Friday Five #1

Since I'm re-starting this blog after a lengthy hiatus, it occurred to me that most of you probably don't know much about me. This is "good" in the sense that it makes sure that future employers can't see my personal information. But at the same time, it's probably hard for me to develop a personal relationship with you, the reader, if you don't know my story.

So starting today, I'm going to start a new feature -- The Friday Five. Five random facts that I feel like sharing (and that you probably don't care about.) Enjoy:

1.) Growing up, we never had alcohol in the house. My parents were from India, and it was considered "scandalous" to drink. If we had non-Indian guests at parties and/or family events, my mom would buy bottles of wine so they could serve themselves. But that was it.

2.) ... In hindsight, my parents' attitude towards alcohol actually led to some funny experiences for me as an undergrad. At 18, I had never seen anyone in my life pour a drink, so when I first made myself one at a frat party, it was a screwdriver that literally had half a cup of straight vodka in it -- with very little orange juice. It was neither "fun" nor "glamorous" -- I got very, very, sick and ended up throwing up most of the night. 

3.)  I'm "out" to my family, but it's not something we discuss or talk about. If I bring it up, it causes an argument. Little things - like bringing a partner home for dinner - would be extremely difficult. I know you have to push at the boundaries (or else they don't change,) but sometimes you just get tired of fighting.

4.) I was once set up on a blind date with someone whose father owns one of the major gay bars in West Hollywood. I lived in New York, so I think he was insulted that I didn't care. Later on in the night, he drank too much and said: "Do you know what it's like to go from a place where I can go behind the bar and pour my own drinks to a place like New York where I'm a nobody?" At which point I started laughing, because the whole situation was ridiculous. Suffice to say, there was no second date. 

5.) ... In part because of experiences like #4, I've learned that dating within the gay male community is a bit like working with a child who has a severe learning disability. In either case, the protocol is the same: you give a lot of tries and you make a lot of allowances.