1. Slice a regularly sized lemon or lime into small pieces.
2. Fill a shot glass with tequila.
3. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt onto the skin between your thumb and forefinger.
4. Using the same hand that contains the salt, you must hold one slice of the lemon (or lime) with your thumb and index finger.
5. Quickly lick the salt, down the tequila, and bite the lemon (or lime).
She did all of the above last night. This was after a long day at office, to celebrate a piece of work that got signed off. A busy day at office and she did not get time to eat anything after lunch, she was skeptical before downing the tequila. She surprised herself by behaving better than she had thought after the shot.
She ordered Rosé wine and sat down on the sofa comfortably thinking of dragging the wine till the end of the party. Her drinking appetite is a maximum of two glasses of alcohol. She did manage quite well sipping through small sips of wine once in a while, turning down any offer of refills that came after that. It was quite late into the party and her wine glass had only the last layer of liquid left, that she was offered Sangria.
The Sangria did not do any good. The composure she showed after the tequila shot was diminishing. She could feel her head getting heavier and her smiles getting broader, she looked happy and she was enjoying it all, in short she was drunk.
She told me all this today in the morning, apologising for her erratic behaviour last night. Few pointers that I gathered after listening to her experience – i) don’t drink Tequila empty stomach, or for that matter any drink empty stomach, ii) drink lots of water in between your drinks to nullify the effect of alcohol in your blood, iii) it is better to be drunk with your colleagues than with your boy/girl friend as the worst you will do when you have lost it is make stupid jokes with your co-workers, iv) a plate of Nachos along with the drinks is not enough, order more food as you go along, v) have your trip to go back home sorted before you decide to get drunk and most importantly vi) don’t forget you will have to meet those in the party early next morning for a meeting!!!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
A trip to Nairobi, Kenya
I was away last week on a business trip to Kenya. Whilst I did enjoy the business class flight and the stay at one of Africa’s best hotels and facilities which come with a business trip, the real icing on the cake for me was meeting the Kenyans.
8.15pm flight lands at Kenyan International airport and you see Karibu written as you make your way through the airport (Karibu means Welcome in Sohali, the Kenyan language). I walk towards the immigration check officer who after greeting me, remarks with a stone face – ‘Your visa has expired’. For a moment, the world stopped for me, I got my visa done specially for this trip and it has already expired. Just when I was about to say something (even though that moment I dint know what), he replied – ‘I am joking, welcome to Nairobi’. Phew! That was scary. I thanked him for his joke and walked towards the baggage claim rewinding the incident all over in my mind. Back home, I was warned about BA’s record of loosing bags and hence having to go to office in the same pair of clothes next day. It was a relief to find my suitcase taking rounds. I move towards the exit keeping a close watch on the swarm of people holding white pages with names hand-written. I had only started to think that my taxi from hotel is not there probably that just then I spot a big guy waiting with a big placard embossed with N Agarwal. As I jump into the taxi, he remarks to tie the seat-belts as he is going to drive real fast, which sounded strange but I still try to oblige him, only to be told that it was a joke. Gosh! People have a different sense of humour here, nice one I said to myself. And by the way, he drove slower than brisk walking, honestly!
After saying ‘Asanti Sana’ to the driver (meaning thank you very much) and jumbo to the hotel receptionist (jumbo means hello), I went to my hotel room to prepare for a tough next day. The next few days were the busiest days of my life yet. I have never worked so much in any of the 18 years of my academic life that I worked during this trip. The only bit of Nairobi I saw was from my office to the hotel which is 5 minutes walk. Strange is, even if it is such a short walk, but people from office in the evening would come down to book a taxi back to the hotel. It is very unsafe in Nairobi I hear. Having said that, I have met the best people, so professional and yet with such a personal touch. I loved the food at the hotel. My recommendation to those going to Nairobi for a vacation is Hotel Serena. Try it, I loved their hospitality.
What else?! Oh yes the most amazing part – after this arduous week I did treat myself with a Cellutox body massage at Serena. An amazing and relaxed one hour! The flight back home was more comfortable than the onward journey as BA was now aware of my ‘special food requirements’ which in short means vegetarian food. Apart from bringing home with myself the love and hospitality of the Kenyans, I have got some Kenyan tea; I am still to open the box so comments on that will follow later.
