Life, the Universe and Jaffa Cakes

What do you say to a girl who is being female?

2009-12-27T23:22:00.003Z

I am about to reactivate this blog. However I would like to point out it is to soothe the ego of a friend of mine, who might be under the illusion that she is moti. I say may because she might be sensible enough to see through my chatter. In case she doesnt though, and to be clear, I think she is, well, very pretty. There. You reading this Misbah (aka bodyguard) - please dont come and beat me up. Pretty please.

However that raises the bigger question. What do you say to someone who you think is actually gaining weight? Do you try to gently hint to them? Can you be honest? Can you perhaps make constructive criticism?

If you read the above and go "Hmmm" in your head - HA! There is no right way. After 30 seconds of deep intense thought, here is the solution - STOP THINKING. You WONT win. EVER. Just let someone else do the job.

Its a difficult world :(

Brussels in one photo....

2006-10-02T21:21:00.000+01:00

pretty, picturesque, and sunny (except for the next day when at one point i felt like i was in a carwash without the car!!!)

The all-knowing Hand of Power

2006-10-02T21:20:00.000+01:00

i like this photo. not sure why the belgians would want a giant hand in the middle of thier town, but there you go.

Like I said, the international-ism is fantastic!

2006-10-02T21:14:00.000+01:00

clockwise, starting with me, indian/irish/omani ;), philippines, india, russia, netherlands, usa, russia, malaysia. how cool is that :)

Here, there and everywhere!

2006-10-02T21:13:00.000+01:00

I have now entered week 3 of my training course in Shell, and I never realized time could move by so quickly.The first 2 weeks prior to the course were deadly dull, but now that everyone is here and things are in full swing its difficult to get any time to myself! Tonight is the first night I have had free since 14 Sept, and it looks like the only free one for the next 2 weeks. Life is hectic but exciting :)

SO what have i done lately? The course started with an outdoor course in Belgium, which was awesome! We went absailing, zip lining, diving in a freezing lake, my team even walked 15 km through rural Belgium when we got lost and couldn’t find any public transportation to take us where we had to be. But rural Belgium is fantastic - definitely recommend a holiday through those parts.

The best thing about the course is the diversity. There are 24 of us, and we have 12 different nationalities. English, Irish, Indian, Russian, Argentinian, Malaysian, Chinese, American, Dutch, German, French, and Togo-nese (dont know what the adj form of being from Togo is).

The weekends as such have been awesome. Trips to Paris and Berlin are on the cards. The trains run (usually) so well here, its so easy to move form one place to another. The other great thing is the ease of flying to London, 80 euro round trip :D Who needs to work in the city ;) Work for Shell I say.

Last weekend I went to Brusells, as well as visiting Antwerp and Bruge. Fantastic weekend, so pretty and great nights out. I could go on and on but will post some pictures on facebook, check them out! oh and Belgian chocolate and Belgian waffles RULE!!!!!!!!!

We also went to a THREE storey go karting track here. (Here is RIjswijk, outside the Hague. 40 min train to airport :) and will be moving to aberdeen in end of october). 3 storeys!!!! Its incredible! i was sliding across hairpin bends, coming oh so close to losing control but still managing to handle well. I was third out of 12 of us, and given the first 2 are dutch and have come here before, i think i did well. :)

right, i am now going to try and do some washing and laundry - its incredible how easy it is to ignore mundane tasks. darn.

Southpark is fun

2006-09-13T14:21:00.000+01:00

thats what i would look like. :) a kid clutching his lollipop. yay.

Click here to make yours now!!! :)

At 46? Eight 46???

2006-09-13T08:40:00.000+01:00

So there I am Amsterdam airport, and I am trying to get a train to my hotel in Rijswijk. Time is 7.16. I ask the dude at the information desk and he says that there is a train to Rijswijk, 8.46. Ugh. Long wait. So I am pottering about when I decide I should ask if it’s a direct train or not. So off I toddle off (time stamp is 7.35) to the information dude again, to check. And he says no, I need to change at Den Haag HS at 8.33, and that if I don’t hurry I am going to miss my train. And then realization dawns on me. Not Rijswijk 8.46, Rijswijk AT 46 (7.46)!!!!! Had to sprint down some escalators, and made it in time. But honestly. How did I ever make a mess of that :S.

And its not the only train problem I had. On my way to the airport, I am stuck again Den Haag HS, I am on a direct train and listening to my mp3 player. The train stopped for a while, and eventually I twig theres a lot of people with suitcases going off (despite this not being the airport station)....And then, through Californication, I realize theres also an announcement being played out repeatedly. Yup, you are right – there was a problem with the train schedule so I needed to change trains. Yours truly had to jump off quite snappishly. So yes. Not the best train weekends for me. Maybe next time I should consider sitting next to really old people – the kind who ask everyone at every station which station it is and whether they should get off. Might help.

but obviously some people dont think the world is that interesting....

2006-09-08T13:25:00.000+01:00

Check out this snapshot of the BBC news. Obviously some editors really like Tom Cruise :-)

Crazy world.

Feed and Mini-Feed me...NOT!!!!

2006-09-08T13:22:00.000+01:00

See all us facebook users (slash addicts) have really not liked the new Feed/Mini-Feed feature. To the point where there were protest groups, petitions, you name it. But I never thought it would be that news worthy an issue. Until today, when I checked out the BBC website.....

Damn. Facebook is big, and its here to stay. Whats the betting on a partnership with Google anytime soon? :)

Greetings from the News-desk, waz-style.

2006-09-08T13:17:00.000+01:00

So lots happening this week! But first a moment to try and wipe from memory the terrible nightmares I had last night, courtesy of ms purple going where no man of sane mind should ever go!!!! (click here to read the post, if you dare).

This weekend I head off to jolly old London to visit one of my best friends, for, and hold your breath:

- her 21st
- her sisters 18th
- her dads 50th
- her parents 25th anniversary

Phew. I would investigate the dates akin to Ms Purples lines of thought, but I am still too traumatized. :-)

Anyways, Sony announced that they would be postponing their European launch of the Playstation 3 by another 4 months to March 2007!! I mean, what??!!? They are gifting the console wars to Microsoft in a nice giftwrap. I think we are starting to see the beginning of the end of the Playstation dominance in our living rooms. Xbox Live itself is something Sony will never be able to beat, so large and extensive is the former already. I think we are seeing the nail being hit into the coffin, and hit hard.

Anyways, a news round up coming up. The world has been incredibly interesting this last week (or maybe my life has just been that boring!)

Andre Agassi lost after losing to Benjamin Becker in the US Open. It was a great match from the former number 1, and he played some incredible shots to show why he has lasted so long. Alas, his back was unable to keep him company. Watching him retire, in a way, reminded me of how old I am slowly but surely getting. I used to be a big Sampras fan (still am), and I remember those heady days watching Sampras vs Agassi finals – thrilling contests. So passes yet another milestone in my life. Wow.

Also this week Steve Irvin died. That’s a shame, because he really was the ultimate Wizard of Oz. However, curiously, a debate has been stirred up – should the footage showing his final moments and death be aired? Some argue yes, stating the educational value. However, I am firmly opposed to it. Why do we wish to treat death so flippantly? No matter how public his life may have been, its still weird to want to watch something as intimate as his final moments. The BBC has a great article on this, where 2 medical ethicists debate it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5326802.stm

Politically, the worlds a mess, just read the BBC to get an idea. I wont go into details here because that’s just way too serious, and I am more happy-go-lucky. However do make sure to check out the Middle East conflict – Israel is clearing its blockade and I think we might be on the verge of peace again. Finally.

Though one significant zany political event this week was the birth of the Japanese male heir to the Royal family. It’s a significant step because it now gives the royals a clear cut heir to the throne. You see, Japanese law does not allow females to inherit the throne – which seems a little bit archaic don’t you think in todays world? :-)

Right, I think I should so something productive as the lunch break is up.

Busted!

2006-09-05T21:47:00.000+01:00

So the funniest thing in the world happened today. I talk a lot (bet you are going to all go "nawwww really?!?") and I was meeting a couple of new people for the first time in the hotel bar....

[yes I was bored, I basically wandered up to this group of complete strangers and started talking to them....]

So anyways, we are getting along great, when this new dude arrives (new to me, the others did know him) and I launch into "Hi, I'm Waz, whats your name, where you from? Are you a new starter" etc etc. I then hear giggles behind...

