Sonia-2, Uma-0

Fire doused, Brand Uma receives a setback
Hmmm, won't these politicians ever stop using the State machinery for some good use, rather than settling scores with each other? For a moment there, I thought that we might get to see some justice after all. But no, at the 11th hour, some new twist comes up, and people are simply left wondering what struck them. Politically speaking, it was a brilliant move. First force Uma Bharti to resign, then deftly steal her thunder by withdrawing the case against her and derailing her 'Tiranga yatra/Tiranga andolan', or whatever it is she called it. But dammit, the state machinery was involved. It was a flagrant misuse of the said institution, and totally unethical. On a related note, I wonder whose strategy it was. Was it Madam Sonia's strategy? If yes, she has proved herself to be a really shrewd operator. First it was her 'selfless' renunciation of the top post, then the power-without-the-responsibility position in the new government, and now the Karnataka episode. All three of them exemplary as far as political moves go. All of BJP couldn't come up with one like this even if their life depended on it. So far, Madam has managed to beat Uma Bharti twice, once when she declined the PM-ship, and now. So its Sonia-2 and Uma-0. Pretty good going for a political novice. I wonder, is her inner voice guiding her?

HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN!!!

This pics makes me nostalgic (image copyright of amarujala, please don't sue).....



I really like the Raksha Bandhan festival. Not exactly religious, more of a cultural festival...

Anyways, on to the good news - I FINALLY GOT A GMAIL ACCOUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Double yeahs! And its all thanks to injinuity. Thanks a ton, pal. So now, I am in the company of a geeks. He he he. I don't know why you don't like the gmail, buddy, its lightning fast, and pretty much no-nonsense.

And now, about the dinner last night with my colleague A. We went to Welcome, and he completely enjoyed it there. He is a Mauritanian who lives in France. And he cannot speak English for nuts! And I have Arabic problems. So just imagine the evening if you must. This was not 'lost in translation', it was more like 'shipwrecked in translation'. He would occasionally say,'Indian cuisine good!' and I for the first few times agreed with him. Afterwards, it got so damn irritating that I had half the mind to say,'I know, now shut up and eat your food'. And oh yes, I paid. It seemed only rational, since I was taking him to the restaurant, the I should pay. And now, as a result, I have a standing invitation from him to a French restaurant in the City Center. Maybe next week...
During the course of the meal, I learnt quite a few things from him. For example, the best Arabic cuisine is the Moroccan cuisine, followed by the Lebanese cuisine. And Mauritanian cuisine is just dry roasted stuff.
Also, the most beautiful Arab women are the Persians/Iranians, followed by the Syrian and the Lebanese. Not that I can differentiate between, since all of them wear the black cloth over their faces. That got me thinking, how did he, or any other man for that matter, come to these conclusions? Hmmmm, the mystery deepens...
I am very happy with my Maqbool purchase. Its a really good score.

Cool Site of the Day: is the gusty gourmet. This guy has loads of recepies from all over the world. I have been meaning t ocook something good for myself, other than Indian, but I always get stuck at the ingredients. I have been searching for japaleno peppers, but no one seems to know where ot get them.

Music Day....

I did it!! I finally understood the lyrics to the Coldplay album!! And they are pretty good. Espically The Scientist, though why it is called that, I am not sure. Consider the lyrics:

---Begin lyrics---

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads on a silence apart

Nobody said it was easy
Oh it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling your puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
Oh it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start

---End lyrics---

So where does the scientist part come in?? But its a great song, all the same.

Moving on, my music collection expanded by two new additions. First, its a compilation of songs for Gemini people. Do you believe that?? The music people are coming up with songs for sun signs. It seems that Gemini persons like to listen to witty, restless and artful songs. So the cassette has Kuch Kehta Hai Yeh Saawan from Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Hum Tumse Mile from Rocky, Saamne Yeh Kaun Aaya from Jawaani Diwaani, Mausam Mastana from Satte Pe Satta and many more. An ok-to-bad purchase. Maybe when I am in my element (feeling all Gemini), I will listen to it. The cassette cover has picture of Kareena Kapoor on it.....is she a Gemini? I hope not!! But if she is, I like her henceforth. The second purchase is Maqbool!!! Yes, I finally purchased the audio for that movie, and its a nice purchased, I feel. Good music, great lyrics, ably sung by the singers, and just off the beaten bollywood tracks. Would have purchased the CD, but don't have a CD player in my car. Will buy CD, maybe later, when in India. So now, I am in possession of two absolutely great qawalis, Noor-Ul-Allah from Meenaxi, and Ru Ba Ru from Maqbool. As a plus, there are also Do Kadam Aur Sahi and Jhin Mini Jhini form these films respectively. In an age of 'Aaja ve mahi lets do balle balle' and 'Oh, what a babe!', its comforting and reassuring to know that such music is still being made.
And today's day was boring.

