Over the weekend, I went to see "Miami Vice." First of all, I must say that I was extremely thankful that I had a free ticket. I cannot imagine paying to watch it! Really it was not anything like what the older series was like. First of all, when one does a movie in which the star is extremely extremely extremely good looking (like Don Johnson in his "miami vice" days) you try to find a guy who can keep the audience distracted with his looks if he can't act. Now, Jamie Foxx did his part really well but really, I could have thought of a lot more better looking guys than Colin Farrell. This was the first disappointment.
Then there was the movie. It was definitely overrated and I know I have seen better movies about drug busts. Maybe living in South Florida has something to do with it also. I figure that the place was too common. How common is the I-95 especially when you travel on it all the time? Oh and the Don Johnson dress style----the white jacket, the white pants, and the T-shirt did not look as good on Colin Farrell as it did on Don Johnson. Even in his "Nash Bridges" days, Don Johnson was still fine! So if anyone is going thinking that they will get to look at a handsome guy, be prepared to be disappointed---unless if you look at Jamie Foxx---because he really CAN act, but don't try to compare Colin Farrell to Don Johnson too much, you will miss most of the movie doing that.....like I did=0( Watch the movie for the movie.....it was better than "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I can guarantee that.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
A Funny
THe following joke was given to me by a customer. Enjoy:
The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again.
The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.
The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.
The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.
The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.
The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.
The next day, the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE
The bishop was buried the next day.
The moral of the story is...being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery...and even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life...Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!
The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again.
The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.
The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.
The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.
The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.
The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.
The next day, the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE
The bishop was buried the next day.
The moral of the story is...being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery...and even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life...Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!
a little bit under the weather, AGAIN!!!
Why is it that people wait to take vitamins only after they have caught the cold? I seem to forget that they exist until I am feeling as if I am breathing fire or can barely swallow. I had the cold just a few weeks ago....like maybe three weeks and now it is back. This time, i guess i know why. Well, maybe i picked up a little bug from the hospital all those days that I went there to see Ami's dad. Then i work with money all the time at my job and I have been going to the camp at my mandir. There are 140 kids there...I am pretty sure at least one of them had the cold. Oh, and my dad has been sick lately. He has managed to get my mom sick and i guess me too. Maybe I should borrow some of the horse genes from furgie. Furgie never gets sick.
My friend returned from his visit to Trinidad two days ago. He lives in NY and for the time he was gone, i guess i missed him. We talk at nights usually because we have different phone services and the free minutes start after nine. He was telling me of his time there and how he was glad to be back in NY...even though he had fun. We had a good talk and in the end, we realized a little bit of how we had grown up from life in Trinidad.
I guess i will not stay the whole day at work today. I get miserable when I am here and not feeling too well. Then this guy just came in here with his cigarette and I had to tell him to leave. He was blowing his stinky smoke everywhere. Started to cough and now my nose is runny...dumb guy! he disregarded my "no smoking" sign. stupid stupid stupid guy!
My friend returned from his visit to Trinidad two days ago. He lives in NY and for the time he was gone, i guess i missed him. We talk at nights usually because we have different phone services and the free minutes start after nine. He was telling me of his time there and how he was glad to be back in NY...even though he had fun. We had a good talk and in the end, we realized a little bit of how we had grown up from life in Trinidad.
I guess i will not stay the whole day at work today. I get miserable when I am here and not feeling too well. Then this guy just came in here with his cigarette and I had to tell him to leave. He was blowing his stinky smoke everywhere. Started to cough and now my nose is runny...dumb guy! he disregarded my "no smoking" sign. stupid stupid stupid guy!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
an outcome
The surgery went well. Ami's dad is okay now. Actually, yesterday was the day of the surgery but by the evening, he was waking and talking as usual. Well he was groggy from all the drugs in him but he was back to his normal self. I went there after the camp. Ami was there since 6am...and so was the rest of his family. It should have been a grave situation but I found many people willing to talk about their families also in the CV ICU. There was an old man who spoke with me for almost an hour about his life. He was waiting for his wife to be released but things kept popping up. Then there was this trini lady whose brother in law was having some really bad complications to his surgery. I felt sad for her. he was already in there for three weeks and on life support too!
Then Ami's "nephew," his cousin's son, arrived not too long ago. This kid is 14 and he fits the description of a typical trini schoolboy. He is hilarious. I am happy that he was with the family for the enitre ordeal. He really lightened things up. The kid is just a kind of person who does not have to say anything...people just start laughing when they see his antics. He has a very laid back approach to everything, even when he speaks. I like him a lot. It reminded me of my own school days in Trinidad when the boys behaved in the same way. Back then it was just as funny. See, you are expected to act a certain way but then there is always these few kids who really make school days memorable.
Today, he (the kid) brought a pack of cards. We played "All Fours." he was my partner against ami's brother and uncle. We mixed our signs up but still managed to hang a jack from ami's uncle. the kid marked the date and time. claimed that it will be the talk of all of south t'dad=0) he chalked up six points for us right away. It was bullseye! I had some luck with the pack too. Managed to kick an Ace, a 6 and a Jack when i dealt the cards. Chalked up 6 points right away...even before the cards were played. "All Fours" is a game that you will not play all the time but when you do start, you want to keep playing for a few weeks on end. Nan is usually my partner when we play....and we usually win too.
So although Ami's dad was in the room, we only went in for 5 minutes and saw him. We are happy for him but i guess everyone has developed a way to pass time in the waiting room. I felt badly, we were the only bunch of people laughing and telling jokes in there and having fits of laughter. Today i saw more people having fun and i was happy for them too. I know a hospital is not exactly the place where one goes to carry on and tell jokes but we could not help it. there were simply too many of us there and we were getting bored. Deep down though, we are thankful that the outcome of the surgery was what we wanted. i think all of us said our own thanks.
Then Ami's "nephew," his cousin's son, arrived not too long ago. This kid is 14 and he fits the description of a typical trini schoolboy. He is hilarious. I am happy that he was with the family for the enitre ordeal. He really lightened things up. The kid is just a kind of person who does not have to say anything...people just start laughing when they see his antics. He has a very laid back approach to everything, even when he speaks. I like him a lot. It reminded me of my own school days in Trinidad when the boys behaved in the same way. Back then it was just as funny. See, you are expected to act a certain way but then there is always these few kids who really make school days memorable.
Today, he (the kid) brought a pack of cards. We played "All Fours." he was my partner against ami's brother and uncle. We mixed our signs up but still managed to hang a jack from ami's uncle. the kid marked the date and time. claimed that it will be the talk of all of south t'dad=0) he chalked up six points for us right away. It was bullseye! I had some luck with the pack too. Managed to kick an Ace, a 6 and a Jack when i dealt the cards. Chalked up 6 points right away...even before the cards were played. "All Fours" is a game that you will not play all the time but when you do start, you want to keep playing for a few weeks on end. Nan is usually my partner when we play....and we usually win too.
So although Ami's dad was in the room, we only went in for 5 minutes and saw him. We are happy for him but i guess everyone has developed a way to pass time in the waiting room. I felt badly, we were the only bunch of people laughing and telling jokes in there and having fits of laughter. Today i saw more people having fun and i was happy for them too. I know a hospital is not exactly the place where one goes to carry on and tell jokes but we could not help it. there were simply too many of us there and we were getting bored. Deep down though, we are thankful that the outcome of the surgery was what we wanted. i think all of us said our own thanks.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
The Indo-Trinidadian diet and links to heart disease.
Tomorrow, Ami's dad is undergoing quadruple bypass surgery. He is scared and he is debating whether he should just leave without taking the surgery and just go on pilgrimage to Puttaparthi where Sathya Sai Baba lives. I told him to do the surgery, Baba will look after him. See, his heart is still strong but his arteries are faulty and he hasn't suffered any major heart-attacks to signifiantly weaken his heart muscle so his chances are better with surgery. Ami is scared as well but I told him if my parents were ever in that position, they will not have time to say that they did not want to do it. They will have to do it whether they want to or not. In fact, i will do everything in my power to convince them...so for Ami's dad, I am doing that. See, it may be a selfish thing but from the point where i see it, people usually do better when they have their parents alive well into their life. There is a feeling of extra protection and an extra prayer for you when your parents are alive.
My mamoo was set to undergo this surgery and he never took it. He lived for 15 years from the day he ran away from the hospital, working and all until he suffered a stroke in the 13th year. He died 2 years after he had the stroke. Now, my job was to convince Ami that the 6-8 weeks of recovery will be better than years or days or months of uncertainty.
When I saw Ami today, he asked me to pray for his dad. it is all that we can do. tomorrow while he is having his surgery done, I will be teaching kids the Durga Chalisa at the Hindu Heritage Camp at our mandir. I know the power of this prayer and the automatic results obtained from it.
Now, in a scientific point of view. This is something I have noted from a long time. The Indian diet is significantly high in carbohydrates and fat. We eat a lot of roti and rice and i guess all our dishes contain either one. That is why we see a hig incidence of diabetes and heart-related diseases in our culture. (I am speaking of Trinidadian Indians here....of what i know). Although i have noticed that trinidadians do cook with a considerably lower amount of oil than that used in Indian cuisine, and Guyanese people only use just enough oil to fry the "poran"--onion, pepper, and garlic before the other ingredients are added. another thing is that Indian people are not equipped to handle meat-eating. See, other races have digestive systems that have evolved over a longer period of time with regard to meat-eating. However, Indian meat-eating began with the invasion of the Muslims and other cultures in India. hence, my theory is that their digestive systems have not yet evolved to handle the extra burden placed on it by meat-eating. This leaves a lot of waste, fat and toxic matter that puts strain on the kidneys and fatty deposits in the blood. It is even worse for the ones who eat pork and beef. See, in addition to the almost certain development of heart disease in the early 40's they run the risk of kidney failure due to the high uric content of these "heavier" meats.
