You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve?

Blueberry Pie

2008-07-21T18:57:55Z

We had a party for my uncle and his new wife on Friday, so I decided to make blueberry pie from scratch. It took the whole day, but it was worth it because it came out great! I was worried about the crust, it's the hardest part, and you don't want it to come out dense and heavy. But thank God, it was flaky and delicious. Here are some pics (my uncle felt the need to stick his finger in it, for some reason, and blame my ten year old brother, lol):

After my family got to it:

Jonas Brothers covering Shania Twain's "I'm Gonna Getcha Good"

2008-07-11T05:00:08Z

Seriously? I can die happy now.

What happened, man? You used to be cool.

2008-06-03T17:05:30Z

Former screen siren Bardot convicted in race case

June 3, 2008, 8:24 AM EST

A Paris court on Tuesday convicted Brigitte Bardot of provoking discrimination and racial hatred for writing that Muslims are destroying France.

The court also handed down a $23,325 fine against the former screen siren and animal rights campaigner.

A leading French anti-racism group known as MRAP filed a lawsuit last year over a letter she sent to then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. The remarks were published in her foundation's quarterly journal.

In the December 2006 letter to Sarkozy, now the president, Bardot said France is "tired of being led by the nose by this population that is destroying us, destroying our country by imposing its acts."

She was referring to the Muslim feast of Aid el-Kebir, celebrated by slaughtering sheep.

French anti-racism laws prevent inciting hatred and discrimination on racial or religious or racial grounds. Bardot had been convicted four times previously for inciting racial hatred.

More James Franco (and Dean) love!

2008-05-23T19:38:52Z

Six Flags

2008-04-14T05:06:38Z

Today was so much fun! My friends and I all went to Six Flags. Word of advice: the best time to go to a theme park is in April. Within ten minutes we went on both Batman and Nitro. No lines at all: amazing. Also, I broke a record, we went on all the roller coasters, and some twice: over twenty, all front row. My throat hurts from all the screaming.

I realized that one of the moments in life that I am at my most happiest is when I'm plummeting on a roller coaster.

unohow2whistle @ 2008-03-21T15:49:00

2008-03-21T19:57:00Z

Happy birthday to my favorite Bollywood actress, Rani Mukherjee!

I can't wait to see her and Saif in Kunal Kohli's newest film.

And while I'm at it, here are some nice articles on my favorite Hollywood actress, Natalie Portman:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23324431/from/ET/

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article3386443.ece

I finally watched Atonement last night. It was really good, sweet and sad, and I cannot stress enough how sexy James McAvoy is, but the book was better...same for The Other Boleyn Girl, though Natalie was, of course, amazing. I think there has been only one case where I liked a movie better than the book it was based on, and that was A Walk to Remember.

I feel very grateful right now

2008-03-13T05:17:53Z

I found this video on a website about a man who bought an out of service plane in India and charges people to come inside and have the experience of being on a flight. At first you think, "Wow, he's ripping people off," but then you realize he's doing it for children and people who are too poor to even buy shoes and have never been on a plane before...they pay to catch a glimse of it. The look of happiness and wonder on one boy's face brought me to tears...I am so lucky I have everything I need and so much more.

I already have Summer fever....that's bad

2008-03-09T18:56:52Z

So today we have to set our clocks ahead one hour, Spring Break is (almost) here, and I woke up with the blanket thrown off. You know what that makes me think of? That's right, summer.

Summer always gets me so nostalgic. I start thinking of Al-Rahmah summer camp, road trips, playing in the sprinkler, gardening, barbeques, blockbuster movies, popsicles, sleepovers, Sam's Club, sandals, out-of-state relatives, Disney World, mango lassi, graduation parties, weddings...the list goes on and on.

This summer I've applied to many internships, we have my Uncle's wedding in Chicago to go to, after which my dad is planning a train trip to California, I plan on learning some Arabic and French, as well as having tons of sleepovers with Bollywood movies and my cousins, and my mom has promised me a road trip to Orlando. I'll take MCAT classes (because that never ends), I want to go swimming every weekend, and help out at Al-Rahmah/ Taqwa summer camp, and attend weekly halaqas. Oh, and this is an Olympics summer! The last A-Man-A-Beard one was so much fun.