Witty Moment of the Day: So I am talking to my colleague S, and she is complaining about this being a slow, no-news day. And being super-efficient (she once single-handedly did three persons' work), it is wieghing heavily on her. so I say wisely,"You know, I always say at moments like these, 'Nothing is better than Something'". Get it? get? Am I smart or what??!!??

Also, After office, I am taking another of my colleague, A for dinner at Welcome. He wants to try Indian cuisine, and so I suggested Welcome. I expect him to pay.

HAPPY ONAM!!!

A HAPPY ONAM TO ALL MY READERS!!!

Today, I spent the entire morning in my car, just cruisin' and listenin' to the radio. And ok selection of songs,it played. Went from Doha to Messaid via the Airport road, then back via the Salwa road, with a very brief stopover at the beach there. The weather was hot, but the beach was fabulous. Picture, if you can, a giant canvass of deep blue, sky blue, an almost whitish brown and some dark bits. And now put in your own shadow play in it, and you have a rough idea of the sight that greeted me on my visit there.
Later, I went to Welcome restaurant to have the 'Onam Sadhya', which was quite good. Ten bucks for the buffet, and I ate, I ate, I ate, I ate and I ate. How much did I eat, Let me put it this way, the toilets in Welcome are really spacious. I did have to leave the payasam half eaten, though. I feel sad about it.
No work at he office today, so its just eight straight hours of sitting on my chair....ok, so I did go for a spin in the evening, but that doesn't count. Listened to the song 'Ru Ba Ru' from Maqbool. A real gem. I am recommending the song once again to everyone. Another song I have recently discovered, is 'aawarapan, banjaarapan' from the Bipasha Basu movie whose name I can't remember (not that I want to!!).
And yes, my cell is sying, so a new one is in order. In fact, in the next month, there will be some massive spendings on my part.

Its been an interesting day today. First off, I get to hear shrill voices from aunty to uncle,'Koi zaroorat nahin hai, hamare bachchon ko kuch dene ki.' And then later,'Hamare bachchon ne kabhi kuch kiya hia hamare liye? Hamesha hum hi unke liye sab kuch karte hain.'.
And I thought such talks only took place in our famliy!! A few days back, I was talking to Melvin, and he mention the same thing, only this time, his father was telling him about the children today. In fact, it's so commonplace (it seems, now), that I have decided to give it a name, the Baghban Effect. Its when parents grow old, they start feeling insecure about their kids (and going by the reports one reads inthe newspapers, I am not too surprised). But common, are we like those??? Huh, are we?? I personally take that as an insult. And its all the movie's fault. Even Melvin was cursing the movie saying that after watching it, his father gave him a big lecture. Anyways, so now that I have named the phenomenon, more studies need to be done on it. Gonna apply for a federal grant soon.
Second interesting thing of the day is, I wore a kurta to office today, and I have been getting compliments all day!! Its a superhit here!! First a colleague calls me a Maharajah, and then he bows down to me!! This is simply groooooovy. [simon & Garfunkle]I'm feelin' groooovvyyyyyyy. Ta da li da da da, feelin' groooovvyyy[/Simon & Garfunkle]
And yes, yesterday night, as I was cruising at 1 in the night, I had a flat tire. #$%@^#$%#$@#$@#$#. And to top it, the jack in my Accent requires some weird assembly to get it working properly. Spent 40 minutes just to change the tire, was too tired to continue curising, so went home and was dead for 8 straight hours.

Interesting Observation From a Third Person: So I go to this shop, Cizzano, for a cinnamon roll. I am in the habit of going there practically daily, so the people there know me by face. This day, the girl at the counter, as she is making hte bill, tries some small talk:

Girl: Where are you from?
Me: India
G: Oh
M: (after a short pause) Don't I look like an Indian?
G: No
M: Really, what do I look like, then?
G: (after some time)Hmmmm, Egypt.
M: WHA?????????

That left me dazed. Now I believe, there is something wrong with my face. Is it? IS IT????

Speeeeeeed...

An Observation: I am a speed typist. Am pretty good at it. also, I like the sound of hitting keyboard keys furioulsy as I type. Thats what goads me ot the speed. The flip side - I regualrly murder the English language. Its these damn typos. And I blame MS word for it. Their autocorrect(c) featuer has made me lethargic when it comes ot checking the spelling. Often, I tend to type 'the' as 'teh' and not bother about it, cos Word autocorrects it. So the brainy comp has actually made me a moron. Hmmmmmm Must switch from watching intelligent comegies lke those of Peter Sellers, and hop on to Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle and Dude, Where's My Car?. D'oh!

Oh, The Horror....

