Living It Like There Was No 2mrw

Tuesday 01 August 2006

2006-08-01T23:16:00.000+12:00

Welcome August ! It's the end of a really quick month that had alot of important dates; many people's birthdays, anniversaries, etcetra. To all of those reading, once again my best wishes !

I woke up this morning with a big question mark running through my head. I was thinking, "It's the end of August Vijay, and you've got only a couple of months (65 days of classes and about 90 days of term period) of your undergraduate life remaining. I started asking myself if I was ready for it; if I accomplished everything I wanted to by the time I was going to start working. Luckily, during my shower, which was short today, a big smile lit up in my face telling me that I was cruising along the right track thus far. That thought really brightened up my day. And added to all this, it indeed was really bright and sunny with temperatures hovering around 15 degrees during the day. Sadly, I feel like the winter has ended really early even without heavy snowfall. Normally, it is mundane to witness temperatures less than 10 degrees during July and most August; but suddenly summer seems to be rushing in early this year round. Maybe, it's nice. I guess I'll be spening alot of time at the beaches pretty soon.

The past week has been as always. Nothing big happening. My squash game though has improved greatly compared to where I started. I'm able to put in big and intense fights these days. I'm glad my game is developing. This weekend is the Toroa Ball. Thankfully, it's themeless; although I was wondering whether I should wear something formal (since it's called a BALL) or something casual. Hmmmm...Well, I guess, as always, I'll never decide until the very last moment. I believe it's going to be a fun night. But, without alot of my previous friends who were here last semester, it's not going to as splendid as the farewell dinner was.

I saw Pirates of the Carribbean-Dead Man's Chest this past Sunday with Bianca's siblings, Tom and my whole flat, except for Elaine, who as usual wasn't home. The movie was really good and it was nice to see Captain Jack once again. I must admit that Keira Knightley looked really breathtaking. Man, so young, yet so beautiful ! Oh my ! And Orlando Bloom. Well, I've heard news that the dude is gay...Hmm...

Anways, that's it for now. Tata !!!!!!!

Wednesday 26 July 2006

2006-07-26T18:51:00.000+12:00

Kia Ora ! Boy, it has been a while, hasn't it ! I cannot believe that I was whining about feeling too lazy and bored throughout the whole of last week. But, right now, with my workload piling up, I certainly do regret that. Last weekend turned up pretty unexpected. Friday was alright; sat at home chattering about the week and cooked a beautiful meal after watching Distractions, obviously ! And then on Saturday, there was the All Blacks test against Springboks (South Africa). Since we have the TV in the flat, we were able to watch a delayed telecast of the game at Wellington. It was really exciting to watch the HAKA. (Those of you who aren't aware of what it is, you definitly should google video it up). I had goosebums all over seeing them do the haka. Later, the game turned out to be thrilling for most of the first half. But, second half down, the All Blacks kinda annihlated the opposition. Towards the end of the game, Tom came over to our flat. There was a party going on at Awa, his flat. It was the first party in Toroa since the second semester started. I did meet alot of new people. It was like an ice breaker to know more about them. It was totally fun. The party got over at 1.30am. Alot of them went into town to party more; but, I was tired after a hectic week. So, came home and relaxed watching a movie.

On Sunday, we had a potlock with Bianca's flatmates and her bro nd sis. It was awesome. We made a roast and salad. She brought over lasagne and cake. Tom made some delicious pasta. It was a heavy meal. Then, desserts with icecream. Finally, to top everything off, Nick came out with the riddles and Elaine and Melissa joined in to screw our heads to think more so that it would burn some of the food that we ate. Time just kept flying. We started eating at around 10ish and by the time we left the table, it was 1.30 !

The week so far has been ok. I haven't played squash after Saturday. Need to. Perhaps, we'll be playing tomorrow.

That's it for now. Later !!!...

Tuesday 18 July 06

2006-07-18T22:53:00.000+12:00

First post of the week since the last weekend. Last weekend was pretty good. We had an 80s Disco Night in Toroa at Manawa on Saturday night. It was fun seeing alot of people dressed up in true 80's style with long hair, big boots, sideburns, etc. Rieke, my new flat mate, was awesme styling her hair straight up by emptying almost one bottle of hair spray. Those of you wondering what I wore, well, I walked in casually 'coz I got there late around quarter to 12 and by then, the party level was past normal, if ya know what I mean ;-). I was down there until about 1am, meeting some new people and talking to Khush whilst having a couple of cold Double Browns (NZ beer, for the ignorant !) After the party was over, I was still downstairs at Manawa talking to some people while the RAs were cleaning up the mess. Me, being the nice guy that I am offered to help in the cleaning process by taking back to my flat leftover pizzas :-D. I took back almost an entire large pizza. It was a good breakfast on Sunday. Later that night, we went into town and alot of crazy (good sense crazy) things happened; which I prefer not to write about.

Sunday was abit quiet; I guess as always. Everyone recovering from all the partying and built up alcohol in their bodies. I was just walking up and down the stairs to get food. Otherwise, I was pretty much in my room watching movies that I hired for the weekend. Monday was nothing big.

