Today is my last day in office...nothing out of the ordianry, except that I will probably walk home, as there are no taxis available at one in the night. Reminds me of when I resigned from my first and second jobs - in both cases, I walked home, just 'cos I wanted to. In this case, it will be more of a necessity.
My last day in office, I had hoped, would be more introspective, with very little work. Instead, I am stuck here with a newbie, teaching him how the system works. Plus, I also am very tired as I haven't slept for the past 34 hours, which for everyones sake, is my new record of sleeplessness. My last day in Doha begins tomorrow, as Friday does not count because I will be travelling on that day. But surprisingly, I don't in any way feel emotional about it. The feeling is more like,'I'll be travelling on Friday'. No bye-bye Doha when I walk the streets. Maybe when the plane lifts off, I'll feel the pangs (main aisa kyon hoon??). In the mean time, I only want to sleep.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Hello Again...
There is a perfectly good reason for me not posting for hte past few days - I was feeling lazy.
Things are moving on in the office. My replacement has arrived. He is a Hindi teacher at the Ideal Indian School working part-time. And the first thing he told me on arrival was that the site was full of spelling mistakes. I know that!!
I have finally managed to sell my car, and got a good price for it, though the depreciation was less than 50 %.
Am in shopping mode now, buying up things to take home.
Things are moving on in the office. My replacement has arrived. He is a Hindi teacher at the Ideal Indian School working part-time. And the first thing he told me on arrival was that the site was full of spelling mistakes. I know that!!
I have finally managed to sell my car, and got a good price for it, though the depreciation was less than 50 %.
Am in shopping mode now, buying up things to take home.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Chanakya-niti...
Been reading about Chanakya today. Quite a man. Nehru called him the Machiavelli of India, but rather, Machavelli should be the Chanakya of Europe. A casual reading of his Arthashastra leads me ot make me some observations:
* Chanakya keeps reiterating the point about how a good son is better than a bad one. No mention about daughters, though.
* In his opinion, a woman's place is in her home. But then, he was a product of his times.
* Most of his observations seem to talk about living a virtuous life and not straying from teh moral path. And this from a man who practiced the sama, daam, dahna, bhed principle!!
* He seems to have a thing against beautiful wives!!
Moving on, the modern-day Chanakya, P V Narasimha Rao has passed away. My own opinions about the man are quite mixed. When he was in power, I did not like him at all. He never said anything, did nothing to stop the Babri Masjid demolition, was involved in all sorts of scandals. But then, I had no idea what the future would bring. In retrospect, it seems like he was doing all he could to stay in power, and advance the cause of liberalism in India. And to give the man credit, he was good at what he did!! The BJP-led opposition tried their level best to bring him down, but he managed to run a minority government for full five years. May his soul rest in peace, and may he get a good house in his next life.
In other news, an old post of mine has surfaced, this one about two good movies I watched recently.
* Chanakya keeps reiterating the point about how a good son is better than a bad one. No mention about daughters, though.
* In his opinion, a woman's place is in her home. But then, he was a product of his times.
* Most of his observations seem to talk about living a virtuous life and not straying from teh moral path. And this from a man who practiced the sama, daam, dahna, bhed principle!!
* He seems to have a thing against beautiful wives!!
Moving on, the modern-day Chanakya, P V Narasimha Rao has passed away. My own opinions about the man are quite mixed. When he was in power, I did not like him at all. He never said anything, did nothing to stop the Babri Masjid demolition, was involved in all sorts of scandals. But then, I had no idea what the future would bring. In retrospect, it seems like he was doing all he could to stay in power, and advance the cause of liberalism in India. And to give the man credit, he was good at what he did!! The BJP-led opposition tried their level best to bring him down, but he managed to run a minority government for full five years. May his soul rest in peace, and may he get a good house in his next life.
In other news, an old post of mine has surfaced, this one about two good movies I watched recently.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Token Post
Tough day at work. Token Post. Thank you.
Oh yes, I saw Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan today. Good movie, highly recommended.
Oh yes, I saw Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan today. Good movie, highly recommended.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Something's New...
How's this template? Actually, I liked the previous template, what it being more satrangi and all, but the problem is, that one did not have the comments capability - not that anyone comments on my blog, but you never know... and also, I want a bigger bang for my buck, so to speak.
Will tweak around this one too soon.
Will tweak around this one too soon.
A New Day Has Begun...(Ok, A New Night)...
So do you like my new site template? Isn't it more me? More colorful, more satrangi. Rest assured, this is only the begining. Pretty soon, I will compeltely changes the look and feel of this blog...
[Dharamendra]Maa Kasam....[/Dharamendra]
A Random Observation: When we were growing up in Doha, you couldn't swing a dead cat in Doha without hitting a mallu. But now, since the Qatari govt. has stopped allowing mallus from entering Qatar, their place has been taken by the Filipinos. That's right, you can't swing a dead cat around this town without hitting a Filipino. Not that I am complaining... But I degress, what I meant ot say was, the Filipinos are the new mallus.
[Dharamendra]Maa Kasam....[/Dharamendra]
A Random Observation: When we were growing up in Doha, you couldn't swing a dead cat in Doha without hitting a mallu. But now, since the Qatari govt. has stopped allowing mallus from entering Qatar, their place has been taken by the Filipinos. That's right, you can't swing a dead cat around this town without hitting a Filipino. Not that I am complaining... But I degress, what I meant ot say was, the Filipinos are the new mallus.
Monday, December 20, 2004
This Must Stop...
These past few days, I usually go to sleep at around 6 in the morning, and wake up at 3 in the afternoon. That's a total of nine hours of sleep and a whole morning wasted. This must stop.
In other news, my flatmate might be leaving Doha sooner than expected. His demand for a higher pay has been rejected, and so looks like he will be leaving ths country along with me at the end of this month. He was exceptionally quite today.
In other news, my flatmate might be leaving Doha sooner than expected. His demand for a higher pay has been rejected, and so looks like he will be leaving ths country along with me at the end of this month. He was exceptionally quite today.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Odds And Ends...
* I was in the night clubs for a little over an hour (I wanted my money's worth!!). When I came out, I noticed that all the while, my fly had been open!! Good thing I was in a dark room and that I was wearing a long coat.
* Did you know that in the Catalan region of Spain, a Caganer is often tucked away in some corner of a Christmas Nativity scene where he is not easily noticed, because he is defecating? This is a feature of this region only. A caganer translates from Catalan to English as "defecator", and that is exactly what this little statue is doing — defecating.
* Did you know that in the Catalan region of Spain, a Caganer is often tucked away in some corner of a Christmas Nativity scene where he is not easily noticed, because he is defecating? This is a feature of this region only. A caganer translates from Catalan to English as "defecator", and that is exactly what this little statue is doing — defecating.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Around The Town...
I had an adventure yesterday. I went to a nightclub in Doha. Well, not exactly a night club, it was more of a discothique. Here are some thoughts on it:
* The entrance inside the nightclub/disco was 50 bucks, with a complementary drink thrown in, which is pretty steep, considering I don't drink, and so I ended up having canned orange juice.
* The place was dark and smoky. Okay, discos are supposed to look like that, but this one looked like Michael ka addaa, minus Helen.
* The ratio of males to females was roughly 7:1. Clearly the females were in short supply and were enjoying their time in the sun/strobe lights.
* There were Filipinos, Arabs, some Americans and Indians. Only the Indians were dancing for dancing's sake. They were literally hitting the floor with their two left feet. The Filipinos were alternately dancing and drinking, the Arabs were just swaying, and the Americans were the DJs. And yes, speaking of DJs, the music sucked.
* A special mention about the Indians. They were hitting the floor with their two left feet, except one. This one was doing small kangaroo hops, with his butt jutting out and his eyes closed.
* The overwhelming numver of guys made me wonder, will this place pass off as a gay bar??
* A fight broke out over a girl while I was there. Two guys were at each other. It seems one of them accidentally touched a girl while dancing. Later I saw the girl, a short, fat, dark girl with a shrill voice like a witch. Outside of this place, she would have been un-noticeable, but over here, she was the queen!!
* While the two guys were fighting over the girl, a crowd gathered around them to diffuse the situation. Our kangaroo hopper, oblivious about all the melee around him watlzed his way there, butt first. Clearly he was butting in!!
* Seeing all the left-footedness there, I was immediately reminded of my college day. This place needed the v-10 touch!!
Final analysis, the nightclub sucked. It was just some chairs and a dancefloor thrown in a room and a DJ put there. But the fight and kangaroo hopper made the entire experience a paisa vasool.
* The entrance inside the nightclub/disco was 50 bucks, with a complementary drink thrown in, which is pretty steep, considering I don't drink, and so I ended up having canned orange juice.
* The place was dark and smoky. Okay, discos are supposed to look like that, but this one looked like Michael ka addaa, minus Helen.
* The ratio of males to females was roughly 7:1. Clearly the females were in short supply and were enjoying their time in the sun/strobe lights.
* There were Filipinos, Arabs, some Americans and Indians. Only the Indians were dancing for dancing's sake. They were literally hitting the floor with their two left feet. The Filipinos were alternately dancing and drinking, the Arabs were just swaying, and the Americans were the DJs. And yes, speaking of DJs, the music sucked.
* A special mention about the Indians. They were hitting the floor with their two left feet, except one. This one was doing small kangaroo hops, with his butt jutting out and his eyes closed.
* The overwhelming numver of guys made me wonder, will this place pass off as a gay bar??
* A fight broke out over a girl while I was there. Two guys were at each other. It seems one of them accidentally touched a girl while dancing. Later I saw the girl, a short, fat, dark girl with a shrill voice like a witch. Outside of this place, she would have been un-noticeable, but over here, she was the queen!!
* While the two guys were fighting over the girl, a crowd gathered around them to diffuse the situation. Our kangaroo hopper, oblivious about all the melee around him watlzed his way there, butt first. Clearly he was butting in!!
* Seeing all the left-footedness there, I was immediately reminded of my college day. This place needed the v-10 touch!!
Final analysis, the nightclub sucked. It was just some chairs and a dancefloor thrown in a room and a DJ put there. But the fight and kangaroo hopper made the entire experience a paisa vasool.
Friday, December 17, 2004
I Wanna Be An American...
Since coming to know that I have got a visa for the US, at least two persons in my office have suggested that after going there, I should marry an american girl so that I can become an American. And both very very serious. And both very surprised when I told them that I was not interested in doing any sich thing, and that I only wanted to visit my sister in the US.
Strange
Strange
Thursday, December 16, 2004
I Got US Visa!!!...
I got the US Visa today. Whoopeeee!!!
Some thoughts on it:
* The US embassy is a virtual fortress. I had to go through two metal detectors, four sheilded automatic doors that did not open and close simultaneously. I even had to colse my mobile and deposit it at the door. But in all fairness, even the American citizens that had come there had to go through the same hoops.
* The entire process took just one day. The officials were completely professional about it.
* While explaining my work to the Visa officer - that I had to work on languages primarily - I was tempted to make a Klingon joke. Resisted. Damn.
* It seems that the Indian Govt. charges the Americans visiting India an additional surcharge. So, in retaliation, I had to pay an extra 183/- riyals as reciprocal fees. 'Fair's fair', said the Visa officer. Gotta love the Americans for that.
* I had always imagined that I would find the entire process of electronic fingerprinting humiliating, but as I gave the electronic fingerprint at the embassy, I did not feel any such thing. Maybe cos we use fingerprint access system in the office, and so it has dented my feeling humiliation somewhat.
* I did get a sense of humiliation, though, when I was asked to remove the kadaa to go through the metal detector. I tried to go through wearing it, but it did not work. As I was taking off my kadaa, all the arguement that the religious organizations gave about how bad it is came back to me. I still haven't gotten over it.
* Even with all the security measures to deter people, the US visa application remains one of the most simple, IMO. The Schengan visa applications for Europe ask for all sorts of things like an insurance, a hotel accomodation, a copy of airline ticket etc. For a Canadian Visa, I have to undergo a medical test.
Some thoughts on it:
* The US embassy is a virtual fortress. I had to go through two metal detectors, four sheilded automatic doors that did not open and close simultaneously. I even had to colse my mobile and deposit it at the door. But in all fairness, even the American citizens that had come there had to go through the same hoops.
* The entire process took just one day. The officials were completely professional about it.
* While explaining my work to the Visa officer - that I had to work on languages primarily - I was tempted to make a Klingon joke. Resisted. Damn.
* It seems that the Indian Govt. charges the Americans visiting India an additional surcharge. So, in retaliation, I had to pay an extra 183/- riyals as reciprocal fees. 'Fair's fair', said the Visa officer. Gotta love the Americans for that.
* I had always imagined that I would find the entire process of electronic fingerprinting humiliating, but as I gave the electronic fingerprint at the embassy, I did not feel any such thing. Maybe cos we use fingerprint access system in the office, and so it has dented my feeling humiliation somewhat.
* I did get a sense of humiliation, though, when I was asked to remove the kadaa to go through the metal detector. I tried to go through wearing it, but it did not work. As I was taking off my kadaa, all the arguement that the religious organizations gave about how bad it is came back to me. I still haven't gotten over it.
* Even with all the security measures to deter people, the US visa application remains one of the most simple, IMO. The Schengan visa applications for Europe ask for all sorts of things like an insurance, a hotel accomodation, a copy of airline ticket etc. For a Canadian Visa, I have to undergo a medical test.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Torture!!!!!.....
This is torture. The guy sitting next to me in the office has farted twice in the last half hour. I can't bear it. I'm glad I am leaving this place.
This has never happened in the past here. Yes, I blame it all on the manhoosiyat of my flat-mate.
About Two Hours Later: He did it again. This time it was three in the space of two minutes!!! I definitely need a vacation...Oh oh, he is doing it again now. Short, periodic bursts...GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!
This has never happened in the past here. Yes, I blame it all on the manhoosiyat of my flat-mate.
About Two Hours Later: He did it again. This time it was three in the space of two minutes!!! I definitely need a vacation...Oh oh, he is doing it again now. Short, periodic bursts...GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!
कार्यलय में आकाल....
Heaven help us!! There was no water in the office today!!! Looks like the manhoosiyat of my flatmate is affecting the entire office, slowly but surely. First it was in the house, and now it has started affecting the office as well!!! It's a good thing I am leaving.
And speaking of my flatmate, he doesn't seem to be the type to mix easily. Ok, so he cannot ignore me, he is stuck with me. But with the rest of the office, he just takes on air of living in an ivory tower. He is already looking for an alternate employment, and get panicky should anyone else come to know about it.
P.S.- The Hindi fonts like nice, don't they??
And speaking of my flatmate, he doesn't seem to be the type to mix easily. Ok, so he cannot ignore me, he is stuck with me. But with the rest of the office, he just takes on air of living in an ivory tower. He is already looking for an alternate employment, and get panicky should anyone else come to know about it.
P.S.- The Hindi fonts like nice, don't they??
Monday, December 13, 2004
Think About It...
Any sufficiently advanced coup is indistinguishable from an election.
(Shamelessly lifted from another site. I am not paying anything.)
Also,
If an infinite number of monkeys were typing on an infinite number of keyboards, that would probably explain all those ‘infinite number of monkeys typing on an infinite number of keyboards’ jokes.
(Shamelessly lifted from another site. I am not paying anything.)
Also,
If an infinite number of monkeys were typing on an infinite number of keyboards, that would probably explain all those ‘infinite number of monkeys typing on an infinite number of keyboards’ jokes.
Token Post...
Am working on a post, which I will post, hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a token post to say I am well.
Heavenly Away...
Two good movies that I saw recently that I must mention.
First, it's Heavenly Creatures by Peter Jackson. Based on the true account of two girls in New Zealand who murdered on of their parent becaase she tried to separate them, it is a grim tale. But to the credit of the director, the tale is told in a very interesting manner. It's clear from the amount of the research that has gone on into the story (the imdb entry says that Peter Jackson the actual diary of one of the girls was used as a reference). This was also Kate Winselt's first movie role, and she really comes off as a competent actress. here.
This was also PJ's only fifth film, but it does not seem like it. In fact, it comes of as a work of someone very experienced. Notice the dream sequence, where Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet (Kate) make up their dream worlds, full of kings, queens and knights. All this hides the dark tale of two socially misfit girls who are ready to kill to be togerher. PJ does not duck the subject. In fact, he faces it with gusto.
