Something? Nothing?

Foiled Robbery

2005-12-11T21:58:00.000+05:00

So yesterday at 11 pm it seems that someone tried breaking into my neighbours house. You have to realize that in Pakistan, every house is in a compound with a gate and high walls. So these would-be theives jumped the gate/wall, and broke down the front lock. Luckily their house was protected by ADT securities so the alarm went off and the crooks ran away. What's a bit scary is that I was home alone when this happened, and we don't have a security system. I was completely oblivious to it all of course... and I guess am pretty lucky that they decided to go next door and not here.

Sigh...

2005-12-11T00:02:00.000+05:00

You know when you're just having the worst day ever? Then the next day is even worse? And you don't know why? Lots of little thing seem to bug you beyond porportion? You try to be nice, you succeed, but its such an effort that all you want to do is nothing? Not Play videogames, not go out, not sleep, not anything...

Sigh, 7 days and counting... bloody hell, I need to get out of this rut.

Quick Hits

2005-12-07T16:00:00.000+05:00

Boston Bruins superstar Joe Thornton was traded Wednesday night to the San Jose Sharks… wow. I don’t think anyone saw that coming. I feel that San Jose got a steal, giving up three good, but not great players for a franchise center.

Read this really good quote on sports, thought I'd share :

"Ultimately, sport is entertainment, and the greatest measure of a sportsman is when the legions being entertained begin to worry how badly they will miss you when you are gone."

Came across this interesting article the other day (thanks Amy), check out the link. Did you ever wonder how easy it was to blow off a lock?

A possible miniture solar system seems to have been discovered.

It seems as though there may be a new animal that has been discovered by the WWF, in Borneo. It's the first time since 1895 that a carniverous animal has been found on the island.

Is there a new beast in the east? The Jays have followed up the BJ Ryan acquisition by signing the best pitcher available on the free agent market, AJ Burnett. They're paying him $55 Million for 5 years, with a couple of interesting clauses. AJ's wife gets 8 fully paid Limo rides from Toronto to her home in Ma.(I think) per year, because she is afraid of flying. Also, after 3 years, AJ has an option of opting out of his contract. Toronto GM, JP Riccardi (wow, the Jays have lots of initials in their first names all of a sudden) also signed a 3-year extension. Other GMs, for taking such a big risk on Burnett, are criticizing JP heavily. Funny, how much of a difference 1 year makes (other teams were ready to sign him for 4 years). The Jays projected rotation right now matches up pretty well against the top teams in the league, provided everybody lives up to potential.

Do you go to the gym? Do you go alone? After coming to Pakistan, and starting to go to the gym alone everyday, I realize now how nice it is to have a workout buddy. It's pretty tough to motivate yourself to go to the gym, or to go that extra bit without one. Personally, I also find I tend to go faster with a buddy, and not waste as much time in betweek sets. Thanks workout buddy.

Colts 12-0... two tough games coming up in the last four, the Chargers week after next, and the Seahawks the week after... both games should be awesome.

On another note, I've decided to volunteer to be captain of a winter indoor ultimate team this year. Should be fun, only problem is that I'll miss the draft because I'm here in Pakistan. Oh well, I'll probably get a friend to go on my behalf.

I finally got my cousin's playstation 2 last week. So I've been super busy catching up on some serious videogaming. God of War, NBA 2K6 and Fifa 2006 have been my 3 games of choice right not. I'm not sure if I want to go and buy the new Prince of Persia until I finish God of War, otherwise neither will get done. Fifa 2006 have a bunch of awesome features, especially if you have a group of friends over. Head to Head matchups with cheats to use against friends... brilliant, yet such a simple idea.

Do you own a Jersey? A Hockey, Basketball, Football(American or World), Cricket, Baseball, whateverthesport Jersey? Do you like to wear it? I do. I own a couple. I have a Vince Carter Raptors jersey, which I love even though I hate the player now, and I have my Leafs Jersey. I love my Leafs Jersey, I wear it often, when the Leafs are playing, when they aren't. It's comfortable, and I feel proud wearing it. Patrick Hurby of Espn.com/Page2 wrote an article about Jersey wear. He thinks it's overdone, and that you should only wear a jersey if "you are a professional or amateur athelete and are participating in an actual sporting event." I disagree. I like wearing Jersey's, I think the site of 50,000 fans in Jersey's at a game is awesome. He makes some very interesting and valid points in the article, but I just kept thinking. "My Jersey is comfortable, why shouldn't I want to show that I support a particular team?" Though, One thing I do completely agree with him on. "There's nothing sexier than a sports jersey. On a woman, that is."

