Family Picnic 2013: Bayshore Park

Hello All,
It's been some time since I have posted anything on the blog. What can I say? Life got in the way. A lot has happened since I last wrote and God willing, many positives prospects are being lined up in my life.
Last week, the Naqvi clan got together for a reunion at Mountain View's Bayshore Park. Qamar Chacha, one of my younger uncle, flew in from Canada and his family flew in from Pakistan. So it was decided that we should plan a fun excursion for the whole family. I took the lead and after much deliberation and rejection of ideas, it was decided that we should have a picnic.
The site I chose is close to our house and offers many activities for the whole family. Besides being a well-maintained and spacious park, Bayshore Park offers water activities such as peddle boating, kayaking and sailing. Not to mention, a full-blown restaurant is part of the facility.
The whole gang was excited and after RSVPs from each family, the date and time was set for September 8 at 11:30 a.m. Incidentally, my sister's birthday falls on the same day so there were two causes for celebration. Food was decided to be catered by the one and only Shezan restaurant- our favorite Pakistani/Indian restaurant. Samina Aunty and Jamshed Uncle, the restaurant owners and cooks did a fabulous job preparing Biryani, Behari Kababs, and Choley for us. Hina and Hazem Bhai brought cake and drinks.
The whole day was filled with fun and engaging conversations and adventure. The food was to die for. Some of the family members, including myself, took in boating. There was another factor that made the day just perfect-the sunny weather. There was a minor concern that the day would get hot and we even got a spot under the shade, but we were gifted with a perfect Indian summer day.
The picnic was planned to end at 2:00 p.m. and a Niner's game was a cause to curtail the longevity of the event, but we persevered and stayed till well after 5:00 p.m. All in all it was a great day!

Alina and Mohsin Kayaking

Me on a Row Boat

Cyrus, Ali, and Mohsin

Seema Aunty and I

Twitter/ Facebook Wit

I enjoy reading status updates on Facebook and Twitter. I read somewhere that status updates are modern day haikus. They need to be short, and to be memorable, witty. Here are some that I wrote and some that I found recently in a book called "Twitter Wit" :

1. Overheard a mom say, "We ain't gettin' THAT doll. She don't DO nothing!" Then watched the girl's 3-year-old imagination & grammar die.


2. My 2yr old keeps declaring w/great merriment "Happy Stupid, Happy stupid!!!". I think we'll start celebrating that holiday as well.


3. London city airport. Where form meets function. And they have a fight.


4. I get really uncomfortable when people ask embarrassing questions about sex. Like: "Is that it?"


5. I bet I know what you are thinking about when you hear the words "penetrates" and "soothes" during a shampoo commercial ;-)


6. The three worst mistakes you can make are overpromising and underdelivering. 


7. Cosmo features an article titled "How to Outsmart a Date Rapist," which is handy in light of prevailing "How to Be Date-Rape Bait" content. 


8. Why aren't martini glasses shaped so that they don't spill so easily on the bus?


9. Please tell your grandfather to stop sending me Evites to parties in his pants. 


10. You know what this guitar needs? Lessons. 


11. I don't believe in holidays that Google doesn't change its logo for.


12. Both my son and my fridge have leaked onto the floor tonight. Hopefully the dishwater isn't fazed by peer pressure. 


13. Somebody picked my dwarf friend's pocket last night. I mean, seriously, who would stoop so low?


14. At a cemetery, looking for my name on tombstones. This is Goth's version of Googling yourself. 


15. I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance by peeling out after hitting that Pinto!


16. Wait. "Vagabond" means nomad? I always though it was some kind of vaginal adhesive. 


17. To stimulate the economy, first we must find its G-spot. 


18. I respect your right to express your opinion as long as you respect my right to slowly lose interest in whatever it is you're talking about. 