Shock Of The Day: Did you know that Slama Agha and her sister, Sabina Agha had done a cover version of songs by ABBA?? Oh the horrors!! ::EEK:: It seems one nasal voice was not enough to destroy it, so the duo decided to do it as a team. And I had the misfortune of listening to them!! I must share it with everyone else. Its here. Incidently, the cover version of the song, 'mama mia' is called 'toba toba'. Quite apt. On a good note, there are some really nice ones there as well, like the inimitable Peter Sellers doing a cover version of the songs of the Beatles. Verrrrry funny!!! Oh, and there is also that duet he did with Sophia Loren, 'Boom-Booty-Boom'. Remember that? And last, but not the least, be sure to listen to the Mission Impossible theme/Norwegian Woods mix. It seems it was nominated for a Grammy (and won it). Quite interesting, really.

Boring 3

I just can't stress it more...I HATE BORING DAYS!!!. And thats what I seem to be getting these day. Zero job at the work, and the inability to do what I like. Just plain boring.
In India news, the Uma Bharati is not entertaining at all. Its downright infuriating. She is consistently making fun of the Indian laws, and the govt seems to be letting her do it. First, it was the submitting of her resignation to the BJP party chief, and now its her 'Tiranga yatra'. Why doesn't the UPA govt show some guts for once and arrest her? She already has a non-bailable warrant against her. If I may be a little racist/politically incorrect/rude, 'Sardar ke barah baje hain kya?'
And yes, are you following the Olympics? I do it on the BBC, and it seems that the major stories on it are the doping scandals, the US basketball teams loss, and the Iraqi teams taking part. And the last one seems to edge out the other two whenever it occurs. Right now, there was one reporter on teh beeb who was talking about he Iraqi participation, and how it was so well received. Now, don't get me wrong, the fact that Iraq is taking part is great, but should we make such a big issue about it? The Olympics are all about human achievement, not national or cultural ones. This is simply wrong. If Iraq wins a medal, it should be celebrated. But just the fact that it is taking part is not an earth-shattering event, IMHO. And in between these three stories, the stories about human achievement, like Turkey's big win in the weightlifting, are overshadowed. And then they worry about the low attendance at the Olympics this year. Mention doping and cheating, and people would rather psend their money on other things.

CENTURY!!!!

Injinuity has rightly reminded me that I have scored a century in blog posting......YEAAAAAHHH!!!!!! So how many more till I get a GMail account?
Moving on, yesterday I finally saw Fida. My opinion? It's a totally paisa vasool movie! The director has tried to make this one a very dark noir, and succeeds to a certain extent. There are no redeemable characters in this movie, each is out for their own selfish reasons. The hero-heroine-villian formula has been taken on its head, and given a vigourous shake by Ken Ghosh. Commendable job, dude. You really aren't rooting for any particualr person in this movie, and that keeps the movie chugging, as one decides on what twists the story will take. And yes, Shahid Kapoor, the 'leading man' in the film, keeps getting bashed up by FArdeen Khan who 'has shades of negative' in this film. Shahid Kapoor is quite convincing as a love-sick puppy, but he needs to get some tutions from his dad on the intense scenes. And then, there is the part about he song, 'Aaja va mahi, lets do balle balle'. I walked out of the theater the moment the song began, but it didn't help, cos the sound system was really loud. So, in the end, I ended up covering my ears outside the cinema hall t oavoid this song. MAN I HATE THIS SONG!!!
And now, for some good news. Raghu Romeo has been released on video, and I hope to see it soon. In the mean time, I have bought Lakeer, Bardasht and Mudda. I took Lakeer jsut for teh heck of it, Bardasht is supposed to be a pretty good movie, hte action scenes are good, it seems. And my reason for bringing Mudda is solely because it has been scripted by Saurabh Shukla, who also scripted Satya. Also, George Thomas gave it an ok rating.
And now, anotehr good news. I discovered a small restaurant near Souq al Jabor, that serves Far Eastern cuisine like Sushi!! I had been wanting to tryout sushi for a long time, but the only place that I know of where they served sushi was in the Ramada hotel, which would haave cost a bomb. The new restaurant is pretty small, so it should be reasonale. Will try it.

