Aftermath of our mini snow storm

As you all on the east side know about our snow last week, I just thought I would do a round up on what all happened as a result of the event. I call it a diminutive snow storm because what we had or experienced was nothing compared to what happened in upstate New York. We hardly got a couple of inches whereas upstate got an average of 11 feet. So you get the idea.

Everyone on the east side faced the snow fall last Tuesday, followed by sleet on Wednesday. As a result all the snow was compacted and what we had to deal with was a sheet of ice. Everywhere we stepped on was as if we were on an ice rink. Some had difficulty in clearing the driveways or parking space, getting the car out and getting out to work, so most of us stayed home Wednesday and Thursday, enjoying until cabin fever got old. Kids stayed home because schools were closed. Every day was a stagger for them to find out that schools were closed for the day and they could do a little something to relish. Of course, many went sledding (that is what most of us do when it snows right?), but we did have accidents that took the life of a couple of sledders when they hit a tree while sledding. This was not like a regular snow where we can sled, build snow forts and have snow ball fights. This is ice we are dealing with. We literally had to dig and break the ice, so we can clear the pathway, driveway, parking lot and such. So no snow balls, no snow forts.

Lot of flights were canceled or delayed last week as a result of the snow. Case in point is the case of JetBlue having to deal with the ramifications. We all know that it is difficult enough to drive on ice, so why would the airlines jeopardize their expensive aircrafts. Many airlines canceled most of their flights but JetBlue wanted to provide better service for their customers and was trying to get the flights out of JFK. They had good intentions but bad business skills I must say. It is true that they had passengers in the flight for more than ten hours, waiting to take off, only to send them back and cancel the flight because of inclement weather. If the flight crew sent the passengers out, while they were figuring out a take-off strategy and if that had worked, they would have to spend the next couple of hours trying to get the passengers to board again. Try doing this for hundreds of customers who would be out in the airport getting coffee, eating something or using restrooms and such. I can understand why the flight crew didn’t send them out.

All the passengers were angry because they were locked up in the aircraft without food and proper sanitary requirements. This week JetBlue is airing their sorry notes in their press release to their customers with refunds and free round trip tickets to anywhere. They could have just canceled their flight and cut their losses to a minimum just like other airlines or provided free food for the passengers while they were locked inside the flight. This would have quieted the angry mob and the airlines would not have to show a sorry face to their customers.

Other problems we have are the roads. This year we had warmer weather in January, followed by cold weather in February with this snow storm and all and now again warmer weather this week. As a result we have potholes everywhere. This is a perfect time to show your driving skills in making that quick swirl to avoid those potholes without losing your speed. This will train the budding NASCAR drivers for this season. Now that the ice is melting this week, we see huge puddles with water. We don’t know the depth of these puddles until you land your car in one of them. If you fell for the advertisements you saw about SUVs and what that vehicle can do in snow or big puddles of water and ended up with one, now is the perfect time to try it out yourself. Just make sure you are a member of AAA, have their number handy with fully-charged cell phone, in case. All these experiences are a result of one mini snow storm. Are you not glad that you are not in the upstate?

What can we eat now?

I have seen kids grow up eating PBJ sandwich or chicken nuggets as their staple lunch item along with some fruits to give them the nutrition. Even adults have these for lunch sometimes. I have packed PBJ sandwiches for my son and myself, for lunch and am still doing so. But with what is going on lately in the arena of food department, one has to think twice as whether to have these items anymore.

For those of you who may not know what is happening, these past few weeks, there has been Salmonella related illness in peanut butter. This has been found in Peter Pan and Great Value variety of peanut butter. Nobody knows what the cause for this outbreak is. People and children were also affected by this similar sickness by consuming Oscar-Meyer chicken, cantaloupes and organic baby foods and such. A couple of months back, there was an outbreak of E-Coli illness as a result of spinach consumption which came from the farms in California, with no real reason for the outbreak. Though it is not fair to blame the food industry for such causes, consumers now think twice before consuming any produce for that matter.