I know I have a lot to get through (the hell known as finals, when I feel like throwing myself off the library balcony)....but not really. I only have a week and a half of school in March, then April. May 1st is the last day of classes. So the countdown has officially begun :)

Spring break, wooh!

2008-03-03T03:15:40Z

I can't believe it's been a year since my last Spring Break. I keep saying it and I'll say it again- time is flying by for me now that I'm in college. Last week at school was hell with all my Microbiology exams and lab practicals. And I have a stupid Physics lab report due on Friday.

This random, but I have really been craving Southern food lately, like battered fries, chicken fried steak, cheesy biscuits, gravy....I need to stop. Or go to Texas. Come to think of it, I've been craving a vacation down South, too.

I slept until 2:45 today. And it felt really good.

The Olsen twins looked so cute at the Chanel Fashion Week show in Paris:

I love those glasses!

I also love Drake Bell, and this movie seems hilarious:

Haha.

Can't wait for this movie!

2008-02-16T00:00:53Z

Natalie and Scarlett at the photocall:

...and at the Berlin premiere:

They both look amazing (Natalie normally isn't that fashion adventurous, but she is pulling off this crazy dress). I'm not a huge fan of Scarlett's, but it's cute how they're both friends.

Don't be jealous

2008-02-14T00:10:43Z

Currently, I'm reading a biography on surrealist fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. She and Salvadore Dali worked together on many projects, and the book I'm reading has many images of Dali's paintings. So, absentmindedly, as I'm looking at one, I say, "I'd love to own a painting by Dali." Nidha says "Ok, I'll get you one," and I laugh it off.

She just gave me a painting.

Signed by "Dolly."

It's of a cartoon dog.

I now have an original Dolly painting.

Pictures of some of Schiaperelli's designs:

Her "shoe hat"

The lobster dress inspired by Dali's infamous lobster telephone. He wanted to spread mayonnaise on it, but she refused...understandably.

Torn flesh dress inspired by Necrophiliac Spring.

I currently smell like Icy Hot

2008-02-11T02:32:09Z

Yesterday was our MSA's Eid party (I know, we're reaaaallly late), and it was so much fun! People had prepared dances and preformed them. It was hilarious because all my friends knew the words to songs from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dil Se...this Bollywood obsession is really taking over my school right now! We danced until 1:00 (I am so sore), then went back and watched KANK for like the 5th time. Oh, and speaking of Indian movies, we watched Heyy Babyy on Friday night...it was funny, but I don't get what all the hype was about. Akshay and Ritesh looked hot, in any case.

I have so much work to do and didn't get any of it done....but I got some cute shoes and jeans from the mall, so it wasn't a total waste of a day :)

Super Bowl

2008-02-06T01:51:46Z

So, I am really upset that the Patriots didn't win. I mean, I know everyone and their mom was rooting for the Giants, but I saw my brother get up in the morning all excited and ready to wear his Brady jersey :( At school it was fun aggravating all the New Yorkers, but I got silly strung in the end. Oh well, Tom still gets to go home to this:

I still love you Tom! Though I love Eli, too...and Peyton. Wow, I'm really promiscuous when it comes to football :P

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN

2008-02-03T01:08:08Z

Okay, so Natalia is just retiring from the catwalk.

So no more of this:

:(

But she will still be doing this:

(Also, even with all my love for Kate and Daria, I def think Natalia owns the David Yurman ads.)

So, school has been pretty chill lately. I have more Microbiology tests, but with more tests there is less material to study each time, which I prefer. So I have been able to catch up with my movies, especially Bollywood. On that note, I think my roomie and I have gotten our whole campus Bollywood obsessed. People keep stopping by to borrow Veer Zaara and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. A girl had to excuse herself while we were watching KANK, and we heard her sobbing in the bathroom. My friend has ordered a Shah Rukh documentary from Amazon, and my other friend just bought Chalte Chalte. I was in the cafeteria and people just broke out into "Where's The Party Tonight." It's pretty hilarious :). To quote my friend, "Once you go Bollywood, you can't go back."

