" A moving object continues to move uninterrupted unless stopped by an external force, and a stationary object continues to remain stationary forever unless pushed by an external force"
When we're on the top of things ... we are always in control and have grip... and when we're not, we are never and can never be in control...
Also, once we lose control of situations, it takes a long while to get back grip of situations and life...
Once we gain sufficient grip, we are always in track and control of situations, even if we leave the grip / driving force or become lax a while...
The transition time and effort to convert from one ground state to another is high, and cost paid for losing the favorable ground state of having grip over situations in life is hefty...
Seems like the Newton's law of inertia well applies to my real life. Can I switch states in the near future? Do I have sufficient capacity (external force) in me to gear conditions to my favor? I still haven't identified my fuel yet...
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Saturday, 25 August 2007
You Know You're an Expat Kid in the Middle East or Have Been When...
These metrics are from an online community from a famous social network... Thought of sharing it here... :)
1. You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?" (And when you do, you get into an elaborate conversation that gets everyone confused and/or makes you sound very spoiled.)
2. You flew before you could walk.
3. You got your passport long long before you got a drivers license.
4. You think California is cold.
5. You watch National Geographic specials and recognize someone.
6. You run into someone you know at every airport.
7. Conversations with friends take place at 6:00 in the morning or 10:00 at night.
8. Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
9. You can speak with authority about the quality of various international airlines.
10. You feel self conscious around all white people.
11. You get offended when someone turns down an offer for food.
12. You live at school and go home for vacation.
13. You treasure pork and root beer as highly-valued commodities.
14. You have ever had to wait for prayer call to be over to finish shopping.
15. You are fascinated by any wildlife bigger than a gecko.
16. You know the true meaning of "football." (and in your mind can hear the shout, "GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!")
17. You know that it truly is a small world.
18. You have ever gone to the "hammam" or endured a "shamal."
19. You get all the jokes in Aladdin.
20. Rain is still one of the most wonderful sounds in the world.
21. You haggle with the checkout clerk for a lower price.
22. Your wardrobe can only handle two seasons: hot and warm.
23. Your school memories include duck-and-cover drills.
24. You are used to being stared at.
25. You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
26. You call a chicken burrito a "shwarma."
27. Your dorm room/apartment/living room looks a little like a museum with all the "exotic" things you have around.
28. You've heard of or tried "hubbly bubbly." or "sheesha"...
29. You've woken up in the middle of the night to watch the Superbowl on cable.
30. You have sat in a "men's" or "women's" section in an airport, hospital, or restaurant.
31. You know the geography of the rest of the world, but you don't know the geography of your own country. (Isn't Philadelphia its own state?)
32. Your best friends are from 5 different countries.
33. You're spoiled. You know it. You're VERY spoiled.
34. You ask your roommate when the houseboy is scheduled to come clean.
35. You have never spent a summer with your friends from high school because you all go back to your home town/state/country June - August
36. Camping involves duning, getting stuck, and counting how many camels you saw.
37. A sports tournament involves flying to another country in the Middle East.
38. You remember when the first McDonalds in your country had its grand opening.
39. You got days off school for Christian and Muslim holidays.
40. You secretely wished the rulers of other Middle Eastern countries would die so that you got days off school.
41. Not being able to eat in public during the day during the holy month of Ramadan.
42. Traveling to the states required buying candy, CDs, and Abercrombie and Fitch clothing for your friends back overseas.
43. You are used to giving directions according to landmarks, not street names.
44. It's normal to wake up and have four or more Pakistani men fixing your AC.
45. You didn't know how to do your own laundry until you left for college.
46. How come the houses in America don't have servants quarters?
47. You are used to seeing Arabic commercials dubbed in British English about Lux soap, Carnation condensed milk and Dove shampoo.
48. Seeing police drive on the shoulder of the road and cut people is not unusual.
49. You understand that being addressed as "ma'am/sir" by Filipinos is not an insult.
50. You know someone is referring to Pepsi when they say "Bebzi".
51. Having a walled in, cement house is standard.
52. Ford Explorer sized cars seem small compared to Toyota Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols.
53. One word: 'yala'.
54. You have a box of red label tea in your cupboard
55. You have ever had your hair cut in a "saloon"
56. You prefer to bring lunch in a metal tin
57. You know that pillsbury makes naan
58. Any time you submit an application, you attach 500 riyals to "help" it along.
59. You call a taxi a limo, and are confused when it's not a mercedes
60. you roll your eyes everytime you hear a politician/news reporter say "eye-rack"
61. The speed limit is just good advice, not something really to pay attention to
62.When you see people drive their cars whilst reading their newspaper - with 1 foot on the dash!!