8.15pm flight lands at Kenyan International airport and you see Karibu written as you make your way through the airport (Karibu means Welcome in Sohali, the Kenyan language). I walk towards the immigration check officer who after greeting me, remarks with a stone face – ‘Your visa has expired’. For a moment, the world stopped for me, I got my visa done specially for this trip and it has already expired. Just when I was about to say something (even though that moment I dint know what), he replied – ‘I am joking, welcome to Nairobi’. Phew! That was scary. I thanked him for his joke and walked towards the baggage claim rewinding the incident all over in my mind. Back home, I was warned about BA’s record of loosing bags and hence having to go to office in the same pair of clothes next day. It was a relief to find my suitcase taking rounds. I move towards the exit keeping a close watch on the swarm of people holding white pages with names hand-written. I had only started to think that my taxi from hotel is not there probably that just then I spot a big guy waiting with a big placard embossed with N Agarwal. As I jump into the taxi, he remarks to tie the seat-belts as he is going to drive real fast, which sounded strange but I still try to oblige him, only to be told that it was a joke. Gosh! People have a different sense of humour here, nice one I said to myself. And by the way, he drove slower than brisk walking, honestly!
After saying ‘Asanti Sana’ to the driver (meaning thank you very much) and jumbo to the hotel receptionist (jumbo means hello), I went to my hotel room to prepare for a tough next day. The next few days were the busiest days of my life yet. I have never worked so much in any of the 18 years of my academic life that I worked during this trip. The only bit of Nairobi I saw was from my office to the hotel which is 5 minutes walk. Strange is, even if it is such a short walk, but people from office in the evening would come down to book a taxi back to the hotel. It is very unsafe in Nairobi I hear. Having said that, I have met the best people, so professional and yet with such a personal touch. I loved the food at the hotel. My recommendation to those going to Nairobi for a vacation is Hotel Serena. Try it, I loved their hospitality.
What else?! Oh yes the most amazing part – after this arduous week I did treat myself with a Cellutox body massage at Serena. An amazing and relaxed one hour! The flight back home was more comfortable than the onward journey as BA was now aware of my ‘special food requirements’ which in short means vegetarian food. Apart from bringing home with myself the love and hospitality of the Kenyans, I have got some Kenyan tea; I am still to open the box so comments on that will follow later.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
A brilliant couple
I am sure most of you who stay away from home have experienced this - your father or mother calling you up to ask you to call some so-and-so who stays in the same city as you, arguing that it is good to be in touch with known people when you are so far from home. You may not have the slightest of hint who that person may be, but just because your parents want you to be in touch with the person, you oblige them by dialling the given number as reluctantly as possible.
The other time, my father called up to say that one of his fellow distributor friends, a very respected blind ex-army official's daughter is married in London and that I must get in touch with her. 'But Papa, what will I talk to her? She must be quite old and I have only talked to Uncle a couple of times and that too when I was a kid'. He replied - 'She is a very nice girl (though I know he has never met her) and you know what - she has married an ex-army official who is blind arguing that since she has grown up helping her blind father, she has no reason to make a different choice'. I was flabbergasted – I dint know what to say and jotted down the number without uttering a word. How many of us would do so?
I gave her a call two weeks after this conversation, after having fought with myself many times over. I din't know in which language to greet her - so a fumbled me said a Bengali Namaskar, followed by a Hindi Namaste followed by an English how are you, all in one breath. She replied hi adding she was expecting my call as her father had briefed her about me. To break the ice she said what was going on in my mind - 'I know you must be feeling a little awkward making this call as our fathers want us to talk to absolute strangers giving us only small references. It happens with me a lot'. I could not agree with her more. We talked about 2020 cricket, Wimbledon and she invited me and my brother on one of the weekends.
Yesterday we visited their place for dinner, a house in a nice location close to Oval cricket stadium. It was a pleasure to meet the couple. I had the most fulfilling conversations with them. The husband Mr. G, was a Major in Indian army, had lost his eyes towards the end of Kargil war in 2000 during an anti-terrorist operation in Kupwara. For the first time I met somebody who had fought the Kargil war and had suffered injuries because of it. I could not stop a few tears, invisible to him and unheard to his wife. He was in various hospitals for the next two years and had met her in one of the hospitals. He was a delight to talk to. Given his life-changing experience, he talked very highly about the Indian army.
