Bollywood Archives - My Inner Shakti

Three Things Thursday (3) – Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope each of you, whether you’re officially celebrating or not, is spending some time today (or this weekend) with loved ones, creating fun memories and eating delicious food.

And now, on to my random three things from the week!

1. We are headed to Houston today for our friend’s wedding. And with that comes an end to the 2014 marathon wedding season. A little bittersweet I must admit.

Kartik was Vishnu’s roommate his freshman year of college, and they’ve been friends ever since. I actually met Kartik 1.5 years before I met Vishnu. In fact, Kartik was one of the main players in mine and Vishnu’s love story! And now we get to celebrate his big bad Bollywood wedding to Rathna! I can’t wait.

While I won’t be blogging the rest of the weekend, I will be sharing pics via Instagram. Follow along if you want!

2. Speaking of Bollywood, Vishnu and I had a few dances to learn for this wedding. It’s a tradition (at least with our group of friends) to have people perform choreographed dances to popular Bollywood songs during the Sangeet (pre-wedding event) and reception.

Personally, I love it because I grew up dancing to Bollywood songs. Vishnu, on the other hand, isn’t the biggest fan because it takes him longer to learn each dance. And for this wedding, since he’s a groomsmen, he had to learn four dances.

And while I know he’s a little nervous, I can’t wait to see him shake his bootay to some Bollywood! I keep telling him he’s my own personal Shah Rukh Khan (to which he just stares at me)! Haha.

3. And the last thing I have to mention today is my newest obsession – Serial.

Serial is a podcast where we unfold one nonfiction story, week by week, over the course of a season. We’ll stay with each story for as long as it takes to get to the bottom of it.

I’m only two episodes in and absolutely hooked. This season’s story is a murder mystery dating back to 1999. The host of the podcast, Sarah Koenig, goes back in time and tries to make sense of the complicated story by revisiting all the details, including those that the jury and public didn’t get to hear.

Trust me on this one – it’s SO good!

With that, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend! I’ll be back on Monday!

Mean Irene

written by Parita Leave a Comment

I woke up to the sound of rain this morning. And luckily for me, that’s all Irene has been – a little wind and rain. Storm cloud However, I know she caused extensive damage for some parts of the east coast. My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone and everyone affected by Mean Irene.

Let’s see…if Irene had decided to never grace us with her presence, my wedding outfit would’ve been in my possession by now. I was going to drive to NJ with my aunt to pick it up, but obviously our plans changed a bit. No bid deal though – we’re going to go again in a couple of weeks!

Since all the hype about the storm has been happening for at least a few days, I had plenty of time to plan out my weekend at home. And let me tell you, I kind of needed an entire weekend all to myself.

The first thing on my agenda was some much needed sleep. It was glorious!

I also wanted to spend some time making breakfast, as that hasn’t been happening lately.

This is simplicity at its finest! Just some oatmeal, cinnamon, banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Heaven in a bowl I tell you!

I also finished Sarah’s Key last night. I must say, I found the first half of the book much more compelling. In my opinion, the second half was a bit of a disappointment. However, I still recommend the book because I think it tells an important story.

I also cleaned out my closet this weekend. It’s been on my to do list forever, so finally bit the bullet and sorted through all my clothes. I had to have some honest conversations with myself when it came time to deciding what should stay and what had to go. In the end, quite a few things ended up in the Goodwill bags.

I also gave my apartment a good cleaning. A clean home is a happy home after all! Smile

I also watched a couple of movies. Thank goodness for Netflix!

Movie #1 was Kismat Konnection, a Bollywood film about luck and love. It was cute!

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Movie #2 was You Again. I’m glad I didn’t read any reviews beforehand because 99% of them are awful, but I found the movie pretty funny and perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Well, I’m off to check a few more things off my list. Stay safe, everyone!

Were you affected by Irene? If so, what did you do to keep yourself occupied?

Wedding Update + Indian Playlist

written by Parita 14 Comments

I’d like to take y’all back to the weekend I spent in New Jersey for a family reunion. In my recap of that weekend, I talked a lot about family, food, and craziness. I forgot to mention one major thing. Don’t hate me, ok?