Lately there have been so many incidents such as these that it is not safe to eat anything or so it seems. Practically, there is a problem in eating anything, be it vegetables or meat. Producers should be careful in packing such food items. Whatever the cause is, I hope it is corrected so people can eat without having to worry about what the ramification might be. In this modern day and age, technology has advanced so much but not so much that we can skip our meals, change our eating habits and just pop-in a pill when we are hungry like the astronauts. Who knows, those days may be right around the corner.

Which side of the fence do you belong?

I will just discuss and comment on various topics in this blog and let you decide where you fit in after you read it with an open mind. These topics are all related to each other in some way and it may apply to you as well.

Performing at work is in itself a challenge with the competition to rise up and be the cream amongst your work group. You are required to finish work on time and effectively, be there to support your team, motivate and help the group perform as a whole. You are always doing something or the other to impress your boss, so that when the time comes it pays off, I mean literally see that chunk of cash come your way in the form of bonus. Some can call this ‘sucking up to your boss’ and can very bluntly say ‘I am not that kind’, but come on, everyone does it in some way or the other.

I see boss as a guide, a navigator, and an adviser, who trains you, chisels you, pushes one out of the comfort zone, so one gets to know their strength and learns to perform under pressure as well. In this regard I have been very lucky for I have a boss who is very understanding and motivates me in all possible ways and guides and trains me for the job I do. Ok folks, cut that smile, all right. I have a good team with who I work and have fun while working. After all, I spend more time at work than at home and I am sure you do the same.

Why I say all this is because of an article I read in the ‘Post’ about how understanding your boss is in various regards. If you have any problems, May it be physical or mental, discuss it with your boss, if it affects the work you do or your performance at work. In the article, it does focus on having mental illness and how employees can discuss this with their boss depending on how good a rapport they have with their boss and the likes. But is that not applicable to any issue you might have that impedes your work, to be discussed with your boss to find alternatives, instead of the boss seeing a down shift in your performance? So, how good is your boss? Give it a thought.

OK, so your job is great but you are stressed here and there. Add another job to it. What do I mean? More than 5 percent of U.S. workers hold more than one job, to maintain good living conditions, to support their family and for various other reasons. It can all be exciting at the beginning, to do two jobs, seeing that big check at the end of the month but also remember that it does double the pressure. If the second job you take on is for learning and to have fun, to get extra cash to buy something in the near future or flexible or in some cases, just plain old – ‘to keep you busy’, then it is ok. When you grow out of it, you can let go of the second job. Don’t do a second job if it takes your time away from the family; instead see how much you can save off of the first job to keep you going. Spending time with your near and dear is more precious than those extra $$$$.

Are you ready for this?

How often have you driven your sports car on the highway and suddenly had the urge to race a bit, to make that perfect turn? How often another car zoomed by yours leaving you wonder ‘what is wrong with that driver?’ How many times were you tailgated, giving you a hint to drive faster than you are? The answer is everyone experiences this one time or the other. With the state of driving and traffic these days, one experiences road rage during their commute and all these might lead to accidents. As a result, you see an increase in your insurance payment.

To avoid these situations, DOT, law enforcement and insurance companies should come up with a device installed in every car that would record the speed limits if exceeded, to record if the car is tailgating and such and would transmit this information to the officials. The idea is already in the making amongst these officials. When you start the car, one should insert the driving license, so the information about who is driving the car is registered and transmitted. With the advent of this device, road rage, speeding and high-risk driving will be curtailed tremendously.

I am all for this scheme. At least, the next time I am on the road, I can drive safely without worrying who is behind my back or who is going to me cut me off. Everyone has this inner urge to drive fast; the adrenaline rush and the kicks they would get in the speed but not at the cost of endangering others who drive along with you. One ludicrous move is all it takes to jeopardize your driving records and to bring on discomfort to your fellow drivers. I can speak for it because I have been the victim of such a mishap, where I ended up breaking my left arm. It is just not my left arm because I am left-handed. So drive safe!

