Well, it's been quite some time since I've posted. As you can imagine, life has been full of adventures and experiences in that time, and I regret to say that I haven't been updating this blog to reflect that. So I will try to rectify that with a brief synopsis of the highlights, in chronological order.
October 2009 - Got a new job! Started as a Project Manager at Eveo, working on digital media projects for pharmaceutical brands. Intense, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately a rewarding challenge. It feels good to know that your talents and brainpower are being put to use. The weekend before I started the new gig, we took a little impromptu trip to New York, which was lovely. I love that city. So much going on, I feed off the energy. Had great food. Met up with some old friends and made new ones.
November/December 2009 - Went to South America. Amazing. Spent a few days in Rio De Janeiro, which was gorgeous and relaxing and a beach paradise full of beautiful sand and beautiful people. But lesser discussed is the physical topography, a landscape of lush greenery, cliffs, and coast. Then we headed to Manaus, where we embarked on a week in the Amazon. This was an exhilerating experience. Flora and fauna of all varieties (seriously, we fished for pirhanas, swam in the river, held a baby caiman, heard the growls of jaguars, saw giant trees with crazy root systems, etc). After our time in the jungle, we did a quick pop-over to Sao Paolo before spending three final days in Buenos Aires. A sophistocated and very Euro-style city, this was the perfect end to a lovely trip. Still can barely understand Portuguese, even though on paper it looks SO similar to Spanish. At any rate, all trips must end and we headed back to San Francisco.
Winter/Spring 2010 - Life goes on in typical fashion. Worked a lot. Plenty of time spent up in the wine country, as usual. Did some sailing.
April 2010 - Made an unexpected trip back to Michigan. Unfortunately, it was for my grandfather's funeral. Seeing the family, though, was very cathartic. It was the first time in many years that all of the grandchildren reunited, and I had very good bonding time with quite a few family members.
May 2010 - Took a much-needed vacation. We went to Panama. Spent most of the trip in Bocas Del Toro - a beautiful group of islands on the Caribbean side of the country. We stayed in a perfect little villa built right over the water. There was a reef right in front of the deck, providing the ideal place for snorkeling. Went surfing for the first time (LOVED IT!) and ate lots of amazing food. Spent a day sailing. Asif was able to do a lot of fishing, and caught everything from bonito (related to tuna), to barracuda, to sting ray (we didn't keep that one).
Summer 2010 - Work, work, work. A little bit of play, though. In June, we took a fun weekend trip down to Santa Cruz with a friend of ours in her deluxe RV. We had an awesome time, staying at a local RV park, hanging out on the beach and boardwalk, and I got to go surfing (YES!). Spent most of June and early July obsessed with the World Cup - it was fun to wake up to the games, follow them on FIFA.com's matchcast during work, and catch games live at a pub (or on one occasion, broadcast from AT&T park) on the weekends. My bracket was totally busted, but it was a blast, nonetheless. Our company underwent a re-org, so as of August I am now officially part of EVLab, the video/animation branch of Eveo, so I am now officially a Producer working solidly within the production team instead of as a part of account group. I'm very happy about that. I think it's the right move as a company, to keep your production divisions strong and be able to have Producers and PMs be specialists instead of generalists. Plus, it really allows me to focus on the projects that I enjoy!
***
As for the here and now, I am happy to announce some pretty big news - Baby Khan is on the way! I'm 15 weeks along and enjoying (pretty much) every minute of it. OK, so some of the fatigue and nausea is not so fun, but overall, I'm too excited to let those little details get to me. Trying to find low-impact exercise (I'm loving joining Mariah at the Y for water aerobics and other suitable activities) and starting to tackle the maternity wear issue now that my clothes aren't all fitting like they used to. Well, another week or two and I should hopefully have some interesting stories about my forays into that whole matter!
My next post will have pictures - that was just one detail that this post is lacking, mostly due to the computer that I am on. And it will not be a year from now, hopefully!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Back from the Middle East
I just had the most fabulous opportunity to go to Dubai. Asif has been traveling there on business, and I've been wanting to go for ages, so I just made it happen. What a place. Even in this economic downturn, it's bustling with energy. I felt myself become more energized, outgoing, and confident just being in that crazy place. And we were staying in a top-end hotel (Grosvenor House) so I now understand what it feels like to be treated like a VIP.
I think I have to break this down into easily digestible sections, so the whole shebang is to follow. But for now, let this picture say something.
As I relaxed at the hotel pool, I watched towers being built around me. Yes, building has slowed, but it's still progressing. As a recent columnist on SFGate noted, "Dubai is not Detriot." Don't believe anyone who tells you things are ending when it comes to development in the Emirates. In Dubai, it's slowed in a sane kind of way. Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, is on the uptick.
