An Indian version of the Da Vinci Code? 
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hahahahahahahahahaha <oooh, my tummy hurts>


You have to read it.

(and yes, That's how I got out of my depression.)

aaaaaaaagh.

I read too many emails from school today. The kind that talk about what everyone else in school is doing.
I'm depressed.

I'm doing nothing. Wasting potential. My friends (old friends) are
angry with me cause I'm always "busy" ("yeah, right," they say, before
propounding on all that I'm losing in life by being so single minded.)
I wish I were single minded. Single minded to my work. To do something
instead of just talk about it.

aaaaaaaaaaggggh.

Yes, it's one of those days.

photographs © A. Rana 2006

Any suggestions for books to read?
I NEED to read.

Or I'm going to be bottled up for the rest of my life.

Come on... Let me know what you like.

The Summer Semester starts today.
I'm excited. A little tired, but excited.

I was reading the feedback my last class gave me - ways to improve assignments, better utilise class time, do more - and I'm trying to integrate it into this class. It's harder than I thought. The Summer session is abbreviated, so we have fewer classes to do the same amount of work (originally 4 hour classes, twice a week - Now 4.5 hr classes twice a week). So, to add more things to do in that short session is a daunting task.

It helps that B is teaching the same class. There's always someone to bounce ideas off of, to hear a different perspective from someone in a similar situation. But not just that, he also is the sponge - the person to complain to after a long day with very opinionated students, some of who can be positively grating - and he listens, and tells me what he would do. Or not do. It all helps.

So now, I'm making a list of films to bring, books to find, copies to make, presentations to complete - and a longer list of how to help myself cope with it all.
(And NO, this isn't an explanation of why I'm tired all the time!)

Yoga. And Salsa lessons. Those are the two I'm starting with.

And updating xanga more often.

So here's to seeing everyone more often. <clink>

ps... I went to Amsterdam in January, and found this right next to the Rjiks Museum. Could not resist.

Hey,
A friend from school, Matt Cunningham, recently made a music video. Check it out.
He's the tall guy.

The end of the semester is almost here.
another week and I'll be done, almost.

Just watched The Squid and the Whale.

Watch It.

Such a rainy day today. It's good to be home when it rains...
warm, toasty, with chai in hand.

I think I'm going to watch Red again. It's that kinda day.

*sigh*

lilting, loping
squinting, scoping.
wondering what to do, what to do, what to do.
ha ha.

Nidhi, I and Mom.

I like this picture.

So, this is the last one in this series. No more wedding pictures.
Good
news is that I'm planning to go home in august for a couple of weeks.
My last trip home was just too hectic. What with the wedding and my
shoot, I got no time to spend with ma and papa. So this trip will be
for them. I'm not looking forward to the heat though .

Last
weekend was interesting. I was ADing a shoot that turned out to be a
logistical nightmare. I suck at any sort of production planning, which
is why I stick to the directing (or assistant directing) aspect of
filmmaking. But despite trying to stick to one job, I got loaded down
with more than I could handle. And four days later I'm the worse for
the wear.  It was a learning experience though. I like being on
set, so ultimately it was fun. But there were a lot of moments that
weren't. And were very tiring.

School's over in another month.
Can't believe the semester is going by that quickly. Just four more
weeks of classes, and so much to do.

Bill Siegel, the co-director of The Weather Underground, came to my Documentary & Social Change
class this evening to talk to my students. Thursday, we have a
screening followed by a panel with him, Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn
- all from the film. It should be fun. It's good to have filmmakers on
campus.

chalo... more later then. I need to sleep right now.

The Groom and the Bride.

My friends, B and Erika, who traveled from Chicago with me.