Do you need a reason for everything you do? Don’t you just sometimes do things for the hell of it, not giving thought to what happens (as long as it’s not dangerous or stupid)? Is that considered inconsiderate? What if you don’t care? Does that make you a bad person?

One person's quest to make this world a better place

2005-12-01T12:19:00.000+05:00

In the wake of the disaster in New Orleans, thousands of peoples houses and communities have been destroyed. People are living in damaged homes or in trailers. A friend of mine, Chris Hayward, decided to do something about it, he went down to New Orleans with his brother and is volunteering there. Please read more of what Chris is doing down there here. Chris, you are one of the definitions of the word Hero. Good Luck.

Random Thoughts

2005-11-30T15:52:00.000+05:00

Say you’re bilingual. When you hear one of the languages, do you translate it into the other before understanding? Or do you just understand it? Does it depend how and when you learn the language? For me, when I hear French, which I learnt much after English, I tend to try and translate what I am hearing. Whereas when conversing in Urdu, which I learnt at the same time as English, I tend to just understand the words (well, most of them anyways).

I went to Sunday bazaar (literal trans: market) this past week, it’s amazing how much you can get at that flee market or sorts. From books and Magazines, to DVD’s, to household items, to chickens, vegetables, and all sorts of clothes… all at cheap prices, its no wonder its so successful. I wouldn’t be surprised if more than 3000 people visit it every week.

The Jays spent $47 Million (US) on a closer over 5 years. Was it smart? Did it help the team? Personally, I think the Jays desperately needed a closer… Batista just wasn’t cutting it; the Jays were horrid in 1 run games last year. The last bonafide closer the Jays had was Duane Ward, back in ’93. What gets to me is the length of the contract. I think BJ Ryan will be great for about 2 or 3 years, but after that, I think this becomes an albatross around the Jays necks in the year 2009. The money in itself doesn’t bother me as much; paying close to 10 Million dollars for a closer is going to be the norm in the ever-inflating MLB. One thing for sure, I will no longer fear going to the ninth inning with a one run lead. In fact, I will look forward to it.

If you have a task to do, do you:
a) Do the easy, yet boring long method.
b) Look for a way to do it quicker, which may take some time and effort to figure out?
I tend to gravitate towards b.

Is the world black and white? Is there really a gray area? If so, would you rather see the world in black and white, or would you want to look at the gray area as well?

Recently, I’ve been relearning how to drive. Having never bothered to learn properly, and not having a license, I have taken this time I have here in Pakistan to reacquaint myself with the car and a stick shift. It’s been an interesting time, but I seem to be getting the hang of it. But while realizing driving is important, it makes me realize how much I actually do walk in Toronto. An average person here doesn’t walk nearly as much as the average person in Canada. It’s amazing what 10-15 minutes of walking per day will do for your health and outlook on life.

The Colts went to 11-0 on Monday night. Could this be one of the best teams ever? The best team ever? Is anyone pulling for them to go 16-0? If you are, do you want them to win the Superbowl, or perform the biggest choke ever and lose in the playoffs?

“Is it a burden being 11-0? I never thought of it as that. It's an honour because of the respect I have for NFL teams. It's hard to win 11 games in a season, let alone the first 11." - Colts QB Peyton Manning

"If you don't let a team score you have a heck of a chance of winning." - Bears coach Lovie Smith

Has ‘sorry’ lost its meaning? When you say sorry, do you really mean it all the time? I’ve been told on numerous occasions that I apologize a lot. I picked it up from a dear friend of mine, but the funny part is, I normally mean all of them. I don’t want to be a bother… but then the question comes, if I personally, don’t mind comments, and dislike friends of mine apologizing non-stop… why can’t I stop?