I forgot to mention that I found my wedding outfit that weekend! Yes, I found “the one.”

See, Edison, New Jersey is the Indian capital of the US. What that means is that Edison, in particular, is home to thousands of Indians. What that means is that there are tons of Indian restaurants, grocery stores, and clothing boutiques. Lucky me!

The day I arrived at my cousin’s house, my parents, sister, and I ventured out to Oak Tree Road (the mostly Indian street in Edison). I tried on a couple of outfits at the first boutique we went to and found one I liked but didn’t love. We then headed to the next store, but I honestly didn’t have high expectations. In my mind, we were just looking. Well, lo and behold, I was shown an outfit that I absolutely loved. After looking at a few other pieces, I asked the lady we were working with if I could try in “the one.” I immediately felt like a princess. It was just what I was looking for. My parents and sister also loved it! By the end of the weekend, it was confirmed, that was going to be MY wedding outfit! We went back to the store and put a deposit down.

Now, fast forward to this weekend. Yesterday morning, I headed to my aunt’s house in Connecticut to pick her up so we could make our way back to NJ for a fitting. Smile The best part about it is that I am more in love with my outfit then ever before! Seeing it again made me so so so excited for the big day!

Now, I know y’all are wondering what the outfit looks like, but I’m afraid you’re not going to see it until after the big day! The reason being because I don’t want Vishnu to see the outfit beforehand. I want him to be surprised! And a part of me wants my guests to be surprised as well. At every wedding I’ve been to, you can almost feel the anticipation right before the bride’s arrival. I don’t want my day to be any different!

Soon enough, my friends, soon enough!

Now, on to the second part of today’s title. I’ve noticed that a lot of bloggers like to share their playlists, which I personally find very helpful. But I have yet to see an Indian song on any of the lists. That needs to change pronto because there are so many awesome songs out there that will literally make you want to stop and dance in the middle of your workout.

So, if you’re looking for a fun way to change up your usual playlist, check out these songs…

1. Desi Girl from the Bollywood movie Dostana
2. Laung da Lashkara from the Bollywood movie Patiala House
3. Nai Rehna by Imran Khan
4. Hadippa the Remix from the Bollywood movie Dil Bole Hadippa
5. Disco Khisko from the Bollywood movie Dil Bole Hadippa
6. Chali Chali from the Bollywood movie Bhaghban
7. Aaja Nachle from the Bollywood movie Aaja Nachle
8. Mauja Mauja from the Bollywood movie Jab We Met
9. Ni Nachle by Imran Khan featuring Lucky
10. Uff Teri Ada from the Bollywood movie Karthik calling Karthik

I especially like the last song. Just YouTube the song title, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

It has something to do with this guy…he’s dreamy. Winking smile

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Good night! I hope you had a fabulous weekend!

How often do you change up/add to your playlist?

Updates…

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Ahhh, feels good to be 98% done with setting up my apartment…finally!

On to other updates…

Update 1: My sister and I signed up for the Providence Rock n’ Roll half marathon! It’s on August 7th. I’m so excited to be running with her in her first half. 🙂 We were both born and raised in RI, so it’s also exciting to run in the state we grew up in. I plan on using the Hal Higdon training plan with some modifications (strength training and yoga). More on that later…

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Update 2: I will also be walking in Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger on May 1st. The 20 mile walk starts in the Boston Common and goes through Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown, and Cambridge before returning back to the Boston Common. If you are from the Boston area and are interested in participating, let me know! I’d love to have some walking buddies!

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Update 3: An FDA proposal may require chain restaurants, vending machines, convenience stores, and concession stands to post calorie information for all foods. I am all for this proposed change, but I wonder if it will really change unhealthy eating behaviors. Hopefully consumers will take the new information and make informed decisions. Time will tell… If you want to read more, check out this article.

Update 4: Courtney’s Banana Ice Cream. Enough said. So good. The only difference was I used almond milk and half a tablespoon of cocoa powder. Looks just like ice cream and tastes great too (AND it’s healthy)!