The lady of the house, our host Mrs. M, had cooked amazing Bengali food which we both loved. We stayed there for 4 long hours, dint stop talking even for a second. Mr. G currently works in an NGO for people with disability and Mrs. M works for an NGO against the recruitment of child soldiers across the globe. I told them about my initiation to help street children in India and they were very appreciative & supportive.
Meeting such great minds in life is so enriching. I called up my father to thank him. I will now meet everybody he asks me to meet without questioning.
The other time, my father called up to say that one of his fellow distributor friends, a very respected blind ex-army official's daughter is married in London and that I must get in touch with her. 'But Papa, what will I talk to her? She must be quite old and I have only talked to Uncle a couple of times and that too when I was a kid'. He replied - 'She is a very nice girl (though I know he has never met her) and you know what - she has married an ex-army official who is blind arguing that since she has grown up helping her blind father, she has no reason to make a different choice'. I was flabbergasted – I dint know what to say and jotted down the number without uttering a word. How many of us would do so?
I gave her a call two weeks after this conversation, after having fought with myself many times over. I din't know in which language to greet her - so a fumbled me said a Bengali Namaskar, followed by a Hindi Namaste followed by an English how are you, all in one breath. She replied hi adding she was expecting my call as her father had briefed her about me. To break the ice she said what was going on in my mind - 'I know you must be feeling a little awkward making this call as our fathers want us to talk to absolute strangers giving us only small references. It happens with me a lot'. I could not agree with her more. We talked about 2020 cricket, Wimbledon and she invited me and my brother on one of the weekends.
Yesterday we visited their place for dinner, a house in a nice location close to Oval cricket stadium. It was a pleasure to meet the couple. I had the most fulfilling conversations with them. The husband Mr. G, was a Major in Indian army, had lost his eyes towards the end of Kargil war in 2000 during an anti-terrorist operation in Kupwara. For the first time I met somebody who had fought the Kargil war and had suffered injuries because of it. I could not stop a few tears, invisible to him and unheard to his wife. He was in various hospitals for the next two years and had met her in one of the hospitals. He was a delight to talk to. Given his life-changing experience, he talked very highly about the Indian army.
The lady of the house, our host Mrs. M, had cooked amazing Bengali food which we both loved. We stayed there for 4 long hours, dint stop talking even for a second. Mr. G currently works in an NGO for people with disability and Mrs. M works for an NGO against the recruitment of child soldiers across the globe. I told them about my initiation to help street children in India and they were very appreciative & supportive.
Meeting such great minds in life is so enriching. I called up my father to thank him. I will now meet everybody he asks me to meet without questioning.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Expecting 25
Every year during this time, I write a blogpost expressing my disdain over turning a year older. While I was turning 23, I felt myself inadequate to make my own decisions and pledged to take charge of my life. While turning 24, I realised that I had an enjoyable 23 and did not want to let it go.
Now while I am turning 25, I have mixed feelings. I am matured enough to understand that however much I wish, I cannot buy time and wish it to stop. I have to go with the flow. There is a plan in the pipeline to register a charity in the UK, a charity which will cater to the needs of the street children in India. A separate blogpost detailing this effort will follow in the days to come. I solicit the cooperation and the best wishes of you all in making this effort not only beneficial to the thousands of kids who deserve the same livelihood as ours but also enriching enough to keep us motivated and focussed throughout.
Some other aspects of turning 25 are – I am now allowed to open a pension fund of my own, essentially as I turn 25, I can start planning for my retirement. I will move to a higher age-group, from my current 18-24 age-group (the young person’s age-group in the UK) to 25 and above age-group. This means that I cannot avail any more discounts (eg. rail/bus) based on age anymore. Thoughts of marriage pop up here and there. Marriage is fun, only if you get to marry somebody you fall/rise in love. I am trying to gain knowledge and expertise in the responsibilities that come with a married life post 25.
Unlike all the years when I have strongly resisted turning older and pleaded time to stop ticking, this year is a bit different however. I do not want to resist it, as I understand that it will still happen (probably this is the maturity that I have gained in years 23 and 24), I rather want to pray that 25 turns out to be the best year yet of my life. I am looking forward to you 25, rock on!!
