The Best Books!

Books specifically. Here's a list of books I grew up reading and think every kid should read.

1. The Giver
2. Number the Stars
3. The Phantom Tollbooth
4. The BFG
5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
6. The Boxcar Children (series)
7. Little Women
8. Eight Cousins
9. Rose in Bloom (sequel to Eight Cousins)
10. A Little Princess
11. Hatchet
12. Constance
14. A Wrinkle in Time
15. Fahrenheit 451
16. Mountains Beyond Mountains
17. Charlotte's Web

The top three are, in fact, my absolute favorite. The rest is a non-preferential ordering.

It shocks me when I come across people - not just kids - who haven't even heard of some of these books, let alone read them.

I plan to re-read my way through this list (barring the Boxcar Children books) and post reviews, so watch out for updates every now and then.

What are your favorite books? Do you have any "staple" childhood books that you would have your kids read?

eta: post title is changed because I'll be putting up another post with the same title and don't want to create confusion.

My love for December & Plans for 25 Days of Christmas

If you don't know already, December is my favorite month and December 3rd my favorite day. Hmm, I wonder why? ;) I love birthdays and celebrations and holidays and time with the family. It's all so very cozy and fun, full of love and gladness.

I'm away from my family right now and missing them terribly. Granted I'm surrounded by other family, but it's just not the same. That doesn't stop me from being in a festive mood.

In the spirit of the month and infectious giddiness of the online community, I really wanted to do some sort of "25 Days of Christmas" thing. I didn't get any help from twitterverse (thanks guys :P) so I decided to fall back on taking pictures for these 25 days. Something festive/holiday oriented or something that catches the spirit of December. The pictures will be posted daily on my photoblog.

I was feeling really clever when I discovered an even more fantastic idea. I think it's wicked cool to do 25 days of acts of random kindness. I missed the boat on Dec 1, but I'll make it up by going till the 26 (or heck, even longer!). I'll either post a picture related to that (at this blog) or just write about it.

(for anyone counting, that means I'll be doing TWO things....which is only right after such a long lull on both my blogs)

And if anyone wants to get me belated birthday present or be my Santa, I won't say no to a wifi-enabled tablet ;)

Meanwhile, have you ever seen a burger joint this packed!? It's CRAZY! But Five Guys burgers (and fries!) are just that good!

My "Fat-Day" Fix-it

I'm a firm believer of ignoring the image norms of contemporary times. Instead, I think we should all learn to be comfortable and happy with ourselves, regardless of shape and size.

But that's usually easier said than done.

It is incredibly gratifying and a wonderful boost to my self-esteem when I get a compliment on my looks from a completely unexpected source. Kind or flattering words remind me that beautiful isn't one single concept; instead it means something different to everyone.

Writing a sticky to remind our selves that we are beautiful doesn't always do enough. Hearing "you're beautiful" or "you're so pretty" from a family member doesn't always ring true, because, after all, their opinions are biased. It's a pity our computers can't pick up on our emotions and reassure us on a low day (blast, no magic mirrors that can talk back to us either).

Instead, I find it helps me a little to pass a compliment to someone else on my low days. To see someone else smile because I took a moment to notice them and say something goes a long way in making me feel more content.

What do you do on your low days? What makes you feel more beautiful and confident?

Flying is a Pain in My Ass!

I've been flying very frequently over the past 3 years. In that time, I've learned a lot. First and foremost, flying sucks! You want an experience that will try your patience, test your ability to plan and think on your feet, expose you to the disgruntled masses, turn you into a contortionist, possibly humiliate you unnecessarily, and/or (mostly, just and) give you less than you put in? Fly.

I consider myself a frequent flyer (though my miles certainly still don't add up) since I've flown 16 times in the past three years. That's more flying than a majority of the world's population will ever do in a lifetime. In these 16 trips I have honed my packing skills, increased my asshole-tolerance level, and become a more patient, understand & adaptive person. Until I become frustrated and pissed anyway.

And today, I arrive at Philadelphia International Airport with a 3 hour layover, only to discover that there are no power outlets at my gate. I have to lug my carry-on & 2 year old baby of a backpack three gates down and sit on the hard floor next to a frequently used phone booth in order to use my laptop. My behind doth protest.

I understand delayed flights due to bad weather or maintenance issues. I accept that all airport concessions will be overpriced. I endure the bratty, whiny children and the obnoxious parents who refuse their right to enforce discipline. I have grown used to the abrupt and discourteous customer service I am sometimes subjected to. But I can't, for the life of me, understand why an international airport of this magnitude can not provide more power outlets* at each gate, or at least seating near the existing outlets.

Flying has become a rather tedious, hassled and trying process as it is. These little, seemingly insignificant, factors only compound the inconvenience of an air travel experience. I wish the airports would take greater care towards the comfort of their patrons. A frustrated customer does no good to anyone. A frustrated customer often turns into a complaining and angry customer. It would make for a more positive experience for everyone, including the airports, if some basic amenities were included or improved upon.

*A compilation of airports around the world and their power outlet locations.
Disclaimer: I speak of Philadelphia airport based on my solitary & limited experience at Terminal F. However, much of the above post holds true for many other airports.

be-YOU-tiful

I joined the Twitter bandwagon nearly a year ago - and it's coming as a huge shock to me that I'm 37 days away from my first TwitterVersary. One discovery led to another, until I started following ProjectBeauty.

ProjectBeauty is a phenomenal endeavor taken upon by two very sweet and passionate young ladies who believe that everyone is beautiful and that everyone should recognize this fact about themselves. 

A long time back, I'd discussed writing a post about self-image and beauty, and now I think it's high time I got around to it. I just don't know how to go about this. It's a topic that will definitely take more than one post; this is just the beginning of an exploration and understanding.

Body image is something I personally, constantly struggle with. My fat-days outweigh my thin, pretty days and it takes a toll on my self-esteem. But over the course of the past few years, I've slowly learned to accept that my size and weight are only a part of my beauty.

Today is all about image, about marketing yourself: for a job, a relationship, a brand, anything, everything. So of course, physical image plays a large role. As far as first impressions go, the visual makes an impact long before you can open your mouth to say Hi, my name is...

Physical beauty is highly subjective. For some its a size 0 waist, prominent cheek bones, bottle blond hair, and a tall stature. For others it's a "meat on the bones" figure, crazy curly hair and pinchable cheeks.

The thing we have to realize is that we are humans, not machines. We are NOT supposed to look alike and fit a certain mold. We ARE supposed to come in different shapes, sizes, colors, heigts, hair types, etc. Machines and robots off of an assembly line are supposed to be cookie-cutter perfect, each one piece matching the one before it and after it. Humans come from a rich background of history, culture and experience, and this reflects in both our personality and our appearance.

But beauty, for me, goes beyond the physical. Inner beauty plays a large hand as well; things like attitude, personality, a persons actions and inactions.

Let's take Aishwarya Rai for example. She's been touted as the world's most beautiful woman. Men and women alike are infatuated with her and consider her an ideal beauty. Her attitude and personality act like a strong repellent for me. I can't see beyond those aspects. Or, rather, those things color my view of her and I consider her more plastic and "not beautiful."  In contrast, my mom - who isn't a beauty queen - is a kind, sweet, strong and passionate person. For me, she's one of the most beautiful women ever.

That's what I've got for now...expect more in the series, because I believe this is an important topic to talk about.