Sore New Year

I'm a little late, but late is better then never, right? Yesterday, after weeks of pushing, my little brother Aamir convinced me to go to the gym with him. I can't tell you how difficult it was, because the last time I worked out 'technically' in a gym was back in college when I rowed for the crew team. Ahhh, those were the days!

I know what you're thinking...Jeez that's a long time. To my defense, I worked out at home but never more then a routine of a month because life just happens and it's not easy to keep up with a crazy schedule. Between traveling, shoots, editing, meetings, and then trying to squeeze in a little sleep, it's been a circus of a calendar. The treadmill in the garage would get some usage, but never any of my other equipment. However, after this past weekend's ski trip, my legs aching and burning especially bothered me. I just made up my mind that I've got to make more time or I'm going to pay the price later.

For 2009, just like millions of other hopefuls, I'm setting a goal to actually have a fixed routine. Have to thank Aamir though...his persistence and nagging helped a lot. Because after I came back, I felt sore but fantastic. The energy you feel after a good workout is enough to keep you going.

So if you're in the same boat, don't give up and just do it. Let's see how far we can get through this year...

50 Questions For Today

I usually delete forwarded emails or they just go to my junk box automatically. Somehow, this one sent directly to me by a friend actually made it through my filters. For that, it deserves to be answered. So I thought I'd just post it here...50 Questions.

1. Full name: Asim "I'm A Luva, Not A Fighta" Soofi
2. What colour underwear are you wearing? Not sure. I got dressed in complete darkness this morning.
3. What are you listening to right now? The keyboard as I type.
4. Are your legs crossed? Nope. Too sore to move right now.
5. What was the last thing you ate? A banana.
6. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Dark Green.
7. How is the weather right now? Cloudy, with a chance of more snow flurries throughout the evening.
8. Last person you talked to on the phone? A bride in England.
9. First thing you notice about the opposite sex? Face & walk. I can tell everything about you just by your walk. It's hard to explain...I'm working on the formula.
10. Do you like the person who sent you this? Aside from mood swings, she's a swell girl. ;)
11. How are you today? Did I mention sore? Plus, it is a Monday.
12. Favourite non-alcoholic drink? Chai comes to mind (see past post).
13. Favourite alcoholic drink? Do you really think I need alcohol to be this much fun??
14. Favourite sports? Crew. Cause that's how I 'rowed.' Okay, I admit. That was terrible.
15. Hair colour? Stallion Black
16. Eye colour? Chocolate Brown
17. Do you wear contacts? I should be wearing something. Contacts irrrrk me.
18. Siblings? 1 sister, 2 brothers
19. Favourite month? December. Festive Season. My Birthday. Holidays. New Years. Can't beat that.
20. Favourite food? My mouth is watering already. Fresh naan bread with almost any Indian/Pakistani dish.
21. Last movie you watched? Slumdog Millionaire (Thumbs Up!)
22. Favourite day of the year? Don't have one...Never thought of it.
23. Saturday or Sunday? Saturday. The best parties are on Saturday because no one holds back.
24. Are you too shy to ask someone out? You don't know who you're talking to.
25. Do you like marmite? Apparently this survey originated in the UK.
26. Summer or winter? Winter. You get to eat like polar bears.
27. Hugs or kisses? Both. I especially like the kind with almonds inside.
28. Chocolate or vanilla? I'm very moody with ice cream. It's like a mood ring and varies.
29. Do you want your friends to write back? I really don't want to hear their opinions as it is :P
30. Who is most likely to respond? Blog stalkers.
31. Who is least likely to respond? Blog stalkers.
32. Living arrangements? Single family home.
33. What books are you reading? I'm still on the cover of "Life of Pi."
34. What did you do last night? Got back from a road trip and watched the Ravens get beaten by the Steelers.
35. Did you wake up before your alarm went off this morning? I never remember it even going off. My eyes just opened on their own.
36. What happened to question 36? Depends on your perception.
37. Or 37 for that matter? It doesn't matter at this point.
38. What inspires you? Positive & creative thinkers.
39. What about question 39? So unoriginal.
40. Favourite crisps? More UK?
41. Favourite car? Mine because it's super practical, never breaks down, she loves me and never complains.
42. Favourite flowers? Tulips...Yeah, I know that word.
43. How many keys on your key ring? Three. Home. Car. Lock.
44. Can you juggle? Does semi-juggle count?
45. Favourite day of the week? Friday of course.
46. Red or white wine? Pass, thank you very much.
47. What did you do for your last birthday? 1 lunch, 3 dinners, and 1 party
48. Do you own a donor card? Yup, it's got a little red heart on it too.
49. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? "Shoot..."
50. What are you doing once this is finished? Calling my 6:00 and sneaking in dinner.