And finally, thanks for reading. Sorry if you got bored.

Personality Test

2005-11-25T13:30:00.000+05:00

They're fun, when you're bored. Do you agree with my assessment? (I'm assuming you know me... and BE NICE...)

Take the test here

My Results

Extraversion

You can probably cope with things being a bit hectic or a bit quiet but, like most people, you may find extremes in either direction uncomfortable or annoying.

Confidence

You seem to have described yourself as someone who does tend to be quite cautious and careful. This can be very important in detailed work or areas were mistakes can have a major cost although you may find yourself avoiding risks and many cautious people wish they were bolder.

Openness

Your answers suggest that you like to balance a willingness to try new things with making sure you don't scrap an existing approach that works just because it has been around for a while. Like most people you may not enjoy constant change and uncertainty or an environment where nothing develops from year to year, but your preparedness to see the merits of new and old alike can be helpful.

Agreeableness

Your answers suggest that getting on with people is very important to you, that you may well be eager to help others and avoid disagreements, perhaps sometimes even when you think you should be firmer with them.

Conscientiousness

Your answers suggest that you don't like having things too structured or being tied down and you can cope quite well without having to have everything organised. This may make it hard to find things at times or for colleagues to know where you are or what you are doing, but you probably find coping with the unexpected (the things your colleagues didn't plan for!) easier than many.

The Grass is always Greener on the other side

2005-11-24T15:30:00.000+05:00

It's funny, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, it seems that people always believe that there is a better option. I could be doing this instead of that, or there instead of here, is a norm these days. It's funny, while in Canada I have a number of my Pakistani friends telling me they wish they were back in Pakistan. They don't like the stress, or living without their extended families. Whereas in Pakistan, I get the opposite reaction. People here can't wait and try desperately to get out. To me, both countries have its pro's and con's, depending where you are in life. It is no guarantee that being in Canada would be better for you or if being in Pakistan would be better. That is the gamble that is life. It's best not to wonder what would be or could be better, instead, its sometimes better to sit back and play the cards that have been dealt to you. I guess what I am trying to say is that its always better too look at the glass as being half full, instead of half empty.

I was reading an article online yesterday; it stated a pretty interesting fact. Last week, in the Green Bay Packers game, the Packers used a running back by the name of Sam Gado. What is funny is not his name, but instead, he was seven years old in Nigeria when the Packers Quarter Back, Brett Favre, started playing for Green Bay. It's funny when you look at how age differences seem to matter less and less as you grow older. When you're young, in school, it's really difficult to even contemplating having a good friend who is 3 or 4 years younger than you. Yet, in and after University, age doesn't seem that important anymore. I guess with age comes maturity, and understanding. It is scary though at how quickly time flies. I recently have got back in touch with an old high school friend of mine. We were very sporadic in communications over the last 5 years, but talking with them again, it's like nothing has changed. We still have the same level of comfort as we always have had. On the other hand, it's completely different for another friend of mine, who I did stay in touch with for a while after I left, but hadn't talked to over the past year or so. Talking to her, it was uncomfortable and weird, she had changed or I had changed too much.

Do you ever wonder how much you have changed? Have you changed for the better? For the worse? Does it matter if you have changed? It is natural to change right? What makes a good friend? Someone that you can talk to anytime? Someone that you go out with often? Or is it just someone that you can trust when the chips are down? Or is it all of the above?

Frisbee Stuff

2005-11-23T15:10:00.000+05:00

Read 2 really good blogs today, one funny, the other semi-inspiring.

http://deepdisc.blogspot.com/2005/09/offense-v-defense.html

http://deepdisc.blogspot.com/2005/10/eternal-sunshine-of-throwers-mind.html

“Passing the disc to a teammate while maniacal defenders attack with layout blocks isn't as easy as it sounds.”

Also managed to stumble upon a good Ultimate Based Speed workout, from

http://www.fitlinxx.com/Article.htm?id=270

Ultimate Frisbee

increase speed

“Concentrate on your throws and practice good form”

Once you've built a good distance base (and can run two to four miles fairly comfortably), you can turn on the speed. It's more important than ever to stretch well before any intensive speed workouts, because these are high-stress muscular activities. Hamstrings are particularly susceptible to strains and pulls without proper flexibility.