The second movie I saw was Spirited Away, the 2002 animated offering from Japan (I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I love all things Japan!). It is a complete family entertainment, about a little girl who is stuck in the land of spirits, and how she rescues her parents, who have been turned into pigs. The animation work was excellent. And the story, after seeing the American animations, which by and large seem to poke fun at the American popular culture (latest in this guilty list is Shrek 2; I haven't seen The Incredibles to form an opinion about it), the simple family tale was quite a welcome. Highly recommended.
And speaking of movies, I have observed that none of the Kill Bill movies have been released, even though they are available on video legit. I wonder why?
First, it's Heavenly Creatures by Peter Jackson. Based on the true account of two girls in New Zealand who murdered on of their parent becaase she tried to separate them, it is a grim tale. But to the credit of the director, the tale is told in a very interesting manner. It's clear from the amount of the research that has gone on into the story (the imdb entry says that Peter Jackson the actual diary of one of the girls was used as a reference). This was also Kate Winselt's first movie role, and she really comes off as a competent actress. here.
This was also PJ's only fifth film, but it does not seem like it. In fact, it comes of as a work of someone very experienced. Notice the dream sequence, where Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet (Kate) make up their dream worlds, full of kings, queens and knights. All this hides the dark tale of two socially misfit girls who are ready to kill to be togerher. PJ does not duck the subject. In fact, he faces it with gusto.
The second movie I saw was Spirited Away, the 2002 animated offering from Japan (I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I love all things Japan!). It is a complete family entertainment, about a little girl who is stuck in the land of spirits, and how she rescues her parents, who have been turned into pigs. The animation work was excellent. And the story, after seeing the American animations, which by and large seem to poke fun at the American popular culture (latest in this guilty list is Shrek 2; I haven't seen The Incredibles to form an opinion about it), the simple family tale was quite a welcome. Highly recommended.
And speaking of movies, I have observed that none of the Kill Bill movies have been released, even though they are available on video legit. I wonder why?
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Update On Pushing Up my Site Listing on Google...
Yahoo!! (or should it be google!!!!!) A web search of Sweet Demon on Google finds my site listed onteh top, but alas, it is listed on another site, this one a compilation of Arab sites. My own blog comes in fourth, which is an improvement on the fifth position I had the last time I checked.
In other news, life goes on....
In other news, life goes on....
Friday, December 10, 2004
It's Raining...
It is raining today. And heavily. Hmmm, desert rain. December rain.
The traffic moved rather slowly on the streets, and my usualy half-hour/25-minute dinner break turned into an one-and-a-half-hour break!!
The rain has got me thinking, I have livd in this desert for such a long time, but I have never seen a desert rain... Must be good. Desert, Rain...Rain, Desert. Two opposites meeting together. More so in Umm Said. Desert, Rain and Sea...must be magic... Must find out....
The traffic moved rather slowly on the streets, and my usualy half-hour/25-minute dinner break turned into an one-and-a-half-hour break!!
The rain has got me thinking, I have livd in this desert for such a long time, but I have never seen a desert rain... Must be good. Desert, Rain...Rain, Desert. Two opposites meeting together. More so in Umm Said. Desert, Rain and Sea...must be magic... Must find out....
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Manhoos...
For the past week, I have been taking cold showers. The geyser in my apt is not working, so I am stuck to taking ice cold showers. And to top it off, we are having water problems in our apt. The motor is acting cranky, and I can't make sense of it.
In fact, this has been happening since my flatmate came. What can I say, he is manhoos. Manhoos Mustafa.
In fact, this has been happening since my flatmate came. What can I say, he is manhoos. Manhoos Mustafa.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Random Thoughts...
A Random Discovery: While jogging, don't listen to fast music. Maybe something slow and rhythmic, but never fast music. I discovered this to my peril, when I ran to 'Aisa Jadoo' from Khakee. suddenly, my heart was beating faster than needed for pumping blood, and I was short of breath and had a burning sensation in my heart. I switched off my iPod, and continued to run. Better to listen to nature sounds than the sound of music, I say. But some music during the push-up and sit-up does help.
Christmas is roughly 12 days away, but already, things are lighting up in Doha. The City Center has even put up a large tree there, all decked up with lights. But to make it a little less Christmas-like, the tree is conical, and has deers and other animals around it. Will try to post a picture of it if possible.
I am wondering, how long before they start lighting diyas there for Diwali?
Christmas is roughly 12 days away, but already, things are lighting up in Doha. The City Center has even put up a large tree there, all decked up with lights. But to make it a little less Christmas-like, the tree is conical, and has deers and other animals around it. Will try to post a picture of it if possible.
I am wondering, how long before they start lighting diyas there for Diwali?
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Mithun? Akshay Kumar???
Saturday. At the office. Same old story.
Yesterday, Jinu and I went to play pool. I have given a name to a particualr shot at pool. Thats when the player hits the cue ball in such a way that the ball, instead of hitting the numbered ball, jumps right over them. I call this shot the Mithun Shot, in honor of the great Mithun Chakraborty. Well, yesterday, Jinu did a completely different kind of shot. He hit the cue ball, and it hit the wall of the table and did a backflip over the other balls. So what should I call this shot, huh? The Akshay Kumar Shot?? Or maybe the Chiranjeevi Shot? Or how about the Rajinkant Shot?
And speaking of Mithun, here's a page where they are discussing who is a better actor, Mithun or SRK? My vote goes to Mithun.
Yesterday, Jinu and I went to play pool. I have given a name to a particualr shot at pool. Thats when the player hits the cue ball in such a way that the ball, instead of hitting the numbered ball, jumps right over them. I call this shot the Mithun Shot, in honor of the great Mithun Chakraborty. Well, yesterday, Jinu did a completely different kind of shot. He hit the cue ball, and it hit the wall of the table and did a backflip over the other balls. So what should I call this shot, huh? The Akshay Kumar Shot?? Or maybe the Chiranjeevi Shot? Or how about the Rajinkant Shot?
And speaking of Mithun, here's a page where they are discussing who is a better actor, Mithun or SRK? My vote goes to Mithun.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Long Time...
Long time no write. Actually, its only two days since I last posted, but frankly, the novelty of blogging seems to be fading. What do I write??
I have got a new flatmate. He is a Lebanese guy named Mustafa. Pretty ok guy, actually. I don't like him. Just gives off too much attitude. But it's ok, since we rarely meet. I am out in the morning when he is asleep, and he is still sleeping when I return for lunch. And he also watches tv quite a lot, and fall aslep in front of it.
The last two days, I have had lots of work to do. Maybe the office has decided to work me off in my final days. Six whole pages of work to be translated!!!
But me being me, I know how to cut corners...
Note: My blog is called Sweet Demon, but googling sweet demon puts my blog on the 4th position. The top sweet demon is a story written by someone on a college website. Must push up my page ranking, so here goes:
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
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sweetdemon.blogspot.com
I have got a new flatmate. He is a Lebanese guy named Mustafa. Pretty ok guy, actually. I don't like him. Just gives off too much attitude. But it's ok, since we rarely meet. I am out in the morning when he is asleep, and he is still sleeping when I return for lunch. And he also watches tv quite a lot, and fall aslep in front of it.
The last two days, I have had lots of work to do. Maybe the office has decided to work me off in my final days. Six whole pages of work to be translated!!!
But me being me, I know how to cut corners...
Note: My blog is called Sweet Demon, but googling sweet demon puts my blog on the 4th position. The top sweet demon is a story written by someone on a college website. Must push up my page ranking, so here goes:
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
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sweetdemon.blogspot.com
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sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
sweetdemon.blogspot.com
Monday, November 29, 2004
Some Notes...
Some notes on the top 500 songs in the Rolling Stone magazine:
* Abba at 171 with Dancing Queen. Howz that possible?? I guess that Abba were not really that big in the US and they were more of a Euro thing, but still, why 171? It is a good song, nice, catchy.
* Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody comes in a no. 163. Can you believe that?? I aks the Rolling Stone guys to listen to it again. So operatic, so multi-layered, a sound experiment for its time.
* The recording of Bohemian Rhapsody taxed the recording technology of it's time so much, that some tapes became virtually transparent from being overdubbed so many times.
* Bee Gees are at 189 with Stayin' Alive. Come on, this song had a cultural impact, not only in US, but also around the world. India can thank that song for Disco Dancer. I know Mithun-da would.
* Born in the USA at no. 275. 'nuff said.
* No George Michael. Has everyone forgotten Careless Whispers already? And for the matter, no Wham! as well. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go anyone?
* Eric Clapton is here with Tears in Heaven, which is a good number, but what about Cocaine?
* I couldn't find any mention of Eminem on the list.
* The list is, according to the article, "a celebration of the greatest rock & roll songs of all time". But the list has everything fro mbluse, to Hip Hop to Disco t oRegge. Which again brings me to the question - What is Rock???
* Abba at 171 with Dancing Queen. Howz that possible?? I guess that Abba were not really that big in the US and they were more of a Euro thing, but still, why 171? It is a good song, nice, catchy.
* Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody comes in a no. 163. Can you believe that?? I aks the Rolling Stone guys to listen to it again. So operatic, so multi-layered, a sound experiment for its time.
* The recording of Bohemian Rhapsody taxed the recording technology of it's time so much, that some tapes became virtually transparent from being overdubbed so many times.
* Bee Gees are at 189 with Stayin' Alive. Come on, this song had a cultural impact, not only in US, but also around the world. India can thank that song for Disco Dancer. I know Mithun-da would.
* Born in the USA at no. 275. 'nuff said.
* No George Michael. Has everyone forgotten Careless Whispers already? And for the matter, no Wham! as well. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go anyone?
* Eric Clapton is here with Tears in Heaven, which is a good number, but what about Cocaine?
* I couldn't find any mention of Eminem on the list.
* The list is, according to the article, "a celebration of the greatest rock & roll songs of all time". But the list has everything fro mbluse, to Hip Hop to Disco t oRegge. Which again brings me to the question - What is Rock???
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind...
I was working again, yesterday, but that's another story...
I recently saw a good movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I highly recommend it to those who haven't seen till now. The story is quite known, so no point in telling it again. But what interested me was the whole idea behind the film, namely, you can choose to forget someone, but can you choose to fall in or out of love with him/her??
The movie begins with Jim Carey going to office on a Valentine's day in the morning, and discovering that his car is damaged. He is forced to take the subway, where he meets Kate Winslet. They are pole apart from each other, him being the cautious type, and her being the impulsive one. But they click. The story then shifts to Jim Carey crying in is car 'cos Kate has left him, and chosen to forget him and erase his memories from her brain through a medical procedure. In retaliation, he too chooses to erase her memories from his brain. What follows is the major part of the story, which takes place during one night. As Jim Carey is sleeping, two technicians come over to his apartment and systematically erase all the memories from his brain. We get a glimpse of all the memories that he Jim Carey had with Kate. About their trip to the beach, about how they fought at the flea market, their trip to the drive-in...
And we also learn how one of the technicians, played by Mr. Frodo himself, has fallen for Kate, and has in fact stolen Jim Carey's identity, and is using his memories with Kate to woo her. Kate, on her part, is quite impressed by the fact that he seems to like a lot of things that she does, but then is also perturbed at how he always seems to hit the bullseye with her, saying the right thing, doing the right thing. In short, there seems to be no passion in what he does, just clockwork precision. To whatever she says, he seems to have the right answer. We also learn how the office intern, played by Kirsten Dunst, had fallen for the head doctor and then chosen to have her memory removed when this didn't turn out well.
During the night, Jim Carey decided the the doesn't want to have Kate's memory erased, as he has realised how much he loves her. But its too late, and he tries in vain to save at least one of her memory by saving it with some other memory.
As the day breaks, the memory erasing is successful, and Jim Carey is not left with any memory of Kate at all. Here the movie proceeds as it had in the begining, and then the penny drops - the story telling was not a linear one, but rather, very non-linear. When Jim actually met Kate at the begining of the movie, it was after he had erased her memory. But still, when they met again, they hit it off, and were a couple again, which again brings us to the premise of the entire movie, namely, you can choose to erase a person's memory from your mind, but can you erase that person from your heart? Both Jim and Kate chose to forget each other, but when they met again, they were attracted to each otehr. Same way, Kirsten too got all the memories of the head doctor erased from her memory, but that didn't stop her from being attracted to him even later.
Many-a-times, we say that we want to forget someone whom we love, or wish we had never met that person at all, but is it really that easy? Will forgetting someone completely really help? What about heart matters? In the end, the movie really lays down rather conventional ideas, the type that we usually see in teh Meg Ryam rom-coms, but under the penmanship of Charlie Kaufman, the story gets a very good treatment.
I also like the other Kaufman-scripted movie, Adaptation. But while that movie was pretty out-there in it's narration, this one is more easier on the brain. Hmm...maybe love is easier to understand than identity (adaptation was about one's identity).
All in all, I highly recommend this movie.
I recently saw a good movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I highly recommend it to those who haven't seen till now. The story is quite known, so no point in telling it again. But what interested me was the whole idea behind the film, namely, you can choose to forget someone, but can you choose to fall in or out of love with him/her??
The movie begins with Jim Carey going to office on a Valentine's day in the morning, and discovering that his car is damaged. He is forced to take the subway, where he meets Kate Winslet. They are pole apart from each other, him being the cautious type, and her being the impulsive one. But they click. The story then shifts to Jim Carey crying in is car 'cos Kate has left him, and chosen to forget him and erase his memories from her brain through a medical procedure. In retaliation, he too chooses to erase her memories from his brain. What follows is the major part of the story, which takes place during one night. As Jim Carey is sleeping, two technicians come over to his apartment and systematically erase all the memories from his brain. We get a glimpse of all the memories that he Jim Carey had with Kate. About their trip to the beach, about how they fought at the flea market, their trip to the drive-in...
And we also learn how one of the technicians, played by Mr. Frodo himself, has fallen for Kate, and has in fact stolen Jim Carey's identity, and is using his memories with Kate to woo her. Kate, on her part, is quite impressed by the fact that he seems to like a lot of things that she does, but then is also perturbed at how he always seems to hit the bullseye with her, saying the right thing, doing the right thing. In short, there seems to be no passion in what he does, just clockwork precision. To whatever she says, he seems to have the right answer. We also learn how the office intern, played by Kirsten Dunst, had fallen for the head doctor and then chosen to have her memory removed when this didn't turn out well.
During the night, Jim Carey decided the the doesn't want to have Kate's memory erased, as he has realised how much he loves her. But its too late, and he tries in vain to save at least one of her memory by saving it with some other memory.
As the day breaks, the memory erasing is successful, and Jim Carey is not left with any memory of Kate at all. Here the movie proceeds as it had in the begining, and then the penny drops - the story telling was not a linear one, but rather, very non-linear. When Jim actually met Kate at the begining of the movie, it was after he had erased her memory. But still, when they met again, they hit it off, and were a couple again, which again brings us to the premise of the entire movie, namely, you can choose to erase a person's memory from your mind, but can you erase that person from your heart? Both Jim and Kate chose to forget each other, but when they met again, they were attracted to each otehr. Same way, Kirsten too got all the memories of the head doctor erased from her memory, but that didn't stop her from being attracted to him even later.
Many-a-times, we say that we want to forget someone whom we love, or wish we had never met that person at all, but is it really that easy? Will forgetting someone completely really help? What about heart matters? In the end, the movie really lays down rather conventional ideas, the type that we usually see in teh Meg Ryam rom-coms, but under the penmanship of Charlie Kaufman, the story gets a very good treatment.
I also like the other Kaufman-scripted movie, Adaptation. But while that movie was pretty out-there in it's narration, this one is more easier on the brain. Hmm...maybe love is easier to understand than identity (adaptation was about one's identity).
All in all, I highly recommend this movie.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Working On Friday...
Life is maya. I know that. Ok, I don't know that, but I am supposed to know that. What I do know is maya, is my weekly holidays. It's friday, my day off, and once again, I am in my office, updating the site. On the tele, an interview with Shashi Kapoor is going on, and its really interesting. Love it. A really interesting guy. Still the charmer.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Ambani/Kanchi...
The Ambani saga seems to be headed downhill. Latest is that hte mother has refused to intervene, saying that she doesn't know much about the business. And in her place, all sorts of people have started advice to the brothers, the worst being politicians. Forgodssake, what have politicians to do with this?? The moment they butt their heads in, things go downhill.