Man, I love the forward motion as much as I love the sun and sand.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Obama's Gift
Somehow, everyone has decided that President Barack Obama's gift to the Queen of England is a really, really big deal. Now, I never considered myself a tech-geek, but nevertheless, ladies and gentlemen, this was a total no-brainer.
People have decried Obama's ipod gift as impersonal, even though the Queen's gift of an autographed pic is beyond lame. But let's be real. Are we that dumb, folks?
First of all, read the journals. The ipod was personally engraved and had footage of her "majesty's" visit to the United States in 2007.
But more importantly, and to get to a point that I am quite sure that Obama and her majesty did not miss, this was a perfect gift on a more (what I thought was an obvious) technical level. Jonathan Ive, a British man who works for Apple, was the designer of the Ipod. He was actually recongnized by the Queen with the CBE title. I didn't realize that this was such an unknown occurance. Damn.
So everyone who wanted Obama to be wrong just four the sake of it, damn, you wrong again.
It's a long slow road, but we are on the right curve, ladies and gents.
People have decried Obama's ipod gift as impersonal, even though the Queen's gift of an autographed pic is beyond lame. But let's be real. Are we that dumb, folks?
First of all, read the journals. The ipod was personally engraved and had footage of her "majesty's" visit to the United States in 2007.
But more importantly, and to get to a point that I am quite sure that Obama and her majesty did not miss, this was a perfect gift on a more (what I thought was an obvious) technical level. Jonathan Ive, a British man who works for Apple, was the designer of the Ipod. He was actually recongnized by the Queen with the CBE title. I didn't realize that this was such an unknown occurance. Damn.
So everyone who wanted Obama to be wrong just four the sake of it, damn, you wrong again.
It's a long slow road, but we are on the right curve, ladies and gents.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thoughts on Milk
I'd like to also give a few thoughts on Milk.
It was an amazing film, and watching it in the Castro Theatre was an incredible experience.
In an ordinary year, I'd give it my vote for the Academy Award. Hell, the acting was fabulous. I'm still voting for Sean Penn for the Best Actor award. He did a truly unmatched job of becoming someone in a visceral way that left me raw and in tears. I'd like to mention that, to me, this is more significant than a performance such as Mickey Rourke's, where Mickey essentially created a moving performance by channeling himself into a character that is unmistakeably the same exact sort of person that he is. Revealing yourself for the camera is not a comfortable thing, no, but neither is it an Academy Award Winning Performance. At least, not in my book. Penn became Milk. That was incredible.
Having said that, Slumdog Millionaire was a superior film. It left a greater overall dent in the world. It gave a greater punch into my gut. It will stay with me in a way that few films ever will.
No disrespect to Milk. It was a very rare film. But as an objective viewer who has to look beyond the political repurcusions, this is my take on this year's two finest films. Performance of an actor: Milk. Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire. Director? Let them battle that one out. The philosophy of where and when direction begins and ends is not a subject I care to delve that far into just now...
It was an amazing film, and watching it in the Castro Theatre was an incredible experience.
In an ordinary year, I'd give it my vote for the Academy Award. Hell, the acting was fabulous. I'm still voting for Sean Penn for the Best Actor award. He did a truly unmatched job of becoming someone in a visceral way that left me raw and in tears. I'd like to mention that, to me, this is more significant than a performance such as Mickey Rourke's, where Mickey essentially created a moving performance by channeling himself into a character that is unmistakeably the same exact sort of person that he is. Revealing yourself for the camera is not a comfortable thing, no, but neither is it an Academy Award Winning Performance. At least, not in my book. Penn became Milk. That was incredible.
Having said that, Slumdog Millionaire was a superior film. It left a greater overall dent in the world. It gave a greater punch into my gut. It will stay with me in a way that few films ever will.
No disrespect to Milk. It was a very rare film. But as an objective viewer who has to look beyond the political repurcusions, this is my take on this year's two finest films. Performance of an actor: Milk. Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire. Director? Let them battle that one out. The philosophy of where and when direction begins and ends is not a subject I care to delve that far into just now...
Looking Toward the Academy
I'm very much looking forward to Sunday's Oscar ceremony, and ever more so because of the films I've recently seen. Asif and I don't go to the cinema often, as it's simply too cost-prohibitive, and most of the year, we simply cannot agree on what we both care to see. Oscar season tends to bring out some very special fims, however. Films that rise to the top. Taking into consideration both what I have seen and what local critics have commented on, I will share a few thoughts, mostly about my favorite film of this particular year in the life of the Academy.
--
Asif and I watched "Slumdog Millionaire" last Sunday. I expected it to be good, but what I experienced was two hours of emotional acuity beyond what I was bargaining for. Anyone who knows me can attest to my stoicism, but I was a continuious ball of tears, and I am happy to explain how that came to be.