Today, I had my first European Business class. The module sounds interesting and assessment methods are excellent. We are to do a project on opening a new restaurant in any city within Europe and develop a detailed implementation and business plan for the concept. It's about 40 pages long as it is meant to be comprehensive. Am indeed looking forward to doing that. I feel more inclined to opening up in Germany. Hmmm...Let's see. We had our flat pot lock dinner today. Vania's and Firdaus' flats. There was alot of food and not many left overs. It was fun to try out various delicacies eventhough I was unaware of what certain dishes were called. When there is alot of food right infront of ya, you tend to ignore what they are; even if someone is actually talking about it !

Another three days to go for the weekend. Been a couple of days since I played squash. Got to get back to the court soon. I'll upload some pictures from the pot lock sometime during the week. Also, hereafter, I might update my blog atleast once a week and depending on whether anything exciting or interesting takes place, I shall stick to that routine.

Thursday 13 July 06

2006-07-13T22:12:00.000+12:00

Oh my. I'm so tired now. I can barely move. Thank god typing requires only the fingers. I feel totally oblivious to the fact that I've got legs right now.

Today was the only day for the whole semester that I had a weekday off from varsity. The reason being that on Thursdays, I've got only a tutorial and tutes don't start until week 2. So, I had a nice time catching up on a long sleep. Tomorrow, got a 9am lecture. Thankfully, my day will finish by 11 and then it's the weekend I've been looking forward to. Why am I excited about it ? Haha. Nothing big; two days of no activity ! That's it. The body needs a break. In the evening, I played an hour of squash with Nick. Although it wasn't my best game so far, I felt the game was really interesting as there was a number of rallies that either of us wanted to win. You tend to ignore any pain or injury you might have during the rally b/c all that's running in your mind at that moment is "I have to get the ball. I need this point !". I was content that I did win some of those rallies. For the others, I felt frustrated that I couldn't win them. The one hour of squash game really made my day and burned all the food that I had for lunch - Cauliflower, Mushroom, Potato and Rice - sounds heavy eh !

After getting back at around 8.45ish, I just couldn't move. I did feel better after the shower though. I was starving, tired, thirsty and this time around, I did not cook and did not have any leftover. Nick had prepared everything ready for his "Shepherd's Pie" and all he had to do when he got back was bake it at 200 degrees for about 10-15minutes. But, I composed myself by having a Tim Tam double coat cookie and started chopping vegetables to go into my pasta sauce. The sauce that I tend to use these days is a Red Wine tomato sauce with herbs. It truly is exotic and feels like preparing a truly authentic Italian pasta dish.

Anyway, the sauce is now almost cooked as I've left in low flame for all the ingredients to absorb the juice. It should be ready in a few minutes. All that remains is to grate some cheddar cheese and sprinkle over it and Voila - C'est une cuisine delicieux ! I'm going for it now. Tataa...

Here are some more pictures from this magical land.

Waking up in Christchurch

En route to Greymouth

Hiking at Franz Josef Glacier
From L-R (Me, Nicky, Claudia, Christine, Elaine, Thiago)
The people who make our flat be what it is !

The track that's for both automobiles and trains.
We rented a similar car to the white Toyota. It was a 2000 model Toyota Privea, dubbed "Bernie" by us

Monday 10 July 2006

2006-07-10T22:54:00.000+12:00

Monday, 10th July. It's the end of the winter break. It's the end of the World Cup. It's the start of my last semester. Lots of things happening.

First things first. My winter break felt like it got over soon. Probably, it's because of all the mind-challenging goodbyes and sorrows that I experienced with alot of my loving friends who had to go back to their home countries after a semester long exchange program. God bless them for choosing New Zealand; for choosing Dunedin; for choosing the University of Otago and most of all, for choosing TOROA House. It's like a fairyland filled with happiness, laughter, joy and lots of love. Although sad, it feels really good to receive emails from them saying that they are fine and getting back to normal life back home. It kinda makes me thing the same way as well. Perhaps, I need to start aligning things again with the start of my final semester.

My day today kicked off with me waking up at 5.30am to watch the Finals live at 6am. Since we have a TV in our flat, I was able to watch the game fully for myself, relaxing and snuggling under my bedsheet as there was noone else to watch it with me. Nicky said he would; but then, he was very tired and kind of brain-dead after his long and exciting journey to Christchurch during the weekend for the All Blacks vs Wallabes rugby game. I prefer not to talk much about the game as for me, it was the worst final. I least expected, like millions of others, "Zizou" to do such an act of idiocacy. I so wanted France to win as I was never a fan of the Italian gameplay. Nevertheless, no use in talking about it anymore. It'll stay that way for another four year. Next focus will be on the European Championships in 2008.

