Control Freak

I was going to write about something serious but my trip from NYC to Princeton this afternoon provided too funny of a story to leave unshared. I got on the train all ready to get some school reading done (reading I had blissfully been ignoring the past few days), but my plan was thwarted by a young woman sitting behind me. She called (what I assume to be) her boyfriend and proceeded to talk to him in a really annoying voice for the next hour. I tried to shut out the sound and not listen to her, but it proved impossible. What was funny though was that she pretty much seemed to boss him around the whole time: "No, you shouldn't have that for dinner", "Take out the chicken noodle soup out of the freezer and defrost it tonight", "Don't go out tonight". At some point, I guess he made a comment about how he was going to go out with his friends, at which she exploded. "Why can't you say no?" "Why do you have to go out drinking when I am not there?" "You know how you can't control yourself" etc etc After a tirade of questions and reprimands, she finally said quietly and almost in a sulking voice, "You know what others think? They think that I try to control you too much."

Really? And that comes as a surprise?

But that then brought me to another question. Given that I have heard many women nag the guys in their lives, whether it be brother, father, significant other, is it the rule rather than the exception that women nag/try to control the situation? Or does that just happen when women themselves feel somewhat insecure either about themselves or the relationship? I personally agree with the latter but would be interested to hear what you think and why.

Nostalgic

Tonight, for the first time in a very long time, I felt nostalgic about not being in college. I never thought I would actually say this since I have been so enamored with grad school so far, but it's true.

I went to a Indian dance performance on campus tonight. It was (as a classmate of mine put it) "punjabitastic". As the lights dimmed and the dancers took up their positions on stage for the first choreography, someone from the audience suddenly yelled out, "Yeah, Rohan!" This was followed by several other similar calls addressed to different dancers. At first, I found this annoying. Having most recently seen only professional performances, I had gotten used to the common courtesy of observing complete silence when in the audience. But then I realized that the audience was simply offering their support for their friends who had been rehearsing for weeks, and perhaps even months, to put this performance together. And I felt a pang of nostalgia. In that moment, all those undergrads seemed so carefree and tightly bonded. At that moment, those things felt very far from my own life right now.

It would be fantastic to have another four years to bond with people when you are just starting out on the road to responsibilities and adulthood. A time when you are learning more about yourself, exploring many different options, and focusing on the friendships. Instead of worrying about whether you will get a job, what kind of job would be best, or what your longer-term plan should be. Instead of having to schedule time for friends weeks in advance and having everything run on a planner and feel choreographed somehow.

I guess, when it boils down to it, I just miss being more spontaneous.

P.S. Честита Баба Марта!

(на патерици)
Да сте живи, здрави, румени и засмяни!

И честит национален празник, също така.

When Pets Are Better Taken Care of Than People

I have seen my fair share of absurd pet accessories and "services" in the U.S. From strollers to ensure those toy dogs with tiny legs don't get tired from walking around to pet grooming salons to help your pet keep up with the latest fashion. For those who may have been bored on a domestic flight in the U.S. and taken to perusing the magazines in the seat pocket in front of you, you may have been dumbfounded by a mail catalog that includes a "pet ramp" as part of its product offering. If you don't know what I am talking about, here are some examples. I am really starting to believe that the U.S. is the one country in the world where supply generates demand for all this junk - from the unnecessary to the truly redundant. I had thought I had seen it all, when this weekend, while in NYC, I ran into my first ad for a pet resort on the street. I didn't bother to find out where this pet resort is located, but seriously...What's next, doggie driving school?