5th January 2009, Monday
2213hrs, Home.
“My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.” – Cary Grant
After today I completely agree with the great actor Mr Cary Grant.
Today was a good day. Not that I did anything exceptional, but because of the fact that I occupied myself the entire day, a rarity for months. I woke up at 8am.
Sun was shining bright, which made it a ‘ Good Morning ‘ for me. Somehow whenever the sun shines bright I feel energised. I guess that fact justifies my name. To maintain allegiance towards my new year resolution (to get the perfect body) , I had decided to go to gym today. But like a good aspiring bodybuilder I needed to have the so called ‘ Power-Breakfast‘ . Having gone through numerous sites yesterday night I had decided what I was going to have for breakfast. I had a multiple-egg omelette, whole-meal toast, ” low fat milk + oatmeal + raisin +banana + apple + apple cranberry muesli cereal ” and coffee. That breakfast itself was enough to exalt me to a state of euphoria.
Shit, shaved and showered. Then with a clean-shaved face and flashing a big toothy smile I made my way to the bus-stop. Then I had the first weird moment of the day.
I was sitting alone at the bus stop. I saw an old man at a distance, walking towards the bus stop. As he trudged his way towards me, I imagined how it would be to be that old, like a withered leaf, as pale as death. He came and sat next to me, a wrinkled-face man, with a stooped posture, he looked to be around 80+ . I admired the fact that he was strong-willed enough to roam around alone, but sad that he didn’t have any company. I stared at him, he stared at me, no words exchanged. I don’t know why I was staring at him, but I know what I was staring at. I was staring at his deep eyes, wrinkle-contoured face, but more than that maybe I was searching for a 80yrold image of myself in him. Screech!! My bus had arrived and I made my way into the bus, yet still thinking about the old man. I got the closest window-seat and immediately looked back at the man before the bus could zoom off. As the bus left the busstop, the old man smiled at me, not as toothy as mine, but a sincere one. I guess he also had mirrored his younger-self in me or probably not. Whatever be the reason the old-man and the bright sun had made my day.
The gym was practically empty. Three other people were there, making the total tally 4. One gal on the treadmill, whose face I couldn’t see as she was facing the window the entire time I was there. Yeah, she had a good derriere (ass). Another guy, who looked liked a veteran bodybuilder powered away at the gym machines. He was surprised at all the innovative exercises I was doing, which are with courtesy due to the extensive research I have been doing in the last few days. The third person reminded me of Vanga. No, he was not that thin but his mannerism in the gym was Vangaesque. He spent 90 percent of his time looking at the mirror admiring himself. And no, his body wasn’t even good. The guy had a paunch for gods sake! Then made my way to the shower. Then the second weird moment of the day happened.
Old man at the shower room
In the corner of the room was the old man, the one who is always at the gym shower room whenever I go. He sits there always, motionless,speechless and ghost-like. I decided to take his picture. He didn’t react. I went to the shower-area and put my towel over the door. I had forgotten shower-gel, so I turned around immediately to get it…..he was gone. I was taken aback, he had gone so quickly and quietly. For an instant my mind wandered on thoughts of whether he was a ghost, but then I had taken his photo,had’nt I? I assured myself he couldnt be a ghost.
Went to Cheers and got myself two chocolate milk dabbas and gulped them down, as protein replenishment. Had an uneventful lunch at Engineering canteen and moved my ass to the library after that.
Random browsing at the library computer for next few hours. Some interesting things that I learned today:
– Robot fish (Video)
– New two-sided cricket bat, which will be used by David Warner (new Delhi Daredevils IPL recruit as well) in upcoming matches in Australian Domestic Twenty20. Picture below.
Two sided bat for twenty20 cricket by Gray Nicholls
– Saw the Betfair pink pigeon race as part of the Jane McGrath Pink Day at Sydney Cricket Ground. The pigeons were named after Channel 9 commentators like Tubby (Mark Taylor), McGrath, Warnie, Ritchie etc. Bill Lawry also a commentator is apparantely a pigeon entrpreneur! Anyways against all odds Tubby (the fattest pigeon) won the race, that too in record time of 52 min approx. More details here : Pink Pigeon Race Australia. Video at Channel Nine WWOS website : Cricket- Pigeon Pink Race link.
– Glenn Mcgrath might have retired, but his son, James Mcgrath, 11yr old is starting off. He was seen bowling to Hayden at the Milo cricket tents at SCG. Hayden, in the bad form he is , was bowled by McGrath Junior as well. Later on Hayden was heard joking, ” He is already quicker than Glenn, but the line and length is also there!”
When I shutdown the comp I was in for a surprise. The computer went in a very sci-fi movie-ishtyle computer generated voice , “ Initiation Shutdown Sequence in 1 minute. ” Hmm…Well atleast NUS library did some fancy change to their otherwise pathetic computer terminals. And yeah they started a computer registration system, like our EEE-ihub in NTU.
Meanwhile in Chennai, Sachin Tendulkar toyed with Saurashtra bowlers in Ranji Semi-Final match and retired after his century,ostensibly ill, but in reality I guess he was bored. Scorecard : Scorecard : Mumbai Vs Saurashtra.
Before I returned home I went to the arts canteen to have a cup of tea. It was raining. Great weather. Mast Chai. I sat at the edge of the canteen,very close to the rain, with a view of the beautiful Pasir panjang Harbour. Third moment.
Rain in the air...Smoke on the water.
Smoke from the ships was rising against the falling rain forming smoke-clouds over the sea. I mumbled, ” Rain in the air, Smoke on the water, Kya pata Kal ho Na Ho.” I looked at the girl, she was staring at me, I did the same. She was gorgeous, sitting there in the canteen with her hair waving in the sea-breeze. It smelled of rain , it smelled of smoke, it smelled of wet mud – a brilliant amalgamation which resulted in a sensory explosion. I continued looking at her, and then suddenly she left with someone. I had a “You’re Beautiful – Moment” (Video) I slowly shifted my gaze towards the horizon in the distance, imagining the non-existing sun set.
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