Now see, many Trini Indians eat meat. For many of us, it is just chicken or fish but there are many who eat pork and a few "modernized" ones who eat beef. I was once a member of the chicken/fish group. It has been 8 years since i belonged to that group and it has been 8 healthier years. However i will not say that i am better than anyone who eats meat because after all, it is not what goes into your mouth that really matters but what comes out of it. and as for Ami's dad, I hope he recovers. In his day, and when my parents grew up, they did not know about cholesterol and how it caused heart disease. when my parents grew up, they worked much harder than we even know of and as a result their diets were high in carbs. Our ancestors were cane farmers and they needed to eat foods high in carbs to give them the energy to work the fields. their diets passed on to us, who no longer work in fields. we do not need all the carbs. so in trinidad when an Indotrinidadian gets heart disease we say, in a light-hearted manner, that it is becuase "he eat too much roti." Really, there is a definite predisposition to heart disease and diabetes in the Indo-Trinidadian/Indo-Guyanese communities. In Trinidad, we often say that if an Indian does not die from heart-disease, he/she will die from diabetes. They are the top killers of many of the people I know of...including in my family. We try not to think of things like these though---the optimism is always there. However, my prayers are with Ami's dad and for my own parents' health.
My mamoo was set to undergo this surgery and he never took it. He lived for 15 years from the day he ran away from the hospital, working and all until he suffered a stroke in the 13th year. He died 2 years after he had the stroke. Now, my job was to convince Ami that the 6-8 weeks of recovery will be better than years or days or months of uncertainty.
When I saw Ami today, he asked me to pray for his dad. it is all that we can do. tomorrow while he is having his surgery done, I will be teaching kids the Durga Chalisa at the Hindu Heritage Camp at our mandir. I know the power of this prayer and the automatic results obtained from it.
Now, in a scientific point of view. This is something I have noted from a long time. The Indian diet is significantly high in carbohydrates and fat. We eat a lot of roti and rice and i guess all our dishes contain either one. That is why we see a hig incidence of diabetes and heart-related diseases in our culture. (I am speaking of Trinidadian Indians here....of what i know). Although i have noticed that trinidadians do cook with a considerably lower amount of oil than that used in Indian cuisine, and Guyanese people only use just enough oil to fry the "poran"--onion, pepper, and garlic before the other ingredients are added. another thing is that Indian people are not equipped to handle meat-eating. See, other races have digestive systems that have evolved over a longer period of time with regard to meat-eating. However, Indian meat-eating began with the invasion of the Muslims and other cultures in India. hence, my theory is that their digestive systems have not yet evolved to handle the extra burden placed on it by meat-eating. This leaves a lot of waste, fat and toxic matter that puts strain on the kidneys and fatty deposits in the blood. It is even worse for the ones who eat pork and beef. See, in addition to the almost certain development of heart disease in the early 40's they run the risk of kidney failure due to the high uric content of these "heavier" meats.
Now see, many Trini Indians eat meat. For many of us, it is just chicken or fish but there are many who eat pork and a few "modernized" ones who eat beef. I was once a member of the chicken/fish group. It has been 8 years since i belonged to that group and it has been 8 healthier years. However i will not say that i am better than anyone who eats meat because after all, it is not what goes into your mouth that really matters but what comes out of it. and as for Ami's dad, I hope he recovers. In his day, and when my parents grew up, they did not know about cholesterol and how it caused heart disease. when my parents grew up, they worked much harder than we even know of and as a result their diets were high in carbs. Our ancestors were cane farmers and they needed to eat foods high in carbs to give them the energy to work the fields. their diets passed on to us, who no longer work in fields. we do not need all the carbs. so in trinidad when an Indotrinidadian gets heart disease we say, in a light-hearted manner, that it is becuase "he eat too much roti." Really, there is a definite predisposition to heart disease and diabetes in the Indo-Trinidadian/Indo-Guyanese communities. In Trinidad, we often say that if an Indian does not die from heart-disease, he/she will die from diabetes. They are the top killers of many of the people I know of...including in my family. We try not to think of things like these though---the optimism is always there. However, my prayers are with Ami's dad and for my own parents' health.
Hollywood movies, Trini Style!
Hey, I know that for some of these, you need to be Trini or at least have some Trini friends to understand them...but boy are they hilarious! gotta love Trini humor. Enjoy!
1.Dude, where's my Cortina? (Dude Where's my Car)
2. Hari Pooran and the Obeyahman's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
3. The Lord of the Ganja Leaf: The Fellowship of the Herb (this one is easy)
4. The Lord of the Ganja Leaf: The Two Spliffs
5. Along Came a Crablouse (Spider)
6.Crouching Tatoo Hidden Manicou (take a wild guess!)
7. Me, Myself and Indira
8. Deep Brown Quinam ( Deep Blue Sea)
7. My Big Fat Grafton Wedding
9. Born on the 31st of August (Born on the 4th of July)
10. Not Another Skettel Movie 1 (not another teen movie)
11. Political Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Panday (lol!!!!)
12. Political Wars, Episode 2, Patrick Strikes Back
13. Political Wars, Episode 3: Return of the Silver Fox (Panday)
14 Babylon Academy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 (police academy)
15. Villa Capri (Moulin Rouge)
16. Broken Big Stone ( Broken Arrow)
17. If These Cane Fields Could Talk
18. Wild Wild Williamsville
19. Trinidadian Dhalpuri (American Pie)
20. Lagahoo in Woodbrook (Vampire in Brooklyn)
Trini Movies We Would Like To See:
1 I Know What You Did Last Dry Season
2 Four Prayers And A Puja (four weddings and a funeral)
3 Men In Brown
4 There's Something About Primatee
5 How To Kill A Corbeau (Mockingbird)
6 Panorama (Titanic)
7 Republic Day
8 A Trinidadian Werewolf In Guyana
9 Biptee, The Soucouyant Slayer
10 Rumble In The Beetham
11 Lethal Cutlass 1, 2, 3 &4
12 Rubbing Wood and his parang side
13 Big Stone (The Rock)
14 Shanty Town Of Angels (city of angels)
15 Driving Miss Mazie
16 Pointless (clueless)
17 Nightmare On Frederick Street
18 The Manicou King (the scorpion king)...manicou=opossum
19 Saving Ryan's Privates (he he he!)
20 Ramesh And Drupatee(Romeo & Juliet)
21 Pouff! (Gone With The Wind)
22 Home Alone 2 - Lost In Mayaro
23 Basdeo's Advocate (Devil's advocate)
24 Fried Green Baigan
25 One Flew Over The Corbeau's Nest (corbeau=vulture)
26 Chadee's List (chadee=notorious drug lord hanged with nine of his men in the 90s)
27 The PNM Strikes Back
28 The Silence Of The Goats
29 The Untouched-Doubles (Untouchables) (doubles=chana pakoda)
30 Breakfast At Chorros
31 Maxispotting
32 Escape From Guerra Island (escape from alcatraz)
33 The Birdman from Carrera
34 The Tattooslayer
35 Guess who's coming for roti?
36 Panday vs Panday
37 De Compere
38 Bridge over the Dry River
1.Dude, where's my Cortina? (Dude Where's my Car)
2. Hari Pooran and the Obeyahman's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
3. The Lord of the Ganja Leaf: The Fellowship of the Herb (this one is easy)
4. The Lord of the Ganja Leaf: The Two Spliffs
5. Along Came a Crablouse (Spider)
6.Crouching Tatoo Hidden Manicou (take a wild guess!)
7. Me, Myself and Indira
8. Deep Brown Quinam ( Deep Blue Sea)
7. My Big Fat Grafton Wedding
9. Born on the 31st of August (Born on the 4th of July)
10. Not Another Skettel Movie 1 (not another teen movie)
11. Political Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Panday (lol!!!!)
12. Political Wars, Episode 2, Patrick Strikes Back
13. Political Wars, Episode 3: Return of the Silver Fox (Panday)
14 Babylon Academy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 (police academy)
15. Villa Capri (Moulin Rouge)
16. Broken Big Stone ( Broken Arrow)
17. If These Cane Fields Could Talk
18. Wild Wild Williamsville
19. Trinidadian Dhalpuri (American Pie)
20. Lagahoo in Woodbrook (Vampire in Brooklyn)
Trini Movies We Would Like To See:
1 I Know What You Did Last Dry Season
2 Four Prayers And A Puja (four weddings and a funeral)
3 Men In Brown
4 There's Something About Primatee
5 How To Kill A Corbeau (Mockingbird)
6 Panorama (Titanic)
7 Republic Day
8 A Trinidadian Werewolf In Guyana
9 Biptee, The Soucouyant Slayer
10 Rumble In The Beetham
11 Lethal Cutlass 1, 2, 3 &4
12 Rubbing Wood and his parang side
13 Big Stone (The Rock)
14 Shanty Town Of Angels (city of angels)
15 Driving Miss Mazie
16 Pointless (clueless)
17 Nightmare On Frederick Street
18 The Manicou King (the scorpion king)...manicou=opossum
19 Saving Ryan's Privates (he he he!)
20 Ramesh And Drupatee(Romeo & Juliet)
21 Pouff! (Gone With The Wind)
22 Home Alone 2 - Lost In Mayaro
23 Basdeo's Advocate (Devil's advocate)
24 Fried Green Baigan
25 One Flew Over The Corbeau's Nest (corbeau=vulture)
26 Chadee's List (chadee=notorious drug lord hanged with nine of his men in the 90s)
27 The PNM Strikes Back
28 The Silence Of The Goats
29 The Untouched-Doubles (Untouchables) (doubles=chana pakoda)
30 Breakfast At Chorros
31 Maxispotting
32 Escape From Guerra Island (escape from alcatraz)
33 The Birdman from Carrera
34 The Tattooslayer
35 Guess who's coming for roti?
36 Panday vs Panday
37 De Compere
38 Bridge over the Dry River
Friday, July 21, 2006
Trying to keep quiet...sshhhhhh!