Now while I am turning 25, I have mixed feelings. I am matured enough to understand that however much I wish, I cannot buy time and wish it to stop. I have to go with the flow. There is a plan in the pipeline to register a charity in the UK, a charity which will cater to the needs of the street children in India. A separate blogpost detailing this effort will follow in the days to come. I solicit the cooperation and the best wishes of you all in making this effort not only beneficial to the thousands of kids who deserve the same livelihood as ours but also enriching enough to keep us motivated and focussed throughout.
Some other aspects of turning 25 are – I am now allowed to open a pension fund of my own, essentially as I turn 25, I can start planning for my retirement. I will move to a higher age-group, from my current 18-24 age-group (the young person’s age-group in the UK) to 25 and above age-group. This means that I cannot avail any more discounts (eg. rail/bus) based on age anymore. Thoughts of marriage pop up here and there. Marriage is fun, only if you get to marry somebody you fall/rise in love. I am trying to gain knowledge and expertise in the responsibilities that come with a married life post 25.
Unlike all the years when I have strongly resisted turning older and pleaded time to stop ticking, this year is a bit different however. I do not want to resist it, as I understand that it will still happen (probably this is the maturity that I have gained in years 23 and 24), I rather want to pray that 25 turns out to be the best year yet of my life. I am looking forward to you 25, rock on!!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Sobbing Lloyds, sombre Lords
I have been meaning to write since a while now. Last week I started a new job in another bank. One year of work at Lloyds (where I saw the transition from Lloyds TSB to Lloyds Banking Group and was a part of it), came to an end. I felt sad not only about the fact that I will be leaving a nice bunch of people, but also about leaving my manager/boss/teacher. Being my first boss, he has been instrumental in shaping the professional that I have become from being a lecturer back in India. He helped my transition from academia to industry – two very different schools of thoughts.
The last few days at Lloyds were emotionally charging for me. Be it the ‘leaving lunch’ or the ‘last treat of cake’ – I struggled to talk and found myself on the verge of tears at the mention of a farewell. The farewell I got can not be described in words; I was very touched to say the least.
Having worked at Lloyds in the ‘City’ (London), I am now working in Canary Wharf. They say that the experience of working in Canary Wharf is quite different from working in the City and it indeed is. City was professional, but not mechanical, while Canary Wharf is professional and to an extent mechanical. May be my opinion changes as I move on to become a part of it!
That Friday, 12th June will get engraved as an important chapter in my memoir - when I left my first company and went to see a 2020 Cricket match at Lords. The grandeur of the place took some time to sink in – an emotional me at LORDS. It helped me look back at my life; it helped me find solace amidst the hustle-bustle of the thousands of cricketing fans around!
The last few days at Lloyds were emotionally charging for me. Be it the ‘leaving lunch’ or the ‘last treat of cake’ – I struggled to talk and found myself on the verge of tears at the mention of a farewell. The farewell I got can not be described in words; I was very touched to say the least.
Having worked at Lloyds in the ‘City’ (London), I am now working in Canary Wharf. They say that the experience of working in Canary Wharf is quite different from working in the City and it indeed is. City was professional, but not mechanical, while Canary Wharf is professional and to an extent mechanical. May be my opinion changes as I move on to become a part of it!
That Friday, 12th June will get engraved as an important chapter in my memoir - when I left my first company and went to see a 2020 Cricket match at Lords. The grandeur of the place took some time to sink in – an emotional me at LORDS. It helped me look back at my life; it helped me find solace amidst the hustle-bustle of the thousands of cricketing fans around!
Thursday, June 04, 2009
An experience to remember
5.30 in the evening it starts. Since morning my eyes are fixed at the tiny digital clock at the right-most bottom of my mega computer screen. I try to concentrate on the two big monitors in front of me with numbers, codes, and everything uninteresting that I can think of at that moment. I am supposed to be modelling (I do not mean modelling as in modelling, I mean financial modelling). My model has to go live next week and release documentation and bit of testing remains. But then it starts at 5.30 today, I have been dreaming about it since I was a child. I cannot model today I tell myself.
