A tribute to Jam Master Jay

He has a little soul, to rock n' roll
Every record that he touches turns to gold
He's well conducted, self-instructed
His styles were plied, heavily constructed
Mechanically inclined, and if you don't mind
We add spice to your life, time after time
And think about times, where he's a long laster
We rock our rhymes for the Jam-Master.


(i did not write this rhyme)

Hello everyone,

I hope that Blogger is nicer to me this time around. I will give you a quick sinopsis of last week since it feels like so long ago now.

Monday of last week - my uncle from India arrived. This is Sumant kaka (the uncle that I was travelling around with in India for about 10 days). He is still here and leaving tomorrow morning. It's been great having him around but I feel really bad cause I haven't really been able to spend much time with him since I've been so busy with work. And, I want to see a lot of you guys before I leave for Milwaukee so I've been trying to juggle everything.

Tuesday was cool. Met up with part of the Udub SCRUBS posse for Thai food at a restaurant called Circle Thai. The food was pretty good but the guy working was a bit confused. Saw Malloy's apartment after - it looks great. As Tchao said, one of these days, we will all have our own places and we'll be having a nice dinner at some funky restaurant on the company tab.

Wednesday night - helped Tchao prepare for his interview. He was doing really well with the case questions so that was great. Danielle and I were also helping him with brain teasers - man you can tell that both of them are very creative and right brained (that's the correct side right?) cause they were getting those brain teasers really well. They like those things. I seem to always get frustrated. I mean, I love finding out the answers but I don't seem to want to spend too much time on them. I want to get better though so if any of you have some good ones - please let me know. That will be my personal goal from here on.

Thursday night - some folks from work took me and Marie (the other TSLP) out for a good-bye dinner. We went to Indian Motorcycle club. I've never been there for dinner before but the food was surprisingly pretty good. I really don't like that place too much though cause it's that "over 30 downtown toronto working crowd" that all looks the same. All the guys have leather jackets and have the same body type. The girls are a bit more intriguing but still pretty much cut from the same cookie cutter. Overall, it's just not my scene.

More to come...

By the way - if you can make it - tomorrow night (Halloween) a bunch of people are getting together at Alleycatz Live Jazz Bar (2409 Yonge Street) around 8:30 or so. There is no cover and at 9:30 a band (Carlos Morgan et al) are coming in so it should be pretty groovin'

Maybe I'll see you there...

okay well, blogger seems to be working again. last night - i typed up this huge update but when i clicked on post and publish, it all vanished in midair. of course, i didn't save a copy of it first (not like i should have learned from last time or anything). in any case - i will have to re-write it all soon. sorry for the delay. but this week is gonna be hell. i leave for milwaukee on saturday and i've got a lot of loose ends to tie up...

and i think i'm coming down with a cold.

:o(

testing testing testing

Friday night was a very cool and very unexpected evening. Before I move on, I must thank Tony (one of my former co-workers from ExpressVu). He works in Pay-Per-View and got some tickets to a boxing match held in Mississauga on Friday night. Tony and I wanted to see each other before I left for Milwaukee in a couple of weeks so we arranged to meet up for this match on Friday night.

Now the story...

I met Tony in front of the Hershey Centre and he gave me my ticket - a Media Pass that I wore around my neck. After seeing this, I already knew that this was going to be an interesting evening. We walked in and got some stuff (program, etc.). Got a quick bite to eat and then walked down to our seats. We were on the floor somewhere. The setup was pretty cool. This boxing ring was set up right in the middle of this hockey arena (boards were down covering the ice). And there were a bunch of circular tables surrounding the stage at which about 8 people could sit, eat and drink while watching the fights. Then, along one side of the ring - there were a bunch of seats setup in rows (very close to the action).

We were looking around and couldn't find our seats and then Tony, looking straight ahead towards the ring says to me "Look over there" I looked and didn't know what I was looking at. "Is that so and so, I said" (referring to some big guy who I thought was a boxer). He scoffed at me and then said What's my name?" I didn't understand what he was talking about so I didn't answer him. He said again "What's my name?" I finally answered him and said "Tony N". Just as I said that, I realized what he was talking about.

Straight ahead of us, inside the apron (which separates the ring and surrounding perimeter from the other seats), there were a row of about 8 seats. The last two on the row - closest to the entrance of the boxers had a sign on them that said "Tony N". I couldn't believe it! I was sitting so close to the ring that if I had stood up and reached, I could have touched the ropes. Right in front of us were the guy who rings the bell, the announcer who gets in the ring and introduces each fight and says something like "LLLLLLLEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTT'SSSSSSS GGGGGEEEETTTT RRREEEADDDDDDYYYYYY TTTOOOO RRRRUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLEEEE!!!" If you couldn't read that - that was Let's get ready to Rumble! The doctors and all the judges were sitting in front of us as well.

