Happy Birthday to a very special woman! May all your wishes come true.
Happy Birthday Dear
Month: March 2008
Wasting My Time – Default
Happy St.Patrick’s Day
I am not Irish, neither do I have Irish blood in me. I have met & spoken to just a handful of Irish people, who happened to be visiting India.
But I love this festival of theirs. Today on this festive occasion, everyone in the world has a little green in them and everyone is Irish.
You know what I love the most of this festival? All the beer drinking!!
Apartment Dog
Most of you who have read through this blog will know that I love dogs. I like most breeds of dogs, especially Labs, Retreivers, Dalmations, Rottweilers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Huskies & Malamutes. I have had three dogs live with me, although the first one, Lassie a Pomeranian-Alsatian mix died in just 4 days. My dog, and by all right the only one who can be called my dog for the almost 11 years of loyal companionship, Shawny was a Golden Retriever and Shawny Jr., who is actually my sister’s dog, was a black lab-dalmatian mix, lived with me for a year. Jr. now lives in my sister’s weekend residence in Chalakudy.
I’ve recently been idling thinking about getting a dog and what breed of dog to keep. I live in a small apartment though and over here you are not allowed to keep pets in your apartments, unless its fish or parrots or something like that. Which is a shame. But if I could, I would have to get a small dog and the perfect one is the Welsh Corgi. Pictured here is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, one of the two kinds of Corgis. This breed originates from Pembrokeshire, Wales and is an active, athletic & intelligent dog. Despite its short legs, the dogs were used for herding sheep and cattle (although I don’t keep cows or sheep in my apartment). I think a Corgi would be a great companion and although no dog can ever hope to replace Shawny in my life, I could see myself raising another dog.
St.Patrick's Day Wallpaper
In honour of St.Patrick’s day, a festival that I have no hope of actually celebrating as I live in India, I decided to search for a suitable wallpaper. And here it is. I am sharing it with you, so right click on the image and download it if you chose to celebrate the Irish festival. Or you can download it from here.
Can You Say ‘Opa’!?
If you don’t get hooked on the Greek-Mediterranean charms of this song by Johannes Lindstead, you are either not a music lover or you only listen to extremely boring Malayalam or otherwise Indian classical music or you only listen to extreme metal or you only listen to boybands and or dance crap. This is not for you, so go away.
The others, sit back, enjoy the tune, clap your hands and shout ‘Opa’!
Return Of The Trio
Yesterday was not a good day for me at the office, because I could not do what I had set put to do as other things came up which needed my attention. I was getting pissed off with the little things that some people do that seem so annoying. Are they doing it on purpose? Ofcourse not! This is just their little fucking style.
Anyway the further the day went, the more I got upset until about 5:45 when I was having coffee with Kiran, my cell phone rang and I got even more pissed off because of what the caller had to say. I am not looking forward to it at all. This was the final straw. I was so upset that I was in mood to go for some drinks with my buddies Anil & Madhu. But then, our get-togethers happen just once in a month or so, therefore I just had to go. We had planned for me to treat them to drinks & dinner yesterday and although I was in no mood I just had to go.
The rain had slowed down a bit as I was leaving, so I didn’t bother to take my umbrella but as I walked to the ATM, it started to pick up in intensity and I got thoroughly wet. What a great day! But I got an auto and collected some cash at the nearest ATM and then headed for Park Regency where Anil & Madhu were waiting for me. We got into a corner seat and order – the usual – 8 pm whiskey for Madhu, Bijoys brandy for Anil & Romanov vodka for me. We ordered some chilly pork, chilly fish, some chicken, some beef & some salad to go with it.
Then Madhu hit me with the news that Anil is getting serious about approaching the girl’s (who he liked and who, surprisingly enough, likes him back) parents and that was the only thing standing in the way of him getting married soon. Anil states that if everything goes according to plan and her folks decide to disown their youngest child and give her hand in marriage to a loser like him, he could be getting a wife in 4 to 5 months! Yikes, that will leave me as the lone bachelor among the most sexiest trio in India! Well, I shall be the lone lady-killer in this trio then. But I would be so happy for the asshole that Anil is if he would get hitched.