63. You replace "uhm" or "like" with "yani"...
The ones in BOLD font vibrate with me at resonating frequency !! Points 32, 13, 26 are false for thinkingtubelite owing to her herbivorous nature, and Desi company since time immemorial...:-) (I am from a specific subset: Expat Indian Herbivorous kid lived in the Middle East! )
Points 10, 22 were true earlier but the white snow land which I currently haunt, has falsified those statements.... has thinkingtubelite been white washed? :(
The veracity of the remaining 12 are questionable ! :P => We Gulf kids are not creatures who can be easily modeled. We do have our eccentricities... or is it just the deviant thinkingtubelite as always ?
I have a good 48 / 60 according to the above metrics which cater to the Expat Indian Herbivorous kid lived in the Middle East :-)
1. You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?" (And when you do, you get into an elaborate conversation that gets everyone confused and/or makes you sound very spoiled.)
2. You flew before you could walk.
3. You got your passport long long before you got a drivers license.
4. You think California is cold.
5. You watch National Geographic specials and recognize someone.
6. You run into someone you know at every airport.
7. Conversations with friends take place at 6:00 in the morning or 10:00 at night.
8. Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
9. You can speak with authority about the quality of various international airlines.
10. You feel self conscious around all white people.
11. You get offended when someone turns down an offer for food.
12. You live at school and go home for vacation.
13. You treasure pork and root beer as highly-valued commodities.
14. You have ever had to wait for prayer call to be over to finish shopping.
15. You are fascinated by any wildlife bigger than a gecko.
16. You know the true meaning of "football." (and in your mind can hear the shout, "GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!")
17. You know that it truly is a small world.
18. You have ever gone to the "hammam" or endured a "shamal."
19. You get all the jokes in Aladdin.
20. Rain is still one of the most wonderful sounds in the world.
21. You haggle with the checkout clerk for a lower price.
22. Your wardrobe can only handle two seasons: hot and warm.
23. Your school memories include duck-and-cover drills.
24. You are used to being stared at.
25. You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
26. You call a chicken burrito a "shwarma."
27. Your dorm room/apartment/living room looks a little like a museum with all the "exotic" things you have around.
28. You've heard of or tried "hubbly bubbly." or "sheesha"...
29. You've woken up in the middle of the night to watch the Superbowl on cable.
30. You have sat in a "men's" or "women's" section in an airport, hospital, or restaurant.
31. You know the geography of the rest of the world, but you don't know the geography of your own country. (Isn't Philadelphia its own state?)
32. Your best friends are from 5 different countries.
33. You're spoiled. You know it. You're VERY spoiled.
34. You ask your roommate when the houseboy is scheduled to come clean.
35. You have never spent a summer with your friends from high school because you all go back to your home town/state/country June - August
36. Camping involves duning, getting stuck, and counting how many camels you saw.
37. A sports tournament involves flying to another country in the Middle East.
38. You remember when the first McDonalds in your country had its grand opening.
39. You got days off school for Christian and Muslim holidays.
40. You secretely wished the rulers of other Middle Eastern countries would die so that you got days off school.
41. Not being able to eat in public during the day during the holy month of Ramadan.
42. Traveling to the states required buying candy, CDs, and Abercrombie and Fitch clothing for your friends back overseas.
43. You are used to giving directions according to landmarks, not street names.
44. It's normal to wake up and have four or more Pakistani men fixing your AC.
45. You didn't know how to do your own laundry until you left for college.
46. How come the houses in America don't have servants quarters?
47. You are used to seeing Arabic commercials dubbed in British English about Lux soap, Carnation condensed milk and Dove shampoo.
