Art & Copy 11:45 AM

Upon the recommendation of my extremely charismatic, "brimming-with-brilliance"boss (and my extremely involved boyfriend), I watched Art & Copy, an unbelievable documentary on the beauty of and misconceptions around Advertising. Art & Copy emphasizes the artistic side of advertising, the concept of connecting people to people, humanizing brands, and understanding what people want before they know they want it. I will have to watch the documentary again, as I spent the entire 90 minutes frantically taking illustrative notes (you'll see what I mean), but I wanted to share some of the ideas that made me not only stop and think, but also made me realize the very emotional, brutally simplistic, risky, crazy-ass industry I work in and how much I absolutely love it.

Take a peek:

All moved in 7:47 AM

Hello hello.

So I finally moved into the apartment a week ago. After many many weeks of waiting and waiting, I am so happy the move is done. It was crazy hectic and I could only take one day off from work (work has entailed absolute madness lately), so needless to say, I was EXHAUSTED. But everything is finally set up. I'm waiting until I can afford some bookshelves and maybe one or two cool pieces of art, and then my apartment will be complete. I'm going to wait to post pictures until then :)

A lot has happened since my last post. The man made his move to the Big Apple, and started his job today. What a big day, right? He moved about three weeks ago and is LOVING it. His only complains thus far have been expensive lettuce and paying $4 for a tiny bottle of mayonnaise. His apartment looks great, though (from what I've seen over Skype), and I can't wait to see it. He's so good at adjusting to new places and new situations. I really admire that about him, because I really don't think I can boast a similar quality. I have been known as being hard on myself, though. Regardless, I'm visiting him in two weeks! And the cherry on top? Not only to do I get to see him, I get to see one of my other good friends from college, and my two best friends from college (all current New Yorkers). The total package, eh? I can't wait to see them!

I don't know if I mentioned NetIP (Network of Indian Professionals) before, but I joined the organization recently as a Marketing Co-Chair. Since, I've realized that with my job, I don't have the time to be a fully devoted chair, so I've been relocated as a pseudo "promotional writer" of sorts. I've written some event copies and am being published in their newsletter this month as a guest writer. The topic was pretty broad: A creative piece about being South Asian, new to Chicago, and a member of NetIP. What I ended up writing was a little fluffy, and maybe a bit out there for the audience, but let's see how it's received. I really didn't want to write a bland piece about being Indian. So I wrote about identity, and the inevitability of mundane questions when you're in a new environment, and surrounded by new people. I wrapped the piece up with a discussion on how fascinating idiosyncrasies are, and how important it is to learn the "nitty-gritty of what makes us, us." Definitely wasn't my best writing (I had to jot it down between projects at work), but hopefully it'll get the point across. I also kept my "bio" similar:

A is a twenty-something native Clevelander who moved to Chicago to pursue a career in Advertising. She studied English, Psychology, and Marketing in college and is thus perfectly positioned to persuade you with her eloquent prose and her understanding of your inner workings. Platitudes and pointless chitter-chatter bore her, but she has found her fill of interesting and exciting people in NetIP since her recent relocation, and is looking forward to meeting more.

Again, sort of fluffy, sort of sarcastic, but hey, they wanted a person piece. As I was working on the piece, though, I realized that I haven't written in so long. I used to be all about creative writing, poetry, short stories, and I've just been so disassociated from that lately. And I miss it, a lot. I miss reading and writing and feeling inspired and sitting in literary seminars in college and thinking about a short paragraph until my brain ached. That was beyond enriching. The best feeling in the world. Don't get me wrong, I think until my brain aches every day at work, but not about literature. Yum. I love it and I miss it. I still occasionally flirt with the idea of getting my masters/PhD in English. I never really talk to anyone about it (except my mom haha), but I don't know if I see myself in business for the rest of my life. Actually, I'm pretty damn positive I don't. But I guess you never really know. The more plans you make in life, the more plans fall to the wayside, right?

Anyway, I'm going to try writing more regularly. I've acquired a lot of free-time lately = a lot of time to think = a lot of things to say.

Hope everyone's doing well. Happy Friday :)

Goodbye Lebron. 7:07 AM

A week has passed now. It's time to move on and find the humor in the devastating "decision." For this reason, I have decided to put my feelings of betrayal, nausea, and utter disgust, behind me and embrace what Lebron's decision truly means. Hundreds of parodies.

Here is one of my favorites from one of my favorites. I can't decide if I like this clip because it highlights the ultimate d-bag-ness of Lebron, or because John Mayer is so ridiculously dreamy.

Enjoy. Both the video and this lovely, emotionally arousing photograph.

Binge Eating, Booze, and Buddies 10:05 AM

It is going to be the BEST weekend.

I am dying to get it started. Only 20 or so minutes to go!

