Different yet...

Hinduism

Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will mount His swift horse Devadatta and, sword in hand, travel over the earth exhibiting His eight mystic opulences and eight special qualities of Godhead. Displaying His unequaled effulgence and riding with great speed, He will kill by the millions those thieves who have dared dress as kings. After all the imposter kings have been killed, the residents of the cities andtowns will feel the breezes carrying the most sacred fragrance of the sandalwood paste and oher decorations of Lord Vasudeva, and their minds will thereby become transcendentally pure. When Lord Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in their hearts in His transcendental form of goodneess, the remaining citizens will abundantly repopulate the earth. When the Supreme Lord has appeared on earth as Kalki, the maintainer of religion, Saya-yuga will begin, and human society will bring forth progeny in the mode of goodness.

Christianity

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns [diadems]. He has a name written on him that no one but he himself knows. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. {Rev 19:11-16 NIV}

Sports Talk

I think it was the fall of 2000 and I had just finished applying to the universities I had shortlisted. My brother was watching ESPN.

நான்: என்ன கருமம் புடிச்ச game டா இது... ஒருத்தனை ஒருத்தன் அடிச்சிக்கறான்.

அவன்: அடேய். உனக்கு தெரியுமா. உங்க Texas A&M Aggies நல்ல team. நீயும் போறல்ல, அப்புரம் பாத்துக்கலாம்.

நான்: அட போடா. அது என்னிக்கும் நடக்காது. நான் cricket தவிர வேற எந்த game-உம் பாக்கமாட்டேன்.

In TV: A man in zebra shows both his palms to the TV camera.

அவன்: Pass interference. Super. Go Broncos.

நான்: சரியான லூசு. நீயும் போய் மண்டைய உடைச்சிக்கோ.

மன்னி: உங்கண்ணன் பயங்கரமான Broncos fan. Foul-லாம் referee சொல்லறதுக்கு முன்னாடியே correct-ஆ சொல்லிடுவான். (பெருமையுடன் இளித்துக்கொண்டே).

அவன்: ஒரு season போய் பாரு. அப்புரம் பேசிக்கறேன்.

நான்: உன் கனவுலதான் நடக்கும். இந்த கண்றாவியை எவன் பாப்பான்.

அவன்: உங்க கங்குலி ஆடற அழகைப்பாக்கறதுக்கு இது பரவாயில்லை. நான் வந்ததுலேந்து அவனொரு match-உம் ஒண்ணும் கிழிக்கலை. என்ன captain, முதல்ல அவனை team-லேந்து தூக்கணும்.

நான்: India team history-லயே most wins in tests under him. தெரிஞ்சுக்கோ. அவனும் சசினும்தான் best opening pair.

அவன்: என்ன opening pair. Waste game. Sachin is also waste. Team player இல்லை அவன். 100 அடிச்சா போறாது, team win பண்ணித்தாங்கறதுதான் முக்கியம். He is selfish.

நான்: உனக்கு இப்போ ஆடுற team பத்தி என்ன தெரியும். நீ America-ல இந்த அடிச்சிக்குற விளையாட்டு பாத்துட்டு cricket மறந்து போச்சு. Cricket is a gentleman's game. Not like this (என் கைவிரல் TVயை நோக்கி).

அவன்: போடா போ. இன்னும் 2 years-ல பாத்துக்கலாம்.

நான்: ஒண்ணும் நடக்காது. எழுதி வச்சிக்கோ. (வெளியேரினேன்.)

6 வருடங்களுக்கு பிறகு. இரவு 10 மணி பசிஃபிக் தினவிளக்கு சேமிப்பு நேரம் -MSN Messenger.

நான்: டாய்ய்ய்ய்ய்.

அவன்: டாய்ய்ய்ய்ய்ய்ய்ய்.

நான்: என்ன பண்ணிண்டிருக்கே.

அவன்: what news?

நான்: ஒண்ணும் இல்லை. போர் அடிக்கறது.

அவன்: Bore master. Cricket பாக்க ready ஆயிட்டியா?

நான்: அதுக்கு இன்னும் நேரம் இருக்கே. இந்த வாரம் team pick பண்ணிண்டிருக்கேன்.

அவன்: என்னடா Broncos கேவலமா ஆடிண்டிருக்காங்க.

