Hope It’s Worth The Trip

I haven’t traveled much since my early 20s and I haven’t been anyplace interesting since then. Since 1998 I have been out of the state only once – for a two day official trip to Trichy and visit the Tamil Nadu branch of our BPO. Although I am not much for traveling, I would like to see other places, meet some interesting people and especially visit the many offices that this company has. It’s the actual traveling that I don’t like.

I don’t like sitting in buses or trains for hours on end and I certainly do not like sleeping in trains. I hate having to pack and while unpacking at your destination realizing that I have forgotten to pack underwear or socks or soap or  night clothes. I also am weary of food while in another state. Despite all this I still do like to see other cities and towns. So I am excited about the prospect of visiting either Chennai or Bangalore later this month for an official reason.

There’s a GB training session planned sometime between the 20th and the 30th of this month in one of the 3 offices that my company maintains in Bangalore. If not Bangalore, there is also another one planned in one of the 3 offices in Chennai. I’ve been nominated along with 3 other Assistant Managers to attend one or the other batch and then move onto a project at the earliest.  I’m sure that it will be fun and I guess I should go if the opportunity does come up.

Holland Send Brazil Packing

The Netherlands showed Brazil the exit door while beating the overhyped and overblown South Americans 2-1. Brazil also had a player sent off.

Robinho gave the Brazilians the lead on Felipe Melo’s brilliant low pass up the middle of the field that the striker put home with a low shot. Wesley Snijder was hugely instrumental, setting up the first and scoring the second. The Dutch levelled out of the blue in the 53rd minute after a rare mistake from Brazil’s usually impenetrable defence, as Felipe Melo headed Sneijder’s cross into his own goal.

Then Sneijder headed a winner as the Dutch, battling to their 13th successive World Cup win to maintain a perfect record in the qualifiers and finals, avenged a quarter-final defeat in 1994 and a semi-final defeat four years later. Brazil were not able to shutout the Dutch, who took charge in the second half and showed their desire. Brazil paid dearly in the 68th minute when Dirk Kuyt flicked on Arjen Robben’s corner at the near post and Sneijder headed into the net.

Shortly afterwards, Felipe Melo was sent off for stamping on Robben.

Transactions Around The NHL

  • The Ottawa Senators sign defenceman Sergie Gonchar to three-year, US$16-million deal on Thursday, just minutes after the start of free-agent season. The addition of Gonchar, who’s been named to four all-star games and won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 during his 15-year NHL career, gives the Senators a different look on the back end.
  • The Calgary Flames signed two former players who they had previously traded away; Flames signes forward Alex Tanguay to a one-year contract; signed forward Olli Jokinen to a two-year contract.
  • The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Manny Malhotra to a three-year contract; signed forward Joel Perrault; signed forward Jeff Tambellini; signed defenseman Dan Hamhuis to a six-year contract.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Colby Armstrong to a 3 year contract to add to the trade of forwards Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweatt from Chicago in exchange for forwards Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis.
  • The Montreal Canadiens acquired forward Dustin Boyd and future considerations from the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Sergei Kostitsyn and future considerations and also signed goalie Alex Auld.
  • The  Chicago Blackhawks traded forward Andrew Ladd to the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday in exchange for defenceman Ivan Vishnevskiy and a second-round pick in 2011., a day after dealing forward Kris Versteeg to Toronto. Last week, Chicago sent playoff star Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager to Atlanta and shipped Colin Fraser to Edmonton.
  • The Dallas Stars have signed goalie Andrew Raycroft on a 2 year contract
  • The Phoenix Coyotes added scoring depth Thursday, signing veteran 38 year old winger Ray Whitney to a two-year deal.