I Recommend(AmitL)

Hi,all!!I'm sure you all had a Happy Diwali and a Dazzling New Year!!On to the interesting topic of the month: 

I recommend:

- Smiling in the dark when you wake up in the morning.

- Drinking 3-4 glasses of water before brushing your teeth.

- Saying a prayer before distracting your thought processes with TV/radio/newspaper

- Reading at least one positive thought, like' Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use'

-Exercise for 15-20 minutes-be it walking/jogging in place,walking outside,stretching,et al.

- Now,my favourite-have a cup of tea.

- Think about one thing/person you're grateful about, in life.

- At work/office/college/school: If someone's annoying you,think of one good part of their personality.  Your responses to their spoken words will make you the winner.

- After lunch,i.e. the afternoon period,when your efficiency's going down: Think of your motivation for the day/week: Could be something you plan for the evening,or for the weekend. It could be salary day coming up. (Of course,if that doesn't work, a painkiller pill like Combiflam is the last option...at least for me..LOL)

- In the evenings-now,this one's really difficult,unless you're a forced bachelor/ette like me- keep some 'time out' for yourself- for a calming bath/shower or to read a book you've been meaning to since quite some time or to listen to 'Chak De Phatte' kind of songs which can't fail to put your feet in tip-tap motion,to sit in silence for a few minutes.....endless possibilities.

- During anytime of the day,you can also try 'palming'-i.e. covering both eyes with your palms while keeping the eyes open and looking at the endless blackness...does wonders,sometimes,but,only if the mind is not too tense.

- Before going to dreamland and after taking the relaxing bath/shower: Close your eyes/pray and Thank God for letting another day pass by without any major health issues,any major problems,except,of course,for those petty nuisances(Colleagues arguing,kids shouting/fighting,wifey cribbing,friends ignoring....LOL) which,when you think of it, are what really make your life worth living-bringing the variety which adds spice to what would otherwise be a dreary existence!!:)

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Post script::If you can follow even half of the above tips, hats off to you!!I haven't been successful to that level so far(Except for the prayer parts) !!!And,then,again,maybe that's again what brings variety to life-being happy doing some of these things,and,being unhappy because I lost my temper/felt sad,etc!!Life's too precious,after all!

10 things I'd like to do in this lifetime: AmitL

Hi,all. A very cheerful week to everyone!!

This is a 'June topic' which only Mich touched upon last month,and very nicely,too!I hope everyone read it. (Though, I see only a few comments)

It’s a topic I did want to write about. After all, wish lists are always nice, na? Of course, I’m not too much into the ‘Moh Maaya’(materialistic things) kind of stuff, so, let’s see how many I can think of. (They are not in 1 to 10 order)

(1)Attend a Filmfare awards nite. Only the front row seats, please, so that I get the best view. Take this time, with SRK and Saif as the comperes. Both these stars are always hilarious , especially this time, with their take in blue towels, on ‘piya piya oh piya piya’. Also lively are the dance performances, every year. Now, this one shouldn’t be too difficult to attend, as long as I’m earning in Dubai dirhams, should it? (I mean, the *into 12* phenomenon is always nice, when worked the other way round, na?like, 12000 Rs is just 1000 Dirhams.LOL)

(2)Have my own successfully running bookshop, a la Crossword. Sheer bliss. No more headaches of the Contracting line. I’d, of course, probably be the highest spender at the shop every month.


(3)Visit Holland again, in the Oct- Dec period, which, I feel is the best travel period. ( I didn’t mention Matheran and Kodaikanal, my other two favourite places, since I know I’ll visit them, sooner or later)

(4)Write a novel about a blogger(But,of course!!), with Amrita and Keshi being assistant ghost-writers. *Sudden brilliant idea*-We’ll compile a lot of it from Keshi’s blog and the zillion comments which appear there. If Keshi doesn't mind, of course.(Would you mind,Keshi??)

(5)Compile a joke book and see if I can find a publisher who’d stop laughing after reading the first few pages. (Perhaps that’s why I’ve been adding on to my jokes blog since ages)

(6)Go ‘Around the world in 8(0) days.

(7)Meet Kitu Gidwani(Those who don’t know the lil lady, kindly go to google images)

(8)Meet members of the BUF team, preferably at a BUF Meet where everyone’s present, or, individually,like, Ishi in Delhi,Keshi in Australia,Amrita in NY/Nasik,Sam in Pune(Am I right, Sam?), coz I doubt that we all could congregate together at one place at the same time.

(9)Travel on a private jet, just to see what personalized service is all about.

(10)Spend my last moments lying down with a serene smile on my face, contented that I’ve seen what I wanted to see, I’ve done what I wanted to do.*wink wink- please don’t ask ‘what’?*.

Whew-that was tougher than I thought!!!

Holiday Spots that stole my heart:AmitL

(Note: This post might be 'add'ited in a day or two)

Hi,all!After a brief hiaitus, I'm back..and,let me say,I really missed checking out BUF daily...firstly,happy birthday again to all the June celebrators...Keshi,Ishi,Jeetendra,Loon Gal!!:)

Thinking of holiday spots, I love Rajasthan,as I said in my comment on Sam's post.But,the three holiday spots which really stole my heart,were:

1. Matheran:


This dream place..for those who don't know about it, it's a place in Maharashtra.There's a special train which goes from Neral(near Mumbai) to Matheran, somewhat like a toy train, which sometimes goes so slow that you can hop off and on at will,but,the picturesque route makes up for the slow speed,totally! During monsoons,the route is closed,to avoid accidents.

Once you reach the bottom of this hill station(the entry point), you can forget one of your modern amenities,i.e. anything with an engine,be it cars,scooters,rickshaws...the mode of transport is either cycle/hand drawn rickshaw or horses.

Once you enter this quaint hill station,you wonder which year this place stopped reacting to civilization...it's just like one of those quaint towns in Enid Blyton books. No pucca paths to speak of, no multi-storeyed concrete towers...

There are hotels to suit every budget,right from a jhuggi type to a five-star type, complete with pool,suites,et al. Of course,as is the case at most hill stations,restaurants,and all the stores,curio shops,et al,have prices which are much higher than normal. But then, people think-we don't come here everyday,so,why not splurge?

There are a number of 'points', like echo point,panorama point,King George point,et al, where they take you on horse back(If you have a bad back,better you walk). And,of course,when you reach there,there's the vendors waiting with open arms to sell you everything from Makkai to cold drinks to chips.

