Some Sizzling Scintillating Speculations

Thought for the day: Don't Insult the Alligator till after you cross the river. Sometimes, reading one's own past posts can be a delight(Ahem!) . I did that, when I was feeling a bit tired earlier in the day. And, came up with some gems. So, for those who missed them, here goes: This was an article in a local mag.Dinglish,is,simply put,Dubai English. It says that many Britishers, who return to their homeland, find it difficult to remember their root language,because,in the words of one of them'I found the range of my vocabulary had diminished and my grammar had become simplified'. That line made me go through the whole article,and,it brought out some fun facts. Local linguists believe that Dubai English will be here any moment now,though what Dinglish will sound like is a hard call.Options: E.L.F.(English as a Lingua Franca) ,like a U-certificate English,with the difficult words removed. School teachers are coming from all over the globe,and kids are picking up an amal...

Thought for the day: Ideas don't stay in some minds very long because they don't like solitary confinement. (No wonder I blog.grin) Tell me, are you a positive human being most of the time? I like to think that I usually am one. But, then, that's for people to judge. There are occasions when the atmosphere gets vitiated with negativity and I find it hard to continue making positive comments. Take, for example: Lunch time at work: five people sitting. Suddenly, one begins:Oh, I just don't like to work here anymore. The next takes it further...I know what you mean, just yesterday....... And, the next goes: The way they're going, they won't last.....In such a situation, what would you do? Throw in your two bits as well, and spit on the plate which feeds you?I wouldn't...the best solution for such a situation, according to me, is 'change the topic'...say something about the food, the weather,ask one of these people about their kids and, bring things ...

Thought for the day: How many roads must a man walk down before he admits he’s lost? Whew..that was one eminently watchable match. I refer, of course, to the India-Pakistan 20-20 World Cup match, which India won. As with every Indo-Pak match, there were thrilling moments till the last minute. A cricket fan I know, was going to avoid watching it, because his heart cannot take the stress. That’s besides the point- what I want to mention is the comment someone made, when India beat the Aussies 2 days back. This person says’ Oh, India had to win. Because the betting is always highest in India-Pak matches’. I was too surprised to say anything. I mean, instead of feeling happy/patriotic that your team won against the World Champs, you attribute it to match-fixing? Arghhh… Personally, I think we won coz all the oldies were out of the team- the cribbers, the morale-downers, the ‘my state your state’ crowd. Frankly, this was the first match of even the 20-20, that I watched fully, knowing deep ...

Thought for the day: I'm a psychic amnesiac. I know in advance what I'll forget. -Michael McShane Do you ever stop to think why just the ‘exteriors’ make us happy, without our really looking into the interiors? Why do we go with face value most of the time? For example, whether it’s flats or furniture or people, how often do you scrape the surface to see what’s beneath that exterior? That lovely flat might have a leaking ceiling above the false ceiling, the polished furniture might have holes and termites inside the wood. Or, scrape the wall and the bundle of wires ready to catch fire would be a real,err,’shocker’. Or, take cars- how thrilled we are to see the body of one of the big brands, be it a toyota or a merc. But, see it after an accident, and it’s one big mish-mesh of metal…even if you see a car being serviced , you wonder- is this what that great beautiful body was hiding all the time? And, best of all: people- does Miss Charming, that symbol of pulchritud...

Thought for the day: If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. WOODY ALLEN I came across this article some time back, in my search for,err,quality loos for some clients. And, couldn’t help wondering whether this one would replace a few doctors if it became economical enough? Developed by Toto , this toilet measures glucose levels, BP, fat percentage and your weight. Needless to say that all this information can be transferred to your PC. The device cleans itself automatically after the one-minute long test. Life mein aur kya chaahiye?(What else do you need in life?) What next, will the loo also recommend the ideal diet for you based on BMI? Oops, did I say, life mein aur kya chahiye? How about music? Still on Toto, they have come up with a Toilet MP3 that has an MP3 player with an SD slot. The toilet bowl lid is raised and lowered automatically (before and after use) and you do not have to turn back to flush the toilet - the controls are on the wall. ...

(Note: For those not in the know,this lemon-n-chilly combo is supposed to ward off bad luck) Thought for the day: There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva. Do you ever stop to think – we are born negotiators? Perhaps it is because I’ve now been in the Purchase field out here since the last five years, buying everything from shoes and helmets to swimming pools, Jacuzzis, saunas and aircon equipment to name a few, but, if I put it in the perspective of our own lives, I feel this way. For example: (I’m not mentioning the normal negotiations when bargaining at shops and vegetable markets) The infant negotiates with his parents, by using his purchase skills- of crying, laughing joyously, to get his ‘milky way’, or, that sweet sounding toy. The parents do the same thing, the other way round- by offering these, err ‘things’ as a reward if the lil one says his or her first words, turns over smartly, et al. After a few months, he...