As far as sports goes, I'm glad that this weekend did bring some smile in me with Roger Federer winning his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title. He definitly is following the footsteps of idol, "Pistol" Pete; except for the fact that he plays exceptionally well in any surface. After the game got over at 9am, I took a shower and went for my first lecture at 10 - International Trade. The course outline sounds interesting and I think I'm going to like it. The sad part this semester is that I will no longer be having 4 day weekends :((. This time around, I've got classes five days a week and the way I see it, my weekends are going to be pretty tied up catching up and doing course work. But, on the bright side, of the three modules that I am taking, only two of them - International Trade, International Finace- have final exams. European Business doesn't have one. Isnt t that something to cheer about ? Well, I sure am.

I had a good game of squash today with Nicky. It was like the first one hour of intense play between us. I liked it and we are going to keep following our schedule so that we don't lose out on our game. The two new flatmates have arrived. They are Rieke from Germany, who came yesterday and Natalie from the US who came about a week ago. They seem nice. It's going to be another fun-filled and exciting ride once again.

Alright then, I'm going to write a couple of emails and then hit for bed. Am so tired. Oh, I'm uploading some pictures that I took during my midsemester break trip around the South Island. Enjoy !!!

Lake Tekapo

The Boulders

En Route To Greymouth via Arthur's Pass

Arthur's Pass

Sunset at Greymouth

Wednesday 5 July 06

2006-07-05T21:50:00.000+12:00

It's a day past America's independence day. So, why am I concerned ? Well, I'm not. I just thought of writing it. That's all. Oh, and I guess, Canada day was before that. Canadians - Nicky, Jules, Suleiman, etc. hope you guys had fun. Since Christine was to leave today, we decided to give her a good last night by going out for dinner and then to a movie. We went to this place "Raphael's" at the corner of Hanover street (whose signage wasn't visible at all). The place looked really impressive. At first, Nicky thought that it would be a "well dressed, suit and tie" kind of place; but, we were wrong. It's definitly a hungry, budget guy's paradise. The menu seems to be a fusion of Italian and American dishes. Inside the restaurant, there is a scooter and a Fiat car displayed on top. I had a "Supermo" pizza, which I must say was really delicious. To go along with it, I ordered a Mac's Gold lager beer. It certainly matched the italian taste.

After dinner, we went over to Rialto cinema at 9 to watch X-Men 3. At the end of the day, I liked the movie and made me realise that sequels keep getting better and are not like olden days. Mi3, DieHard 3, X3, all were good. Am looking forward to seeing Superman Returns, Die Hard 4, Harold & Kumar Go To Amsterdam, etc.

Once we got back, we played a final game of foosball with Christine. What we thought would be a short game went on for more than an hour. It was intense with me, Nicky, Linda and Christine fighting for pride (although, it was just a fun game). Later on, nothing much happened and I went to bed at around 2ish. I woke up for the first semifinal at 7. I always was skeptical about Italy's game; but I didn't want to say it b/c Christine, being a German, was supporting Germany. In the end, they did win. I must say that the Italians played really well and probably, they deserved to win. For tomorrow's game, my vote is for France and I want them to continue and take the cup under Zizou's captaincy. What a feat would it be for a person who came back after retirement to lead a team !

We went to the airport around 2ish to see off Christine. It was hard, but we had to. To my surprise, I found Dunedin's airport to be renovated and looked perfectly first class; although small. Christine left around 3.15pm after a delay in the arrival of the flight from Christchurch. She was the last of the close people to leave NZ. Good Luck Christine and have a safe journey home. Thanks for the photos.

Everything else seems pretty much the same. The holidays seems to be going as a routine as well. I would have to go for Course Approval again tomorrow as I'll be modifying my papers for the final semester. I guess I have no choice but to stay awake after the game tomorrow morning.

It's five past 10 now. It's about 3 degrees outside. Feel like having a cold beer. Am gonna get that and then grab dinner. Will write later. Cheers !

Sunday 2 July 2006

2006-07-03T00:48:00.000+12:00

Hello everyone,

I'm back from Queenstown. I reached home on Friday evening after a good five days of fun and excitement with my friends. I tried out skiing and kinda liked it. It was intimidating to see young 4 and 5 year olds ski down long and steep courses. Then later, I found a similarity with what kids do back home; by 4 or 5, every guy would've held a cricket bat or ball. The weather was good and the drive to Queenstown was safe, although there was alot of ice on the road. There has been alot of ice on the roads in Dunedin in the past couple of days. It's a clear picture that winter is going to get colder soon. Probably another 2 months of cold weather in Dunedin.

I stayed up all of last night watching England and Brazil's game. England's game was at 3am and then Brazil's at 7am. The first shock came when I saw England lose Beckham and Rooney. Second shock came when they missed alot of chances to strike into the net. And finally, they lost it all in the penalty shootout. What happened Frank and Steve ? I got back to the flat at 6am and had a cup of coffee. Clau was to leave at 7am and I wanted to see her off well; unlike the big mistake I did when Jules left. It was really really sad and heartbreaking to see her leave. Eventhough we have lived for only a short while, the bond and the relationship that developed felt like knowing each other for ages. Take care Clau and lots and lots of love always. Enjoy Australia and have a safe, long journey back home via Korea and the US.

