The Joy of Giving

Amara wasn't sure exactly what had possessed her to do this. She hadn't even mentioned Diwali since she was a little girl, and even then as a kid they'd barely celebrated. She remembered the fireworks, and the lights, and the excitement. She didn't quite remember the origins or how to celebrate Diwali properly. She supposed she was having something of a cultural identification crisis. She hadn't been back to Mumbai, or India even, since she was seven, and after that she lived in so many places it was hard to form any type identity. She'd never really given much thought to her culture, besides the fact that she loved the old Bollywood movies. However, since she decided to have a new attitude, and be a more positive person, she started to look more at her own background, searching for some good that she could have from her past, and the good included festivals.

She didn't want to be extremely obvious or overboard about it. Honestly, she didn't like attention, and she certainly didn't want to answer questions (she probably wouldn't know what to say anyway), so she planned to be covert about it all. Besides, the gifts were her way of saying thank you to everyone. She didn't want anything in return. 

First she went to the mess hall early in the morning, in the hopes that it would be relatively empty. She was in luck. Just the odd crewman getting his morning coffee. She set out the plate of sweets she had made for all to enjoy. Next to it she put a sign: "Happy Diwali. Enjoy." She made no attempt to claim any of it, and hoped people would just eat the food without questioning where it came from. 

 Next were the personal gifts. Each one was wrapped with a card that only said "Happy Diwali", again, she hoped people didn't put too much thought into where these things were coming from.

First she stopped by Admiral Pike's office. Luckily, the Admiral wasn't there yet. She very carefully set the beautifully iced cake on his desk with the simple card beside it. She had enjoyed icing the cake, even though it had taken her most of the night, it was worth it. She hoped he enjoyed it.  

Next, she went to Christine's quarters and set her present outside her door. Blue looked good on Christine, and she imagined she would like jewelry. She hoped she'd done a good job picking out the set.

Finally, she stopped by Frank's and left his gift. She hoped he would find it... informative. She smiled a little as she left. That one might benefit her in the end too. 

She then went about her duties, just like always. However, today she felt rather good and was smiling a great deal more than usual. It had been fun, playing the Diwali Fairy... or Santa... or whatever. Amara had a nice warm and happy feeling that she was unaccustomed to, and it made her feel giddy. It felt good. She would have to do it again sometime.

Dating Quiz

I wonder how much of this is true...

Dating Strengths	Dating Weaknesses
1. Adventurousness - 75% 2. Open-Mindedness - 72.7% 3. Varied Interests - 71.4% 4. Generosity - 66.7% 5. Kindness - 63.6%	1. Shyness - 75% 2. Insecurity - 53.8% 3. Humorlessness - 50% 4. Vanity - 50%

Dating Strengths Explained
Adventurousness - You are willing to try new things and be spontaneous. You want to get out there and really live, and you will attract people with a similar love of life. Open-Mindedness - You are open to trying new things and entertaining new ideas, and this widens your pool of available guys. Varied Interests - You don't limit yourself, and that's a dating asset. Your varied interests make you available and interesting to a wider range of guys. Generosity - You are a giving person by nature. Others will see this quality in you and recognize your kind nature. Take care not to let others take advantage of you. Kindness - You treat other people with empathy and goodwill. This positive trait helps you stand out and draw people into your warmth.
Dating Weaknesses Explained
Shyness - You know all too well the limits shyness places on you. Putting yourself out there in social situations may be difficult, but essential to your dating success. Insecurity - Your insecurity makes you doubt yourself, but you must learn to love and trust yourself if you want to succeed in dating. Humorlessness - You need to learn how to take a joke, or better yet how to tell a good one. A well-developed sense of humor is high on the list of desired traits for daters. Vanity - Learn to put a lower priority on looks. Appearance is, of course, important, but vanity is undesireable. The only people you will attract are the superficial.
Dating Strengths and Weaknesses Quiz