Fear of the unknown

This Wednesday I was scheduled to go for my appointment at 1pm in a Federal Building in Alexandria (let me spare the details). As you all know that in Virginia we had snow on Tuesday, followed by sleet and wintry mix on Wednesday. By late morning on Wednesday, the snow and sleet was packed into thick ice sheets all over the place. As far as our eyes could go, we saw a pristine blanket of snow …… err…..ice. So this time, it is ice we are dealing with in cleaning. My driveway was covered with a thick layer of ice and we had to clean the driveway before we can take the van out to go for my appointment. If it was snow, you shovel it and you are done. If it is a thick sheet of ice, what do you do? Shoveling does not work. You have to break the ice and then remove it. You get the idea as to how the cleaning process would have been. After cleaning the driveway, I made sure I had all the necessary papers for the appointment, took the van out and off I went.


While driving, all I was hoping was that I reach for the appointment on time. I barely saw any cars on the road, given the fact that there was sleet and ice all over the place. The few cars that I saw was either in an accident or pulled over, stuck in ice, waiting for the tow truck to pull them out. My first dose of fear kicked in. All I was hoping for, is to be safe while driving, not getting stuck on ice or in traffic and getting there on time. I lucked out on driving safely and traffic and I got there on time at 1pm. Now there was ice and snow piled all over the parking lot and it is time for me to look for a spot to park. After getting a spot to park, I was happy to park and walk to the building entrance, only to see a long line formed outside the building. I enquired amongst the people who were standing and found out that it was the 1pm appointment line. Well, I had an appointment at 1pm which meant that I get to go in and do what I had to at 1pm. That time was reserved for me. As Seinfeld will put it, ‘they knew to make an appointment but didn’t know to hold on to it’.


I joined the horde and waited for my turn to get into the building. While waiting, I noticed the board saying ‘no cell phones, no food, no drinks, no cameras …….’ And I was thinking to myself as to what I was getting into. So my second dose of fear kicked in, not knowing what would be next, only to find out that all 1pm appointments were cancelled because of bad weather and servicing personnel not being present. I came back home that day after I rescheduled my appointment to Friday - today, not knowing where that trip was taking me, not knowing what my unknown fear was.


Today, I went again to the same building at 1pm. No parking hazard, no lines outside. So I walked in and showed my appointment letter to the receptionist. She checked my papers and IDs, gave a form to be filled out and made me sit in a waiting area. While waiting there, I was wondering where I would go next. After I filled out the forms, I was taken to another waiting area with a token in my hand. In that large waiting hall, I was holding a token and waiting for that number to show up on screen, so I would be attended. During my wait, I was anxious, eager and dreading to see what the end would be like, to know what it was all about. After an hour of wait, I was called upon and my job was done in less than ten minutes. For that small job, the amount of eagerness I had, the amount of ‘what would happen next’ was spell bound. oh well...If one has that fear of the unknown, they just have to wait it out.

Airport security

We have always had some sort of security or the other at the airports. Post 9/11, securities were tightened everywhere, especially at the airports throughout. The routine that any traveler would experience would be as follows: Put the carry-on on the conveyor for screening, put all your keys, metals, shoes, wallets, handbags in a tray and send it for screening, take the laptop out of the bag and put it in a tray for screening, go through a metal detector and get your self scanned as well. If you look wary or draw the attention of the security guards there, you will get a personalized inspection as well. Once cleared, you are free to move on to your gates for boarding.

Lately, you are not even allowed to carry any drinks or liquids with you beyond the security checkpoint. These are all the security measures that they carry out, so you could travel safely with the state of the world we are in today. I personally think it is a good thing to have these measures, because at the end of this trying experience you could board that plane with a sigh of relief that it is all going to be safe; safe from what? Oh, from the things others carry with them. You really think you are safe now?

