Sunday, December 31, 2006

E-A-G-L-E-S IGGLES

This is the best news of the year... Eagles win against Falcons 24-17 with AJ Feeley at quarterback. I think we all saw disappointment in the 5 game losing streak this year and the loss of McNabb, I for one was bitching to my buds about how badly they had played, and now to bounce back and be on top of the NFC east..this excerpt from their news article says it all:

"But 10 minutes after the game was over, the players and coaches and everybody was talking about what is ahead. Winning 10 games and bouncing back to win the division was nice. It was welcomed. But the real goal is out there. The real goal is not making the playoffs.

The real goal is winning the Super Bowl.

And the Eagles are alive.

... What did we learn on Sunday? Well, Feeley is a capable quarterback who has a nice touch on the deep ball. He got rid of the rust and blistered Atlanta's first-team defense.

... We learned that Baskett and Avant make plays when given the chance. We learned that Greg Lewis is going to catch passes and make first downs. We learned that Matt Schobel is suddenly a weapon in the red zone."

GO IGGLES

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Death of a Dictator

Saw the Saddam Hussain hanging on BBC News today and was really disturbed with the hurry in which they carried out the sentence. I don't think he was innocent of anything, but I feel he should have been tried for all his crimes, that way the execution would not have been a facade...

They hung you today a hurried decision
a life snuffed out, no remorse
the world thinks, a life gone, a better vision
a country divided, yet we stay our course

I saw it go down, I saw your spirit find release
the terror you unleashed is now gone
people scarred thru generations, no peace,
death spread around, but that evil lives on

We've found ourselves in a world with just war
our new paradigm is more violence for evils of old
our pretense for freedom, our soldiers lives
all part of our hidden desires for that black gold

Ah Entero-Quinol

Not one to shy away from talking about bowel-movements, I must say that Entero-Quinol really seems to be doing the job for my stomach infection...keeping my fingers crossed (yet stacked up on toilet paper)

Reflections on the year gone by:

Summary on the year gone by:

i'm doing this for the first time for forgive my writing style on being "reflective", but here's the year as I saw it come by me:

- Successful merger of two japanese companies, through the sweat blood and tears we managed to pull it off as a team
- A happy 10 yrs together with my wife, what a fantastic journey this has been, I am truly blessed to have her in my life
- The loss of $9M of potential client revenue due to being stiffed / undercut by another consulting company
- My acceptance into Cornell for my executive MBA program and subsequent damage to my wallet from the fees
- Our saab breaks down for the millionth time. We've stopped worrying about the inevitable
- Padma's dads health takes a turn for the worse and through some good TLC bounces back somewhat
- Quality time spent with my mom, padmas family in goa
- Stomach flu as I sit here and type
- End of my first semester in school. I have earned the "E" in my EMBA programme.
- The win of $9m in client revenue (this is a super comeback for my team from the earlier loss)

Friday, December 29, 2006

Dinner with Nasser

Met nasser last night for a planned dinner. turns out that we had been trying to do this for the past few yrs with little luck, but, last night happened. Went to the ITC group of hotels by the Hyatt and sat at the Korean restaurant. Started with some lobster appetizers and was in the mood for some Kalbi/ Bulgogi so thats exactly what we got alongwith some mongolian mish-mash and fungus. Bellisimo!!! thats how good the food was. My stomach is still reeling from heavy food but it was so worth the gastronomic experience.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Its caught up with me

It all started after the little bash with Ashok, Narkar, Sudhir, Mellu, Adrian and Sue. My throat was a little itchy the next morning and so was my stomach. I wrote it off to too much alcohol (assuming 3 mugs of beer is too much) and lay down. Then the shivers, then the fever and the stomach infection.
A day later and i'm still laid up in bed, feeling a little better but still under the weather. The Advils, multi-vitamins and immodium hasn't completely helped but i'm hoping to bounce back and enjoy my last few days in bombay....wish me a speedy recovery!

Sunday, December 24, 2006

The trip to Padma's folks place in goa

Went over to Padma's place and had a really really good time with her folks. Her mom / dad were super hospitable to mum and me (what with mums craziness and eccentricities) and we really felt welcome there. i cannot even begin to say how greatful i am for everything.

one thing i really wanted to write about is that i feel so connected to Dida. Shes this bubbly old woman who's led her life losing her husband at a very young age an then giving up all meats (not out of choice -- but for tradition). Her smile absolutely captivated me when I met her a couple of year ago, but this time around I had the opportunity to talk to her, laugh with her, eat the cloves that she kept giving me and finally put an arm around her. Shes 80+ something years old and I can say that I absolutely love her for who she is and the affections that she represents for me.

As i was sitting in the goa airport with her, she spoke to me in broken hindi about coming back to see her within the next yr while I tried to convince her to come visit padma and me in the USofA. I hope to see her before she sees me in India..I was very sad when she started to cry and tell me that shes going to be alone once Padma and I leave, i really treat her and think of her as my family and my own blood. Its been only a day and I miss her laughter terribly. Life sucks when you cannot be around those you care about

Saturday, December 23, 2006

India - en Route --

okay, this will get posted a little later than the actual write date, but, i thought that I would share some information as i go along on my trip back to india.