I have 6 of my favorite folks coming to visit me in Chicago this weekend! There were a few hiccups (my move date got pushed back two weeks, so we'll be all but camping out with sleeping bags and airmattresses in my unfurnished/dry-wall-y home), but they are all now on their way. And traffic, astonishingly, is totally manageable! Thank you, Chicago, for beautiful weather and keeping people off the road.

I have a wondrous weekend planned, packed with delicious food and delicious drinks. I will try my best to write a thorough account of what we did, next week. Hopefully I'll be able to share some great places with you!

First stop tonight is Tango Sur, a BYOB Argentian place that is apparently uh-mazing. I can't wait to try it.

:)

Happy Long Weekend, all!
A

The Mundane 9:12 AM

It's not even midweek yet...

I've been working for about five months now and I've realized a few things about myself:

1. I will never get a head start on a project. I am a procrastinator of the highest degree.
2. I will never get used to the working life, waking up at 5:40am will never be my thing.
3. I will never enjoy working out. It's not fun. And for those of you who think it is, you're deranged. Go sit under the sun in a lounge chair, have a beer, and tell me if sweating your ass off and feeling like your lungs are going to combust is a better feeling.
4. I will never tire of wearing college sweatshirts and jeans (at least jeans are a step up from sweats), even if it's at a company with some of the trendiest people I have ever encountered.5. I really really really love to read. And I really really really want to write.


I read this book called The Feasting Season yesterday (it was a slow day at work, as I mentioned). It was about four things - Love, Food/Wine, Writing, and France. These are clearly a few of my favorite things (eh, unlike inevitable allusions to The Sound of Music). It was a bit slow at the beginning, and the middle, but MAN was it STEAMY! If there is one way to sexualize food, wine, and Europe, this woman has perfected it. It was a delicious read. Poignant, adventurous, and beautifully written.

I just ordered my next read (well, it won't be here for a week, so maybe my next to next to next read), Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, for my book club. Sounds totally ridiculous, but I can't wait to read it. Apparently it's been coined "light South Asian literature" by the the group. I'm pretty excited. I'm hoping the book club will keep my reading analysis skills sharp! I loved all of my college English classes and I miss them! Maybe I'll eventually refine the book list I give to my friends and post it up here. Hm..

So outside of the work and literary realm, my social life is going to be blog-worthy over the next few weeks! I'm meeting my "love interest" (don't ask...) this weekend after quite some time. Next weekend I get the keys to my apartment (!!!!!!!!!!!!), and the weekend of July 4th some of my best friends from college are coming in town. That weekend is going to be outrageous, epic, and well-deserved for all of us (at least those of us who work...). I'm sure it will be a blast, and maybe I'll even be able to share a small "Chicago Hot Spots" post depending on where all we land up. I have high expectations am making some pretty fabulous plans. At least according to my Chicago-Novice experience set :)

So a lot of fun coming up. Now I just have to get through this work week!

Yours,
A

THXTHXTHX 10:32 AM

Another amazing blog that I will add to my endless (and ever-growing) list of faves. This one is sure to brighten my day, everyday.

THX!

To do. 8:37 AM

One of the things I have aspired towards most in my relatively short, inexperienced life, is writing a book. I read like a fiend, and feel that it would only be fitting if one day the book people hold to their chest after reading, breathless and in awe, has my name on it. Or my fake name at least. But I certainly have my anxieties. My written word is definitely not ready for the eyes and ears of millions (ideally assuming that it would hypothetically and hyperbolically reach millions). In fact, I find myself shy-ing away from the occasional curious blog-reader who's interested in perusing my blog! What is wrong with me? You'd think after studying English all through college, writing somewhere around 150 papers (this, unlike my previous statement, is not hyperbolic), and reading hundreds of books, I'd be confident enough to share. But nope. Cat named Insecurity got my tongue.

But, nonetheless, I find myself dying to write a book. I have a few ideas in mind, which I think would be rather riveting (if I do say so myself), but I'm afraid that each of them would manifest into a borderline elusive read where you never know wtf to make of anything. Reminiscent, perhaps of Kundera's Laughable Loves, or Winterson's Written on the Body (on an even more quixotic note...). I love (understatement) both of these, but damn do you have to read them over and over and over to get the point.

On the other hand, I have no doubt that my future novel would turn into some sort of a pink and fluffy girl-fest. I can only hope and pray it doesn't, but let's face it... I'm a girl. And not just am I, my literary "voice" is so undoubtedly a girl, that flowers fall out of the tip of her pen. And this, to me, is dangerous. Because although chick lit novels are a woozy to read, their literary value and the level of intelligence required to write them is questionable. And let's face it, although it's my dream to write, and although I shouldn't care if people ever want to read my novel, I absolutely do. What's the written word if nobody is there to read it?

So here, behold my predicament. But I will write a book one day. Watch me. And when I do, I'll let a few of you know, and for the others, you'll know when you read a florid poetic-prose book that makes no sense :)

Adieu!
A