It’s been a while. I took about two weeks off from the 100 Happy Days challenge. It started feeling like a chore, and I didn’t feel much enjoyment or fulfillment out of doing this. I’m back at it, but I’ll drop the photo aspect for most the posts. I found writing the captions by far the most enjoyable part of this challenge, so I’ll focus on writing a short paragraph about something that makes me happy every day. It’s tough to capture thoughts and feelings through the lens, so I think I’ll enjoy this much more. Here we go!

Today is the 15th anniversary of Alicia Keys’ first album, Songs in A Minor. Hands down, no question, my all-time favorite album. About two years ago I first heard her singles and famous hits like “No one” and “Girl on fire” from her more recent albums, but one day I dug deeper into all her albums and discovered this gem: Songs in A Minor. A perfect blend of soul, r&b, and jazz. There one very famous song on the album called “Fallin'”, which is admittedly spectacular, but the lesser known tracks are on par as well! A few of my favorites are:

• Piano & I
• Troubles
• Jane Doe
• The Life
• Butterflyz
• Why Do I Feel so Sad

Alicia Keys was merely 19 when this album dropped. 19!!! Mind-blowing. Relevant and still incredible 15 years later. I’ve been jamming to this all day long.

I started watching Jane the Virgin last night. Yes, quite girly, I know, but I gotta admit, that show is pretty awesome! I especially like the Latino family setting and hearing the grandma speak in Spanish. It reminds me of a couple summers ago in Mexico. The weekdays and commute are tiring, so I’m happy to just plop into this sofa chair and just watch this show for an hour.

Neapolitan pizza from scratch. This turned out way better than expected! All-purpose flour, salt, water, yeast. Knead, let rise overnight. San Marzano tomatoes puréed and simmered with salt. Basil leaves and fresh mozzarella. Place the assembled pizza in a cast iron pan and put in broiler for a few minutes, till crust is slightly charred. Remove from broiler and finish the underside on stovetop. The sauce really stands out – it tastes far better than standard pizza. It like…actually tastes like tomato!

Today I finished Interpreter of Maladies. These very last sentences of the final story gave me chills. It made me think about my own life – born and raised in Indianapolis, attending Penn and roaming the streets of Philadelphia, and now working and maturing in Atlanta. All the experiences, all the people with whom I crossed paths. Sometimes I look back at Penn bitterly. The stress, the hyper competitive culture, the brutal classes. But those things don’t matter anymore; Penn fundamentally changed the trajectory of my life, and I’m infinitely grateful for the people I’ve met and the places I’ve visited along the way. Honestly can’t imagine my life any other way.
But that’s all in one continent, merely one country. My mother’s life is even more bewildering. Born in Zanzibar, raised in Mozambique, lived in Pakistan and Tanzania, and now settled in our humble hometown of Brownsburg, Indiana. Much like this excerpt, from seeing what my parents have done, anything is possible for me.
Jhumpa Lahiri, just wow. Thank you for this incredible journey, and I can’t wait to dive into your other works!

A few weeks back I ordered this pot with a steaming insert. I left the box by the dining table and forgot about it till today. I finally got around to opening the package, nearly forgetting what I ever ordered! So this was kinda like a surprise gift to myself. What can I say – every day is a celebration. Looking forward to using this slick steaming pot!

Post-iftar tea and chillin at my crib with the homies. Oh boy, what an exhausting week. Fasting has me hella fatigued – I’m ready for the weekend to just sleep in and relax. And perhaps cook! I’m hoping to make neapolitan pizza from scratch, so look forward to a post about that soon!

This neat wooded area happens to be on the grounds of the corporate campus at work. It’s awesome to come out here at lunchtime and walk through this bit of nature right outside the six stories of glass windows. Thankfully it isn’t too hot today as well!

Pre-iftar suburbia running. It feels really great to run right before breaking fast; the body feels depleted but lean and clean. I’m running down this sidewalk jamming out to Kanye West’s “808s & Heartbreak“. One of my favorite albums, keeping me hype and focused on this serene run.

Another night of interpreting maladies. I never took reading and writing seriously when I was younger, so my appreciation for literature is new and impressionable. Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories have rattled my world. So emotional, so concise, so well written, so human. This journey has inspired me to create such a piece myself. I’ve dreamt of becoming a writer, so why not just give it a legitimate try? I’m giving myself two months to write a short story about a young man transitioning from college life to corporate America, meanwhile discovering himself in the process. Sound familiar? ^_^

Enjoying this last sip of goodness during daylight hours for the 30 days. During the opening sequence of Aziz Ansari’s “Master of None”, he buys some Martinelli’s apple juice at the pharmacy. A few of us guys went out to buy some Martinelli’s at Candler Park Market, I suppose in solidarity with Aziz and his show haha. But this juice is incredibly good! I’ve introduced several folks to it and they’re all hooked too. On a hot summer day like this, an ice cold Martinelli’s just hits the spot.