So,ok,the place is commercialized,yes,but,the absence of any motor vehicles is such a great plus point! I wouldn't mind retiring there someday!
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2. Kodaikanal:

We had been to Kodaikanal quite a few years back,and, it was right after visiting the highly commercialized Ooty(once the favorite shooting location of all Bollywood movies.). We were put up at Hotel Kodai International,and had the pleasure of meeting the owner,a very NTR-type orange robed politico guy, who used to greet all his guests personally.The place,at that time,was totally natural. Very less concrete,lots of waterfalls(I remember one particularly lovely,gigantic waterfall),lots of greenery...something like a 'back to nature' experience. Wonder if it's still the same? Anybody been there recently?
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3. Holland:

I was always a fan of Radio Netherlands,back in college days. Little did I know that I'd have the good fortune to visit this lovely place one day.It's everything that the tour books promote. Unpolluted atmosphere, trams taking you around the place, smiling locals who welcome visitors,the waterways with the houseboats,the glass lined boats that give you a tour of the place,while serving free cheese(Holland cheese-slurp,in spite of diet restrictions) n a few other knick knacks.

There were,of course,the shocking places,too-right from the s*x museum to the s*x shops to the torture museum,right down to(No pun intended) the red light area which had red rotating beacons placed all around. Our guide told us to avoid taking any pics in this zone, to avoid hassles with touts. Imagine our astonishment- the,err,business ladies would be visible behind a full glass panelled window,and, once someone stuck a 'deal' with them or their tout,the curtain would be drawn, for further necessary action..and,we actually saw a 11-12 year ole bargaining with one of them..whew!

There were also the fields where the famous Holland windmills are installed, which also added a lot of charm to their countryside.

Can you imagine,it was 3 deg C the day we were there,it began raining and still none of us fell ill or even got a cold. Definitely,a place which can elongate your life,if you can afford to stay there.

Perhaps I'll put up a snap or two of the place,which I had taken,when I edit this post. I have to locate them first.

Till next time, cheerio!

The BUFer game:AmitL

Hi,Vishesh-a big smile at your reminder for posts!! It seems that people are busy with year endings, exams, holidays……!!!! Come on, guys and gals, wherever you are, on your hols or on duty, I’m sure you’ll have net access, na? Penning a few thoughts is always a great change from the routine of work/study life . At least, I find it so! J:)

I thought and thought- which fellow BUF-er to pick? Thought about character traits- of everyone I’ve met via BUF- Ishi, Loon Gal, Mich, Vishesh, Raj, Sam, Uttara, Silvara,…… ran (read)through people’s ’10 things about me’. And, expectedly, came up with one logical answer-Keshi. It reminded me- that although everyone here is a good,nee,great friendly friend, character traits cannot really be judged unless you’ve me that person or, the person writes from the heart, about everything, like Keshi does.

So, what’d I name after Keshi?

The Institution: Keshi’s Friends’ Society (KFS, in short-does it rhyme with a food chain?*muses*).

What’d it have? All kinds of sections, to match everyone’s mood! For example, I can think of:

The Friend’s Lounge at the entrance, where Keshi, the happy proprietor, would be sitting on a special heart-shaped chair with a big smiley painted on it, feeling thrilled to be welcoming everyone!( and tiring out her voice box in the bargain. grin)

The Music Lounge: On the left side, would be a soundproofed room containing 8-10 music systems with Bose headphones attached to each one for everyone’s dreamy listening pleasure. The wide variety of music choices would be of the kind that Keshi loves, but, yes, also all other varieties as well, since she never imposes her views/songs on anyone and is happy to let them choose their favorites.:)

The Bloggers Lounge : Would be a section with a multitude of computers, all net-connected. Where people could blog to their heart’s content. The home page would be Keshi’s blog, but naturally. And, Keshi’d soon have to remove the ‘comments moderation’ part from her blog, since the comments would be flowing in at 100 per minute. (I think they flow in at that speed even now!grin!)
There’d also be an ‘updated blogs’ 42” plasma screen on the wall, showing a list of the latest updates on Keshi’s friends’ blogs.

The Photography Lounge: Where all of Keshi’s albums would be on display- pics of her with her favourite people, favorite bloggers, favorite kids…. There would be a ‘Friends’ wall’ as well , where visitors to KFS could put up their authgraphed pics, as well! For those who did not bring their pic, thoughtful Keshi has made arrangements for a ‘quick pic’ (Jhatpat Photo, as they call it in India) cubicle. The wall would have to be extendable, of course!

Just when you are feeling that you have entered heaven and could stay in this cozy place forever, you’d come to the exit door, saying ‘Thank you- do come again’.

Keshi, err, any additions I should have made?:)

PS People have been known to exit, and reenter once again from the main door, since they cannot bear the thought of leaving such a nice place.

Till the next post, Cheerios!!Awaiting some posts from everyone on the April topics, now!

Last time I cried tears of happiness:AmitL

The year: 2003. The month: January.

It was nearly one year since I had joined my previous company, here in Dubai, as a greenhorn, in spite of my having had a long work experience in India. (Also, within two months of joining, I’d changed my forte from engineering to Engineering-based-Procurement, which made me more of a greenhorn that first year. LOL)

My leave application had been discussed, negotiated, debated, dissected. mulled over and any other words you can think of, before it was passed. It had gone to the extent of being told ‘You are an engineer. Engineers don’t take leave’ and ‘Why 30 days? Go for ten days and come back’. But, after all the haggling, and, seeing that I remained firm to the extent of saying 'Either I go, or, I GO (forever),(In fact, this threatening was something I continued every year, otherwise I'd have grown old here and forgotten what Baroda was like) they had finally signed the application and the clearance for me to be paid my LTA.(The Procurement Mgr, the HR Manager, the Finance Manager, the MD- all signed). That was the first ‘tears of happiness’ I had in private, that evening, when I returned to the studio flat where I was staying. I know it sounds silly, but, when you have been away from your family and relatives and all, for the first time in your life, and that too for a full year, such emotions do come into play, however, err, mature you tout yourself to be.