The Doomsday Document

What motivates a suicide bomber like the 9/11 terrorists? How did they mentally prepare? How did they convince themselves that they were doing Allah's bidding?
Historian and Middle East expert at the University of Michigan, Juan Cole provides an insight to these questions in his write up, "Al-Qaeda's Doomsday Document and Psychological Manipulation". The Doomsday Document in question is the notes that were found in the lead terrorist, Mohammad Atta's room. Its a bit long (nearly 14 pages), but its definitely a good read. And for that matter, the entire site, www.juancole.com is a must read for anyone interested in the politics of the region. Mr. Cole provides a clear insight into the goings on in the region. Read it.
Moving on, I never thought it would come OTOH this. Let me explain. Yesterday, I brought a movie to watch, 'Kaun Hai Jo Sapnon Mein Aaya' *ing Rakesh Bapat and Richa Pallod. Now, in normal times, I would have been alternately laughing at this movie and getting frustrated, sometimes doing both things. But surprisingly, yesterday I was actually enjoying the movie, its sheer predictableness, its saccharine-sweetness and all. Ok, not enjoying as in DDLJ or Satya, but enjoying as in I-Know-What-Happens-Next. The story, if there be one, is basically Kal Ho Na ho turned upside down. So the boy is from a dysfuncational family, feeling really low, and enter the his knightness(??) in shining armor, who goes on to solve all his problems. Plenty of 'Indian culture' talk here (the family lives in UK), and there is also the oh-so-sweet hook dialogue that is needed in such mushy romances:

Girl: Chalen?
Boy(thinking): Ab to zindagi bhar tumhare saath hi chalna hai..
Girl(aloud): Kuch kaha tumne?
Boy(aloud): Nahin to

And, like a cherry on the topping, there is a surprise ending. No, I won't spoil anyone's suspense here, but let me just say, the story makes some rather deft moves, direction-wise, between the last 10 and the last 2 minutes.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, an unintended highlight of this film is a temple chanting scene, where a pandit with hair like one of the ZZ Top singers sings 'Hare Krishna'. I half expected him to start singing 'She's Got Legs'!! Don't miss that part.
Final judgment: if you can find a free copy of the movie, do watch it.

Kaun???

Eduardo said...
"I recently found out the new Haagen Daz Creme Brulee ice cream. You must try it man! It's delicious."

Just one question dude, who are you? And yes, I will surely try it out.

Later in the Day: I can't find the Haagen Daz Creme Brulee flavor.

Boring 2

A boring day again. Nothing to do, just sit in the office. Have a craving for a cake today. Something really creamy. Maybe a cheesecake. Will try to find it. Also, I cooked bhindi ki sabzi today. What can I say, I am a great cook. Yeah, I RULE!!

Boring Day

Boring day. The usual. Nothing new. The radio has gone all boring on me. And today it took the cake. Relentless bad mucis, hour after hour. And when some decent music did play (Allah ke Bande), the transmission got lousy. Bad. Very Bad. Pitti.
In a way, it was to be expected. I had been having usch good run on the radio, playing some really nice tunes, and the work also seemed bearable. The good times had to end. Yawnnnnnn..........

Near Escape of the Day: So, I am sitting in my car in the evening, listening to the radio, switching stations (office had gotten too cold). I switch stations, and a sorta slow song is playing. The girl is singing about zulf or something else. Suddenly, the beat changes, and the chorus chimes in, 'Aaja ve mahi, lets do balle balle'. I quickly change stations!! Man, that was close!!
On a realted note, it seems that the movie Fida is paisa vasool, but I am afraid to watch it, cos then I will have to bear the balle balle song as well!!

The Most Retarded Development So Far

The weather here has been burning, around 40 degrees avg, and I HAVE CAUGHT COLD!! Seriously, how retarded can that be? I think I caught it because of all the gymming. Its air conditioned, and I sweat, and then I face teh air-con. The hot-cold effect has had its consequence, and now I have a very sore throat, and a runny nose.
A point to make. I discovered a new gem of a song. Its Ru ba ru, from Maqbool. I have heard it mentioned it on other blogs a lot, and though I should give it a try. Its worth all the praisees it has got, and then some more. Go ahead, listen to it.

Later in the Day: Shamelessly copied pun from another site:

Visit India. Then you can send a post card saying, 'Vishnu were here'

An Orignal joke: So my colleague, Samar comes up to me and asks if I have a break for a tenner. I offer two fivers, but she says she wants a further break for one of the fivers. Luckily, I have that, but am now left without any singles. So as she thanks me, I say to her, 'You know, I have become un-Riyal!!' Get it? un-Riyal!! Ha ha ha

My Secret Is Out

I have been working here for two years, and to tell the truth, I don't know half of my office by name. Not that they ever noticed, since I hardly talk to them. But today, my deepest secret, that I hardly know them came out unintentionally. Let me explain.
At the end of the office, I needed to staple some papers, and went around asking people if they had some. One colleague, Samar, suggested that I ask 'Khaltoum'(hope I got the name right), a lady I have been saying hello to for nearly two years. And I blurted,'Who?':smacks head:
What followed was a formal introduction by Samar between the lady and I. Khaltoum was laughing aloud when she realised that I didn't know her name, and I felt like either kicking myself, or jumping out of the window.
Resolution: Must lay out of Khaltoum's sight for a few days.Can't bear to have a lady laugh in my face again.
On the other hand, do you know what 'Khaltoum' means? It means 'High Cheeks' and the lady has those. So I did manage to compliment her that she was aptly named. I wonder if she managed to hear me in between her laughs?

