Balance

This is a crappy cell phone image, but if you look closely at my cup of tea from this morning, you'll notice a natural yin-yang . . .

Tarts!

Since they don't sell butter tarts here in the US, the only thing a Canadian can do when in urgent need of buttery goodness is to make them herself. Which I did! (See pic below for proof). And they SO hit the spot. For those of you who don't know about them, butter tarts are sort of like pecan pie without the pecans. And they are delicious with a cup of tea . . . YUM.

Summer Radio Silence

I can't believe how quickly this summer has blown by. August is around the corner and I feel like I've been doing a zillion-and-one things, but it seems I have nothing to show for it.

I've been keeping an eye on what's going on with Arizona's immigration bill, also known as SB1070; I'm waiting for romance number two to release (next month), and revising romance number three; I've written a few short pieces, both fiction and non-fiction, which should be out and about soon; been keeping up with Hell's Kitchen and SYTYCD (both Fox shows, which I am loathe to acknowledge. Sadly, though not surprisingly, the latter has been on a downward spiral); planning school visits and conferences I'm scheduled for in the fall; and I've been run ragged by the kids.

In between all that, I'm trying to enjoy the summer. The pool is a huge blessing (uh, that we *pay* for) and a refreshing jumpstart on those soupy humid days in the ninety-degree-and-above regions. So I've been trying to get as much solitude by the water as possible before Labour Day sneaks up, and re-reading as much Marion Zimmer Bradley novels as I can.

Also saw an interesting film, featuring time travel, called Happy Accidents. I streamed it through Netflix and was pleasantly surprised. I love Marisa Tomei (since My Cousin Vinny, which I also loved) and the film's premise piqued my interest. It lagged at points, but I was ultimately glad I watched it. I'll probably go back and watch it again, just to see what I might have missed the first time around. If you get a chance to see it, let me know what you think.

Consuming Hunger

I was folding laundry the other night and flipped through the handful of channels we get (we have no cable - *on purpose*). I settled on a talk show before realizing it was the Wendy Williams Show :P. But I stayed there because Suze Ormon was about to come on and I believe in synchronicity. How strange that I'd been thinking about finances lately and then, voila! - Suze. I used to watch her years ago (clearly I learned nothing from her words of wisdom) and loved how passionate she was about helping women with their finances. And this time, she was the same, feisty, passionate Suze. Only on this show, she came out. Loud and proud and vocal. And she even stated her thoughts on gay marriage and allowed the show to display a picture of her and her partner. LOVE it.

And then, I thought about my own spending habits. I'm not a big spender. I cut my own hair and I've stopped colouring it now for about three/four years. But, it's spring and April has thrown us a few surprises - flip-flop days. I-wish-the-pool-was-open-NOW days. And the mega shopping complex down the hill has been swarmed by folks looking for summery clothes and shoes, getting lattes from Starbux, and eating lunch at Olive Garden or Applebee's, or whatever that place is that beckons to families on budgets, promising five dollar meals. And I love me some iced lattes on hot days and pretty toe rings and flip-flops and cute dresses. But I rein in a lot of those wants. Most of my peeps don't.

The mega shopping complex down the hill. It plopped down a few years ago, *directly* across from the projects. I've read study after study where they show the buying stats of people of colour and women. We are the most avid consumers on the market. Of anything. Food, clothes, gym memberships, cosmetics, books, music, cars...you name it. We buy sh@t. We buy LOTS of sh@t. Most of the time, we buy stuff that we use for a few minutes, then never look at again.

The entire fashion industry knows how much buying power women have. So does the diet and exercise industry. And the cosmetics industry. And the cosmetic surgery industry. These are giant, multi-gazillion-dollar industries that bank on the low self-esteem and high buying power of women.

The fact that a Super Target set up shop directly across the street from the projects indicates that the folks who run these things know where their dollars are coming from, too.

And then it hit me again, every time I think about these things: people consume when they are hungry.

I've put a new mandate up on my cork board. I will not consume anything that is devoid of nutritional value - for my body, emotions, and soul. And I will make sure that everything I create, everything I write, has nutritional value, too. I've always done that intuitively, but now I will do it consciously. Even if I'm writing mostly fluff, it will be nutritional fluff .

Sacred

I received some bad news last week going into the weekend. Lucky for me, the weekend was a gorgeous one - warm, with clear evidence that spring was here at last. I spent the two days outdoors with my family and everything else melted away. It was a gift. A reminder that everything that is sacred is within a tiny radius around me - my children, Hollis, the place where my in breath connects with the entire universe.

I did the Teen Author Festival book signing on Sunday and took my mentee from Girls Write Now. She had an amazing experience, got to meet her author-idols Coe Booth, Barry Lyga, and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. She also caught a glimpse of Carolyn Mackler and just about swooned. It was wonderful to watch.

And this week I go into the new (romance) work-in-progress, my agent sends the YA out, and I tumble into a zillion school/library visits, speaking engagements, etc.

But none of those, in and of themselves matter. They matter only in connection to what is sacred in my life - as an extension of it. And when they're connected to that center, they matter deeply.

Here's to spring (and its reminder of rebirth), new life, the bursts of colour exploding all around us, and to always remembering to keep what is sacred at the center of everything.

Skype...and New South Asian YA!