After Nacho and Lauren picked Clau and Thiago from the flat at quarter past 7 in the morning, I sat down to watch Brazil's game with the others. What can I say ? I guess I would've been surprised if anything weird did not happen. Although, I was abit skeptical about France. They did prove to be the better of Brazil in today's game. Now that there are no more Latin American countries left in the competition, my support is completly for France. Go Zizou ! Take France to victory ! Post the game, I went to bed and had a long sleep until 5pm; I never even woke up to have lunch. I was that tired. Then, I had a shower, went out for a walk and made dinner along with Nicky. We had a roast and pasta. A good meal indeed.

Now, I'm sitting here at 1am composing a new post. I don't know what but, I feel sleepy again. I guess I'm going to read some book for a while and then wait for the mind to doze off. Alright then, I'll be back tomorrow or soon. Keep reading and enjoy. G'nite !

Sunday 25 June 06

2006-06-26T00:30:00.000+12:00

This has probably been the most emotional day for me so far. Living in Toroa, I always knew that exchange students come and go and that the short span of time that you are together will linger on for a very long time. But, this time, it's been like a whole new dimension to the type of relationships between me and exchange students. Almost all of my good friends were on exchange and that they have left or will be leaving very soon.

Kim and Eric left on Friday and Desmond left Toroa yesterday; since he'll be coming back, it's good. Today Julia, Bianca and Agustine left. I have never been so annoyed by myself until today. I was all awake until 8.30am (without sleeping) watching the Argentina vs Mexico game. After that, I couldn't continue as my lenses were starting to pop out. So, I came back to my room and decided to sleep for one hour and wake up just in time to say Good bye to Jules. But, I totally fell deaf to the alarm and woke up at 1pm. It was the worst temper I have had this far; and this time it was directed at myself. I couldn't believe that I did such a thing. Of all the people, I never wanted this to happen with Jules. Jules, I'm so so so so so sorrryyy. There are no excuses to cover up what I did. I was so furious with myself that I was turning violent. I really could see it in my eyes. I couldn't even say a "Thank you" to Jules for the wonderful gift that she gave me along with a sweet letter. Jules, as I always say, "YOU ARE THE BEST". I hope you read the mial that I sent to you. Hearing a reply from you will atleast make me feel better.

Tomorrow is the last day for first semester students to check out of Toroa. The new residents will start coming from Friday onwards. I'm certain that whoever comes, they will never be able to replace these sweet and first class friends of mine. However, I hope that these people will be fun to live with. I can't write anymore. I'll be off to Queenstown tomorrow for about 5 days. We are going skiing and to experience the Winter festival of the city. So, when I come back, I'll update with the trip and probably upload some photos.

Wednesday 21 June 06

2006-06-22T01:03:00.000+12:00

The first day of my winter break. And boy it was so cold. Cloudy and dull in the morning and then hailing by sunset. Man, it was really hard to walk through the roads without slipping; especially downhill.

The day started with me waking up at 6:50am to watch England's game. I had gone to bed the night before at around 3 ish. I couldn't watch the whole of Germany's game as the antibiotic started giving me a drowsy effect. So, I got down to Manawa at five past 7 and there were the English fans anxiously watching the game. What can I say guys ? The Three Lions played really well during the first half; especially Joe Cole's goal from 30m away. But, I have to admit that they lost it completly during the second half. Except Gerrard's goal, they were struggling dramatically; especially with the corner kicks that they conceded. The second goal for the Swedes which went from a throw in really frustrated me. What the hell was Richardson doing ! Anyway, I'm glad that England will not face the Germans in the next round. That should give them a bit of a breather space. But, guys, please step up and power up your game !

Afer the game, I got back to bed at 9 after wishing Nicky good luck for his Economics exam. When I wrote the same paper in 2004, we had essay type and multiple choice questions; but this year, it was only MCQs. I then woke up at around 1:30pm, had lunch and was just whiling away time by sitting infront of the computer. Then, in the evening we went at around 8pm to The Reef, a really good seafood restaurant. Although the prices were a bit on the higher end, the food was well worth it. I had an Indian sole and prawns curry that was prepared with tomatoes, tamarind, and a lot more spices. I just wanted to see if it tasted like home; ironically, it did ! After getting back, we played a game of SPOONS and then went off to another farewell party at Flat Haka. Annie is leaving tomorrow back for France. Bon voyage and take care. Also, Jen is leaving tomorrow back to the US. Oh boy, it was fun talking to her about the nightmares of having to travel with Air New Zealand. I travelled with it only once, and that was the last of it. Ever since then, I've always stuck to Singapore Airlines and I am indeed a loyal KrisFlyer. Anyways, it was really nice getting to know Jen. I'll be giving her some Hindi songs and if possible some Hindi movies so that she can live and experience the DESI entertainment. Take care Jen and have a safe and comfortable flight back home. Do try to sleep and make sure you get the service you deserve from the damn Air NZ crews.

