Moving my blog to my new domain at malujimmy.com

Thanks,

Jimmy

“Son, if you see a girl that is 75% okay then you should go for her…”

Huh?  What does that mean?  Was I supposed to be keeping a grade sheet for every girl that I was interested in?  No one told me there was a grade sheet for this thing!

My folks think I’m picky.  In their mind saying no to someone must have meant saying no to a trivial issue.  She’s too short/tall, too skinny/fat,  skin too dark/light, or stank too much.  In their mind, we are all the same… Most of us were born in the same “village of America”, attending malayalee Pentecostal churches with the same beliefs and values.  The ONLY difference besides career, family background, and spirituality can be the trivial ones.  If 1 out of 4 of those trivial issues doesn’t float your boat,  don’t stop and get hitched! 

The miscommunication comes from the simple fact that most malu parents do not really know how different we all are.  How our likes and dislikes, values, and beliefs are so different.  How men and women in my martial scope have such vast and varied personalities.   I am looking at a group of a few hundred women and narrowing down to a few that have the most basic of qualities I’m looking for.  Not all, but some.  Maybe a 75% match.  Of course in order for it to work she’ll have to like me too….or at least 75% like.

The must see movie of 2008, after Dark Knight, has to be Slumdog Millionaire!  Coming from Indian roots, I’ve seen my fair share of Bollywood films and movies that tell the story of the ancient caste system in India.  However, no film has told the story in such creativity as Slumdog Millionaire.   At its very core it speaks as to how street smarts, will and love can direct your path.  Go see it!  Slumdog was so good that it cracked my top 5 all-time favorite movies. 

I’ll end this post with my best/worst movies of all time.

Top 10

10.  The Dark Knight
9.  Blow
8.  Wizard of Oz
7.  Sneakers
6.  Being John Malkovich
5.  Cast Away
4.  The Matrix
3.  Slumdog Millionaire
2.  Office Space
1.  Shawshank Redemption

Bottom 5

5.  Hell Boy II:  The Golden Army
4.  Matrix Revolution
3.  Charlie’s Angels
2.  Spiderman 3
1.  The Mummy Returns

Looking forward to seeing “Doubt” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Later Folks,

Jimmy

On Saturday I attended the wedding of a friend I’ve known since birth.  Needless to say, I was excited and happy to share in the joy of her special day.  On top of that this church was amazing! It was a catherdral whose benefactor was none other than John D Rockefeller. Check it out for yourself: http://rockefeller.uchicago.edu/

During the ceremony I was gazing at the amazing stained glass windows and stone work in the cieling, when I felt a tap on my leg from an Auntie a few feet away to my left.  ”Monay…turn around…there is a nice looking girl behind you…her mom is a friend of mine.”  If that wasn’t awkward enough.  Apparently Auntie did not have an inside voice, and her outside voice was heard by everyone around me.  I responded with an awkward chuckle and told auntie to tell me about her later.  While this was the most awkward hookup moment,  the reception yielded itself to more mentions of single ladies from several aunties.  They all used Joe the Plumber descriptions followed by “she’s good looking” to describe these girls.  I.E.  ”Betsy the engineer…she’s good looking!”  ”Suzy the nurse…she’s good looking!” and “Julie the MBA…she’s good looking!”

The joke of the night had to be me.  Caught up in catching up with friends and families I had not seen in awhile, I did not take the time to meet anyone new.  In the words of my sister, “For shame!”

Til next time I bid you adieu.

- Jimmy the computer guy…i’m good looking!

Craiglist is an internet classifieds filled with items to sell, goods and services to trade, personals, local community events…and gig listings!  “Gigs” are a want ads of sorts posted by indiviuals and not companies that need freelance work done.  Anything from artwork to an article for a blog.  I focused my search on the “computers” and “creative” section under Gigs.  I was looking for any kind of tech support or web design gig.  I didn’t limit my search to just Houston.  We live in the internet age of home office jobs right?  I sent e-mails to a few posts that were decent fits with no response.  No worries. 

In Craigslist Chicago I found a simple gig posted by a freelance writer.  The request asked for a person to provide phone support on a as needed basis and asked for information regarding experience, rates, and a contact number.  I responded with the requested information and shared my issues of limited availblitiy.  I also attached a copy of my resume minus address information for reference.  In short order I heard back from Jennifer, a freelance writer orginally from Houston and a graduate of UT Austin!  How cool!  I had her sold because I actually responded with answers to her request.  I’m looking forward to working with Jennifer and getting some extra dough in my wallet in the process and I’m going to keep hustling on Craigslist for ways to make some extra cash.

Some advice on what to look for and what to watch out for: 

- Be wary of get rich schemes.  If its too good to be true, it is!  Stay away from “data entry from home” gigs.

- Keep correspondance to e-mail only until you feel comfortable to talk over the phone.  You may want to create a seperate e-mail account to use for craigslist, just to protect yourself against the possiblity of spam to your main account.

- Be persistent.  New gigs come up all the time, just keep checking for new posts and don’t be frustrated if you don’t land a gig or if no one e-mails you back.  If you can complete a gig without meeting the client in person, do not limit yourself to your locale…search in other cities.

-  Create a resume that just has your e-mail address as contact info.  and attach that to any gigs you inquire about.  This makes you look more professional and keeps you protected at the same time.

- Network through leads.  If a gig doesn’t work out, leave your contact with information aobut yourself that may lead them to come to you in the future or recommend someone to you for a potentional oppurtuinity.

Do you have a Craigslist Hustle story?