This routine is a combination of pure speed training (sprints), continued conditioning (distance), and interval training (part light jog and part sprint). Notice throwing is again added to the end (and sometimes the middle) of each exercise. Instead of going through the motions like a zombie, really concentrate on your throws.

MONDAY: Warm up for 5 minutes. Stretch well. Do a 25-minute interval run: Jog 5 minutes, then alternate 90-second sprints with 60 seconds of light jogging. Repeat this pattern for 15 minutes then use the last 5 minutes as a cool down. Stretch. Throw 25 backhands, 25 forehands, and 25 hammers.

TUESDAY: Warm up for 10 minutes. Stretch well. Throw 20 backhands, 20 forehands, and 20 hammers. Run 10 70-yard sprints, with 40-second rest intervals. Immediately do 2 sets of 30 push-ups. Throw 20 backhands, 20 forehands, and 20 hammers. Do 2 sets of sit-ups.

WEDNESDAY: Warm up for 5 minutes. Stretch well. Do a 40-minute interval run (10-minute warm-up, 20-minute interval, and 10-minute cool-down). Stretch. Throw 25 backhands, 25 forehands, and 25 hammers.

THURSDAY: Warm up for 10 minutes. Stretch well. Throw 20 backhands, 20 forehands, and 20 hammers. Run 6 140-yard sprints with 90-second rest intervals. Do 2 sets of push-ups. Throw 20 backhands, 20 forehands, and 20 hammers again. End with 2 sets of 30 sit-ups.

FRIDAY: Warm up. Jog 25 minutes. Throw 30 backhands, 30 forehands, and 30 hammers. Stretch.

SATURDAY: Warm up. Stretch. 15 40-yard sprints in 3 sets of 5 (30 seconds rest; with 2 minutes between sets). Do 35 push-ups, and 35 sit-ups.

SUNDAY: Rest.

Canada

2005-11-22T03:44:00.000+05:00

Got this over email, made me smile.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
1. Vancouver: 1.5 million people and two bridges.
2. Your $400,000 Vancouver home is just 5 hours from downtown.
3. You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations.
4. There's always some sort of deforestation protest going on.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ALBERTA
1. Big Rock between you and B.C.
2. Ottawa who?
3. Tax is 7 percent instead of approximately 200 percent for the rest of the country.
4. Flames vs. Oilers.
5. Stamps vs. Eskies.
6. You can exploit almost any natural resource you can think of.
7. You live in the only province that could actually afford to be its own country.
8. The Americans below you are all in anti-government militia groups.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN SASKATCHEWAN
1. You never run out of wheat.
2. Cruise control takes on a whole new meaning.
3. Your province is really easy to draw.
4. You never have to worry about car roll-back if you have a standard transmission.
5. It takes you two weeks to walk to your neighbor's house.
6. You can watch the dog run away from home for hours.
7. People will assume you live on a farm.
8. Buying a huge John Deere mower makes sense.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN MANITOBA
1. You wake up one morning to find you suddenly have beachfront property.
2. The only province to ever violently rebel against the federal government.
3. Hundreds of huge, horribly frigid lakes.
4. Nothing compares to a wicked Winnipeg winter.
5. You don't need a car, just take the canoe to work.
6. You can be an Easterner or a Westerner depending on your mood.
7. Because of your license plate, you are still friendly even when you cut someone off.
8. Pass the time watching trucks and barns float by.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ONTARIO
1. You live in the centre of the universe.
2. Your $400,000 Toronto home is actually a dump.
3. You and you alone decide who will win the federal election.
4. There's no such thing as an Ontario Separatist. Separate from what? You are the centre of the universe.
5. The only province with hard-core American-style crime.
6. Much Music's Speaker's Corner - rant and rave on national TV for a dollar.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN QUEBEC
1. Racism is socially acceptable.
2. The only province to ever kidnap federal politicians.
3. You can take bets with your friends on which English neighbor will move out next.
4. Other provinces basically bribe you to stay in Canada.
5. You can blame all your problems on the "Anglo *#!%".

