How many times have you heard someone say "Let's not argue semantics?"

Today I say "LET'S!"

This weekend let me spend lots of quality time with my Mouse (grandma, grams, nani... whatever you want to call her). I never feel so Indian as when I am with my Mouse. Not wearing a sari, not the millions of festivals, not even sitting smack dab in the middle of Satya Narayan Pooja comes close to Mouse's Greatest Hits. That is what her one-sided conversations are. I used to think I was supposed to contribute, but I am not. She enjoys it much more to be able to talk at me. She talks until she doesn't feel like it anymore, and then she goes to take a nap. The best part is that she tells her stories the same way everytime. The part you are supposed to take away from this is that much of what she says is prefaced with "... The Indian people always say" or "this is how we do things, this is our culture" etc. etc.

It is her way of imparting a way of life. I understand it. I also understand that for all intents and purposes that I am an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi- Desi is a Hindi word for Indian) And I accept this. So amid our 'conversation' my mind starts to drift to Daydream. Wednesday he incorporates some ballet stretches into circuit training and points it out when we are on the bikes. He says he looked it up just for me, (1) so he could talk to me and (2) to work on a part of me that I am working on. Super sweet but remember his test was to say beautiful in Hindi. I wonder why that would make me believe it more... I turn it over and over... ready for what I came up with?

If you don't know they pic is Aishwarya Rai. She is considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Even if that is arguable, suffice it to say that she is defintely the Indian standard. Millions of little girls get green and blue contacts to come even slightly close. Every major cosmetic company in India biggest seller is not face creams that promise YOUNGER skin, it is face creams that promise LIGHTER skin. That is the standard. By those I am not. And I accept that. It is strange to hear Beautiful here. In Queens NY 11 billion girls could be me. In India 11 billion more. It is only here that I am an anomoly. Only here that strangers approach you in public and embarrass you with words like that.

In Hindi, it is not less embarrassing, but slightly more believable? Maybe because one wants to see something the way one wants to see it?

Bear in mind, I think I have a healthy self esteem. I like me. Yay me. Are there things I would change? absolutely.

So then there is the text from Lemon muffin this morning (new favorite banker) and it says "You're beautiful" and before I can be cynical we hit the ground running with a phone interview with a sr. partner w/ Jenner & Block. Not the biggest law firm in the U.S. but one of the only ones that matter. And we look back at Lemon Muffin's bit of validation and it's nice. even if it's only in English.