Teri-yaki, Meri-yaki

Jaate the Japan, pahunch gaye Cheen, samajh gaye na? Well, this is what happened to me yesterday. After office, I decided to go on a tandoori chicken hunt. I search and searched and searched, but I could not find the King Kebab (or is it Kebab King?) restaurant that served those delicious tandoori chickens and the roomali rotis. So finally I make my way to the Landmark mall, and go on to the food court there, just to check it out. And there I found a Japanese fast food outlet. So I ended up having a Chicken Teriyaki instead!!
A word about Teriyaki. Its a lot like the bhaaji-pav of A'bad (preparation-wise). But it does not use oil in its cooking at all. Instead, water and soya sauce are used. And it all done on a large open plate, which makes it similar to bhaji-pav preparation. That is the Teriyaki style.
The food was good!! A little on the expensive side, though (one plate of noodles, veggies and chicken cost 20 bucks). The best part about it, was the hot sauce. Man, when I say hot, it was really HOT. In fact, I think I will go there again SOME DAY. Not too soon though, must not spoil a good thing.

Butter Chicken

The latest issue of Outlook magazine seems interesting.....a lot of alternate histories and what ifs...and then there is the story about what if butter chicken had not been invented(?). This has got me in the mood for some nice tasty chicken, but unfortunately, the only place I know of where they serve a butter chicken, is Welcome restaurant. Don't want to go there really.
OTOH, I think I will go and eat a King Kebab. Remember those? Jiji used ot bring those a lot when We were in Khalifa Town. Its been such a long time (decades!!!) since I had those. Will try to find out where it is, and get it.

Uneven Strength

I just discovered that my left arm is stronger than my right arm. This I found out when my gym instructor shifted me from machines to weights. Suddenly, my right arm is getting tired before my left arm. My instructor will be making me do some special exercises for my right arm tomorrow. And speaking of weight, I don't think I enjoy them a lot. I mean, the dumbells are ok, but I simply HATE the bars.
And another thing - HELP!!! The radio, it seems, is hell bent on making me listen ot the song 'aaja ve mahi lets do balle balle', which I don't want to. But the this song seems to play on the radio everyday and on every show!! I am having to change channels a lot because of this. All this channel changing has led me to listen to the song 'Oh, what a babe!' a lot of times, and now I am begingin to like it. The shame.

A VERY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO EVERYONE!!!

A VERY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO EVERYONE!!!

Though, as Bachi Karkaria asks in Lies, damned lies and stereotypes, what does freedom mean, are we really free? BTW, I love her writing. Shes got one hell of a command over the language.
The radio has been palying desh bhakti songs from morning. In fact, I got tired of listening to 'mere desh ki dharti' all morning!! But then, they played 'yeh desh hai veer jawanon ka', and I was instantly transported to my college days, when me and my friends used to really groove over the song. In fact, it was the numero uno desh bhakti song of our college.
But fear not, the nightmare is over. I passed out of college long ago (I don't count the years cos then I will realize that I am not GenX anymore).
Spiderman 2 has not been released till now. I asked the usher at the theater and he said that it will be, in a fortnight. I am waiting. In the meantime, Elf has been released, and I am in two minds whether to go and watch it or not. Will Farrel is funny, but a Christmas fare in the middle of a 45 degrees summer is not really tempting. Lets see....

The Indian Scene...

Rapist Dhananjoy dead, hanged in Alipore jail. Not commenting on the hanging, but rather than on the fact that this is the top story on the TOI website. Indian Express' lead story is about the crisis of the Tibet lake, and also in the Hindu. Now, I may not be a good journalist, but this much I know, Tibet is a more important story than Dhananjoy. But when the leader is guiding the reader(TM), what can one do....did anyone say dumbing down?
Also, there have not been many political news from teh ruling party. Makes me wonder, is there a ruling party in India? I am sure that the ousting of the BJP from power was not good for the newspapers. The congress is just not good at playing to the presses. They'd rather please Madam rather than the Third Estate. And only when Madam does something does it become newsworthy for them. Shame.