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEW BRUNSWICK
1. One way or another, the government gets 98 per cent of your income.
2. You're poor, but not as poor as the Newfies.
3. When listing the provinces, everyone forgets to mention yours.
4. The economy is based on fish, cows, and ferrying Ontario motorists to Boston.
5. No one ever blames anything on New Brunswick.
6. Everybody has a Grandfather who runs a lighthouse.
7. Just as charming as Maine, but with more unemployed fishermen.
8. You probably live in a small seaside cottage with no television.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NOVA SCOTIA
1. Everyone can play the fiddle. The ones who can't, think they can.
2. You are the "only" reason Anne Murray makes money.
3. You can pretend you have Scottish heritage as an excuse to get drunk and wear a kilt.
4. The economy is based on lobster and fiddle music.
5. Even though it smells like dead sea animals, Halifax is considered Canada's most beautiful city.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
1. Even though more people live on Vancouver Island, you still got the big, new bridge
2. You can walk across the province in half an hour.
3. You were probably once an extra on "Road to Avonlea".
4. This is where all those tiny red potatoes come from.
5. The economy is based on fish, potatoes, and CBC TV shows.
6. Tourists arrive, see the "Anne of Green Gables" house, then promptly leave.
7. You can drive across the province in two minutes.
8. It doesn't matter to you if Quebec separates.
9. You don't share a border with the Americans, or with anyone for that matter.
10. You can confuse ships by turning your porch lights on and off at night.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEWFOUNDLAND
1. If Quebec separates, you will float off to sea.
2. In the rare case when someone moves to the Rock, you can make them kiss dead cod.
3. The economy is based on fish, seafood, and fish-related products.
4. If you do something stupid, you have a built-in excuse.
5. You and only you understand the meaning of Great Big Sea's lyrics.
6. The workday is about two hours long.
7. You are credited with many great inventions, like the solar-powered flashlight and the screen door for submarines.
8. It is socially acceptable to wear your hip waders to your wedding.

Explosions and work

2005-11-19T04:48:00.000+05:00

So Tuesday morning, and I rush from home to work after watching the first half of the Eagles-Cowboys game on espn. McNabb had just scored, and the ‘boys looked flat, so I was thinking about how the Eagles still had a chance at making a run at the division, without Owens, who ironically enough, was suspended, just before a nationally televised game for doing what he normally does. Cause trouble. (Watching the repeat later on, the ‘boys came back and won in a thriller.) Then, a co-worker of mine comes in, There was an explosion outside a KFC, near PIDC. He was across the street when it happened and had the wherewithal to snap the photograph with his camera. If the bus hadn’t come in the way, it would have been quite the photo. The explosion ended up being a car bomb, killing 3, and injuring 21. 7 vehicles were destroyed in the explosion. No reason was given for the attack. Unfortunately, car bombs are not that much of a surprise here, so much so that when there is one, people don’t stop to help, but instead turn and flee, knowing full well through experience, that a second blast may be coming. Groups often use violence as a means of trying to bully and scare the population. It’s the act of a handful of stupid, uneducated people, and causes a lot of pain and suffering.

Work is progressing at a slow pace, though life has started to pick up a bit, I now have a routine, and after living the last month or so without one, I realize how much more quickly the day seems to pass with an idea of what I have to look forward to. Work in the morning, gym in the evening six times a week, basketball three times a week. It’s become busy again, and I prefer it this way. Work for me, is a six-week internship at ICI Pakistan in the IT division. Nothing too glamorous, but it gives me something to do. The gym sessions are great… I finally feel as though I am getting back into shape… and I love the feeling after a workout… even if my body aches. One of the good things about being back is I get to watch cricket again. England has just started touring Pakistan, and are set to visit Karachi for a 1 dayer in December. I’m definetly going to go. Pakistan, surprising everyone, just pulled off a great victory in the first test match. Cricket, however, is still no match for ice hockey.