Also, LOST IS BACK! AND IT IS AMAZING! AND I MISSED IT SOOOOOOOOO MUCH! And I totally cried :(

And this is what my post subject refers to:

And from Kristin at E! Online:

"This just might be the best news we Arrested fans have heard in a very long time.

Jason Bateman has just confirmed to me that the creative minds behind Arrested Development (Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard) have put the wheels in motion toward a major motion picture of the Fox TV comedy so many of us adore. I'm told by insiders that Jason and other Bluth family members have received calls from producers (Hurwitz and Howard) asking if they would be willing to shoot a movie.

"I can confirm that a round of sniffing has started," Bateman says. "Any talk is targeting a poststrike situation, of course. I think, as always, that it's a question of whether the people with the money are willing to give our leader, Mitch Hurwitz, what he deserves for his participation. And I can speak for the cast when I say our fingers are crossed."

Jeffrey Tambor also revealed on XM Radio's the Ron and Fez Show that he has been approached by Ron Howard to see if he's willing to do an Arrested film. (You can hear that interview below.)

For the record, both Jason and Jeffrey's answers were: Hells yeah. And I hear from other sources that other castmembers were called and that everyone seems to be very much on board and excited by the prospect.

Insiders also tell me that while creator Mitch Hurwitz does not yet have a script, he has a good, solid understanding of what he'd like to do for the movie, and Universal is very much interested.

And so it seems that a few good—wait, no, outrageously amazing—things just might come out of this unfortunate writers' strike, as the creative minds in this town have had time to pause, regroup and think about their dream projects.

And an Arrested movie is a pretty great dream, is it not?

So, let's join our crossed fingers with the rest of the cast, shall we?"

http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/index.jsp?#15a310d7-61f0-49b6-ba57-092e60c397cb

If this happens, I can die a happy girl.

Arrested Development owns my life.

Natalia Vodianova is retiring?!

2008-01-30T03:30:13Z

No!

A little nerdy rambling...

2008-01-20T20:55:10Z

I am so happy that this semester doesn't seem as hardcore as last. Here's the rundown:

Inorganic Chem- my professor is notorious for being easy and an easy grader. He's teaching us what pH is right now- mind you, I've had about three years of advanced chemistry.

Spanish- Learning what "mesa" means (again, I have taken 3 years of Spanish).

Microbiology- Will be difficult, but fun. We're actually going to start thinking in medical terms now...and I've done my Hopkins internship on Staph infections, so my end of the year project will be on that- easy.

Physics- Have a new professor from Slovenia. He wants us to work hard, but I feel he's going to be an easy grader; he's already said the lowest we can get in lab is a B.

Plus, no classes Tuesdays! I guess what this means to me is I have to concentrate on MCATs this semester. College is passing by so quickly! I'm halfway through it- scary. And I'm already looking up internships for my last year...my dream would be to get one with the Smithsonian Institute in DC. Fingers crossed!

I watched two really good movies recently: The Great Gatsby and Taare Zameen Par. I know everyone says that The Great Gatsby sucks, but I really loved it. It was slow and languid at parts, but that was like the novel, I felt. Mia Farrow looked gorgeous, and the style of the 20s...! It was kind of like Marie Antoinette, more visual than vocal, but hey- both were done by Coppolas.

Taare Zameen Par made me cry, in a good way. The cruelty parents sometimes show towards their kids, to get them to "succeed" on their terms is so awful. And I know it exists. Amir was amazing, as usual, and he looked really fine in it. The kid (I don't know his name) is probably the best Indian child actor I've seen. I highly recommend it.

I leave you with the fourth Bollywood actor to make it into Madame Tussauds: Salman!

My family and I have so much love for him.