Trip

So now, I have another visitor on my blog....Jijaji!! Hmm, I never thought that my blog would be noticed in the first place!!
Yesterday, I cruised till late in the night, right after office. A meal of a Nepolitan Pizza and Pepsi, followed by nearly two hours of driving. I visited Al Khor. The road connecting Doha and Al Khor has been recently built, and it was a real pleasure!! I maintained a steady speed of 100 on the empty road. The radio played some fast dance music to help. Reached Al Khor at around 12:30, and just cruised around. The entire town was asleep, and I had trouble finding an open grocery store for a bottle of water!! In fact, the clean and empty streets of Al Khor gave me the impression that it was a ghost town. But then a mallu passed by, hitching up his mini lungi, and my faith in humanity was restored :)
Of this drive, I have to mention the wind. The desert wind. While Doha was sweltering even in the night, the highway wsa really cool, what with the open spaces and all. I didn't need to use my car AC at all.
I again visited Al Khor today morning, cruising at just 60. And I must say, this drive was more fun than burning rubber at 100. The air was hot as hell, and I had to turn on the car AC at full blast, but there was a certain smooth rhythm to the car. Plus, the radio was playing some nice slow tracks.
Ah, I proclaim again, I LOVE THE CAR RADIO!!!

Laughs

A few trade spwcific jokes that I must share. Yenjoy:
-----------
A physicist, biologist and a chemist were going to the ocean for the first time.

The physicist saw the ocean and was fascinated by the waves. He said he wanted to do some research on the fluid dynamics of the waves and walked into the ocean. He drowned and never came back.

The biologist said he wanted to do research on the flora and fauna inside the ocean and walked inside the ocean. He drowned, too.

The chemist waited for a long time and afterwards, wrote the observation, "The physicist and the biologist are soluble in ocean water".
----------
A farmer has problems with his chickens - all of the sudden, they are all getting very sick. So he calls up a biologist, a chemist and a physicist

The biologist runs several experiments, but can't come up with the answer. The chemist also runs several experiments, but he can't come up with the answer, either.

So the physist trys. He stands there and looks at the chickens for a long time without touching them or anything. Then all of the sudden he starts scribbling away in a notebook. Finally, after several gruesome calculations, he exclaims, "I've got it! But it only works for spherical chickens in a vaccum."
----------
An engineer, a physicist and a mathematician are walkng past a burning building just as the fire truck arrives.

The fireman implores them, "Please help me!"

The engineer says "Give me the building blueprints." Within two minutes, he draws up a plan to fight the fire, which the firefighters use to save the building.

A week later, the physicist comes by the fire station. He tells the fire chief, "I've written a booklet on general principles for fighting fires". The chief thanks him, and says he will use the booklet in training his firefighters.

Six months later, the mathematician comes to the fire station and drops a huge box of papers on the fire chief's desk: "I've done it!"

"Done what?", asks the fire chief.

"I've proven fires exist!"
-------------
Ghani was a chemist,
Now Ghani is no more,
What Ghani thought was H2O
Was H2SO4.
-----------

If you didn't get the last one, leave me a note.

Words of Wisdom

Copied shamelessly from Dong Resin's Joint:

Everything is in your mind.

And yet, there is still room.

Oh, and yes, my bosses have returned from their vacations.....Sukh bhare din beete re bhaiya, ab dukh aayo re, rang jeevan mein naya laayo re.

More 'Useless' Purchases

Quote:

"I know why your tummy has not decreased its because , the fat from your arms have melted down to your stomach "

This has got to be the funniest reason ever :)!!! Jiji, fat does not melt and flow to other parts of your body!! And for the record, I never had any fat on my arms to begin with! My tummy is because of me sitting for the better part of the day, whether in office or in my room, of lying down on my bed. And to get rid of it, I don't do push up, rather, I do sit ups. And I did do some today, and my tummy ached!! Its responding favorably, I say.
so three new exercises added to my routine today. All three deal with my arms and shoulders. Looks like the instructor thinks that since I am lean, I don't need to do any fat reducing exercise, and jump straight to body building. But by the time I got around to doing the three exercises, I could not even lift my arm. I barely managed to do those. In fact, I did less that I was asked to do. But that's ok, I will pick up eventually.
Moving on, yesterday, I made the mistake of going to Lulu Hypermarket, and you know what happens when one goes to such places. That's right, the wallet mysteriously opens up. And as a result, I now have four more items in my 'not really needed list'. They are four CDs that I purchased. Eric Clapton & the Yardbirds, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, and Jimi Hendrix. The catch, in all of these, was that they were 'budget CDs' (read those CDs that we are not able to sell, and just want to get rid of). The sore one in this is obviously Jimi Hendrix, since I have never heard any of his songs. I am only aware of his reputation as a guitarist. And since I have a guitar lying in my room, I thought that I may be inspired to take it up after listening to him. But there is a slight fault in my plan - I DON'T HAVE A CD PLAYER!!
That's right, I have an audio player, and have not bought a CD player. And another point that I must mention is, I only listen to my car radio. No music in my room.
so how's that for a total waste of money?
But I beg to differ. I may not be able to listen to them right now, But I am sure I will enjoy them once I travel to India. Or when I am again under the spell and open my wallet for a CD player. But rest assured that it is a remote possibility, since I rarely venture into any electronic shop. I am not THAT stupid.
On the interesting developments front, I think there is some sort of a sibling rivalry going on in the Srivastav household. Today morning, as I was leaving for the gym, I overheard uncle and aunty talking about their kids. Aunty said some thing about her daughters telling her that 'Bhibek is a little badmash'. So, from what I can gather, it concerns Bhibhek, Simiji, and probably Bhibhek's wife. Uncle and Aunty are just pushed into it for no fault of theirs. And as I was leaving via the main door, they immediately stopped discussing whatever they were discussing and were all smiles.
and let me just declare here, for all the enquiring minds concerned, that I will not probe into the matter further. And neither should Chickoo, via Bhibhek's wife.