Talking of politicians and tings going downhill, ahve you seen the latest twist in the Kanchi Seer saga? It seems that one of the main witnesses has recanted, and said that the confessions were taken under duress. What else can we expect from the Karnataka police? Remember the DMK saga arrest? And speaking of DMK, it seems that the main accused is a DMK man. No wonder the DMK is singing a different tune. And its really sad that when a politician gets arrested, he is given a five star treatement by the police, with him being sent to the hospital at the slightest ache, and here, a 70-year old holy man who is a diabetic is not being accorded any special treatement. This really sickens me.
Talking of politicians and tings going downhill, ahve you seen the latest twist in the Kanchi Seer saga? It seems that one of the main witnesses has recanted, and said that the confessions were taken under duress. What else can we expect from the Karnataka police? Remember the DMK saga arrest? And speaking of DMK, it seems that the main accused is a DMK man. No wonder the DMK is singing a different tune. And its really sad that when a politician gets arrested, he is given a five star treatement by the police, with him being sent to the hospital at the slightest ache, and here, a 70-year old holy man who is a diabetic is not being accorded any special treatement. This really sickens me.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
The Best Songs...
The Rolling Stone Magazine has done it again!! They have gone ahead and compiled a list of 500 greatest songs. And surprise, surprise, the best song of all times, based on reader feedback, is 'Like A Rolling Stone' by Bob Dylan (a bit of an ego thing there, I say), followed by '(I can't get no)Satisfaction' by Rolling Stones (the ego thing again??!!??) and 'Imagine' by John Lennon. Now don't get me wrong, but I think that by sheer amount of air play, 'Imagine' should have been on top. Any peace rally, any college fest in India, and this song just pops up.
And surprisingly, the best Beatles number is 'Hey Jude'!! What happened to 'Across The Universe', 'Elanor Rigby' and others??
Point ot be noted here, that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is the only song from post 90s to make it to the list. Maybe this is an indicator of the decline of the quality of music. And Abba don't make it anywhere near the top.
And yes, Jinu, your fav. song comes in a no. 31. Take heart.
And surprisingly, the best Beatles number is 'Hey Jude'!! What happened to 'Across The Universe', 'Elanor Rigby' and others??
Point ot be noted here, that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is the only song from post 90s to make it to the list. Maybe this is an indicator of the decline of the quality of music. And Abba don't make it anywhere near the top.
And yes, Jinu, your fav. song comes in a no. 31. Take heart.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Reliance...
On Friday, while Jinu and I were playing pool, the conversation drifted to statements made by Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, that there were differences between him and his brother, Anil. Jinu commented on how sad it was that the two brothers were fighting with each other over the control of the company, while I dismissed it as a minor power struggle and the soon, things will sort themselves out. But now it seems that the matter is more serious than I anticipated it to be. Already, their mother is jumping into the foray, trying to setle things, and also, it seems, the Ambani sisters were in town too. This leads me to wonder - did the Ambani boys have sisters??!!??
But coming back ot the issue, it seems that the matter is not going away so easily. Anile will makea statement about it in the next 48 hours. It seems that Dhirubhai did not leave a will, but he did divide the work among the brothers neatly. While Mukesh managed the companies, Anil managed the finances. Anil is also looking after the upcoming reliance projects like the setting up what is being touted as the world's largest gas-based power project in Uttar Pradesh. So the work is more or less evenly divided between the brothers. In such a scenario, the need for a will is not really that necessary.
On my part, I have a feeling that the media is really playing up the story. Yes, Mukesh is right, that this is a matter of the public domain, and should not in anyway affect the company, given that the brothers have their works cut out for them. But the media always loves a good story.
The markets, too have been too jittery in my opinion, towards the whole saga. What difference will a difference of opinion cause to the markets? You have to give it to the brothers, that whatever their differences, they are thorough professionals. They would never do anything that would in anyway harm the company. After all, they are Gujjus!!
The differences, in my opinion, should be viewed in a constructive manner, and not in a destructive manner. These differences will guide the company in a newer direction. And given the brothers' professionalism, you can bet that that they will choose the right direction, come what may. The Reliance Empire is moving away from Dhirubhai Era to a Mukesh-Anil Era. Heres to a great Era.
The king is dead, long live the Kings!
But coming back ot the issue, it seems that the matter is not going away so easily. Anile will makea statement about it in the next 48 hours. It seems that Dhirubhai did not leave a will, but he did divide the work among the brothers neatly. While Mukesh managed the companies, Anil managed the finances. Anil is also looking after the upcoming reliance projects like the setting up what is being touted as the world's largest gas-based power project in Uttar Pradesh. So the work is more or less evenly divided between the brothers. In such a scenario, the need for a will is not really that necessary.
On my part, I have a feeling that the media is really playing up the story. Yes, Mukesh is right, that this is a matter of the public domain, and should not in anyway affect the company, given that the brothers have their works cut out for them. But the media always loves a good story.
The markets, too have been too jittery in my opinion, towards the whole saga. What difference will a difference of opinion cause to the markets? You have to give it to the brothers, that whatever their differences, they are thorough professionals. They would never do anything that would in anyway harm the company. After all, they are Gujjus!!
The differences, in my opinion, should be viewed in a constructive manner, and not in a destructive manner. These differences will guide the company in a newer direction. And given the brothers' professionalism, you can bet that that they will choose the right direction, come what may. The Reliance Empire is moving away from Dhirubhai Era to a Mukesh-Anil Era. Heres to a great Era.
The king is dead, long live the Kings!
Monday, November 22, 2004
Downloading...
One outcome of my pruchasing the iPod has been that I have started downloading mp3s from the net. I have found a site on the net from where one can download Hindi songs. And not just the songs that I am currently listening to, but also ones that I used to listen to. For example, I am now downloading songs by Nazia Hassan (remember her??)!!! I have two songs by her now, Disco Deewane, and Mera Dil Ro Raha Hai. But these are really worth it.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Did I Have a Weekend?...
Did I have a weekend? I think not. Two days, supposedly off, but I was in the office for both of them. Ok, so I got out early, but that doesn't count. I shouldn't have been in the office in the first place. Boo.
Saturday Night...
It's Saturday night, and I am in office. In fact, I was in office yesterday as well, and both are my off days. I am still working sseven days a week, but on my off days, I get to leave early, that's all. I really need a vacation.
Yesterday, I saw Rocky 4, and I realised something - it's a pucca Hindi movie!!! It's a revenge drama, with an evil villian, a goody hero who is also an underdog, and to top that, there are two whole songs in the movie!!! One is the James Brown song 'Living in America', which comes just before Apollo Creed fights Draga, and the other is 'No Easy Way Out', when Sly has a fight with his wife and drives out of the house. These songs can easily it into a Hindi movie. Replace 'Living in America' with 'Aa Dekhen Zara' from the Indian Rocky, and 'No Easy Way Out' with 'Yudh Kar' from Yudh or 'Intequam Loonga' from Main Intequam Lunga. Yeah!!!
Yesterday, I saw Rocky 4, and I realised something - it's a pucca Hindi movie!!! It's a revenge drama, with an evil villian, a goody hero who is also an underdog, and to top that, there are two whole songs in the movie!!! One is the James Brown song 'Living in America', which comes just before Apollo Creed fights Draga, and the other is 'No Easy Way Out', when Sly has a fight with his wife and drives out of the house. These songs can easily it into a Hindi movie. Replace 'Living in America' with 'Aa Dekhen Zara' from the Indian Rocky, and 'No Easy Way Out' with 'Yudh Kar' from Yudh or 'Intequam Loonga' from Main Intequam Lunga. Yeah!!!
Thursday, November 18, 2004
I-Pod And Packaging...
I just can't keep gushing about my i-pod!! Seriously, the Apple guys know how to package a product. Right from teh packaging, a plaing while cub with the pisture of the i-pod, ot the innards, when you slide it open to reveal another whie box, which splits into two like a book, to reveal the i-pod on one side, and the ear phones and the USB and Firewire cables on the other. Groovy.
I repeat, the Apple guys really know how to package a product. So do the Nokia guys. The packaging of my Nokia phone was equally good, with a simple image over a greyish box. And the word Nokia and the model no. Groovy once again.
Speaking of mobile phones, my Nokia is giving me problems. It's camera is not working, for the second time now. The first time around, the Nokia guys changed it, but then it went bonkers again. I don't actually use the phone that much, but I still would like to have it in a working condition.
And a thought has just struck me. I now have a digital camera, a digital video camera, an IRDA phone, and mp3 players with a USB and Firewire connetion, and I don't have a computer which should act as a hub for these these things!!! I should buy a comp, but it seems like such a useless purchase...
In current affairs, I am quite disturbed by the entire Kanchi Seer affair. First, a holy man is being accused of a crime. Second, the entire matter is being made into a political issue, with politicians taking different sides to the issue. If the Seer is innocent, let him fight it out alone, without taking help of the opportunistic politicians. After all, he should it better than any of us that Satyamev Jayate.
I repeat, the Apple guys really know how to package a product. So do the Nokia guys. The packaging of my Nokia phone was equally good, with a simple image over a greyish box. And the word Nokia and the model no. Groovy once again.
Speaking of mobile phones, my Nokia is giving me problems. It's camera is not working, for the second time now. The first time around, the Nokia guys changed it, but then it went bonkers again. I don't actually use the phone that much, but I still would like to have it in a working condition.
And a thought has just struck me. I now have a digital camera, a digital video camera, an IRDA phone, and mp3 players with a USB and Firewire connetion, and I don't have a computer which should act as a hub for these these things!!! I should buy a comp, but it seems like such a useless purchase...
In current affairs, I am quite disturbed by the entire Kanchi Seer affair. First, a holy man is being accused of a crime. Second, the entire matter is being made into a political issue, with politicians taking different sides to the issue. If the Seer is innocent, let him fight it out alone, without taking help of the opportunistic politicians. After all, he should it better than any of us that Satyamev Jayate.
I'm Too Cool...
Made another massive purchase today. I bought the i-pod mini! I had gone ot purchase a cheap flash drive for transfering some files, but ended up buying a top-of-the range mp3 player instead. The thing that did it in was the sheer functionality of the thing. It is an mp3 player, a storage device (4 GB!) and a cool fashion statement rolled into one. There were other mp3 players, but they were just not worth the money. less price, but also less disk space. The i-pod beats the price-features combination by a mile. Plus, I get to be cool!!
Moving on, Jinu pointed out the online test to check your political leanings. I came out as closer to Gandhi. I am a Libertarian Leftist! On the economic scale, I am more towards the left, but not entirely. I am not a collectivist. And on the Social front, I tend more toawrds the cneter, but am also slightly leaning towards Libertarianism or anarchy. I guess I am a little wayward :-).
Moving on, Jinu pointed out the online test to check your political leanings. I came out as closer to Gandhi. I am a Libertarian Leftist! On the economic scale, I am more towards the left, but not entirely. I am not a collectivist. And on the Social front, I tend more toawrds the cneter, but am also slightly leaning towards Libertarianism or anarchy. I guess I am a little wayward :-).
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Decisions, Decisions...
I am in two minds.
Bride and Prejudice is playing in theaters right now, and I can't decide whether to watch it or not. Part of me wants to (because of Aishwarya Rai) and part of me doesn't (because of Aishwarya Rai). So what to do?
I have two choices in front of me. Choice one, I watch only half the movie. Choice two, I watch the entire movie, but with one eye closed. That ways, I would have watched it as well as not watched it.
Decisions, decisions...
Am I diplomatic or what??
Bride and Prejudice is playing in theaters right now, and I can't decide whether to watch it or not. Part of me wants to (because of Aishwarya Rai) and part of me doesn't (because of Aishwarya Rai). So what to do?
I have two choices in front of me. Choice one, I watch only half the movie. Choice two, I watch the entire movie, but with one eye closed. That ways, I would have watched it as well as not watched it.
Decisions, decisions...
Am I diplomatic or what??
Winter Has Come...
I rained again. This time, hard. The raindrops were actually pounding my car as I drove!! It was nice.
As a result of the rains, winter has finally arrived in Qatar. There is a cold breeze blowing nowadays. The mornings are hot, though.
My last post was too literal/boring, I know, but that's cos I was too tired to think too. In fact, I again had a 9/10 hour sleep yesterday. I was again dead to the world. And Jinu pal, sorry, better luck next time. You called me too late to disturb my sleep. I was already awake, and had even had my lunch till then.
So anyways, I will have to throw away the kheer. It's a bit odd tasting. Some introspection, and a retrial are required.
As a result of the rains, winter has finally arrived in Qatar. There is a cold breeze blowing nowadays. The mornings are hot, though.
My last post was too literal/boring, I know, but that's cos I was too tired to think too. In fact, I again had a 9/10 hour sleep yesterday. I was again dead to the world. And Jinu pal, sorry, better luck next time. You called me too late to disturb my sleep. I was already awake, and had even had my lunch till then.
So anyways, I will have to throw away the kheer. It's a bit odd tasting. Some introspection, and a retrial are required.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Post Diwali...
So I am back after two days of holidays!!
Well, not really. I did not have a two-day holiday this time around. I had to come to office on both days to post some stories. And on Friday, I was in the office till 4 am.
So how was your Diwali? I had a prety hectic one. I got back from office at around 3:30 am, and went ot sleep at round 5:30 am. Woke up at 8:30, with the intention of doing some Diwali cleaning around the house, which didn't begin till around 11:30, cos I did not have the tools to do the cleaning, and also the inredients to make hte Diwali meal.
The Diwali meal was aloo-baingan rasedaar sabzi, bhindi ki sabzi, puri and kheer. Had great hopes riding on these. But like mummyji has said, when one makes a meal with a lot of expectation, it will get spoilt. The kheer turned out a little ok, but since the rice was old, I guess it did not become soft so easily. As for the veggies, I ran out of haldi powder, and had to put in garam masala and a curry masala that I found. this juut made the taste of the whole thing different. Different but interesting, and good.
The puris were a different matter altogether. They turned out to be a little hard. Hard, but good.
I had my lunch at 6:30 pm!! And after that, just I was getting ready to catch some sleep at around 8:30, my phone rings, and I have to go to office 'cos we had two stories to upload. Some Diwali this!!
I was in the office till 4 in the morning, and went ot sleep at 6:30...only to wake up at 5:30 om!!Yes, I slept all through Eid!! Only to be called at the office again at 8 for a story to be uploaded.
Did manage to catch some pool with Jinu till 2:30 am, and then back home. After that, I couldn't sleep, and its been nearly 28 hours since I slept!! and the funny part is, I still don't feel too sleepy. Maybe all those cups of coffee that I had are starting to have their effect!! I am just two hours away from ending my shift, and I cant wait to go to sleep. This will be one long, deep sleep, I think.
Well, not really. I did not have a two-day holiday this time around. I had to come to office on both days to post some stories. And on Friday, I was in the office till 4 am.
So how was your Diwali? I had a prety hectic one. I got back from office at around 3:30 am, and went ot sleep at round 5:30 am. Woke up at 8:30, with the intention of doing some Diwali cleaning around the house, which didn't begin till around 11:30, cos I did not have the tools to do the cleaning, and also the inredients to make hte Diwali meal.
The Diwali meal was aloo-baingan rasedaar sabzi, bhindi ki sabzi, puri and kheer. Had great hopes riding on these. But like mummyji has said, when one makes a meal with a lot of expectation, it will get spoilt. The kheer turned out a little ok, but since the rice was old, I guess it did not become soft so easily. As for the veggies, I ran out of haldi powder, and had to put in garam masala and a curry masala that I found. this juut made the taste of the whole thing different. Different but interesting, and good.
The puris were a different matter altogether. They turned out to be a little hard. Hard, but good.
I had my lunch at 6:30 pm!! And after that, just I was getting ready to catch some sleep at around 8:30, my phone rings, and I have to go to office 'cos we had two stories to upload. Some Diwali this!!
I was in the office till 4 in the morning, and went ot sleep at 6:30...only to wake up at 5:30 om!!Yes, I slept all through Eid!! Only to be called at the office again at 8 for a story to be uploaded.
Did manage to catch some pool with Jinu till 2:30 am, and then back home. After that, I couldn't sleep, and its been nearly 28 hours since I slept!! and the funny part is, I still don't feel too sleepy. Maybe all those cups of coffee that I had are starting to have their effect!! I am just two hours away from ending my shift, and I cant wait to go to sleep. This will be one long, deep sleep, I think.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
HAPPY DIWALI AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!
A BELATED BUT A VERY HAPPY DIWALI AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE TO EVERYONE!!!