Well, I’m off to watch “We Are Family,” a Bollywood remake of Step Mom. Goodnight, y’all!

Out and About

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Male readers beware – hair removal will be discussed and depicted in the next paragraph and two pictures. 🙂

How was everyone’s Friday? Mine was good but super busy. My day started at 8 am with a trip to get some threading done with my sister. Threading is a form of hair removal. Sounds strange but it’s actually very efficient and effective. The two ends of a piece of thread are tied together and twisted several times (by rotating the wrist). This allows for a row of hair to be removed at once. My very gracious sister let me take some pictures of her getting her eyebrows threaded.

The reason we opt for threading versus waxing or plucking is because the hairs tend to grow back softer, and you’re hairless for a longer time period. Whatever works, right?!

After threading, I dropped my sister off at home and went to get a much-needed pedicure. 🙂 I am a little bit of a feetaphob (and yes, I realize that’s not a word), so I’m not going to put a picture of my feet on the internet. LOL!

: Nailpolish rainbow

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The rest of my busy day…

After the pedicure, my mom, sister, and I headed to my dentist appointment. Everything looks good by the way…thanks for asking!! 🙂 My mom and sister wanted to get haircuts, so we headed to the salon next. Then came Publix subs for lunch. After a pit stop at the bank, we headed to my dermatologist appointment. My doctor was pleased with my progress (related to my acne)…very good to hear! My mom also wanted to go to Costco and Bed Bath & Beyond before we headed home, so we made our way to those stores. We headed home for a minute so my sister could change, and then off to the park for a run we went. My parents joined us, so I ended up walking with them for a bit as well. We got home and started on dinner right away. Take a look…

Momma's Enchiladas

Enchiladas topped with sour cream and guacamole made by yours truly!

Dinner was absolutely delicious, let me tell you! My mom uses canned refried beans for the filling but jazzes them up with spices and seasoning. And her sauce is just perfect and tasty! She promised to write down the recipe for me (and you), so be on the lookout for it!

Tonight is Bollywood night #2 with Guzaarish. This is a movie about paralyzed magician who files a petition in the court for euthanasia. I’ve heard it’s really good and well-made but VERY sad. I may be shedding a few tears tonight. 🙁 Goodnight, everyone!

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Oh Family, I’m Home!

written by Parita 15 Comments

Hi! As you all know, I’m blogging from Atlanta right now! I got in around 11:30 last night, and yes, I did attack Vishnu when I saw him. 🙂 I worked from home today, but it was still nice to have everyone around while I audited away. I miss being home!

Lunch was delicious, as expected. We all got very very hungry around 1:30, so my mom, with her quick thinking, decided to make us samosa chaat. If you don’t remember what chaat is, read this post. It’s all the same ingredients but with samosas as the base. We didn’t have any homemade samosas in the house, so we used frozen ones, which were surprising pretty good. You can easily find these in an Indian grocery store.

Cooking away...

All you do to turn regular samosas into samosa chaat, is add some sweet and spicy chutneys (sauces), a yogurt sauce, onions, and sev (a thin, stringy, crispy Indian snack food). Take a look!

After lunch, I made everyone try this…

The Pecan Pie Larabar does not disappoint!

Everyone agreed that is flavor is a keeper. However, the PB Chocolate Chip one is still my favorite!

Since I worked until about 5:30 today, we didn’t do too much during the day. This is probably a good thing because tomorrow is a packed day – threading (hair removal done with a thread – don’t worry I’ll explain later!), pedicure, dentist, dermatologist, and taxes. I’m tired just thinking of it all!

My parents don’t really like eating out too much, but Indian and Thai are exceptions to the rule. Tonight was Thai night. 🙂 We headed to one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants – Top Spice. This place is Thai heaven – the food is that good!

Spicy Basil Tofu for me and my mom!

Pad Prik Chicken for sister and dad!

A family affair 🙂

So, remember how I told you that no visit home would be complete without a Bollywood movie night? Well, tonight is one of those nights. We’re watching Band Baaja Barat, a movie about two wedding planners who decide to become partners and create their own company together.