Over the past few days, i guess this has been the longest time since i have stayed away from blogging, i have been thinking quietly and now I am ready to scribble. You see, i was thinking of the events happening in the Middle East and if i should say anything of if i should be quiet. No one wants to venture an opinion because they are afraid of stepping on another's toes but by saying nothing we silenty agree to witness and go along with things...even if they are wrong. it reminds me of a certain donkey, Benjamin. For those who know of Animal Farm, they know of what i speak. I will speak today because the state of events now is threatening to ruin my happy-go-lucky attitude.
Today, i depressed myself very early in the morning by reading the S.Florida Sun-Sentinel. I've been noting the very biased opinion of the newspaper. The newspaper favors the Israeli side of the story and the only article about Lebanon's side was copied from the Chicago Tribune. Now, it is important to note that I do not support this war and therefore, I have strong opinions of both sides. I am beginning to think that--no actually i have thought this all along--that these people are just bloodthirsty. See, it does not matter which side wins. Eventually, one side will be destroyed or badly damaged and then the so-called "winners" will destroy themselves when they get bored again.
Whatever this fight was started for, it has now become a mockery of religion and "peacefulness." There have been many people who were ousted from their homeland whose race still pays the price of that displacement. Think of the native indians. They settle for some casinos and government help. I understand the holocast was a horrific thing and Hitler was most probably an anti-Christ but there comes a time when the fighting has to stop. Fences need to be mended.
Another thing is the mentalities of the people. I have my opinion on Muslims. There are few of them whom i like and they are my friends....yet, there are many who share Wahhabi mentality and I cannot begin to understand their string of thought. When i think of this mentality, the hopes of fences being mended are dim. This is a think-in-the-matchbox mentality (not box...that's too big and i cannot think of a box smaller than a matchbox). Hatred is a single maggot that brings the whole maggot family of violence. When one does not build, why does one want to destroy?
One holy book gives instructions about killing Jews but where did the hatred start. Why must they be killed? What is the justification? Because one race does not like the other??? this is the only religion that is intent on killing at such an enormous level. for a religon whose members claim it is a religion of peace, i have not seen much peacefulness. Maybe I am blind but I am looking around me and there is not much peace-evidence to draw from.
Normally, i will respect someone's beliefs but that respect only goes as far as the willingness to kill. I cannot and will not understand the need to kill for something material. A building or a place is still material even if it is deemed "holy." the only things worth fighting for are the things that you can take with you after you die. that leaves precious few except for a good name.
okay, meanwhile in the United States, who is funding Israel in the mission to destroy most of Lebanon (a secular state...with some off-shoot insurgent groups--Hezbollah there, Hamas elsewhere), our president seems to forget that there is trouble and we are going to be held responsible. he is busy vetoeing bills for Stem cell research (a move that pissed me off bigtime) and fighting against gay marriages in his "moral crusade." meanwhile, there are wars in Afghanistan, in Iraq, an almost nuclear standoff with two psychos, and an American-funded war in the mid-east. How's that for a man who fears God? what about the ten commandments? "Thou shalt not kill?" when did we lose sight of that. Where is the "but" in that statement?
See, for many of us, it is not about what guy wants to sleep with another guy or if parents want to save their newborns from potential diseases later on in life. It is about me being able to pay for the exorbitant school fees that seem to increase every semester. It is about trying to make as much money Why can't the battles be fought on designated battlegrounds and the murderous minds destroy themselves only? Why do the innocent people suffer the most for these fools' mentality? Anyway back to the US involvement. i wonder what kind of "moral crusader" is more opposed to gay marriages and stem cell research and yet has no concern about human life and the loss of it. Seems as if at the end of it all, he will be the president with the most blood on his hands! yesterday i was thinking to myself and i realized that the next elections are in 2008. this means that we only have to endure 2 more years...hopefully. I think for some, myself included, we do not care anymore which side wins...this is as bad as it gets..i doubt anyone else can be worse than this guy!
Today, i depressed myself very early in the morning by reading the S.Florida Sun-Sentinel. I've been noting the very biased opinion of the newspaper. The newspaper favors the Israeli side of the story and the only article about Lebanon's side was copied from the Chicago Tribune. Now, it is important to note that I do not support this war and therefore, I have strong opinions of both sides. I am beginning to think that--no actually i have thought this all along--that these people are just bloodthirsty. See, it does not matter which side wins. Eventually, one side will be destroyed or badly damaged and then the so-called "winners" will destroy themselves when they get bored again.
Whatever this fight was started for, it has now become a mockery of religion and "peacefulness." There have been many people who were ousted from their homeland whose race still pays the price of that displacement. Think of the native indians. They settle for some casinos and government help. I understand the holocast was a horrific thing and Hitler was most probably an anti-Christ but there comes a time when the fighting has to stop. Fences need to be mended.
Another thing is the mentalities of the people. I have my opinion on Muslims. There are few of them whom i like and they are my friends....yet, there are many who share Wahhabi mentality and I cannot begin to understand their string of thought. When i think of this mentality, the hopes of fences being mended are dim. This is a think-in-the-matchbox mentality (not box...that's too big and i cannot think of a box smaller than a matchbox). Hatred is a single maggot that brings the whole maggot family of violence. When one does not build, why does one want to destroy?
One holy book gives instructions about killing Jews but where did the hatred start. Why must they be killed? What is the justification? Because one race does not like the other??? this is the only religion that is intent on killing at such an enormous level. for a religon whose members claim it is a religion of peace, i have not seen much peacefulness. Maybe I am blind but I am looking around me and there is not much peace-evidence to draw from.
Normally, i will respect someone's beliefs but that respect only goes as far as the willingness to kill. I cannot and will not understand the need to kill for something material. A building or a place is still material even if it is deemed "holy." the only things worth fighting for are the things that you can take with you after you die. that leaves precious few except for a good name.
okay, meanwhile in the United States, who is funding Israel in the mission to destroy most of Lebanon (a secular state...with some off-shoot insurgent groups--Hezbollah there, Hamas elsewhere), our president seems to forget that there is trouble and we are going to be held responsible. he is busy vetoeing bills for Stem cell research (a move that pissed me off bigtime) and fighting against gay marriages in his "moral crusade." meanwhile, there are wars in Afghanistan, in Iraq, an almost nuclear standoff with two psychos, and an American-funded war in the mid-east. How's that for a man who fears God? what about the ten commandments? "Thou shalt not kill?" when did we lose sight of that. Where is the "but" in that statement?
See, for many of us, it is not about what guy wants to sleep with another guy or if parents want to save their newborns from potential diseases later on in life. It is about me being able to pay for the exorbitant school fees that seem to increase every semester. It is about trying to make as much money Why can't the battles be fought on designated battlegrounds and the murderous minds destroy themselves only? Why do the innocent people suffer the most for these fools' mentality? Anyway back to the US involvement. i wonder what kind of "moral crusader" is more opposed to gay marriages and stem cell research and yet has no concern about human life and the loss of it. Seems as if at the end of it all, he will be the president with the most blood on his hands! yesterday i was thinking to myself and i realized that the next elections are in 2008. this means that we only have to endure 2 more years...hopefully. I think for some, myself included, we do not care anymore which side wins...this is as bad as it gets..i doubt anyone else can be worse than this guy!
Monday, July 17, 2006
World Events and my connection to them
I just read that there was another tsunami in Indonesia caused by an undersea earthquake of magnitude 7.7. I knew this earthquake happened before I read the news though. This morning, about 6am, I dreamt of a tsunami occurring. Not a huge, huge one but definitely a tsunami. Maybe I am in tune with the world right now. I would like to think like that. Yesterday, we went to the beach. The waters were a little rough and maybe the image got impressed on my subconscious. Maybe it was just a dream. Either way, I knew it happened before i even heard of it.
Yesterday, we went to the beach. Ami and I stayed on the sand for a while before we actually went into the water. Nan and Vinod were in there and i was watching them from where we sat on the sand. There were a lot more waves than usual and seaweed too. The water was very very warm though...and welcoming. Furgie said it was a little bit eerie and I felt the same way also. Maybe the ocean was trying to tell us something.
Now, on a skeptic's point of view...well, a scientist's point of view. These are islands resting on the Pacific Ring of Fire. They are subject to earthquakes and tsunamis. what i feel sad about is that there were no tsunami warning systems set up to alert the people about the wave that was barrelling towards them. I feel for these people.
Now, I've just read the other news...the Mid-East conflict. There is "no end in sight" according the the S.Florida Sun-Sentinel. The Associated Press basically stated that the leaders do not want to compromise unless if Lebanon hands over the two Israeli prisoners. Now, lets see, America and Britain's leaders say Israel is right to defend herself. Innocent people are being killed everyday and blood thirsty demons are justifying this war. some people are avidly following the news. Some people do not want to know and there are some who can do something and are not doing anything.....for example, the US. maybe when the world witnesses a "near genocide" again will our leaders wake up. isn't it ironic that the "Holy Land" is the most chaotic place in the world right now? What does that say about our interpretation of scripture and religion. where have we gone wrong? maybe God is trying to show us that there is something more meaningful than these lands and the structures. we get so illusioned and blinded that we forget why we are here in the first place! and while political wars continue in the "holy land," the Earth will be forced to drink the blood of the children she once nutured.
Yesterday, we went to the beach. Ami and I stayed on the sand for a while before we actually went into the water. Nan and Vinod were in there and i was watching them from where we sat on the sand. There were a lot more waves than usual and seaweed too. The water was very very warm though...and welcoming. Furgie said it was a little bit eerie and I felt the same way also. Maybe the ocean was trying to tell us something.
