority of people on my friends list reply (which means most of you have yet to do it! Hehehe.)

Awesome weekend at Vassar with Reeya (mehnaz), although I'm sad that I missed SASAfest.

I'm still down two actors (my leads, of all people) for my final project. I'm starting to get REALLY nervous.

My room is a disaster because I haven't been in it during the day for more than 2 hours at a time for the past week. I don't talk to anyone anymore (with a few exceptions). The combination of school and work is eating my soul. I've loved the experience of holding down an internship while being a full-time student -- it's made this semester incredibly fulfilling -- but I don't know how much longer I can take this without sacrificing sleep entirely.

Getting excited for summer, although things still aren't set completely in stone. Hopefully I will be in the city, but I do want to go home for a week and a half or so, just to see my parents and take care of mundane things -- doctor's appointments, renewing my driver's license (21!!), etc. And apparently my dad wants me and my mom to come with him to Oregon in August for his IIT reunion? Which should be fun. We always seem to take our vacations in the northwest.

I cannot wait for this semester to be over, but I also feel like I need so much more time to get everything I need done accomplished. I've been so wrapped up in worrying about my film final that I've kind of left my other classes to the wayside. I've been walking around in a daze for the past 4 weeks. It's not necessarily bad, but it's very unhelpful when attempting to focus.

Friday at work I realized that I've had my LJ for three years. It seems like aeons and yet negligible at the same time.

Weston and myself, after winning the beirut championship.

More under the cut. (We [and by we I mean me] look hideous in all of these -- 8 days of salt water, chlorine and little to no sleep really does a number on you. But I can safely say that it's clear we're having the time of our lives.)

( Dial up users, BEWARE. All others, prepare for some fun with cheap beer. )

Last night made it all the more obvious that I'm never going to get into another relationship while I'm at this bloody school, because no one (with the exception of desi grad students looking for wives) even does so much as hits on me or buys me a drink.

It's now clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am incapable of attracting anyone who I'm attracted to as well.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I should just give up and wait for my parents to find me a nice Tamilian boy. And yet somehow I can't get this lingering hope out that maybe, somehow things will finally work out. It's like I keep running towards a locked door, again and again and again.

I am so fucking sexually frustrated.

I know I'm being a little too melodramatic for my own good right now. But it just sucks going out at night with high hopes, and ready to flirt, and (secretly) wanting to hook up with someone that night, only to find that all of them are attracted to your FRIENDS and see you as "that chick who just tagged along." That's me. I will forever be the girl who's friends with the hot one, never hot in her own right.

Maybe I should join a convent, and get pleasure out of religion. I'm thinking that's the only way to calm myself down at this juncture. It may be extreme, but at least then you know you have someone who cares about you in return.

EDIT. Jas is the coolest person in the world.

Joos E Fruit: va va va roopa ur beauty supercedes that of the sun moon and jupiter put together
Joos E Fruit: u smell sweeter than the first honey from a workman bees day
Joos E Fruit: and your song softer than a bluejay singing its final song before slaughter
Joos E Fruit: u put the karisma in karisma kapoor and the kajol in mrs. ugly devgan
Joos E Fruit: you are the wind beneeeeeeeeath my wiiiiiiiings

Mr. Grewal, you're the best. (And you are also...OK. Teeheehee.)

YAY for long lost twins.

(That's Jess (jessiika) in the teal and Lianna in the black.)

I thought this was the cutest picture that came out last night. I <3 the Furnald girls. They've kept me sane through so much these past 3 years :)

(Come to think of it, all my close friendships have been in threes.)

I should be reading Kracauer. But my paper topics sheet was stolen and now I don't know what pages pertain to the film I'm writing on. Perfect excuse, right?

I'm so impatient for Monday to be over, class-wise. I'm already treating these days like they were reading week, when in reality classes haven't actually ended yet. I cannot wait for tsdelight's visit, nor can I wait to go home, and see my parents, and sleep in my bed. I love it here but it's starting to get to me. This week alone has been so stressful and I can't imagine what next semester is going to be like.

Saw Orchesis last night. Lianna's piece was fantastic, as were the pieces she danced in. I have such talented friends.

I watched "Ek Pal Ka Jeena" from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai repeatedly yesterday. I wish my life were carefree like Raj's. Dancing and singing and riding around on a motorbike and falling in love.

As much as I need to practice for my Hindi oral, I'm too scared of talking to people to actually hold a conversation with someone.

Volunteering at the Move Against AIDS Dance-A-Thon tonight with CUDM Steering and dancers. Should be a lot of fun. We get access to the VIP room and are performing during the Hip-Hop hour for 20 minutes. There's an after party at the Roxy, which I would go to were I not totally swamped with work this weekend.

I guess the stress of this week will just make it that much sweeter when it's finally over. But everything's moving so unbelievably slowly right now.

Roopa says:
did i tell you about the gorgeous 27 year old law student in my hindi class???
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ [one of my bestest friends and almost-sister Mekala] says:
yeah u did!!! any advances?!
Roopa says:
haha no he's just really nice eye candy
Roopa says:
i doubt he'd be interested
Roopa says:
he's 27!
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
sooo??
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
who cares?
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
prime marriage material!!!!
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
:)
Roopa says:
HAHAHA
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
lol
Roopa says:
i knowww but what if he's already taken?
Roopa says:
then i'd just feel stupid
Roopa says:
men that age...you have to be careful you know
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
eh screw her...temporary accessories thats what girlfriends are
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
:)

Later...

Roopa says:
OMG he went to HARVARD?!?
Roopa says:
(yes i'm a loser and googled him)
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
LOL
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
ur too cute...coolio...prime prime prime marriage material...call ur parents
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
book a hall
~*aao na, hona hai fanaa*~ says:
i'll be there
Roopa says:
HAHAHA

Lots and lots of fun in the East Village last night! Here are some pics. (More under the cut; warning: rather large sized)


Me, Lianna and Katie in Schapiro while getting ready/before leaving.

( ladybug, ladybug, fly away to the east village )

Halloween may be making a run for my favorite holiday EVER.