Nothing more that I can remember. It just feels so different bidding adieu to alot of people. I mean, I don't actually feel that they are leaving. But I'm sure I'll start experiencing their absence when they actually leave :'((. I'm hitting for the sac now. Will try to wake up for the Netherlands vs Argentina game. Oh, and something to cheer about - the inflammation is reducing and getting better. I really hope it clears off soon; I'm hesitant to show myself infront of the cameras. And Vania, please o please, don't put up the photo you took of me in the blog ! I'll make you some delicious, non-spicy Indian food, okie !

Tuesday 20 June 06

2006-06-21T00:51:00.000+12:00

All's well that ends well ! Yup. Finally, I'm done with my exams. Yaaaaaaay ! Two weeks of immortality has begun ! Get the beer and put your party hat on 'coz this ride is going to be awesome. It was a really good feeling to finish my exams with a solid effort that I put into it. Considering the way how I performed, I must say that I'm pretty optimistic about my performance.

It surely wasn't the best day though. Yeah ! I've been having a serious inflammation in my upper lip that has made it really hard for me to even open my mouth. I tried applying some anti-inflammatory gels; but it didn't work. So, after being frustrated with it for nearly two days, I decided to go to the doctor's and get it checked out. At the doc's, I was startled and frightened when he started asking me questions as to whether I had any pains in my forehead, sides, back, etc. He then said that he was checking to see if there was any face nerve damage. However, thankfully, it's just an infection. So, all my party plans for the night got spoilt as I was prescribed to take antibiotics. This is one occasion when I cannot break the dosage as I really can't stand seeing the inflamation every time I look at the mirror. Consider how hard it would be for the others ! :((

I got some groceries and the all so traditional BOX Wine for a farewell party that there is tomorrow (guessing why another farewell party ? Well, this one is hosted by another hall resident :))) . Box wine has given us so many long lasting fun filled memories.

Today onwards, many exchange students start leaving for their home countries. It's a really difficult thing to face. But, that's life and have to live with it. Suleiman is leaving tomorrow dawn for Mumbai. He'll be there until the end of the month after which he goes back to Canada. Good luck and have a safe trip Maharaj Ji ! It was really great meeting a fun loving and cool Indian in Dunedin. Oh, and Lee is leaving for Canada as well tomorrow. Hearty wishes and bon voyage to you as well, Lee ! You are so the man; beautiful music and excellent songs. The Toroa music night and the DVD wouldn't have been special without your added effects.

So, what's up for tonight ? Well, I'll be watching Germany against Ecuador at 2am and then England against Sweden at 7am. So, obviously I'll be sleeping for only about three hours in between the games. However, after the second game ends at 9am, it'll be like night time for me. I guess from now on until the end of the world cup, I'll be following the timetable as such in the Northern hemisphere.

Alright then. I need to take my antibiotic now. Hope it doesn't give me any drowsy effect. Zzzzzz....

Saturday 17 June 06

2006-06-18T00:29:00.000+12:00

Happy Birthday Bro ! May this year, the start of your new family life, bring everlasting joy and happiness for the days to come. Praying for only the best !

It's about a couple of days since I wrote my last blog entry. It just seems so hard to find the time as I'm occupied with books for most of the day and later on, at night, I'm off to watch the first soccer game at 1am. By the time I come back around 3am, I'm too lazy to write. Oh my, last night's game between Argentina and Serbia Montenegro; it's just inexplicable. They played so well. Excellent passes within penalty box and great strategic play. I really want them to win against the Netherlands. But, my concern is now on my favorite team - England. I cannot say that their game was miserable; but it wasn't upto par. Damn Crouch missed alot of chances. I don't get it as to why does he jump to head the ball when he can do it still standing at 6'7 inches tall ! Anyway, I hope they don't meet Germany in the round of 16. Either way, I don't care. B/C I know the three lions can do it. We've got Beckham, Rooney, Lampard, Owen, Gerrard, Terry, A/J Cole, Lennon, Downing,... Come on guys !

It's the last weekend before my exams get over. It's been the quietest weekend as well. No drinking and no partying this week. Can't wait for Tuesday 11:30 to come. I practically have no idea as to what am I going to do. But I do know that I'll be a bit depressed as alot of the students who had come to Otago on exchange would be leaving from the 21st onwards. I'm using this post to let everyone of them - Claudia, Christine, Julia, Jennifer, Kim, Laura, Suleiman, Thiago, Desmond, Annie, Bienca, Lee, Kanakolu, Augustine, and all the others - know that it's been really great meeting you guys. Life in Toroa will never be the same without you; especially Toru ! Enjoy the remaining days in New Zealand and have a safe journey home. Keep in touch; orelse I'll keep bugging you guys :))

Guess what ! Tomorrow's forecast is snow fall around several parts of the south island. Am looking forward to it ! Hope it's a white and cold Sunday in Dunedin.

Wednesday 14 June 06

2006-06-15T03:00:00.000+12:00

First of all, a simple note for everyone - As my exams are going on, I'm sort of unable to update my blog as frequently as I would want to. So, please bear with it.