With the added security and scanning that they have, how anything could pass beyond the security points, one might awe. But there have been incidences lately where a scorpion had gotten in the plane and stung Mr. Sullivan; a terrier dog managed to dodge security personnel; a stowaway squirrel on the no fly list in an American Airlines flight – So much for security. When the movie ‘Snakes on a Plane’ came out, I was dumbfounded with the idea. I was speculating how snakes could get on a plane, surpassing all the tight securities we have in place today. But I let it go thinking that anything could happen in a movie.

All these incidences only prove the fact that the security is not all that tight. They can check the deep recesses of our baggage; they can strip us out and scan all they want but still, animals can still make their way onto the plane. Of course, some animals are allowed to travel with their owners but in the cargo section, secured in a cage. What about the other animals that made their way on the passenger side? How did they pass the security? Maybe the security agency has got something to learn from these animals so they can be better at their job. I am just hoping that the bad people out there don’t learn anything from these animals, as to how to sneak in what they want. Maybe it is time to appoint Ace Ventura, our good old pet detective at the security checkpoints at the airport!

Watch out, here I come

Who do you look up to when you loose something valuable, when someone breaks into your home or if something goes legally wrong? Of course, the cops! If cops cannot solve the crime, then it is passed on to FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, no-brainer there. FBI investigates crime scenes and solves the cases with its skillful and intelligence agency. They have the best trained team to solve those cases. What if someone is able to outsmart them and steal their belongings?

FBI has reported that they have lost 160 laptops and 160 weapons in the last four years. This includes incidents where the laptops were stolen from the FBI’s laboratory. They have no clue as to what kind of information was in that laptop. It could be the so-called “classified” or information about all the FBI employees itself, but nobody knows exactly what the laptop had. How very staggering? Laptops belonged to FBI personnel and they don’t know what information they had in their own laptop that they used on a day to day basis! I work with my laptop everyday and at the very least; I have a general idea of what data is in my system.

They also have lost the same number of weapons in the same period as well. Since these weapons were not entered into the National Criminal database, there is no way to trace them either. Is this a coincidence that the same number of laptops and weapons were stolen? I think that the particular group in FBI didn’t like the model of the laptop and weapon given to them. So they came up with a strategy to lose them for a better replacement, by carelessly leaving them around, where they worked and hence the result. Otherwise, how could someone walk into the FBI lab and steal their laptops and weapons?

Similar incidences of stolen laptops have occurred in the past with Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce and such. Government personnel losing laptops with classified information is risking the National security into the hands of the unknown. Our valuable information is out there somewhere and maybe someone is using that information to plot something against us. Who knows? They have to do a better job at securing their belongings and in turn securing our data from getting loose. And they go about with their security measures in airports and other government buildings like Immigrations and such, by not even letting you take your coffee inside. Security should start with them locking their laptops physically and holding on to their weapons.

Smell those roses

Aren't the flowers to the right pretty? Some say 'yes, so what' and some say 'who has got the time to analyze that'. Oh well, I just thought I would bring it up to you.

Lately I have been encountered with cases of friends and co-workers having heart problems. Last year in March my good friend’s dad was diagnosed with blockage and had undergone bypass to correct the problem. He recovered and is doing well now. I am very glad that the problem was caught before hand and corrected. Last month, one of our colleagues had a heart attack while she was in the hospital for another reason. She never had any health issues, she runs her own company, and she is on her toes all the time. The stress of owning a company and running around got to her, that lead to an attack. Luckily, she was at the doctors and was treated immediately. She is doing much better now. Yesterday, my associates’ friends’ nieces’ husband (sorry for the long chain that I had to explain) passed away in Dubai because of heart attack. Case in point, risk of heart problems have increased tremendously due to stress these days.

Following what I mentioned in my earlier blogs about stress and ways to reduce them, studies have shown that on-the-job naps might help your heart. Those little naps reduce the stress and can benefit your heart. As a defense mechanism, body lets out chemicals that put one to sleep when stressed. It is a type of ‘fight or flight’ that body uses to relieve itself of stress. A lot of cultures have the practice of daytime siesta, especially where I come from, India. In India, business owners will close their shops during lunch time or leave the shop to be taken care of by the assistant for lunch. Their lunch ritual will include having lunch and taking a nap for an hour or so, before they return to business. Those who cannot take these naps are those who are extremely driven or under stress due to work.