God, I wish I was in France

2008-01-09T01:42:30Z

My new movie obsession? La Vie en Rose. I've read about Edith Piaf, and what with her miraculous return of eyesight, aid of Jews during the Holocaust, and multiple marriages to celebrities, her life seems like it would be fascinating to watch on screen (maybe as much as Akshay's). Marion Cotillard, the actress who plays her, is beautiful and chic and so...French. She looked gorgeous yesterday at whatever award show they were playing on VH1:

Plus, when we were in France, ads for La Vie en Rose were plastered all over the subways. So, it reminds me of Paris. *sigh*

I read a hilarious book yesterday, I Love You, Beth Cooper. It's by Larry Doyle, who has written for The Simpsons and lives outside Baltimore. These two facts make him awesome. Anyway, it's pretty much Superbad in book form (but it came out before, so it takes all credit); it's soooooo funny, in a dirty way, takes place in a day, deals with high school graduation, has two socially-inept dorks as the leads, and the hot popular girl is the catalyst of all the activity. To end with a cliche: I laughed out loud!

Au revoir!

I like to type about

2008-01-03T22:06:55Z

Hope everyone had a fun new year! Mine was pretty uneventful...just went out with the family to watch the second National Treasure. I loved it, just like the I loved the first one. You just have to let your sense of realism take a break and enjoy the action and "history." Plus, more Abe and a scene in London! And Riley is the best, I love the actor who plays him, whoever he is. And Nicholas Cage....our family has history with him :P

Hmmm, what other movies did I watch. Welcome, which was funny in a silly way. I liked it. But I am biased...I like any movie with Akshay Kumar in it, because even if the movie sucks, I'll just look at his gorgeous face and smile and be happy. What's this I hear about a movie based off his life? That I need to watch...he owned a noodle cart and karate dojo in China before he got his big break? Love him.

I also finally got my hands on Grey Gardens. Amazing. It was beautiful and sad and inspiring all at once. Big Edie and Little Edie had a strange, yet beautiful relationship. I know that it is being remade into a movie with Drew Barrymore starring as Little Edie. I can't wait!

So, for the last two weeks of my break, I've been going to work with my mom at her clinic. She has a new secretary who is pregnant, and that is all she can talk about. "Don't eat in front of me, I'm pregnant. " "I dropped that file because I'm pregnant." "It's cold outside. I'm pregnant." Wow. I've heard about women who get obsessed with their pregnancy...I hope I'm not that way. Being pregnant must also make you blind to all the eye rolling going on around you.

Let's look at some pictures:

Sigh, Akshay. My sister just told me that he's now the highest paid actor in Bollywood. Deserves every penny.

It's weird, cuz I don't really care for them individually, but I'm rooting for Pete and Ashlee. And her shoes. I want them.

Deserving, deserving, deserving, ew, deserving.

I'm so excited that Cate is the villian in the next Indiana Jones. Her + Harrison + Shia + Steven + George should make an amazing movie.

Do these two have any other friends? It's kind of cute, though.

When I'm rich enough to toss around a few thousand bucks on a clutch, this YSL one is one the top of my list.

Natalia is the most beautiful woman in the world: yes or yes?

Ok, so I need to rant. Charlie never gets married?! But he handles dragons and seems so hot (all the Weasley men, except maybe Percy, do), I would think he had girls over him all the time. And speaking of Percy, who's Audrey? What happened to Penny Clearwater? Though naming his daughter Molly is cute. Lilly's middle name is Luna? Aw...but why did Harry and Ginny give her a living person's name, lol. RonHermioneRoseHugo are the cutest ever. Ron and Hermione win as best couple ever in the history of existence.

Drew filming Grey Gardens. I really can't wait for this movie and it's costumes!

My New Year's Resolution

2007-12-31T20:45:31Z

Study
Study
Study
Study
Study
Study
Study
Study
Study
Study
Study

for the MCATs.

Also, James Franco is in the next Judd Apatow movie? Yay!

I love days like today

2007-12-29T07:15:45Z

We went with my aunt, uncle, and little cousin to drop off my grandparents at the airport (they're off to India for two weeks), which was sad, but not too much 'cuz they're not gone for that long. (Btw, I changed my mind, I told my grandmother to buy me glasses like Kajol's from DDLJ:

not like Chloe Sevigny's; maybe I'll end up with my own Raj then). Then we went to a kabob restaurant and stuffed our faces and talked and teased my cousin and brother and laughed so hard about random stuff, like the pictures of scary bearded men on the wall. We ended up at my uncle's friends' house, where we watched Save the Last Dance and part of Transformers and talked and laughed some more; we finally reached home at 1:45. This is the stuff I really miss at college: just being with my family, having a random, spontaneous good time.