Anyway, after days of anticipation, of shopping (At that time, electronic gizmos, gift items, et al were still not so easily available in India as they are now, in the dollar shops, the Rs 49-99 shops, and even with the friendly neighbourhood larriwallah), of numbering (this gift for this individual, et al-after all, it was the first trip back to India), et al, the day dawned. Rather, the night dawned, err, fell. I was at the airport 4 hours before the flight, and, once the entry was permitted, I spent a pleasant time doing a bit more last-minute shopping and more of window-shopping at DDF(Dubai Duty Free)(Shucks, I might as well say this- at that time, in the first year, I’d not saved much, as is normal for anyone setting up a ‘second home’ anywhere, and all this shopping had put another dent(happy dent?) into the savings.)

Along with all the other ‘mad’ people, as soon as the boarding announcement was made, I rushed with my cabin baggage to stand in the jostling crowd(Now, I don’t rush sooo much, naturally!) and heaved a big sigh of relief when I entered the plane- no-one could call me now for work-related issues(The calls had continued till the airport). After observing the co-passengers(the villager who sat with his feet up on the seat in a squatting position, for example- you get these sorts when you travel AI, even today, I’m sure), and settling down, the time flew by, and suddenly, the announcement came-‘ We shall be landing at Mumbai’s CST airport in thirty minutes…’

…and, THAT was the moment (the last time I can remember) when I had tears of happiness in my eyes. All kinds of dramatic things, like wanting to bend down in prayer on landing on Indian earth and picking up a mound of earth(Mere desh ki dharti, so to speak), shaking hands with all the passengers, dancing around at the airport to express my joy crossed my mind. (Of course, I didn’t do any of them.Or, did I??*muses* )

And, then, the plane landed.

Response to Book Review: AmitL

Hi,all. I had written to shivkhera.com regarding the book review I'd done a few posts back and I just got this email reply,which I wanted to share with everyone:
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Dear Mr Amit Loiwal,

Greetings from Qualified Learning Systems !!We express our heart felt thanks for your kind words and appreciate posting book review on the blog.Thanks once again for sharing your success story with us.We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.Together let us make our country proud.

Best Regards,

Suneera Anand
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Feels good,na!!

Favorite Time of the day: AmitL

GOOD MORNING

My favorite time of the day, is surely the first 1.2-2 hours after waking up. The main reason is, of course, that I’m an early bird(to get the proverbial worm?LOL), so, I’m as energetic at this time, as I am tired by the end of the day(sometimes). So, what makes these morning hours so memorable?

First and foremost, of course, the reason is- it’s my time. I can schedule what I want, when I want. (Just like ‘my blog’ and I can write what I want, when I want. Heh heh.

(That's the perky feeling which mornings bring)

Once the mental alarm goes off at 0500 AM or so, I wake up, do a quick , err, ‘limb check’ to ensure all systems normal and functioning like they were the day before- the arms, legs, etc( and Thank God for the same!)

At a leisurely pace, I then enjoy( one by one, of course) ½ a lemon with two glasses of lukewarm water.(Clears any irritation in the throat), followed by:

- Making tea.

- Sitting and enjoy the half cuppa tea sip-pa by sip-pa.

- Reading either the morning paper(boy, do I miss TOI/ IE out here in the mornings? Indeed I do), or a Perry Mason or a Archie Digest or a mag, while sipping tea. This is followed by:

- Continuing to read – especially Perry Mason, if it’s an engrossing part. OR

- Doing some stretching exercises OR

- If in mood(which is most of the time), I go for a nice brisk walk, mp3 player in place. Enjoy the morning sights(or, the absence of them), the reduced traffic.Flick a copy of 7days from somewhere on the route(this is a paper distributed free here, but they drop it usually outside shops). If I walk in the garden, it’s always nice to see the greenery(normal and two-legged), then, there’s this couple who always bring food for the cats that inhabit the place, there’s some people doing yoga, some fast asleep on the benches……

- Reach home, bathe, get ready- by this time, it’s 0715 AM.

- Other occasional ‘enjoyments’ during this time:

- Breakfast of upma or idli or wholemeal bread or branflakes with milk, with a fruit. (This is the only time I feel hungry during the day)

- Watching repeat of ‘CID’ on Sony TV(On Sunday)

- Checking out my blog, BUF, others, emails, news!

- Deciding to take a day off and going back to sleep!

And, that(When I leave the house to go to office), as far as I am concerned, is the end of the day, during a (working) weekday. From then to catching the bus to returning home to falling asleep, the time just flies by. ……and, then, voila! it’s a lovely, beautiful morning again!!

(Pic: E.M.E. temple, Baroda)

Add-on: When in Baroda, the additional good part of the morning is joining in the morning prayers at the serene EME temple, one of my favorite places. For more on this and other places in Baroda, see here.

Waiting for other people's 'favorite time of the day', now!Loon Gal, Keshi, Sam..everyone-perk up,puhlease!

Book Review: AmitL

'Winners don't do different things. They do things differently'.- that's the quote on the cover of one of my all-time favourite books, which I never stop waxing eloquent about,to all and sundry. There have always been skeptics who would go 'Oh,I don't believe in these self-help books-they're a load of crap', but, sooner or later,they would get back to me and say 'Thanks for recommending the book'. By a conservative estimate on Shiv Khera's website and on the cover of the book, it has sold a million copies. Now,that might be a few years' ole estimate,and,that too,of the official copy. I've seen oodles of pirated copies,in Baroda,Mumbai,et al,and,even those are best-sellers.(Quite an antithesis-a pirated best-seller!). I'm sure many BUFers must've read it too?

On to the book: What's it about? It's about you,us,our lives,simple examples which usually don't open our eyes.It has chapters from 'building a positive attitude', to, 'winning strategies',to'what is holding us back' and, 'values and vision'(doing the right things for the right reason). Nowhere does the book say that you Must do such-and-such, in order to succeed. It moves along in it's lucid way,giving examples and letting you see for yourself, how you can be a better human being.

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Some of the quotes from the book which I found inspirational:

- 'The foundation of success, regardless of your chosen field, is attitude.' The example is given of David and Goliath-the 17-year old shepherd boy is not scared of the giant Goliath(while all others are terrified),and says' He is not too big to hit,he is too big to miss', and proceeds to kill the giant with a slingshot.Same giant, different perceptions.

- TQP: Total Quality People- what organisations need- people with character,integrity,good values and positive attitudes.

(And,believe me, it makes a difference,if you're one of these people- for some time, chamchas(spoons) of bosses might rule the roost, but,finally,what brings rewards is your honesty,dedication and positive attitude-that's my years' of experience- AmitL)

- In a positive environment, a marginal performer's output goes up. In a negative environment, a good performer's output goes down.