Now, on a skeptic's point of view...well, a scientist's point of view. These are islands resting on the Pacific Ring of Fire. They are subject to earthquakes and tsunamis. what i feel sad about is that there were no tsunami warning systems set up to alert the people about the wave that was barrelling towards them. I feel for these people.
Now, I've just read the other news...the Mid-East conflict. There is "no end in sight" according the the S.Florida Sun-Sentinel. The Associated Press basically stated that the leaders do not want to compromise unless if Lebanon hands over the two Israeli prisoners. Now, lets see, America and Britain's leaders say Israel is right to defend herself. Innocent people are being killed everyday and blood thirsty demons are justifying this war. some people are avidly following the news. Some people do not want to know and there are some who can do something and are not doing anything.....for example, the US. maybe when the world witnesses a "near genocide" again will our leaders wake up. isn't it ironic that the "Holy Land" is the most chaotic place in the world right now? What does that say about our interpretation of scripture and religion. where have we gone wrong? maybe God is trying to show us that there is something more meaningful than these lands and the structures. we get so illusioned and blinded that we forget why we are here in the first place! and while political wars continue in the "holy land," the Earth will be forced to drink the blood of the children she once nutured.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Back to Math Tutoring....Teaching a kid to read
I've begun to tutor again and hopefully this time, it will be better. The last kid i tutored was able to bring his grade up from an F to a C but i was not pleased. I know that I had an especially hard time getting him to pay attention but I expected more. This time, i am tutoring with more experience. I teach everything, starting at the beginning. Even if the student knows the stuff, it still builds confidence. On wednesday, i tutored in Algebra I. Today i will do the same. I hope my student is willing to learn like the one i had on wednesday. I could see the boy was trying on Wednesday and when i was finished, i felt happier that he was leaving knowing something. So i start at the beginning today...Real numbers, Absolute value, algebraic symbols, Expressions, Equations and simplifying them. It should take about two hours if i work through problems as well.
As for the other kid i am supposed to tutor. Justin, justin! I love Justin a lot. He is a very sweet kid. When Justin gets older, he will be a "chick magnet." He is adorably cute. Later on, when he gets older, he will just be extremely handsome. Before Ami and I started dating, Justin used to come to the store with Ami to deliver flowers for me. he was not even 2 at the time. Now Justin is 6 and ready to start 1st grade in september.
Okay, while i was typing up this blog, I had to leave. It's Monday now, no longer Saturday, and from my tutoring, I realized that Justin can read. He is sounding out his words and he has memorized the easier words. He will definitely be reading at the end of the summer. His mom was thrilled to know that. As for the other kid, Justin's elder half-brother, he learnt the first chapter of the Algebra book. I started from the beginning so nothing would look foreign to him. So far, so good. I like tutoring this time around...not like the first time. It looks promising and i hope things go well with it.
As for the other kid i am supposed to tutor. Justin, justin! I love Justin a lot. He is a very sweet kid. When Justin gets older, he will be a "chick magnet." He is adorably cute. Later on, when he gets older, he will just be extremely handsome. Before Ami and I started dating, Justin used to come to the store with Ami to deliver flowers for me. he was not even 2 at the time. Now Justin is 6 and ready to start 1st grade in september.
Okay, while i was typing up this blog, I had to leave. It's Monday now, no longer Saturday, and from my tutoring, I realized that Justin can read. He is sounding out his words and he has memorized the easier words. He will definitely be reading at the end of the summer. His mom was thrilled to know that. As for the other kid, Justin's elder half-brother, he learnt the first chapter of the Algebra book. I started from the beginning so nothing would look foreign to him. So far, so good. I like tutoring this time around...not like the first time. It looks promising and i hope things go well with it.
Friday, July 14, 2006
The Arab-Israeli Conflict...my take
This morning was one of the most depressing mornings ever in news history. Let me say first...I was watching the Indian news channel at work. Watching the news is something i try to avoid in the early morning because of the tendency to get depressed but when i turned on the TV hoping to find the B4U music channel, it was set on the pakistani news. The first thing i saw was the remains of a street after being blasted. I decided that i might as well watch the news and when i did, i saw repeat episodes of the bombings in Mumbai, the bombings in Lebanon and the attack on a palestinian truck driver and a passenger.
After about an hour, i turned off the TV only to hear the same news on the local radio station. i did not read the newspaper article from beginning to end because of the obvious American bias for the Israelis. In fact, the only country mentioned was Israel and all the Israeli deaths that had occurred....as if the Lebanese and palestinians who died were not people as well. I feel sorry for the Earth that it bears the burden of hatred and what happens when men get bored and claim what is not theirs. This world was here before them and when they die, it will still be here...unless they blow themselves to oblivion with some nuclear weapon.
Before i really start this blog, i must say that I am going to be as unbiased as i possibly could. These are my opinions and however insignificant they may be, they are still mine and I was bothered by what is happening so i am scribbling tonight.
In college, Ami studied Political Science with a special focus on the Middle East. He knows about all these offshoot groups and whilst it may be hazy to many, he can tell the differences amongst them right away. There was a teacher in FAU at the time called Walid Phares. Today, he discusses the Middle East conflict on MSNBC. I was fortunate enough to sit in a few of his classes and even take a class with him right before he left FAU for good---Even got a book from him for getting a full 100% on his midterm. Needless to say, the Middle East has become a topic of special interest in my little circle of friends, acquaintances, and family.
While many are avoiding the topic, I still find that there are those who are tired and are saying exactly what is on their minds. I spoke with many people today in the store. Hezbollah has declared "open war" on Israel. Israel broke a treaty with Lebanon yesterday and directly attacked several key locations in the country. I suppose every time you breathe too hard in the Middle East, the price of oil soars...How i wish for the day that we would not depend on Arab oil! Now today, I saw on the Indian news channel that Israel had fired at a truck with Palestinian passengers.
This takes us to Preemptive Strike. It is something we know too well...living in the US and all. Younger Bush has made Preemptive Strike his middle name!...along with the W...Whatever it stands for! I know we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks and so is every other country that is not muslim...and even some predominantly muslim countries but if we went around attacking everyone as a perceived threat, we may very well do the opposite of what we really want to achieve.
I understand Israel is threatened....No sh*t! Israel has been threatened since the end of WWII...but Israel's preemptive strike could be more risky than the US making a preemptive strike. The US is a little bit isolated when it comes to being surrounded by a host of enemies who are told in their scriptures that their duty is to "rid the world of Jews...to upturn every stone and find them, to find them hiding behind trees, etc." Israel cannot afford actions like these. This is a country sitting in the middle of a bunch of other countries who do not agree with the whole concept of Israel being the chosen land of the Jews.
Now, several of my customers today spoke out against the US position in this whole matter. Some of them refuse to be fooled and believe that the US interest lies elsewhere....like in Iran. There were some of them who did not support the Israeli side and there were some of them who were still reeling from September 11th. Today, for the first time, i heard a German guy speak of World War II. i listened while he spoke of the german point of view. I heard things that were never mentioned in history books. I will not say anything else on this topic though. nothing justifies genocide..but i realized that people carry grudges through generations and speak as if they are physically hurt because of some harm done to their ancestors. Some people never rise above these and they end up fighting for generations upon generations until they forget about what they are really fighting for and it becomes just something that is incorporated in their culture. See, in Trinidad, we were a little sheltered. yes, there are racial problems with the Indians and the Blacks but that does not lead to crazy violence. Trinidad is a very unique country in that way. When there are elections, the racial tensions are at their peak and yet, riots never occur. It is probably one of the only countries where Muslims and Hindus live together with little conflict...except maybe about a tree branch hanging over in the neighbor's yard. A hindu marrying a muslim is common and often times, there are no problems. there are the occasional anomalies but trinis shy away from blood feuds. i guess in that way, i do not understand violence or the need for it. I will never understand why Arabs and Israelis fight....Seems as if it is something that everyone will get used to...a war that was going on before we were born and may very well go on after we are gone. I once had a Jewish customer who also happened to be a professor tell me: "We can choose our friends but not our family...and I don't like my family." he was referring to the Jews and Arabs being cousins.
After about an hour, i turned off the TV only to hear the same news on the local radio station. i did not read the newspaper article from beginning to end because of the obvious American bias for the Israelis. In fact, the only country mentioned was Israel and all the Israeli deaths that had occurred....as if the Lebanese and palestinians who died were not people as well. I feel sorry for the Earth that it bears the burden of hatred and what happens when men get bored and claim what is not theirs. This world was here before them and when they die, it will still be here...unless they blow themselves to oblivion with some nuclear weapon.
Before i really start this blog, i must say that I am going to be as unbiased as i possibly could. These are my opinions and however insignificant they may be, they are still mine and I was bothered by what is happening so i am scribbling tonight.
In college, Ami studied Political Science with a special focus on the Middle East. He knows about all these offshoot groups and whilst it may be hazy to many, he can tell the differences amongst them right away. There was a teacher in FAU at the time called Walid Phares. Today, he discusses the Middle East conflict on MSNBC. I was fortunate enough to sit in a few of his classes and even take a class with him right before he left FAU for good---Even got a book from him for getting a full 100% on his midterm. Needless to say, the Middle East has become a topic of special interest in my little circle of friends, acquaintances, and family.
While many are avoiding the topic, I still find that there are those who are tired and are saying exactly what is on their minds. I spoke with many people today in the store. Hezbollah has declared "open war" on Israel. Israel broke a treaty with Lebanon yesterday and directly attacked several key locations in the country. I suppose every time you breathe too hard in the Middle East, the price of oil soars...How i wish for the day that we would not depend on Arab oil! Now today, I saw on the Indian news channel that Israel had fired at a truck with Palestinian passengers.
This takes us to Preemptive Strike. It is something we know too well...living in the US and all. Younger Bush has made Preemptive Strike his middle name!...along with the W...Whatever it stands for! I know we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks and so is every other country that is not muslim...and even some predominantly muslim countries but if we went around attacking everyone as a perceived threat, we may very well do the opposite of what we really want to achieve.