Firstly, I detest flying by United airlines..it makes me feel like James Bond. My flight from ORD-PHL was delayed on Dec 15 from 4 pm CST to 11 pm CST. Then the flight sat on the runway for 3 hrs and turned back to the terminal. The reason: Fog in philadelphia and that the flight crew was tired. Did anyone think about the weary passenger who had actually paid for this ordeal? Anyway, they rebooked me on the next days flight back to philly at 9.30 am. Now, note that I had a plane from JFK - Abu Dhabi to catch at 10 pm that same night. My flight from Chicago was sposed to arrive in Phila around 12.30 pm, giving me enough time to extend my apartment lease, pack, get a haircut, do some last minute shopping for mum and any final closeouts that required my attention, including paying of all out household bills (credit cards, utilities etc).

While holding my breath, i realized that the plane was (again) going to be 3 hrs late, so instead of arriving at 12.30 pm, i reached home at 3.30 pm, with very little time to get my shit together. Thank you United.

Run home with a one way rental from Avis, pick, pack and rush to the CVS pharmacy to pick up my prescription meds, go to Dons to attempt to get a haircut but alas, he has a long line and wont get to me until an hour later (which of course given my schedule means no haircut).

5.30 pm on Dec 16th: Grab my bags and rush ot the car, now im wearing jeans and a sweatshirt with sneakers. I've ditched my formal attire on the living room couch and I know wifey is gonna be mad at me for messing the house up in my hurry to leave town. That said, I do the run from Philly to JFK in record time (I'm sure the cops recorded my speed at around 95mph along the turnpike) and manage to (barely) make my flight to abu dhabi. Turns out I have middle seats for the 14 hr flight. *sigh*

I sit down to be surrounded by two individuals, one pakistani kid who grew up in nyc and the other a bangladeshi kid who grew up in Abu Dhabi. We actually made some super conversation and that really shortened the journey. The Pakistani kid and myself had a 6 hr layover in Abu Dhabi, so we managed to grab a beer together at the airport. He's a really good kid and can draw caricatures really well.I wish him luck and success in his future.

The next flight from Abu Dhabi to Bombay is uneventful, i end up in an exit row facing the flight attendants seat. She's a woman from Lebanon and we chat for a bit during those brief moments that they actually get to sit down. Turns out shes exhausted with her schedule as well and can't wait to get back to Beirut to see her mom / dad and family. I know that feeling.

7.30 AM IST: Bombay: Walk out of the Bombay airport with practically no luggage (because I only had a roll on bag and laptop bag). I have few hours to kill before heading on the Indian airlines flight at 1 pm to goa to see my wife and mom. Stop by Bandra(W) to see my best friends mom and have a quick breakfast with them. tried to call my sis-in-law for breakfast but shes not picking up her cell phone -- turns out later that she doesnt accept calls from "unknown" numbers...sheesh.

So i make it out to goa finally and mom / wife are waiting outside dabolim aiport. Wifes dad is kind enough to give me his family car to get around and that makes life so much easier getting around goa.

India, I'm back. I don't miss you very often, but when I come back I realize that you are the void that fulfils my life.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Plans change, everything changes

it turns out on impulse that I have decided to go to india. so now, im flying back from chicago to philly in the early hours of friday morning (returning from work), then have to pack my crap and leave for nyc for a bunch of meetings in teh afternoon. get this, i have to wear a suit to some of these meetings.
well, thank god for a buddy called ryan. im gonna leave my clothes there, switch to jeans and a t (and a sweatshirt), catch a cab to JFK and then head down to abu-dhabi - bombay - goa :)
its going to be 30+ hours of travel (and 20+ hrs in a plane) but getting to see my wife and mom is all going to be so worth it.

Merry christmas y'all, we'll see you in the next year....

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Eagles / Giants

Brian called me up yesterday with some season tickets on sale for the Eagles Giants game this sunday. Really good seats at $75 face value a pop. Etims coming down friday to hang in philly with Nilesh and probably Chin too..so once i'm done here, I head up to Giants stadium on sunday (18th) to watch Jeff Garcia try and bring the birds back. Gonna wear my McNabb No.5 Jersey tho, i know brian feels i'm gonna get me ass kicked in at the stadium ... we'll see.. I'm an Eagles fan, i'm not a pussy to not wear my teams colors......and yes these colors DO run (in case you put bleach on them)

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Watching the world pass me

Watching the world pass me ... in slow motion



My mind is wandering,
across the landscape of memories
ones that I have shared and lived
and ones, that i know i will experience

I am on top of the world,
and then down below,
brightness hits my eyes
darkness, here we go

I imagine things that may come
and those im not sure did
I am confused with the reality of it all
confused, as to why I am here

This is not alcohol, this is not another high,
its my mind, and my feelings
just like the evening sun
its gone with the days gone by

Chicago, the apartment and the disappointments

Well, i'm almost done with Chicago and god knows I can't be happier. What with the single digit temperatures and icy cold winds (at 20 below), it was getting a little too "down-low" for my tropical ass.

My apartment woes just began last week with a call from my realtor. Turns out that the leasor/landlord now decided to sell the place because "he needs the money". My take is FUCK YES, but why not do it before you put it on the market as a rental, you stupid fucking time-wasting moron? That would allow us to focus on other locations and not stop searching when we thought we had found the one we liked.

Well I wish them luck, actually i dont. I hope they find a buyer who wastes their time like they did ours .. grrr!!!

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

More thoughts, this goes out to my wife

I realized that I haven't been connected to my wife for a while now given her travel schedule and work on my side. Something for her to chew on:

You I will always love,
even after the day I am gone,
my one emotion I'll leave behind,
Until again we are one.

My feelings my heart,
will always be in your hands,
thats never going to change
that road has no end.

Your smile I do live for,
your touch and your happiness,
every motion that you go through,
paramount to my existance.

So if you ever see,
those cloudy skies above
just remember that throught thick and thin, through present and past,
you will always have my love.