Many consider this act as laziness, thanks to the western culture. The world today is fast developing and everything is about speed, and about how much can be achieved in a day. You race to work everyday, fighting the dreaded traffic, work long hours to get things done and then again sit in traffic going back home, only to run errands and chores. This has become the routine in almost everyone’s lives. When was the last time, you spent sometime to admire your garden? When was the last time you took out your photo album from years ago to see and remember your good old days. Stress has become an integrated part of our lives that we don’t seem to do what we really care or want to do. We don’t know when that stress will be out there to get you, so when you pass by something that you really wish to do, just do it. Try to relax and when you see those pretty roses, take the time to admire them and smell the fragrance.

Kids these days

I personally feel that the kids these days are more mature than what we used to be in our era (gee.. that makes me feel really old). For one, they are exposed to latest technologies and they are involved in a lot of activities that teach them more than what they need to know for their age. Most of the programs they watch on T.V. have violence inter-twined in one way or the other. Violence and action has become the integral part of any program that a kid watches, for good or bad. Seeing all this, hostility and wiliness is hidden deep down in them. Before you start to pounce on me, what I said is not true in all but some. A couple of recent news has forced me into saying this.


Kids are using the latest technology and programs in computer and they get to learn a lot of working knowledge in using the internet. This is good thing but what if a kid uses this knowledge in a bad way? A couple of high school students in Trenton, Ohio, posted a fake announcement in school districts website that said that school was closed for the day due to winter weather. There was no snow in the forecast and when the school personnel came to know of this, the situation was investigated. If the students can use the knowledge that was gained during their schooling to play pranks of such nature, won’t the people who work in IT security for living be able to trace who played this prank? As a result the students were expelled. This is no reason for them to be expelled; instead they could be given hours to work in schools IT lab doing service and training their minds to focus on using their skills in the right way. What good it does to the students if they are expelled and cannot use or improve their knowledge in the future?


Another news story said that two teenage brothers cooked a three-month puppy in oven to death and got ten year imprisonment. What kind of cruel action is that? How would growing kids get such evil in them? Maybe one of the causes for this can be attributed to what they watched growing up and subconsciously have retained parts of it in them. That is why I said what I did earlier. Absorbing bad attitudes is done much quicker that good ones. To instill good habits and mind-set in kids take a lot of effort than bad ones. We need to show love and affection to inculcate good in kids. We have to train their minds to work towards a good cause rather than wasting it on some useless or bad behavior.

Melt the fat in you

The latest trend in losing weight is by having diet pills or by having procedures done or so it seems. I have been seeing ads for weight loss either by taking pills which melts the fat away or by following a diet system that is based on Glycemic index. To add to this, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first non-Prescription Diet drug called Alli that can be obtained over the counter. The drug will be available in the market around the month of March, so people who like to solve their weight loss problems can start on this drug to be in shape for this summer.


With the advent of this new drug, will we see a decrease in the obesity issue? To support this drug and to control the obesity problem, FCC will have ads of these pills before and after every ad for junk food. The results of this solution maybe slightly different in which we can have all the junk food we want and then pop-in a pill to counteract all the fat that we just had. Imagine how fitness-fanatics will respond to this drug. As it is they are seen in the gym most of the time and also they watch what they eat. Along with all this, they will take the drug to take fitness to the next level. FDA should have some restrictions on who should have this pill.


Some credit has to be given for regular exercises, eating habits and watching your calories. This is the safest means by which one can lose weight and stay in shape. But if time is the essence or if even after exercising the fat packets don’t respond, then what is the solution? Taking pills that dissolves the fat cells; only to hope that it dissolves where it is required. Why risk on a drug that is not yet fully known for its side effects when the simple solution is to have determination to lose weight by exercising and watching the diet. One can’t expect to reach a goal without motivation, determination and sacrifice to attain what is needed.