Great Weekend Mini Vacation: Sno Mountain

Just got back from a great weekend of skiing up in the Poconos with a large group of friends. The resort is Sno Mountain and had some nice long runs with plenty of snow. Had a real nice time, was on the mountain on Saturday & Sunday, but I really could use a massage right about now! Hope everyone else had a great weekend :)

Ask & Ye Shall Find

I'm sitting here finally going through a bunch of emails I've gotten from friends on Facebook asking a lot of different questions about different things. The story behind this is that the other day I randomly had this urge to update my FB status to ask if anyone had anything they wanted to know from yours truly. So in response, I got many things asking about wedding photography, equipment questions, and even a few interesting personal questions. I promise to get to these as soon as I get a chance and I'm saying this on the blog to hold myself to it.

For today though, I got to thinking and wanted to answer some more questions that I get from new brides (and some grooms). So what better way to do this but update my FAQ section on my site. I've always wanted to keep the site nice and clean, but I know there's a lot information people are always looking for so I'm slowly giving in and adding more. I usually like to meet with my clients and answer all of their questions, but I know in these quick draw days, everyone wants info now. So hopefully, I'll be able to put more FAQ & answers with the help of some of you and also reduce the normal questions everyone has. If you have some questions that would help you, drop me an email or a comment below. I  want to hear from you!

Which also reminds me, for all of my fellow photographers, another way I've been getting some great feedback is by using iPerceptions (http://4q.iperceptions.com) on my site. It's a simple and cool tool to get valuable feedback from my site visitors, so if you are a photographer or have your own site, use this to get some valuable feedback from your own visitors and see what may or may not be working. If you have any questions on how to install the 4Q code, just email me or a comment.

Perfect Chai

What is my secret to perfect chai you ask? This cup, me, and a little love. :)

I get asked by so many people to make them my version of chai, but some are so far away, its just not fair to make them wait. After much deliberation and soul searching, I have decided share my mini-secret with the world as a New Years gift! It's quite simple...

Single Serving
1. Put 4 oz of whole milk in a cup. Take a look at the free bonus I got ;)
2. Add one tea bag of Tapal Danedar to cup. Available at Indian/Pakistani stores.
3. Microwave until milk boils to the brim, about 1:20, more or less.
4. Take out and immediately cover cup with a saucer. Let sit for 1-2 minutes.
5. Ring out tea bag with a spoon.
6. Add one tspn of sugar, stir, and enjoy.

Multiple Cups (to gain popularity with friends):
1. 4 oz whole milk for each serving.
2. Add Tapal Danedar tea bags for each serving, plus one for the pot.
3. On medium heat, bring milk & tea to boil.
4. Turn off stove and cover pot for two minutes.
5. Ring out all of the tea bags carefully.
5. Add one tspn sugar for each serving and one tspn for the pot, stir, serve immediately, and enjoy.

Loose Tea
For those oppressed by the tea bag revolution, if you can find it, substitute tea bags with loose tea. Just use one teaspoon of loose tea for each tea bag.

There you have it...now everyone else can make me chai for a change :)

*Lipton and 2% milk are last resort options.
**I am not responsible if you burn down your house, your friend's house, or any other incidents as a result of following the above instructions. Children should always get an adult to assist in enjoying chai.