Month #9

It's September 1st. That means it's the 4 year anniversary of the xinugeist. Happy birthday, dear blog. You've been a great friend all through your 475 posts (although the number could have been higher if I hadn't ignored you for all of 2005... sorry about that). But here's to many more years of ranting, raving, whining, and despairing of this thing we call life.

Also, Ramadan kicks off today. Woohoo. Looking forward to a month of fasting, praying, sin-purging, and (lets face it) lots of samosas. Mmmm. I will miss my music - I borrow from Lent and give up music while fasting because it distracts me so much from holy thoughts and activity - but I think my soul could do with some internal re-focusing and maintenance, don't you? (umm, rhetorical question, don't bothering answering that one).

So, you'd think that Ramadan would bring out the best in people given that Grand Ol' Lucifer is locked up in Hell, right? Nope. It seems that his minions are completely capable of keeping the sleaze alive without his help.

Earlier today evening, I sent about 40 'Ramadan Mubarak' text messages to all close friends and family - it's an annual tradition with me, I always send them for Ramadan and Eid. But apparently I had one of my friend's numbers saved incorrectly because the message went to someone else, someone I don't know at all. It was an innocent enough mistake, a numerical mix-up, but it got creepy pretty quick.

This is how the text message conversation went:

Me: Ramadan Mubarak! May your fasts be rewarded and your prayers be answered in this blessed month! Zeenat.
Response: and eid mubarak 2 u 2. but are you family, friend, or foe? Zia
Me: Sorry isnt this Shahid?
Response: not even close. sorry.
Me: Sorry!
Response: sorry is not going to cut it. you owe me a choc blast for the mental anguish you have caused me.

Seriously? Ew. Is this what the world has come to? Anonymous text flirting on the pretext of a religious greeting? Whoever this Zia creep is, someone needs to tell him that (a) Ramadan should never be used as part of a pick up line, and (b) you can't demand ice cream from a complete stranger. I know people who will disagree with me on (b) but no, the line has to be drawn somewhere. Ugh. So creepy. I think I need a shower.

In other news, I'm still trying to get over this disease that progressed from head cold, to stomach flu, to throat infection. O bug, whatever you are, please kick in properly and then get the hell out of my system? It's just not working out. We need to go our separate ways. Please don't feel bad.. it's not you, it's me.. blah blah blah.

Also, I'm sick to death of apartment hunting. We have been scouring Internet listings for weeks, and spent the last two full days checking out places in every neighborhood on the Red Line, and came up with naught. Why are there no decent places available for October leases? At this rate I'm going to end up being stuck in bloody Waltham until the day I die (which might be soon enough if this flu doesn't go away.. in which case, I'd die in Ramadan and go straight to heaven.. hmm.. I have to re-think this whole disease thing).

The good news, however, is that I've got my fall semester schedule and I have no class on Mondays. Woohoo, 3 day weekend. However, I also got some of my text books off Half.com and, umm, this stuff seems hard. And here I thought I'd be coasting my way over the 22 year olds. Durn. Still, I'm looking forward to orientation this week. Classes start next Tuesday, the 9th.

Also, I'm happy to report that I've been zooming through my Netflix queue recently, and watched some really enjoyable movies - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (utterly brilliant), The Darjeeling Limited (depressingly addictive), Juno (fun, but sort of overrated), Amelie (impishly adorable), The Last King of Scotland (marry me, James McAvoy?), and Death at a Funeral (hilariously dark).

Up next: The Fountain, which I've been dying to see for ages (Hugh Jackman + fantasy theme.. what more do you need?) and Hamlet, starring my favorite Shakespearean actor, Kenneth Branagh. Yes, I know, I know.. I'm getting a little Hamlet-obsessed, but have you ever known me to do things by halves?

All in all, the movie-watching spree has reminded me why I was a Film major at all. Cinema rocks.

Alright, time for bed. Must be up early and my throat/chest is on fire, so I should get some rest. I'll probably be hitting a metaphorical snooze button on the blog for the next few weeks due to Ramadan and school starting and apartment moving, but I'll try to keep up. Wake me up when September ends!