Watch out, while you are at the Gym

My kith and kin would laugh at me if I said that I am a regular attendee at the gym. I have been going on and off to the gym for over 10 years, whenever all my stars align perfectly. Initially I started going to the Field house in GMU and then to Bally’s and then to my final destination at Life Time Fitness in Centreville. I have been a member of this facility since they started it. I go to this facility for all the machines that they provide for workout, aerobics and Yoga classes they offer, in addition to other services like spa, sauna, child care center, racquet ball court and such; more over it is closer to my home.

I am sure everyone goes to the gym for various reasons. It may be to achieve your goal of getting fit, to shed some pounds and staying healthy, to tone your muscles, to relieve your stress, to relax your mind and body or at the very least to socialize. But I am sure no one goes to the gym to get sick, right? Gym is a place for germs to dwell, especially in the locker rooms, pool area and sauna. There are intestinal types of bacteria that are present in such areas. You might be saying that I am either making this up or that the gym maintainers clean them perfectly that there is no chance of such occurrences. But I am not the one who is saying this; it is from a report on gym sanity that was published in ‘Today’.

These germs can cause diarrhea, cramps and pneumonia. Even water fountains in gym have molds that cause lung and skin infections. Next time you have cramps after your work out; don’t neglect it saying that it is because of those 100 sit-ups you did, to get those ‘abs of steel’. I am sure the management at the gym makes an effort to clean the machines and areas thoroughly and more regularly. They also keep cleaning products in every nook and corner possible for you to use. Cleanliness is a two-way street; so use those paper towels on machines that you are going to be working on, not just after you are done but also before using it. Put on those sneakers while working out and while in locker room or sauna, use flip-flops, sit on a clean towel if you must seat yourself while at gym. Work out more regularly so the immune system kicks in to fight against these germs. It is a chicken and egg situation where you have to work out to fight against these germs and these germs are present in the place where you are working out.

The other day I was using the tread mill and as I was running I saw two men walk up to the tread mill next to mine. One of them got on while the other was waiting for a tread mill to free up. After I was done I got off to get the wipe to clean the machine before letting the other guy to use it. To my surprise, the guy started using the machine even before I could clean up for him. Sheepishly, the other friend said that he was a dirty guy and all I could say in return was ‘I hope he takes a shower after his work-out’. If you are impatient to start using a machine, at the very least make an attempt to clean it before using it. Now that I let out some of the risks of using the machines at your gym, take your time to clean before and after using it. Your goal is to shed those extra pounds by working out and not by getting sick.

Fight or Flight

All of you must have heard this phrase that is used as the title in today’s topic, used in one way or the other. This is the fundamental walk of how our life moves on in our day-to-day ventures. It starts off early in our life as a kid in school. What happens when a kid is encountered by a bully who wants his candy or snack? The kid either yields to giving what the bully asked for (a situation of escape) or stand-up against the bully and protest against yielding to the situation (a fight) or run away from the bully if he could (a flight – most likely he will be stumble upon the bully again anyways). But the bottom-line is you either fight or flee from the situation.

This applies to every situation we are in – whether in school or at work (that would be the time when you should get a hint and start looking!), or in sports (offensive and defensive). Why even our body mechanics function that way. When we are stressed about some things in our lives, our internal system uses this mechanics to fight the cause or flight – that is when the body produces more sugar leading to Diabetes or produces more cholesterol leading to heart attacks or simply puts you to sleep. This is the basic flow in dealing with any situation.

In relation to what I mentioned above, 2 articles in the paper caught my eye, each of the two supporting the topic. In one article, an 80 year old woman was watching football last Sunday when she saw an intruder in the house. When she asked what that man was doing in her house, he attacked her. As a defense, she pretended to have a heart attack which made the intruder flee from the spot. What a great flight, from the situation by both the intruder and the old woman?