So I like to ask questions. Not a bad thing right? Well, maybe. Turns out, everyone is amused at my ability to ask 20 questions on the trot.......... and I thought that would be kind of normal...but no. I am now “database guy” since I know everyones past. Embarrassing or what! :S

But I am now close to finishing my first week in the Netherlands, have worked for a grand total of 3 days. Scary. The first day already seems like a lifetime ago! I am now up to my ears in training packages, most of which are designed around IT – how to use a computer (they even show me how to turn one on!), and so on and so forth. Riveting stuff. And I get paid for this! :-)

I also saw a recap of some the more amusing conversations I have had on Ms Purples blog. I think the msn food fight was the most fun I have had on msn…….. trust me, they are awesomely cool.

And as I write this, I am also watching this really really old Jackie Chan movie … I don’t know the name but its wicked….its got cars crashing everywhere and Mr Chan doing some insane stunts on a motor cross bike (you know the ones with lots of suspension and no saddle used in insane stunts)……wow so much fun!!!

and of course, the one, the only, the ....

2006-09-03T13:33:00.000+01:00

how awesome is that idea. still makes me laugh!

the Batmobile!!!!

2006-09-03T13:32:00.000+01:00

now that was my dream car :D

Oh my....

2006-09-03T13:31:00.000+01:00

whoever was costume designer for this show clearly did not like Robin.

so...the gleesome threesome

2006-09-03T13:30:00.000+01:00

Robin, Batwoman and Batman

ok time for a trip down memory lane...

2006-09-03T13:29:00.000+01:00

anyone remember the 1966 Batman and Robin series? :) Definitely the best tv for 10 year olds.
--> Holy Cow, Batman!
--> You don't say, Robin. Quick, to the Batcave!

Time to link!

2006-09-03T13:09:00.000+01:00

Oh and talking of jobs and YouTube, visit this link!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjhi_FHxY8k

Another must see link is this amazing text to audio converter I found. For all those of you with Asian names (yes ms purple definitely try yours) the pronunciation is incredibly amusing. The US accent got my name “Wasim” perfectly, however the UK one was terrible. Go figure.

http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php

You will never get away with this!

2006-09-03T13:07:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone!

Wow so my first day at work. I am officially a grownup now (as those on my msn would also know). Its crazy! 18 years ago, I entered primary……………sooo long ago.

Hell this is what I looked like 18 years ago (I am the dude on the right) I want to be that again!!

Anyways, the first day of work was a bit of an anticlimax – lots of forms to fill! Mobile, email, passcard, the works. I did get a company laptop though :-) LOL. I am amused easily.

Unfortunately though, the rest of my workmates are over 25. The other new starters only arrive here on 15 September, so that leaves a looooong time before I start doing anything fun. Till then, its TV, books and the occasional walk around the town.

Rijswijk is amazing. If I was 40, had a wife and kids and my biggest worry was about the double chin I was starting to acquire. However, given how young and energetic I am, it’s a little bit boring. However all the new starters will arrive in 10 days time, so its not that long before I am back to my usual antics of singing Aladdin and retelling really funny jokes badly (or is that really bad jukes funnily?)

I also discovered YouTube on the internet, and have spent countless hours reminiscing on all the clips I have found. I thought I would take a walkback in time, and listen in to some old favorites – Captain Planet, Centurions, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thundercats, Danger Mouse, Power Rangers. Yay !!!!!! I like cartoons. Especially the corny corny lines! Speaking of corny, do any of you remember BATMAN & ROBIN – the TV series? You know, POW!, CRASH!, BAM! WHAM!, etc etc :-)

I have also decided to expand the number of songs I can sing – add on “I can show you the world” and “Under the sea”. Happy days.

of all the bizarre things.....

2006-08-31T14:43:00.000+01:00

the street my hotel is on is called the GranD Winston Churhillaan. How wierd and random is that? Not to mention that my hotel is called the Grand Winston, and they have this massive 2 floor high picture of the old man. Distinctly odd.

And so I am here on my second day in this hotel. Riveting stuff. Although I must admit my language has imporved no end. No more "Thanks". No sirree, its now all "Thank You". Similarly, all the "hi!"s are gone and now are "Hello." I am all grown up way too quickly. Though most of you might enjoy this new me. Pity we will have to wait awhile before we meet.

PS for those of you who did not guess, I was talking about Winston Churchill.

thought of the day.

life has to be a little bit nuts. otherwise it would feel like a bunch of thursdays strung out together.

...but then you realize that there are always 2 sides, and this side will make you smile...

2006-08-30T22:06:00.000+01:00

so in an effort to balance my angst over the previous article, here are 2 other fantastic articles which I think are a must read for anyone who appreciates quirks in life.

Airline's 'lonely hearts' tactic
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5298284.stm

At least I am not the only one thinking of lonely heart columns hey :)

CNN says sorry for live mic gaffe
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5297958.stm

Girls, be very careful who you talk about and where you talk about when you talk. Cos it might not end out all pretty :) Though you have to admit, it is ironic it actually happened to the female broadcasters......

The world is not a fun place sometimes

2006-08-30T22:04:00.000+01:00

Ran across this article today. WTF. This entire situation is getting out of hand. When will sanity prevail?

Arabic tshirt sparks row

So I am in amsterdam........

2006-08-30T21:43:00.000+01:00

so i flew into amsterdam to take up residence in the hotel for 51 nights. 51 nights!!!! thats a bit long isnt it. i thought this would be a good idea, but one day of this and i am dead bored. theres no one to talk to, i dont have my own laptop and life pretty much sucks.

whoa there, you may say. when did this funny (ok, thats maybe a stretch, but at least it raises a giggle now or then) blog turn into this?! well, when i just found myself wathcing 4 hours of tv solid back to back. i have run to this internet pc in the reception out of desperation, and i seriously would have KO-ed anyone using it.

so theres my internet rush for the day. no i am not addicted. stop saying that. you are still thinking it. stop. stop now. grrrrr.

ok, token smiley face to relieve tension. :)

so anyways, amsterdam is a beautiful city. pity the languages has so many throat-jarring throat-clearing type noises in it. think of a camel spitting and you get the idea.

went to a bit of a reunion last night in london - met up with a couple of friends in harrow, and made some new ones! all good. i even sang aladdin. happy days. (yes you are right, i should stop doing that in public. wasnt my fault though - i was told to sing it, and i cant say no). witnessed a balloon fight, as well as balloon negotiations so that a purple one could be exchanged for another colour. all good fun. especially when we threw in bargaining power - so a red and green for purple perhaps?

oh and i made my inaugural trip to CostCo - very exciting. for those of you who are not cool enough to know, this is a wholesale warehouse type store. anyways, we go in and are waiting to be served, when i am told to check out the namebadge of one of the salespeople. it said "WAZ"!!!!!! was terrifying. i could see my future in front of my eyes, and it was not good. for one thing, i was female (see now thats just a horrible horrible thought isnt it), and the colour of the uniform would just never go with my skin tone. lots of incentive not to mess up. :)

thought of the day (yes these are back, as long as i manage to think - currently, a v difficult proposition, tv has killed my brain)

i thoroughly disapprove of duels. if any man were to challenge me to one, i would look at him with pity, leading him by the hand to a quiet corner and then finish him. (Mark Twain)

First class baby!!

2006-08-29T10:23:00.000+01:00

so i get paid for my flight by my company from muscat to london (an 8 hour flight). i get the ticket, and I find that I have been booked business class!! :D:D:D oh yeah. how can life get better i wonder.

and then i reach the lounge of the airport, all relaxing and having a great time (i love the concept of buffets, its awesome. food food and more food!). and then the air hostess approaches me and asks to see my boarding pass. i am grinning at this point, because i expect her to be disappointed that I actually belong in the lounge and am not another guy just trying to crash it. and then she hands me another boarding pass with "congratulations you have just been upgraded to FIRST CLASS" !!!!

now thats luck. swedish airhostesses kneeling at your feet, asking for you to tell them if you want anything, anything at all. hot towels, cold towels, juice, 3 course dinners, fully flat beds you can sleep in, the works. wheeeeee.

of course this doesnt compare to mikes amazing looking US trip or sophs jaunts around the land of oz, but i still had fun :D (aforementioned dudes are chem eng buddies)

oh and did i mention limo service from heathrow to any destination ;)

adios for now.

i love technology....