Regular post tomorrow.
Regular post tomorrow.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Culinary Adventures...
A new Culinary adventure today. I made chicken!! Yes, my first attempt at a non-veg dish. And I must say, I did manage to ace it t osome extent. Here's the low-down on it:
* I goofed up during the cutting of chicken. Cut it up into large pieces. And also, ill shaped ones. The result was that a lot of meat was thrown away, as I could not cut it up properly.
* I used too much oil. To begin with, the quantity was ok, but afterwards, I just added a little more, and then it became a lot.
* Due to a lack of a mixer grinder in the house, I could not make a paste of all spices, and had to add the onions, garlic and ginger in small pieces. As a result, the taste was not uniform throughout.
* I forgot to marinate the chicken. Because of that, I had to let it burn ofr a little longer, just to make it tender.
All these being taken into account, I am pretty pleased with the final outcome. By being harsh and stingy with points on myself, I give myself 6.5 out of 10 for the effort. The next effort will be dealt with more thoroughly, and with more preparation.
Moving on, my office treated us with chocolates today. Rather, they kept a box of chocolates with nuts in them for us to eat. The chocolates were the expensive ones, and good. I had those with tea, and believe me, tea and chocolates is a very good combo. Someday I'll try coffee and chocolates.
* I goofed up during the cutting of chicken. Cut it up into large pieces. And also, ill shaped ones. The result was that a lot of meat was thrown away, as I could not cut it up properly.
* I used too much oil. To begin with, the quantity was ok, but afterwards, I just added a little more, and then it became a lot.
* Due to a lack of a mixer grinder in the house, I could not make a paste of all spices, and had to add the onions, garlic and ginger in small pieces. As a result, the taste was not uniform throughout.
* I forgot to marinate the chicken. Because of that, I had to let it burn ofr a little longer, just to make it tender.
All these being taken into account, I am pretty pleased with the final outcome. By being harsh and stingy with points on myself, I give myself 6.5 out of 10 for the effort. The next effort will be dealt with more thoroughly, and with more preparation.
Moving on, my office treated us with chocolates today. Rather, they kept a box of chocolates with nuts in them for us to eat. The chocolates were the expensive ones, and good. I had those with tea, and believe me, tea and chocolates is a very good combo. Someday I'll try coffee and chocolates.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Sunny/Accent...
For the last one week, I was driving a rental car, as my car was at the mechanic (routine work before selling it off). I drove a Nissan Sunny, which was a powerful than the Accent. I was quite enjoying it, actually. Power steering, automatic gear, (I think) 2 liter engine, it was fun. The downside was that the speakers on that car were horrible. But I degress..
Anyways, I got my car back today, and suddenly, I felt that I was driving a bachcha car. I mean, its so light, so fragile...But I thoroghly enojyed the ride. While the Sunny has all the power, it could be a brute at times. The Accnet, on the other hand, is quite tame, and cruise worthy. Plus, the sound it makes is better. But I am sold to the power steering. My next car will have a power steering.
Anyways, I got my car back today, and suddenly, I felt that I was driving a bachcha car. I mean, its so light, so fragile...But I thoroghly enojyed the ride. While the Sunny has all the power, it could be a brute at times. The Accnet, on the other hand, is quite tame, and cruise worthy. Plus, the sound it makes is better. But I am sold to the power steering. My next car will have a power steering.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
The Remaining Pictures...
Here are the last of the pics I had taken during my early moring drive through the fog.
The Doha Corniche
I really like this one
The Doha Corniche again
The Doha-Umm Said/Messaid road
A mound near the Umm Said/Messaid beach
This one I took in my apartment. It didn't come out as well as I expected it to.
The Doha Corniche
I really like this one
The Doha Corniche again
The Doha-Umm Said/Messaid road
A mound near the Umm Said/Messaid beach
This one I took in my apartment. It didn't come out as well as I expected it to.
So Defeating...
This is so defeating. Mark LeVine, History, University of California, Irvine, writes on the Juan Cole in a piece on the recent election of George W. Bush titled "We're all Israelis Now", in which he compares India to a "criminal nation" (eighth paragraph). To quote him:
Is the Kashmir insurgency perceived as such? Has Pakistan succeeded in its media wars, to portray India as a colonizer? Sad.
In the second part of this observation, the one about the possible US-India-Israel axis, I fully agree that it is a distinct possibility. In fact, the last BJP/NDA government was working towards such an end. But I don't support it on a matter of principles. It is common wisdom that common enemies do not make good friends. An enemy of my enemy is not my friend. Also, in such an axis, India has a lot to lose, cos firstly, it has a large Muslim population which cannot be ignored. Secondly, in such triumvate, India will be the junior-most partner, it being the least advanced of the three. It will be forced to do the dirty laundry, the footwork, while US and Israel jointly call the shots. Given India's strategic position in the region, I feel it should ask for a bigger portion of the pie. And thirdly, and most importantly, the Islamophobia that will be the basis of such a coming together completely wrong. Don't forget that George Bush is a conservative Christian who believes that God is on his side and that the Second Coming is just around the corner, and same is the case with Ariel Sharon, who has extreme right wing views and hopes for the total annihilation the Muslim population in the region. India's views on this do not match with either. For better or for worse, we have always lived side by side with all the communities, and our constant endeavor should be to improve on it, and if not, then atleast maintain the status quo. Going for a radical shift on the Right does not serve India's purpose at all.
"America, in short, has become a criminal nation, and it must be stopped. (Yes, there are many other criminal nations, but aside from Israel how many even have the pretense of democracy? Russia? The Sudan? China? India is perhaps one; and given its sordid occupation of Kashmir it shouldn’t surprise that a US-India-Israel axis of occupation and Islamophobia is one of the most prominent features of the world’s geo-strategic post-9/11 landscape.)"
Is the Kashmir insurgency perceived as such? Has Pakistan succeeded in its media wars, to portray India as a colonizer? Sad.
In the second part of this observation, the one about the possible US-India-Israel axis, I fully agree that it is a distinct possibility. In fact, the last BJP/NDA government was working towards such an end. But I don't support it on a matter of principles. It is common wisdom that common enemies do not make good friends. An enemy of my enemy is not my friend. Also, in such an axis, India has a lot to lose, cos firstly, it has a large Muslim population which cannot be ignored. Secondly, in such triumvate, India will be the junior-most partner, it being the least advanced of the three. It will be forced to do the dirty laundry, the footwork, while US and Israel jointly call the shots. Given India's strategic position in the region, I feel it should ask for a bigger portion of the pie. And thirdly, and most importantly, the Islamophobia that will be the basis of such a coming together completely wrong. Don't forget that George Bush is a conservative Christian who believes that God is on his side and that the Second Coming is just around the corner, and same is the case with Ariel Sharon, who has extreme right wing views and hopes for the total annihilation the Muslim population in the region. India's views on this do not match with either. For better or for worse, we have always lived side by side with all the communities, and our constant endeavor should be to improve on it, and if not, then atleast maintain the status quo. Going for a radical shift on the Right does not serve India's purpose at all.
Monday, November 08, 2004
What A Day...
Its is 12:48 pm right now, and looking back, what a day it has been!!! I slept for more than 12 hours today, with a small break in between, for lunch. I had absolutely nothing to do. Jinu pal, did you just turn green with envy??
Anyways, I was talking about what a day it has been. The more-than-extra sleep is doing things to my mind, I think. My sense of smell is playing tricks on me. I swear I can smell the rain!!! The wet mud, the moist rain. That, sitting in an air-conditioned room!! And somehow, I feel that when I go out, I'll find it raining!! Not only that, on an online message board I frequent, there was talk about the G-Force cartoons that I loved as a kid. This again brought back memories. Again, what a day!! Hmmm, T think I'll never need drugs to go on mind trip. Just a long sleep, and I'm there.
On another note, have you seen the new SBI life insurance advert? Isn't it cute? It's one of the better ads on Indian tele right now.
Anyways, I was talking about what a day it has been. The more-than-extra sleep is doing things to my mind, I think. My sense of smell is playing tricks on me. I swear I can smell the rain!!! The wet mud, the moist rain. That, sitting in an air-conditioned room!! And somehow, I feel that when I go out, I'll find it raining!! Not only that, on an online message board I frequent, there was talk about the G-Force cartoons that I loved as a kid. This again brought back memories. Again, what a day!! Hmmm, T think I'll never need drugs to go on mind trip. Just a long sleep, and I'm there.
On another note, have you seen the new SBI life insurance advert? Isn't it cute? It's one of the better ads on Indian tele right now.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Corrections...
A few correction in the last post:
* The Nasseruddin Shah article was in the Outlook magazine, and not in Rolling Stone.
* The song is 'Love you to', and not 'Love to you'
* The sitar in the song is played by George Harrison himself, and not Pt. Ravi Shankar. The tabla in it is played by one Anil Bhagwat.
A proper post later.
* The Nasseruddin Shah article was in the Outlook magazine, and not in Rolling Stone.
* The song is 'Love you to', and not 'Love to you'
* The sitar in the song is played by George Harrison himself, and not Pt. Ravi Shankar. The tabla in it is played by one Anil Bhagwat.
A proper post later.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Revolver...
The irrepressible Naseeruddin Shah talks about censorship and the decline of quality films in this article in the Rolling Stone magazine. This guys is gutsy. Worth the read.
I made a music purchase today. I brought Revolver by the Beatles. A really good buy, IMO. The all music site entry on this album reads as follows:
and,
And I truly agree with all that is said there. A casual listening of this ablum reveals how much varied this entire album is, how much ground it covers, from the opening track, the caustic 'Taxman', to the child-like simplicity of 'Yellow Submarine', to the dark and pessimistic opratic style of 'Eleanor Rigby', to the Indian experimentation in 'Love To You' (great sitar there by Pt. Ravi Shankar). This page has a write up on Eleanor Rigby, which is again a good read.
I had purchased the Sgt. Peppers album, but I gave it to Bunny. Now that was another great album. Plenty of experimentation in that too. The range on both these albums is really mindblowing. Owning them both would have been sweet.
Revolver was named as one of 500 best albums by the Rolling Stone magazine, and that's really saying a lot. The entry for the album read something like:
"One fine day, the Beatles decided to take on the rock bands, and blew the competetion away with this album". Sheer experimentation here. The album was ranked 3rd, and Sgt. Peppers was the best album of all times. Here is the list. Bob Dylan comes fourth on the list.
Here is another list, this time the 100 greatest pop songs of all time. It's topped by the Beatles once again. 'Yesterday' is the best pop song. Interestingly, '(I can't get no) Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones is second, and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is third.... These are Pop songs??!!?? Also, the 10th in the list is 'I Want It That Way' by the Back Street Boys!!! What were the Rolling Stone guys thinking when they composed this list???
This brings me to the entire Pop/Rock controversy. I have been searching and searching for an explanation, but no one can yet explain as to where Pop ends, and Rock begins. Sure, there are the pure Pop and pure Rock songs like 'Stayin' Alive' and 'Smoke Over The Water' respectively to name, but where exactly does one end, and the other begin?
But I degress, the Album is a good buy.
I made a music purchase today. I brought Revolver by the Beatles. A really good buy, IMO. The all music site entry on this album reads as follows:
"All the rules fell by the wayside with Revolver, as the Beatles began exploring new sonic territory, lyrical subjects, and styles of composition"
and,
"The biggest miracle of Revolver may be that the Beatles covered so much new stylistic ground and executed it perfectly on one record, or it may be that all of it holds together perfectly. Either way, its daring sonic adventures and consistently stunning songcraft set the standard for what pop/rock could achieve. Even after Sgt. Pepper, Revolver stands as the ultimate modern pop album and it's still as emulated as it was upon its original release"
And I truly agree with all that is said there. A casual listening of this ablum reveals how much varied this entire album is, how much ground it covers, from the opening track, the caustic 'Taxman', to the child-like simplicity of 'Yellow Submarine', to the dark and pessimistic opratic style of 'Eleanor Rigby', to the Indian experimentation in 'Love To You' (great sitar there by Pt. Ravi Shankar). This page has a write up on Eleanor Rigby, which is again a good read.
I had purchased the Sgt. Peppers album, but I gave it to Bunny. Now that was another great album. Plenty of experimentation in that too. The range on both these albums is really mindblowing. Owning them both would have been sweet.
Revolver was named as one of 500 best albums by the Rolling Stone magazine, and that's really saying a lot. The entry for the album read something like:
"One fine day, the Beatles decided to take on the rock bands, and blew the competetion away with this album". Sheer experimentation here. The album was ranked 3rd, and Sgt. Peppers was the best album of all times. Here is the list. Bob Dylan comes fourth on the list.
Here is another list, this time the 100 greatest pop songs of all time. It's topped by the Beatles once again. 'Yesterday' is the best pop song. Interestingly, '(I can't get no) Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones is second, and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is third.... These are Pop songs??!!?? Also, the 10th in the list is 'I Want It That Way' by the Back Street Boys!!! What were the Rolling Stone guys thinking when they composed this list???
This brings me to the entire Pop/Rock controversy. I have been searching and searching for an explanation, but no one can yet explain as to where Pop ends, and Rock begins. Sure, there are the pure Pop and pure Rock songs like 'Stayin' Alive' and 'Smoke Over The Water' respectively to name, but where exactly does one end, and the other begin?
But I degress, the Album is a good buy.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Sushi, Sachchi...
I didn't post yesterday, cos I was very busy. Yes, I ended up being busy yesterday. I had four pages worth of translation to do, and I was working till after office hours. In the end, I just did half the work and publish the story that way. I finishedthe other half today.
Moving on, yesterday, Jinu and I finally had sushi!! And our opinion about it? bleh! It was tasteless to begin with, and the sauce was too strong. More like acidic. Didn't have any particular taste to it, just a strong soya taste to it. Jinu absolutely hate it, but I think I will try it out once more, but at a different place. So that's once target met...
So Bush has won!! I expected him to win, though I don't agree with his views. The thing is, Kerry does not have the charisma. Neither does GW, but he makes up for it by his cockiness. The mood in the office is expectedly very downbeat, though the people in my office didn't actually support Kerry either. They just hated Bush more. People are furiously typing away on their machines, getting worlwide opinion on the event. Me, I'm counting down the hours till my shift finishes.
Moving on, yesterday, Jinu and I finally had sushi!! And our opinion about it? bleh! It was tasteless to begin with, and the sauce was too strong. More like acidic. Didn't have any particular taste to it, just a strong soya taste to it. Jinu absolutely hate it, but I think I will try it out once more, but at a different place. So that's once target met...
So Bush has won!! I expected him to win, though I don't agree with his views. The thing is, Kerry does not have the charisma. Neither does GW, but he makes up for it by his cockiness. The mood in the office is expectedly very downbeat, though the people in my office didn't actually support Kerry either. They just hated Bush more. People are furiously typing away on their machines, getting worlwide opinion on the event. Me, I'm counting down the hours till my shift finishes.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Token Post...
Token post, no substance in it. I didn't get time to compose a proper post today - too busy goofing.
Monday, November 01, 2004
My Replacement Has Been Chosen...
Guddu will be coming to Doha, finally. They are very excited about teh resume that I gave them (AFP, fogrgodssake!!!), and will probabaly call them mid-Nov. Thats' around when I am planning to push from here. Let's see...
On other matters, do you know what a chewbecca defence is? Not many people do. cos its a very geeky term any way. A chewbecca defence is when you confuse the other person by overwhelming him/her with lots of useless information. The usage is not mainstream still. It was used in the animated series South Park.
Similarly, do you know what a fanon is? Fanon is a fact or ongoing situation in fan fiction stories related to a television program, book, movie, or video game that has been used so much by fan writers that it has been more or less established as having happened in the fictional world, but it has not actually been established as having happened on the show, book or movie itself. An example of a fanon is that in James Bond novels, there are only nine 00 agents (001-009). In fact, Ian Fleming mentions a 0010 in his novel, Moonraker and a later book by Raymond Benson mentions a 0012. On a related note, some fanon states that M is in fact the original 001, the first 00-agent; nothing in Fleming supports this.
This, and other such useless things can be found at the wikipedia (there's lots of useful information as well). Check it out.
On other matters, do you know what a chewbecca defence is? Not many people do. cos its a very geeky term any way. A chewbecca defence is when you confuse the other person by overwhelming him/her with lots of useless information. The usage is not mainstream still. It was used in the animated series South Park.
