24 May
2013
24 May
2013
Another crazy introduction during my travels
So, I stepped onto my flight from Boston to Atlanta and settled down in my seat. Presently, another Indian young (the “another” defined “Indian” not “young” 🙂 ) came and sat next to me. He was on a call for the whole time and finally when we were ready to pull out, he finished his call. Trying to break some ice, he asked me how my wine tasted (I was sipping half a glass of red wine). This is how the conversation went:
He: “How is the wine”?
Me: “It is airlines wine. ’nuff said”! 🙂
He: “I am sure the plastic cup brings the taste out”
Me: “You got it!! So, is Atlanta home?”
He: “Yes”
Me: “Where do you work?”
He: “Bain Consulting”
Me: “Aha! I know a guy in your office who makes coffee nervous!!”
He: “Are you talking about my boss John? Are you Rajib Roy from Equifax?”
I am like “WHATTTT???? How did you make that connection?”
Me: “So where are you from?”
He: “India”
Me: “Where in India?”
He: “Calcutta”
Me: “You speak Bengali?”
He: “Yes”
Me: “Get out!!” (upon further reflection, I should have said “Bero”!!! 🙂 )
He (to John in email): “…..John, for some inexplicable reason, Rajib introduced himself as a friend of yours”
John (in five seconds replied in email): “Rajib would be selling curry out of a cart in a crowded street somewhere in India if it were not for me. Of course, he will say I am his friend” 🙂
See why I don’t mind those flight delays anymore? 🙂 🙂
23 May
2013
That’s like saying “Would Mr.Smith step up, please”? :-)
Boston Delta Skyclub is one of the biggest Skyclubs I have ever seen. I walk in and I was surprised to see a lot of my fellow Indians there. Found out – there are delayed flights to Paris (connecting to Bombay and Delhi) or something like that.
Anyways, I settled down and was busy catching up on emails when I heard the lady at the desk announce “Would passenger Patel please meet the front desk?”. Bemused, I looked over – and sure enough, in under 7 seconds there was a 11 deep queue!!
I don’t think the poor lady at the desk realized what was going on!!!
23 May
2013
Life of pie :-)
23 May
2013
Boston!!!
23 May
2013
I am. Ummmm….. I think :-)
Learnt something knew while reading “Descartes Error” at the bar in the hotel (the guy at the bar showed no interest in making friends with me 🙂 – so I was reduced to reading a book from my book list 🙂 )
I always thought that the origin of “I think, therefore I am” was the Latin phrase “Cogito ergo sum”. Evidently, that is the popular version for English speaking people. The original words he wrote were “Ego cogito, ergo sum” [“Principles of Philosophy” (1644)]. And that is not even the original original!!! And that is what surprised me.
Did you know he actually came up with it seven years before this in a treatise written in French [“Discourse on the Method” (1637)]. Evidently, he first penned it as “je pense, donc je suis”.
BTW, if any one of know my parents or have a parent in India, you will probably relate to my sentiment that given their constant propensity to worry about silly things and think of problems and challenges that they can do nothing about, (“sobsomoy chinta hoy”) that this whole “I think, therefore I am” thing was something Descartes conjured up specifically for them.
Or so I think 🙂
22 May
2013
Flight delays came early?
Traveling weekly out of Atlanta airport has taught me some lessons. One of them is from June thru September, avoid flying out or into the airport in the evenings. There will inevitably be some showers or lightning or weather issue and flights will get delayed. The maxim has not failed me for 5 years.
It caught me early this year. It is May 22 today and already my flight to Boston this evening has been delayed thrice 🙁 And all that after I had to fight some heavy traffic to get to the airport barely on time. Of course, the fact that I am staying off wine as much as is possible for a few days to get my weight down by a couple of pounds is not helping the situation at all 🙂
22 May
2013
Negative splits
Taking advantage of the cool morning, tried putting in negative splits. First mile at 9:08, second one at 8:48 and then gave everything for the third mile at 7:10. And soon I realized that it might be cool in Milton at 5:30 in the morning, but it is humid as heck. Was sweating bullets for 15 minutes before I even dared to go inside the Starbucks to order a coffee….
21 May
2013
Run in Georgia Tech but jackets were not quite yellow!
After a long time ran 5 miles in the Georgia Tech area. The campus looks beautiful in the early hours of the morning. I had my red shirt and red shoes on. If you think that is weird, listen to this. As I came up the hill on State Rd and pulled up at the intersection of 14th street, I ran into another runner coming up on my left with a red shirt and red shoes on!! And she had red earbuds for her iPod to match. As we waited for cross traffic to die down, to make polite chat, we almost simultaneously, landed up saying “Nice shoes” to each other!! Awkwardness soon gave way to levity and coincidence of the moment : we laughed out loud and continued running our own way… Funny start to a day…
20 May
2013