2006-08-27T17:01:00.000+01:00

this and the previous post were sent from me and published via email. COOL!!!

Good Night and Good Luck

2006-08-27T16:53:00.000+01:00

no not the movie (though i do recommend it, george clooney does a great
job, and i love the whole black and white environment - it adds amazingly
to the effect of nostalgia and thats-what-reporting-used-to-be like).

so after that little detour, i will get back to the business of saying au
revoir, and good bye to the summer in oman. will i miss it - yes, but its
now time to move on. and hopefully i will get to meet some of you lot in
london or in amsterdam in the very near future [you listening ms purple or
mr canadian or ms bhav]

oh and there may be some delay in new posts as i try and find internet
connections and a computer in the coming days, so dont go away!

adios.

NO SMOKING PLEASE

2006-08-27T12:19:00.000+01:00

Stone rolls into smoking ban row

At least theres a justice for all. Read this article from BBC (alternatively, its quite short so read below).

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards may have flouted Scotland's smoking ban when he played to thousands fans at Glasgow's Hampden Park.

The city council confirmed it was investigating reports that he smoked on stage throughout the gig on Friday.

The veteran rocker could face a £50 fine and Hampden Park could also face a £250 penalty if officials prove the venue failed to enforce the ban.

Hmm, at least they are being consistent :)

Wow and i thought I was old....

2006-08-26T17:20:00.000+01:00

went out for some last minute shopping (bought 6 pairs of identical grey socks - no more having to go out with odd pairs :D victory!!!), but also saw this whilst out and about.

if you look carefully, you will note that this tshirt is for the age of 11-12years. WTF. anyone else think this is definitely a little bit too far? i mean, come on!!! the dudes only going to be a little kid! unless its a midget who buys the tshirt, in which case, go you man!

or maybe i am just jealous that it looks like an 11 yr old has a better chance of getting a girl than me. i should go talk to my shrink again.

PS....

2006-08-26T11:47:00.000+01:00

oh yes, one more thought that flitted across my subconscious mind......one of my friends went totally out-of-this-world excited when she discovered this website:

The Purple Store

So yes.......... who would have thought such a thing would actually exist. you got to give credit to said friend though, she actually has purple lipstick (which she does not use often) just so that she can say she has purple lipstick to any non-believer who dares question her loyalty to purple :) i take my hat off to thee.

[yes i dared ask and i regretted it. in the interests of self preservation, do not question this young ladys affectation. ever.]

but the internet is a funny place. you get to see ALL sorts of things on the web. including this:

Playstation 3 to solve worlds ills

mommy mommy i want to solve the worlds problems!
thats great son, how?
I need to buy a PS3!!!

Yeah yeah it might work!!! i would give it a shot, except i can afford one on my own now. MWAHAHAHA. :) cue in reminder about positive cash flow being cool.

Oh and then of course we have:

Church 'alarm' over cross caution

What is the world coming to.

Anyways, thats a quick snapshot of the world as i see it today. i am now going to try and figure out Santa Claus' trick. You know, the one where he puts toys for all the kids into a little bag slung over his shoulder. Cos i could use that space saving trick for my own suitcase. Either that or invent a shrink ray. hmmmm.

but at the end of the day, a moment for quiet reflection....

2006-08-26T11:40:00.000+01:00

i think this is an appropriate moment to note that this is my last weekend in oman for a significant amount of time. yes ladies and gentleman, i am now going to enter the real world. scary!!! i have to behave all grownup and speak grownup and so on and so forth.....however this new chapter is probably going to be fun. i will definitely think so on the 1st of october when i get paid :D:D a BIG yay for positive cash flow :)

i read this quote today, and i think its awesome:

we dont stop playing because we get old. we get old becasue we stop playing.

so you know what, thats what i will say to myself when i suggest playing hide-and-seek and everyone looks at me oddly. oldies, each and every one of you!! :)

sunset over the mountains.....

2006-08-26T11:38:00.000+01:00

more pretty pictures. if i were an arty farty photogrpaher, i would probably name this something along the lines of "an expression of serenity".

wow good thing i am not an arty farty photographer hey :)

dil chahta hai.....

2006-08-26T11:26:00.000+01:00

our dil chahta hai shot....

[DCH is a movie, very fun.]

[yes you are right we just thought our rear ends were more photogenic than our front.]

like i said, car and driving licence being funky....

2006-08-26T11:24:00.000+01:00

oh yeah. check out my forehead in the rearview mirror. big or what. help! going bald prematurely methinks.....

the wonders of oman...

2006-08-26T11:20:00.000+01:00

once you get a driving license, this place is actually pretty funky. one of the beautiful sights of oman......

what have i been doing lately i wonder......

2006-08-26T08:33:00.000+01:00

driving round omans highways.........ooooh pretty lights

speling erors?

2006-08-23T18:51:00.000+01:00

yeah i make lots of them. but it adds to the personal feel of the blog non? :)

you are right, that sounds like a load of manure (ahem ahem look at me trying my hardest to be polite). I shall make more effort to enhance your reading pleasure and ensure linguistic perfection.

wow i am bored :)

and last but not least......

2006-08-23T18:41:00.000+01:00

wait for the pun. wait for it!

and here we get to the root of the problem.

yes!

:)

sideways thinking.

2006-08-23T18:30:00.000+01:00

this is a great one. honest. i wont sully it by attempting to be witty.

wheres wally?

2006-08-23T18:04:00.000+01:00

for the uninitiated (just a wild stab in the dark, but would you be american?), thats a silly cartoon where you got to find this character wally in a cartoon.........

expand your mind. think out of the box

2006-08-23T18:02:00.000+01:00

i think peter took the first bit too literally........

math jokes

2006-08-23T17:38:00.000+01:00

right, i can see that look on your face - and relax. there are some great math jokes around honest.

no i am not a geek from the planet geekoid.

see the above and enjoy!

New security measures

2006-08-22T19:42:00.000+01:00

You may heard of the new security measures, but I guarantee this one takes the biscuit.

Click here to see it in all its glory.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/notices.php?notice=060822-ASP-EN

Thanks to RyanAir for hosting the pic, and to Henry Skeoch for pointing it out to me.

Jailbreak!

2006-08-22T19:18:00.000+01:00

You might be familiar with Prison Break (UK tv program for those who are going huh?). What do you need to break out of jail? Money, crowbar, explosives......so on and so forth.

But not in Indonesia. Oh no. Those clever chaps used..........chilli pepper!!!

Read it here: Indonesian prisoners use chilli peppers to break out of jail

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5274924.stm

tune in for more fun news, coming your way soon!

or at least as soon as someone else does something fun.

oh the irony. swedes and porn? what were the chances?

2006-08-22T13:38:00.000+01:00

Swedish blunder puts porn on news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5273706.stm

now thats a great article folks, definitely a must read :D

will keep you updated with more choice articles from BBC.

oh the madness

2006-08-22T12:41:00.000+01:00

i am talking about the madness in a cricket specific way. those of you who may not know, the previous test between pakistan and englad was awarded to the host (england for you ignorant fools who do not follow the great game). this was due to a controversy around ball tampering. where the umpires believed the ball was tampered with, and awarded 5 penalty runs to england, and changed the ball. theres a lot of media spotlight on this issue, with everyone (including yours truly) giving thier 2 cents worth. its interesting to note that the asian block writers have condemned the umpires, whereas the fairer (ie. white - i am trying to pc) have damned the visitors for bringing the game into disrepute. a pity such a schism has opened. cricket had just emerged form cronjegate, and now this.

however a few pointers.

1) the umpires had no HARD evidence that something had happened to the ball, only thier looking at the ball. no cameras deteced anyone doing anything to the ball. admittedly if one tried to illegally change the state of the ball, one would try to hide it from cameras, but NO evidence??

2) the ball had just started reverse swinging. and then, Hair goes and starts the whole issue. Hmmmmm. coincidence?

3) i am trying to remain unbiased. what was pakistans position? did they intend to give up the game? or play the match under protest? only one or the other could be achieved - the way they did it, they just brought the game into a farcical position from where it could not recover. cmon Inzy, you should have thought it out through. coming out so much later on is not grounds for saying you are willing to play.