In another article, an 85 year old woman came out the house in the morning to pick up her newspaper while she was attacked by a rabid cat. She caught the charging cat by its tail and beat the feline into submission against a nearby utility pole. Talk about beating the devil out of someone and a good fight against the suddenly attacking cat.

One should have a strategy in dealing with any situation that we encounter. Analyze whether the position calls for a fight or flight. Fight the cause with all might and fight till the last be it physical or mental – don’t give up. But when you see that the opponent is stronger than you are, just flee – it is not rocket science.

Give it to Phil

Last Friday was Groundhog Day, when the old Phil came out of its burrow after weeks of hibernation, to predict an early spring rather than six more weeks of winter or so they say. It is an old legend that is followed for years during this time of the year in the U.S. to tie our present to the past and most importantly tying our weather forecast to the beast. Animals, in general, have a sense of direction, sense to weather changes and a sense to acclimate to their surroundings. Birds migrate long distances every year around the same time as a flock and they don’t get lost nor use a GPS system to navigate themselves. Bears, hogs and similar animals hibernate during long winters to protect themselves from freezing cold without the use of thermals or heaters and they come out on time for spring without alarm clocks to wake them up.

Technology has advanced tremendously these days that we can predict the arrival of approaching storms, earthquakes or showers or snow for that matter. Meteorologists predict the weather and climate changes using their latest technology and tools. If you watch the weather forecast on TV, you would be amazed at the details they provide on the weather. It would be to a point that it would seem that the weather person traveled in time to the future and saw what happened in terms of weather and has come back to deliver the news to us.

Past couple of weeks, the weather folks called in for snow showers and said that it was definitely bound to happen except to see a bright sunny day with warm temperatures. I have learned to take these forecasts with a grain of salt (and some on my driveway). If the possibility of what they say would happen is very low, then why bother to have one? I am better off listening to Phil (Groundhog) and Bill (Blue Bill Birds) who are likely to predict exactly as to whether spring is around the corner or if six more weeks of winter ahead, than to listen to the forecasters on TV and Radio. What is the use of such advancement in technology when we cannot do any better than five sensed animals? I don’t know about you but I always carry an umbrella and wind cheater with me to use as needed than to believe the forecast.

Sushi, Chopsticks and Me

Last week I happened to go to a Sushi place for lunch. The place had a good décor with candles, mini oriental fans hanging on the walls, swords placed on stands near the tables – gave the place, a true Japanese look. It was lunch time and they were serving Sushi on a buffet with other goodies like soup, tempura, shrimp battered and fried – oh my favorite, and various other items. The Sushi buffet in itself had a stack of various sushis. It was a feast for those who were dining there and most importantly liked ‘Sushi’. Now that I mentioned about the décor and food in that place, I saw many customers eating their way out, trying all the different food that was set out for them.

I started my way through trying the various dishes as it was ‘All you can eat’ anyways. But the fun part of it was using the chopsticks. I am now able to use chopsticks when eating oriental food but about five years ago, I would ask for a fork in such places. I remembered about how I would make an effort to use the chopsticks and struggle with it to get through a few morsels and then give up looking at all the food that everyone would pipe down in a flash. It would all make sense if someone does not want to eat in that place but pretend to be eating something, but not for someone who is hungry. This is not the time to learn to use chopsticks, I must say.

Using chopsticks and eating sushi is an art in itself. One might think, ‘what is there to it? You pick up the sushi with your chopsticks, dip it in your sauce mix’ – which can be just soy sauce or soy sauce mixed with Wasabi, to give your that tangy taste, that would leave your nose and eyes to water. In the process of doing this, you might leave the rice behind in the sauce bowl and then you spend the next couple of minutes picking those up. The trick is not to soak your rice in the sauce. Just dip the top portion with the fish into the sauce and put the sushi into your mouth with the fish side touching your tongue – intriguing isn’t it? Thanks to my friends who educated me on ‘Sushi 101’. 