48. Seeing police drive on the shoulder of the road and cut people is not unusual.
49. You understand that being addressed as "ma'am/sir" by Filipinos is not an insult.
50. You know someone is referring to Pepsi when they say "Bebzi".
51. Having a walled in, cement house is standard.
52. Ford Explorer sized cars seem small compared to Toyota Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols.
53. One word: 'yala'.
54. You have a box of red label tea in your cupboard
55. You have ever had your hair cut in a "saloon"
56. You prefer to bring lunch in a metal tin
57. You know that pillsbury makes naan
58. Any time you submit an application, you attach 500 riyals to "help" it along.
59. You call a taxi a limo, and are confused when it's not a mercedes
60. you roll your eyes everytime you hear a politician/news reporter say "eye-rack"
61. The speed limit is just good advice, not something really to pay attention to
62.When you see people drive their cars whilst reading their newspaper - with 1 foot on the dash!!
63. You replace "uhm" or "like" with "yani"...
The ones in BOLD font vibrate with me at resonating frequency !! Points 32, 13, 26 are false for thinkingtubelite owing to her herbivorous nature, and Desi company since time immemorial...:-) (I am from a specific subset: Expat Indian Herbivorous kid lived in the Middle East! )
Points 10, 22 were true earlier but the white snow land which I currently haunt, has falsified those statements.... has thinkingtubelite been white washed? :(
The veracity of the remaining 12 are questionable ! :P => We Gulf kids are not creatures who can be easily modeled. We do have our eccentricities... or is it just the deviant thinkingtubelite as always ?
I have a good 48 / 60 according to the above metrics which cater to the Expat Indian Herbivorous kid lived in the Middle East :-)
Sunday, 19 August 2007
Quarter Life Crises
This excerpt is from a forwarded mail, however I could relate cent percent to it, hence posted it here :-)
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now. You start realizing that people are selfish and that maybe true. Those friends that you thought were so close to you aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean,or insincere but that they are as confused as you are. You look at your job...and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing. Or maybe you are looking for a job and realize that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that really scares you. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused.
Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward. You get your heart broken easily and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better.Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.One night stands and random hookups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, and the future and making a life for yourself...and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.
Life is a roller coaster, u just got to ride it :)
So freaking true !!! especially those I have italicised seem to be resonating with me ...
-- thinkingtubelite
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now. You start realizing that people are selfish and that maybe true. Those friends that you thought were so close to you aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean,or insincere but that they are as confused as you are. You look at your job...and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing. Or maybe you are looking for a job and realize that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that really scares you. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused.
Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward. You get your heart broken easily and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better.Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.One night stands and random hookups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, and the future and making a life for yourself...and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.
Life is a roller coaster, u just got to ride it :)
So freaking true !!! especially those I have italicised seem to be resonating with me ...
-- thinkingtubelite
Saturday, 18 August 2007
Stress Signs...
I have tried to note all that I remember currently...
When more than 50 percent of the below happens, I know I have reached a nervous breakdown.
1. Frequent Orkutting: Checking the scrap count every few seconds to see if people remember you
2. Google Talk: Talking to all the people you never spoke to earlier, ranting about the current issue on the surface of your mind, hoping some soul somewhere will empathize with you and provide you an instant solution.
3. Stare at the current piece of code, realize you do not have time to fix it, simultaneously open 10 more windows of code, stare at everything and tear your head apart.
4. Pick up the phone, and remember the undergrad days when you had 10 million friends to call up and talk to, and realize how now things have changed, and how everyone has gone their different ways, and bitterly admit that you are lonely ....
5. Prepare a timetable on how to reach your schedule given the next few days with the assumption that you don't make similar mistakes of indulging in a over convoluted social life during that time period.
6. Call up mom, some old friend back home and hear some familiar encouraging voice.
7. Get the fire of blogging.
8. Treat yourself with a Mocha ... hoping life gets better someday...
9. Scream out aloud
10. Try to fantasize an over productive night even when you know that you cannot stay up more than 1 hr. Be stuck to the lab chair.
I am currently experiencing over 70 percent of the above !! AARRRRGGHH
When more than 50 percent of the below happens, I know I have reached a nervous breakdown.
1. Frequent Orkutting: Checking the scrap count every few seconds to see if people remember you
2. Google Talk: Talking to all the people you never spoke to earlier, ranting about the current issue on the surface of your mind, hoping some soul somewhere will empathize with you and provide you an instant solution.
3. Stare at the current piece of code, realize you do not have time to fix it, simultaneously open 10 more windows of code, stare at everything and tear your head apart.
4. Pick up the phone, and remember the undergrad days when you had 10 million friends to call up and talk to, and realize how now things have changed, and how everyone has gone their different ways, and bitterly admit that you are lonely ....