Sorry

2005-11-13T22:31:00.000+05:00

Okay, So I disappeared for 2 weeks, my bad... Life has got pretty busy here with the end of Ramadan and Eid. Eid at home was great... I have no enjoyed Eid this much in a very long time. It was nice to go and visit relatives, and spend time with the family. I even went and played golf for the first time last sunday. I've started a 6 week internship here, at ICI. It's fun, but my boss is a prick. I'm in the IT division, and basically have been dealing with excel and SAP so far. I also spent the last 2 weeks reading the 6 Harry Potter books. Yup, read all 6 books in little under 2 weeks. It was an interesting read. I've also started going back to the gym and playing basketball 3 times a week. I'll try and update and expand more soon. Until then, stay safe!

Stuff

2005-10-31T20:33:00.000+05:00

From Chariots of Fire :
Let each of you discover where your chance for greatness lies. Seize that chance and let no power on earth deter you.
Just a quote I stumbled upon and liked. A few of you know me to really like quotes.

Pakistan is hot. I know, I've said it before, and trust me, you'll hear me say it again. It's really really hot here. (This will get more and more irritating as the temperature where you are drops below where you can leave a glass of water outside and expect to drink it 10 mins later). Anyways, Ramadan is coming to an end, and everyone is now tired.... my body is confused with all this non-eating... kinda funny. I tried going to the gym last week, it felt real good to be there, but the whole no water while working out, and going from an air conditioned room into the heat, not so good. I decided I would wait until after I finish fasting before I try that again. But for that brief moment while I was in the gym, it felt good to be lifting weights again. On a side note, everything here is in Kilo's... now in Toronto, I used Pounds. It's slightly irritating, but I guess I'll have to adjust. Yes, I know its 2.2.

I went to this dessert place with a friend on Friday night... it was nice. I must admit, the food places in Karachi have improved fourfold since I was last here 5 years ago. It was really nice to see my friends parents as well. You don't realize how many people you miss, or that miss you while you are gone.

Maybe people don't forget. But they forget to remember?
Yeah, another quote, this from a movie I saw on TV over here. Can you guess which one? The television here is another thing that has come a long way. Gone are all the bulky satallites that I had to deal with way back when. Now Cable TV has arrived, with 4 different english movie channels, 6 different sports channels(including 2 different ESPN feeds) and a number of music and comedy channels. I wonder, if you're a couch potato, isn't this heaven?

I also finished 'The Da Vinci Code' last week, quite quickly mind you, 2 days. Definetly a good book, but the ending left a little to be desired. That is something I am looking forward to doing more of this two month period. Read.

Alright, I'm out, people. Don't forget to touch your nose.

The Dating Game, Desi Style

2005-10-26T19:29:00.000+05:00

Okay, so almost all of you must know, my mom has been trying to get me engaged for quite a while now. In fact, most of you have all told me that my time is up, and that during my current visit, vacation, I am going to get engaged. Something I vehmantly deny by the way. Anyways, so of course my mom talks to me daily about how she's going to set me up with this girl, and that girl, and the ages of the various girls, and what she's going to buy to wear. This trip is different than others, why you ask, well, now my relatives and parents close friends have ALL got into the act. A conversation between myself and a friend of my mothers usually goes like this :

(Exchange of Pleasentries)
Friend : So beta, when did you get here and for how long?

Me : number of days ago, for a couple of months, its been five years, its nice to be back

Friend : So, whens the engagement, you're going to get it done right? I have seen the perfect girl for you...

It's not so much a culture here, as it is a sport. Everyone gets involved, everyones a matchmaker. I know my mom loves it, in fact, some of my friends have even mentioned to me that if they don't meet the right girl, they want my mom to find them one.

Anyways, since I have got back, the pressure to get engaged has been enormous... I still have no intention of even contemplating getting engaged, but everyday my mom will come and ask me if she can get me engaged. Or at least start introducing me to girls. Recently, I had a conversation with her where she asked me about whether I have had a or numerous numbers of girlfriends. My dad has also got into it at the current time, they're latest excuse is they want grandkids. They want to play with their grandkids. Needless to say it is not my current intention to have any....