One, you're like a dream come true...

2007-12-25T04:08:27Z

I just got back from a party. You know when a girl thinks she can dance and is all "Look at me!" but really she can't? I felt bad for her. But also kind of annoyed.

I finally watched Sholay yesterday! It really is a good film, I cried and laughed and swooned and sang and did everything I like to do while watching a Bollywood movie. Also, Helen's moves aren't choreographed, are they? She's totally free styling.

My current celebrity crush, James McAvoy. Oh, he is Scottish hotness.

I wish I could look like 80s Brooke Shields.

M.I.A. and Marc, how perfect is that!

Bogie and Bacall, possibly the best couple ever.

Abhi and Ash are pretty amazing, too, though. How hot do they look in this picture? Have babies!

You got the black Chanel, but where's your red lipstick, Kate? Emma looks so pretty.

I just subscribed to Nylon. I loved this spread on MK Olsen.

Haha, I love the look on Troy's face, and Sharpay's clothes.

Lol.

A GORGEOUS shot of Princess Caroline of Monaco. Why couldn't I have been born as Monaco rolyalty?

Natalie has designed a collection of shoes in collaboration with Te Casan. The shoes are vegan and 5% of profits will be going to charity. So, I now have more shoes to buy.

I'm off to find out what the siblings are up to.

Finals are over and I'm off for a month!

2007-12-19T22:51:46Z

I have no idea how I've done on them...Physics and Organic Chemistry I'm worried about the most. But really, it's a relief just having them over with. This break, I'm going to work a little, sleep a lot, go to tons of parties, live at the library, shop an insane amount, and make the TV my best friend (need to catch up with Disney Channel!). I guess I should get started with MCAT studying, too....

And don't get me started with movies. I need to buy Order of the Phoenix and Superbad, watch Hey Babbyy and Welcome, and number one on my list...ATONEMENT!

The Dark Knight also looks good, and I'm so glad Heath Ledger and Maggie Gyllenhaal have joined the cast.

Eid Mubarak!

unohow2whistle @ 2007-12-11T23:33:00

2007-12-12T04:34:47Z

This sounds weird, but I love the smell of cigarette smoke. It reminds me of airports and tourist traps and seedy motels and fancy restaurants and black and white movies and Civil War history and England and Audrey Hepburn and Kate Moss and Shah Rukh Khan and my uncles. Pretty much everything I love.

Atonement

2007-12-08T08:20:11Z

Wow, I'm so oblivious...I didn't connect the new movie Atonement with Keira Knightley with the novel Atonement by Ian McEwan, one of the best books I've read ever in my life. But I saw a commercial yesterday, and yup, it's an adaptation. Can't wait to see it!

Also, James McAvoy makes me think dirty thoughts.

Jabhie koi ladka dekhe mera dil deewana bole ole ole ole

2007-12-04T02:58:32Z

Yesterday the college took a trip to New York and it was amazing! New York around Christmas time is always so much fun. We saw the tree at Rockefeller and St. Peter's Cathedral. We went to FAO Schwarz , visited the Harry Potter section (my friend kept standing in different places and saying "Maybe Rupert stood here!") and saw the huge piano from Big. For lunch we went to a really cute restaurant in Little Italy, and the waiter called me a "very bella Muslim girl," lol. That made my day. There were also these random guys outside who told us to spin a wheel to win a prize; my friend won the grand prize of a pack of string cheese. We window shopped at Saks, took pictures in the Trump Towers, and looked at all the gorgeous Christmas window displays at Macys. We ended with the Toys 'R Us and Virgin Megastore in Times Square; I bought a poster of London. Yup, only cool people go to New York and buy a poster of London. So, New York is great and the subways aren't that bad- that's what I learned yesterday. :)