The wheels on the cars go round and round

There's chaos in the street. Two-wheeled mopeds, bicycles, three-wheeled autorickshaws, four-wheeled vehicles and pedestarians. This space is mine, not yours. Go grab your spot on top of the street median. I will curse your family if you cut in line. That is my birthright. Of course I will jump the traffic signal, what exactly are you going to do about it? My voice cannot be heard above the clamor. It is drowned out in billowing thick black smoke of exhaust fumes. Choking, choking, unconscious.

Brakes screech, dogs bark, dust rises from the tarred road and creates a brown cloud. Cough, cough. Sneeze, sneeze.

Just another day on the road in Bangalore.

Thank You

Thank You. Because there's no other way to say it. Because even saying this is not enough.

Thank You for the strength to make hard decisions. Especially when the difference between right and wrong couldn't be more confusing.

Thank You for allowing me to believe that I can conquer anything, survive much and fear little. Especially at times when I begin to doubt myself.

Thank You for my support system, my wonderful family and friends. I feel less lost with them, as they help me find my way back home.

Thank You for making me someone I'm happy being - Someone who stands for something rather than someone who will fall for anything.

Adieu 2009

So pooh, I didn't get the BBC job. Now the search for a new job in journalism begins.

As I kick back and soak up the Indian sun, here's wishing all of you a wonderful 2010!

BBC

This week I did one of the most thrilling things of my time as a graduate student. I flew to London and back in 48 hours :)

Three months ago, I had just arrived in Washington and thought it might be a good idea to check out job opportunities, knowing that the busy semester would not allow specific time for applications. Out of curiosity, I checked London's options as well and came across an opening with BBC. I began the online application on my work computer, where I had found the posting, couldn't stop thinking about it all day, went home and stayed awake until 5 a.m. and submitted it.

As the days went by, what seemed to be glaring errors on my application jumped out at me. They haunted my sleep along with that growing sinking feeling in my stomach that I had just blown a perfectly good job possibility.

The last date to notify applicants if they had been selected for the next round was Nov. 4, which came and went without a whistle. I had resigned myself to not hearing back long ago.

And then, a message popped into my inbox.

I had been called to London for an interview with two BBC journalists. I had made it to the next round!

Thrilled beyond belief, I booked tickets and counted down the days.

Just back from London and I can't stop smiling.

When I got to the BBC headquarter in White City, I had to walk through a long cobbled pathway, lined with trees on either side. The three BBC letters stared back at me from across the building.

"In London, I'm Ayesha Aleem, for BBC World," I said softly to myself, grinning that I was actually here.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in a series of tests brought to a close with the interview, which was my favorite part.

Before heading to the hotel room for the night, I walked through packed Oxford Street, all lit up and pretty for Christmas. The queues at Primark were endless but with good reason.

I'm not sure if I will get this job. But I was among 60 people called for an interview from among 2000 applicants. Only 15 people get through to the program.

If I do get the job, it won't be any secret. And if I don't, I'll always have this whirlwind trip to London to smile about.

Priceless dining

On what I think was the nicest day since I've been in Washington, M and I went for lunch to Karmic Kitchen. Otherwise a a regular Indian restaurant that serves food at a price, the Karmic Kitchen is the same place transformed to a space of genorisity between 12 and 3 p.m. on Sundays. In other words, you can enjoy a fixed-menu vegetarian meal for free! All you have to do in reutrn is a random act of kindness to a stranger.

So M and I ate saag panner, basmati rice, novratna korma, chana dal and naan, without paying a cent. We intend on being repeaters and leaving a better donation next time round.

But pay a visit to the place by Dupont Circle. Whoever said nothing comes free?

In love with Washington

I had the most absolutely fantasgamorical wonderfully beautiful day today.

And I just ran out of adjectives.

So anyone who doesn't want to read about my endless gushing should wait until the next post.

This morning I went to the capital for the House vote on advancing the date for credit card regulation. Congressman Barney Frank, who cosponsored the bill, was managing the debate. This arrangement was likely to elicit some lively quotes.

I could have sworn I entered the capital on the House side. All the room numbers did begin with "H." But somehow I ended up on the Senate side in the press gallery. It took more than half an hour to meet Frank's secretary. But we finally found each other and spent the rest of the afternoon in the press gallery watching the vote on the House floor.

Afterwards, we walked down to the speaker's lobby where I met Frank himself. For all the horror stories I heard of his temper and unreasonable impatience with reporters, he was a perfect gentleman. Addressing me by my first name, he motioned to a sofa where he said we should sit down to speak.

Sit down and speak with Barney Frank!

I could have been in his living room at home for a cup of tea.

I'm smiling as I type this.

Walking out of the capital, Rep. Mike Capuano's chief of staff escorted me in the direction of the Metro station because he was going that way. And again my unknown thoughts were articulated when I said, "You have to let Washington grow on you. It's not love at first sight."

It's grown on me. Flourished and found a friend.

Read my published story here.

The Bigger Picture

We were discussing profile writing in class today, after spending a week poring over the lives of Valerie Jarett, Sen. John Kerry, Jon Favreau and a dentist who disputes President Obama's legitimacy to hold office. Our professors asked us to critique the readings when the words came out of my mouth before I had fully processed them. "The people were bigger than the details of their lives."

And by this I meant, where they were born, who their parents were, where they went to school - yes it plays a part in the grander scheme of their lives. But it doesn't define them. What people do, makes them who they are.

People are bigger than the details of the lives.

Getting it right...fast

Health is an asset. You don't know it's worth until you lose it.

Freedom is a gift. We don't know it's worth unless it gets taken away.

To feel joy, happiness and contentment are exalted human experiences that we too often discount.

The people we love get taken for granted until it's too late.

Seize your life and all your blessings before they slip away like sand through your fingers.

An Evening at the Theater

The class went for the "mandatory" Shakespeare play at Folger Theater. The one Joe didn't attend because of a conflict of interest.

We looked so elegant, all dressed in black and high heels, me in flats to do my feet a favor.
The play was lukewarm, I'm not a big fan of theater. But I like Shakespeare for the writing. Strange?

The play was a Carribean adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. There were a few funny moments. But mostly it was about sitting in a Shakespeare-stlye theater watching a performance of the master's work.

At the end of the play, we took pictures outside the Capitol. The bright light still glowing in the topmost part of the tower to signal that someone was still in session.

Weekend with the girlfriend

Puneet visited me this weekend. The two of us sprawled out in my uber comfortable room with food and gabbed about life, boys, the works. We walked down the street with large smiles on our faces and had lunch at an Italian restaurant - Cafe Paradiso. She had pasta. I had eggplant timbales or grilled eggplant with tomatoes. Then we watched Grey's Anatomy and ordered pizza. And then we still had energy so we took a walk to Iowa Ave. to visit a friend.

Time flies so quickly when you're having fun.