I think that Slumdog Millionaire is the finest film of the year. And yet, I see how I came to see its power early in the film, and I do admit that my background did play into this view. From the beginning of the film, human dignity plays a premium in this film. I think this eventually becomes apparent to anyone (with the possible exception of SF Chronicle's inept critic, Mick LaSalle, whose white maleness colors more than a few of his choices, though I still love to read his reviews for what remains) through the opening sequences. Most telling is the talk show host (played by Bollypro Anil Kapoor) and his rather insensitive delve into Jamal's life as chaiwallah.
At this point, many get it. If you don't, do try to understand the class consciousness of South Asia. Married to a Pakistani, I've been exposed to this, so Jamal's position as Muslim chaiwallah to an upwardly-mobile class of Hindus is a complex situation in itself, and watching what follows is a bittersweet treat in cinematic perfection. The moments are harsh. They are real. And it is not easy to watch. But it is more authentic than I think a lot of viewers (and critics) want to admit. And it is well done.
The scene in which Jamal's mother is killed (and he is, unfortunately, taught the lesson that wins him one more spot up the ladder of the game show) is a particularly well-executed sequence. The fast style of editing that was employed perfectly mirrored the chase/search/frantic run that Jamal and Samir underwent as the anti-Muslim rally ravaged the neighborhood. Are some of these critics forgetting that their mother was just strucken dead? You think these children are hanging around, simply waiting for someone to save them? They've clearly lived long enough not to be that stupid.
I see truth in not only the way the scenes are presented, which alternate rapid shots and longer, more caring and lingering moments, based on the particular scene, but also in the thrust of the story. Some criticize the nature of the boy-meets-girl, falling in love forever type of story. Again, I think this ignores the gravity of the nature of how these two individuals met and fell in love. Orphans who made it out of such amazing circumstances deserve to believe in destiny. Hell, I think I deserve to believe in destiny, even though I'm but a lower-middle-class girl who escaped the upper-Midwest to find my Pakistani prince in the city on the bay. I know I didn't quite earn it or deserve it, at least on paper, but when I look at that face of his, I'd beg to differ.
Finally, I'd like to address one area that most viewers (except the Desi audience) honestly cannot avoid the trappings of, and that's the subtitles. I believe a significant portion (30% perhaps) of the Hindi/Urdu dialogue was completely lost in translation. As a wife of a South Asian, I caught so much content that I did not see translated on the screen. It was the kind of dialogue that was not plot-turning, but rather, gave the full scope of how the characters were communicating with one another, and I think this does, indeed, affect how one interacts with the film. A good chunk of it was cursing, but I think this, even, contributes to how we see the characters. I believe the lack of complete subtitles was probably a conscious effort not to distract from visual elements of the film, but, in the end, the audience may have been distanced by the negation of some of the most authentic dialogue.
In the end, I would venture to say that most people I have spoken to have found "Slumdog Millionaire" to be an amazing film. I'm slightly troubled by the disparity that exists within the minds of (mostly white, male) critics who seem not to want to believe that a world exists where this is reality. These are, by the way, the same writers who argued that Obama's primary lead was a reflection of all kinds of things other than genuine political purpose, so I can't help but recognize a certain desire amongst the likes of LaSalle and others to cling to an imaginary world where white people are good, brown people are lucky for the help of white people, and Muslims have never been an oppressed minority.
Luckily, I know this world does not exist.
Luckily, I am not alone.
I do expect Slumdog Millionaire to win the Academy Award, by the way.
And there is nothing false about hope.
And I still cry when I think of the human dignity (and the force seeking to negate it) in the above-mentioned film.
--
Asif and I watched "Slumdog Millionaire" last Sunday. I expected it to be good, but what I experienced was two hours of emotional acuity beyond what I was bargaining for. Anyone who knows me can attest to my stoicism, but I was a continuious ball of tears, and I am happy to explain how that came to be.
I think that Slumdog Millionaire is the finest film of the year. And yet, I see how I came to see its power early in the film, and I do admit that my background did play into this view. From the beginning of the film, human dignity plays a premium in this film. I think this eventually becomes apparent to anyone (with the possible exception of SF Chronicle's inept critic, Mick LaSalle, whose white maleness colors more than a few of his choices, though I still love to read his reviews for what remains) through the opening sequences. Most telling is the talk show host (played by Bollypro Anil Kapoor) and his rather insensitive delve into Jamal's life as chaiwallah.
At this point, many get it. If you don't, do try to understand the class consciousness of South Asia. Married to a Pakistani, I've been exposed to this, so Jamal's position as Muslim chaiwallah to an upwardly-mobile class of Hindus is a complex situation in itself, and watching what follows is a bittersweet treat in cinematic perfection. The moments are harsh. They are real. And it is not easy to watch. But it is more authentic than I think a lot of viewers (and critics) want to admit. And it is well done.