SO if anyone is reading this, what do you think? :)

and finally ...... fun fun fun in the sun sun sun

2006-08-22T12:39:00.000+01:00

a stupid picture of me in a hat....but what the hey.

then goodbye to academia MWAHAHAHA

2006-08-22T12:37:00.000+01:00

yes those are chem eng notes that were burnt. i wasnt there at the time, but i still look on it as a symbol, as a road mark. not to mention i view my notes as something akin to road kill i suppose - yucky and something i never ever want to see again. :)

first there was graduation

2006-08-22T12:35:00.000+01:00

whats my life been like so far?

2006-08-22T12:33:00.000+01:00

well, ppl, the answer to this is simple, and be sumamrized in 3000 words. relax, i meant 3 pictures. graduating, no more academia, and fun in the sun! (or more like fun in sun assissted by AC, its boiling down here in muscat, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees like crazy)....so the pics are going be uploaded one by one.......look up above! its a bird, its a plane, no...its my pictures!

My last few months in pictures

2006-08-19T21:35:00.000+01:00

So whats hapepened in my life? Well, graduation, good bye to academia, and a lot of fun in the sun. i will let the pictures tell the story for now......over to you, oh demigod of a photographer.

Hey ya'll. I am back.

2006-08-19T21:34:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone.

So I am back. My apologies to all who are reading this, I am sorry its taken so long but this blog has now been resurrected from the ashes of my lethargy to which it had been previously consigned.

Where am I at this point in my life? Well dear reader, you may be interested to know that I have graduated from university, and am about to embark on a job with Shell.

Unfrotuantely, dear reader, I am also bored of writing (all prin and proper) like this. so back to waz-stylee (as jem would say it) I go.

So whats up y'all? I hope everyones alright?

Snowball time

2005-12-22T19:52:00.000Z

IT'S THE FIRST SNOWBALL FIGHT OF THE SEASON! CONSIDER YOURSELF HIT!!!

.......................................snowballsnowball
.................................snowballsnowballsnowball
.............................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowba
.........................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsno
........................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsnow
......................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsnowb
.....................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsnowbal
.....................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsnowball
....................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsnowball
.....................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsnowbal
......................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsnowb
........................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowballsno
..........................snowballsnowballsnowballsnowball
..............................snowballsnowballsnowballsno
.................................snowballsnowballsnowball
.......................................snowballsnowball

Nail your friends before they nail you

Merry Christmas!

"Men are very bad for women really"

2005-12-22T19:33:00.000Z

yup, i am not kidding. read this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4339758.stm

LOL. :)

thanks to sheldon zhang for beinging this to my attention.

so how is everyone? i am alright in cam, about to go back to sunny (i think!) oman. yay spending cmas eve in a plane. what fun!

besides that, i have been busy applying for jobs - unfortunately companies are either being slow or rejecting me. so bit annoying right now. but the positive is that it cant get worse, so it must get better! yay.

with that dubious piece of reasoning behind us, lets move on rather quickly shall we. met some rather intersting interview candiadtes in the last weeks as they interview for a place in Magdalene, and wow do i feel old! however, i met some perfectly lovely ppl and i hope they do get in.

what else is new in my life? hmm. i passed my driving test so that was awesome. i can hopefully get a licence in oman and thus drive there, which would be super awesome really.

i also went down to an southampton for an interview - and met this girl called jacky, from scotland. and guess what - she went to ABA! she left before i joined though - but seriosuly, how freaky is that. meeitng omseone who went to my old school half a planet away. wierd. big time.

(btw the interview didnt go well, so dont bother asking about it :))

it also looks like the X-factor single will be the xmas hit single - just shows what appalling taste brits have eh. at least my taste has a reasoning. yeeesh. would have liked the JCB to grab number one slot - much much better song.

and dont even get me started on the cricket. ye gods. at least we finished with a win. surely plunkett should have got the man of match award - anderson did really well, but it was plunketts 24 and really tight bowling at the death which won the match. am i the only person with common sense???? ;)

even better, is the fact that the Indian Parliament is calling a special session to discuss the dropping of an Indian player from the national cricket team. um, hello anyone? hes not fit or in form. duh!! jeez. a whole parliament session?? what next - a session to consider whether the next bollywood mega flop was really a flop?

oh, and heres another amazing news bite. all to do with mera bharat mahan (i.e. my famous country)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4548190.stm

right gtg, catch y'all on the flip side.

2005-11-13T10:51:00.000Z

I feel a bit thick right now.............. but the eyes rock!!

My Halloween attempt :)

2005-11-10T16:40:00.000Z

[well yes 2004 attempt, but i recently found it and i think it should be shared to the world)

brain is yoghurt. strawberry flavour though. mmmm yummy.

2005-11-10T16:01:00.000Z

I am back!

I am really sorry about the delay - its been a very tiring term. Given that its my last term, I have tried to make sure i live it to the fullest - and i have done that quite well i think! :)

So whats new? Well am currently reading the lonely hearts and the unemployment column, and also trying to figure out exactly what i want to do in life. its a darn sight more difficult than one might think when looking at jobs - what do i want to do????? Ah decisions decisions.

I have also started my radio show with Jenni Shaw - first live performance due on Monday 21st November CUR1350AM (or go to http://www.cur1350.co.uk/ and find the player link)! Should be good, the radio experience has been brilliant. I was a bit scared as i thought it might be just a small box with a box or two, and you feel like you are talking to yourself. But its not! Its awesome,. with lods of black boxes bristling with technology and lots and lots of LED lights, and lots of buttons to press! WHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Freshers this year are quite cool - i seem to have the distinction of being very well known in the year below (as was said in Spiderman - "he wants to be famous? I will make him infamous!!". *cough* not that bad though.

So about the summer experience. First the work : do i want to work for P&G? Well yes and no. Yes in the sense i lovewd being part of a multinational copmpany, and having discounts on Hugo Boss perfumes, and playing aorund on really big pieces of kit. But i disliked thier "personality profile" which all employees must fit (i didnt fit it, that was part of the reason i did not get a job). Also, i dont like the thought of working on the same thing for yonks on end - i would much prefer much smaller projects rather than something that would last for 2-3 years......Hence the applications to consultancies. They seem to be more my style. That said, i am applying to big petrochemical companies, as oil does seem quite exciting (lets be honest, it has the potential for a very BIG KABOOOOOM!!!!! - I think all chem engers are pyromaniacs at heart ;)) But seriosuly, i think oil will suit me a lot better than washing powder. for one thing, it sounds cooler!

Secondly, the travels. Managed to make my way around Belfast, Dublin and St Andrews, as well as popping over to see Oxford for a bit. I think it was a fantastic 2 weeks, and very much wish i had done it sooner - seeing different bits of the UK is way cool. Edinburgh is my fav place though - its just the kind of city i would not mind living in when i am 50 ;) sorry scottish people!

I also learnt how to make a fire (you know, the thing in a fireplace!) v complicated - not as strightforward as you might think!!!! :) thank you mrs sloss - i will put up a detailed guide v soon.

oh and my head is now made of yoghurt, so there are no thoguhts of the day to go on.

oh and you must must MUST visit:
http://www.zefrank.com/punc/

go on, work out that rage!!! :)

and remember!! mon 21st nov, 2-3PM, CUR1350AM
( http://www.cur1350.co.uk/)

Unemployed

2005-09-12T13:54:00.000+01:00

hel;lo there, just a quick post from all the way north - i am in st andrews right now visiting a freind from school. i have finished work at P&G - did not get a job offer, which was quite gutting, but at the end of the day, c'est la vie. i also think it prob will be for the best as i wasnt too keen on working for them in the end anyway (whether this is a thought process designbed to make me feel better - well i dontk now, i am tyring to be as objectvie as i can). a post will (should) follow detailing some introspective on this entire summer.

as for now, tomorrow i travel to N Ireland, to see someone in maghera, and then to dublin, place of my birth. what are the odds someone from my pre-school in dublin will remember me? i will find out and let you know!

i find st andrews quite odd - there are more ppl from other nationalities than there are scots! all v amusing :-) its also smaller than cambridge - their pubs are as small as magd college bar! but its beautiful, and the weather has been awesome.

oh, and i harte trains in scotland. officially. they are always late! more so than down south :-)

Decisions decisions!

2005-08-29T01:04:00.000+01:00

Or maybe this one! Its sooo hard to decide - I look so dashing in both, dont you think !??!

I need a new look. Thats what I need.

2005-08-29T01:03:00.000+01:00

Hmm, this looks like a good fit......

Its festival time!!

