Week in Review

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Parita

Hello hello. As I mentioned, I was in Chicago for work this week. Luckily I made it back to Florida before the weather turned nasty. Phew! That could’ve been a huge disaster! And now we’re on our way to Atlanta for a week before flying back up to Chicago for New Years. So much travel this year!

This particular trip was a lot of fun. While I was there for work, I got to spend some time with my best friend. We hung out with a few other friends and reminisced about college. Lots and lots of funny stories were shared. I haven’t laughed that much in a long time. It was much needed.

I also had the opportunity to attend another work holiday party. It was so nice to finally meet people I email on a regular basis. It’s cool to be part of a highly virtual organization, but nothing beats face-to-face interaction.

I didn’t take too many pictures this time around, but I can tell you this…lots of good food was consumed. Chicago is really a food lover’s dream!

Pad Thai from Big Bowl – YUM!

My boss also treated me and another co-worker to manicures after work. We went the festive route.

I consumed one Starbucks drink a day…I’m a daredevil!

I described my perfect New Year’s dress to my friends on Monday night. On Thursday I got a text from Roshni asking if I liked a dress they found while browsing at a store. It turned out that the dress was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you Roshni and Ankita!!!

The back is the best part. Oh and the 3/4 length lace sleeves. Love!

Another friend sent me a beautiful link about 26 touching moments from 2012. The tears were flowing Monday morning. It’s nice to be reminded about all the good that exists in the world, especially in times like this. Enjoy!

And finally, I want to share something my friend Monica sent me the other day.

This made me laugh a lot. Indians are obsessed with Taco Bell sauce packets. We had several containers full of them growing up. I’ve even seen households with entire drawers full of the colorful packets of spicy goodness. Ha!

I hope you all have great weekend full of beautiful moments.

Catch you later…from Atlanta! Woot!

Festival of Chocolate

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Parita

I can’t believe it’s already Monday. Sometimes I’ll say things like, “I wish the workweek was four days long so that the weekends were longer.” And then Vishnu will respond by saying something about being grateful that we even get days off, and that people had to fight for the concept of a weekend. I know all that but still…

On Friday, instead of relaxing with wine, cheese, bread, olives and The West Wing on our comfy couch, Vishnu and I had dinner with my boss. We had a great time talking about things like spirituality, the medical profession, and our personal experiences and beliefs. By the time we got home, I was exhausted – early morning (5:10 am) and late night (getting home after 10:30 pm) makes for a tired me!

I was able to tick off some things on my Saturday to do list. I cleaned, worked out, and then headed to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Kohl’s. After almost 3 hours of shopping, I came home with pillows and a lipstick. That’s it. I couldn’t believe it either.

P.S. My friend Monica introduced me to this lipstick a few weeks ago. It’s Flirt brand and sold at Kohl’s. I love it because of the no fade wear. And the color is beautiful and intense. If you’re in the market for a new lip color, I suggest you try this brand out.

After my shopping excursion or lack there of, Vishnu and I made our way to the bowling alley to meet up members of the Student Advocate Association (a club dedicated to the significant others of the medical students). We had a great time bowling and chatting it up. One of my goals is to meet more people in this area, and this organization is great for that. It’s nice to meet people who understand your situation and can relate to your stories.

We woke up bright and early the next morning to attend a panel discussion at Vishnu’s school. I suppose I was technically not supposed to be there, but Vishnu’s friends with the organizer and she okayed it. The panel was about international health, mission trips, and student doctors. I found the discussion and the personal accounts incredibly interesting and an amazing showcase of how a small group of people can make a huge difference. Vishnu is very interested in doing an international rotation so this was a perfect introduction (for the both of us).

And finally, after the panel discussion, we made our way to the Festival of Chocolate!! The minute we walked through the doors, my nose was in heaven. It smelled amazing! But first we had to buy “chocolate coins,” so that we could sample the goodies from the various booths. One coin equaled one dollar. So with $15 worth of coins, we headed into a chocolate wonderland!

Excited little me wanted to try the first thing I saw, so Vishnu and I split a dark chocolate and sea salt square.

That little thing cost $2!!! It was the most expensive piece of chocolate we’ve ever eaten!

Next, we tried waffle bites drizzled with Nutella. We’re now convinced that we need to own a waffle iron.

We also sampled a Nutella, strawberry, and whipped cream crepe. I think this was Vishnu’s favorite item. The way the crepes were made reminded us of the dosas (savory Indian crepes) that our moms make at home.

We also indulged in a chocolate praline cupcake that was by far my favorite treat. Y’all, the frosting was to die for. The lady described it as a light buttercream made with egg whites. It was so incredibly fluffy. Yum. In fact, this particular cupcake won first place in a competition that was held the previous day. Very deserving!!

We tried a few other things that went undocumented – a dark chocolate almond truffle, a cold hot chocolate drink, and a chocolate granola. All very good!

The event was very well organized, and the chocolate nerd in me enjoyed all of the non-food aspects as well. For example, there were lots of facts and figures on display throughout the venue, and there was also a section set up with step by step descriptions of how chocolate is made. My favorite, however, were the chocolate horoscope signs – the chocoscopes!

By the way, the second Aquarius bullet is completely false for me. I love my chocolate plain if possible!

I’m so glad we went to this delicious festival – it was definitely a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon! And there’s nothing like starting your week with a sugar-filled body!

Happy Monday!