Cut above the head… and rest!

At a recent press conference for Head and Shoulders shampoo Saif Ali Khan said looks are very important. He actually said looks are the most important things on a person’s mind and that everyone wants to look good. I would never argue with that one. Everyone wants to look good and they try doing things that they think make them look better. Quite often people end up making a fool of themselves… but that’s another topic altogether and will demand another post. This post is primarily about my own expectations and a small trial, and what I realized of it.

Last month while shopping at Hyper City I got a coupon which entitled me to a hair cut at a rather up-market salon Enrich at 50 per cent the regular price. So I was to pay Rs 99 for what usually cost Rs 200. For ages I have wondered what it is inside those fancy doors that these places charge such ransom amounts of a hair cut. For a middle class guy like me, Rs 30 that I usually pay for a hair cut in Mumbai nagri also seems huge. You can’t blamce me… my good old barber in Guwahati has now reached Rs 15.

Getting back to the ‘Enrich’ing experience, I reached this place with my rather untidy and terribly long hair last Saturday after taking an appointment one day in advance. 12.30 pm. They make me wait for sometime and finally when I get in I get my first smile. A girl to attend to me… now that surely is more interesting that they same old not so appealing guys! But things just stopped there… well the good things. For so much of a place, I expected them to come up with intelligent observation on what would look better. This girl naively asks how would I like my hair – I say keep it short. Just about when I thought she has done a fair enough job, she asks me, “Sir how do you part your hair? Was it middle parting?” Lady you didn’t even notice what my hair was like! I just combed my hair back to place, paid Rs 110 (Rs 10 tax + Re 1 change).

As I walked out of the great place I started wondering why would I ever come back to this place. AC, and cool music… and pretty looking girls sitting next to me… that could be a motivation. On second thoughts I thought Rs 200 (and some other such places charge Rs 500 and more as well) would mean a whole year of hair cut if I go to the barber very two and half months. That’s only in Mumbai. In Guwahati it would mean some three years of service! Plus I get the tried and tested barber who has attended to me since I was capable of going to him along and since upright on his shaky wooden chair! And guess what… he knows better style than most of us. At least he never bothered asking me what look I liked and just cut it according to what he thought would look best on me.

As I was thinking about all this, I realized how certain things always left an impression on me and probably made me lazier. Today I don’t know what to say to a hair stylist… I am lost when asked for options. And my good old barber, also known as Thakur, is probably one of the people responsible! But then that’s what comfort is all about!

Trying to figure out where I am headed? Great spirit! But Didn’t I mention it in one of my earlier post that I never make sense. Stop searching…! This is just a post to announce that I had my most expensive hair cut ever… and people didn’t even notice that I got one. Got the cut?

Tweet tweet… blogwish!

Twitter! I mentioned in my last post how Twitter has changed the look of my blog. Well apart from the small widget that is on the right hand top of this blog, Twitter is probably one major reason why I am left with very few things to write about in this blog – except of course my work.

With work timing being such absurd it really gets hard to sit and write a post which made sense. One liners are easy. You know those 140 characters… which can always be filled in even from your phone. That’s where Twitter excelled.

I have been in Twitter for almost two years now. It is just a habit of trying to platform that got me to the site. But back then people were not as much into it as now. More importantly not many Indians… so what we see on Twitter is a pretty new phenomenon and I could easily be one of the oldest Indian users. [boasting ;)]. Around six months back I started hearing all this buzz about this new site being one of the fastest growing things on the Net. I got back to it once again. Soon I found, Twitter, for a person like me who has stopped reading the daily newspaper, could be an excellent tool to stay informed. You just need to follow the right people for your daily updates of news an views. What more, share your own views and you have enough followers reading them and even reacting. While a blog could have anyone coming in an reading, Twitter followers are more like a TV audience, they see your update as long as it is on their front page… like in TV you see the programme if you tune in on time. So I guess I just found better followers there. More lively audience… which, I must add, is quite addictive.

Of course that does not mean the blog is killed. It’s like the difference between the newspaper and TV. People said with TV becoming such a hit newspapers would take a back seat. It did take a blow, but it didn’t fizzle out. People still like the in-depth newspaper report than the sensation of the TV. And that’s what keeps getting me back to my good old blog. It’s a lovely place here. Yes I am bored of my layout and color combination and I am hoping to go for a makeover all over again… but blog is still the old conventional approach. Let’s see how far I can take this! Wish me luck.

Playing football with fingers

Promises made, promises broken. I have turned quite a pro at this. Be it promises made to people or myself. Let’s not get into other tangles. I seem to have even failed to keep to the promise made to myself that I will be writing something new on this blog every few days. I don’t know if I have been purely lazy or has it been work overload… or just a depressed mind. Or probably the new phenomenon called Twitter. Twitter is something I plan to talk about in another post. But the last piece I wrote happen to way back in July!