Gosh this tiny stupid clock, takes ages to tick. I think my computer is slower than usual today, am I running too many processes which make it think so much that it has stopped ticking the clock? I open Start->Control Panel->Date and Time and then stop. I think I am going bonkers. Go out and get some fresh air I order myself.
I come back to my desk thinking I will now do some work. Documentation is the last thing I want to do when I am so restless (yeah I need a lot of patience in commercial documentation, as one needs to ensure that everybody, however naïve he/she might be, surely understands it). So I decide to finish the testing bit. Concentrate I tell myself and get on with it.
Wow lunch time! Cannot help but tell my boss that I plan to leave by 4 today and so I will have a quick lunch on my desk (not that I have very elaborate lunches on other days, still!). Those couple of hours till it gets to 4 were the hardest – time has never been so painstakingly slow.
Huge traffic, lots and lots of people on my way! I manage to reach my destination at 4.45. My pilgrimage! My brother is already there waiting for me, I say a quick hi. And I fall into a trance. I let it all sink. I see Bhajji, Yuvi, Dhoni, Raina, Pathan in blood and flesh. I see Afridi, Younus Khan, Akmal all in front of me. I am at The Oval to see the India-Pakistan 2020 match.
Immediately those childhood days of watching cricket on TV being played at Lords and Oval flash in front of me. I remember how my brother and I would dream of becoming capable so as to be able to visit the Mecca of cricket. I feel overwhelmed.
I hear and sing along ‘Jeetega bhai jeetega – India jeetega’, ‘You hit a four, or you hit a six, you are still the famous Yuvraaj Singh’, ‘India zindabaad’ and lots more that you pick up with the crowd and then forget later.
The crowd around me is mixed, Indian and Pakistani fans. Some untoward incidents do happen (with men dipped in beer to the brim, I did expect so), but mostly people appreciate each other and their affiliations which I feel glad to see. Any verbal fight I see around, I immediately hear the crowd singing the famous song to pacify the heat – ‘Ye dosti hum nahi chorenge, todenge dum magar, tera saath naa chorenge’.
India won the match. I absolutely loved the experience. I felt accomplished. My next match tickets are for THE LORDS!!!
Gosh this tiny stupid clock, takes ages to tick. I think my computer is slower than usual today, am I running too many processes which make it think so much that it has stopped ticking the clock? I open Start->Control Panel->Date and Time and then stop. I think I am going bonkers. Go out and get some fresh air I order myself.
I come back to my desk thinking I will now do some work. Documentation is the last thing I want to do when I am so restless (yeah I need a lot of patience in commercial documentation, as one needs to ensure that everybody, however naïve he/she might be, surely understands it). So I decide to finish the testing bit. Concentrate I tell myself and get on with it.
Wow lunch time! Cannot help but tell my boss that I plan to leave by 4 today and so I will have a quick lunch on my desk (not that I have very elaborate lunches on other days, still!). Those couple of hours till it gets to 4 were the hardest – time has never been so painstakingly slow.
Huge traffic, lots and lots of people on my way! I manage to reach my destination at 4.45. My pilgrimage! My brother is already there waiting for me, I say a quick hi. And I fall into a trance. I let it all sink. I see Bhajji, Yuvi, Dhoni, Raina, Pathan in blood and flesh. I see Afridi, Younus Khan, Akmal all in front of me. I am at The Oval to see the India-Pakistan 2020 match.
Immediately those childhood days of watching cricket on TV being played at Lords and Oval flash in front of me. I remember how my brother and I would dream of becoming capable so as to be able to visit the Mecca of cricket. I feel overwhelmed.
I hear and sing along ‘Jeetega bhai jeetega – India jeetega’, ‘You hit a four, or you hit a six, you are still the famous Yuvraaj Singh’, ‘India zindabaad’ and lots more that you pick up with the crowd and then forget later.
The crowd around me is mixed, Indian and Pakistani fans. Some untoward incidents do happen (with men dipped in beer to the brim, I did expect so), but mostly people appreciate each other and their affiliations which I feel glad to see. Any verbal fight I see around, I immediately hear the crowd singing the famous song to pacify the heat – ‘Ye dosti hum nahi chorenge, todenge dum magar, tera saath naa chorenge’.
India won the match. I absolutely loved the experience. I felt accomplished. My next match tickets are for THE LORDS!!!