In ancient times, different chopsticks were in play like the wooden chopsticks with carvings, golden or silver ones with artwork to show the richness of the one who is providing it and such. Aristocrats used silver chopsticks, because it turned color when it comes in contact with poison. Only use of it now that I think of is to use it when eating Fugu puffer fish sushi. I want to try that once (hopefully not the last time in my life) and I will make sure to use the silver chopsticks at that time. You can use chopsticks in these Asian places to show that you are a Roman while in Rome but not knowing the proper techniques to eat at these specialty places will show that you are pretentious. If you can’t use chopsticks, feel free to use your hands – nothing can surpass that.

Super Bowl XLI

As you all know it is Super Bowl (Bears vs Colts in Miami, FL.) this Sunday; friends and families will be organizing for a get-together to watch the game and to see who is declared the champion of the league for this year. I am not a football fan nor do I watch the game regularly but this time I will give it an honest effort to watch and follow the game to its end, despite the fact no one in our house watches the game. I am soccer and a cricket fan and I have hosted parties and watched world cup soccer last year and world cup cricket, years back. So I know how the atmosphere in a game room is and how the set up for the game-watching begins.

Let us steal a look at the preparation for the big game. Shall we? It begins by calling your friends and families who share the same interest to the game day. Have lots of popcorn, chips and beer ready for the game. Also making sure you have a good cable connection to watch the game. What is the use of all this preparation, if you are not able to watch the game when the deciding goal (touch down in this case – this proves I am a soccer fan ;-) ) is about to happen. I have gone through this situation while watching the semi-final soccer game last year and it was raining heavily at that time. Because of the down pour, our satellite dish signal was lost and for me, it was like someone was pushing me into the deep waters. Until the signal came back, I was fidgeting to the point where I decided to just go to the neighbors to watch the rest of the game. Well, that is history.

In addition to the munchies and a stable cable connection, a fan would also make sure that their TV quality is good to the point where they are able to see every bead of sweat glistening from every player’s pores. And how does one achieve this? Go HDTV! This is the time of the year when football fans make their purchase of HDTV for their size and quality and really, sales of HDTV have gone up for the big game. I can vouch for it as I enjoyed my soccer games in my 52” HDTV. After all this is done, fans watch the game and in the midst of it, one can order pizza or wings as well. Lot of the pizza chains will run specials around this time, especially during the game night. One touch down gets you a free topping or if a particular team is winning till the half-time, 10th customer will get a free pizza, any style (I had to throw in that bit).

While watching the game, the atmosphere in the room builds up. If your team is winning, there is more beer for you on the way; if your team is losing, popcorn is thrown all over the room. During the game is when the delightful or sulking attitude of the watcher can be observed, depending on whether your favorite is winning or losing. Bottom-line to all this is, get together with your friends and families on the game night, have a beer, eat right and healthy (don’t eat junk food) and enjoy the game even if your favorite team in not playing or winning. Think of it as a fun time together and enjoy.

Sit straight, will you?

How many times in your life, have you heard this phrase that I used in the Title? You must have heard it from your parents, your teacher or from your coaches. May it be in any Martial arts class or dance class or Yoga class; you will hear the instructors asking you to keep your back straight. Keeping your back straight keeps you focused on what you are doing, helps in digestion and gives a good look of being plugged into what you are doing.

Most white collar jobs require us to be seated while working in front of the computer. Bearing in mind what we heard about sitting straight, (but didn’t follow while in schools) we try to keep our back straight while working for obvious reasons. Not anymore. Studies have shown that sitting straight puts pressure on the spine and that you are better off slouching and slumping. Our back is at its best when we recline at 135 degrees while working versus being straight or hunching. To top it off, it is even better while we are lying down.

Now this is getting even better. As a continuation to my argument from yesterday’s post of taking a nap while working in offices to improve productivity, this will be an added bonus to take those questionable naps; reason simply being the health of back and productivity; can’t beat that. You will have a valid reason for your disappearance from your seat when your boss asks you where you were when you were supposed to be making a presentation to the client. If you will excuse me, I am off to check out that mattress sale; I have to be productive and healthy while at my work. ;-)