nirmalmanvinder

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-costume.html

i decided that after how today (see previous post) panned out, i needed to chill out with some soan papdi and pick out my halloween costume. i didnt realise what a multitude of slutty costumes there are! damn! they manged to make the tin man slutty...honest to god! well, toto will be next year, hush my lips. anyway, i settled on this -



with the following goodies...








the fabric bangles which come with it are getting a bit close to dear....but not a terrible disaster. worst comes to worst i can stash them and use my own proper churri. overall, it's not too bad looking, it's far bater thn what you'll see further on in this post.

oh dear god my one cat is puking.....

anyway...

if you're looking to be totally different, and this costume sure is....and is kinda cool too...



unless of course every friggin person decides to go as golden buddhas and we have an infestation of them which just completely kills the moment.

and this would be great for kitten, except that he can do the real thing better. this is not bad for a costume, tho the turban is a bit dear...it's just a bit too fake, about the same level of oh lord as the fake churris with the bollywood kuri costume, but oh well...



or maybe he could a desi beatnik -




or a desi beatle (minus the beatle haircut in his case because he's sikh also)



and now for the piss de le resistance -




if my auntie saw me tie saris like this, i'd have my heads lopped right off!

this is definately not -




**OR**


**OR**



so anyay, thats what you expect for firangis. the colours and fabrics are ok representing an everyday sari - like the sari equivalent of your jeans and tshirt kinda western deal, but only if they had been tied neater. most westerners would say what the hell is the difference? but to us, there IS a diference. it's like not going around in a tuxedo with your shirt untucked, your tie askew, and shit staines all over. it's just wrong. you look like you were born yesterday into a pigpen. i admit, im sometimes sloppy, but that is just damn right pitiful and even i dont walk out of the house with a sari tied THAT badly! my auntie would have marched me back in the house and retied that bugger HERSELF just to show me how to do it right! (which she has already.)


anyway, let's end this thing on a fun note, eh?

houseofhalloweenies.com

just go check it out then laugh till u pee. then laugh over that. it really is that funny.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/dear-god-why-me.html







ok let's recap. i have a mother in the nursing home, and another close relative in another nursing home. ermm...had. he got a UTI infection, which has caused him to go even more batshit boogaloo than usual? how much you ask? well, yesterday iw as sorting out a fight between my mother and i in which she had me thinking she had a romantic crush on another patient who is a hopefully former drug dealer and who has severe mood swings. i went off to cool down and i get the call about the UTI with the other family member. they also added that he broke open a screen, and was hanging out the window, jut about ready to drop when they caught him. they said he was fine and he'd be ok. yea, right. anyway.......they moved him to a supposedly more secure unit where as theory would have it, he'd be safe. no such luck. i got a call again today telling me he was severely agitated and had broke open another screen in his new room. what does this teach you/ do all you can to avoid UTI's (urinary tract infections) esepcxially if you're already a bit unhunged. my mother is at the nursing hom because SHE had one which caused her to get delrious, fall alot, and pee on the floor. im making aure to keep my..um...credentials clean as a whistle, and drink plenty of cranberry juice and all that fun stuff. and i hear stress can help bring it on...well...that i can't do much about because im a one woman doing a 10 man job. but i did get my nails done and gorged on ras malai, so within my boundaries, im relaxing. people at the nursing home are amazed at how i manage to keep myself together despite it all. for me, it's lessons.....and as i always say, will serve me well one day, hopefully enough that i can pass it on. i did look a bit shaken after everyhting, and i had to have a meeting about mum. they asked if i wanted to reschedule. i said no, mustered through my mascara tear streaks and plugged on. it's an emotion tugger, and makes me take a step back, but i keep on going. just means next week i have to call the lawyer and set up becoming second power of attorny to he other relative, and the normal stuff - laundry, bils, car inspection, dealing with fixing an insurance issue, etc. you know...the usual...crap.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/anitque-stuff-apartments-tenaments.html


i was thinking of some funky old stuff after going to a dr appointment with mum and seeing parts to an old watercloset still in the bathroom of the place, which was beautifully decorated but had this overpowering smell of what seemed like old stale paint. they tell me it was mustiness from it being an old building. it was kind of conforting and haunting, yet stinky as hell! - both my besty grey bard and my auntie n uncle have this *THING* at their places in NY -



i have never seen them down here, no matter how old the building is. grey bard said they are from the 50's and were used to quickly replace older plumbing fixtures. i read a plumbing page saying they were at least 95 + years old, and were the predecessors to the modern drains.