Ok, to describe today. Hmmm...It started off well as I was able to wake up before midday (which is a big achivement b/c I've been trying to do so for the past five days. I set my alarm for about 10am but end up turning it off and enjoying the cozy cool weather in my room that makes me glued to my bed until after midday; eventhough it's sunny outside). So, yeah, I was able to go on with my study schedule; infact, I feel I'm going ahead of it. As long as I know what to read, I guess I should be fine. Right Vijay ? Yes, right indeed. A really nice thing happened yesterday. I was so not in the mood of cooking lunch so I decided to buy some takeaway from an Indian restaurant along George Street. I get to the place around 14:30hrs (just before closing time) and order two curries. But, when I receive my order, there are four containers. I told the guy that I had asked for only two (me being the nice and honest guy that I am :-)). He said that he thought of taking it for himself, instead gave them to me. It was like finding food gold. That helped me live two days without cooking.

I just got back right now after watching the game between Spain and Ukraine. Man, I must say that Spain's performance was almost flawless. Of all the top teams so far, I guess Spain demonstrated their superior performance of the game. The final score 4-0 exemplifies their game; although I wasn't quite supportive of the penalty shot they were offered. Anway, the best goal was the incredible assist by Puyol to Torres. It was a delight seeing Raul in the field after a long time due to his injury. I want to watch the game between Germany and Poland; but it's at 7am. Ain't sure if I will wake up or not. Let's see. Alright guys, it's less than a week for me to get over with my stressful period that started on the 5th of June. Can't wait for it.

So long until the next post.

Monday 12 June 06

2006-06-13T03:26:00.000+12:00

I'm in no mood to write this post today. The day went off so well until now; just after the game between Japan and Australia. I was so expecting the game to end at 1-0 in favor of Japan. But, from no where in the dying minutes of the game, the bloody Australians scored 3 goals. It was like seeing Satan in action ! You should've seen the expression in the face of the Asians and Japanese (Taka) who were watching the game with us. The majority of us were disappointed. It would've been easier to digest had it been a draw. But, a victory ? Boy, I just can't take it. Anyway, it's not going to change. I just want Brazil to show these Aussies as to how the game should be played.

Besides that it was a pretty normal day. I went to the hairdressers as the hair around the corners and the back was bugging me. Yesterday I was different; and today I look different as well. Haha. Each week I look at myself, I am reminded of Val Kilmer in "The Saint". Remember how he used to disguise appearances. It kind of seems to be going on with me. Trying out new hair style, french beard, trip moustache or full beard, moustache, etc. All sorts of things.

Just another week to go for penultimate semester to be over. Am looking forward to the break. I don't know why. It's not been that stressful. And as for preparing for the exam is concerned, like they say, instead of studying hard, I guess I've been studying smart ;-).

With that smiling note, I'm off to bed. Good Night !

Sunday 11 June 06

2006-06-12T03:00:00.000+12:00

It's the end of a fabulous week. And I'm so glad to have had such a good time. I woke up today on a dark and cloudy day (around 11am). My chore for the week was to do flat shopping. Since I knew that we had to return the DVDs that we had borrowed by 1pm on Sundays, I figured I'd complete shopping on the way back. It was a full house in the supermarket with several trolley jams between and within aisles. Once I was done, I took the free shuttle ride back home and in about 10 minutes after stepping in, it started to pour. There was the typical Dunedin weather we had been missing for quite some time. After getting back, I had lunch (b/c I went out in the morning on an empty stomach. I know ! It was wrong and is bad for my health. Will try to change, ok !). Post lunch, I was checking on the latest World Cup news. Man, being a Three Lion supporter to clinch the World Cup, I was so impressed with the way they played against Paraguay yesterday. And, ace man Beckham did not let me down; although it's postulated as an own goal. However, I was expecting more goals. Did you guys see the two shots by Lampard ? Woh ! Amazing eh ! Oh and Peter Crouch ! Man, it was a tough night for him. The Mexican refree had him charged for four freekicks and a yellow card. I guess the refereeing wasn't upto level. The guy kept flagging the English for what wasn't a foul in many cases. It was really satisfying to see Rooney on the bench, waiting to get into the field. Imagine that he'd have surprised everyone by getting into the game as a substitute ! Hahaha...I'm over exaggerating !

Anyway, it was an amazing day today. I kicked off my preparations for my International and Export Marketing exam. Later on at night, I went to play squash for an hour; got back around 9:30pm. After a relaxing shower, we had a full meal. Thanks to Elaine - Beautiful Roast Chicken. After dinner I was wondering whether to watch Netherlands' game or not. But, after seeing the score staying at 1-0 for the Dutch after half time, I satyed in my room. Right now, I'm following the French Open final. It's a set a piece between Federer and Nadal. Go Federer Go ! Create History !

Rightie O ! It's quarter past three. Bed time after reading another article in Time magazine. Until tomorrow, bye !

