Hey y’all!!!! Since DCIB is less of an intellectual film website and more of a cozy little group of friends, I want to know how you all are doing. And I want to share how I am doing with you because you are my bestest friends. In year 3 of the pandemic, this online community is becoming ever more important to me.
For me, my daily life has changed drastically over the past few months. Drastically, but incrementally, so I didn’t realize it until I looked back and went “wow, that’s different!”
I’m now 100% moved in to my forever home. I have a routine for cooking, sleeping, laundry, all of that. I’m no longer going “this is so wonderful!” every day, because it’s become normal to just run downstairs and do laundry, or throw extra boxes in my basement storage room.
Even more wonderful, our household of 3 is increasingly becoming a true household of 3. We have dinner together most nights, have a shared household calendar, and just generally share all the daily boring details of our lives (who is in a fight with a friend, what new recipes we are trying, and so on).
I’ve also started having much more time outside, our new neighborhood is perfect for dog walks (lots of grass, not that many other dogs), and I have discovered the wonders of listening to podcasts on my headphones while walking.
All of this is why I have been less posty and movie-watchy on the blog, but it’s a good thing! I’m spending my evenings with Real People instead of writing blog posts. And I’m spending my free time outside walking in the park instead of watching movies.
I still love you all though 🙂 And I am so happy I have my internet friends to balance my Real Life friends.
And I want to know how you are doing!!!! Have you shifted into a new life after 2 years of pandemic? Without realizing it?
dontcallitbollywood 
I am now completely enjoying my Winter Holidays here in Finland (school starts again only in February). Got every essay done on time. Spending time with parents, so glad I don’t have to cook and clean. In contrast to you, I have been writing a lot and watching movies, a lot. The days switch from tolerable cold to extremely cold on different days, but the snow has made it so nice to walk. It covers the ice (my worst enemy after pollen). Nice to just relax, be spoiled and concentrate on writing.
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Ugh, ICE! I am glad you don’t have to deal with it, apparently this year Chicago got your ice allotment.
Of course you are being more productive than I am! You always are 🙂
On Tue, Jan 11, 2022 at 11:53 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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The trim in your forever home is gorgeous, and almost unaffordable to install today. (Before being a teacher hubby was a finish carpenter and I helped him build his parent’s house in the boonies before we were married). I’m glad you have less time for movies. They are awesome, but they aren’t everything.
In 2020 I was an unwilling and solo volunteer to bring a theater program called the Missoula Children’s Program to my town. I didn’t reserve a theater in time and in was a hot mess and at one point I hung up the phone on a close friend and our friendship has never recovered. It was a “all good deeds are punished” situation. I started to hate my community and fell into a depression BEFORE COVID shut everything down.
However I wasn’t a completely useless organizer and I was able to get other people to help me for future years so I wouldn’t have to do everything alone. So this year I am one of 3 main volunteer organizers and it is awesome. I have a stronger understanding of the school system and the program, and I’m hoping that by continuing to do the program, despite a COVID surge, we can help bring my terribly divided community together. It helps that the organizers are all over the place politically, but we all want our kids to be able to do the theater program (even if they have to be tested everyday to be able to do so). So that is happening this week and next.
And while this is happening I got sick and am awaiting PCR results. But I’m already feeling better, vaccines are wonderful. I’ve actually gotten sick A LOT since school started in the fall, I think I might just be a person who gets sick a lot. But being sick means I don’t have to make dinner, and I get to watch movies, so it isn’t always so bad.
Oh – the kids are great.
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Oh right, your children! An unimportant part of your life 🙂 (by the way, the 9 year old should have gotten a book from me in the mail).
I am so glad the theater program has turned into a good thing for you!!! Kids and kids programs are great for bringing people together, ultimately everyone loves their children.
I’m picturing your immune system getting all relaxed and cozy as you went nowhere and saw no one for 2 years, and now going “AAAA! We actually have to work again! There’s new germs coming at us! I don’t want to deal with it!” and therefore you are getting sick more.
I suspect that once you finish with this theater project, you are going to find a new thing you want to try to do for your community. Or rather, I hope so! Take a break, for sure, but also get out there and do wonderful things and be with people if at all possible. More awesomeness!
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I thank God, whatever his/her name is, that I’m feeling okay, able to write novels and stories some people actually read, have a sweet dog, a house with a sunny yard, sons, grandsons, Indian cinema, and DCIB. I don’t always comment, but knowing you’re all out there watching the same films (or Korean dramas) that I’m watching is comforting.
Your home is lovely, Margaret, and am I wrong, but do you seem mellower? I wouldn’t want you to change too much but if you’re happy, I’m happy.
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I am mellower. Having a Forever Home has made me feel more rooted and stable. comfy.
I am happy you have a sunny yard and a sweet dog and all the other good things!
On Tue, Jan 11, 2022 at 1:21 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Your new home is lovely and makes me homesick for Chicago, the little I saw when I used to visit from IU (not the weather, though). And it’s so lovely that you are able to have friends you live with.