(I put this one into practice wherever I work- I avoid the negative people who's main job is to crib all the time, and keep company with the positive ones)

- People with positive attitufes are caring, confident,patient and humble. They have high expectations of themselves and others. They anticipate positive outcomes.

(Think- how much does this apply to yourself, either at home or at work?AmitL)

-A negative attitude causes: bitterness,resentment,a purpuseless life,ill health, high stress levels for themselves and others.

(So,next time you feel angry or bitter,think-is a negative attitude the cause?AmitL)

- Doing it now: Simply expressed by a short poem:

He slept beneath the moon,

He basked beneath the sun

He lived a life of going to do

and died with nothing done.....James Albery

-Develop an attitude of gratitude. Take time to smell the roses. There is a lot to be thankful for.Many of our blessings are hidden treasures- count your blessings and not your troubles.

(One person I can always associate with such an attitude most of the time,is Keshi- who is usually positive in all her posts, replies to comments,et al,and,still remains a sensitive human being!Thanks,Keshi,for being a 'positive blogger!)

-Build a positive self-esteem- the way you feel about yourself.When we feel good, our performance goes up, and our relationships improve,both at home and at work.

(Now,isn't that the truth and nothing but the truth? And,yet,we(including me) end up feeling bad/deprived/angry many times, leading to a drop in performance.AmitL)

I think I'll end this book review now. There's so much I've highlighted in it,things which have helped me come out of the worst of moments in the past few years. There's just one last comparison which I need to mention:

'Winners v/s losers'(there's a whole list of points,these are the ones I found best):

- The winner is always a part of the answer. The loser is always part of the problem.

- The winner always has a program. The loser always has an excuse.

-The winner says' Let me do it for you'. The loser says' That is not my job'

(Albeit, use this phrase at your own discretion at work-you could end up doing everyone's job)

- Winners make it happen. Losers LET it happen.

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And,yes, for those of you who can't get hold of the paper copy, I do have an ebook which I can email to you. Let me know. Happy reading!

Missing Sunday: AmitL: Part I

HELLLP! I have a vague recollection of some events. Let’s see…I got up at 530 AM, went through the routine err, routines, coming to office, and then it began. A veritable bombardment- phone calls followed by phone calls followed by- you guessed it still more phone calls…from the landline to the mobile to the landline to the…In between, I have a vague recollection of eating salad and LF curd, and, then it was back to the bombardment as soon as I returned to what appeared to be my desk. Did I also manage to do some work in between?*muses*…I also remember walking and cycling sometime after that, in a despo attempt to forget the ache in my ears…

Did it happen? Did I dream it all? Or, was it all an extended Saturday night dream, and I slept through the whole of Sunday?

…and, today is Monday, when I’m alive and awake and feeling much fresher.

LOL. It happens, it happened yesterday, it could happen in the coming days as well. A Sunday gone missing, I mean. And, I’m left wondering whether the vague recollection was an illusion, a dream which I'm remembering nicely or reality.

Of course, it has happened with me only in Dubai. What happens is, Sunday is the first day of the working week here(Fri, Sat being off). So, all those suppliers who have also had two days off, or, those who could not contact me on Saturday( I avoid picking up the cellphone on Saturdays), have me on their ‘hit list’ for Sunday. So, from the cell to the landline to the cell, the day flies by, clubbed with the usual paperwork and all related project works, many times, the day ends before I can say ‘Ahchoo’.

At the end of it all, this is what it feels like, wondering how Sunday flew by:

Cheers! A bit more on Sundays, in the next part.

Word:Reflections:AmitL

Hi,all..I've been wondering which 'reflections' to write about...while I scratch my head and think of the best ones, here's some triva on the word,for you:

The word is pronounced'(rĭ-flěk'shən) '

It has some unusual definitions,besides the normal reflection in the mirror kind,which go:

- Something, such as light, radiant heat, sound, or an image, that is reflected.
- Mental concentration; careful consideration.
- A thought or an opinion resulting from such consideration.
- The folding of a membrane from the wall of a cavity over an organ and back to the wall.
The folds so made.
- An indirect expression of censure or discredit: a reflection on his integrity.
- A manifestation or result: Her achievements are a reflection of her courage.

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Ok,so,after doing some mental concentration and giving some careful consideration,I arrived at a thought. The reflections I want to,err,reflect upon in my first post on the topic,relate to the oft-ignored(beyond a certain extent) part of the anatomy-our teeth. The reason?I was at the dentist's yesterday,and after an excrutiating filling,I couldn't help reflecting on what must have been on God's mind when he gave us teeth.

I mean,look,we brush them daily, we take whatever care we can,of these whites(Or,yellows,as happens in some cases,or,beetle-stained coloured ones,in still other cases)- some of us even floss them,get them shined regularly,treat them as well as we do our crowning glory(hair). Then, why do these batteeesis(32s) end up troubling us so many times?

Firstly, I wonder why all the teeth were not made identical? I mean,why not the front teeth(incisors and canines) be of the same strength and type as the back ones(molars)?Ok,you'll say,the incisors are for biting,the canines are for tearing and the molars are for chewing,right?Anyway,so,assuming that God,in his infinite wisdom,decided that man(and woman)kind need all three kinds of teeth,gave them to us. But,then,there seems to be an acute shortfall of the molars-yesterday,I was wishing that there were more of them than the 20 which exist currently,(And, from these,the last three-four usually take the onus of being the main chewers)so that the burden of chewing would be more evenly distributed. Err,I did forget to mention the wisdom tooth?

Secondly,I wonder why they aren't more accessible? I mean, one of the main reason cavities occur is that despite our best efforts(cakes and chocolates and colas notwithstanding), we still do not manage to brush perfectly,leaving those danged bacteria in the plaque moving around and having a field day (or night) at our expense, finally resulting in a compulsory visit to the dentist.

Imagine the mouth being able to open still wider(Laugh your loudest laugh and try brushing then-it's still inadequate) so that the brush could reach each nook and cranny and scrape out the plaque- which otherwise our friendly dentist does with his unfriendly machines.(The sound of that bzzzzz machine really makes me go brrr!).

Thirdly, do you think it'd be better if we had all been given dentures from the time of birth? Then, it would be so easy to just remove them at will, clean them thoroughly,ensure no plaque is there,and go clackety clack whenever our heart desires.

