One of my favorite things about the blog community is that I get to read some pretty insightful, creative, and thought-provoking ideas on a regular basis. It offers me something that television cannot; an endless supply of ingenuity and classy writing. I peruse the “Freshly Pressed” articles almost daily and have a short list of…
Hungry for “The Lunchbox”
We’ve all heard the phrase, “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” I’d argue that this applies to anyone with a great appetite for delicious food, myself included! There is a new Indian film very recently released in the U.S. that uses this idea as a starting point for a blossoming love…
Why “Ugly Betty” Warms My Soul
Ugly Betty first aired in 2006, but I did not start watching it until around 2008 when a friend lent me her season 1 DVD set. Like most television shows, I had only seen an episode here or there, being unable to commit to a weekly ritual (a combination of being in school and not…
Recognizing Integrity
Integrity. What does integrity mean? I understand it to mean many things. Honesty, of course, and acting in a way that is acceptable, commendable, and honorable. The very sound of it is strong, almost provocative. It was not something I necessarily took for granted, but I used to understand it as inherent in everyone. If…
Food vs. Faith
I never really thought about the way diet impacts spirituality until I was older. My family always ate meat, but to different degrees and of different varieties. Even my family members in India ate meat for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t always like that; when my mom was a child, they barely…
Touch and Trust
For a physician, the sense of touch is closely entwined with the treatment of a patient. We learn the physical exam maneuvers that help us demystify the internal workings of the human body, at least enough to glean more precise information about the person’s ailment. We press on the sinuses to gauge whether a sinus…
a silent goodbye
two children separated by a decade in time. their coexistence was at first like parent and child. the older one had spent a short life being taught unhealthy lessons punished for mistakes seen through the eyes of a tarnished mind lessons not meant for anyone of any age much less a child. in desperation he glued…
Turning Off Social Media: Why Happiness Depends on It
The other day, an old Alanis Morissette song came on the radio and I was reminded of my childhood neighbor, Ashley. Ashley and I had spent hours listening to Alanis’ first album. I got to thinking how Ashley was the one girl on my street who treated me as a true friend; her being Jewish…
An Open Letter to Jhumpa Lahiri
Dear Ms. Lahiri, It has been about two and a half years since I’ve read a novel from beginning to end. Residency sort of interferes with leisurely reading, especially when one’s mind is occupied with reading journals, studying for exams, and staring at computer screen trying to absorb a patient’s entire health history in a…
For the first time ever, Miss America matters to me
Since Monday morning, I have been taking in the positive and negative feedback towards Nina Davuluri’s winning of the 2014 Miss America crown and $50,000 scholarship. Ms. Davuluri is the first Indian American (not to be confused with American Indian, aka Native American) woman to win the title of her state, New York, and the…
Like Stars on Earth
Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth) is a Bollywood film directed by a favorite actor of mine, Aamir Khan. The reason he is a favorite is not for his vast fame or handsome face. Rather, it is because of his involvement in several political and social justice issues in India. His works, ranging from directing…
Permanence and Place
“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.” [James Baldwin] I recently read a post about one writer’s experience with moving to university and living there. The post came at a good time, a time when I had been in the throes of packing and moving (again). Every year since starting college…
pen . paper . storm 