Last year was going to be the year I made a big move and job change but, yeah, that didn’t happen so I’m sort of wondering what my next move will be. It’s not bad, actually, and I am immensely grateful to actually have an OK job for the foreseeable future.
Travel has been more difficult and curtailed and travel outside Japan is impossible right now, so I’ve been a bit isolated. So, all the more reason to appreciate DCIB. But I’ve also been taking pains to sort of “hack” my mental health with exercise, sleep, and diet, and it’s going better than I thought it would, so perhaps a net gain.
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Yaaaaay to hacking mental health!!! And to taking time to reassess and figure out next steps in life. Boo to not being able to see your American family, I’ve been keeping a thought for you about that.
And also, of course, yaaaay to staying in touch with DCIB!!! We are always here for you.
On Tue, Jan 11, 2022 at 8:08 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I was wondering how it was for you to start the year as a home owner. I guess it feels very good. Especially after all the work and stress you had last year.
I would be great if not for the anxiety that comes and goes.
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How’s your son doing? I remember he was having problems at school for a bit. Is he all happy and settled now?
On Wed, Jan 12, 2022 at 7:45 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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He started middle school few months ago. I was very stressed ,but looks like he is doing fine. The teachers say he is shy and not associated with the rest of the class, but it’s just how he is and in my opinion he is much more at his ease with the kids now than earlier. So I see the progress. He even sign up for theatre group. Let’s hope everything will be ok.
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Everything will be great! Sounds like he is a kid whose life will just get better and easier the older he gets.
On Wed, Jan 12, 2022 at 8:28 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Your household of three sounds like a great arrangement.
For me, Baby has definitely changed my life a lot more than the pandemic ever could. Staying home with her is surprisingly relaxing, even though I’m making real dents in our to-do-list. It always fills up again just as quickly, but I just do whatever I can manage. And whenever I need to recharge, those big beautiful eyes are amazingly effective.
It’s the after-work hours that are stressful, and the weekends. Coordinating four people’s needs and wishes is a lot of work. I’ve had both kids at home for the past two days, though, and it already did get better, so I’m definitely learning that, too.
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Well of course Baby has changed your life! She’s a baby!!!! But I understand what you mean. I remember my Mom talking about something similar when she took care of us when we were sick . A sick little kid staying home from school, all of a sudden the house felt extra warm and cozy and everything just got focused on taking care of this little person while the rest of the world dropped away.
I am thinking that Baby might also just be a very very calm person? That she emotes calm from within her and it will be lifelong.
On Sat, Jan 15, 2022 at 3:21 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Have I talked about how much better teaching in person is than at home? Because it really is. Some kids are truly the worst, but most are awesome and wonderful and I want to adopt them, even if they act like kindergarteners when they’re 14. And I had a breakthrough today. One of my coworkers said to me that the workload this year isn’t really any more than it is normally, it’s just everyone complaining about every decision made by higher ups about how to handle the situation that is making it feels worse than it is. And I realized he is TOTALLY RIGHT!! Aside from the annoying kids, truly the worst part of my day is sitting in the break room listening to everyone complain. So now I am really just popping in my headphones and turning on some jazz and getting my work done and tuning everyone out. It got to a point where one of my coworkers complimented me because I straightened my hair and I ignored him because I couldn’t hear him because of my music and he thought he offended me, but I really don’t care. He’s like in his 60s maybe, probably gonna retire soon, and no one likes him because he keeps secrets from people about things going on in school.
The sad part though is that all my January plans were indefinitely postponed because of Omicron so I have nothing to look forward to on the weekends besides sleeping in. They’re slowly getting rescheduled, except for one, a good friend from childhood, her boyfriend is proposing to her, and we all know she’s gonna say yes, so he’s throwing a party down where they are in DC (AirBnB, testing, all the things). I am sad because that is the one I was most excited about.
And I finally caved and bought a kurta, specifically one that’s the same color palette as Alia’s outfit in the HSKD poster. I can email a pic if you want.
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First, of course I want a pic!
And second, YES! That “complaining makes the work feel like more work” is such a real thing. I used to see it on committees a lot. If everyone just did the thing, it felt like nothing. But if we talked about how difficult and complicated the thing would be to do, it felt impossible.
On Tue, Jan 18, 2022 at 5:34 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yay! You’re all moved in 🙂
I’m currently doing a fifth year masters program so I’m still in College Station until the end of this semester. Also I kinda got over my star wars fixation last summer and started watching indian movies again but mostly Telugu. I sorta lost interest in Hindi cinema unless it’s a Varun movie to be honest.
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Awwww, when you first started commenting you hadn’t even finished high school! And now you are going to get a Masters degree! I’m weirdly proud, even though I had nothing to do with your success.
On Tue, Jan 18, 2022 at 7:56 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Haha, thanks Margaret!
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