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

"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