Just as we had sat down, Vinitha called me from Bangalore and we shared some news from both sides of the company and I was so glad that she had called. She actually put me in a better mood, along with the company or my two amigos ofcourse. Then I went back in and we laughed & joked and ate & dranked unitl the wee hours of the day or 10:45 pm to be exact. Then we had to find a way home!
Well, Madhu bough his bike and he lives just a couple of kilometers away but Anil & I had to go all the way to the city to get to our respective homes. So we waited for an auto and it took us almost 20 minutes before we could hail one and he took me & Anil to SRM road and to Kacheripady respectively. I made my way to my apartment, washed my self and then crashed on my bed until 9 am this morning. Once again, thanks to Madhu & Anil, I have had a great evening.
Until next time!
Intercontinental Champ Is Jericho
Once again returning wrestler Chris Jericho is a champ! Now an 8 time Intercontinental Champion, Jericho beat Jeff Hardy on the last Raw show for the title. Even though his new look has him being mistaken on occasion as a kinda like a grown up member of the Backstreet Boys (compared to his previous Metal Rocker long locks), we shall forgive him for that.
Lunch With The Team
Like I stated last night, I took my colleagues in my department out for lunch today to Hotel Sea Park. Only my team lead was missing and that was because she had gone to Bombay for personal reasons and would be back only by April 15th. I wanted her also to be there.
So we arrived there and ordered lots of stuff – fried rice, chilly chicken, mutton, chicken 65, panner masala, porotta & chappathi. It was a really good time with good food and good people. We took almost 2 hours to finish it but that was because the service was slow. Good food but crappy waiters with attitude. We also had some ice cream for desert. And it turned out to be very reasonable; some would call it cheap since for that money we ate a lot of food & there 11 people there!
That's More Like It
Three good wins against three good teams. Jason Spezza and the Ottawa Senators served notice to the Montreal Canadiens that they have every intention of defending their Northeast Division title. Spezza scored two goals and Martin Gerber stopped 28 shots for his second shutout, leading Ottawa to a 3-0 win over Montreal on Thursday night. Antoine Vermette also scored for the Senators, who won their third in a row to draw even with Montreal with 87 points.
On Tuesday Dany Heatley scored three goals and set up another, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 Tuesday night. Spezza had the other goal. And on Saturday Mike Fisher had two goals as the Sens snapped a three-game winless streak to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2. Heatley & Vermette had the other goals.
Self-deprecation
Today I got stuck while searching for the right word. I was trying to tell Kiran (my friend who is working in the HR dept. at the office) about stand up comedy. And while describing some of the jokes, I was telling her that the ones that draw the most laugh are the jokes that the comic makes about himself and or at his own expense. I wanted to say jokes that are “self-deprecative” but I couldn’t say the word. I was turning things in my head to search for that word but it didn’t come out. Kiran tried helping me – we went through “self-derogatory” which was close enough but just not right. Finally while I was in the bus, she sent me an sms with the appropriate word.
Self-Depraction is a form of humor in which people or comedians make jokes about themselves, their shortcomings, or their culture, usually without being guided by any underlying self-esteem issues.
Notes For 13th March
- I seem to be packing a lot more work into 8 hours the last few days. I take an hour’s break (15 minutes morning coffee, 30 mins lunch & 15 minutes evening coffee). Its a good feeling.
- Assholes at work still manage to sour the whole thing for you, but I’m learning to look past it.
- Afternoon lunch with the entire team has become a norm these days….and I enjoy it a lot!
- So much that I decided to treat my fellow team members to a nice lunch. We’re going out tomorrow.
- Its raining again – two nights in a row and it’s only mid-March! No complaints here, I like the rain.
- The heat & humidity hasn’t let up though.
O’ Canada
One of my favourite guitarists / artists Gordie Johnson, currently fronting Grady and formerly of the under-rated Big Sugar, recently made an appearance in Toronto, Canada to sing / play the national anthems of the US & Canada. The game was between the home team, the Toronto Maple Leafs vs the New Jersey Devils. After singing the US national anthem, Gordie belts out on his double neck Gibson guitar, his country’s national anthem. Watch this magic moment. He’s done it before but this one rocks, even if he is unaccompanied.
I’d like to hear him play Jana Gana Mana one of these days!