I understand Israel is threatened....No sh*t! Israel has been threatened since the end of WWII...but Israel's preemptive strike could be more risky than the US making a preemptive strike. The US is a little bit isolated when it comes to being surrounded by a host of enemies who are told in their scriptures that their duty is to "rid the world of Jews...to upturn every stone and find them, to find them hiding behind trees, etc." Israel cannot afford actions like these. This is a country sitting in the middle of a bunch of other countries who do not agree with the whole concept of Israel being the chosen land of the Jews.
Now, several of my customers today spoke out against the US position in this whole matter. Some of them refuse to be fooled and believe that the US interest lies elsewhere....like in Iran. There were some of them who did not support the Israeli side and there were some of them who were still reeling from September 11th. Today, for the first time, i heard a German guy speak of World War II. i listened while he spoke of the german point of view. I heard things that were never mentioned in history books. I will not say anything else on this topic though. nothing justifies genocide..but i realized that people carry grudges through generations and speak as if they are physically hurt because of some harm done to their ancestors. Some people never rise above these and they end up fighting for generations upon generations until they forget about what they are really fighting for and it becomes just something that is incorporated in their culture. See, in Trinidad, we were a little sheltered. yes, there are racial problems with the Indians and the Blacks but that does not lead to crazy violence. Trinidad is a very unique country in that way. When there are elections, the racial tensions are at their peak and yet, riots never occur. It is probably one of the only countries where Muslims and Hindus live together with little conflict...except maybe about a tree branch hanging over in the neighbor's yard. A hindu marrying a muslim is common and often times, there are no problems. there are the occasional anomalies but trinis shy away from blood feuds. i guess in that way, i do not understand violence or the need for it. I will never understand why Arabs and Israelis fight....Seems as if it is something that everyone will get used to...a war that was going on before we were born and may very well go on after we are gone. I once had a Jewish customer who also happened to be a professor tell me: "We can choose our friends but not our family...and I don't like my family." he was referring to the Jews and Arabs being cousins.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Part 2...The Great Smoky Mountains
This is continued from the last post.....
On Saturday morning, we checked out of the motel and headed back into the mountains. on the way there, we passed through Gatlinburg. it is a "dollyhouse" kind of town nestled at the foot of the mountains, in the valley. the place bustles with tourists all day long. flowers are planted in baskets that hang from the streetlights and the railings on the sidewalk.
We entered the park shortly after because we were supposed to go and check into the campsite. 
The river ran alongside the road for most of the time and we saw people bathing in there. It's Little Pigeon River. nan and I wanted to go in but then we were distracted by a sign that said "Horseback Riding." Ami, Nan, nor I had ever ridden a horse except at little fairs when we were younger so we were game. Turned out that there was a ride being offered through the mountains at a rate of $20/hr. Kinda felt bad about burdening the horse but it was one awesome ride! My horse was tame and he trotted for most of the way. Nan's horse, on the other hand, was galloping when he was not supposed to. Several times, it looked as if she was about to fall off. We all agreed though, that it was a lot of fun and worth the money.
after the ride, we drove to the campsite and paid our money to stay for the night. Came up to $20 for all three of us. We drove by the site, looked at it and then headed into town to have Chinese again. Tofu was really good there too=0)
We went hiking to Laurel Falls after. It was about a 45minute walk on a path with signs stating..."Falling Deaths Have Occurred, Please watch children closely." there was a precipice off to one side and the mountain on the other. When we first started the walk, we heard growls coming from the precipice side of the walk. Was a little frightening. Ami made a walking stick/weapon/bear fighting stick from a thin branch of a tree alongside the trail.....According to him, all he needed to do was poke the bear if he saw one. Thankfully, we did not.
The waterfall was beautiful and it was more than we expected.
Nan, Ami and I climed up the rocks. There were people drinking water there. The water was freezing cold. i filled a bottle but didn't drink....being a microbiology major and all...=0(...... the waterfall is broken into two sections.
One part came down from higher than where we were standing then the other part went down into the precipice. We climbed down into the precipice part and stood at the very bottom of the falls. a little while after, i saw nan climbing up the second, more steeper part and everyone was looking at her and then me as if to ask, "is she crazy?" I thought so myself! she was rock climbing at a 90 degree angle and my heart was in my hand. Once again, i had to say some prayers that she was safe...yeah, i did a lot of praying on this trip!
After, we went back to the campsite. It was about 8:00pm when we got back and we had an hour left of daylight to set up the tent. We set up the tent in less than 15 minutes.
our campsite was the last in the row and a little creek separated us from our neighbors. there was the woods behind us and to the other side. it was pretty much about following what the picture looked like. nan and ami did most of the work...and nan, of course pounded her finger with a piece of firewood. by the way, we did not bring a hammer and the neighbors offered to lend us theirs. we refused that because we were almost done at the time. we had firewood but no lighter fluid. I remembered that Ami had his tire shining stuff in the trunk and we sprayed that all over a piece of wood and lit the fire. Well it did say "flammable." We had no food but we just wanted to see the fire and it does keep away mosquitoes after all. ami burned everything that was in sight...including some of the maps, soda cans, bags, bottles....everything! i do not understand the connection between boys and fires yet. by the way, there were restrooms and running water but no showers.
I had to sleep hearing nan and ami complain how hard the floor was and how thin the sleeping bags were. during the night, we heard shots being fired and flares being sent off. i guess it was to scare off animals. we slept soundly, lulled to sleep by the sound of the creek. for me, i slept well all three nights but nan and ami said that they had the best sleep that night except that they complained that their backs hurt the next morning. I felt great! it was cold the next morning and we had burnt all the wood the night before save for one piece...ami's bear fighting weapon.
we sprayed the tire shiner all over the wood but the matches were cold. our neighbor brought over lighter fluid, a striker and he even sent his kid over with firewood. he said to ami, "i know how girls are in the mornings!" the people were friendly everywhere.
We left a little before 9am and stopped at the river. nan got in and said it was freezing. i went in after. it was sunday morning after all and i needed to pay my respects to the sun. i did what my dad used to refer to as a "cowboy"....it's a bath where you begin soaping your skin before the water even touches it so by the time you hit the water, you wash the soap off and you take a few "ducks" and head back out. Believe me, it was ice cold water and i felt it through my bones. managed to wake up right away though...and so did nan...who even carried soap!!!!!!!! was surprised she didn't bring shampoo and conditioner as well.....
by the way, the phone died during the night and i was very well aware that my mom would have been freaking out by midday if she hadn't heard from us. We drove through the mountains exactly the same way we came but this time, we stopped to take pictures. it was so beautiful! I loved it! Ami had left the car in neutral while coming down the hills. We figured that "lower gears" meant neutral. Several people later told us how dangerous that was to do...At the time, it did not seem so. anyway, we returned to the same scary WalMart on the hill and bought a phone charger for the car and was able to call my mom who told me that she had called almost 50 times for the morning and was on the verge of panic mode. i could almost hear her "silent" prayers when she answered the phone. she asked to speak to nan too to make sure everything was alright and she had vin call ami's house to find out if ami had called there.
That day happened to be the finale of the world cup. it is a little bit ironic how i watched it all through and managed to miss the final. I had vin call me every few minutes to fill me in on the scores. he was a good reporter. Was not biased at all...even when Zidane head butted the Italian guy. I was happy that Italy won though. It took us almost 6 hours to get out of Georgia and then 5 hours to get home after we entered florida. In Georgia, we saw and accident that caused the opposite lane to have standstill traffic for almost 10 miles. People actually came out of their cars and put chairs out on the road and waited! In all, we got home at 2:30am on monday morning. When i was falling asleep, i heard when vin opened the door of my room to check that nan and i were home. a few hours after, i heard my dad open the door to check on us and ask if i needed to work. my mom had opened the door silently but didn't say anything before she left for work. i didn't know when she came at the door. she even cleaned our room for us...and made up the bed! they are all so adorable.
in all, my trip was super cool. i loved it and i want to go back already. i am a city girl but i like these little breaks in the country. the peacefulness is welcome. next time, vin has to go with us. if he was there, he would have been in the little creek right next to our campspot.....regardless of how shallow the water was.
On Saturday morning, we checked out of the motel and headed back into the mountains. on the way there, we passed through Gatlinburg. it is a "dollyhouse" kind of town nestled at the foot of the mountains, in the valley. the place bustles with tourists all day long. flowers are planted in baskets that hang from the streetlights and the railings on the sidewalk.
We entered the park shortly after because we were supposed to go and check into the campsite. 
The river ran alongside the road for most of the time and we saw people bathing in there. It's Little Pigeon River. nan and I wanted to go in but then we were distracted by a sign that said "Horseback Riding." Ami, Nan, nor I had ever ridden a horse except at little fairs when we were younger so we were game. Turned out that there was a ride being offered through the mountains at a rate of $20/hr. Kinda felt bad about burdening the horse but it was one awesome ride! My horse was tame and he trotted for most of the way. Nan's horse, on the other hand, was galloping when he was not supposed to. Several times, it looked as if she was about to fall off. We all agreed though, that it was a lot of fun and worth the money.
after the ride, we drove to the campsite and paid our money to stay for the night. Came up to $20 for all three of us. We drove by the site, looked at it and then headed into town to have Chinese again. Tofu was really good there too=0)
We went hiking to Laurel Falls after. It was about a 45minute walk on a path with signs stating..."Falling Deaths Have Occurred, Please watch children closely." there was a precipice off to one side and the mountain on the other. When we first started the walk, we heard growls coming from the precipice side of the walk. Was a little frightening. Ami made a walking stick/weapon/bear fighting stick from a thin branch of a tree alongside the trail.....According to him, all he needed to do was poke the bear if he saw one. Thankfully, we did not.