But hey… why talk about things unpleasant; at least I have better things to talk about. The last few days have been quite interesting. The last one week precisely. Apart from one more personal tragedy, I discovered one more thing to keep my lonely self busy. Well actually two more things… but the second one needs a partner. L And that has been my friend Victor.

Farmville! Yes that is the first one. Facebook has been quite a part of my life. But Farmville is something I quite looked down upon. Wondered why people invested time on such a dull game. But that was only till I saw a couple of people at it and doing really well. Making a small plot of land you get look fantastic, and designing it in such way that you earn maximum profits suddenly didn’t sound like too dull an idea. I decided to try my hand too. And I will tell you ‘I am loving it’. I plan to make my farm look the most distinct and also earn maximum coins. And I think I am pretty much on my way. Started last Saturday and moving up the levels faster than anyone in my list, I plan it better than my work! Brilliant idea who even thought of this game! It not only makes you understand planning and timing things well it also comes as a lesson in vegetables which I had long forgotten; or probably never heard of!

Strangely the second thing I have been pretty addicted to, which is yet another game, is what made me stay away from Farmville for so long. Play Station. Victor was gifted a PS2 by Amrita on his birthday which was in August. And the clever guy he is, he has managed to get enough games as gifts from all his friends. And we have been trying out all these games, right from racing to fights. And then last week he got hold of Football. And our fingers have not ceased moving since then. The day I type inane, dry stories and the nights I am busy navigating the ball towards the goal post with the same fingers. Victor is a clear winner, but I have managed to win a few games too, especially in penalty shoots. And unlike other games I am quite hooked to football. Maybe the reason is that I have been able to match Victor at some level beating him at a few games…. Or just that I like the game. Never played much football as a child and I think I have already mentioned that in a few of my posts earlier. I did use to watch a few games during the World Cup tournament. Victor on the other hand is all clued in and knows which player plays for which team in what position.

Both Farmville and football, though starting with the ‘f’, as hugely different games. Currently I am waiting to harvest my crops so that I can saw the seeds again. So much for gaming and excitement. Who said staying alone could be boring!

Super funny mail I got

 

In the beginning...

 

In the beginning God created Man and Woman; the Heavens and the

Earth; and

 

He populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower, spinach; and

green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds - so that Man and Woman

would live long and healthy lives.

 

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Peter's Ice Cream,

Custard and

 

Cream donuts; and Satan said, "You want chocolate with that ?".

 

And both Man and Woman gained 5 kilos; and Satan smiled !

 

So God then created healthy Yoghurt so that Woman might keep the

figure that Man found to be so attractive.

 

But then Satan brought forward White Flour from the Wheat, and Sugar

from the cane and combined them - so Woman then went from size 8 to size

18.

 

So God said, "Try my Green Salad"; but then Satan presented Thousand

Island Dressing, Buttery Croutons, and Garlic Toast on the side; and

Man and Woman both unfastened their belts following the meal.

 

God then said, " I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive

oil in which to cook them".

 

Satan then brought forth deep fried Fish and Chicken, and fried Steak

so big it needed its own platter. So Man gained more weight and his

cholesterol went through the roof.

 

God then created a light fluffy white Cake and named it 'Angel Cake',

and said "Its good".

 

Satan then created Chocolate Cake and named it 'Devil's Food'.

 

Then God brought forward the Potato, naturally low in fat and

brimming with nutrition.

 

Satan then peeled the healthful skin and sliced the starchy centre

into Chips and deep-fried them; and Man gained more kilos.

 

God then brought forward Running Shoes so that His children might

lose those extra kilos.

 

Satan then gave cable TV with remote control so that Man would not

have to toil while changing channels; and Man and Woman laughed and sat

before the flickering blue light and put on more weight.

 

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and

Still satisfy his appetite.

 

So Satan then created McDonalds and its Double Cheeseburger and then

said,

 

"You want Fries with that?"

And Man replied, "Yes ! and super size them".

 

And Satan said, "It's good"

 

And Man went on to Cardiac Arrest.

 

Then God sighed and created bypass surgery.

 

Then Satan created the Ministry of Health - Department.

Some Durga pictures i got on email

Shine with a choice…

Another forwarded mail that I got a couple of days back… I didn’t delete it right away like I do with many of these forwards because it came from a friend who rarely sends forwards. I kept it in my inbox for a couple of days before I finally read it. And I am so glad that I didn’t send it to the thrash. This is one I would like everyone to read. It’s a simple story of how small gestures can make lives brighter forever…

What would you do? ....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fund raising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do; where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win t he game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Sha y would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first base man's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitchers intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-base man's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay; run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyber space, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

You now have two choices:
1. Delete
2. Forward

May your day, be a Shay Day.

--

Hope this story makes a difference to you and you make a difference too… Good luck!

Some thing I thought I would like to share...