2005-08-29T00:42:00.000+01:00

I have just got back from yet another weekend away - this time to see a mate in Edinburgh. Well, more like to see the Edinburgh Festival, and to get a roof over my head - every hostel in the city was booked out!!!

(but seeing my friend was just as important, honest - thanks Caroline!!)

But back to the festival - i saw some fantastic shows, both on stage and in the streets. The Threepenny Opera, featuring Magdalenes very own Henry Eliot, was a particular highlight. They do a return in Michelmas 2005 in the ADC - make sure you catch it!!!!

Other shows included an amazingly funny "basketball player" - a dude who juggled 4 basketballs, atop a 10ft unicycle, amongst other things. Not to mention a really amusing magician, and a horn player with an accordion sidekick. They have to be seen to be believed, Edinburgh is the place to be in the summer - the value of entertainment by just walking up and down the streets is immense.

I was also lauded by a comedian as the guy he wanted as an accomplice - cos I laughed at every joke, and was very enthusiastic. What can I say :-)

Its also wierd how easy it is to pick a person from cambridge. I was sitting with my mate at one of the shows, talking of some vague topic - when my neighbour just leaned in and stated that we were from Cambridge as well. Not even a quesiton - completely deadpan. And I can verify this "sense" - I have seen people on the street publicizing thier shows, and knowing they were Cantabridigian before asking to verify it (under the guise of being interested in thir show - no, i am not that odd!] Its freaky. Its like we have a flashing beacon saying we are from Cambridge!

And 10 days left till I leave newcastle! cant believe time has flown by so quickly - only seems like last week, i entered my flat and took stock. its been a quick summer. and yet very long. I am going to probably look back at this summer, and realize how a lot of things took focus in my mind. Decisions like my career, who I am, and what I want in life seem to have become more defined in my mind. And living on my own properly is something I cannot emphasize enough. Being at Cambridge is still like being in a security blanket - living in Newcaslte on my own is something of an achievement, and an important milestone I reckon.

Whoa, thats a bit deep. moving to more fun territory - anyone following the cricket?? Its been an awesome couple of testmatches - the reload key on my internet browser is probably oging to complain about abuse at this rate! Not to mention Man U won another matchi this premiership - so all good on the sports front!!

I also went a bit cultural [or in geordie speak - like man, you know, like, like cultural-like ;-) ] and went saw a production of the Wizard of Oz in Sunderland, 20mins south of Newcastle. I know of the story, but I have never seen it, and I had gone hoping to redress this lapse.

But how wrong it all went. I forgot the geordie influence. It....its indescribable. Some of the "interpretations" taken in this modern version of the Wizard is criminal, absolutely criminal. Like Dorothy now being a sexy waitress. And the scarecrow being a hippie. Or the tin man being gay. Or the lion being an ageing rocker with loads of hair.

Sounds inventive, i hear you say? Well that all came in the first half. I was just about ok, thought some ideas were innovative. So I took a deep breath and prepared for the second half.

And how wrong it went, The Wizard is now a cheap club illusionist, who convinces people that he is giving them the dream they have sought. ANd making money in the process. Complete with tacky lights, girls and the whole she-bang. My eyes were burning, i tell you. Especially at the bit when the lights came up, and the Wizard did a bit of standup with the audience, asking us what our dreams were, and offering a male a choice of any of his "dream" showgirls on stage. It was shocking. Words fail me. AAAH.

But go to edinburgh if you can. Even without the festival, its an amazing city. Breathtaking. I cannot emphasize this enough.

Oh, and make sure you catch the Threepenny Opera if you are in cambridge in october!

Thought of the day
"We must all learn to laugh at ourselves" Garfield

Walking hurts!

2005-08-20T20:48:00.000+01:00

Am presently in Macclesfield, 20 mins south of Manchester, visiting one of my best friends from uni. Its been awesome to get out of Newcastle and far far away from P&G - this is my first proper weekend away, and its about time! Just finished week 8 - only 10 working days till i give my final presentation! yikes - this summer has certainly sped by.

Last couple of weeks have certainly been busy - I have had quite a few deadlines to meet, each one seeming to present itself barely am moment after the last had expired. but they were all done (unlike Douglas Adams, the whoosh sound deadlines make as they pass by is definitely not a sound i like!) I also made a ton of washing powder the other day, and am making another ton on Monday - so if anyone wants loads of washing powder (that may or may not work - I am trying out this new formulation) - let me know! [if could let me know if the powder works, that would be great]

Been a long day today - went on a walking trip (we are quite near the peak district) - we walked thorugh maccesfield forest, near a wildlife sanctuary and around a resevoir. was a good solid 6 hour walk - am pretty tired at the end of it! :-) but was awesome weather, and if only i had remembered my camera, would have some fantastic snaps of the countryside. This is the first time I have seen the world through the eyes of the Famous Five - sprawling countryside, streams bubbling by, cows and sheep grazing, and no cars in sight. It was absolutely beautiful. (though i must admit books like the Famous Five never mentioned the smell!)

also planning to go on a bit of a holdiay after i finsih work around the UK, so should be good. not sure how much i will save at the end of this summer though :S not good.

as for the cricket - well that has just been phenomenal. to be within spitting distance of grabbing a 2:1 lead in the ashes is just brilliant. as i dont have a tv, i have been following it live using CricInfo's live ball-by-ball bulletin. especially, in the end of the second test, when it came down to the last two runs, i could be found mashing the reload key on IE repeatedly as i tried in vain to figure out what happened - it took an unbearable 5 minutes to reload! longest five minutes of my life.

actually second longest five minutes - the first place goes to the walk to get my exam results at the end of the academic year just gone by.

right, am off to enjoy a scrumptious dinner - after 6 h walking, and no lunch, i think i deserve it! :-) bon appetit!

and whilst we are in the language, au revoir!

and now, for the News.....

2005-08-10T22:29:00.000+01:00

and in other news, Blockbusters reported a £3.2 million loss, blaming it on Hollywood!! Apparently, the latter have not released as many quality movies onto dvd, and it has affected the number of customers who would use Blockbusters.

Gosh. Does that mean that if i stop talking, ear plug companies will blame me for thier loss in revenue if people stop buying ear plugs?

and in other news, i won a prize! The Pilkington Prize for Chemical Engineering. so am happy :-) thanks Lord Pilkington!

Thought of the day
"Organized is my middle name.
Poorly is my first" Garfield

2005-08-09T22:16:00.000+01:00

The Transformers!

2005-08-07T21:18:00.000+01:00

Fireworks!!!!!!!

I mean, wow!

2005-07-31T15:30:00.000+01:00

Well, its been a long time since my last post, but its been due to an exceesive amount of work, not to mention an inability to connect to the net at home and hence not update this site. life has been good in the interim - worked a 12 hour shift on friday, and potentially saved my company 1.084 million dollars. So ups an downs.

Reached the semi finals of an inter-P&G badminton tourney last week, so quite happy with that. Though am now saddled with a LOT of stuff (incl. a new badminton racquet) - and am wondering how i am ever going to get it all home! :-) not to mention i have rediscovered the joys of squash as well. so sportswise, i am looking in good shape!

also joined a mailing list comprising of cambridge chem engers who are working for other chem eng internships - we have rob T, Chris PK and Dave B at BP, Lorri and Ed at AstraZeneca, and good old Mike Hepworth at Kellogs (no, not the cereal but the contracting firm). And of course Sam at Avecia, busy making a database of all thier projects. Its a brilliant list - i arrive at work, and check my emails to see at leats 10 already in my inbox. Topics range from the fact that BP (the second largest power company in the world) recently had a power crisis in thier London plant and no work could be done (oh the sweet irony), to whether the M25 can be used as a go-karting circuit. Riveting stuff, I assure you.

i had the best meal i have ever had in my life the other day. it wasnt bcos of the food, or any occasion. it was bcos i was seated at a dinner table, with 6 others, and each of us was from a different country! what are the odds of that! it was truly awesome! :-) there was me from india, and a guy from russia (he studies Moscow State University, and I thought that only existed in Tom Clancy books :-) ), and a girl from mexico, greece, brazil and france. Truly awesome, it was the best example of diversity i had seen. cheers guys!

