For Beers We Shall Play

Friday, August 4 2006
Squash Court 1, Pro Club
A clueless Sarat walks around the court in a funk. He cannot believe the events that have unfolded over the last half hour. It's as if he isn't on the court but standing outside looking in, mocking the performance on display. The score at the end of the listless match says it all: Manoj has won by a score of 9-0, 9-2, 9-2. Comprehensively beaten, he walks out of the court a dejected man.

Monday, August 7 2006
Squash Court 2, Pro Club
The games have been played and Sarat stretches along with his opponents, Manoj and Sheri. His pride still wounded from the loss on Friday, his mind is working on a ploy to salvage something back. And then, in a moment of perspicacity, it dawns on him - he will challenge Manoj to a game, with a purse of Beers (and bragging rights) at stake. The "incentivizing" of the enterprise would add pressure and give him a goal to work towards. With the stakes negotiation complete, a time is picked: Wednesday 6:30pm, Court 8 at the Pro Club.

Wednesday, August 9 2006
Squash Court 8, Pro Club
With four referees calling our points, Sarat and I started our much touted match. Unbeknownst to me, the event had been advertised so we had an audience cheering as the match progressed. The see-saw contest peaked towards the end of the first game, ebbed in the second and hit a crescendo in the third. Alas, Sarat forfeited with a herniated disc in his lower back with him leading 2 games to 1. The final score (in my favor): 8-10, 0-9, 9-5.

I am bummed that Sarat is most likely going to go on to the disabled list for the rest of the summer. I wish him a speedy recovery because we have some unfinished business to attend to. Actually, I am going to spare him the agony of playing against me. Clearly, the strain is taking a toll on his fragile body. As regards the 18 beers he is going to buy me; they will go towards the alcohol pool for the summer bbq I plan to host by my apartment complex pool. Here's what I plan to have on the menu:
- Marinated Chicken Breasts
- Marinated Paneer Skewers
- Garden Burgers
- Tonna Alcohol
- By Request

Now play nice and I might even invite you over...

The Fear of Staying Single

This is a time of flux for my contemporaries and I. The committed ones (not to an asylum though most wish they were) are charting unknown waters with their partners and they have my best wishes. It's the single ones that I empathize with - the set convinced that their clock is fast running out. As the new crop of young blood arrives on the scene, their self image is beginning to dent and doubt is supplanting confidence. Counter-intuitive as it must sound, it is hard to meet interesting potential partners. Some of us have fallen into a routine, one that doesn't involve another entity. I, for one, have embraced this single life with all its quirks and perquisites. There are the inevitable low moments, the stray instances when I am lonely but those are few and far between; yet the status quo seems unsustainable. But this isn't about me.

You'd wonder, where have all the cowboys interesting people gone? If I looked hard enough online, I'd find someone, correct? Ask my friends who have gone the online route and you'll hear the same refrain - people just aren't what they claim to be on their profiles. There is a reason why the "referral" system has stood the test of time; the human filter separates the chaff from the corn resulting in fewer "surprises". For those of us who are Indian, there is another way to a guaranteed happy ending - the oft-beaten Parent route. Enter the 21st Century, living in America with its new rules of engagement and this old Institution is fraught with new obstacles. An irreconcilable divergence in our parents' criteria (family, upbringing, social status, religion) and ours (hip, liberal, smart) has resulted in an impasse. So, what's next?

If you are like me, you're prone to going with the flow. Enjoy every moment for what it's worth and embrace whatever comes your way. Trust your instincts, follow your interests and stay sharp. When that someone that catches your fancy comes along, you don't want to be caught off guard. Good luck and never forget, Que Sera Sera...

Disgusted

I was about to publish a post when the browser crashed. Now I can't recover it at all!!! Time to write that paper about crashing processes and lost productivity.

Mentola

Yeah, you got that right - that's the neologism of the quarter: Mentola.

Meaning:
A concoction of Mentos and Coca Cola.

Copyright (c) 2006 Manoj Mehta

Don't Try This At Home

Monster Mix - V

1. Bossy (Explicit) - Kelis
2. Buttons - Pussycat Dolls
3. Let a Nigga Know - Saigon
4. Lean Wit It Rock With It - Dem Franchise Boys
5. Snap Ya Fingers - Lil Jon ft Sean Paul
6. Its Goin Down - Yung Joc
7. Gettin' Some Head - Shawnaa
8. Ms New Booty - Bubba Sparx
9. Promiscuous Girl - Nelly Furtado ft Timbaland
10. Stand Up Guy - T.I.
11. Tell Me When To Go - E-40 ft Kanye West, Ice Cube
12. Shoulder Lean - Young Dro ft T.I.
13. Welcome to Jamrock - Damian Marley
14. I Got 5 On It - Luniz
15. The Letter P - Saigon
16. Gimme Head - E-40
17. Turn It Up - Chamillionaire Feat. Lil Flip
18. Fuck Vans (Remix)
19. Check On It - Beyonce
20. Beep - Pussycat Dolls

Want a copy?

Big Papi for MVP