Things I Like

"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." -Mary Oliver

  1. When people say "Bada bing bada boom"
  2. Seeing a friend's handwriting for the first time, especially if it's bad
  3. Sharing an umbrella
  4. Hailing a cab
  5. Going on dates at the grocery store
  6. Niche references to books, movies, shows
  7. Going to the movie theater early to watch all the trailers
  8. When people use the name / birthday of someone they love in their passwords
  9. The concept of "retiring a jersey/number"' to honor a player
  10. Rocking chairs and cushy recliners
  11. Finding random notes or receipts in used books
  12. The word "tutelage". Also "hijinx"
  13. Old school pencil sharpeners
  14. When my friends sing the wrong lyrics to a song
  15. Personal dedications on public benches
  16. Tucking friends and family into bed
  17. Bus drivers honking when they recognize each other
  18. Wearing mismatched socks
  19. Really poetic and deep lyrics hidden in party / dance songs (Like many of Fred Again's songs or AP Dhillon's songs)
  20. Learning the meaning behind tattoos
  21. Unique dedications and epigraphs in books
  22. Watching kid's school talent shows / performances
  23. When songs sample real life recordings
  24. When people argue over who gets to pay the bill
  25. When people serve their companion food before themselves in a restaurant
  26. Surprise emails and letters to your friends who you text regularly
  27. Goofy dancing
  28. When animals from different species become friends
  29. Drinking orange juice out of mugs
  30. Bloopers - the word and the concept
  31. Passionate sign language experts
  32. Seeing kids on their parent's shoulders
  33. Having strong tan lines (especially sock tan lines)
  34. Adults in fancy clothes riding scooters
  35. Recognizing when I've adopted certain terminology or mannerisms from someone else in my life
  36. When pets are named after different animals or random objects
  37. Wearing Indian clothes
  38. Seeing people in Indian clothes
  39. Widespread pranks
  40. Using walkie-talkies
  41. Seeing the employee of the month
  42. When people run in sync next to each other
  43. Watching people embrace at the airport
  44. When doors have bells above them so you can tell when someone enters
  45. When animals infiltrate buildings
  46. The phrases "sweet on you" "I'm charmed"
  47. When people loudly whistle "whoo whoo" for applause
  48. Moving shoulders up and down and nodding and going "huh" "huh"
  49. When songs have specific people's names in them
  50. Dangly earrings
  51. Pens that are attached to desks (like at banks) so you can't accidentally steal them
  52. Wearing big hoodies and storing things in the hood
  53. Segways
  54. When people say "Shabaash"
  55. Purposely misquoteing famous lines to get people's reactions
  56. When people store pencil/pen on their ears or in their hair (buns)
  57. When people run with their backpacks - looks goofy but cute
  58. Random thunderstorms or rain in the summer
  59. Calling people Boss, Chief, Guru, and related synonyms
  60. Calling my friends dummy affectionately
  61. When people chant SPEECH SPEECH SPEECH and then someone actually gives a speech
  62. When dogs or kids enter the elevator with me
  63. Walking into a full house of family, especially during the holidays

"It should be enough to make beautiful things. It isn't. It should be." -Richard Silken

Movies

  1. Amélie
  2. When Harry Met Sally
  3. 3 Idiots
  4. Life Itself
  5. Good Will Hunting
  6. Everything Everywhere All At Once
  7. Jojo Rabbit
  8. La La Land
  9. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

TV Shows

  1. The Office
  2. After Life
  3. Parks and Recreation
  4. Community
  5. Arrested Development
  6. Veep

Music

  1. Frank Ocean
  2. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
  3. Bon Iver
  4. Alabama Shakes
  5. A.R Rahman
  6. Note: Any kind of soft, devotional, or folksy indian music is uniquely precious to me

Writing

  1. The Kite Runner
  2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
  3. The Book Thief
  4. Bone
  5. Mary Oliver
  6. Frank O'Hara
  7. Virginia Woolf
  8. Rainer Maria Rilke
  9. Richard Silken
  10. Ocean Vuong
  11. Mary Ruefle
  12. Mahmoud Darwish
  13. Pablo Neruda