I dont think I have yet expressed my appreciation of the newcastle night life. I mean, its incredible, what 40-somethings (or as they prefer to call themselves 20-20) will dress as to return to thier youth. As some of you may know, I have a bit of a stance towards those who dye thier hair blonde - and trust me, you see these guys and I bet you will come over to my side. And then theres the female attire - brilliant viewing for us males. Like the lady who wore a white top that had as much on the front as on the back. That doesnt sound too bad, I know, Except the fact that the top was backless. See my drift? :-) But newcaslte is brilliant - cant have picked a better place for an internship.

I visited a close mate in Darlington yesterday (30 mins by train) - and that was a great day. Was soo good to get away from it all - especially since i had just completed a marathon 12 hour shift at P&G the day before. We went and saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - and that was fantastic. Big bright colours, very cool characters, and Johnny Depp was awesome. No 2 ways about it. Definitely a film to be recommended. I know some of you might find it "sacrigligeous" to see this film - however, I cannot explain enough how good this film is. Trust me.

I also saw Fantastic Four - now that was slightly less fantastic than Charlie et al, but still a darn good film. Just what you need. And no swear words, no blood, only 2 kisses in the entrie film - and very obvious bad guy and good guys (and gal). Perfect for the kid in me. Switch off brain and have some fun!

I dont know what the pearly gates will look like - but i betcha i know what the soft glow emanating from it will look like! Last week, I had faced the prospect of walking into the flat at 6ish, from a long day at work. And the fridge would be empty. Well not completely empty, but I myself had no food with which to feed myself. My supervisor himself had shown concern that I would have to go to KFC or somewhere nasty like that again. But as I stepped off the tube and made the dreaded walk to KFC, I noticed a glow at the doors to Marks and Sparks. They were open! For some reason, on a thursday, they stay open till 8. Every other day they close at half five. It was as beautiful sight as I had ever seen. Never again shall I look down my nose at glass doors with tube lights stuck behind them - on thursday, the 28th of July, well, lets just say I was in a much better place :-)

Right, am off to actually do some work, and prove that my formula will work and save P&G a million dollars. Will be terribly disheartening if the run proved to be a fluke, but heres hoping.

Makre sure go to see Charlie and the Chocolate factory though. As Depp says, "I mean, Wow!"

Bring on the Oompa-Loompas.

I went to a castle!

2005-07-17T20:36:00.000+01:00

Hello all, hope everyone had a fab weekend, I definitely did. I went and saw banburgh castle - just about 50 miles north of newcastle by the sea. It was beautiful.

Pictures can be seen here - Banburgh Castle

Right, now to write a report on pastes. Yay.

Its the weekend!

2005-07-16T10:36:00.000+01:00

At last its the weekend. 48 hours of sun, shop and...Harry Potter!

Although I did shoot myself in the foot - I ordered it online through amazon (50% deal! cant beat surely) but only realized that the reception where i live is closed, so i will only get the book on the monday! :-( aaaargh

But its the weekend. Lie ins, and late(r) nights, and just doing absolutely nothing! I think we are going shopping today, maybe even to a beach. Though after living in a desert for the best part of 14 years, sand no longer excites me....:-)

But the weather has been brilliant. Although the week may have been dank and wet and really really wet, the weekends have always been sunny and perfect. Well done newkie-land! Cambridge should pay attention - there are somethings the north do quite well after all! ;-)

And let me know if you are free on the 6th and 7th of August! I will be in london then, so would be great to meet up. It would be nice to see some of you this summer - I will be on my best behavious I promise!

Right am off out. Have a great weekend everyone!

2005-07-13T23:28:00.000+01:00

I am a real P&G person now!

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!

2005-07-13T23:11:00.000+01:00

Or in my case, crazy ass pedestrians who decide to cross the road in the dumbest of places, JUST as i am learning to drive. Honestly :-) heres a tip: NEVER do a stupid road crossing in front of a learner driver!

In spite of my adventures in the BSM learning car, I think i can safely say that it will not need any major repairs (maybe a new transmission, and the handbrake could do with a reworking ) - but its been good to drive. You learn so much more about a city when you drive around its outer reaches, its quite exciting. Although there are drivers out there who are far far worse than me - its not fair they have a license and I dont! :-)

Workwise, its been quite interesting this last week. Meetings have been quite cut throat - especially when needing to book the plants multimillion large scale pilot plant to run experiments! I managed to get 2 days in August, and thats no mean feat let me tell you. It was like having to deal with tigers in suits and/or low cut tops (cunning move I thought!). So not prepared. I was screaming inside my head to be loud, and yet all I could manage in the room was a whisper. Ye gods.

I also got my own pair of safety shoes, steel toe caps and all, which I will definitely be bringing back to Cambridge - girls, I am sorry if i stamp on your feet! Also got my badge, photo and all - so am now officially a P&G monkey. Scary feeling really... But, to be honest, I am quite excited. Now the real fun starts.

Went and saw War of the Worlds last night - now that was an interesting movie. Quite scary, but quite well made I have to confess. I dont like Cruise, but he was quite watchable. Though I did find it hard not to notice his platform shoes :-)

ALso saw madagascar - now thats a cracking animation. Got one of the best songs I have heard in a while. "Physically fit, physically fit...." Ok, so maybe its not the best song ever, but definitely the most off-the-wall song I have heard in ages. Soooo good :-)

Walked by my kitchen today, and saw a traffic cone propping it open. Which was cool. Until I got back later today and saw an even bigger cone competing for being the biggest in the kitchen. *Shakes head* - this is going to get ugly!

And for the prerequisite sports update - the Australians have finally found thier form - bummer. But still, you never know :-) fingers crossed!

Not to mention that Lance Armstrong is in the lead again in the Tour de France - unbelieveable. Awe-inspring, thats the word. Or is that two words? Anyways, where was I. Yes. Awesome. Lance Armstrong. Like he said in dodgeball, dont give up. No matter how many times you stall the engine in the middle of an intersection, or try to drive on the wrong side of the road, or mount the kerb, or completely not see the pedestrian crossing and almost run over an 80 yr old grandma - i had to peer over the wheel to see her cross! So yes. Never give up.

I also get a free flight to London for a tour of the manufacturing plant in a month or so. I fly on a Thursday, and the conference ends Friday - and the best bit is that I get to stay back in London for the weekend and fly back on the Sunday night! So if any of you guys in London are free, EMAIL or TEXT me NOW!!

Right back to being sociable and that kind of thing...

Ai maan....

2005-07-03T21:36:00.000+01:00

Thats me trying to say Ay man in the most geordie way i can :-)

This weekend has been awesome. I feel quite happy - saw an awesome concert (for free) on sat night - the Live 8 concert! It was an amazing concert. Awesome Awesome Awesome.

As cynical and un-caring as my first line sounds, i did find it to be a very effective performance in terms of bringing the plight of the africans to our minds.

Will it change anything? Debt is but a number on paper. Sure, if debt is cancelled, more money will be available to the country. But the trickle down effect is so poor that it will render this increased aid meaningless in the poorest countries.

But i dont think we are looking to change the world overnight (if we are, well then i guess we need a Captain Planet or something). The concert(s) has placed poverty at the forefront of peoples minds, and its a great first step.

And after all, its better than doing nothing.

So to the concert itself. We had:

U2
Sting
Bob Geldof
Scissor Sisters
UB40
Robbie Williams
Madonna
Green Day (seen via screen as they performed in Germany)
Joss Stone
Razorlight
Snow Patrol

the list goes on. It was phenomenal :-)

to the more mundane of topics, i have now started my internship at Proctor and Gamble. I am working on some paste (no its not worth knowing what that means, believe me!), and its part of Ariel washing powder. Its alright, but its quite hard. I knew zilch about this on Monday, and i was asked to do a presentation about it on Friday! Talk about being thrown in the deep end. It passed ok though thankfully - got stuff sorted out and am sort of maybe kinda on top.

But Newcastle is a wicked place. Very different from Cambridge though :-) For one thing, no bikes! Lots of cars, and a great feel to it. And the metro is awesome - you can breathe in it! It should be a good summer......

And Australia and England tie the Natwest Series. Setting up to be a cracking Ashes series - we might actually win a test, or 2. Watch out aussies :-) [yes i know i will regret this, but what the hey. got to take the risk]

Anyways, back to a mass balance on this paste thingy. Blah.

Thought of the moment
"Growing up is hard to do" - Garfield

Yes Garfield is the source of all wisdom. No he is not just a cat. Duh.