Progressing...

My gym instructor told me that from tomorrow, I will be doing more weights. And also dumbells. Which is fine, except that I was looking forward to some more exercises for the stomach and back. My tummy has not decreased, though I can feel my arms and chest tightening.
And I found out that the sone 'Aaja ve mahi lets do balle balle' is from the film Fida. And It has music by Anu Malik. *smacking my head* Of course, how could I not be astounded by the song, and not imagine that Anu Malik was somewhere in the picture. I am betting the line was his own idea. Must be more observant in the future.

Missed Gym

Today, laziness caught up with me-I didn't go to the gym today. Was feeling too lazy. But, to counterthat, I drove all morning!! Its been a long time since I cruised the city. In fact, I am begining to prefer Doha in the mornings that in the evenings. More life in the mornings. And add to that, there was some nice music playing on the radio. But today, I treated myself to something different. I got my Eric Clapton tape and had a blast, singing along with the kings :) In fact, my throat is a little sore now.
Surreal Moment Of The Day: While cruising through the city, I found myself in a new part of town, and the realization struck me....I'm lost!! In this tiniest of cities!! Things can't be more surreal than THAT!!

Thanks For Your Concern

Thanks for your suggestions, Roopesh. I am quite ok today. I think it was because of the fact that I havent lifted anything heavy in the last few months, and suddenly lifting weights just pulled my muscles a little. And I am doing the bottom rung of the weights anyways. My instructor told me that it will go away in a few days.
And your suggestion about taking up swimming is really good, but there is a minor flaw - I will need money forthat, and money's what I am trying to save here.
Moving on, I really like the gif that you sent me, and I am posting it here:



YENJOY!!!

Still It Pains

No gym today on account of it being Friday, but no relief for me. My muscles still feel crampy. In fact, I had a very disturbed sleep last night. And today, while in office, the pain got so unbearable, that I had to go out and buy something for muscle cramps. So, now, in addition to building my body, I am also on medication for my sore muscles. But I understand, 'cos the first days of exertion are always excrutiating. Give it a week, and it will pass.
Moving on, today, I went to the souq after a really long time to buy some shoe laces, and was reminded how wonderful a place it is. Especially on a Friday, when people come here to buy stuff. In fact, the kind of variety on display there is enough to boggle ones mind. Compare that to your regular mall, which display limited stuff, but really well. And by limited stuff, I mean the fact that they don't keep shoe laces! And also limited t-shirts. The prices are a murder, though. I am not good at the art of haggling, so there's every chance that I will be fleeced at these places.

Day Two

Day two of gymming, and I can't even lift my arm. I am that sore. Maybe I am not doing the routine correctly, but my instructor showed me how to do it, and I am doing exactly as he asked me to. But damn, my muscles ache!! Looks like I have been concnetrating on my back muscles, and because of that, I cannot band backwards. I am already losing some of my flexibility. Sob sob :'(
Moving on, I never really like Paki-pop. I can't stand 'purani jeans aur guitar', 'sar ki hai bahaar', 'Sayionee' or any other songs from the Pak scene (ok, I make an exception to 'hawa hawa' by Hasan Jehangir - remember him?? But I was too young to have a credible music taste then!!). I want especially single out 'Sayionee' by Junoon. Not only do I not like it (in fact, I hate it), but bring Neelkanth near a guitar, and you can bet your life that he will start singing that song. And just imagine Neelu's thin voice going 'Sayioneeeeeeeeeee'!!
But today, I eat a humble pie. The reason? 'Dhaani' by Strings. I have hread it online, and man, they are really good on this one. The entire album is amazing, the only exception being 'chaaye chaaye', which is just ok. But the album, as a whole, is worth buying. In fact, I think I will buy it when I visit India. Strings have shown maturity with this album, and the sound, the orchestrations are really well arranged. This is the direction in which Indipop should be headed. but what do we get? Remixes after remixes. The only Indian pop band that comes close to their level of music is Euphoria. I like them, but they have begun to sound a little repetitive. And then there's Lucky Ali. His last album was not good, but his latest album seems to be a return to form, from what I have heard so far. But Strings just leave both of them far behind with their latest album.
The Pakis have stolen the march on this one.