Similarly, do you know what a fanon is? Fanon is a fact or ongoing situation in fan fiction stories related to a television program, book, movie, or video game that has been used so much by fan writers that it has been more or less established as having happened in the fictional world, but it has not actually been established as having happened on the show, book or movie itself. An example of a fanon is that in James Bond novels, there are only nine 00 agents (001-009). In fact, Ian Fleming mentions a 0010 in his novel, Moonraker and a later book by Raymond Benson mentions a 0012. On a related note, some fanon states that M is in fact the original 001, the first 00-agent; nothing in Fleming supports this.
This, and other such useless things can be found at the wikipedia (there's lots of useful information as well). Check it out.
I Am Popular...
I have posted my arabic dress pics online on webshots, and so far, I have had 171 hits...yeah!!!
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Bad Meal...
So we had the Iftar party at the Ritz Carlton today, and the food they served was atrocious!! I don't know that went wrong, but when mom and I had gone there, the food was really good. Today it sucked. I had very little, and the tast still lingers in my mouth.
And now it's finaly-Chotu is not coming to Doha. Seems his mother is looking ot get him married off, so he needs to be there. This is a major loss of face to me in the office. No more Mr. Nice Guy anymore.
Also, feeling very sleepy today. zzzzz.....
Observation Of The Day: Have you noticed, that the size of my postings is rapidly declining? It's not that I don't have less to say now. It's just that my thoughts are dissociated now. The challenge of returning ot India has sunk in, and now my mind runs in different directions, searching to possible scenarios to that move. But all that thinking will not lead me anywhere. Must concentrate. AUM.....
And now it's finaly-Chotu is not coming to Doha. Seems his mother is looking ot get him married off, so he needs to be there. This is a major loss of face to me in the office. No more Mr. Nice Guy anymore.
Also, feeling very sleepy today. zzzzz.....
Observation Of The Day: Have you noticed, that the size of my postings is rapidly declining? It's not that I don't have less to say now. It's just that my thoughts are dissociated now. The challenge of returning ot India has sunk in, and now my mind runs in different directions, searching to possible scenarios to that move. But all that thinking will not lead me anywhere. Must concentrate. AUM.....
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Odds And Ends...
Have you seen the latest ad featuring Jackie Chan? It's good!! I have no idea if it's effective or not, but it sure is funny!! It is a treat to see Jackie Chan in an ad.
Also, I just saw Navjot Sidhu on NDTV-Hindi, and he was yapping away in shudh Hindi!! Looks liek he is taking his membership of BJP seriously.
And Chotu may come to Doha after all.
Also, I just saw Navjot Sidhu on NDTV-Hindi, and he was yapping away in shudh Hindi!! Looks liek he is taking his membership of BJP seriously.
And Chotu may come to Doha after all.
Nothing New To Blog...
Am having a lousy internet connection at he office today, so am not able to surf the net properly.
Chotu has again gone on being unsure about the whole issue. Now I'll get some local person for the job.
Can you believe it, I have nothing new to blog? Has my life become so boring??
Surreal Moment Of the Day: So I was driving in the evening, returning from the Industrial Area. I passed the usual roads, and suddenly, I was viewing those roads in a new light altogether. It just looked like I had never noticed them. They looked so new.
Someone should write a book roads, I say. About how we tend to not look at them, but if we pay attention, the roads are different each and every day, at each and every hour. They change. They get crowded, they are empty, they are clean, they are dirty, they have shattered glass, they reflect the sun, giving one an impression of a mirage. I think roads are a modern day metaphor of life. In the olden days, it was the rivers and in the modern age, it is the roads.
But I digress, that was not my surreal moment. The roads looks so new to me, I began to wonder whether it was only a few months ago that I roamed aimlessly on these streets, discovering. And now, they seemed new again to me.
Very Strange
Chotu has again gone on being unsure about the whole issue. Now I'll get some local person for the job.
Can you believe it, I have nothing new to blog? Has my life become so boring??
Surreal Moment Of the Day: So I was driving in the evening, returning from the Industrial Area. I passed the usual roads, and suddenly, I was viewing those roads in a new light altogether. It just looked like I had never noticed them. They looked so new.
Someone should write a book roads, I say. About how we tend to not look at them, but if we pay attention, the roads are different each and every day, at each and every hour. They change. They get crowded, they are empty, they are clean, they are dirty, they have shattered glass, they reflect the sun, giving one an impression of a mirage. I think roads are a modern day metaphor of life. In the olden days, it was the rivers and in the modern age, it is the roads.
But I digress, that was not my surreal moment. The roads looks so new to me, I began to wonder whether it was only a few months ago that I roamed aimlessly on these streets, discovering. And now, they seemed new again to me.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Good Joke...
Laugh if you understand these joke (I did)
**************
Q: How many Spaniards does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Juan.
**************
Person 1: Knock knock.
Person 2: Who's there?
Person 1: Control freak.
Person 1: Now you say "control freak who?"
**************
A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen.” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “That driver just insulted me!” The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you.”
**************
Buddha walks into a pizza joint and says, "Make me one with everything."
**************
Q. Why can't the Buddha vacuum in the corner?
A. Because he has no attatchments.
**************
Cashier: "That'll be $9.50"
Buddha hands him a ten. Waits. Waits. He says, "Where's my change?"
Cashier replies, "Change must come from within"
**************
A guy walked into a bar and said, "Ow!"
*************
Two cows are standing in a pasture.
The first cow says, "Have you heard about this new mad cow disease?"
The second cow says, "I don't care, I'm a helicopter!"
**************
Q: How many Spaniards does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Juan.
**************
Person 1: Knock knock.
Person 2: Who's there?
Person 1: Control freak.
Person 1: Now you say "control freak who?"
**************
A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen.” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “That driver just insulted me!” The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you.”
**************
Buddha walks into a pizza joint and says, "Make me one with everything."
**************
Q. Why can't the Buddha vacuum in the corner?
A. Because he has no attatchments.
**************
Cashier: "That'll be $9.50"
Buddha hands him a ten. Waits. Waits. He says, "Where's my change?"
Cashier replies, "Change must come from within"
**************
A guy walked into a bar and said, "Ow!"
*************
Two cows are standing in a pasture.
The first cow says, "Have you heard about this new mad cow disease?"
The second cow says, "I don't care, I'm a helicopter!"
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Nice Holidays...
That was good!!! I had a two day off after a long, long time, and it felt good. Weel, to be frank, on the first day, it felt a little odd, and I was a little disoriented. But I reocvered on saturday, and had a good time.
Another new development. Rauf uncle called me up, and wanted to meet me for two days. So finally, when I met him, he offered me a free-lancing job!! He told me that he needs someone who is good in English, to prepare some documents for him. The money seems good, and I am interested. Lets see...
And on the Chotu front, he has delayed the plan of coming here. He has to put in his papers, it seems. If he delays it any further, I am thinking I'll just get someone else.
Another new development. Rauf uncle called me up, and wanted to meet me for two days. So finally, when I met him, he offered me a free-lancing job!! He told me that he needs someone who is good in English, to prepare some documents for him. The money seems good, and I am interested. Lets see...
And on the Chotu front, he has delayed the plan of coming here. He has to put in his papers, it seems. If he delays it any further, I am thinking I'll just get someone else.
Friday, October 22, 2004
Holiday Tomorrow...
The office is keen ot bring Chotu as soon as possible, but I don't thik that will he possible, since he first has to give his one month notice at his place. Its all pretty close for now...
Tomorrow, I will be having my first weekend in MONTHS!! Two whole days of R&R!! Its needed, since I am feeling quite tired today. But this may evaporate, as I may be called to office, since we have been having a lot of work lately. Can't these ministers observe a maun vrat during their fasts??
Collateral is currently playing in the theaters here, so I am going to watch it tomorrow. Plus, Jinu and I are plannig to meet tomorrow, for a marathon pool session. Lets hope I don't get called to the office. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Tomorrow, I will be having my first weekend in MONTHS!! Two whole days of R&R!! Its needed, since I am feeling quite tired today. But this may evaporate, as I may be called to office, since we have been having a lot of work lately. Can't these ministers observe a maun vrat during their fasts??
Collateral is currently playing in the theaters here, so I am going to watch it tomorrow. Plus, Jinu and I are plannig to meet tomorrow, for a marathon pool session. Lets hope I don't get called to the office. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
I Mean Business...
Now that the administration has realised that I mean business when I say that I want to quit, things are going into over-drive to get another person in my place. My immediate boss has been compeltely passed over, and I ahve to report directly to the AGM (Asst. GM, ie). I am submitting Chotu's resume again.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Hooray, Hooray, It's A Holi-Holiday!!!
Met the AGM today, and we tried to reach a settlement regarding my holidays. I can now take Fridays and Saturdays off, but if any news turns up, then I will have to come to the office. The vacation issue still hangs. I am not about to find even one person who is willing to do a translator's job. I think I will submit Chotu's resume once again.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Kahani Mein Twist...
Kahani Mein Twist!!!
The Assistant General Manager came down today. He is a really nice guy. He asked me how things were. I replied they were good. He says, no, they are not, you are leaving. He asked me the reason, and I told him, that since I am not getting my annual leave, I might as well quit. So he has called me to his office tomorrow, to see if we can work things out. But frankly, I am not interested any more. Even if I stay back, I'll be putting in my papers six or eight months down the line, which will not be good for either of us. But I'll go all the same. Lets see...
Realisation of the Day: When Papaji was scolding/explaining to me that it was not right on my part to just go out on an impromptu 5 hour road trip, he used the word 'bohemian' to describe my lifestyle. And suddenly, my mind started playing the song, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen. It was just Pavlovian, my response. Looks like I have programmed my self to break out into that song whenever the word, 'bohemian' is mentioned.
And as Papaji was leaving today, he kept reiterating that I should not go out on such impromptu tours of the city, and that I should get my full sleep. He was too shaken by that incident, it seems. Anyways, Even I am getting tired to these trips. Its just me sitting in my car and driving, safetly (relatively) ensconed in the car, not knowing how the weather is outside.
Now, and bike would be a better deal. When you are driving a bike, its you against the nature. You are clasely interacting with the nature. If the weather's cold, you feel cold, if its hot, you feel the heat. Not so in a car, where the car ac compeltely detaches you from the outside world.
Thats it, I am more of a bike person than a car person.
In other news, Veerappan is killed by the STF commandos. Now, all the money that had been diverted to capturing him will be put to good use.
The Assistant General Manager came down today. He is a really nice guy. He asked me how things were. I replied they were good. He says, no, they are not, you are leaving. He asked me the reason, and I told him, that since I am not getting my annual leave, I might as well quit. So he has called me to his office tomorrow, to see if we can work things out. But frankly, I am not interested any more. Even if I stay back, I'll be putting in my papers six or eight months down the line, which will not be good for either of us. But I'll go all the same. Lets see...
Realisation of the Day: When Papaji was scolding/explaining to me that it was not right on my part to just go out on an impromptu 5 hour road trip, he used the word 'bohemian' to describe my lifestyle. And suddenly, my mind started playing the song, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen. It was just Pavlovian, my response. Looks like I have programmed my self to break out into that song whenever the word, 'bohemian' is mentioned.
And as Papaji was leaving today, he kept reiterating that I should not go out on such impromptu tours of the city, and that I should get my full sleep. He was too shaken by that incident, it seems. Anyways, Even I am getting tired to these trips. Its just me sitting in my car and driving, safetly (relatively) ensconed in the car, not knowing how the weather is outside.
Now, and bike would be a better deal. When you are driving a bike, its you against the nature. You are clasely interacting with the nature. If the weather's cold, you feel cold, if its hot, you feel the heat. Not so in a car, where the car ac compeltely detaches you from the outside world.
Thats it, I am more of a bike person than a car person.
In other news, Veerappan is killed by the STF commandos. Now, all the money that had been diverted to capturing him will be put to good use.
Monday, October 18, 2004
The Pictures...
First things first,
no, I don't think it was dumb to make such a move. What would have been dumb is me not quitting, working seven days a week, and hoping that my bosses got another Hindi language person to help me out here. They should have done that long ago, and since they are not doing this, I am not interested in working for them.
Incidently, I learnt that another of my colleagues is quitting to go to Al Jazeera. J., the Russian guy, is too on a one month notice. He has already brought a replacement for him. Looks like the office will be a different place after a few months...
Moving on,
Here are the pictures:
I'll post a few more bigger ones after I have scaled them down.
injinuity said...
ofcourse it was definitely dumb to make such a move without having a proper backup plan...
no, I don't think it was dumb to make such a move. What would have been dumb is me not quitting, working seven days a week, and hoping that my bosses got another Hindi language person to help me out here. They should have done that long ago, and since they are not doing this, I am not interested in working for them.
Incidently, I learnt that another of my colleagues is quitting to go to Al Jazeera. J., the Russian guy, is too on a one month notice. He has already brought a replacement for him. Looks like the office will be a different place after a few months...
Moving on,
Here are the pictures:
I'll post a few more bigger ones after I have scaled them down.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Foggy Drive...
The entire city was covered in fog yesterday, and when I say fog, I mean the thickest fog I have seen. Visibility was down to two meters. Perfect for going out, I say, and I did!! I drove all around the town for nearly five hours!! That's right, from 3:30 am till 8:00 am, I was on the road, enjoying the fog. The Doha-Al Khor road was all the more enticing due to the extremely low visibility. At one point, the road lights were down, and I was driving at 80 km in total darkness. It felt like I was in one of those horror movies, with the light from my headlamp only illuminating the thick fog ahead of me. Any moment, a lady wearing complete white would emerge from the fog, singing a haunting melody!! From there, I went to the Umm Said beach. The beach was not visible, even from 10 meters away!!
Later, when I returned home, I realized that Papaji was building up a storm of his own!! He had gotten so worried, that he called up my office, Jinu and was going to call up Al Kaabi and going to the police station and also the handy General hospital!! When I came, he couldn't even talk, he was so bottled up with conflicting emotions!!
One good thing about the entire episode at home was when he said,'it's better you return home. You are living a bohemian lifestyle here.' So Papaji now supports my resigning!! But wait, he is implying that I should return cos I have been too free here...hmm, I think I'll stay here now. Or move to A'bad.
And oh yes, curse you, Jinu, for tell my dad I do these 'crazy things' sometimes. He now thinks that I live a totally bohemian lifestyle here, when the truth is, I am simply bored to death here.
I took a few photographs, and I am hoping they turn out good. But I would have preferred my SLR instead of my digicam. I just take better pictures with those. Will post those later.
Later, when I returned home, I realized that Papaji was building up a storm of his own!! He had gotten so worried, that he called up my office, Jinu and was going to call up Al Kaabi and going to the police station and also the handy General hospital!! When I came, he couldn't even talk, he was so bottled up with conflicting emotions!!
One good thing about the entire episode at home was when he said,'it's better you return home. You are living a bohemian lifestyle here.' So Papaji now supports my resigning!! But wait, he is implying that I should return cos I have been too free here...hmm, I think I'll stay here now. Or move to A'bad.
And oh yes, curse you, Jinu, for tell my dad I do these 'crazy things' sometimes. He now thinks that I live a totally bohemian lifestyle here, when the truth is, I am simply bored to death here.
I took a few photographs, and I am hoping they turn out good. But I would have preferred my SLR instead of my digicam. I just take better pictures with those. Will post those later.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
No Work...
No work today. Timings change, but work remains the same. No work.
I was on the road today for nearly three hours in the morning, and I couldn't have a single drop of water!!! Enjoy your Ramadan.
I was on the road today for nearly three hours in the morning, and I couldn't have a single drop of water!!! Enjoy your Ramadan.
Opinions Galore...
Its been two days since I put in my papers, and the response has been mixed. More so in the case of dad.
When he is sober, he says that I have made a big mistake, and that I have all to lose from this. But after downing the first peg, he does a complete turn around and says that he completely supports my decision!! Hmm. this is one of the moments when I prefer him sozzled!! (just joking, just joking, drinking bad, no good)
In the office, my colleague, S. was the first to know of my move. She says tht it is a good move, and told me that she wished she could do it herself. But, she reasons, since I am young, I can take those chances, not her (she's in her 40s, I think). Another colleague, R. too says that I made the right move. In fact, both him and S. opine that the entire office should put in their papers collectively, just to prove a point. I am deducing this as their way of saying,'Good move dude, very dumb'
Dumb is what injinuity called my move to yesterday, when we went to a marathon pool session (and oh yes, Jinu, you didn't win, I let you win ;)).