The story gets better though...

Beside us, there were 6 seats and in about 20 minutes, some wonderful people arrived for those seats beside us. They were the Mojo Radio Girls and the Appleton Jamaica Rum Girls. Yes that is right - these are the girls who hold a sign that says Round 2 or Round 3 or whatever round it is in between each round. They are wearing next to nothing and of course, looking pretty good. We were speaking to them and a couple of them were definitely very very very stupid. But, there were a couple that we pretty smart and could carry a whitty conversation. Anyway, it made for a good site to see - that is for sure.

It gets better...

The promoter of the fight came to see Tony part way through just to make sure that we were doing all right and enjoying the seats. We both said that were having a great time and couldn't believe the location we were sitting. He then said to us that we would like what was coming next. He told us that someone very important to the boxing world was going to be making an appearance that night.

Then in about 15 minutes, none other than Mr. Lennox Lewis arrived with his entourage. Yeah, you heard me correctly - the WBA Heavyweight Champion of the World. So many people were going up to him and bothering him for autographs. He signed a few but I don't blame him and his entourage for slowly refusing cause it was taking away from the action in the ring and no one was really paying attention to any of the fights. I got some photos of him but the best thing was that just before the final match of the evening, he came out into the ring to say a few words. Since I was sitting right beside the entrance, I was the closest to him at one point as he entered - I was within 4 feet of him. And no, I did not say anything stupid to him like I did to Latrell Sprewell 6 weeks ago)

All in all, a fantastic evening that was totally unexpected and ended up being really fun. I can't wait to see my photos - hopefully they turned out. The actual boxing action was awesome too. There were 5 fights in total and they were all pretty impressive. It's amazing to watch the endurance and agility of these athletes. Over the past couple of years, I've started appreciating the sport of boxing for its skill and strategy rather than thinking of it as some sport where two people beat the crap out of each other. Sitting so close, I heard every blow and saw all of their facial expressions. It was really pretty exciting.

Wow - I've written a lot. I got to get some work done now .
Have a good Sunday.

in following eric's words...i must also congratulate tai and smith on their new jobs. tai - great work landing that one dude. eric told me the story...well done. smith, i am proud of you my minority loving brother. as i said in that mail to you and tchao today...i fell big things coming for you both shortly. i had a vision last night. perhaps it was the inspiring conversation i had with tchao. maybe it was the work out i did. or maybe, it was some of my mom's homecooking. whatever it was - i'm feeling it and get ready for the ride! tchao, your vision will come soon...don't you worry.

Hello everyone,

I have returned from my westcoast journey and I absolutely loved it. It was fantastic and I can't wait to return. I've got lots to write but not tonnes of time so I am going to write until I get tired and then continue more tomorrow.

First off - My heart goes out to everyone that has perished or was injured in the terrorist bombings in Bali. I feel a lot closer to this particular event cause it was only 5 months ago that I was at both of those clubs partying with Eric and Karen. And, now - they don't exist. It's absolutely crazy. I don't really know what to say...it's weird cause Bali really is like an island paradise tucked away from everything else. It's very commercialized and there are tonnes of tourists there but it's really pretty peaceful and beautiful for the most part. I think that out of all of Indonesia, Bali is definitley the most visited island so tourism dollars are mucho mucho in Bali. Indonesia is completely Muslim except for Bali so if Al Queda is behind this - that kind of makes sense because I don't know if they would bomb somewhere with majority Muslims. I'm not sure what else to say right now except I was pretty overcome with emotion last night when I heard about this story. I had a tough time falling asleep last night and was worried I was going to have some crazy dreams.

Happy Birthday Ashvin, Manasi and Sachin. Hope you guys all had fantastic days.

While in Vancouver - it came to my knowledge that a lot more people than I knew are actually reading my webpage. I think that is really cool but I also think that I gotta do something with it now. I mean, it's fine for news about me but really, people want more than just text. There has to be some colour, some picture, some sound. I gotta work on this thing so please bear with my while the transition process occurs. And sorry for writing about my morning routine some time over the past month (according to Vas). I still don't know when I did but I apoligize nonetheless. You know how it goes though...some days, there just ain't any news.

This past weekend, I was in Whistler with Vas and it was...well, words can't really describe how good it was. I mean - the scenery, the views, the people, the climate. You can't go wrong at all. It's just out of this world but actually, it's only a 5 hour flight and 1.5 hour drive away so I think that I might go again...SOON!!! I think that out of all my friends, Vas definitely has the best gig and I am totally envious of his life right now. Damn, how can you compete with that. Great job in a great location doing what you love to do.

