Guilty Pleasures

I admit. I am an addict.

My obsession with television has been established. I spend a lot of time watching movies and TV shows either in theaters, at home, on my laptop, on my phone, or on the school computers. Ice-cream and chocolates don’t do it for me, television is my guilty pleasure.

I love foreign films and have mastered subtitles (most people complain that they can’t enjoy the movie when having to read subtitles – NOT ME).

I developed a long-lasting relationship  with Hindi and recently Telegu films. I also have an on-and-off relationship with Korean films & Japanese shows (anime).

So, I have dedicated this post to my relationship with Hindi and Telegu movies. I can honestly say that I have learned to understand Hindi through my avid watching of Bollywood movies. Most people have now become familiar with Bollywood as American media has begun to feature Indian culture with shows like Outsourced and movies that contain some forms of Indian culture.

I fell in love with Hindi movies 9 years ago (hence long-lasting) and have watched Hindi movies ever since. I have watched many movies (never tried counting but definitely exceed 200). As for Tollywood or Telegu cinema, I recently began to watch them and am already in love. They are very much like Hindi movies (all within India) but the language and some of the cultural aspects differ. Most striking difference so far is that Telegu movies contain a lot of fight scenes – where the main male lead beats up hordes of ‘bad guys’ (EVERY MALE LEAD has this superpower).

I love them because:

• SONGS – almost all the time, I watch movies BECAUSE of the songs (I know most people fast-forward the songs). They are beautifully composed and sweetly sang – my favorite composer/singer A R Rahman and Shreya Ghoshal
• They are deliriously romantic - characterized by: love at first sight, musicals (with beautiful scenery and super fast wardrobe changes) and happily ever afters!
• –and maybe, just maybe  because I live in a fantasy world – part-time

Despite the length of these movies (range from 2-3 hrs – although they’ve now been getting shorter) I can watch 1 a week. Sometimes I wonder everyone else isn’t as crazy about them as I am – no one I know is

I just wanted to share my love (obsession) with Hindi and Telegu movies.

Below is a beautiful video – a very catchy and adorable song that I’ve had on replay the past 2 weeks!

It is really upbeat and adorable! Hope you enjoy it

Song: Antha Siddanga 

Movie: Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kashtam

Singers: Shreya Ghoshal & Sonu Nigam 

Food & Fun

Never been much of a cook but I’ve made a few tasty dishes this weekend; and they were pretty great.

I’ve never really had an omelet. The way Somalis make eggs is sometimes a thin version of an omelet but I’ve never had an omelet in the American sense. This morning, I woke up and decided to make breakfast for my family and made my first omelet. I did not have all the ingredients for the recipes I found online and decided to prepare the vegetables inside my way. It came out better than I’d hoped for!

The for lunch, we had Salmon – seasoned with a variety of spices. It was salty – salty = tasty! It came out really good. This is usually served with rice in our family and various veggies.

Then for dessert, we had chocolate cake filled with chocolate chips. I did not make this, my younger sister made it. AND it was delicious too!

I am definitely going to try to make more Somali-American recipes. Hope to learn new ways to make same recipes!

Heart’s Depth

It is often said that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  But what of the emotions it entices.

At first glance, my lips parted as my heart smiled and my body filled with joy. My mind conjured up the innocence of children’s laughter and the carelessness of childhood. Immediately I thought, “how I miss the good old days.”

Unfortunately, my heart’s smile is betrayed by the very real possibility that this picture carries with it insurmountable sadness. Possibility that they are running in fear. Away from  gunmen who’d long forgotten the enemy - aimlessly shooting. Men who’ve turned killing into a sport.

Their parents preach of lineage and seek to instill in their children pride of such lineage. This pride has enabled warlords to take the lives of thousands YET no one seems to recognize the cost.

Those lucky enough to escape the suffering stupidly continue this crippling legacy of lineage. They fight for a disease that has forced them to live in foreign lands their hearts don’t recognize.

While we allow this disease to permeate every aspect of our lives, these children – their innocence, their future, their hopes their lives – are sacrificed.

‘Somalia Deep in My Heart’ and I vow to end the disease that has too long consumed us;

so that our children can once again experience childhood!

Our Children. Our Future.