Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Finding Fire

I'm sitting on a silk couch in plush Holmdel, New Jersey. The TV is yelling about Barack Obama. Manisha is saying "I don't do internet dating," to her father. I'm in transition. 

This week I am attending a journalism conference  at Columbia University. It will be four days of chaotic New York, networking and workshops to rock my writing. I'll be staying with my generous Ashley at her apartment on Mulberry Street. 

As a pleasant bonus to the conference, my application to be a blogger for the convention was accepted. I will be interviewing keynote speakers, covering South Asian topics and throwing some more words out there into the Web world for the professional blog/site. I'll be sure to let you know how to check that out.

I'm still feeling a little strange being away from the quiet of the institute. Before I left I had a thorough evaluation with the ayurvedic/medical doctor on campus. I am learning (slowly) to be more compassionate toward this physical body. I haven't exactly been the kindest mechanic for my vehicle, but I'm working on it. I'm trying to create a dialogue with myself that resembles one with my friend or a family member. I've been cultivating self-talk that deals more with constructive truth and less with negative criticism.

Tomorrow we are going to Little India (Edison) to eat chaat and saturate our pores with the sweet smells of masala. Then I'm going to try to balance my wardrobe of yoga pants and t-shirts with some collared shirts and dressy skirts. I don't even think I know how to wear heels anymore.

1 comment:

ROK-Ultimate said...

Hey Rao, haven't commented for a while. Your blog brings me hope and joy. We're learning a lot of similar things, you're just being way more productive. I hope I can be productive when I get back. Have fun in NYC, I miss you.