Friday 9 June 06

2006-06-10T20:08:00.000+12:00

Helloooooo People ! Am I glad to write this post today ! My apologies for the late delay in writing it though. Ok, where do I start ? Frist things first ! You guys would be wondering as to how did I fare in my exam yesterday. Well, worry no more. Yeah, I guess I was able to pull myself into a winning streak by knocking the questions out of the park ! That is how I felt when I finished answering the exam. Although, I didn't have a proper lunch before my 14:30hrs exam, I did have a bowl of noodles, which made my stomach growl after 3 hours. By then, my exam was over at 17:30hrs and I never felt the sense of hunger as my whole body was full with happiness and excitement that everything went off well. So, I walked down Geroge Street to Otago Sports Depot to get myself a new squash racket. Having used only Wilson throughout my tennis life, I was obviously inclined to get one. Luckily for me, Wilson was selling at a discount price. So, I got it ! Then, I went to New World as I said I would, got a 15pack of Speights Ale (really cold ones) and some groceries. Just when I thought I would have to flag a taxi and pay $5 for the ride back home, I saw Vincent (A French staying in my hall) at the checkout counter. He said that he had come with his van and that he could give me a ride back. Boy, was I happy to hear that ! Thanks Vincent !

Once I got back to Toroa (the hall where I live - The Best One), I prepared a nice dinner of pasta with a red wine mince sauce. Mmmm...Sounds good eh ! Myself and Nicky were supposed to play an hour of squash from 21:00hrs; but, on Fridays there is this show "Distraction USA" on TV2, where you have to answer questions while being distracted in several ways. The show is hosted by British comedian Jimmy Carr, whose hairstyle, mocks and insults, make it really worthwhile watching. After that, I turned the stove to low flame so that the sauce would cook and the ingredients would absorb the flavor of the sauce by the time I came back. We played for an hour between 22:00hrs and 23:00hrs. I must say my game is indeed improving. Then, we walked to the video store to rent a movie so that we'd keep ourselves entertained until the opening match started. So, we hired "Fun with Dick & Jane". It was average. Sure loved Jim Carrey in the olden days though !

And then, at 04:00am came the moment of truth - The Kick Off ! Wow o Wow ! I really wished Germany would kick off; sadly no. Anyway, I was glad that they opened the goal counter of the World Cup. Lahm's goal was a good start and birthday boy Klose's were worth watching as well. But, the ultimate highlight was the fourth goal - by Frings. My o My ! It jus went swirling off the Costa Rican defence half way down the midfield. I guess it'll be one of the top goals in the tournament; atleast for now. Ratheesh, I'm sure the whole wait for this game would've been worth it !!! The match got over at 06:00am and my eyes were bloody red by then.

I hit the sac around 06:30hrs with a sense of satisfaction, joy and happiness that the day did turn out to be as exciting as I had expected it to be. Thank you everyone for being there during the golden moments - Nicky, Christine, Thiago, Claudia, Julia and of course, ME ! The next crucial match for me is England V Paraguay. Go Three Lions !!! You have my support !

Thursday 8 June 06

2006-06-09T01:05:00.000+12:00

Today was pretty different when compared to all of my previous exam days. Surprisingly, I woke up with a sense of satisfaction and optimism that I would fare well in the exam. And, trust me I did, it did happen that way. Answering the exam went in a perfect flow without having to stop at any section to think for long. Of what was a 2hr exam, I was able to complete way ahead of time in about an hour. Soon after that, I got home knowing that preparing for Management in Asia Pacific would eat up alot of my time for the rest of the day. Having prepared lunch for nearly 2 days in advance, I had the meal, took a short nap and put my thinking hat on from about 4pm. I went in full throttle from then until 1am, with about an hour's gap in between for dinner. But, ironically, I'm not sure if I covered everything yet. Anyway, it's good that I'm always positive about my capabilities. I'm sure I can pull this one through. I've got good faith in me. My exam tomorrow is at 14:30hrs. So, if I'm on schedule, I should be able to make a quick read through for about 3 hours in the morning.

Alright, that' s all about studies. I can't wait for it to be 17:30hrs tomorrow. That's when my exam finishes. The rest of the evening is almost planned out already. Am going to go to New World (local supermarket, preferably the best pick) to grab some beer and snacks for the game. After that, I guess I'll buy dinner on the way. Once I'm back home, I'll be going with Nicky to play a game of squash from 21:00hrs for about an hour. Its when I come back after that that the night will begin. Its sad that Ballack will not be able to play tomorrow. Anyway, the betting period starts from today. So, my odds ? Well, I'm going 50-50 for tomorrow's game.

I was just thinking about Doogie Howser, the whizkid doctor program. I mean he used to write an entry every day into his computer about the day's events at that time. Today, everything is so evolved. People call an electronic diary a blog. No one even needs a handheld diary ! I do like this innovation though. I'm certain that this weekend is going to be a paradise time for any sports fan - we've got the football matches (none very interesting though), French Open finals and the F1 British Grand Prix. As the title goes, I ought to totally live that day to the fullest !