I miss Canada and my friends terribly, especially with goosebowl being this weekend and having had such a good time there last year.... It'll be nice to be back in January, if not different. Otherwise Pakistan is growing on me. It's nice to be home, especially during Ramadan. I'm really looking forward to being home for Eid, which is in 10 days and will be my first in 10 years. The electricity has been on and off here, but the house remains cool, at least in the shade its cool here. It's scorching in the sun. I've started reading "The Da Vinci Code" It's a page turner, I have barely been able to put it down since I started it.

Alright, enough from me for now...

Happy Birthday

2005-10-26T19:26:00.000+05:00

I'd like to take this time to wish a friend of mine a Happy Birthday. This friend, who I shall not name cause she would be embarrassed, has always been a really good friend. She's helped me through a bunch of tough times, and I'd like to say thanks again. We'll always have Breakfast at Tiffany's and a photocopier.

The Americanization of Cricket

2005-10-25T00:40:00.000+05:00

A funny thing happened last friday. I turned on the television, andstarted watching a South Africa/New Zealand cricket match. The funnypart about it, was that it was the first 20-20 match ever played by international squads. It hit me then. Wow, cricket has undergone a hugerevolution since it started. Not a bad thing... but an interesting thing. Cricket started with a 5 day game, which sometimes ended in a draw, then in the 70s, they compacted the game, and the One-Day International was born. 50 overs, 1 Inning, you finish the game in less than 8 hours with a break in the day. Living in Canada, Cricket is bigger than the states, but still not even close to mainstream. Makesyou wonder why... anyone I have talked to has always said, its too long. If you look at games like Baseball and Football. Games are over in 3 hours. Cricket now has that option. The 20-20 match was exciting,and different. You get 20 overs to score, 10 wickets, the only rules different from the One Day form of the game is that a no-ball is worth 2 runs, and the next ball doesn't count(i.e. its a free ball). The game was fun to watch, New Zealand did a number on the South African's. An even shorter version of the game is played out in Hong Kong, 6s is played with 6 players a side, 5 overs, and 5 wickets. Its a supershortversion of the game played on a smaller field. Sort of like half courtbasketball.

I'm doing well otherwise, went and visited my grandfathers grave on Sunday, it was emotional. My grandfather died nearly 4 years ago, and this was my first time back to see the grave. Rest In Peace Dada.

The World Series has started, I'm really glad I do get to watch it. ESPN is showing the game to an international audience. I'm pulling forthe 'Stros, but it doesn't look good, down 2-0, both games have been beauties to watch.

Ramadan is going well, though the days are really compacted here, I can't go to the gym, I guess I will start working out more in November. Not playing ultimate is tough, no where to even go and toss here.

Day 3 Doha/Karachi

2005-10-24T18:43:00.000+05:00

Qatar Airways is pretty cool... on demand movies/games, food is decent. I forgot how hot it really is in this part of the world, arriving at 6am in doha, its 28 degrees outside. Wow...

London was fun, their rules are weird... did you know its 8 pounds to drive in the city during the day. You have to go and register to drive in the city, or face a hefty fine. Their phone numbers have an inane amount of digits in them... probably 11 or 12. Didn't realize how much fun webcams are.

I arrived in Karachi at 4:30pm. Its 35 degrees outside... but nice to be home. The country has changed quite a bit, but its still home. Its weird being in a new house.

This is getting really boring and tough, so instead I am going to start posting my opinions and not what I am upto... I'm sure you "readers" will appreciate it.

Day 2?

2005-10-17T02:52:00.000+05:00

London, England

I don't know if you can call it a second day if you don't sleep, but I spent the day in London. Got in at like 8am, got to Shahids place at like 11, then left here around 3:30, to walk around for a while before meeting up with an old old friend for dinner. Dinner was great, it was nice to see Maria, we got to catch up, its amazing at how much things change, yet remain the same.

Hockey on the internet radio and card games are fun, though I don't remember much, it was too early in the morning.

Sleep is important.

Leaving tonight for Karachi, see how that goes. Still haven't tossed with anyone, doubt I will for another couple of months.... maybe I'll work on my solo huck when I get there?

I love the british accent.

1st

2005-10-15T17:41:00.000+05:00

1st entry... see if I can keep this up. Flight from Toronto to London was good.

I'm tired, and I miss the disc already.