The scene in which Jamal's mother is killed (and he is, unfortunately, taught the lesson that wins him one more spot up the ladder of the game show) is a particularly well-executed sequence. The fast style of editing that was employed perfectly mirrored the chase/search/frantic run that Jamal and Samir underwent as the anti-Muslim rally ravaged the neighborhood. Are some of these critics forgetting that their mother was just strucken dead? You think these children are hanging around, simply waiting for someone to save them? They've clearly lived long enough not to be that stupid.
I see truth in not only the way the scenes are presented, which alternate rapid shots and longer, more caring and lingering moments, based on the particular scene, but also in the thrust of the story. Some criticize the nature of the boy-meets-girl, falling in love forever type of story. Again, I think this ignores the gravity of the nature of how these two individuals met and fell in love. Orphans who made it out of such amazing circumstances deserve to believe in destiny. Hell, I think I deserve to believe in destiny, even though I'm but a lower-middle-class girl who escaped the upper-Midwest to find my Pakistani prince in the city on the bay. I know I didn't quite earn it or deserve it, at least on paper, but when I look at that face of his, I'd beg to differ.
Finally, I'd like to address one area that most viewers (except the Desi audience) honestly cannot avoid the trappings of, and that's the subtitles. I believe a significant portion (30% perhaps) of the Hindi/Urdu dialogue was completely lost in translation. As a wife of a South Asian, I caught so much content that I did not see translated on the screen. It was the kind of dialogue that was not plot-turning, but rather, gave the full scope of how the characters were communicating with one another, and I think this does, indeed, affect how one interacts with the film. A good chunk of it was cursing, but I think this, even, contributes to how we see the characters. I believe the lack of complete subtitles was probably a conscious effort not to distract from visual elements of the film, but, in the end, the audience may have been distanced by the negation of some of the most authentic dialogue.
In the end, I would venture to say that most people I have spoken to have found "Slumdog Millionaire" to be an amazing film. I'm slightly troubled by the disparity that exists within the minds of (mostly white, male) critics who seem not to want to believe that a world exists where this is reality. These are, by the way, the same writers who argued that Obama's primary lead was a reflection of all kinds of things other than genuine political purpose, so I can't help but recognize a certain desire amongst the likes of LaSalle and others to cling to an imaginary world where white people are good, brown people are lucky for the help of white people, and Muslims have never been an oppressed minority.
Luckily, I know this world does not exist.
Luckily, I am not alone.
I do expect Slumdog Millionaire to win the Academy Award, by the way.
And there is nothing false about hope.
And I still cry when I think of the human dignity (and the force seeking to negate it) in the above-mentioned film.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Screw You, Palin
This Republican mouthpiece who advocates teaching creationism in public schools and an "abstinence-only" sex-education program (because that CLEARLY works), had the audacity to denegrate my fine home city. Since when did San Francisco become an insult? We allow everyone to share the same rights to marry. Per capita, San Franciscans purchase more books than residents of any other city. Sorry to be educated, Sarah. Sorry that we all work so hard so that our region can be at the forefront of technological breakthroughs. Meanwhile, you've spent a number of years presiding over Wasilla, a town of about 8,000 that is known as the methamphetamine capitol of Alaska. Good job, hockey mom.
I pray (yes, we do that here, too, though we are allowed to do it in many forms and languages) that you are never elevated beyond your pathetic role as a smarmy, catty candidate. I could go on about your dangerous, backward views, but I'll simply share a lovely little line that I heard today in light of your mocking of Barack Obama's experience (which, yes dear, is much more impressive than yours.)
Jesus was a Community Organizer, and Pontias Pilate was a Governor.
I pray (yes, we do that here, too, though we are allowed to do it in many forms and languages) that you are never elevated beyond your pathetic role as a smarmy, catty candidate. I could go on about your dangerous, backward views, but I'll simply share a lovely little line that I heard today in light of your mocking of Barack Obama's experience (which, yes dear, is much more impressive than yours.)
Jesus was a Community Organizer, and Pontias Pilate was a Governor.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Pride is in the Air
I love this time of year. The air warms, rainbow flags appear along Market Street, and tourists flock into the city. Of course, this year is like no other. Now that California has granted equal marriage rights, there is something extra special to celebrate.
Gay pride is one of the best times of year in San Francisco. The whole month of June is full of events culminating in Pride Weekend (only 8 days away), which consists of Pink Saturday, the Dyke March, the Pride Parade, and the gigantic party in front of City Hall.
I generally have trouble deciding what my favorite part of the parade is: the fierce drag queens, the families with the "I love my daddies" signs, random naked people, Gavin Newsom, or the flashy Smirnoff and Altoids floats with the hot muscular dancers. But this year, it's all about the newlyweds. Every time I see them at City Hall or on the news, I cry. Especially the octogenarians that have been together for 50+ years.
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