Fourthly, I wonder what I am complaing about? I know people who have had painful extractions, root canals, and absolute torture from other tooth infections...I've just had 'simple' fillings so far- touchwood! There,I guess these reflections made me feel more cheerful than I've been feeling,after the visit to the dentist yesterday evening. Thanks for the patient listening,nee,reading,all!!!

Word:Smile: AmitL(Part II)

(Is one of the above 'smileys' you, by any chance,BUFers?)

After reading some neat posts from Keshi,Raj,Michelle,Uttara,Vishesh and Loon Gal(See,that makes it six active BUFers,I'd say) on smiles(Your second post,awaited,Loon Gal),and waiting for a few days to see more 'smiles' from others,I thought I'd 'smile' and finish my second post. So,here goes:

5 Questions people ask that make me smile:

1. At a bakery: Is the bread fresh?

(Imagine the baker saying 'No,Sir,I was about to throw it in the bin,but,please buy it).

2. At a cinema hall: Hi,there,come to see the movie?

(Imagine me,putting on a straight face and saying' Nah,I love to see serpentine queues at the box office,and come here everyday after visiting the temple.' Or' Nah, I'm doing black ticketing- 100 ka 150...how many do you want?)

3. On a jogging track: 'Hi, out for a walk?'

(Imagine me replying' Nah, I was on an AI flight and the pilot ejected me and I landed here-where am I?)

4. At the railway station, boarding Rajdhani Express to Mumbai: "Hi, going to Mumbai?"

(Imagine me looking horrified- 'nooo...I thought this was the Delhi Rajdhani- will the driver turn it around if I request him sweetly?')

5. At work:(Me,deeply absorbed in work,as I was all of last week,hence,couldn't blog/post much): *Phone rings*- 'Hello, Mr. Amit. Are you busy?'

(Imagine me saying' No- I'm just sitting here,killing flies and waiting for you to call')

5 Scenes which made me smile in the first month of 2008:

1. KG-going kid of a friend,watching "Om Shanti Om" on TV and telling me' Uncle, do you know, Shah Rukh gets fire in his bums,when he rescues the heroine?'

2. Seinfeld the serial- Kramer invents a male undergarment for George's Dad,since he has jiggling,err,orbs,and calls it the 'male Bro', and, George's Dad calls it the 'Mansierre'.(It sounds much funnier when the demonstrate it while speaking,though.LOL)- I love that show,even though Seinfeld is pretty obnoxious sometimes.

3. Me trying to pick up the garbage bag from our garbage bin,which was overfilled,and,the bottom of the bag,err,bottoming out,and me trying to frantically salvage the falling debris.(LOL-it was annoying when it happened today,but,in five minutes,I was smiling at the scene.)

4. Reading about the 'lungi brigade' in a local paper. Read about it in my blog.

5. Loon Gal's post,and,the pic of the lil guy wrinkling his nose and asking' did you smile today'?(i must print that one and keep it under my keyboard at work!Thanks,LG)

What makes me smile usually:

Oven-fresh posts from BUFers,each time I drop by and see a new post.

What made me smile today and feel thrilled(When I read the first parts of Ishi's post):

The thought that this is post number 450 on BUF...I hope,I pray,I wish I'll write the 500th one,too,and before March....but,that means,let's see..*goes to archives,sees first post of 08.03.07 from Ishi,does some quick mental maths*-for that, we would have 29+7=36 days to go-2 posts on 14 days and one post a day on the rest,till 07.03- not sooo tough,na?

So,buck up,folks- a post a day(minimum) keeps the ennui away,you know.

Ishi,after a few months of being a part of BUF,I'm sure I know which people BUF really makes a difference for,I'm not sure about why some just pay 'flying visits' and disappear for days on end,but,rest assured,I'm going to be around-very much so. Keshi,are you listening?You'd better be back,too!As Ishi says,BUF wouldn't be the same without you around.(And,don't you feel guilty-you inspired so many of us to join in,and,now you want to walk away?*smiles*-it's 'just not cricket' as they say.

Till next time,keep smiling,all!

Word: Smile: AmitL

(Quip for pic: Let your smiles progress- from big to bigger,always)

What is there about a smile that always brings a smile to my face? As they say,' A smile is a curve that can set a lot of things straight'. And,I wholeheartedly agree. As does Keshi, who was able to nicely hide her stress behind her smile yesterday*smiles again, thinking of that post*. (She did ask for rehab recommendations at the end of the post.*grin grin*). Incidentally,Keshi, I also smile when I try to find my comment and your reply on any of your posts- there's such a long set of comments that I wish you had a 'google search' in the comments section,so I could go straight to the comment and the answer,and,then only read the rest of the comments.*smile*
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I read somewhere that it takes about 20 muscles to smile and more than 40 to frown. So,why overwork your facial muscles,I always feel. Of course, if you're in the process of gymming, body building,et al, and want your facial muscles to develop as nicely as those bulging biceps, you are most welcome to frown.

But, I think a smile does more for your PR than your frown,anyday. Unless, of course, you have a Boss who says that he finds people who smile to be 'not serious' about their work.(Remember, I wrote about this some time back?I used to be totally unsmiling outwardly, and smiling/guffawing loudly inwardly,for four years in my prev. company, whenever he'd be trying his utmost to make me smile.But,then, Main Aisa Hi Hoon)
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Smile also reminds me of a joke from Charlie Brown(I still love the erudite ramblings in these one page jokes)It went like this:

Linus: You're so crabby all the time you've forgotten how to smile!
Lucy: Who's forgotten how to smile?
Linus: You have! Let's see you smile! I'll bet you can't! (Lucy tries to smile.) There! See? A smile goes up, not down! You've forgotten how to smile! See? (He leaves.)
Lucy: How humiliating!
(Footnote: People, think- are you in a situation where someone could say that to you?Life's too short,folks-so,just smile and (try to)get on with life-the challenges never end,and they shouldn't!)
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Some of my favourite 'smile' quotations :
-Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.
-A smile confuses an approaching frown
- Start every day with a smile and get it over with.
- If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it(I do that quite often*smiles while typing*)
- Always remember to be happy because you never know who's falling in love with your smile.
- If you smile at someone, they might smile back.
- Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to.
- If you would like to spoil the day for a grouch, give him a smile.
- A friendly look, a kindly smile, one good act, and life's worthwhile


You know what is better than a smile, though? A genuine laugh!