2005-06-24T03:34:00.000+01:00

And that pretty much sums it up :-)

2005-06-24T03:33:00.000+01:00

What you looking at punk? (Meet Nicky, my neighbour for next year)

2005-06-24T03:31:00.000+01:00

Three Angels, Jesus Ball 05

2005-06-24T03:30:00.000+01:00

The Jesus Ball Crew

2005-06-24T03:29:00.000+01:00

Xanadu - Jesus May Ball 05

Balls

2005-06-24T03:24:00.000+01:00

Both May Balls and an expression of unhappiness.

This will be my last post from Cambridge for quite a long time. I leave for newcastle on saturday, and thats it for 11 weeks. And in the meatime, most of my year graduate from the University of Cambridge. No more meeting of around 90 of my mates from my year for a very long time, possibly the rest of my life. Its a bit disconcerting to be quite honest - where have 3 years gone??

However, on the flip side, i did get my results back - got a first - so quite chuffed about that. [For internatioanal readers - thats the top grade]. So could have done much worse. A little bit of money from college would be nice, not to mention its nice to round off my hardest year to date with a satisfying smile.

And then came the highlight of May week - the balls! I went to Johns and Jesus, and had a wicked time. I worked security at johns - and honestly, so much more worth than paying triple figures for a ticket. Though it must be said that peoples definition of what constitutes a balck tie gown is becoming quite worrying!! You cannot have a dress that ends above the knee - its just unacceptable! :-)

ANd as I write this post, sitting on my comfy couch for the first time in the last 2 months (its been taken over by washing and papers in the meantime), i would like to share some of my best impressions of this utterly amazing year.

The first one is the Mallory H crew - Andrea, Paul and Richard. Fantastic neighbours and have had an amazing time living next door to them for the last year.

The second would be the chem engers. The design project forced us to co-operate like nothing before, and i have come to know a lot of them a lot better than i ever thought. And its something i am quite grateful for.

The third was seeing one of my best mates realize that she was quite a brainy historian, even though she professed to doing no work. was quite glad for her!

Watching a hijacked car crash into the side of magdalene as it tries to drive down through the bollards and ends up wedged tighter than sardines in a tin.

Seeing the MMPS show of ANything Goes (thats the musical I produced in March). Utterly unbelieveable, and I easily the highlight of my year. The cast and crew were amazing, and I just seemed to have a Midas touch at that point - everything i did seemed to work!

And of course seeing Austraila being beaten by Bangladesh - the icing on a very tasty cake that has been May Week. Especially when one has a couple of Aussie friends to talk to.....;)

Well thats pretty much all of it I guess. I have a lot more to say on the subject of my 3rd year, which will probably come out in the next post, when I am in newcastle. Take care you all, have a great summer.

And email me at some point at wl230@cam.ac.uk - i would love to hear from any of you guys.

Thought of the day.
"There is only one way to behave with a woman - make love to her if she is pretty, and make love to someone else if she is plain" - Algy, The Importance of being Earnest.

So long, and thanks for all the fish

2005-06-12T17:56:00.000+01:00

I am done. I am now officially a 4th year. How scared do i feel!

Closer to home, I have now dedicated the next few days of my life to clearing out the rubbish heap that is my room. And i have found some truly amazing things that i had forgotten i had!

3 textbooks from magdalene college library, lots and lots of single socks, a picture that fell off and is behind the sofa.....

and i am now 13 days from starting work in newcastle. scary scary feeling. its wierd to think that i am now on my way to sorting out what i am going to do in the future.....makes me feel very grownup all of a sudden!

oh and look, heres a roll of film buried under my table.

i also have recently signed up to the facebook.com - an amazing tool for keeping in touch with people at different unis. i also met a girl who is also from muscat and is at johns - and have now been facebook messaging her for a week (yes, she has messaged back). but some people use the facebook to talk to thier mates who live right next door - some people have WAY too much time.

i also will soon be in possession ofa casio exilm z50 camera..........so lots of pictures soon to be added on here - watch this space!

build a better life by stealing office supplies

2005-06-05T01:14:00.000+01:00

Free stapler pins.
worth: 5p.

thats about half a jaffa cake.

good stuff.

been a while since i have been on cyber space. the project-in-the-subject-that-shall-not-be-named is entering its final week and am having some looong nights. not to mention some bizarre conversations. they are usually started by me, and depending on how late it is, may or may not persist for a good half hour.

one such topic to crop up was when to have kids (you may guess, but I actually did NOT kick this one off). and it went on for a while........ and i think the verdict that was settled on was 28, i think - yes that was the magic number. it somehow gives people time to do stuff they want to before kids? something like that. very odd.

computers are also driving me mad - holding staring matches 10 hours a day at a 17inch CRT is not a good idea. chocolate is an amazing thing at times like this. i went to get some at the vending machine, and keyed in a double decker for a mate - and it fell with an almighty thunk to the floor. theres some serious stuff in that bar i can tell you!

i have also returned home with lots of scrap paper from the department - always useful. not to mention stapler pins - they make amazing golf clubs for very small balls of paper......

1. take one stapler pin.

2. fold stapler pin till you have a L shape.

3. roll up very small paper ball.

4. take a pen cap and place it on its side.

5. try to knock ball into pen cap using stapler-pin-golf club.

I am Marvin. I am here to change your world.

2005-05-29T01:43:00.000+01:00

But its not going well. I need my beauty sleep. People always respond to a pretty ruler.

What are you staring at?

Stop staring.

You need a hobby.

Can I direct you to my personal website?

Wait.

You are already on it.

Far out man.

42

2005-05-29T00:47:00.000+01:00

As the title may suggest, I went and saw the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy a couple of nights ago. It was a truly amazing film, and did a very good job of trying to convert the zanyness of Adams to the big screen. The romance between Trish and Dent was a bit overdone - but still a darn good movie. Especially the factory floor of the planet maker - absolutely breathtaking.

But the highlight of seeing that film was chiefly due to the conversations I had later on that night. Suffice it to say that trying to perform natures duties in the outreaches of Mongolia proves to be a lot more difficult than you would think - one needs to factor in half a dead donkey, amongst other things. And if you think that was wierd...

...try imagining me with dyed hair. Suggestions, anyone? My future neighbour seems to be quite up for dyeing my hair. So let me know what you guys think would best suit me....I am thinking purple streaks......

Went punting today as well - absolutely amazing. Cant believe how gorgeous cam weather can be. Am trying to organize an overnight punting trip at some point in the future - if you like the sound of it, let me know! The more the merrier.

This is starting to sound like a "what i did today" blog. Bah. Thats annoying. Stop that. Ah, much better. Now more a "stream of consciousness". Six of one and half a dozen of the other eh.

And to help you along your news surfing:

Christs College VISA card

Unbelieveable.

Also,

Headless Zombie Bunny

It is not a grose website. Trust me. Its amazing. I love the BBC.

And on the cricket side, Bangladesh just got thier arses handed to them on a plate by England. Cant help feeling sorry for them - so much passion coupled with so much lack of ability must be quite sour. As for the Pomms- is this a good thing or a bad thing when one factors in that this will be our prep for the Ashes? Hoggard can get away with 15 no balls here no problem - but will this help him not do it come crunch time in 5 weeks time? Time will tell.

Since I am feeling sporty - I shall divulge that Liverpool won the Champions League (good god - everyone knows that already. wow) However, it is ironic that that victory is coupled with a a godawful showing in the Premiership - not even being able to grab a slot to participate next year! Murphs Law reigns supreme.

Incidentally, if you happen to see a really badly driven BSM car careening around corners over the next month, it probably will be me. I have signed up for driving lessons, and hopefully in a few months will have a full license. Lessons are a darn signt mroe expensive here though than in Oman! Outrageous. I miss the good old days when you just had to figure out what the steeering wheel was and know your right from your left.

"When a woman asks for a surprise, give her one that she expects, like flowers. Dont give her an actual surprise, like a hoover.
And no, her bum NEVER looks big, not in anything she wears."

- How To Understand Women

[This is probably why I have such a bad track record when it comes to the opposite sex ;) ]

Me hungry.

2005-05-26T00:54:00.000+01:00

Now thats what I need right now.....(sigh)

Though you wonder how something this good could be bad for you.

Nutritionists, shut up. :-) Dont spoil the moment.

Some people are very...special

2005-05-25T16:56:00.000+01:00

Dont ever wave at people.