நான்: ஆமாம். But Chargers are doing great. Go Chargers. Last week fantasy football-ல win பண்ணிட்டேன். முதல் வாரம் உதை. இந்த வாரம் கடும் போட்டி இருக்கு. ஒரு நாலு பேரை trade பண்ணி இருக்கேன். பாப்போம்.

அவன்: India win பண்ணிட்டாங்கோ போன match.

நான்: ஆமாம். 20 over பாத்தேன். அப்புரம் தூக்கம் வந்துடுத்து. 5 பேர் வெர out ஆயிட்டாங்கோ. தூங்கிட்டேன்.

அவன்: சசின் ஒண்டிதான் பொருமையா ஆடினான். பாக்கி எல்லாரும் waste. Team-உக்காக அவன் ஒருத்தந்தான் விளையாடறான். இந்த Sehwag தூக்கிட்டு பேசாம Ganguly-யே கொண்டு வந்துடலாம் பொல இருக்கு.

நான்: எல்லாம் match fixing. West Indies-க்கு India-வோட Finals விளையாடணும்னு தோத்துட்டாங்க. இனிமேல் அதை எவன் பாப்பான். All I am concerned is whether to start Michael Vick or Carson Palmer for this weekend. அப்புரம் பாப்போம். Bye.

அவன்: நான் match பாக்கப்போறேன். Good Night. Bye.

Smooth Sucker

With my back ache easing out, I thought I should do some of my laundry owing to lack of innerwear for the following day. To not totally stress out my back, I decided to just wash enough for the next few days. Wash cycles took 25 minutes at the apartment laundry. It was 4:20 when I returned. I decided owing my laziness that I will take care of it at 5:00.

As I slowly ambled towards the laundry with my arms supporting my back, a cute girl, maybe in her early 20s was walking towards me. As I was lost in her looks, we stumbled in front of each other. Try to be gentlemanly , I gave way to her with a smile. She smiled and thanked as she whizzed past. In the laundry, I found that my clothes had magically moved from the washer to the dryer all by itself. I was puzzled for a few seconds. The door to the laundry opened and there she was again. Her lovely face became apologetic.

"Sorry, I had to move your clothes..."

I intervened, noticing that there weren't any open washers, "Thats OK, sorry to have kept you waiting for the washer", I smiled.

She smiled and moved on. I went back to starting the dryer cycle with a big 'hmph'. As I was moving my clothes from the other washer I had used, I smelt something burning. I turned and started looking around. I cleared the second washer and I could now smell it even stronger. I noticed smoke rising from the adjacent washer, the one she had just loaded. I instinctively opened the washer and saw more smoke plumes. The wash cycle stopped and the smoke seeked the exhaust windows. I put my olfactories to work trying to locate the source. The washer was overloaded with a huge comforter, which got stuck and prevented the washer from spinning. I made sure that there was no visible flame. I pulled out the wet and soapy comforter and examined it for damage. Nothing. I was glad I was a few minutes late. I waited a few more minutes to ensure that I will have underwear for the next day.

I walked out satisfied but I had to return the favor. I had to let her know that I had to stop her wash cycle. At least that was the reason I gave myself to get a chance to talk to her again. I impatiently waited in my porch for her to walk by for thirty minutes. I had never waited for laundry in my life like that before. Hoping that she would show up on time to move her clothes to the dryer, unlike me, I was at the laundry with still 15 minutes on my dryer cycle. Fifteen minutes felt like forever. The dryers stopped whirring and I reluctantly started collecting my clothes. All this time I was thinking of what to do. 'Should I write a note and put it on the washer?, 'Should I wait and let her know?', 'Should I introduce myself and shake her hands?'. The door opened.

She walked in. We exchanged quick 'Hi's.
Then,
"I had to stop your wash cycle on this one.", pointing to the washer, "It started smoking as I was loading up the dryers. I thought I should let you know."

She had a confused look in her face. "Oh", she said as she started closing the lid to restart the cycle as if she didn't understand what I just said.

I intervened again, "Something started burning, I think it was the wiring of the washer, it was overloaded and not spinning. I don't think your fabric is damaged. I checked it."