And,to end this post, let me say what I always say on my blog' Till next time,keep smiling'.More in Part II(Loon Gal, hint,hint- waiting for your post on smiles before I write any further-I didn't cover all the avenues)

Resolutions: AmitL

I know,I know...everyone says New Year Resolutions are made to be broken. But,then,what's life without something to aim for-a target,a goal,anything which goads you to do better and better? I believe in it,definitely. So,here goes: My resolutions for the New Year:



1. Keep fit: I have an ongoing battle with the bulge, as do many people. When I decide to lose weight, I do it determinedly. And, when I find stress tiring me out,I put it on just as easily(You know what they say-at times of stress,one tends to pig out,since food does not talk back or shout). But,in the bargain,I found that both extremes are not good-extreme weight loss(the last binge lost me 13 kgs), and, weight gain,too....they end up making you feel weak.So,to strike a balance between the two- the answer- gym, in additional to walks,and also a balanced diet with less tea,sugar,et al. No worries about keeping this Resolution.

2. Read more: Be it our mags, papers, Perry Masons, positive thinking books(beginning with 'You Can Win' all over again- I love this book and reco it for anyone wanting to add some positive affirmations to his or her line of thinking), Indian authors(Been reading quite a few,lately),Archie,Tintin.

3. Related to reading: Write more- Letters To Editors, articles....it was a part of my life in the nineties,and,I guess it's never stopped being a part. Been writing to only Weekend(Local mag),Filmfare,and a few others.

3. Conversely,reduce dependence on TV as an outlet for leisure- it becomes too addictive.

4. Music- besides the 'music to walk fast by', include all kinds of music-be it Indian oldies,Indian 'newies', Pop,anything with a nice beat..it surely does calm down even an already calm person like me.

5. Blogging and blog-surfing: Keep it at a regular level-it's become a part of my life,so, can't imagine being drawn away from it this year or in the coming years.

6. Compliment, appreciate and do acts of kindness to people around me- at least once a day, and,maximum,throughout the day. And,this is something BUFers excel at- complimenting and appreciating,I mean-that's why it's so nice to be a part of 'BUF world'.Conversely, if the compliment doesn't come, keep quiet,rather than being vitriolic.

7. Brush up on my vocabulary-I feel it's at a low ebb,courtesy the lack of use out here. Reason?People sometimes don't understand simple language. (Imagine communicating with a plumber in terms of ' you coming coming?water dripping dripping...)

8. What else? Those are the main resolutions,I guess! What do you think? Will I be able to keep them?

Cheers,everyone,and good luck with all your resolutions!

Ishi, time for some new topics,na?

Word: Spirit:AmitL

Hi,all,I know the word 'spirit' is intended purely for this season of being merry and in high spirits,so,I won't touch upon the topic of spirits as in ghosties and beasties that moan in the night or, spirits as in 'inebriated'.

When I seriously got down to it, I found so many interesting uses of the word in daily life.(Would love to hear more from others-Loon Gal, no excuses from you- I did not think up this word,definitely)

-A bit of wiki-knowledge:
Did you know that the English word 'spirit' comes from the Latin word' spiritus',which means 'breath'?

- Letters written by classmates for school exams:Would always include 'I hope this finds you in the pink of health and spirits'. And, I remember our English teacher pointing out that spirits should not be 'mixed and matched' with health.LOL.

- The Christmas Spirit-always visible in Baroda,in our Fatehgunj area(Christian dominated)-from shopkeepers to students, everyone's in the same 'spirited' mood. I do see the Christmas spirit here,too,in Dubai-but,in specific zones,naturally-shopper zones,rather!

- Sporting spirit-something missing from most runners of the rat race,it seems.(Sometimes,it includes me,when in a sullen mood.LOL).

-'Spirit'ual growth-something I'm always keen on pursuing.The word 'spiritual' itself conjures up a peaceful ,serene atmosphere,does it not?


'Spirited' as in the 'spirit'ed talker above.

So, which other 'spirit'(s) can you think of?

Lastly,in keeping with the jolly spirit of Christmas,how about a limerick,since laughter is good for the,err,spirit?

Santa's reindeer made quite a big goof,
When they landed all wrong with each hoof,
Every trustworthy steed,
Hit the shingles full speed,
Was he mad? Santa went through the roof!

Cheers and here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a dazzling,'spirited' 2008.

Christmas..AmitL

Hi,all...till the time I can put together a post on my better half(supposedly..*smile*) ,here's my first post on one of the new words.

Merry Christmas,everyone!

Frankly,I don't think one has to belong to a particular religion to celebrate that festival- just seeing the festive mood around is enough to make one want to join in the revelry and the feeling of joy visible most of the time,especially during a fest like Christmas.
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I read last week that children in Spain think that Santa Claus is too fat and should go on a diet,and should ditch his sleigh for a 4*4 or a motorcycle. This is based on an internet poll.53% think that he is too fat,and 59% feel that he should 'eat better' to lose weight or go to the gym. Many also think that his means of transport is too slow for delivering presents.
(Remark: Err,whatever happened to the very concept of a roly-poly Santa Claus?)
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Another article says that :

A Santa in an Australian department store said on Wednesday he has been sacked for saying "ho ho ho" and singing Christmas songs to children.

Employment company W*, which supplies stores with red-robed, white-bearded Father Christmases, had earlier asked its Santas to say "ha ha ha" because the word "ho", which is American slang for whor*, could offend women, media reported.

(Keshi,is this true?Did this really happen?)

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Last week,after nearly 5 years,I actually sat and wrote a handwritten letter-Christmas wishes to wifey's school(where she teaches) principal in India. He's been so helpful,giving her a year's

leave,so that they could come here and try out the Dubai atmosphere.

It was fun- I didn't realize how much fun handwriting a letter could be-so many ideas flow out- a pen in the hand worth two keyboards in the bush,so to speak. Anyone out there game for some good ole fashioned hand written letter correspondence?Let me know-that's provided,of course,if you're willing to write back.:) Keshi,do I see your hand going up?