(Quip for the above pic: That explains your situation at your place of work?In the last word, I removed a 's' in the word 'assh*les* ,for those who didn't comprehend...grin) Thought for the day: Someone Who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world. Do you feel like giving someone a hug today? You’ve got the perfect excuse. Today is ‘Free Hugs Day’, as per a report in Xpress newspaper here. It’s described as a random act of kindness,a selfless act performed by a person for the sole purpose of making others feel better. Get more info on freehugscampaign.org. So, to all of you great people out there, big hugs. Have a great, err, huggies day? Reminds me of the ‘Jaadu ki Jhappi’ from Munnabhai. Amazing, na? As they say, the best things in life are free. (Incidentally, today is also World Suicide Prevention Day- I guess it can be prevented by giving hugs…hehe) ---- English quiz question of the day: Which is this famous phrase: The person presenting the ultimate ...

(Note: Above pic is a repeat, I believe-regular readers will know,especially Red) Thought for the day:Arguing with your Boss is like wrestling with a pig in mud. After a while you realize that while you are getting dirty, the pig is actually enjoying it. (That's one of my favourites) While I was returning from my second walk of the evening, I bumped into someone,and here goes that conversation. ---- Him: Hello,Amit. Me: Hello.(feeling the face is familiar) Him: This is my wife. Me:(Bowing slightly,as I usually do): Hello Him: You stay here? Me: I forgot, who are you? Him: I'm T. Me:(Very sheepish,since he's one of the good people I deal with): Oh, I couldn't recognize you in a T-shirt-you look different in office wear. Him: *Quite happy to hear that*...oh,that's all right. ----- (And,don't anyone talk about age creeping up.It's purely due to the fact that,each month,I come across around thirty to fifty new people,so,how can I remember all?) ----- Came across...

Thought for the day: I can resist everything except temptation. Will someone please explain to me- why does most of blogworld go to sleep on weekends? I see so less of new posts, comments, et al, on Saturday and especially on Sunday, that I feel surprised. I mean, out here, I look forward to spending at least half an hour blog surfing peacefully on Fridays(Our Sunday, in the Gulf). So, does it mean that most: - Bloggers blog from their work place? OR - Bloggers are too eye-tired to switch on the PC/laptop on Sundays? OR - Bloggers devote holidays to their family/ boyfriends/girlfriends only, i.e. only real life, not virtual life? OR - Bloggers only sleep on weekends? (Grin) OR - Bloggers reserve weekends for, err, naughtier things than blogging? OR - Hehehehe (Nee, won’t repeat that thought..keep guessing) Take your pick and tell me your reasons. I’m curious. ---- The saga continues… Yesterday, I was in an unusually good mood, so when I went to our supermarket, I took three one dirham ...

(Apologies to those who've already seen this pic- it is a repeat,for the benefit of those who missed it in an earlier post) Thought for the day: To appreciate nonsense requires a serious interest in life. You remember that lady downstairs at the supermarket? Yes, the one who’s nutty as a fruitcake where change is concerned, and would ask for change even for a fruitcake). Well, here’s two more incidents. Two days back: There were two counters open, so, I naturally went to the other one, even though there were two extra people in the line. Hearing an altercation at her counter, I looked there, and suddenly one guy(call him buyer) comes to our counter, thrusts a five dirham note, slightly torn at the corner and asks the guy at my counter’ Would you accept this?’ The guy nearly said yes, then, caught himself and kept mum. The buyer asked now’what is wrong with this note?’, at the same time, he glanced at me and noticed me grinning fiendishly, since I knew what must have happened. When ...

(Pictorially, the above picture shows evolution of man in Dubai. The last pic says ‘converted to camel’..this pic is a repeat from an earlier post in 2006, but, very apt for this post) Thought for the day: The only road to success is always under construction. Before anything else, let me say I'm finally a member of BUF. To see what BUF is, click the link at the end of my blogroll, and be ready for a grand surprise. Read two of my posts here and here . Good bloggers are always welcome - so, rise and shine, send in your applications to the admin team. You won't regret it. Evolution of man in Dubai : Now, this is based on my keen(ahem) observation of people here. Having met people right from freshers to those who have been here for twenty plus years, this is a brief summary of how things go, for the average job aspirant who lands in Dubai. Year 1:Arrives in Dubai , goes to place of work, with hair well-oiled, tight clothes( neatly ironed by Mom in India )-usually ch...