Wednesday 07 June 06

2006-06-08T01:41:00.000+12:00

End of another day. And as usual, I'm wondering if I ought to be content with what I did today. Me, being the optimistic and pro active person that I am, well, I'm indeed happy with how my day had progressed. I started the day off by having a strong double shot of espresso coffee to get me going in full swing for the whole day. I'm so glad that it worked. I was able to stay focused on my preparations for my Spanish exam tomorrow and also, I felt so energised that I went out for a long work exhaling the impure air of being at home and inhaling the goodness of fresh and heavenly air on a moderately sunny, yet cloudy day. It has always been some kind of luck for me that I have back to back exams when it comes to Management. Well, in a way, I'm glad that it gets over upfront. I just can't wait for Friday 17:30 hrs to come. That is when I'll be out of university and will start the preparations for watching the opening game of the World Cup live at 4 am. I just can't imagine how fun and exciting it is going to be as I'll be watching with alot of football fanatics in my living room or Julia's flat. There is indeed a unique kind of enjoyment in watching a game that way.

Alright, I'm off to bed now. Nicky was yelling at me for staying up so long before my exam in the morning at 9:30am. Although, I'm so used to managing time in such a way during exam periods, I thought I'd take it easy today as I'll have to go flat out tomorrow.

Farewell Dinner

2006-06-07T02:45:00.000+12:00

Sorry guys...Will write about the farewell dinner on Friday; soon after I'm done with my Management in Asia Pacific exam.

Tuesday 06/06/06

2006-06-07T02:26:00.000+12:00

So what if 666 is satan's number !!! I fancy it. My productivity today has been sort of average. The highlight of the day was knowing my group had achieved a whopping A+ for our International and Export Marketing Assignment. Flo, Sathit, Jin - Cheers to that !!! I was able to stick to my stipulated plan by accomplishing the tasks that had to completed by today. Orelse, I wouldn't be sitting here with red eyes and typing this post. The much awaited end to the fourth season of The Apprentice was aired on TV2 today. I must say, both Randal and Rebecca were really suited for the role. But, ultimately as the Donald says in his "You're fired" tone, it was nice to hear him tell Randal "You're hired". I had a really heavy dinner tonight. Ate some leftover pasta from last night. It's always good to see food that has already been prepared and all that needs to be done is taken out of the refrigerator and heated up in the microwave. After dinner, just when I thought I had eaten to my neck, Julia came by and invited my flat over to her place to watch a movie. It was indeed a good way to digest the food that I had. But, I made the process even slower by having two scoops of double chocolate ice cream. We were watching "The Family Stone" starring Sarah Jessica Parker. I wouldn't say it was good; but I wouldn't say it was terrible either. I felt the script was crazy in itself; however, we sat throught the whole movie hoping for the occasional comic moments. Once the movie got over at around 1:30am, I got back and did some more reading for my Spanish exam on Thursday. And now, it's nearing 2:40am. I cannot believe days are flying by so fast. If only I had the pause button for the best moments to linger on forever !!!

What next ?

2006-06-06T01:20:00.000+12:00

It's 1.18am on the 6th of June. I'm here typing fast so that I can update my page once again before my stupid network connection hangs up on me. Its kind of a weird problem and as far as I know, it happens only to me (Don't feel happy about it !!). Anyway, what goes wrong is that eventhough my LAN connection appears active, my data transmission is suspended every 5 to 8 minutes. I can't browse, use any messaging application, etc. It makes me feel paralysed. And then, I've got to hit repair so that the cache and DNS settings are cleared and refreshed. After that, I'm back to normal. So, all you sweet people, if I don't reply to your IMs, it's b/c of this. Don't hate me thinking I'm ignoring you. You guys are too sweet not to talk to. And you guys are even sweeter to want me to talk to you ;-).

Alright, I'm gonna watch a 007 movie now. Hmm...Which one do I see ?...Aha ! The Man with The Golden Gun. No no no. Goldfinger ! Sean Connery - The Best Bond Ever !

Oh, if you are wondering about the title of this post, well, its about what I'll be writing tomorrow. I guess I'll recap on the farewell dinner. The best party till date ! So, visit this page later to live the fun and excitement.

Good Night !!! Oh, and there goes my network connection. Have to wait for it to come back. Arrrgh..

Its about time...

2006-06-06T00:57:00.000+12:00

Hi ya'll !

After so many instances that've been driving me to update my blog page for so long, I've finally decided to strap myself onto it. Since it's like a new beginning, I thought I'd start it off with a new blog page. So, voila ! { Note - No more updates in my 360 page...Well, you'd be aware of that by now :)) }. Infact, I'm glad that I got myself into doing this b/c alot of memorable events have been taking place in such a small time span. Not to mention some of the finest people I've ever met has been over the past couple of months. I definitly won't and do not wish to lose them from my memory. So, I'm using my blog to freeze those moments with them and every facet of my life so that the memories stay young forever.

Thank you Vijay for doing this !!! I love you...