Before the days of email,it was such fun going to card shops and getting cards from,say Archies and other card shops. I did see a nice crowd when I went to Archies,but,card prices-began from AED 9(nearly 100 Rs),which was quite a surprise...guess our tree-cutting habits world over are causing havoc.
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In Baroda, Christmas time is again a time for restaurant owners and all to celebrate and lure customers..so, Havmor has got a Santa outside, giving chocolates to the kids,while Sayaji has got their rooftop restaurant with Santa playing games with kids.
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The one Christmas book I remember from childhood days- Noddy meets Santa Claus. That was so nice a book- all about Santa coming to Toyland,and,going around town in Noddy's car to distribute gifts.*goes off into memory lane*.
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Time to end the post-with what else but a Ho Ho Ho- till next time. Have a great week!

Word:Fault:AmitL

Hey,we're all inundated with Chinese things,these days,right? So, I thought,why not share some of my Chinese jokes collection with everyone and see how you enjoy it? The third one,in particular,was brilliant...ROFL.


Footnote: If you did not get any of the above jokes, don't blame me- it's not my 'Fault'- you should take TOCFL,you know.(Test Of Chinese as a Foreign Language).

Cheers.Happy December!

Hello:Part II: AmitL

This one is one Hello incident I can never forget. And,that's because the shop where it took place, comes on the route of my evening walk,and the honourable gentleman who made it so memorable, can be seen from the outside, if I glance in(And, I can't resist it, you'll see why) while passing by.

It was at the time of shifting the flat(Believe me,it's tiring!),earlier this year. There's a showcase I wanted to get dismantled and reassembled. Someone recommended this carpentry shop to me,and said 'just meet the Sardarji there'.

So, I went there.

Scene 1: 3 Sardars working on a piece of wood look up.

I enter: (All three Sardarjis working):
Me: Hellow.
*I explain the requirement for five minutes to them, they nod their head in agreement. *So, I ask’ When can you come?’. The answer:’ Oh, for that you have to meet the Boss upstairs.’

So, I go up the stairs, to a small cabin. And, there’s this Senior Sardarji who gives me a big smile and switches on the Airconditioner for me:

Him: Hello, Aaiye, Aaiye. Kaise hain aap? (Hello,Come in come in. How are you?)

Me: (Pleasantly surprised): Bilkul Theek. Aap kaise hain?(I’m fine. How’re you?)

Him: Bilkul theek. Bataaiye, kya seva karen? (I’m fine. What can I do for you?)

Me: Aaj ek Showcase dismantle karwa ke reassemble karvaana hai, next building mein. (I need a showcase to be dismantled and reassembled at another place, today.)

Him: Bilkul karvaa denge. (Of course we’ll do it)

Me: Kya charge hoga?( What’ll be the charge?)

Him: Aap kya denge? (What’ll you give?)

Me: 10-20 dirham ke beech mein. (Between ten to twenty dirhams).

Him: (wide eyes): Mein to 5 dirhams se zyaada nahin loon. Koi us se zyaada maange to who chor hoga (I wouldn’t ask for more than 5 dirhams. Anyone who asks for more would be a crook).

Me: Sahi hai. Lekin urgency mujhe hai. Kaam aadhe ghante se zyaada ka nahin hai.
(True. The work is not more than half an hour).

Him: Aapko kaise pata? Aap carpenter to nahin lagte hain, to aap samay kaise bata sakte hain?. (How do you know? You don’t look like a carpenter, and if so, you cannot judge the time)

Me: (Grinning): Nahin- Main apne past experience ki baat kar raha hoon. Aapke hisaab se kitna time lagega? (No, I am not, I’m just telling my experience from the previous shifting I did. How much time do you think it will take?)

Him: Aadha Ghanta (Half an hour).
(Remark: I thought such a dialogue happened only in jokes)

Me(Concluding): To kab tak aadmi aayega? (When will the man come?)

Him: Aapka number deejiye. Mein aapko call karoonga. Aap mujhe call nahin karenge.( Give me your number. I will give you a call. You don’t call me).

Me: Haan, lekin ek time bataaiye. Us time ke baad mujhe koi aur dhoondhna padega, kyonki mujhe aaj flat waapas dena hai real estate waale ko. (Yes, but, tell me what time. After that time, if your man doesn’t come , I’ll have to look for someone else because I have to handover the flat to the Real Estate Agent)

Him: Dekhiye, aaj to nahin, kal bhi nahin, parson bhi nahin – hamaare paas Jebel Ali ka kaam hai . To teen din baad main aapko phone karoonga.(You see, it won’t be today, tomorrow or the day after. We have work from Jebel Ali. So, I will call you after three days).

(Aarghhh, I went, internally- was I speaking Hebrew all this while, when I said I wanted to get the work done today?).

Me: Oh, koi chance nahin?(Oh, no chance ?)

Him: Nahin…teen din tak bilkul nahin (No..not for three days).

Me: Theek hai. (Ok)

Him: Achcha ji…aap phone zaroor karma. (Ok…please do call.)

Me: Kyon?( For what?)

Him: Aap mujhe bataana aapne kitne mein kaam karaaya. (You tell me how much you paid to get the work done).

Me: (Smiling externally, wanting to commit murder otherwise): Bilkul, bilkul. (Sure, sure).
*I run down the narrow creaky stairs, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry in annoyance*

Scene 2: Then, I climb down the stairs, and one of the Sardarjis there goes’ Hellooo- Pssst- take this’. And, he hands me a folded cut piece of paper, to be read outside the shop. I walk a few steps and open the meticulous folds. It has a number and says (Reproduced ad verbatim):

“ Thes Nobar coll ne. AFTAR Dis Kis.”

I went off to the barber shop(Needed a haircut, pondering over the note and whether it was some special Sardarji code. Inspiration dawned suddenly- I’m sure you all must have guessed what the note meant???

Cheers!

Word: Home : AmitL

Home. Home reminds me of:

Home as in :Our ancestral home in the heart of Baroda, the place where I grew up. Back in 1940, when Granddad bought it, it was known as a ‘Bhoot Bangla’.(Abode of the Ghosts), since lights used to flicker on their own and people were more superstitious then. He simply purchased it, checked out the wiring, got it all replaced, and everything was fine. It was a three storeyed building,nee, home, with thirty three steps to floor 1, eleven+six(U turn of steps) steps to floor two and another 22 steps to top floor. (You need something to do while climbing steps, na, so, I used to count them.LOL. Try it someday, if elevators don’t exist where you stay) True to those days, the walls were 18 inches thick, while the girders, steps,etc were all wood. Lots of other memories attached to the place- but, they need a separate post, perhaps on my blog.

Home as in: Home Alone: A movie of which I only enjoyed the first part. (It’s reached part V now, I believe) due to it’s novelty, and Macaulay Culkin’s innocent face which hid behind it a world of mischief.