Star Trek – An Atheist’s Dream
While watching the episodes of Star Trek : TNG on tv, I used to be struck by the predominant characteristic theme of atheism. In the world of Star Trek there is no need for money, materialistic possession, hunger, famine, diseases are almost non existent (other than the ones that the crew encounter on their trips) and instead there is a brotherhood of humans. And there is no god for humans! If you want to live a peaceful life bettering yourself, its possible. But from time to time, a human has been mistaken for a god.
Like in this case, Jean-Luc Picard is thought to be a God by a less advanced race. Saying he has no desire to send them back into the “Dark Ages,” Picard is determined to repair the cultural damage as much as possible while not further violating the Prime Directive. It finally takes the witnessing of the death of a human at sickbay for them to realize Picard is just as mortal as they are and that his godlike powers are nothing more than a technological advancement.
Rain Is Lovely
As I was walking back home a few minutes ago, I got the first draft of breeze that seemed to imply the promise of some rain. Further ahead, the wind picked up and I was sure that we would be blessed with the welcoming raindrops that I have been so longing for. Just as I reached my building, it started getting a little colder and I was glad that I reached the gate and did not have to dig out my umbrella in my bag. I got into my apartment, I changed my clothes, washed my face, & legs and sat down at the computer and presto….it is raining! Open the windows – the very same windows which I would pull shut in fear of numerous mosquitoes invading my space and sucking my blood – and let the cool wind bath me it all its seductive glory and watch the rain fall on a thankful city.
Coffee, Coffee Where Are You?
If you are like me, you will be in a zombie stage before you get your first cup of coffee in you. A creature of the dead until that first cup o’ bliss touches your lips and flows down your throat. If you are like me, you probably drink 3 to 4 cups of the nectar a day. And you probably crave it like crazy every time you don’t get any. If you are like me, you will curse the entire company when the coffee runs out in the office coffee machine. You will howl at the sky when you wake up in the morning and reach for the coffee powder only to find out that the bag is empty and everyone in the house forgot to buy some.
If you are like me, you will appreciate the picture & product below.
At plain sight it is a standard black mug as they come a dime a dozen and in big white letters it say OFF. Nothing fancy, but once you add the hot beverage of your choice, the mug changes color and is turning white and in big black letters it states: ON. the wonders of heat sensitive pigment… Dishwasher safe of course!
Mismatch
I went out for a bit today. Other than a coffee and a couple of cookies, I wanted to check out the cd collections at Planet M as they were having a discount sale on older stock. So in I went and was disappointed to note that their English music selection has shrunk incredibly! Not just that, they seem to have developed shit for brains, the shop guys. Consider if you will the mismatch of cds and the label on the top of the shelf.
Country : Nelly Furtado “Loose”
Gospel : Black-Eye Peas, John Denver & Juanes
Pop : Judas Priest, G3 (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai & Eric Johnson)
World Music : Santana, Shania Twain & Reba McEntire
Did I miss something? Did the above mentioned artists change their musical genres? Now if Judas Priest had been in the Gospel section, I would have screamed.
Guess Who? That Funny Bird
The post about Popeye & Olive got me thinking about all the other cartoons I loved as a kid. All of you who, when young or even now, remember this loony character who went into mischievious antics at the drop of a feather. Woody is also famous for that one of a kind laugh, which is often immitated but never ever has anyone been able to duplicate it. I used to watch Woody Woodpecker as a kid in Kuwait, but can’t ever remember seeing an episode since we moved back to India, until very recently.
I must protest to Cartoon Network. My two nephews watch all these nonsense cartoons that couldn’t hold a candle to the red & blue bird. There have been very few cartoons in the last decade or so that are worth watching. Sometimes there is nothing like a good cartoon to bring back traces of your childhood & innocense and can banish all your adult worries & stress, even if only for an hour or so.
One of my favourite episodes of Woody Woodpecker is the one in which he goes to a restaunrant for lunch. The waiter there (a cat??) sees in the paper that there is $100,000 reward for the capture of a woodpecker. He dreams of the money, motorcars & women. So he sets out to capture our bird friend. When the waiter approaches, Woody asks “Can I have a Menu?”. “A menu?” asks the waiter, to which Woody replies “Yeah, M-E-N Men, Y-O-U, You. MENU!!”. Simpley hillarious and typical Woody. My sister & I used to mimic this dialogue a lot when we were much younger…..we don’t do that anymore.