http://www.deabath.com/Original/SW_page/SW_sinkdrain/sw_sinkdrain.htm
i dunno, but it's kinda cool. i want one.

here's the watercloset -




then that lead me to this -

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/history/mystery-devices-in-old-apartments-056036

there's an ancient intercom system and more in this mess!



(the person who orginally took the above pic is still trying to figure that out. if you know what it is and have back history about it, please share with me and ill pass it along.)





which lead me to all these -

http://www.oldandsold.com/articles05/new-york-city-14.shtml
http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~history/amsterdamwebexhibit/buildingamsterdamhouses/building4.html
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=new%20york%20tenements&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mcny.org/museum-collections/berenice-abbott/207.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mcny.org/collections/abbott/a207.htm&usg=__SKN8rq52vnsx248z-oy_mZf24v8=&h=333&w=426&sz=20&hl=en&start=30&um=1&tbnid=zoPg2PNC-DMkKM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnew%2Byork%2Btenements%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1
http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/new-yorks-distinctive-tenement-tiles/
http://tenement-museum.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-05-27T13%3A34%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7
http://twitter.com/tenementmuseum
http://evhp.blogspot.com/
http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/
http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/
http://www.brownstoner.com/
http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/
http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=23370
http://blog.dwarbi.com/
http://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/?cat=75
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=cloth%20romex%20wiring&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southofbloor/sets/72157616763151552/

http://deabath.com/Hightank/hightank.htm

now when mr. singh cat face and i get an apartment, i think i really want a nice old building so hopefully it will have cool stuff like this!

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/mum-and-her-iphone-and-her-crush.html



they say you can teach kids to love reading with a few simple tricks. how about senior citizens and technology? yes....you can. they have a wii at the nursing home. and my mum loves her iphone. i got her a 79 dollar one for her bday. it was a refurb. she's loving the apps, and enjoys texting me when she can't hear me or when speaking is dangerous. and she's getting a new feeling about technology. it isnt as scary as it seems. i was hoping it would help, and she's getting a hang of it faster than i expected. it makes me feel a bit more secure knowing she's got it. and she says she loves it to death, and feels better with it too. she carries it around and shows it off to everyone. she is so proud of it! it's adorable really. she has so much fun with that thing, and some of the apps i put on it for her. it's beter than her other obsession as of recent, which is thst she has gotten a raging crush on another resident and thinks he's deep in love with her but afraid to tell her and goes around like a grade school girl gushing about him and how he looked at her, or gave her something, or held her hand. he does like her and i as friends, but i doubt anything further. and frankly, if it had...for either of us, it would be sick and creepy. he's a nice guy, but friends only. nothing further.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/family-has-exandededed.html



yes it has! one of the nurses gave us this lovely orange ball of sweetnes we named max. and when i was out getting him supplies, i got his sister who is named after my mr singh because she's cute n hairy n so is he and he looks like a cat. so there. they are keeping things lively. she was scared at first which was a problem, but now she purrs and comes to me for loving. max tries to bathe with me. it's so sweet. i didnt have a carrier for him the first night, so i tucked him in my shirt and drove around with him. ppl got a kick out of seeing us. and they r soooo damn soft!