Home as in: Homesick: Is what I feel sometimes, out here. I mean, working like mad in a literal rat race, makes me wonder sometimes, what is the purpose of it all? Isn’t a peaceful life in Baroda a better option? I guess it all boils down to Manilal.

Home as in Homeward bound: The first time I was going back to India after a year here, in 2003, I literally had a tear in my eye, wondering how I stayed away for so long, just being in telephonic/email touch with everyone. Now, of course, it’s not so bad.*smiles*

Home as in the phrase: driving a point home: Explaining something to someone, a la, convincing Keshi about something, which I consider a toughie job.*ducks for cover from Keshi*.

Home as in: Returning home :The weekend’s here. What a thrill, to return home and enjoy two good holidays.

Lastly, Home as in this limerick:

There was an old man with a beard.
What happened was what he had feared.
2 chickens and a crow,3 pigeons, don't you know,
Had all made their homes in his beard.

Have a nice day!

Word: Hello:AmitL

Hello,all!

GK: Hello appears to have arisen in its first instance as an imitation by hunters of a hunting dog’s yowl.Halloo, hullo, hello are a few of many variants that include the reduplicated hullabaloo.
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You know which word drives me crazy sometimes? It's 'Hello'...the word,a dread of which sometimes makes me put my cellphone on silent,or,switch it off. And,if the landline takes over where the cellphone left off,I go and sit at another table,just so that I can rest,err,work in peace!
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Here are some of the Hellos and what follows after them,which drive me crazy.
(Point to note: Since I look after Purchase Dept, the average no. of daily calls is around 40..some days,it shoots up to 65+).
Regular readers on my blog must have seen my frustration vented out on this word,and,telephone calls,some times)
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- Hellow,Mr. Amit. How are you,Mr. Amit?How's the family,Mr. Amit?
- Haaaaallllloooo!(That guy sounds like he's going to cut my head off if I don't answer)
- Yellow?(Ok,you love to yell,but,don't make it so colourful)
- Aaloo( Now,aaloo means 'potato'in Hindi)

Smart people have realized that it's better to say hello,and then ask 'Is this a good time to talk to you?' LOL.
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How do I reply?
Good mood: Hello-w!
Better mood: Hell-io!
not-so good mood:Hell-o.
Worse mood: Hello,hello,hello,hello.(This happens when people ring up,wait to hear my hello to see how my mood is,and,I can hear only deep breathing on the other side.LOL)
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Now,it's over to the others,for their versions of Hello. Loon Gal,Keshi-this time there's sooo much you can write on this word. I'm keeping the rest for part 2 of the post.Now,if you don't write,well,it's not my 'fault'!Touche!?

Word:Fault- a few hometruths: AmitL

Now,that's a word even I can't find fault with,to make it,err,more funny. But, I really feel 'fault' is a funny word. I mean,it instantly brings to mind all the experiences I've had since the last few years, where 'fault' was everyone's favourite word, leaving me wondering whether anyone was at fault or all were at fault? With a smile, I realize 'none were at fault'.

At work:
In my previous company,me and a Brit colleague used to call every problem,the beginning of another 'blame game'. The ringmaster(Boss) would call the team related to the problem and the discussion would start,with all the self-righteous ones(supposedly) going red in the face, with their' I told him,he didn't get back to me', I asked him to do this', 'It's not my fault that he doesn't do his job', and, all due admiration to the boss,he'd be able to find out who the culprit was, and would end up giving him a good full volume shouting lesson.(Yup, the world out here is like that,unlike India,where,even though it's begun to be a dog-eat-dog industry, people still respect the next person).

Like,here,after such a discussion, people would be gleefully discussing between themselves how the boss 'ne uski chaddi utaar di'(The Boss took off the guy's underpants), in teaching him a lesson. (See pic on left for illustration)

Thankfully,I was one of the trusted few who was known to abide by the truth and never got a shouting,even though many tried playing the blame game with me.

The simple lesson(My first boss taught me this one) to remember is, work is like the game of 'passing the parcel'.When the music stops, you'd better make sure the ball is not in your table..if it is, you're responsible.(It's your fault,rather).

A suggestion(laughingly made): If you can't convince them,confuse them.
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In personal life:

LOL..I can think of dozens of 'faults'.

- You gain weight,you say' oh,it's not my fault'...I was ill/ I had no choice of food/it was too hot/cold to go walking/exercise/eating outside food is something which makes you gain weight...arre,man,why not admit-you can't resist that yummy gulabjamun or that tasty wada-pav? At least it'll make you feel happy. And, as a solution,begin keeping a diary-of what you eat during the day,and what physical exercise you do to work it off.
(LOL-a secret-now,the above dialogue was also to encourage myself, instead of saying to myself that 'it's my fault that my weight's gone up a bit, lately'..haha.)

- You get up late and are late for school/college- it's the alarm's fault..it's not loud enough/it didn't ring. Or, parents/partner didn't wake you up. Baba, if you're too lazy to get up on time,admit it...it'll make you feel happy,believe me,to face up to the truth,again!

- Overate? Feeling sleepy? It was all the rice and the oil in the food. LOL..why not admit it's your fault again- why didn't you stop when your stomach said 'I'm 3/4ths full'?

- When you're stressed out or angry at something/someone, the anger comes out on the unsuspecting person(BF/GF/hubby/wifey/kiddo/autorickshawalla/...) and you behave as if it's their fault. I especially see this in Mumbai in the evenings...people,tired out,are haggling away,screaming at the autorick guy that it's his fault that the meter shows a high reading, even though he's brought you by the usual route.

So, BUFers, next time you feel angry and want to burst out at someone, telling them 'it's your fault', why not think for a moment, and ponder over the cause of the fault? More than half the time,believe me,you'll realize it was your own fault.Admit it,and be cheerful.And,even if it's someone else's fault,but,it'll make the atmosphere better if you take part of the blame,partly compromising your ego but definitely not your dignity-try it once and see!(I did,that's why I'm saying this)

Now, if you say you yawned reading this post, well, it's not my 'fault'....with so many people still enjoying their Diwali siesta, I thought I needed to jolt people out of their ennui, and tell them'it's your fault that BUF is silent these days'...but, I just can't do it..grin...so, guys and gals,better post,or else my next 'word' is coming soon!Hello,are you listening????