First Day At the Gym

My first day in gym, and I cant lift my arms!! But its my fault, really. The instructor showed me some arm exercises, and told me to do 30 and left. I didn't get what he said, and ended up doing 100!! Ouch! That hurts.
My time in the gym has reaffirmed my belief that running is a better exercise than gymming. Sure, gymming gives you good muscles, but that's not what good health is all about. The machines and weights in a gym are too focused on a particular part of the body, while ignoring the rest. In contrast, activities like running and swimming tend to involved the entire body, so that the entire body benefits. Also, in these activities, its you against your own body, while in gymming, its you against the weights. I fear that later, I will become too dependent on them, and will ignore the overall body as a whole. I am now vaguely aware how the idea of dumbness of body builders came about. Lets say, I wear a nice new shirt. I look at myself in the mirror, and think its too loose at the sleeves. 'Must start doing more dumbbells,' I think to myself. And also, I start thinking more in terms of, my abs are too loose, my wrists are not in proportion to my biceps, my legs need more exercise. You don't hear a runner or a swimmer thinking in that fashion. Its just 'I run/swim, and it feels nice'. I like it that way. Will try to wake up early to include running in my routine as well.
Moving on, I have learn't how to make a really good coffee. My colleague too a sip from my coffee, and he loved it. In fact, he has switched from drinking black coffee to the one with milk because of that!!

Later: I forgotto mention the comments that Bunny left on my blog. Thanks for the reassurance, Bunny. And don't tell me you don't know who Mary-Kate and Ashley Oslen are!!

I Have Matured

Today, I made a concession to my long held beliefs - I joined a gym. You see, I firmly believe that gyms don't do you as much good as simple running for half an hour and a couple of push ups and sit up will do. But I am unble ot get up early in the mornings for my jog, and today, my back was aching due to the lack of exercise and bad sitting posture. 'Time to do something about it,' I told myself. And off I went, searching for a place where I can learn tennis. But sadly, there is no place that offers tennis coachings in the mornings, and evenings are not an option for me. So I had to settle for the second option, namely, join a gym.
So there, one more of my idealisms falls by the wayside. Is that what growing and maturity is all about, making concessions to all your beliefs, just to get on with your life? Whats more important, the means or the end?

Two Movies, Two Trashes

The last two day, I saw two hindi movies, Gayab on video, and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi i the theater. Why? Quite frankly, I didn't know of better ways to waste my time. Really. Both the movies are that bad.
Fist up, Gayab. the director, I seems, was in two minds whether to make is a feel good-comedy, a thriller. So, he started out to make it a feel good comedy, But then changed his mind and went into the thriller mode. But when this didn't seem to work out either, he reverted back to the feel good stream. I hould point out that the thriller part is 'inspired' by the film Hollow Man. The only good part about the movie was that I didn't have to pay for it, since Srivastav aunty had got the cassette.
On to MSK. Sadly, I did have to pay for it. As for the movie, I counld smell theoncoming joke a mile away, but I still did manage to force a smile when it came. Salman Khan looks completely bored and Akshay Kumar is ok. The only good point in the movie was Satish Shah.
Some new developemtns in the office. We will be doing away with our access card ,and replacing that with fingerprint access. Wow!! Biometrics comes to Qatar. The rationale being given is that may people used other people's card to go in and out of offices, so this has been introduced. It will go operational in a few months. I am all for it. No more forgetting cards at home!!

A Thought...

Nothing new today. No news to tell. Thats what heppens when you live in this part of the world
By the way, I was thinking - traditionally, you should not tell about your good luck to otehr people, otherwise it will pass. So, does it follow that I should not tell people about my bad luck either, cos that will pass too?

Am I Being Shadowed?

Am I being shadowed? No, I certainly am not, but I was just entertaining the idea of what would it look like if I was shadowed. The report submitted on me wouldread like, "He just gets in the car and roams around randomly, listening to loud music. Usually drives as 80, but on an empty road, can reach a speed of 100. I fail to see why he should be followed at all. The only utility that I can think for him is that he could single-handedly affect the world gas prices, given the amount of driving that he does. Maybe we could suggest to his employer to raise his salary by ten times." I like the last sentence.
Moving on, last night, the Srivastavs went to an ice ballet show, and were totally floored by it. The moment I returned fro moffice, aunty started suggesting that I go to watch it. And in the morning, I could hear her yak about the ballet on the phone all the time. So, as I went the ballet, I learnt that yesterday was the last day of hte ballet, and I had missed it. So had the other Indian families that had come there. I suspect, they were all sent the aunty, who has already informed half of the Indian community here.