Now she got it. "Oh, it was too big when I put it in.", still confused on what her next move should be, "Thanks for stopping the cycle.", she managed a nervous smile.

"Oh, no problem." I piled on my clothes into my laundry bag.

As I was about to step out she thanked once again.

"Oh, I had to, you know, it was smoking and I had to" as I waved my arms at my clothes.

She smiled. I carried the laundry bag totally forgetting about my back ache. On the way back, I thought to myself, 'Another smooth performance by yours truly. I suck.'

Sleepless in New York

I pulled into Lot B. There was just an hour before my plane was scheduled to take off. It was definitely a bad idea to leave that late on a Friday before a long weekend. Running through the sea of cars, jumping onto the shuttle bus and standing through the rigorous LAX security line was just the beginning of a sleepless, eventful, yet an enjoyable long weekend.

The four hour flight to Atlanta was grueling. My inability to sleep while traveling combined with the two year old Asian kid’s tantrums one row behind made me understand the term “Red Eye”. The short trip to Philly from Atlanta was a little more relaxing. I got a whole half an hour’s sleep. It was raining heavily in the Northeast, thanks to Ernesto. To top the miseries, my friend was denied a car at the airport rental as HE wasn’t traveling in a plane. That meant that I had to rent and DRIVE the car. Grrr…, I wonder why my parents gave me that name. They must have had a jolt from Nostradamus himself.

After a ninety minute drive through the heavy downpour, we reached my friend’s den in a small town in New Jersey. My anxiety to see my friends and New York city overcame the physical stresses that my body was going through. Shortly after a speedy clean-up routine and a quick tea & Vada Paav (an Indian version of the Burger) at ‘Hot Breads’, we decided to hit the road towards New York City. New York was busy, rainy and fun. Despite the raging clouds and thunderstorms, we decided to take the “topless” bus tour. As it was meant to mean, the bus had no “top”. It was once in a lifetime experience to see (or at least trying to see) the high-rise buildings with huge raindrops falling straight into the (red) eyes. The rain forced us to cut short our bus ride at Times Square. Then we decided to take on Madame Tussaud to escape the wrath of the rain gods. Three hours flew by as pictures were taken with every known celebrity, from Homer Simpson to Jessica Simpson, from Presidents to CEOs, from Larry King to England’s Queen, from Madonna to Mahatma.

It was still showering when we emerged out of the house of wax. Dinner at a pizza joint was soothing. Times Square at night was dazzling. It was almost midnight by the time we reached NJ. The rest of the night was spent in watching “Crash”, drinking and making fun of each other. By the time I hit the sack, it was 4 am. Five hours later, we took to the road, returned the SUV at PHL owing to lack of space for six, had tea and Paav Baaji at Hot Breads and hit the road to New York again by noon. Day 2 was pleasant – 70 degrees and sunny, a picture-perfect day for a New York visit. A short ride on the bus again through downtown, a quick look at the Empire State building, followed by a 75 minute city cruise on the Hudson River that included great views of the Manhattan Skyline and the Statue of Liberty, a 5pm lunch at a Turkish eatery in Manhattan, a photo-session outside the Ed Sullivan theater and a night-time bus ride through downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn made the rest of the evening. All the coffee and soda I had all day long made me run from Times Square to the Grand Central Station to take a well-deserved long bathroom break. I felt liberated in the city to which the word meant a whole lot more.

A short ride back to NJ, a quick bite at Taco Bell and a night trip to Atlantic City meant only one thing - INSOMNIA! The Trump Taj Mahal was no way like the Agra Taj Mahal I am used to seeing on pictures. Before that night, I had not known that the Caesar’s Palace casino and hotel were named after “Caesar Augustus” and not “Julius Caesar”. A walk on the breezy Atlantic boardwalk seemed to temporarily quench the sleep I was craving for. The sun was ready to jump out of the Atlantic when we were ready to hit the road back to Lawrenceville. By 8:00am, we were a bunch of sandbags. Four hours later, after yet another brunch at Hot Breads (this time a Vada Paav AND a Bombay Sandwich - yes! we were a wild bunch) followed by a quick photo-shoot at the Princeton University (with a camera that belonged to none of us), we headed back for a long flight back home. It was 2am by the time I had my back on my precious bed. It was wonderful - this time I am not referring to sleep.