19. I did not hit you. I just high-fived your face. 


20. Some people don't like Vietnamese food, but I don't know what they are complaining pho. 


21. You never know what I have up my sleeve. Today, for example, it was a once-thought lost earring. 


22. You know, most of the Harry Potter book plots would be over in 3 chapters if they had a decent search engine. 


23. The most pessimistic sentence possible: "Rainbows are shaped like frowns."


24. The tomato is the tranny of fruit. 


25. Happy Birthday to my car! It is two years old today. Taking it to Lozano for a car wash. 


26. Just finished watching Eclipse. Plot recap: Like I love Edward... whatever I love Jacob.... omg I love Edward :D


27. Thank God it is T.G.I.F! 

Attempt to Reconnect

After much contemplation, I have decided to reconnect with a friend from grade school. We were in the 5th grade together and quite close. I found out she was on facebook so I tried my luck and sent her a message. Hopefully, she will remember me and respond back.  I copied the message I sent her and will let you know if she responds. Here's hoping.
Salaam M_______,
I don't know if you remember me, but we went to school together at Beacon House Public School. My name is Sana N____and I think we did 5th grade together with Miss Zeba (she was a very strict teacher at Beacon House). We used to play the game with the elastic band all the time. I also remember coming to your birthday party. You lived in an apartment complex next to KDA.
If doesn't jog your memory, we also had a mini reunion back in '94 or '95 in front of the American Embassy in Karachi. Our families were applying for the American visa.
I am in California and just wanted to connect with you and see how you are doing.
Sana N______

Mediterranean Grill House

Last week I went to Mediterranean Grill House for a late lunch with Mom. Ali introduced this restaurant to us and we go there each time we crave flavors of the middle east. Its a clean, family owned restaurant that serves enormous plates of delicious food for good prices.
My mom ordered the chicken shawerma plate and I love eating  the Kufta Kebab Wrap served there. I recommend this place to anyone seeking Middle Eastern flavors for a good price.

Cupcake Time!

 Today, Hina, Sameeha, Amani and I went to Kara's Cupcakes in Town & Country Village in Palo Alto. It was an impromptu plan and I am glad we made it. The cupcakes were yummy. The pictures will speak for themselves.

I ordered the Oreo and Cookies mini cupcake and Hazelnut Crunch cupcake. Hina ordered Chocolate Velvet and Java. Sameeha ordered Chocolate Velvet mini cupcake. Amani slept :)

These photos crack me up. 

Boston to do list

This fall my mom and I plan on visiting Ali in Boston. You may not remember, but seeing fall colors in New England is one of my items on the bucket list, so naturally I am very excited and eager to cross this off my list. I am creating a sub list that will detail what else I want to do while I am there. I am open to any suggestions...

1. Walk the Freedom Trail/North End

• Copp's Hill Burying Ground
• Hanover Street, Salem Street
• Old North Church
• Paul Revere House
• Bunker Hill Monument
• Boston Massacre Site

2. Visit the Back Bay Area

• Boston Public Garden
• See the Trinity Church
• Boston Library  

3. Visit Cambridge

• Harvard Square 

4. Explore the Beacon Hill area

• Boston Common
• Louisburg Square 
• Acorn Street, Beacon Street, Chestnut Street, Charles Street, Mt. Vernon Street

5. Stroll along the Boston Harbor
7. Visit Salem, Massachusetts

• Haunted Happenings: www.hauntedhappenings.com 

8. Walden Pond
9. Plymoth, Massachusetts

Estate Auction

Yesterday, I got a chance to live one of the scenes from Sex and the City (the movie)- an estate auction. By chance, I came across an advertisement for the event. The items belonged to a physician from a prominent family amidst a divorce. Apparently the family business is in scotch. The event was held at a beautiful location in Menlo Park.

Clearly the physician's family had good and expensive taste. There were imported rugs, paintings from Matisse and Chagall, porcelain vases from China, and jewelry dripping with diamonds. There were moments when I thought of them as someone's memories. I don't know anything about the family, but I couldn't help but wonder that each item had a story, a connection with its owner. That's the thing about things. Even though they are inanimate additions to your live, they carry weight and meaning in life. They are part of your history. Maybe that's why I have a difficult time parting with belongings.

I liked two items- a Tiffany style lamp and a globe. Luckily, I was able to get both of them after a short bid war.