Because when you do, fate smiles.......and you walk into a bollard.

And you feel like the dumbest mutt in the universe. It takes something special to miss a metre high bollard....

But then I found some even more special people, and I didnt feel as alone anymore.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/4575291.stm
"Two hurt in mock light sabre duel"

And you just shake your head. At least I do.

And the best moment of my day came when I read that the crazy frog ring tune will outsell Coldplay. Wow. One just admires the music taste of the majority of the English (remember, I am Irish, so I can diss the Brits).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4576119.stm

"Start each day with a smile.
And get it over with"

The thin line between a dream and .... exam term

2005-05-24T01:19:00.000+01:00

Exams do strange things to people.

On one hand, they throw together people who would normally not interact together for weeks on end as they cram/stress/de-stress/talk in the library. It forges new freindships, and renews acquaintances that were dwindling to the point of beocming a footnote of the chapter titled university.

On the other hand, it transforms perfectly cool people to complete geekazoids :-)

Nah just kidding. Its more that people tend to talk on more surreal topics than they would otherwise. Its like they are drunk on fatigue and stress and let go of the control between mind and mouth....

Why should I talk of such topics, you may ask? Given that I finished exams a long time ago (ha!), a valid point. Succintly put, I was bored. And I know people in the library are always ripe for a break and distraction. Its not like I am being mean - these people in the library have skills that must be showcased, else they will be lost forever. During my 20 minute visit, I was given

a demonstration of levitation (he was really good as well!)

a talk about how a math student is now Pocahontas

a demonstration of Robbie Williams danced in his teens....

Now thats not bad for a random visit is it. It seems so surreal though, I could have sworn it was a dream.....

I also posted my brother one of the "stand up, speak up" anti-racism bands today. I have so much rage against these bands - they have become such a fashion object that people seem to have forgotton thier primary objective. One of my friends told me how her sibling could not believe she did sport one of those bands - apparently not displaying allgeiance to a particular causes(s) is now definitely uncool. Honestly. I know its a controversial topic, and I admit its a great idea as it must generate a lot of revenue for the charities. But I wish people remembered thier true cause.

Thought of the moment:

"Silliness strikes every 10 seconds" - Garfield

Ha!! Take that Excel!!!

2005-05-23T15:49:00.000+01:00

Yes, as you may guess, I have just solved my dehydration column. Apparently I can ignore the energy balance and use some rule of thumb calculations instead. I love engineering.

Right, I am guessing you all have probably had enough of this, so I shall stop talking chem eng speak. Though I hope you have enjoyed my mood swings through the past couple of days....

Back to the real world. I have bought more Jaffa cakes - thank you to the anonymous post-writer (read comment on Ramblings of a broken mind). Yes I did know that Sainsburys has a 2-for-1 offer on Jaffa cakes, but I have been too busy lamenting over the death of my sanity to get some.

And could people please post thier name when they write in comments - I welcome all comments, but I would like to know who you are! Anonymous comments are a bit silly really.

Thought of the day:

"Cats are poetry in motion
Dogs are gibbberish in neutral" - Garfield

Excel wins. It has broken me.

2005-05-22T12:57:00.000+01:00

As you can see, its not going very well. I have just calculated I need a zero flowrate in my product stream to produce 100,000 tonnes of ethanol a year. Prizes for anyone who can spot the logical fallacy...........

Ramblings of a broken mind

2005-05-22T12:29:00.000+01:00

Why why why ?

These three words sum up my life at the moment.

Why is my jaffa cake packet empty?

Why is my dehydration column so bereft of soul and pity that it continues to bully me?

Why is a crazy person running towards the wall, jumping onto it and crouching on it?

I am not kidding about the third "why". I was standing at the corner of our college bar last night, holding a packet of Twix (the only thing keeping me sane now - all the jaffa cakes have gone!), when all of a sudden, this politics student rushed out of the bar, and decided to try and scale the wall. He didnt get very far up, but he did remind me of Gollum. I half expected him to attack me and steal my Precious (Twix) !

As for the football, Arsenal managed to trump Manchester United at the very last second. Man U is definitely paying the price for not having a class goalkeeper, something Arsenal demosntrated is vital to any winning side. Well played to the gunners, but we know who the real winner is :-)

Moving on to more important sports, cricket! India have at last appointed a new coach. What baffles me is the whole outcry against a foreign coach. Look at the heights Wright has acieved. This is best encapsulated by Jimmy Amarnath, another coaching-contender, when asked about technology:

"I dont have a laptop, I only have a lap".

Wow.

And if your bizarre-quota has not been filled, allow me:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4569259.stm

The world is an interesting place, thats for sure.

The Eurovision contest was also held last night. I missed most of it, though I did hear Israel had a participant. Israel performed quite well I thought - but it does beg the question: are they European? A moot question perhaps, but in these times of stress and excel-bashing, something to think over.

Greece emerged as the ultimate winners however. Jarvine finished 3rd from bottom (hooray! we were not last!). Moldova I think were the true champions - how many other groups would be "brave" enough to front an 80-yr old grandmother as a percusionnist? Amazing. Moldovians, you rule.

Excel, here I come.

Thought of the day:

"When in doubt, act stupid."

I want to hit something very very hard.............

2005-05-21T21:32:00.000+01:00

I am feeling very angry at my dehydration column. The darn thing refuses to obey me.

Thought of the moment:

" (an overpowering sense of rage) "

And so it ends.....

2005-05-21T20:08:00.000+01:00

Not the jaffa cakes. The jaffa cakes continue...

What does end is the Star Wars saga. The Revenge of the Sith, which I saw last night, is definitely one of the stronger movies in the Star Wars Franchise, though no where as good as The Empire Strikes Back. I admit I was sceptical of how good this movie could be, having seen (and shuddered) at the Phantom Menace and the Attack of the Clones.

But where Revenge shines is its continuity with the original trilogy. Scenes from the film are unmistakeable homages to the orignal trilogy - to name one, the duel between Anakin and Dooku as Palpatine watches on. The lightsaber duels deserve special priase - they are definitely now a weapon and not some fancy glowstick. Finally!

Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is a bit of a washout. As a standalone film, decent summer fare, but nothing special. As the final Star Wars film though, and keeping in mind the other 5 films, awesome.

And no matter what anyone else says (like Mr Barry), lightsaber duels on thier own can make a movie.

And so ends the Star Wars saga. As well as my rave and rant of this film. Non-geeks and non-cool people can now start reading again.

Had a great dinner last night with some badminton folks at Yippees, the best noodle bar in Cambridge. The conversation did tend to be on the slightly bizarre side - for reasons best known to my fellow diners, I am now to blame for it raining on our walk to the restaurant! Yes you are right, I am a weather-god in disguise. And i didnt feel like stopping the rain last night.

And calling all grass jelly lovers! Calling all grass jelly lovers! I need to know why or how you like it - according to our residential expert, it is but a black blob and definitely not a "cool slinky sexy black" but more of a "ugh, nasty dark" black. So let me know!

Right, back to the grind it is for me. I am currently requiring 40 tonnes of CO2 per hour for my process deisgn - either that, or a nuclear reactor. Anyone having either of these items going spare - let me know!

Thought of the day:
"Maturity is over rated" - Garfield

2005-05-21T13:45:00.000+01:00

The badminton crew

Why? - And ignore the apostrophe mistakes

2005-05-20T01:13:00.000+01:00

Its all about the jaffa cake. Obviously.

Having rediscovered them after a term and a half, I can confidently tell you that they are the best cure for any revision doldrums - they just make you want to bounce. Haribo comes a close second - but jaffa cakes have one amazing advantage that haribo will never be able to have: fewer people like jaffa cakes, so you are unlikely to share your packet as much, and hence more sugar for you!

And why this, you may wonder. (As if I didnt talk enough) - yes, I can hear you thinking.

The reason for creating this blog, although it may sound inane and run-of-the-mill, is perfectly true: attempting to communicate to mass audiences. This is my first little foray of organized communication - too often I take the easy way out and just talk loudly to anyone in earshot (and we are talking about some considerable distances here). I plan to do a radio show next term as well, granting in one fell swoop two gifts to the world: volume control and a power-off button. (Laugh, darn it, its funny. Even if you have heard me say it before, its more fun reading it!)

Right, back it is to bed for me. But as a parting thought:

" Practical jokes are wasted on the stupid" - Garfield