Its 8:45 in the AM and I am in Windsor today. Its funny how the city keeps pulling me back. I came here last night right after work (the boss was gracious enough to let me off an hour before due). The 4 hour train ride proved to be the ideal setting for me to go through the book that I had picked up a few days ago. Its called Samarkand and what a book it is. Its set over a centuries of Islamic history with several parables and parallels to our current day and age. A must read by all.
I am to Windsor amidst melting snow and positive tempratures. Woopie Doo. It seems our dear friends celebrating christmas would not be able to cherish a "white christmas" this year. Thats good news for me. Since I have a huge drive ahead of me today, highway 401 is a bitch to drive on in the snow.
The reason I am in Windsor is that a good friend is moving back to Pakistan and I am (despite my protests) the designated U Haul driver to Toronto. For those of you less familiar with U Haul and who have bothered clicking on the link back there, its kind of a small truck/lift van custom made for moving housings from point to point, or in my case city to city. Rest assured, an adventure beckons.
Windsor hasnt changed much since I was last here, some 2 months back. The thick smoke still hangs over the town. It reminds me of walking into a friends room who used to smoke 24/7. He also had the habit of smoking anything that could be lit cup and gave a buzz. We use to joke that if we leave several open bowls of water in his room, there may condensation and rain. Windsor is pretty much like his room. The Detroit river and Lake Erie are throughs of water that cleanse the air occasionaly with its rain.
So I got thinking today that everyones going back, well all my Pakistani friends. Either I have befriended those Pakistanis who were all set to return or for some other strange reason all the Pakistani friends I made in Windsor are moving back. Its kind of nice, that I would have some buddies from Canada in Karachi and Lahore when I go there but at the same time, its going to be somewhat of a pisser to not have them around in Canada. I guess thats a part of life.
On a lighter its reminds me of line from Samarkand when Princess Shireen says "Who knows, our paths may meet again."
So might as well make the most of what we have now and save the rest till the time when the paths meet, again!
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
Worst Day @ Work
If some one was to call me today at work and get my voicemail by some freak of nature (i am just shooting shit today at work) they would hear me say "...as surprising as it may seem, some of us do work a day before the holidays". Yes, the christmas/holiday season is starting from tomorrow and most organizations have the rest of the week off. That means no work till Jan or as we would amuse ourselves as children, no work till next year.
The wosrt part about a job like mine i.e. account management/business development/sales etc is that you are dependent significantly on other people. Your clients determine your routine, they determine when you get to work and when you leave. This point is further pushed by bosses who push the idea that what we earn is what our clients pay us so me must work with them. In terms of Porters 5 forces (yes I am a geek) we have 0 power.
So even if it is one crazy stupid client who has no life and works on the day the rest of the country is out shopping, we have to be at work to care of that SOB. The server he needs to configure cant wait a few weeks, those software licenses arent going to get to him till next year anyway and its time like these when I feel like telling the guy, dude, get a life, go get laid or something. However, the imperialist cycle of self fulfilment that I have stepped into deprives me of indulging in such simple pleasures.
To make things interesting in the absolute DUB style (thats what we call the company are the last alphabet on its initials) there is a competition going on the idea is that if can convince at least three of our clients to buy something worth $5000 we can take the rest of the day of. THis is where I draw the line. I didnt take the ethics course for nothing. Unfortunately, myself and others who find this exercise to be rather tasteless are stuck in the office. The others who pursued and succeded has been leaving as soon as their targets matched.
We have managed to retain our sense of humor though, balls are flying across the cube farm people are taking turns at telling jokes and ur bosses abviously are featured in some.
It times like these that make think where the hell is the world heading, I mean this is not what life is all about is it ?
Sadly some feel that way. Sadly it is all about making a buck or two even at the expense of others. It is a rat race, the cheese has a strong stench and and slowly but gradually we all flot towards with our eyes closed lavitating on the lognitudnal waves of cheese odours.
The silver lining is that I am writing this post from work. I am being paid to diss my job on the internet. Thats way of getting back at the man, 1 blog post at a time!
The wosrt part about a job like mine i.e. account management/business development/sales etc is that you are dependent significantly on other people. Your clients determine your routine, they determine when you get to work and when you leave. This point is further pushed by bosses who push the idea that what we earn is what our clients pay us so me must work with them. In terms of Porters 5 forces (yes I am a geek) we have 0 power.
So even if it is one crazy stupid client who has no life and works on the day the rest of the country is out shopping, we have to be at work to care of that SOB. The server he needs to configure cant wait a few weeks, those software licenses arent going to get to him till next year anyway and its time like these when I feel like telling the guy, dude, get a life, go get laid or something. However, the imperialist cycle of self fulfilment that I have stepped into deprives me of indulging in such simple pleasures.
To make things interesting in the absolute DUB style (thats what we call the company are the last alphabet on its initials) there is a competition going on the idea is that if can convince at least three of our clients to buy something worth $5000 we can take the rest of the day of. THis is where I draw the line. I didnt take the ethics course for nothing. Unfortunately, myself and others who find this exercise to be rather tasteless are stuck in the office. The others who pursued and succeded has been leaving as soon as their targets matched.
We have managed to retain our sense of humor though, balls are flying across the cube farm people are taking turns at telling jokes and ur bosses abviously are featured in some.
It times like these that make think where the hell is the world heading, I mean this is not what life is all about is it ?
Sadly some feel that way. Sadly it is all about making a buck or two even at the expense of others. It is a rat race, the cheese has a strong stench and and slowly but gradually we all flot towards with our eyes closed lavitating on the lognitudnal waves of cheese odours.
The silver lining is that I am writing this post from work. I am being paid to diss my job on the internet. Thats way of getting back at the man, 1 blog post at a time!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Happy Festivus
On This Day A Castanza Declared A Merry Holiday - A Festival, A Celebration! Festivus, for the rest of us.
Happy Festivus Every One :D
Good Times From Seinfeld !
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
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