Sunday, January 29, 2012

About Tennis Gods

As an Indian, I should hardly care if any of the present trinity of the world tennis (male) win any of the tournaments. However, whenever I watch a match either between Rafael and Roger or between Rafael and

 Novak, I expect Rafael to lose. I wonder why I can't keep my indifference and enjoy their play equally and hope that the best player on that day would win.

When I think about it, I guess I like Roger because he comes across as a good boy who finished first and Novak as a funny boy who was more than a side show. But why should I like people who come across either good or funny? Is it because there is an instinctive feeling that these boys would be never be my wife's wet dream boys?

Coming out of that meaningless instinctive feeling, I feel I should always hope for a Rafael win. That is a better sight for the personality worshiping culture of developing world.

I found, among three only Rafael is an atheist and the other two are religious. Now, the Wikipedia article says, he is an agnostic. The term agnostic is basically meaningless, because I feel it introduced an unwarranted definition which didn't stem from a naturalistic view but originated from a monotheistic definition. In my opinion, there are two types of agnostics. The first one is a closet religious person but lives in a society where that would be seen as ignorance. The other one is overly bothered to project his/her humble self thus does not want to be known as an atheist. I assume Rafael is the second kind.

It is at the moments in the match that become crucial when I see the differences. Today at the Australian Open final, Novak was thanking the god profusely whereas Rafael was aggressively backing himself up. Novak's humbleness in thanking the god and Rafael's arrogance in not doing that would make Novak the darling of all not so gifted bodies as he shows there is some outside help afterall. What does Rafael offer? Nothing. He just indicates everyone are on their own.

It appears even the agnostic self is insufficient to make him humble enough. I wonder what kind of signs he should show that make others have a hope that if they ever thought of becoming atheists or agnostics then they can become a winner like him.

Novak's religiosity in a region, where a single linguistic group became three nations owing to three religions (or two, one Islam and the other two Christian denominations) and thus has been proven to be absurd and dangerous, is a bad example for hero worshiping people from other regions.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Wavering Lawfulness

[A lady customer storms into the pharmacy]
[Lady Customer] You didn't give me the bill.
[Pharmacist] < coolly > You didn't ask for it.
[Lady Customer] But you must give the bill.
[Pharmacist] Had you asked, I would have.
[Lady Customer] I might have forgotten.
[Pharmacist] I thought you didn't need it.
[Lady Customer] But you must give the bill by default!
[Pharmacist] Okay, wait. I'll give you the bill.
The present customer didn't ask for the bill. The pharmacist didn't give one.
The second customer didn't ask for the bill. The pharmacist didn't give one.
The third customer didn't ask for the bill. The pharmacist didn't give one.
Now the pharmacist turned his attention to the lady customer.
[Pharmacist] Name
[Lady Customer] < No longer the firm voice that she started with > ...
[Pharmacist] Spell it.. Doctor's name
[Lady Customer] .... Give me one more medicine
[Lady Customer] < pays for the new medicine >Take two rupees change...
[Lady Customer] Oh! It's one rupee...
[Pharmacist] Here you go...< gives the bills for the previous and the present medicines >
[Lady Customer] < ready to go >
[Pharmacist] Wait! you have to get back ten rupees change.
[Lady Customer] Oh! Thank you!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Joining the mainstream

[Conversation over the phone]
[Blood relative 1]: He he he...
[Blood relative 2]: He he he...
[Blood relative 1:]: ummm...
[Blood relative 2]: HAAPpy new yi.....
[Blood relative 1]: eh..eh...eh.. happynewyear