The waterfall was beautiful and it was more than we expected.
Nan, Ami and I climed up the rocks. There were people drinking water there. The water was freezing cold. i filled a bottle but didn't drink....being a microbiology major and all...=0(...... the waterfall is broken into two sections.
One part came down from higher than where we were standing then the other part went down into the precipice. We climbed down into the precipice part and stood at the very bottom of the falls. a little while after, i saw nan climbing up the second, more steeper part and everyone was looking at her and then me as if to ask, "is she crazy?" I thought so myself! she was rock climbing at a 90 degree angle and my heart was in my hand. Once again, i had to say some prayers that she was safe...yeah, i did a lot of praying on this trip!After, we went back to the campsite. It was about 8:00pm when we got back and we had an hour left of daylight to set up the tent. We set up the tent in less than 15 minutes.
our campsite was the last in the row and a little creek separated us from our neighbors. there was the woods behind us and to the other side. it was pretty much about following what the picture looked like. nan and ami did most of the work...and nan, of course pounded her finger with a piece of firewood. by the way, we did not bring a hammer and the neighbors offered to lend us theirs. we refused that because we were almost done at the time. we had firewood but no lighter fluid. I remembered that Ami had his tire shining stuff in the trunk and we sprayed that all over a piece of wood and lit the fire. Well it did say "flammable." We had no food but we just wanted to see the fire and it does keep away mosquitoes after all. ami burned everything that was in sight...including some of the maps, soda cans, bags, bottles....everything! i do not understand the connection between boys and fires yet. by the way, there were restrooms and running water but no showers.I had to sleep hearing nan and ami complain how hard the floor was and how thin the sleeping bags were. during the night, we heard shots being fired and flares being sent off. i guess it was to scare off animals. we slept soundly, lulled to sleep by the sound of the creek. for me, i slept well all three nights but nan and ami said that they had the best sleep that night except that they complained that their backs hurt the next morning. I felt great! it was cold the next morning and we had burnt all the wood the night before save for one piece...ami's bear fighting weapon.
we sprayed the tire shiner all over the wood but the matches were cold. our neighbor brought over lighter fluid, a striker and he even sent his kid over with firewood. he said to ami, "i know how girls are in the mornings!" the people were friendly everywhere.We left a little before 9am and stopped at the river. nan got in and said it was freezing. i went in after. it was sunday morning after all and i needed to pay my respects to the sun. i did what my dad used to refer to as a "cowboy"....it's a bath where you begin soaping your skin before the water even touches it so by the time you hit the water, you wash the soap off and you take a few "ducks" and head back out. Believe me, it was ice cold water and i felt it through my bones. managed to wake up right away though...and so did nan...who even carried soap!!!!!!!! was surprised she didn't bring shampoo and conditioner as well.....
by the way, the phone died during the night and i was very well aware that my mom would have been freaking out by midday if she hadn't heard from us. We drove through the mountains exactly the same way we came but this time, we stopped to take pictures. it was so beautiful! I loved it! Ami had left the car in neutral while coming down the hills. We figured that "lower gears" meant neutral. Several people later told us how dangerous that was to do...At the time, it did not seem so. anyway, we returned to the same scary WalMart on the hill and bought a phone charger for the car and was able to call my mom who told me that she had called almost 50 times for the morning and was on the verge of panic mode. i could almost hear her "silent" prayers when she answered the phone. she asked to speak to nan too to make sure everything was alright and she had vin call ami's house to find out if ami had called there.
That day happened to be the finale of the world cup. it is a little bit ironic how i watched it all through and managed to miss the final. I had vin call me every few minutes to fill me in on the scores. he was a good reporter. Was not biased at all...even when Zidane head butted the Italian guy. I was happy that Italy won though. It took us almost 6 hours to get out of Georgia and then 5 hours to get home after we entered florida. In Georgia, we saw and accident that caused the opposite lane to have standstill traffic for almost 10 miles. People actually came out of their cars and put chairs out on the road and waited! In all, we got home at 2:30am on monday morning. When i was falling asleep, i heard when vin opened the door of my room to check that nan and i were home. a few hours after, i heard my dad open the door to check on us and ask if i needed to work. my mom had opened the door silently but didn't say anything before she left for work. i didn't know when she came at the door. she even cleaned our room for us...and made up the bed! they are all so adorable.
in all, my trip was super cool. i loved it and i want to go back already. i am a city girl but i like these little breaks in the country. the peacefulness is welcome. next time, vin has to go with us. if he was there, he would have been in the little creek right next to our campspot.....regardless of how shallow the water was.
Monday, July 10, 2006
The trip....Part 1...Georgia....
On Thursday, Ami and Nan came to get me from work. They had already been to WalMart and had bought sleeping bags for all of us. It took us three hours after i left work for us to leave. it was raining in South Florida at the time and I wanted to see my mom before I left. We went to her job, saw her, said our "laters" and we headed out. Vin works next door to her job so we went in to see him too. he was busy so we just said bye and then headed out. Ami's mom made sandwiches for us. Boy did they come in handy!
The first day was spent only driving. We drove from 4pm until 3am Friday morning. It was a long drive. We took the turnpike from Coconut Creek to Orlando then joined on the I-75 all the way into Georgia. It took us 5 hours to get out of Florida and almost 3 hours to get on the outskirts of Atlanta...I am guessing we spent about an hour in rest stops and stretching our legs. For economic purposes, we decided to stay outside the city...realized that in the last trip that staying outside the city is a lot more budget-friendly. We were able to stay in an Inn for about $45. It was an incredible price considering that there was everything we needed and it was clean.
The next morning we woke up about 10 am and we headed into Atlanta. We were meeting Nan's ex-boyfriend there. Turns out that he was extremely nice to us....considering that i never really spoke with him nor did Ami. He was indeed hospitable. Took us to lunch too and it started Nan and Ami on a quest to find the best chinese restaurants specializing in tofu. They actually spent time talking about how good the tofu was!
We headed to Stone Mountain after driving through Atlanta. I was not aware that we were going to Stone Mountain but Ami wanted Nan to see the city and the park as well. We got to Stone Mountain after a little while of driving and getting lost. It was already 4pm when we got there and we wanted to hike to the top. Was a long climb and we realized that we were a little out of shape=0) We made it though. For a little while, i was even worried about rolling down the side of the mountain but the view from the top was spectacular! There were railings to hold on to at the steepest parts of the mountain.
Now Stone Mountain is really a large protrusion of granite. I think it is about 855 feet high but the air was definitely cooler at the top. The carving on the mountain took 55 years to complete and it shows the leaders of the confederacy including General Robert E. Lee.
I was watching this documentary once on National Geographic and I saw that Stone Mountain, GA is the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan. Not too thrilled to say that but it was one of the historic facts about it. Really, the place is seeped in history. On the way up, we delighted ourselves in reading the carvings made by previous visitors/lovers/hikers to the top of the mountain. Some etchings were made in the early parts of the century and some were made during the 50s, 60s and 70s, etc. I saw Atlanta in the distance. the air was so clean and fresh! It was something i hadn't enjoyed in a long time.
We took the sky-lift all the way back down. I must say that the ride was crowded and a little uneventful. In retrospect, the hike down may have been better and less hard on my ears (they "pop" a lot at higher altitudes). Then i had to make sure Ami was okay. He is scared of rides from heights, lifts, pulleys, roller coasters, etc......
The Sky Lift dropped us out all the way on the other side of the mountain so we ended up walking the circumference of the park to get back to the car. Was not bad though. We were not exactly dressed for hiking but we managed. At least we all had our sneakers and hats! I can say one thing though...we surely exercised on this trip! all the chinese food we ate was burned out=0)
When we left Stone Mountain, it was almost 7 and we were driving to Tennessee with the directions we had printed from MapQuest. turns out that Mapquest gave us the longest possible route and boy was it long! even managed to get lost. Usually when I go on trips with my dad, i use Yahoo directions or Google but this time, i didn't really think and i used mapquest. this is the second time we got lost using Mapquest directions. Anyway, luckily we were able to find a welcome center in South Carolina (yes, the directions sent us to South Carolina when we should have been in Tennessee!) and a map of the state and some of the routes that would lead to Tennessee.
We were able to use a highway that led into North Carolina and through the Appalachains right into Tennessee. Needless to say, we were travelling in the night on roads that had no streetlights. It was dark and extremely scary. We stopped out at a WalMart on a hill on the highway that ran from Georgia into North Carolina. let me tell you, it was the scariest, most frightful WalMart I have ever been to at 1:30 am! People were staring at us. I guess we looked very different and out-of-place. But we were able to get some bread, cheese and hummus to make sandwiches. After, we stopped at a motel because we were not sure how to get to Tennessee from where we were at. Nan and I stayed in the car and Ami got out to ask for directions.
I was beginning to get scared when i saw that 15 minutes had passed and Ami wasn't back yet. When he came back, he told us that the owner was Indian and was very helpful. The guy gave him precise directions and even told him to be careful. We were driving through the mountains. For 34 miles, from Cherokee, NC to Gatlinburg, TN we drove through pitch black darkness and some very steep, winding curves in the Smoky Mountains. There were times when Ami set the car in neutral and let it roll down the hills for itself. my ears were popping like crazy. I was sleepy but i couldn't sleep. began babbling so that Ami would not feel like sleeping as well. it worked, eventually we got to Gatlinburg and after enquiring around at the different Inns, we found an Econolodge in Pigeon Forge (a few miles up the road from Gatlinburg) that was budget friendly. Considering that it was a tourist town, I thought it was a good deal. Ami and nan really liked this motel too. This one was even cleaner and prettier than the first one. We woke up so late that the next morning, Saturday, the receptionist called the room to remind us that check-out was at 11am. We left there at 10:56 and headed back into Gatlinburg......I will continue this in Part 2...Tennessee....