On Friday of last week (before going up to Whistler), I finally did the Grouse Grind . I've wanted to do this hike for a long long long time but I haven't been in Vancouver for the correct season. I'm glad that I did it (it took me about 62 minutes) but it's not a very fun hike. I am really glad that I didn't do it on the weekend cause I've heard it is a little crazy busy (actually very crazy busy). I wanted to be under an hour so I'll have to test myself again sometime and make sure I beat my time. Here are some specs on the hike - "The trail itself can be summed up in a few words. 2.9 kilometers. 2800 feet elevation gain. Slope of up to 45 degrees. Rugged terrain. The trail has been compared to a non-stop climb of one and a half times the CN Tower in Toronto.

Time for bed now but I must share my displeasure with the radio before I leave. I hear the same damn 8 or 9 songs every two hours. What the heck is up with that? What are some of the good radio stations I can start listening to? Either on the radio (from another city or country)? Or, some Universities have good stations that play funky non-commercialized stuff. The reason I just thought of all this is that the Nelly/Kelly song just came on for the 3rd time tonight.

BOOO!!!!

Good night,

I love Vancouver, British Columbia. I arrived here this evening around 7:00 pm and immediately, had perma smile ever since leaving the airport. I am just about to go to bed and I am still feeling great. It was a fantastic evening cause I had Thai food with Jen So and Kris (one of my old roommates from UBC). After, we went to Goo (A Japanese Bar) for some drinks and Kris's girlfriend Leanne joined us. It was a great evening just chilling with those guys and reminiscing with Kris about our times at Fairview Crescent at UBC. Luen, Rachel and Smith - you guys know what I'm talking about.

I am staying at the Sutton Place right in the heart of the city at Robson and Burrard. I walked up and down Robson today and it was so great. Kris told me that UBC has changed (especially the plaza with the McDonald's) so I am excited to go and check that out.

Time for bed but I will talk to ya'll again soon. I still gotta tell you about the rest of my time in Calgary. I did go to Lake Louise on Sunday which was absolutely breathtaking.

Once again - Vancouver is amazing!!!

It's Saturday night in Calgary. I just got home from the Flames-Oilers game at the Saddledome and Nitin's hockey game afterwards. So far, Calgary has been great fun hanging out with Nitin and Manju but it is pretty damn cold here. It was snowing quite a bit this morning at about 8:00 am (luckily I was still sleeping through that). I arrived here last night around 7:00 after taking ZIP Airlines (new Air Canada Discount Fair like Tango) from Winnipeg. The flight was okay but I was fortunate enough to sit beside a couple and their two young children - a 3 year old and a 5 year old. That made for a rather loud and somewhat annoying experience. I tried to sleep but I don't know how effective it was. Last night after coming home and resting up, I went out to Nitin's first hockey game. It was at he Olympic Oval at the University of Calgary campus. Really nice arena inside the speed skating track. There were a bunch of kids taking speed skating lessons and that looked really cool. The game was interesting (actually, quite entertaining). They got smoked (and no better this evening). In defence though, the two teams they played have clearly been playing together for a year or two whereas his team is still trying to figure out each other's styles. This afternoon, Nitin and I went golfing (9 holes here in Calgary). I had a really fun time although, it was a little cold - no more than 4 degrees C (40 degrees F). My putting was totally on today and my 6 iron was absolute money. After golf, we got some McSh*ts (haven't had that in a while) and watched some playoff baseball. The Angels upset the Yankees today (YEAH!) and the Cardinals beat the Diamondbacks. The Twins forced a game 5 tomorrow against Oakland so that should be exciting. Tomorrow - Nitin, Manju and I are thinking of going to Banff so that will be great.

I saw the craziest thing today. While driving on the highway, we overtook two cars:
The first licence plate was NOV 805
The second licence plate was NOV 804

Can you believe that??? Yeah, the little things amuse me.

The rest of my week in Winnipeg last week went well. My work at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre all ended up really well and I learned a lot about the products that I will be selling and more importantly, the needs of our customers. I had some great dinners while I was in Winnipeg so that worked out well but I must say that eating out isn't a novelty anymore. In fact, I am getting sick of this whole traveling and eating out all the time routine. I haven't event done it for very long and already, I am complaining. The whole act of eating out isn't cool anymore because it's actually "eating". It's not a new luxury, it is neccesity. And, every meal is usually pretty fatty and processed so you can't be as healthy. Also - staying in hotels has lots it's lustre...it just ain't as comfortable as home. One thing that I did discover was that the nightlife in Winnipeg is pretty crappy. On Thursday, I tried 5 different places and found nothing so I was back at the hotel and in bed by about 11:45 pm.