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/healing.html



a couple weeks ago, i was talking to another visitor. her huaband had come in with a stroke, and it really sent her into a deep depression because she felt guilty for not getting him care in time. i explained to her that you made a tough choice, and had to deal with that. you didnt do anything to deserve guilt.....a tough choice doesnt mean you need to be guilty, and guilt can also be good as it teaches you a lesson and reminds you of it. the people who are most often guilty are often the ones who dont need to be, and the ones who should be aren't. i gave her a 5 page note explaining to her that she just needed to be guided and understand. she read it and told me i am an amazing woman. she read it to her friend over lunch. i told her to keep reading it when needed. her husband turned out to be better than she expected. it makes me feel good that i was able to have such a deeply effective impact on her. she's shared some cat food with me that her cats didn't need. i didnt have anything else to give her in gratitude, so i gave her that. i think it was a worthy gift! and to be frank, i was a bit afraid to write it, as i didnt know what reaction it would garner.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/dil-bole-hadippa-contest-vid.html




yash raj films is holding a contest over at youtube for their new film, dil bole hadippa. ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dil_Bole_Hadippa! www.yashrajfilms.com/microsites/dbh/dbhwebsite.html or www.imdb.com/title/tt1202540/ ) here is my entry (which i know i should not have done when i was ill with a cold but time constraints!)-



wish me luck!

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/bill-gates-vs-steve-jobs.html






you don't have to be a nerd to love this! it's bill gates vs steve jobs.....

with twice the fun!

http://current.com/items/76366762_gates-vs-jobs.htm
http://current.com/items/89091292_discuss-gates-vs-jobs-the-game.htm

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/beatles-rock-band.html



www.thebeatlesrockband.com/

umm..so yeah. i did it. boy did it did it. i went all out and got the xbox ns the beatles rock band. the extreme edition with the replicas. why? because it rocks so hard. i have been lacking in my purchasing of beatles merch, shameful me i know. i have not had money. mum saw the avderts and told me we should get this. i was going to anyway. but the coolness of this thing...wow. i will warn you - within you without you and a few others are real corkers. in that clip tho, george closes his eyes and has a moustache and it's just AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH goooddddddddd...... even for being a virtual george, it's still dammnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn hot. so um yeah, i've been having way too much fun with that.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/10/feeling-down.html



i have been feeling down again recently...the usual stuff i write about.....its usually not for myself that i feel down, i get sick of how people treat others. ive bgeen listening to indigo girls songs. the indigo girls are like your best friend who gives you the greatest advice from inside a jar or sumthing. they are poignant and really soothe the aching soul. emily and amy are both lesbian....and i'm not, but theys till have such a wonderful effect on me with their music. the people who exploit others are like rapists and murders, and we can't get rid of them all when we'd like, but we learn from the things they do. and we have to not be like them. andf it hurts, but we can't let it rule our haipiness, but just keep in mind what these kind of people are. we have to fight them but not let them control us with their evil. their buckling you to your knees is an extended form of their control winning, and we can't have that! so thanks to them, i brush my phyche off, get up, and go back to my day when i fall.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/manor-care-residents-artwork.html

one of the residents made these neat wood scuptures, and one of the nurses played aprank with paper. i had to share it.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/hospital-pics.html





i took these when my mother was in the hospital in july. for the first few days, i stayed with her, then would go home, fed the cats, bathe, and return after awn. this was taken just before i'd gone to freshen up for the day.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/funky-cookie-snacks.html

check these out. they are asian cookie snacks. sum1 needs help in translation..lol...

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/yerba-mate-gourds_31.html



i got curious about these after a search on something related.
www.yerbamateteagourd.com/
www.mymateworld.com/
i was looking up bombilla gourds.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage)
i must confess - im curious to try these things!

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/driving-again.html



i have been driving again after a long time. i started again in july. there are a few moments when i can improve, but im far better than i was in the past. im more cautious, and have matured since i drove the big honker van. i like making people wonder wtf when i go past with my desi music playing. one woman even asked me what was playing in the parkling lot one day. i sumtimes feel nervous, but overall am glad to be back behind the wheel. i used to feel a bit impaired when i wasnt driving. i manage my narcolepsy quite well...keeping the car well vented, music playing, and making sure if i feel week or dizzy or ready to drift off that i dont drive or that i pull over. the bug handles better too.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/crazy-fd-up-tony-and-deli.html