The first day was spent only driving. We drove from 4pm until 3am Friday morning. It was a long drive. We took the turnpike from Coconut Creek to Orlando then joined on the I-75 all the way into Georgia. It took us 5 hours to get out of Florida and almost 3 hours to get on the outskirts of Atlanta...I am guessing we spent about an hour in rest stops and stretching our legs. For economic purposes, we decided to stay outside the city...realized that in the last trip that staying outside the city is a lot more budget-friendly. We were able to stay in an Inn for about $45. It was an incredible price considering that there was everything we needed and it was clean.
The next morning we woke up about 10 am and we headed into Atlanta. We were meeting Nan's ex-boyfriend there. Turns out that he was extremely nice to us....considering that i never really spoke with him nor did Ami. He was indeed hospitable. Took us to lunch too and it started Nan and Ami on a quest to find the best chinese restaurants specializing in tofu. They actually spent time talking about how good the tofu was!
We headed to Stone Mountain after driving through Atlanta. I was not aware that we were going to Stone Mountain but Ami wanted Nan to see the city and the park as well. We got to Stone Mountain after a little while of driving and getting lost. It was already 4pm when we got there and we wanted to hike to the top. Was a long climb and we realized that we were a little out of shape=0) We made it though. For a little while, i was even worried about rolling down the side of the mountain but the view from the top was spectacular! There were railings to hold on to at the steepest parts of the mountain.
Now Stone Mountain is really a large protrusion of granite. I think it is about 855 feet high but the air was definitely cooler at the top. The carving on the mountain took 55 years to complete and it shows the leaders of the confederacy including General Robert E. Lee.
I was watching this documentary once on National Geographic and I saw that Stone Mountain, GA is the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan. Not too thrilled to say that but it was one of the historic facts about it. Really, the place is seeped in history. On the way up, we delighted ourselves in reading the carvings made by previous visitors/lovers/hikers to the top of the mountain. Some etchings were made in the early parts of the century and some were made during the 50s, 60s and 70s, etc. I saw Atlanta in the distance. the air was so clean and fresh! It was something i hadn't enjoyed in a long time.
We took the sky-lift all the way back down. I must say that the ride was crowded and a little uneventful. In retrospect, the hike down may have been better and less hard on my ears (they "pop" a lot at higher altitudes). Then i had to make sure Ami was okay. He is scared of rides from heights, lifts, pulleys, roller coasters, etc......The Sky Lift dropped us out all the way on the other side of the mountain so we ended up walking the circumference of the park to get back to the car. Was not bad though. We were not exactly dressed for hiking but we managed. At least we all had our sneakers and hats! I can say one thing though...we surely exercised on this trip! all the chinese food we ate was burned out=0)
When we left Stone Mountain, it was almost 7 and we were driving to Tennessee with the directions we had printed from MapQuest. turns out that Mapquest gave us the longest possible route and boy was it long! even managed to get lost. Usually when I go on trips with my dad, i use Yahoo directions or Google but this time, i didn't really think and i used mapquest. this is the second time we got lost using Mapquest directions. Anyway, luckily we were able to find a welcome center in South Carolina (yes, the directions sent us to South Carolina when we should have been in Tennessee!) and a map of the state and some of the routes that would lead to Tennessee.
We were able to use a highway that led into North Carolina and through the Appalachains right into Tennessee. Needless to say, we were travelling in the night on roads that had no streetlights. It was dark and extremely scary. We stopped out at a WalMart on a hill on the highway that ran from Georgia into North Carolina. let me tell you, it was the scariest, most frightful WalMart I have ever been to at 1:30 am! People were staring at us. I guess we looked very different and out-of-place. But we were able to get some bread, cheese and hummus to make sandwiches. After, we stopped at a motel because we were not sure how to get to Tennessee from where we were at. Nan and I stayed in the car and Ami got out to ask for directions.
I was beginning to get scared when i saw that 15 minutes had passed and Ami wasn't back yet. When he came back, he told us that the owner was Indian and was very helpful. The guy gave him precise directions and even told him to be careful. We were driving through the mountains. For 34 miles, from Cherokee, NC to Gatlinburg, TN we drove through pitch black darkness and some very steep, winding curves in the Smoky Mountains. There were times when Ami set the car in neutral and let it roll down the hills for itself. my ears were popping like crazy. I was sleepy but i couldn't sleep. began babbling so that Ami would not feel like sleeping as well. it worked, eventually we got to Gatlinburg and after enquiring around at the different Inns, we found an Econolodge in Pigeon Forge (a few miles up the road from Gatlinburg) that was budget friendly. Considering that it was a tourist town, I thought it was a good deal. Ami and nan really liked this motel too. This one was even cleaner and prettier than the first one. We woke up so late that the next morning, Saturday, the receptionist called the room to remind us that check-out was at 11am. We left there at 10:56 and headed back into Gatlinburg......I will continue this in Part 2...Tennessee....
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Before the trip......
We are supposed to take off later this afternoon for our trip to Tennessee. Ami, Nan and I are going. Last night, my mom asked me to give her the details of the trip. She said we barely told her anything and that means she will be home worrying all the time. This was another conversation taking place in the back living room....so i lay down on the sofa and I was telling her that we were going camping in Tennessee but we would be stopping in Atlanta first. My mom is worried that mosquitoes will bite us!!!! That's my mom! She's adorable!
When I was getting ready to do my blog, this really cute guy came into the store. He is one of the distributors so I had to give him the order. He was really tall (about 6'5") and lean...not overly muscular but fit. He looked really fine. Now see, I have Ami but that doesn't mean I can't look;) not scheming or anything. So then the guy is writing a little note on his company's catalog. His note says, "Prices not corect." Now see, intelligence is a deciding factor. This is an American born guy. At least basic spelling!!!!! But he was good looking.
Oh, my lady friend came in the store this morning. I was telling her that I really like the mornings because I get direct sunlight. She starts telling me that she gets her energy from the S-O-N who is the S-U-N. so i tell her i believe in the sun who is the ultimate source of energy, therefore, a manifestation of the Supreme. then the lady goes on to tell me that she believes that people who believe in everything do not really believe in anything at all. so I said, "No Maam, it takes a certain level of intelligence and mental development to be tolerant and accepting of other people's beliefs while being firly rooted in your own." so she tells me, " I am tolerant. I understand that you believe in Hinduism." I said, "I did not say otherwise but I do not believe in just Hinduism. I was born into a Hindu household but as a Hindu I am trained to believe in something greater than any religion. We believe in a Supreme Being that is greater than religion." Finally, she understands. Then she tells me, "I like your posture, the way you stand with your shoulders back." I say, "thank you" and she leaves for work after telling me that i brighten up her mornings. That is how my conversations on religion end.
So back to my trip now...i'm so excited! nan is packing her stuff. we don't know what to carry!!!!! nan said my mom is good with it. we will go see her in work before we leave..and vin too. maybe i will see my dad too but i already woke him up this morning and talked with him on my way to work. we'll see. i miss them already=0(...but still excited though=0)
When I was getting ready to do my blog, this really cute guy came into the store. He is one of the distributors so I had to give him the order. He was really tall (about 6'5") and lean...not overly muscular but fit. He looked really fine. Now see, I have Ami but that doesn't mean I can't look;) not scheming or anything. So then the guy is writing a little note on his company's catalog. His note says, "Prices not corect." Now see, intelligence is a deciding factor. This is an American born guy. At least basic spelling!!!!! But he was good looking.
Oh, my lady friend came in the store this morning. I was telling her that I really like the mornings because I get direct sunlight. She starts telling me that she gets her energy from the S-O-N who is the S-U-N. so i tell her i believe in the sun who is the ultimate source of energy, therefore, a manifestation of the Supreme. then the lady goes on to tell me that she believes that people who believe in everything do not really believe in anything at all. so I said, "No Maam, it takes a certain level of intelligence and mental development to be tolerant and accepting of other people's beliefs while being firly rooted in your own." so she tells me, " I am tolerant. I understand that you believe in Hinduism." I said, "I did not say otherwise but I do not believe in just Hinduism. I was born into a Hindu household but as a Hindu I am trained to believe in something greater than any religion. We believe in a Supreme Being that is greater than religion." Finally, she understands. Then she tells me, "I like your posture, the way you stand with your shoulders back." I say, "thank you" and she leaves for work after telling me that i brighten up her mornings. That is how my conversations on religion end.
So back to my trip now...i'm so excited! nan is packing her stuff. we don't know what to carry!!!!! nan said my mom is good with it. we will go see her in work before we leave..and vin too. maybe i will see my dad too but i already woke him up this morning and talked with him on my way to work. we'll see. i miss them already=0(...but still excited though=0)
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Happy 230th Birthday America!
While sitting outside and watching fireworks tonight, i reflected back to what it must have been like in 1776 when the declaration of independence was made. I was looking at all these grand displays right from my front yard and wondering if these people were really thinking of their freedom for each colorful light that lit up the sky. With the country in war, I think the citizens value their freedom more. They have wisened up to the world and realized that they share something that many people do not have. I guess it was a big birthday for the US today. 230 years! at the end of all the fireworks, there was a heavy cloud of smoke in the air and a distinct smell of sulphur....like a newly lit match (i like that smell).
I wore my famous Old Navy Independence Day t-shirt today for work. My customers noted it approvingly. I explained that although I was not born here, it is my home now and I will celebrate this country's independence. Freedom is a very important word in my vocabulary...so is independence although independence for me is closer to what Mr. Biswas called it, "paddling his own canoe."
so i opened the store an hour later today since it was a holiday. I've began to love the morning shift at work. I miss laila a lot but I've began to be accustomed to my own silence. I get many things done in the silence of the morning. I have even started a little routine in the mornings.