On my part, I don't feel it was a dumb move. Sure, I am aware of all the problems I will face when I relocate to India, and how I'll have a hard time initially. But that does not mean that I just stay put here. Nearly everyone is saying that I should first search for opportunities there. That I should first go ot India and start something there, and then quit here after one more year. Well, I tried that the last time I visited India, but I realised that its just not feasible. When ou start something, you must be tehr since its inception, to lead it properly. Coming back to your business after an year, and making changes in it will only put a spanner in the works then. Not good.
Incidently, another of my colleagues, a Lebanese girl, D. has put in her papers. She did it before me, and now will be leaving after a month. Looks like I am not the only idiot here...
In other news, Ramadan began today, and so did the Ramadan timings. I now work from 7:30 in the evening, till 3:30 in the morning. So its bye bye pool, bye bye night life. The only bright spot to this thing is that the office provides the food during Ramadan. Some snacks in the evening, and then a full meal at aruond 3 in the morning. I will skip the meal, though, cos its too filling at that time of the night. But I gorge on the snacks, though!! Yummmm...
When he is sober, he says that I have made a big mistake, and that I have all to lose from this. But after downing the first peg, he does a complete turn around and says that he completely supports my decision!! Hmm. this is one of the moments when I prefer him sozzled!! (just joking, just joking, drinking bad, no good)
In the office, my colleague, S. was the first to know of my move. She says tht it is a good move, and told me that she wished she could do it herself. But, she reasons, since I am young, I can take those chances, not her (she's in her 40s, I think). Another colleague, R. too says that I made the right move. In fact, both him and S. opine that the entire office should put in their papers collectively, just to prove a point. I am deducing this as their way of saying,'Good move dude, very dumb'
Dumb is what injinuity called my move to yesterday, when we went to a marathon pool session (and oh yes, Jinu, you didn't win, I let you win ;)).
On my part, I don't feel it was a dumb move. Sure, I am aware of all the problems I will face when I relocate to India, and how I'll have a hard time initially. But that does not mean that I just stay put here. Nearly everyone is saying that I should first search for opportunities there. That I should first go ot India and start something there, and then quit here after one more year. Well, I tried that the last time I visited India, but I realised that its just not feasible. When ou start something, you must be tehr since its inception, to lead it properly. Coming back to your business after an year, and making changes in it will only put a spanner in the works then. Not good.
Incidently, another of my colleagues, a Lebanese girl, D. has put in her papers. She did it before me, and now will be leaving after a month. Looks like I am not the only idiot here...
In other news, Ramadan began today, and so did the Ramadan timings. I now work from 7:30 in the evening, till 3:30 in the morning. So its bye bye pool, bye bye night life. The only bright spot to this thing is that the office provides the food during Ramadan. Some snacks in the evening, and then a full meal at aruond 3 in the morning. I will skip the meal, though, cos its too filling at that time of the night. But I gorge on the snacks, though!! Yummmm...
Friday, October 15, 2004
Maa!! Tum Mujhe Chod kar Kahan Chali Gayi, Maa!!
This is really sad news, Nirupa Roy has passed away, Thats one more talent less in Bollywood. Rediff has done some tributes for her.
Sad. But life goes on, I guess.
In other news, Here's a cool animation of how a Lego brick in made. Check it out.
Sad. But life goes on, I guess.
In other news, Here's a cool animation of how a Lego brick in made. Check it out.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
I Have Quit!!!
I did it!!! I finally resigned, after all these days of being iffy about it!! Woo Hoo!!!
As I walked into the office, holding a piece of paper, my boss thought that I was giving him another resume probably. Then the bomb dropped. I have never seem him smile that much. I had to resist the urge to sing *Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, kya gham hai jisko chupa rahe ho*. You see, they don't have any replacement for me, and now the only Hindi guy is leaving... oh the joy, the joy.
The boss did ask me why I wanted to quit. I told him that I just wanted to go to India, and that I was not getting any leave. He tried to argue that they were looking for people, but looks liek the shock of the moment failed him. Rejoice!!!
I am now expecting a visit or at last a call from the big boss himself.
As I walked into the office, holding a piece of paper, my boss thought that I was giving him another resume probably. Then the bomb dropped. I have never seem him smile that much. I had to resist the urge to sing *Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, kya gham hai jisko chupa rahe ho*. You see, they don't have any replacement for me, and now the only Hindi guy is leaving... oh the joy, the joy.
The boss did ask me why I wanted to quit. I told him that I just wanted to go to India, and that I was not getting any leave. He tried to argue that they were looking for people, but looks liek the shock of the moment failed him. Rejoice!!!
I am now expecting a visit or at last a call from the big boss himself.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Dad's here...
In bits and Pisces US has Pakistan in its grip
injinuity, if you are reading this, this is what US expects when it makes a country it "ally". India would never bend over backwards for it (good, in my opinion). Also, US is not really concerned about India (why should it, it does not owe anythig to it), and it will not fight its wars, as you expect it to.
Moving on, I received Papaji at the airport today. He was a bit shocked to see me, what with my long hair and a gangster moustache. His first words on meeting me,"Are you becoming Aamir Khan with your long hair and moustache?" He is quite impressed with my new residence. I have to start cooking from tomorrow onwards.
And I couldnt' meet with the big boss even today. He is tooooo busy, it seems.
injinuity, if you are reading this, this is what US expects when it makes a country it "ally". India would never bend over backwards for it (good, in my opinion). Also, US is not really concerned about India (why should it, it does not owe anythig to it), and it will not fight its wars, as you expect it to.
Moving on, I received Papaji at the airport today. He was a bit shocked to see me, what with my long hair and a gangster moustache. His first words on meeting me,"Are you becoming Aamir Khan with your long hair and moustache?" He is quite impressed with my new residence. I have to start cooking from tomorrow onwards.
And I couldnt' meet with the big boss even today. He is tooooo busy, it seems.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Two Developments and One Observation...
Two developments and one observation:
Developemtns:
* I nearly quit today, but the Big Boss was too busy to listen to me.
* I applied to the BBC today.
Observation:
* I have been posting really short posts. Is my posting bug fading away?
Developemtns:
* I nearly quit today, but the Big Boss was too busy to listen to me.
* I applied to the BBC today.
Observation:
* I have been posting really short posts. Is my posting bug fading away?
Sunday, October 10, 2004
I Am Jogging...
I ran yesterday. Jogged. It felt nice, like returning to the fold. I was never a gym guy, so the gymming never interested me. But when I ran yesterday, I felt like I was in my element. Ok, I was fast losing my element, what with me beign out of my breath so soon. But it still felt nice. Am planning ot make a habit out of it.
I saw two movies yesterday as well. That first was Mean Girls, *ing Lindsay Lohan. A failry funny movie, with some nice jokes in it. That second one was Shaun of the Dead. And that it a movie!! Really funy, and lots of cheesy moments. Basically, the director took all the memorable movie moments and wove them together into a nice movie. A must see.
And nothing more is new.
I saw two movies yesterday as well. That first was Mean Girls, *ing Lindsay Lohan. A failry funny movie, with some nice jokes in it. That second one was Shaun of the Dead. And that it a movie!! Really funy, and lots of cheesy moments. Basically, the director took all the memorable movie moments and wove them together into a nice movie. A must see.
And nothing more is new.
Expenses...
I couldn't post yesterday cos I have work at the last minute, and I did not find time to post. Not that there was much to post, anyways.
The PS2 has run into its first phase of problems. You see, it runs the CDs in PAL format, but those are expensive. The pirated CDs come in NTSC format, which my PS2 does not play. Have to get it play NTSC game CDs as well, but that will cost me an extra 200 bucks...expenses, expenses...
The PS2 has run into its first phase of problems. You see, it runs the CDs in PAL format, but those are expensive. The pirated CDs come in NTSC format, which my PS2 does not play. Have to get it play NTSC game CDs as well, but that will cost me an extra 200 bucks...expenses, expenses...
Friday, October 08, 2004
I Got PS2!!!
My purse continues to be loose...I bought a PS2 yesterday!!! A cool 650 bucks of it!! I am consoling myself that it was going for nearly 800 bucks just six months ago...and while I and injinuity (my partnet-in-crime in this) were at it, I also ended up buying a digital camera!! That's another 500 bucks damage to my purse. But being intersted in photography that I am (I have a certificate to prove it), I needed it...ok, so I didn't need it, but I was lusting for it. I will be capturing scenes of Doha on it now.
The PS2, in my opinion, is a very good buy. I played some games on it yesterday, and really enjoyed it. After the frustrations of the office, its nice to kick and punch someone out, or be kicked and punched out. I played Tekken 4 with injinuity, and am now hooked ot it, at least for now!! Will repot on the progress later.
The PS2, in my opinion, is a very good buy. I played some games on it yesterday, and really enjoyed it. After the frustrations of the office, its nice to kick and punch someone out, or be kicked and punched out. I played Tekken 4 with injinuity, and am now hooked ot it, at least for now!! Will repot on the progress later.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Accident Report...
Gods are smiling on me. I went to the traffic dept. Today to collect my police report. Before getting the report stamped, I had to get a radar check on my car, to see if I had any outstanding fines from speeding/jumping signals (and I have been doing both lately). So surprise, surprise, I don't have any outstanding fines!! That's right folks, zero riyals fine!!
And speaking of the accident, it seems my insurance will have to pay for the damage, since the fault was mine (I still say that it was not my fault). The driver of the other car was at my place to collect the insurance papers for making that claim. But I was away at that time, ejoying momos with injinuity!! Man, I can be mean at times!! Let the bugger wait. If he wants my money, he will have ot go through some loops. Did I mention that when I had scrapped the car, I could have just collected his car and mobile number and gone to the police station the next day with my claim? But I didn't. I waitied, and made him wait as well. I didn't mind that waiting, but the waiting was surely a torture for him, cos his boss kepty ringing him about where the kids whom he was supposed to bring back from that school were.
And speaking of the accident, it seems my insurance will have to pay for the damage, since the fault was mine (I still say that it was not my fault). The driver of the other car was at my place to collect the insurance papers for making that claim. But I was away at that time, ejoying momos with injinuity!! Man, I can be mean at times!! Let the bugger wait. If he wants my money, he will have ot go through some loops. Did I mention that when I had scrapped the car, I could have just collected his car and mobile number and gone to the police station the next day with my claim? But I didn't. I waitied, and made him wait as well. I didn't mind that waiting, but the waiting was surely a torture for him, cos his boss kepty ringing him about where the kids whom he was supposed to bring back from that school were.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Jai Hanuman Gyan Guna Saagar...
On sn impluse, I googled Hanuman Chalisa, and I came up with this, and online Hanuman Chalisa, and also its translation. The translation is pretty good, in fact. It was a revelation to me when, in the fourth from last chaupai (that's what they are called), when it say 'Jo sat bar path kare kohi', it means 'One who recites Chalisa one hundred times', and not seven times, which is what sat, seems to imply. Now I get it, its avadhi (?) hindi, khadi boli, and not the Hindustani that we speak commonly. 'sat' actually means शत, as in shat.abdi, which is a hundred years. Hmm, maybe that explains why my prayers weren't being answered. I used to read the chalisa seven times, when the requirement was one hundred times...Not that I'll start reciting them a hundred times now! A hundred times!! A Hundred Times!!!. Who has time in this age to read it a hundred times, for god's sake.
From a literary point of view, I realised that the poem (or the chaupais) are pretty good.
In other news, Me and injinuity have been attempting to start jogging ths week. But something or the other always crops up, adn we have to delay our plans. So far, it's been postponed till next saturday. I have also stopped going to the gym (no fun there).
From a literary point of view, I realised that the poem (or the chaupais) are pretty good.
In other news, Me and injinuity have been attempting to start jogging ths week. But something or the other always crops up, adn we have to delay our plans. So far, it's been postponed till next saturday. I have also stopped going to the gym (no fun there).
Monday, October 04, 2004
Adaptation...
Note: I had meant to post this entry yesterday, but blogger was giving me problems. So here, for you pelasure, is the post...
Begins...
Caught up on the movie, Adaptation yesterday along with Melvin.
What a movie!! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Nicholas Cage was mindblowing, both as Charlie and Donald. And so Meryl Streep. Both actors prove their mettle here. Same with Chris Cooper, who plays John LaRouche, the Orchid Thief.
The screenplay by Charlie Kaufman was really good. Some really interesting twists in there. What really impressed me was how he managed to intertwine four interesting story arcs (Charlie's difficulty in adapting a book about flowerw into a screenplay, Donald's gay abandon as he scripts a 'thriller', Susan's yearning for a life that she cannot live and John's life as he moves from one obsession to another)into one single, coherent movie. Though the story in about Charlie, all the characters interact with each other. The movie swings from Charlie's cluelessness to Donald's carelessness, from Susan's sorrow to John's obsession with the orchid effortlessly.
And then there's he twist in the story in the last half hour. Truly bizzare.
Sample a few dialogues:
----
Donald Kaufman: You are what you love, not what loves you
----
Charlie Kaufman: You and I share the same DNA. Is there anything more lonely than that?
----
Susan Orlean: Change is not a choice.
----
John Laroche : You know why I like plants?
Susan Orlean : Nuh uh.
John Laroche : Because they're so mutable. Adaptation is a profound process. Means you figure out how to thrive in the world.
Susan Orlean : [pause] Yeah but it's easier for plants. I mean they have no memory. They just move on to whatever's next. With a person though, adapting almost shameful. It's like running away.
----
Donald Kaufman: Is like technology versus horses.
----
All in all, I highly recommend this movie.
Begins...
Caught up on the movie, Adaptation yesterday along with Melvin.
What a movie!! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Nicholas Cage was mindblowing, both as Charlie and Donald. And so Meryl Streep. Both actors prove their mettle here. Same with Chris Cooper, who plays John LaRouche, the Orchid Thief.
The screenplay by Charlie Kaufman was really good. Some really interesting twists in there. What really impressed me was how he managed to intertwine four interesting story arcs (Charlie's difficulty in adapting a book about flowerw into a screenplay, Donald's gay abandon as he scripts a 'thriller', Susan's yearning for a life that she cannot live and John's life as he moves from one obsession to another)into one single, coherent movie. Though the story in about Charlie, all the characters interact with each other. The movie swings from Charlie's cluelessness to Donald's carelessness, from Susan's sorrow to John's obsession with the orchid effortlessly.
And then there's he twist in the story in the last half hour. Truly bizzare.
Sample a few dialogues:
----
Donald Kaufman: You are what you love, not what loves you
----
Charlie Kaufman: You and I share the same DNA. Is there anything more lonely than that?
----
Susan Orlean: Change is not a choice.
----
John Laroche : You know why I like plants?
Susan Orlean : Nuh uh.
John Laroche : Because they're so mutable. Adaptation is a profound process. Means you figure out how to thrive in the world.
Susan Orlean : [pause] Yeah but it's easier for plants. I mean they have no memory. They just move on to whatever's next. With a person though, adapting almost shameful. It's like running away.
----
Donald Kaufman: Is like technology versus horses.
----
All in all, I highly recommend this movie.
Chakra Chakram...
I took a Chakra test at eclectic energies to find out if my chakras are all right. Turns out I am highly imbalanced. Heres the lowdown:
Root Chakra: -13% - under active.
The Root chakra is about being physically there and feeling at home in situations.
If you tend to be fearful or nervous, your Root chakra is probably under-active. You'd easily feel unwelcome.
Sacral Chakra: -19% under active
The Sacral chakra is about feeling and sexuality.
If you tend to be stiff and unemotional or have a "poker face," the Sacral chakra is under-active. You're not very open to people.
Navel Chakra: -13 % under active
The Navel chakra is about asserting yourself in a group.
When the Navel chakra is under-active, you tend to be passive and indecisive. You're probably timid and don't get what you want.
Heart chakra: 6 % under active
The Heart chakra is about love, kindness and affection.
When your Heart chakra is under-active, you are cold and distant.
Throat chakra: 6 % under active
The Throat chakra is about self-expression and talking.
When this chakra is under-active, you tend not to speak much, and you probably are introverted and shy. Not speaking the truth may block this chakra.
Third eye chakra: 69 % over active
The Third Eye chakra is about insight and visualisation.
If this chakra is over-active, you may live in a world of fantasy too much. In excessive cases halucinations are possible.
Crown chakra: 31 % open
The Crown chakra is about wisdom and being one with the world. When this chakra is open, you are unprejudiced and quite aware of the world and yourself.