So, I'm upping my tech know-how by going deeper into Skype. I *lurve* Skype. As with all things computerish and techie, I looked upon it with great disdain initially, until I took the plunge. And now I am a happy convert to the dark side (though to really be on the dark side, I will have to get an iPhone). I do not know why anyone would want to have a plain old phone conversation anymore when you can see the person you're talking to. You see them laugh, wrinkle their nose, roll their eyes. You can see what their new haircut looks like. It's EONS better. Though probably not so good on those zitty, bad hair days.

Anyhoo. I wanted to pop in and put up a quick mention of Marina Budhos' new book! I am always excited when a new South Asian title pops up, especially if it is children's/teen lit. I've been a fan of Marina's work since ASK ME NO QUESTIONS and this new book promises to be just as absorbing. I'm very much looking forward to reading TELL US WE'RE HOME. Here is a bit about it from the jacket copy:

Jaya, Maria, and Lola are just like the other eighth-grade girls in the wealthy suburb of Meadowbrook, New Jersey. They want to go to the spring dance, they love spending time with their best friends after school, sharing frappes and complaining about the other kids. But there's one big difference: all three are daughters of maids and nannies. And they go to school with the very same kids whose families their mothers work for. 

That difference grows even bigger--and more painful--when Jaya's mother is accused of theft and Jaya's small, fragile world collapses. When tensions about immigrants start to erupt, fracturing this perfect, serene suburb, all the girls are tested, as outsiders--and as friends. Each of them must learn to find a place for themselves in a town that barely notices they exist.


Marina Budhos gives us a heartbreaking and eye-opening story of friendship, belonging, and finding the way home.

Marina has agreed to an interview here once the book is out (and I've had a chance to read it!), so look out for that. I also heard from hither and thither that Uma Krishnaswami is coming out with a new book. So exciting! There were two of us this year with South Asian YA novels--Sheba Karim and myself--and there will be two next year (though Uma's might be an MG, but still!)! And it's not over yet. We might still be able to squeeze another one or two into 2010 before the year's over ;).

Grateful, Unsettled, and Cherishing

As we ease on into the (US) Thanksgiving weekend, I am grateful for many things, unsettled by others, and cherishing one or two--the true gems around which my life revolves.

Grateful: for a warm home, loving friends and family, an extraordinary year, new connections with like-minded souls, progress and forward movement in areas both personal, as well as professional.

Unsettled: Thanksgiving is not one of my favourite holidays. It is not as big a deal in Canada as it is here, in the US. And this big deal -- in the schools, in particular, is a real problem for me. I struggle to infuse what my girls learn at school, with a more balanced perspective (see this post for an example). As my girls come home with feather headdresses and songs about tepees and how the Indians and Pilgrims were friends, I wish desperately that they were old enough to read this -- one of my favourite articles about Thanksgiving from a Native American perspective. Instead, I do my best to distill the information and translate it into a five-year-old and eight-year-old vocabulary.

Cherishing: the health of my children and life partner, and the opportunity to wake up every morning and try again to help shape this world into something closer to what it can be.

I wish you all a safe, relaxing, hope-filled holiday weekend.

Deepavali and A Big Birthday

This Saturday is Deepavali, the Indian festival of lights. The spiritual significance of this holiday is that lamps are lit to symbolize the awakening of the inner light. Some say it's the triumph of good over evil. I say that's basically the same thing. If you're following your true inner light, you know what the deal is.

While we're all stuffing our faces contemplating our inner light this Saturday, I will also be celebrating a big birthday. Those of you who follow me on Twitter or are Facebook friends know which one it is, so I'm not going to announce it here for any and every random drive-by. But I am excited about it, and happy to spend time with family and loved ones, as well as eat everything I can get my hands on (north Indian food is all dairy and butter--with bread or rice, and north Indian sweets are all dairy and sugar. How can you go wrong with that?).

So, because I am celebrating this whole week, I will sign off the blogosphere until after the weekend. Happy Deepavali, everyone!

N~

Dragging Butt to Finish Line

I am going to have an entire day to myself this weekend. After two weeks of being with the kiddies 24/7 on my own, I am. SO. Looking forward to breaking out for a bit.

Whatever will I do with ALL that time?? Don't worry. That's a rhetorical question. I have a list *grin*.

Have a great weekend, all!

Future Posts & Random Musings

It is raining and gray and I have a steaming mug of coffee. Perfection. So, obviously, I am thinking of future blog posts. Here is the tentative line-up:

* a long one with my thoughts on what to do, and what not to do, when writing characters who are "other" to one's own experience, particularly characters of colour

* a contest. I'm still fleshing this one out, but it will be a contest in collaboration with one or two other bloggers. The prize will be a cash prize (in the form of a gift card) + (of course,) books + whatever signed Gossip Girl (and other Hollywood stars) paraphernalia that I can snag from insiders who work on shows and films.

Also, in other news:

I am feeling slightly in love with my Canadian publicist. She is gorgeous; has done the impossible (gotten a deadline extended for an award so that we could submit my book--long after said deadline had passed); and returned an email on a SATURDAY.
*SIGH* I shall continue to ply her with chocolate and liquor.

I realized that this year I managed to accomplish two things I never thought I could:
(1) Write a paranormal novel featuring strong, multicultural female characters; and, even more challenging,
(2) wear black nail polish.

Next year, I shall run for president and wear a bikini (one where the top actually matches the bottom). Though I probably will not do those at the same time.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all!