Thanksgiving

MZ left last Tuesday. Normally we give farewell gifts to the one who leaves, but here it turned out to be otherwise. Before leaving, she handed over the following to me, which I truly cherish: Remainings from a Jack Daniel's and a Johnnie Walker Red Label Whisky. Kispray liquid required to iron clothes. A packet of ready to cook mushroom soup. A bunch of sachets containing tea, creamer, sugar, and don't know what. Few pages of a Bahasa Indonesia tutorial. Books: "Not a penny more, Not a penny less" by Jeffrey Archer "The Necklace and Other Short Stories" by Guy de Maupassant "Five Great Short Stories" by my favorite Anton Chekhov "The Overcoat and Other Short Stories" by Nikolai Gogol "The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories" by Mark Twain and the environment friendly Body Shop bag that contained it all with the following written at the back: "This bag won't be around forever... Unlike other plastic bags, which can take upto 500 years to degrade, this bag will have broken down within a year. And without harming the environment. Containing 30% Cassava starch, this bag consumes less petroleum too. But please reuse as much as like before it's gone...." Thank You MZ, and cheers. :-) _____________________________________ Good News: Got a broadband LAN connection in the hotel for all the office employees, so I'll be happily getting rid of my wireless Netzap soon (claims to be broadband, but gives 40Kbps on average). _____________________________________ To the short lady with spects who was being so patient in teaching my two left feet to dance salsa: Terima Kasih, Ibu. I'm sorry I couldn't go last week due to prior engagements, but would surely visit this week. _____________________________________ Knocked down the pins at SpinCity Bowling Alley, EX - Plaza Indonesia last night. It was a night-out for the project team members, and we (PL, SC, KT, me) got a box of chocolates for being the noisiest team. :-) Thanks, JS, for organizing this. Hit X-lounge in Plaza Semanggi after midnight together with KK, PL, SC, and it was good to catch up with GT who's been here for two weeks. It was ladies night, and the place was filled with near-high-school chics (and their boyfriends), the beer was OK, and SC & GT's table-top dance was overwhelming. _____________________________________

Amazing Grace

Had been to the church yesterday (thanks, MZ, for letting me go with you). Being born in a middle-class Bengali Hindu family, there's no reason why I would suddenly visit a church for the Saturday Mass, but anyway, I went. I went because I like the vastness of the hall, I went because I like to close my eyes and listen to the choir singing gospels, I went because I find peace in there, I went because it makes me remember my schooldays. And at night, looking up at the sky, I remembered... "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me.... I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see."