5. Prepare a timetable on how to reach your schedule given the next few days with the assumption that you don't make similar mistakes of indulging in a over convoluted social life during that time period.
6. Call up mom, some old friend back home and hear some familiar encouraging voice.
7. Get the fire of blogging.
8. Treat yourself with a Mocha ... hoping life gets better someday...
9. Scream out aloud
10. Try to fantasize an over productive night even when you know that you cannot stay up more than 1 hr. Be stuck to the lab chair.
I am currently experiencing over 70 percent of the above !! AARRRRGGHH
Monday, 13 August 2007
Dreamland
This blog is inspired by the tulips wallpaper on digitalblasphemy.com, which I set as my desktop background owing to the latent femininity in me which inst visible to all but one fellow mortals.
My dreamland:
Digital blasphemic tulips who talk to me. Grown in heaven: a land of extinct pl_t_n__t_c volcanoes, whos lava was used to grow more of those tulips. Boring humans substituted by interesting tulips. And me in a high rise glass building, in harmony with the virtual nature around me. The high rise buildings signify my hometown, which is a virtual futuristic paradise... they replace countryside for me :) I also do have a predilection for tall creatures...
The above lines will make sense only to those few people directly associated with my life's happenings right now. They can fill in the blanks in pl_t_n__t_c. The rest of you, please ignore this blog :D
My dreamland:
Digital blasphemic tulips who talk to me. Grown in heaven: a land of extinct pl_t_n__t_c volcanoes, whos lava was used to grow more of those tulips. Boring humans substituted by interesting tulips. And me in a high rise glass building, in harmony with the virtual nature around me. The high rise buildings signify my hometown, which is a virtual futuristic paradise... they replace countryside for me :) I also do have a predilection for tall creatures...
The above lines will make sense only to those few people directly associated with my life's happenings right now. They can fill in the blanks in pl_t_n__t_c. The rest of you, please ignore this blog :D
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Ratatouille
I was watching the movie Ratatouille (disney.go.com/disneypictures/ratatouille/) a couple of weeks ago... and i found a strange analogy to Linguini, Remy and the chef: the bad guy of the movie. The chef is basically a trouble some boss who supposedly is infected by diseases like a big ego, narrow mindedness, and sadistic nature. Remy is a talented rat who is gifted with a dog's nose which smells food and estimates optimal combinations of food contents better or equal in effectiveness to the human tongue. Linguini, a poor garbage boy who wants to be in the cooking team of an elite restaurant develops a protocol of communication with Remy which cannot be decrypted by the remaining humans in the vicinity, hence surprises the head chef by being a pseudo-Remy. Linguini is however traumatized by the bad chef boss... but Remy made his life so much better, and finally the Linguini-Remy combination resulted in Ratatouille !!
The analogy I am trying to draw here is that the bad chef is approximated by the wicked boss in real life who makes you work round the clock, 24 /7. Linguini is the so called poor employee who has to lead a monotonous work life with no hope or avail... suddenly a genie called 'luck' introduces to him, Remy the rat, which controls the poor employee aka Linguini with a joystick :P, and the product is made--- Ratatouille..!!
For my friends, Ratatouille is my so called masters thesis... for the rest of you, its meant to be cryptic...!
Do I have the remaining components in my life? :) Am I yet to meet Remy or do I have it inherent coiled somewhere within the convoluted gray matter up there? (Okay, I am complimenting myself here! :D )
If "Anyone can cook" , can the Remy in me cook up something too within a year from now? :) The bad chef isn't a bad guy by the way !! :D
The analogy I am trying to draw here is that the bad chef is approximated by the wicked boss in real life who makes you work round the clock, 24 /7. Linguini is the so called poor employee who has to lead a monotonous work life with no hope or avail... suddenly a genie called 'luck' introduces to him, Remy the rat, which controls the poor employee aka Linguini with a joystick :P, and the product is made--- Ratatouille..!!
For my friends, Ratatouille is my so called masters thesis... for the rest of you, its meant to be cryptic...!
Do I have the remaining components in my life? :) Am I yet to meet Remy or do I have it inherent coiled somewhere within the convoluted gray matter up there? (Okay, I am complimenting myself here! :D )
If "Anyone can cook" , can the Remy in me cook up something too within a year from now? :) The bad chef isn't a bad guy by the way !! :D
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