Speaking of bed, I should make my way there...big day ahead of me tomorrow.
Goodnight.

Did you guys all hear about the whole Ron Maclean thing with CBC Hockey Night in Canada? Ron Maclean is the pillar of the show and he can't go. He is as charismatic as Bob Costas on NBC in the States. He's a great broadcaster and would be sadly missed. It seems like they are off by about $25,000 per year which is absolutely crazy considering what athletes in the actual game that he broadcasts make. I think that Labatt (who is the major sponsor of Hockey Night in Canada) should pony up some money and help CBC out (considering they are a crown corporation).

Today at the hospital was fantastic. I saw a bunch of crazy cases including some etopic (spelling?) pregnancies, a scrotal study and some breast studies. It was pretty cool seeing all of that.

Now, it's time to go out for some Japanese food (again). I know there are other options, but damn, I am craving sushi again.

How long has it been since I last wrote to you all (not counting the quick hit last night)? Well tonnes has happened as it always seems to. One of the biggest things was that I ran a 10 km run on Saturday (the 18th of September). It was at Waterloo Park and it was for Brain Tumor research. I ran with people from work and also, Cristine, Flo and Ruth. I am really glad that I did it cause I've been talking about doing a run for the longest time and I actually finally did it. I ran it in about 52 minutes which I think is a great time considering I wanted to beat 55 minutes. That night - a huge group from the Waterloo posse went out for dinner (to a Korean restaurant, which I heard was good) and then out dancing at the Living Room. I had a really good time at the Living Room and it was really great to chill with the gang, especially Mae, Tchao and Birdie (cause I hadn't seen them in so long).

I left on Sunday to go travelling through Western Canada for 2 weeks. I'll be here in Winnipeg until Friday the 4th and I am hanging out here in the hospital learning in the Radiology department. Then on Friday, I leave for Calgary for 5 days where I will be hanging out with our Sales guy next week. The weekend should be great cause I'll be able to hang out with Nitin and Manju. After Calgary, I'll be on my way to Vancouver and I'm really excited about that. I haven't been to Vancouver in a long time (over a year I think) so it will be great to go and see the posse. The beautiful part will be Thanksgiving long weekend. I'll be up in Whistler with Vas chilling out for a couple of days - I can't wait for that.

Since my Latrell Sprewell story, I have had some other brushes with greatness. Except this time, I didn't say anything (perhaps I learned my lesson). When I was flying to Dallas a couple of weeks ago, Forest Whitaker was in the security line behind. I couldn't remember any movie that he was in, except afterwards, I was reminded that he was the star of your favourite movie and mine, Ghost Dog. Then, on Sunday - when I was flying to Winnipeg, the entire Edmonton Eskimos CFL team was at the same gate as me cause they were all flying home to Edmonton. It was interesting to just sit there and see how big these guys are. They were all absolute beasts.

There are tonnes of other things that I've wanted to write on this page for you all. I just can't remember them now. It's weird cause as the week goes on, I encounter things that I think would be interesting to speak about on the site. Except, I always forget what they are when the time comes.

I an watching Game 1 of the Yankees - Angels baseball playoff series. The Angels were leading 5 - 4 in the bottom of the 8th inning. There were two outs and then all of a sudden, the Yankees exploded for 4 runs (including a 3 run dinger by Bernie Williams). Now, Mariano Rivera is coming in to close out the show in the top of the ninth. How do the Yankees seem to do this every year in the postseason?

I'll leave with this. There is a chance that I am going to the Tragically Hip concert here in Winnipeg tomorrow night (with really good free tickets) and then on Thursday, there is a De La Soul concert going on so that will be hype for sure.

Have a great day...

it's 12:00 am in Winnipeg right now. I am pretty drunk cause I had 1/2 a litre of white wine with sushi tonight. dinner was fantastic at this restaurant in winnipeg called Meiji Sushi (like the Meiji Shrine in Harajuko, Tokyo).

I have been meaning to blog for a long time now but cause it's late, I should get to bed. I promise to write more soon though. I definitely promise.

Thanks to Amisha for sending this message:

>Below are the lyrics to Missy Elliot's new song: Work It
>(I believe the line in question is the last one...)
>*****************
>
>Is it worth it, let me work it
>I put my thang down, flip it and reverse it
>If you got a big [elephant], let me search it
>To find out how hard I gotta work ya
>
>******************
>(close to aneil's interpretation of the last line as:
>itz snurf ama within id nayet chrup)

Yeah, so it seems like I didn't know what I was talking about. But then again, did any of you?

Also, happy birthday to Reva and Bina today. Hope you both have excellent days and I would love to see both of you soon. Reva - good luck in Mexico when you leave next week.