The store faces East and every morning, i watch as the sun rises up over the buildings and trees, lighting up the sky in a display of bright pink, yellow, and orange until the entire store is awash in the early morning rays. i take my morning blessings from Surya Dev when I am able to see him rise up above the trees. It is in these rays that I love to bask. I stand in the direct sunlight and I soak up all the light. It gives me the feeling that I am drawing energy directly from the morning sun. Maybe i am just a morning person but I feel happier after doing my little routine. then, i have my coffee while listening to old, black and white bollywood videos=0)
I wore my famous Old Navy Independence Day t-shirt today for work. My customers noted it approvingly. I explained that although I was not born here, it is my home now and I will celebrate this country's independence. Freedom is a very important word in my vocabulary...so is independence although independence for me is closer to what Mr. Biswas called it, "paddling his own canoe."
so i opened the store an hour later today since it was a holiday. I've began to love the morning shift at work. I miss laila a lot but I've began to be accustomed to my own silence. I get many things done in the silence of the morning. I have even started a little routine in the mornings.
The store faces East and every morning, i watch as the sun rises up over the buildings and trees, lighting up the sky in a display of bright pink, yellow, and orange until the entire store is awash in the early morning rays. i take my morning blessings from Surya Dev when I am able to see him rise up above the trees. It is in these rays that I love to bask. I stand in the direct sunlight and I soak up all the light. It gives me the feeling that I am drawing energy directly from the morning sun. Maybe i am just a morning person but I feel happier after doing my little routine. then, i have my coffee while listening to old, black and white bollywood videos=0)
Dortmund Stadium sees a German loss...another world cup upset!
Italy scored in the 119th and 120th minute in a game that seemed to be going into penalty kicks. I was watching this game with no particular team in mind because my beloved Brasil was out but Nan came when the overtime started and said, "you watchin' this game like if yuh life dependin' on it!" I wasn't aware I was that much into the game but i guess i must really really really love this game more than i know. so yes, when Italia scored the goals, nan and i screamed, we were off the sofa and i was all the way up eye to eye with the TV. then i wasn't even finished celebrating the first goal when they came out of the blue and scored the second one and it finished Germany. So no, the game is unpredictable this year and i am happy for that. What will happen if Portugal wins France and silences the world????? wouldn't that be a-cream-on-the-cake upset for a world cup that was filled with upsets? Something to speculate about, eh?
So the record stands. Germany has never beaten Italy and they have been beaten by italia for the first time in dortmund stadium. now, maybe i will find a TV and watch the finals.
In other news, my friend was going back to T'dad today for a vacation. we talk more frequently now.....seems as if we never go to bed before 12 so we call each other up and take advantage of free minutes. he called me from the airport before he boarded the plane. I was happy that he was that thoughtful. i've known this friend from high school in Trinidad. that will make it 12 years that i have known him. We call each other up and he tells me about his life and i tell him about mine and we exchange ideas and advice....especially on relationships. see, my friend is gay and when he talks to me, he gives me advice from both sides of a relationship. like, he will tell me how a guy thinks, what is acceptable behavior from a guy, and then he will tell me how a girl will most likely think. it's not that i am saying he is a girl but he is the more sensitive one in his relationships and i find his advice very very helpful. it's really cool to have a gay friend. for me, it opened my mind and it made me assess how far i was willing to go to make friends and keep those friends. it also made me see how far my mind was willing to stretch....let me say once you have gone beyond the box, a whole new world opens up to you.
So the record stands. Germany has never beaten Italy and they have been beaten by italia for the first time in dortmund stadium. now, maybe i will find a TV and watch the finals.
In other news, my friend was going back to T'dad today for a vacation. we talk more frequently now.....seems as if we never go to bed before 12 so we call each other up and take advantage of free minutes. he called me from the airport before he boarded the plane. I was happy that he was that thoughtful. i've known this friend from high school in Trinidad. that will make it 12 years that i have known him. We call each other up and he tells me about his life and i tell him about mine and we exchange ideas and advice....especially on relationships. see, my friend is gay and when he talks to me, he gives me advice from both sides of a relationship. like, he will tell me how a guy thinks, what is acceptable behavior from a guy, and then he will tell me how a girl will most likely think. it's not that i am saying he is a girl but he is the more sensitive one in his relationships and i find his advice very very helpful. it's really cool to have a gay friend. for me, it opened my mind and it made me assess how far i was willing to go to make friends and keep those friends. it also made me see how far my mind was willing to stretch....let me say once you have gone beyond the box, a whole new world opens up to you.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Brasil loses=0(
Okay, now, i officially do not have a favorite team. However, I will be backing Brasil again for South Africa 2010. The teams that remain are Italy, Germany, Portugal and France. I am a little bit disappointed but not sad. now, i wouldn't really have a team to support for the finals. My boys played a little behind in this game. they did not really do much of their footwork because it seemed like a struggle to get the ball away from France sometimes. however, they did keep in mind it was a game. None of them really cried and I guess they know that they will come back stronger than ever next time.
I was thinking earlier today....you see, next week, we are planning to go on another roadtrip and I was wondering where i would find a TV on Sunday to watch the finals if Brasil was playing again=0) So maybe, in a way, it is a good thing that Brasil lost here...otherwise, i would have had to possibly cut the trip short to get back home in time to see the game. yeah, i really love this game! even more than cricket...would rather be playing futbol anytime (to my indian friends reading this, i still love you all=0) )My boy Ronaldinho was so cute out there! of all the players, he is my favorite. i think they should make a ronaldinho doll, teeth and all. My second favorite is Cafu, el capitan Brasileno, and then Ronaldo and Kaka. But Ronaldinho was smiling all through. Even at the end he smiled. That's the spirit. And my boys, i still stick to it.....they play the game like it should be played...with passion, innocence, spirit, and wit. Even Cafu, at 37, plays like a little boy.
When analyzing this game, I saw that France played better. they really put their all in it. all of Brasil's key players were marked tightly and ronaldo did not get a good chance to score at all. Zindane did his stuff and kudos to him. However, even though they won, I still love my team!.......oh, i should mention though, if TnT makes it to the next world cup, i will be backing them also...can't forget my TnT.
I was thinking earlier today....you see, next week, we are planning to go on another roadtrip and I was wondering where i would find a TV on Sunday to watch the finals if Brasil was playing again=0) So maybe, in a way, it is a good thing that Brasil lost here...otherwise, i would have had to possibly cut the trip short to get back home in time to see the game. yeah, i really love this game! even more than cricket...would rather be playing futbol anytime (to my indian friends reading this, i still love you all=0) )My boy Ronaldinho was so cute out there! of all the players, he is my favorite. i think they should make a ronaldinho doll, teeth and all. My second favorite is Cafu, el capitan Brasileno, and then Ronaldo and Kaka. But Ronaldinho was smiling all through. Even at the end he smiled. That's the spirit. And my boys, i still stick to it.....they play the game like it should be played...with passion, innocence, spirit, and wit. Even Cafu, at 37, plays like a little boy.
When analyzing this game, I saw that France played better. they really put their all in it. all of Brasil's key players were marked tightly and ronaldo did not get a good chance to score at all. Zindane did his stuff and kudos to him. However, even though they won, I still love my team!.......oh, i should mention though, if TnT makes it to the next world cup, i will be backing them also...can't forget my TnT.
Fighting the cold again=0(
Yesterday, in work, I realized, to my greatest horror, that I was beginning to feel a sore throat. I knew I would get sick. I must be the only person who gets sick in the summer but i know why. Going back to Thursday, three things contributed to me getting sick. First, I was dusting the shelves in work (I really do not know where all the dust comes from) and i was not even five minutes into dusting when i started to sneeze and my eyes got watery. then i felt as if i was swallowing the dust and my airways were constricting. realized i was in trouble when i began to hear myself wheezing. had to wet a napkin and put it over my nose to finish. I hate dusting. Anyway, then there was the three very inconsiderate people with their cigarettes, which further polluted my lungs....and finally, i got wet in the rain on my way home. by the way, i did speak to some smokers, who i found were a hundred times more considerate than these three morons. my friend, sal, the mailman, told me that when he smokes, he does it away from where there is people because he knows that second hand smoke is dangerous. he went on to tell me that when he started smoking he did not know that it could cause emphysema and cancer and all those other illnesses. he said it was the worst thing he could have ever done. i felt sorry for him. he is such a nice person! now, sal is in the beginning stages of emphysema but he is finding it hard to quit.
so yeah, yesterday, i had a fever. woke up this morning with one. took medicine, yucky stinky medicine simply because I cannot really call out at work. woke up this morning and i could barely swallow. spat in the bathroom sink and saw blood and decided that i should take the medicine. i guess i really picked up some bugs this time! Since laila left, it is hard for any one of us to call out of work because it puts strain on the other two people. So I took the stinky scary medicine and i felt better. tomorrow, sunday, i will open the store. the indian boss is going up to Jax (jacksonville, fla) for the Fourth of July weekend for a family celebration. I will open the store and the pakistani boss will close. Then next weekend, i take my vacation. whoo hoo! okay, gotta go now, game starts in 20 minutes!!!!ole ole ole ole, brasil will win, ole!
so yeah, yesterday, i had a fever. woke up this morning with one. took medicine, yucky stinky medicine simply because I cannot really call out at work. woke up this morning and i could barely swallow. spat in the bathroom sink and saw blood and decided that i should take the medicine. i guess i really picked up some bugs this time! Since laila left, it is hard for any one of us to call out of work because it puts strain on the other two people. So I took the stinky scary medicine and i felt better. tomorrow, sunday, i will open the store. the indian boss is going up to Jax (jacksonville, fla) for the Fourth of July weekend for a family celebration. I will open the store and the pakistani boss will close. Then next weekend, i take my vacation. whoo hoo! okay, gotta go now, game starts in 20 minutes!!!!ole ole ole ole, brasil will win, ole!
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