So, the net result is, I am unable to fit in, I am unexpressive, I am indecisive and shy, I am cold and distant, I am introverted, I a fantasize a lot, but I am also unprejudiced, and aware of the world.
Strange thing, this spirituality. I seem to agree with this prognosis of mine. After all, I am unprejudiced, am I not?
Also, I must improve. But twait a minute, if I post my thoughts regualrly on the blog, is it not a sign of my expressiveness?? Is this thing wrong?? Andwers wanted. pls comment, viewers.
Root Chakra: -13% - under active.
The Root chakra is about being physically there and feeling at home in situations.
If you tend to be fearful or nervous, your Root chakra is probably under-active. You'd easily feel unwelcome.
Sacral Chakra: -19% under active
The Sacral chakra is about feeling and sexuality.
If you tend to be stiff and unemotional or have a "poker face," the Sacral chakra is under-active. You're not very open to people.
Navel Chakra: -13 % under active
The Navel chakra is about asserting yourself in a group.
When the Navel chakra is under-active, you tend to be passive and indecisive. You're probably timid and don't get what you want.
Heart chakra: 6 % under active
The Heart chakra is about love, kindness and affection.
When your Heart chakra is under-active, you are cold and distant.
Throat chakra: 6 % under active
The Throat chakra is about self-expression and talking.
When this chakra is under-active, you tend not to speak much, and you probably are introverted and shy. Not speaking the truth may block this chakra.
Third eye chakra: 69 % over active
The Third Eye chakra is about insight and visualisation.
If this chakra is over-active, you may live in a world of fantasy too much. In excessive cases halucinations are possible.
Crown chakra: 31 % open
The Crown chakra is about wisdom and being one with the world. When this chakra is open, you are unprejudiced and quite aware of the world and yourself.
So, the net result is, I am unable to fit in, I am unexpressive, I am indecisive and shy, I am cold and distant, I am introverted, I a fantasize a lot, but I am also unprejudiced, and aware of the world.
Strange thing, this spirituality. I seem to agree with this prognosis of mine. After all, I am unprejudiced, am I not?
Also, I must improve. But twait a minute, if I post my thoughts regualrly on the blog, is it not a sign of my expressiveness?? Is this thing wrong?? Andwers wanted. pls comment, viewers.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Notes...
A thousand apologies for not posting yesterday. I had lots of work, and was in office for an extra hour.
My new pat is dirty, I told you that. The fridge I got was stuffed with six month old food I told you that. The maojrity of bulbs don't work there, I told you that. But I discovered someting else day before yesterday. The last occupants of the house left me something else as well. Underwear. Yes, you heard it right, I found an old underwear in one of the cupboards. It really makes me wonder, just how much of a hurry did these guys leave in, that they didn't get time to empty their fridge, make their beds, throw out their garbage, take their underwear??? Were they just pulled up, and thrown out? One fine day, they get a phone call, that they have to vacate their house within five hours. That, or maybe they got sucked into some of the hollywood road movies like Harold and Kumar go to Newcastle, maybe Ahmed and Mohammed go to Dukhan!! It seems that the two inhabitants on the flat (two lebanese guys) were not liked a lot, judging from the winces I got from the others.
Also, today I ahd an accident. Nothing major, just a little scrap. The guy had parked in the middle of the road, just outside my parking shed. I made a reverse, and scrapped against his Toyota Land Cruiser. I got a few scratches, and so did he. But it seems, its was my fault. No matter that he parked illegally, I should have been more careful. $@$#@%#@%@#.
Yesterday, I went to dinner again with my colleague, A. I was expecting more 'Indian food goooooood!!', but luckily, he didn't comment on that fact anymore. All in all, it was a nice evening. He picked up the bill, which made it even better.
And yes, my efforts to me the top boss of our office have been unsuccessful so far. Must do it in order to secure my vacation.
My new pat is dirty, I told you that. The fridge I got was stuffed with six month old food I told you that. The maojrity of bulbs don't work there, I told you that. But I discovered someting else day before yesterday. The last occupants of the house left me something else as well. Underwear. Yes, you heard it right, I found an old underwear in one of the cupboards. It really makes me wonder, just how much of a hurry did these guys leave in, that they didn't get time to empty their fridge, make their beds, throw out their garbage, take their underwear??? Were they just pulled up, and thrown out? One fine day, they get a phone call, that they have to vacate their house within five hours. That, or maybe they got sucked into some of the hollywood road movies like Harold and Kumar go to Newcastle, maybe Ahmed and Mohammed go to Dukhan!! It seems that the two inhabitants on the flat (two lebanese guys) were not liked a lot, judging from the winces I got from the others.
Also, today I ahd an accident. Nothing major, just a little scrap. The guy had parked in the middle of the road, just outside my parking shed. I made a reverse, and scrapped against his Toyota Land Cruiser. I got a few scratches, and so did he. But it seems, its was my fault. No matter that he parked illegally, I should have been more careful. $@$#@%#@%@#.
Yesterday, I went to dinner again with my colleague, A. I was expecting more 'Indian food goooooood!!', but luckily, he didn't comment on that fact anymore. All in all, it was a nice evening. He picked up the bill, which made it even better.
And yes, my efforts to me the top boss of our office have been unsuccessful so far. Must do it in order to secure my vacation.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Gruh-pravesh...
I moved into the apt today. It's dirty as hell, and I just discovered that only two of the bulbs work in the entire appartment!! It will be a long night...
I haven't been able to post long posts lately, becuase I don't get enough time nowadays. Too much work in the office (can you believe that!!). You see, the Emir is touring US nowadays, and he keeps making these quotable quotes there. [bhojpuri]Sasuraa bahut bakaar bakaar karat haiin[/bhojpuri]
I haven't been able to post long posts lately, becuase I don't get enough time nowadays. Too much work in the office (can you believe that!!). You see, the Emir is touring US nowadays, and he keeps making these quotable quotes there. [bhojpuri]Sasuraa bahut bakaar bakaar karat haiin[/bhojpuri]
Friday, October 01, 2004
Moving in...
I have started to move in to my apt today. Shifted all my clothes and cassettes and books into the house. And surprisingly, nothing remians in my rooms now!! Just a few knick knacks!!
Threw out two full bags of trash from the house. The previous inhabitants were animals!!
More tomorrow, am in a hurry now...
Threw out two full bags of trash from the house. The previous inhabitants were animals!!
More tomorrow, am in a hurry now...
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Got The Keys!!!
Yeaaaaahh!!! I got the keys to the apartment today!!! And with it a list of all the things provided by them In addition to a bed, a sofa set, cooking range, a washing machine, a dinner set and a cooking set, I also get a TV and satellite!!! So its back to TV watching for me after a break of, oh, 5 months??
I did go to the flat today, but the key didn't fit. Maybe I entered it into the wrong keyhole. Will go again tomorrow morning. Will shift in tomorrow itself. Today morning, aunty called me, and tried selling me the old stuff that she has, like the nearly broken down bed, the already broken dressing table etc. I have to pay her the one month advance that she had forfeited when I moved in, and also this month's rent. Expenses, expenses...
This calls for a little celebration. After office, I will head down to the City Center, and have a pizza maybe. Or maybe some Portuguese at Nando's. Speaking of City Center, the next attraction at the cinema there is Adaptation. I have been wanting to see this movie, but could not find it here. I see good times ahead...
Cautionary Tale Of The Day: The news of my 1000 bucks pay hike has spread. I had nothing to do with it, but people in the office know. Makes me feel that I am being watched.
I did go to the flat today, but the key didn't fit. Maybe I entered it into the wrong keyhole. Will go again tomorrow morning. Will shift in tomorrow itself. Today morning, aunty called me, and tried selling me the old stuff that she has, like the nearly broken down bed, the already broken dressing table etc. I have to pay her the one month advance that she had forfeited when I moved in, and also this month's rent. Expenses, expenses...
This calls for a little celebration. After office, I will head down to the City Center, and have a pizza maybe. Or maybe some Portuguese at Nando's. Speaking of City Center, the next attraction at the cinema there is Adaptation. I have been wanting to see this movie, but could not find it here. I see good times ahead...
Cautionary Tale Of The Day: The news of my 1000 bucks pay hike has spread. I had nothing to do with it, but people in the office know. Makes me feel that I am being watched.
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
No Key...
No keys today. The Adm head, N has washed his hands off the entire thing, and now I have to head-butt with the financial head, H. He is another headache. He has said that he will have it ready in two day. Lets see...
Yesterday, after I N had given me the news about the house and the raise, I thanked him and left. After I left, he called me back and mockingly told me that I was a true 'Hindi' (I wonder what he meant by that, but that was meant to be a bit derogatory), cos I just upped and left after he gave me the good news. What did he expect? That I kiss his hands as a show a gratitude? Or grovel at his feet, saying,'Main baap, aap to bhagwaan ka avatar hain!!' So anyways, today when I meant to meet him, I took some sweets along with me to give to him. I think that was a fitting reply, cos he first laughed a little, then said thank you and went back to his work.
Yeah Rajesh!!!
Two more purchases today, two cut price cassettes - R.E.M (Reveal), and an assorted blues album. According to All Music, this is not the best of R.E.M's albums. Will find out soon enough. But if it was going for a song at the shop...
Rant Of The Day: A female colleague, H, has put on some strong perfume today. Not a cheap smelling one, but rather a decent one. But the life of me, I can't figure out which one it is. But that's not the rant. The rant is, SHE HAS PUT SO MUCH OF IT, THAT I CAN SMELL HER EVEN WHEN SHE PASSES TWO METERS WAYS FROM ME!!! WHAT DO THESE ARABS USE FOR MEASURING THE QUANTITY? OIL BARRELS???
Yesterday, after I N had given me the news about the house and the raise, I thanked him and left. After I left, he called me back and mockingly told me that I was a true 'Hindi' (I wonder what he meant by that, but that was meant to be a bit derogatory), cos I just upped and left after he gave me the good news. What did he expect? That I kiss his hands as a show a gratitude? Or grovel at his feet, saying,'Main baap, aap to bhagwaan ka avatar hain!!' So anyways, today when I meant to meet him, I took some sweets along with me to give to him. I think that was a fitting reply, cos he first laughed a little, then said thank you and went back to his work.
Yeah Rajesh!!!
Two more purchases today, two cut price cassettes - R.E.M (Reveal), and an assorted blues album. According to All Music, this is not the best of R.E.M's albums. Will find out soon enough. But if it was going for a song at the shop...
Rant Of The Day: A female colleague, H, has put on some strong perfume today. Not a cheap smelling one, but rather a decent one. But the life of me, I can't figure out which one it is. But that's not the rant. The rant is, SHE HAS PUT SO MUCH OF IT, THAT I CAN SMELL HER EVEN WHEN SHE PASSES TWO METERS WAYS FROM ME!!! WHAT DO THESE ARABS USE FOR MEASURING THE QUANTITY? OIL BARRELS???
Monday, September 27, 2004
Rejoice!!!
Rejoice!!!!! I got a raise!! A 1000 bucks one at that!!! Woo hoo!!
Also, I have got an official accomodation now!! The gods are really simling at me now. What have I done to deserve this? Please God, let me know, 'cos I'll do it again!! This calls fora litle celebration. After office, I'm meeting injinuity for a chat. Not bad, maybe I'll have some cakes as well...
And to think that today I went to meet our adm. head, all ready to quit if he evaded a proper answer to me. Yesterday, I had decidedto call it quits over here. Now, I think I will stick around for some more time. Tomorrow I'll get the keys...
Maybe its the fact that I have now started drinking tea again. The tea God smiled at one of his flock that had returned, and decided to reward him...sounds like a possible explanation to me.
But things are not all that hunky-dory here. I still have to get a reply on the status of my holidays. No word on that so far.
But in the meantime, REJOICE!!!!!!
Also, I have got an official accomodation now!! The gods are really simling at me now. What have I done to deserve this? Please God, let me know, 'cos I'll do it again!! This calls fora litle celebration. After office, I'm meeting injinuity for a chat. Not bad, maybe I'll have some cakes as well...
And to think that today I went to meet our adm. head, all ready to quit if he evaded a proper answer to me. Yesterday, I had decidedto call it quits over here. Now, I think I will stick around for some more time. Tomorrow I'll get the keys...
Maybe its the fact that I have now started drinking tea again. The tea God smiled at one of his flock that had returned, and decided to reward him...sounds like a possible explanation to me.
But things are not all that hunky-dory here. I still have to get a reply on the status of my holidays. No word on that so far.
But in the meantime, REJOICE!!!!!!
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Decision, decisions...
The only decisions I make nowadays is, 'Tea or coffee?'
And if its coffee, then its, 'Make my own or buy?'
And if its buy, then its,'From where?'
I think it can be developed into a decent joke, but sadly, this job has totally sucked the ability to make jokes out of me. I still od laugh like a moron, though.
And if its coffee, then its, 'Make my own or buy?'
And if its buy, then its,'From where?'
I think it can be developed into a decent joke, but sadly, this job has totally sucked the ability to make jokes out of me. I still od laugh like a moron, though.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Cruisin'...
No Spidey 2 yesterday again. It was not playing in that time at all!! Looks like injinuity and Spidey really do not gel!! So instead, we went to play billiards. Neither of us had played in a long long time, and we were afraid we would make asses out of us in front of other people in the pool parlor (and it being a Friday night, it was crowded).
But surprisingly, we didn't!! Yes, both of us managed to get in some decent shots. That, and the fact that people were not paying any attention to us and concentrating on their own games saved our faces. We played two games, and each of us won one. We pick up pretty fast, I think.
Later, I went cruising in the city, just to have a look at the night life and was quite impressed by it. Its becoming more laid back and settled out there. People minding their own business. And the radio was cranking out some nice tunes. Speaking of which,
Surreal Moment A Couple of Days Ago: On the night I had momos with Jinu, I went for a spin round town, listening to radio. Its just playing some remixes (how I hate those @#*&^%$#). I decided to get myself and ice cream, and as I was driving and eating the ice cream when I suddenly flipped. The reason? The radio was playing a remix of 'Aap jaisa koi'. And a guy was singing the song.
Now, firstly, the original song is peppy enough and does not need to be remixed, and secondly, a guy singing that song??!!??. What, homosexuality finally coming out of the closet in Indian music? I doubt it. The singer was just plain stupid.
Which brings me to a deduction, namely, that if you want to become a pop musician, the first step is to undergo a brain removal surgery.
But surprisingly, we didn't!! Yes, both of us managed to get in some decent shots. That, and the fact that people were not paying any attention to us and concentrating on their own games saved our faces. We played two games, and each of us won one. We pick up pretty fast, I think.
Later, I went cruising in the city, just to have a look at the night life and was quite impressed by it. Its becoming more laid back and settled out there. People minding their own business. And the radio was cranking out some nice tunes. Speaking of which,
Surreal Moment A Couple of Days Ago: On the night I had momos with Jinu, I went for a spin round town, listening to radio. Its just playing some remixes (how I hate those @#*&^%$#). I decided to get myself and ice cream, and as I was driving and eating the ice cream when I suddenly flipped. The reason? The radio was playing a remix of 'Aap jaisa koi'. And a guy was singing the song.
Now, firstly, the original song is peppy enough and does not need to be remixed, and secondly, a guy singing that song??!!??. What, homosexuality finally coming out of the closet in Indian music? I doubt it. The singer was just plain stupid.
Which brings me to a deduction, namely, that if you want to become a pop musician, the first step is to undergo a brain removal surgery.
Humor Post...
Here's a couple for really bad, groan jokes that I found on the net. Enjoy if you can!!
What is red and goes up and down?
A tomato in an elevator
---------------------
Two ships, one carrying red paint and one carrying blue paint, collided. All of the sailors were marooned.
---------------------
In the news: "A Cessna 152 training aircraft crashed into the cemetery. 253 bodies recovered so far."
---------------------
What'd the fish say when he swam into a cement wall?
Dam!
---------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a hole?
Phil.
---------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a pile of leaves?
Russel.
--------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a backwater?
Eddy
--------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in space?
Anything you want, but it won't matter. He can't hear you.
--------------------
There's these two goldfish in a tank, and one turns to the other and says...
So, do you know how to drive this thing?
--------------------
What do you call a fly with no wings?
A walk!
-------------------
What do you call a fly with no wings and no legs?
A look!
-------------------
What do you call a fly with no wings no legs AND no eyes?