If you give Craigslist a try, I’d love to hear how it worked out.  Remember your skills are worth something!  But, its not just about the money, its a great way to network and meet people from all over while increasing that all important commodity of experience. 

More stories to come!

This past weekend as I went to NYC to attend my sister’s engagement and also meet 3 of the most adorable babies you’ll ever see (pics) a thought crossed my mind.  Once your there…at the awesome accomplishments life…even more questions arise.  Life’s checkpoints lead to more questions than the one answered.  My sister’s engaged, officially in a relationship…now what?…a year’s worth of planning for a wedding and a move to NYC.  My nieces whose parents have such profound hopes and desires for their kids…they don’t look far into the future…their concerns, hopes, dreams are for the here and now….They want to see their kids walk on their own, speak, and grow to be healthy children.

Now What?  Is a beautiful question to have.  Life is all too often a search for answers, but this weekend I learned to look forward to questions.

I struggle with being patient through logic and banter of argumentative conversation.  I wanna cut to the chase get to the point…but in the process I realize that I am cutting.  Sometimes a lil too deep.  Is it valid to do so?  Do some arguments require verbal stabs?  Or should I be a lil more tactful in my cuts?

The truth hurts and I’ve been throwing validity’s punches with reckless abandon…Stabbing blunt flawed logic in the heart…I’m feeling a bit of remorse at the trail of black eyes and drops of blood.

I went to the e-harmony site and promptly filled out my profile information answered a series of quesitons about my personality, how happy I was at the moment, relgious preferences, etc.  After a few minutes of that the search was ready to go.  You click this button and impressively the system starts to crunch your data.  A bar comes up with graphics saying that “You are being matched accross 29 dimiensions of comptability.   The graphic shows millions of dots representing the millions of users on the site.  It starts to dwindle down the millions of dots into thousands, hundreds. and then down to a dozen or so….I wasn’t really expecting much til that impressive lil graphic and progress bar came up.  Wow this deal is serious!  This thing crunched for minutes…I kid you not.  My curiousity peaked…I wasn’t expecting to meet my dream match, but more than intrested into peaking into the realm of possiblity.  Finally the progress bar hit 100% and the page refreshed…

“We have not found a match for you at this time.  Don’t worry.  Thousands of new users sign up at e-harmony daily….”

I curled into a the fetal position on the floor, sucked my thumb, and cried “Why!?”…Nah…But, I must admit I was kinda disspointed.  No wonder this site was rated a top 5 worst website by Time.  Inflatted expecations that just set you up for a sour experience.  And the site’s solution is to get a paid membership and answer more questions and just stick it out.  I removed my account from the site…game over!

Conclusions For this little experiment.

-  Everyone is unique and deserves a unique soulmate.

-  Matchmaking isn’t an odds game, but a timing game.  If it isn’t your time its not your time.  Deal with it.

-  Frustration and disspoint are normal…letting your frustations and dissapoints control your mood on a  consistent basis is not normal….letting curioustity and a bit a frustration leading me to test out eharmony?  introspective.

Based on my experience and also inspired and in response to Sheena’s list…Here are my fav spots, minus the great spots Sheena listed.

Greenway Plaza:

Thai Cottage: Pick how spicy you like it on a scale of 1-4.  This quaint spot features great appetizers such as Spicy Wings of Paradise and some killer Beef Sa-Te.  Their budget friendly menu includes an excellent yellow curry and the thai staple Pad Thai.

Prince’s:  This throwback restaurant has the best burgers ever.  Ever!  I recommend the Lone Star.  Wash it down with some Cherry Limeade.

Midtown:

The Breakfast Klub:  The best breakfast spot in the city.  The wings and waffles are their signature dish.  The owners of this great diner also own the Reggae Hut.  Check out the great mural of Barack Obama before you make your way inside the restaurant.

Les Givral’s Kahve:  A great Vietnamese sandwich spot.  Quick and super cheap.  Although I’m not a fan, my friends love their Pho.

Downtown:

Joe’s Deli:  1418 Preston….Walking distance from Minute Maid, stop by this tiny sub joint before a ball game for a po-boy, drink and chips for 4 bucks.

Bibas:  Where else can you get your grub on at 2am?…well besides IHOP…I choose bibas…They have a nice outdoor patio.

Westheimer:

Ra:  Awesome sushi with a sleek and trendy vibe.  Get the vegas roll…it’ll melt in your mouth.

Crescent City Beignets:  The best beignets outside of New Orleans.  Pair the sugary pastry with Cafe Au Lait.

Richmond:

Mary’z:  This lebanese restaurant has great outdoor seating and some great hummus.  Get the beef or chicken shwarma…it’ll fill you up and only set you back 5 bucks.

Rice Village:

Kubos: Super Kubo Roll…a must have experience for sushi lovers.

Hungry’s:  Healthy and simple…Hungry’s has a huge menu of affordably priced meals.  The Hungry’s sampler is a great mix of the bistro’s staple appetizers of hummus, couscous, and eggplant dip.

Medical Center:

Sushi Rock:  This place is rarely busy and has some a solid offerings of sushi and thai.  I like their Houston Roll and Mammosum Curry.

Au Bon Pain:  For you folks that work in the medical center…Au Bon Pain is located on the 2nd floor of the Hermann Plaza Building.  The majority of their menu is super pricey…but their soups are reasonable priced and are the best!  I am a big fan of the Baked Potato soup.  If you want to kick up a notch and are not worried about the carbs, get your soup in a bread bowl.

Shepard:

Freebirds:  Best burritos in town.

I haven’t seen much in Pearland outside of chain spots…I hope to find at least one unique spot.