Catching up on some things...at the nursing home, there was this syrian guy who is engaged to a peurto rican. he's creepy and was following me around. he tried to get my attention in the worst way. when he couldnt get my attention as i tried many ways to deliberately ignore him, even after he'd stalk me down thru the hallways, he tried to have me reported. i reported him first.

then, whilst doing the laundry, i thought i found this great little deli nearby. two prominent workers are one who is married and lies about it to flirt customers, and another guy who is married to a white muslim convert who has a passle of kids and is an arrogant tart. he also likes to flirt his customers when she's not around. there's another location further into town which is better. both these guys are from egypt.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/summer-video-updates.html

i have to upload some of my videos yet....but for now, my 4th of july special is up...that's right...the entire fireworks show, shot from my iphone prior to the screen demise, with bhangra and other music, and fun dancing punjabi kuriye....

so here's that bit...the rest will come later..

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/goya-fruta-and-stash-chai.html



i was doing the marketing last week and found goya (latino foods company) put out all kinds of exotic frutis. i got some jecotes, tejocotes, guanabana and little guavas. all very good stuff. the fruit really is all natural. they dont add anything...not even water or sugar. it's just mashed or whole, depending on what you get...in a bag.

i also got some stash chai. i love stash, i love chai, and i love saying stash lol. great company. the tea had awesome robust flavour and was fragrant, not weak or chemically. i've mentioned stash before, but what the hel...they rock so much, they're worth multiple mentionings.

http://www.goya.com/english/products/product.html?prodCatID=8&prodSubCatID=34


http://www.stashtea.com/

check out their indian tea collection......

http://www.stashtea.com/indiatea.htm


i drank stash for years. i drank it for as long as i can remember ( several people are saying 'that's not really long!) but anyway, it has been a long time that i've loved stash. i grew up with it. i also love their asian tea section yamamotoyama which i thought was a seperate brand until a few years ago. they are normal, classy and just awesome. i love their teas.

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/energy-drinks.html


ya ya...i have been getting into enegry until drinks recently. expensive little buggers but good. i got one out of curiosity, and it started from there. balls is pretty good, the name and bottle are priceless, garnering many hoots from the nursing home staff and residents......amp has some yummy flavours, i think there's one called vegas feul...the had samples at musikfest with some dumb airhead, but the drink itself was awesome. it was a crabonated fruit punch stuff. very good.i also tried this xtreme shock stuff. that, however, tasted like cack. it has a medincy - fake overpowering taste that makes you nautious.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/candy/92eb/
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drinks/2818/zoom/
http://www.beveragesdirect.com/zBeverages/vegas-fuel.asp

this stuff isnt an energy drinut still noteworthy. it's carbonated flavoured waters in plastic cans. the watermelon kiwi is extremely pungent and very good.

www.flavh2o.com/
www.myspace.com/flavh2o




f

http://chikteihasman.blogspot.com/2009/08/musikfest-09.html


what began as a 1 day thing with my friend turned out to be 3 days...1 being a solo adventure. it was greta though. there was this sweet little tibettan stand....it looked like western whackjobs selling psudo-eastern goods at first, but on closer inspection, it wasn't. i wound up getting a bunch of kurtas from them. they have store called tantraom. ( tantraom.com). also, there were some egyptian guys selling ice cream, we saw blondie, i got to do fake newscasts, had ribena and sticky pudding, walked about in the rain, polka'd, saw arrogant worms, saw crosby stills and nash (god nash still looks good), got me a sparkly mug..it poured when i saw the arrogant worms. we also got to dance with tempest -

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=111090&id=49649470779

and here's us waiting for the blondie show ( i look like i swallowed a bus, but at least i looked happy about it.) i also got some musikfest video from my wonderful iphone but i have to trnasfer them to pc.



crosby stills and nash were amazing. they sounded almost album quality and the drunk guy behind me a coup,e rows who got kicked out was a laugh.....blondie and joan jett were good, but there were a few moments when the mind went adrift...or laughed because they took a left rurn at normalcy to what the fuck street for a bit. the donnas were ok, but not so much my thing. the bowled grey bard over!


www.musikfest.org/