A raisin!
-------------------
What do you call a sheep with no legs?
A cloud.
-------------------
Why did the chicken cross the playground?
To get to the other slide.
-------------------
Why did the frog cross the road?
It was stapled to the chicken.
-------------------
How can you tell if an elephant's been in your refrigerator?
Footprints in the peanut butter.
------------------
How can you tell if two elephants are in your refrigerator?
Two sets of footprints, side by side.
------------------
How many giraffes will fit in the refrigerator?
None. There are too many elephants in there.
------------------
How do you get an elephant into a Volkswagen?
Open door, insert elephant, shut door.
------------------
How do you get four elephants into a Volkswagen?
Two in the front, two in the back.
------------------
How can you tell if an elephant is visiting your house?
There's a Volkswagen in your driveway with 3 elephants in it.
------------------
Why did the Eskimo wash his clothes in Tide?
Because it was too cold to wash them out-tide!
------------------
What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor?
Where's my tractor?!
------------------
What would Marilyn Monroe be doing now if she were alive?
Clawing at the lid of her coffin.
------------------
what do you call a fish with no eyes?
fsh
------------------
what do you call a pig with three eyes?
piiig
-----------------
What is a foot long and slippery...
A SLIPPER!
And finally, no Spidey 2 yesterday. Looks like Spidey 2 is jinxed for you, pal.
What is red and goes up and down?
A tomato in an elevator
---------------------
Two ships, one carrying red paint and one carrying blue paint, collided. All of the sailors were marooned.
---------------------
In the news: "A Cessna 152 training aircraft crashed into the cemetery. 253 bodies recovered so far."
---------------------
What'd the fish say when he swam into a cement wall?
Dam!
---------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a hole?
Phil.
---------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a pile of leaves?
Russel.
--------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a backwater?
Eddy
--------------------
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in space?
Anything you want, but it won't matter. He can't hear you.
--------------------
There's these two goldfish in a tank, and one turns to the other and says...
So, do you know how to drive this thing?
--------------------
What do you call a fly with no wings?
A walk!
-------------------
What do you call a fly with no wings and no legs?
A look!
-------------------
What do you call a fly with no wings no legs AND no eyes?
A raisin!
-------------------
What do you call a sheep with no legs?
A cloud.
-------------------
Why did the chicken cross the playground?
To get to the other slide.
-------------------
Why did the frog cross the road?
It was stapled to the chicken.
-------------------
How can you tell if an elephant's been in your refrigerator?
Footprints in the peanut butter.
------------------
How can you tell if two elephants are in your refrigerator?
Two sets of footprints, side by side.
------------------
How many giraffes will fit in the refrigerator?
None. There are too many elephants in there.
------------------
How do you get an elephant into a Volkswagen?
Open door, insert elephant, shut door.
------------------
How do you get four elephants into a Volkswagen?
Two in the front, two in the back.
------------------
How can you tell if an elephant is visiting your house?
There's a Volkswagen in your driveway with 3 elephants in it.
------------------
Why did the Eskimo wash his clothes in Tide?
Because it was too cold to wash them out-tide!
------------------
What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor?
Where's my tractor?!
------------------
What would Marilyn Monroe be doing now if she were alive?
Clawing at the lid of her coffin.
------------------
what do you call a fish with no eyes?
fsh
------------------
what do you call a pig with three eyes?
piiig
-----------------
What is a foot long and slippery...
A SLIPPER!
And finally, no Spidey 2 yesterday. Looks like Spidey 2 is jinxed for you, pal.
Friday, September 24, 2004
No Spidey, But Games...
Didn't go for Spidey 2 yesterday. Looks like yours and spidey 2's stars don't get well, injinuity ol' pal. You are not destined to watch this movies!! It's your destiny, not to watch Spidey 2! .
Instead, we caught a few subway sandwiches and coffee, and headed to find a lost tanker!! Yeah, injinuity had some office work, locating a missing tanker, and we were all over the route of the tank, searching for it!! Later, we went to a gaming cafe, where we played Counter Strike. Or to be more precise, we were the dummy targets for the other players, who were waaaaaaay faster and a lot more accurate than us. Did I mention that they were also younger than us?? The young guns beat the life out of us. I died 21 deaths, and scored 1 point (I have this feeling that hte lone person I killed was injinuity's avatar). Gaming continued till 2:30 in the morning, and then we split.
Gaming after such a long time (more than two years?) made me realize that I had completely lost touch with them. It was like the first time all over again, with me feeling pukey and getting dizzy. But the enjoymeent was definately worth it.
We will try to catch Spidey 2 again today, lets see...
Instead, we caught a few subway sandwiches and coffee, and headed to find a lost tanker!! Yeah, injinuity had some office work, locating a missing tanker, and we were all over the route of the tank, searching for it!! Later, we went to a gaming cafe, where we played Counter Strike. Or to be more precise, we were the dummy targets for the other players, who were waaaaaaay faster and a lot more accurate than us. Did I mention that they were also younger than us?? The young guns beat the life out of us. I died 21 deaths, and scored 1 point (I have this feeling that hte lone person I killed was injinuity's avatar). Gaming continued till 2:30 in the morning, and then we split.
Gaming after such a long time (more than two years?) made me realize that I had completely lost touch with them. It was like the first time all over again, with me feeling pukey and getting dizzy. But the enjoymeent was definately worth it.
We will try to catch Spidey 2 again today, lets see...
Sucky-Yucky...
Had lunch with injinuity today at the sushi place that I had discovered, only to find that they don't serve sushi unless its for a very large order, like 50 or 100 pieces!!
Instead, we settled for a chicken teriyaki, a fried squid something, and a suki yaki soup.
Now, teriyaki, you already know. This one was equally good, thuogh the quantity was less (so was the price).
The Squid was a revelation, thuogh. I had prepared myself mentally that it would be weird, and I was just experimenting it. But the meat was quite good! A little tough, it didn't tast too sea-foody. And the spices were good too.
And then there was the Suki Yaki. Or rather, Sucky Yucky. It was sea food soup, with crabs, squids, noodles, onions and a few leafs. And lots and lots of water. So I ended up tasting crabs as well. Imagine, me a sea food non-enthusiast having a go at no one, but two new sea creatures!! The crab meat was, again, quite good. Very soft and tender. But there was not much to it. Most of it was a shell, and then there was little meat in it somewhere.
The Sucky Yucky was the worst, but the squid and the teriyaki were good. The bill was a little steep, but no qualms.
Also, yesterday evening, I introduced injinuity to the pleasures of a Nepalese momo, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. More power to the momo!!! Too bad only the mutton momos are available here. would have loved to try uot the veg andthe chicken ones as well...
I am catching up on Spidey two again, with injinuity (again). Hmmm, we seems to be spending too muc htime together. What say, bro?
Instead, we settled for a chicken teriyaki, a fried squid something, and a suki yaki soup.
Now, teriyaki, you already know. This one was equally good, thuogh the quantity was less (so was the price).
The Squid was a revelation, thuogh. I had prepared myself mentally that it would be weird, and I was just experimenting it. But the meat was quite good! A little tough, it didn't tast too sea-foody. And the spices were good too.
And then there was the Suki Yaki. Or rather, Sucky Yucky. It was sea food soup, with crabs, squids, noodles, onions and a few leafs. And lots and lots of water. So I ended up tasting crabs as well. Imagine, me a sea food non-enthusiast having a go at no one, but two new sea creatures!! The crab meat was, again, quite good. Very soft and tender. But there was not much to it. Most of it was a shell, and then there was little meat in it somewhere.
The Sucky Yucky was the worst, but the squid and the teriyaki were good. The bill was a little steep, but no qualms.
Also, yesterday evening, I introduced injinuity to the pleasures of a Nepalese momo, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. More power to the momo!!! Too bad only the mutton momos are available here. would have loved to try uot the veg andthe chicken ones as well...
I am catching up on Spidey two again, with injinuity (again). Hmmm, we seems to be spending too muc htime together. What say, bro?
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Feelin' Good...
I don't know why, but I feel good today. Maybe it has to do with the cruising around the town that I did today...
Also, teh mystery of the fine cup of coffee at the restaurant on the Al Khor-Doha road was revealed to me by injinuity. It seems that they put a little ice cream in the coffee!! Vanilla coffee!! Now howzzat!! That surely explains the unique taste of the coffee, and also the slight lump I felt in the coffee when I stirred the coffee... Not sure I want ot try it at home or in the office.
Talking of office, the big boss and my immediate boss have left for interviewing people for the office. This is just great, I am being denied a holiday, cos they can't find another Hindi person.Makes me so, so mad!!
A new development in the office. We have a brand new authorizing thingy in our office, and this one uses our finger imprints for granting access into the office. The down part is that it is quite sensitive, and since people tend to leave their imprint on the screen, the machine goes conkers. As a result, at any given time, half of our office is stuck either outside trying ot get inside, or inside trying to go outside!! Even when it works properly, it takes 15 seconds to open the door. People are missing the access card system already.
Also, teh mystery of the fine cup of coffee at the restaurant on the Al Khor-Doha road was revealed to me by injinuity. It seems that they put a little ice cream in the coffee!! Vanilla coffee!! Now howzzat!! That surely explains the unique taste of the coffee, and also the slight lump I felt in the coffee when I stirred the coffee... Not sure I want ot try it at home or in the office.
Talking of office, the big boss and my immediate boss have left for interviewing people for the office. This is just great, I am being denied a holiday, cos they can't find another Hindi person.
A new development in the office. We have a brand new authorizing thingy in our office, and this one uses our finger imprints for granting access into the office. The down part is that it is quite sensitive, and since people tend to leave their imprint on the screen, the machine goes conkers. As a result, at any given time, half of our office is stuck either outside trying ot get inside, or inside trying to go outside!! Even when it works properly, it takes 15 seconds to open the door. People are missing the access card system already.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Coffee Odyssey...
My coffee hunt continues. The place on the Al Khor- Doha road where I drank the good coffee has lost its lusture for me. I went there again yesterday, and the coffee didn't taste so good. And it's not that I have gotten used to it. I think it's just that the coffee is not a mystery to me anymore. When I first drank it with injinuity, it tasted really good. I thought it must be some other coffee, and not the nescafe that is usually served here. But when into the restaurant the next day, I discovered that they serve it from a coffee vending machine, and that shattered my illusions. It was just another cup of coffee to me.
After returning from watching Spiderman 2, I decided to get a cup of coffee again. So I pulled up to a random mallu restaurant that look decent, and ofdered a cup of coffee. The coffe I got there was strictly by the numbers. Very predictable, could be had anywhere, with lots and lots of sugar. So far, the best coffee I had was at The Coffee Cottage in the City Center, and the coffeee I make for myself in the office.
I really put in a lot of effort for the coffee in my office. I add a drop or two of water to the mixture of sugar and coffee, and I stir it for nearly nearly 20 minutes till its color changes from dark brown to a very light shade of brown (mulatto?).
Then I add boiling water, and milk that I have specially purchased for this purpose. Regular milk, not full cream milk or double cream milk. They tend to make the coffee unduly sweet. Then beat it, don't stir it. This will make the froth rise even more. Yand Yenjoy tha caafi, saar!!!
On a separate thought, given how I make my coffee, cna I go to a cafe and ask for coffee,'shaken, not stirred'!! ;)
After returning from watching Spiderman 2, I decided to get a cup of coffee again. So I pulled up to a random mallu restaurant that look decent, and ofdered a cup of coffee. The coffe I got there was strictly by the numbers. Very predictable, could be had anywhere, with lots and lots of sugar. So far, the best coffee I had was at The Coffee Cottage in the City Center, and the coffeee I make for myself in the office.
I really put in a lot of effort for the coffee in my office. I add a drop or two of water to the mixture of sugar and coffee, and I stir it for nearly nearly 20 minutes till its color changes from dark brown to a very light shade of brown (mulatto?).
Then I add boiling water, and milk that I have specially purchased for this purpose. Regular milk, not full cream milk or double cream milk. They tend to make the coffee unduly sweet. Then beat it, don't stir it. This will make the froth rise even more. Yand Yenjoy tha caafi, saar!!!
On a separate thought, given how I make my coffee, cna I go to a cafe and ask for coffee,'shaken, not stirred'!! ;)
Monday, September 20, 2004
Spidey 2...WOW!!!
So I finally saw Spiderman 2 yesterday, and all I cna say about the movie is, YES! YES! YES! The movie is FANTASTIC!!
Right from the first frame till the last, its one big thrill ride! Sam Raimi has outdone himself with this movie. But let me just make it clear that any comparision between this movie and the X-Men franchise is unjust to both of them. They are unbeatable in their own way. While the X.Men franchise is a study of society and the prejudices it levels on those that do not ift in it, Spidey 2 is all about facing up to your resposibility. With great power comes great responsibility. And add to that, the thrills. Those are the reasons I went to watch the movie, and it didn't disappoint.
The movie begins with Peter Parker struggling to juggle college, work and superhero duties. Surprisingly, it found resonance with me. I really don't know why, but when Peter Parker runs from one thing to another, I could empathise with him. Maybe it had to do with my experiences while I was working in India. I was never in time, and so I always had to rush!!
Also relate worthy was PP worrying about money. I have begun to do that lately!! And the rent issue in the movie!! Its the biggest issue in my life right now!!
One thing about I like about these superhero movies is that they manage to put in some sort of wisdom in all the unbelievable things that happen on the screen. consider, for example, the quote that with gret powers come great responsibility. And then there was a moment in the movie when Dr. Otto Octavius (soon to be the villian Doc Ock) explains to PP about intellligence being not a gift, but a talent, that needs to be nutured (at least thats how I remember it). Dumb, but really profuond for such a movie.
And I totally agree with all the critics who are praising the character of J. Jonah Jameson. He was really a good highlight of the film. Just like I remember his character from the Spiderman cartoon that I saw.
Also worth mentioning was the entire train sequence. Masterfully done, IMO. And the part when Spidey has a power relapse, and has to take an elevator to go down. Humorous.
The best part of the movie, in my opinion, was the fact that I had the same treatement as I had when I saw 'Main Hoon Na', namely, I was the only person entire threater!! Not that I ran around the cinema hall, but it feels grand that one is the only person in the cinema hall. In fact, I think that I was the only customer in the entire mall, cos after the movie (I saw the last show) when I went out, there were only two cars parked there, one mine, and the other had to be of someone working there. So it's no a bad deal, being a kind for just 30 bucks!!
Right from the first frame till the last, its one big thrill ride! Sam Raimi has outdone himself with this movie. But let me just make it clear that any comparision between this movie and the X-Men franchise is unjust to both of them. They are unbeatable in their own way. While the X.Men franchise is a study of society and the prejudices it levels on those that do not ift in it, Spidey 2 is all about facing up to your resposibility. With great power comes great responsibility. And add to that, the thrills. Those are the reasons I went to watch the movie, and it didn't disappoint.
The movie begins with Peter Parker struggling to juggle college, work and superhero duties. Surprisingly, it found resonance with me. I really don't know why, but when Peter Parker runs from one thing to another, I could empathise with him. Maybe it had to do with my experiences while I was working in India. I was never in time, and so I always had to rush!!
Also relate worthy was PP worrying about money. I have begun to do that lately!! And the rent issue in the movie!! Its the biggest issue in my life right now!!
One thing about I like about these superhero movies is that they manage to put in some sort of wisdom in all the unbelievable things that happen on the screen. consider, for example, the quote that with gret powers come great responsibility. And then there was a moment in the movie when Dr. Otto Octavius (soon to be the villian Doc Ock) explains to PP about intellligence being not a gift, but a talent, that needs to be nutured (at least thats how I remember it). Dumb, but really profuond for such a movie.
And I totally agree with all the critics who are praising the character of J. Jonah Jameson. He was really a good highlight of the film. Just like I remember his character from the Spiderman cartoon that I saw.
Also worth mentioning was the entire train sequence. Masterfully done, IMO. And the part when Spidey has a power relapse, and has to take an elevator to go down. Humorous.
The best part of the movie, in my opinion, was the fact that I had the same treatement as I had when I saw 'Main Hoon Na', namely, I was the only person entire threater!! Not that I ran around the cinema hall, but it feels grand that one is the only person in the cinema hall. In fact, I think that I was the only customer in the entire mall, cos after the movie (I saw the last show) when I went out, there were only two cars parked there, one mine, and the other had to be of someone working there. So it's no a bad deal, being a kind for just 30 bucks!!
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