Birds and Bees.... and Beluga Whales


A trip to the Georgia Aquarium proved to be more educational than we had fathomed. The Beluga whales are the biggest attraction there. Nico, the male Beluga, is the resident Romeo and shares his tank with three female Belugas (Maris, Natasha, and Marina), who are on breeding loan from the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium.

We stood in front of the exhibit and watched the playful antics of the majestic marine mammals. But the Belugas ended up being more of a show stopper than we had imagined.... After fooling around for a bit, things started heating up and we watched a National Geographic moment unravel before our eyes. The soft lighting and mood music added to the ambiance and the crowd cheered on Nico.......

Conversations with a Desi Cab Driver – Part 2

He was one of the strangest cab drivers I have encountered. He was in his 50s but thought of himself as a 20-something year old latino lover. He sported a hat and injected words like “mamasita” in the middle of every other sentence. Here’s the conversation that ensued:

Delusional Desi Driver: You beautiful lady

Me: Thanks

DDD: You should put on make-up in the morning…. Maybe pink lipstick to go with your shirt

Me (slightly amused): I am beautiful with or without make-up… how come you are an expert on make-up anyway?

DDD: I was married to American lady once. I get divorce since she want me to move to the country with her but we are still friends. She teach me about respect and hygiene. A lot of Indian lady and Pakistani lady don’t wear deodorant. You come to America. You find everything in store. Why not use it? My real estate lady wear no deodorant. She stink. I don’t like. I just sell my land on Tuesday. Here’s her picture. (he hands me a business card which contains a picture of a heavily made-up woman).

Me (not amused any longer): You trusted her to sell your land. She has to be good.

DDD: You married?

Me (definitely not amused): I don’t feel comfortable disclosing personal information

DDD: You should introduce me to Bangladeshi girl… maybe 25-30 year old……

Me (pissed off): If a 25 year old married you it would probably be for your money

(At this point I had arrived at my work)

DDD: Are you going to have coffee before you go to work? Maybe I can buy you coffee.

Me: No thanks (as I slam the door shut and march off angrily)

It wasn’t till I got on the elevator that I realized I had forgotten to pay the fare……

Mama Barir Abdar

Here's a poem with a twist for a special friend......

Tai Tai Tai

Mama-r mansion-e jai

Mama dilo Quizno's Baja Chicken sandwich

Pet bhore khai

Mami elo Swifer Jet niye

Palai palai

Disturbing Facts on Inequality in the US

• Many workers got a break on July 24, 2008 when the federal minimum wage was increased to $5.85 from $5.15 -- the first increase in the federal minimum wage in 10 years. But the minimum wage is still 7% below where it was 10 years ago, adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, CEO pay has gone up 45%, adjusted for inflation, in the same period.
• CEO pay in the U.S. has grown to become 364 times the average worker's pay.
• U.S. execs make three times as much as their European counterparts, even though these European bosses manage companies that are 40% bigger.

Read more here: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/CompanyFocus/IsACEOWorth364TimesAnAverageJoe.aspx?GT1=10421

Pet Peeves

I would like to see the term “boyfriend” abolished from the dictionary once and for all. Not only does it sound juvenile, it barely captures the fact that you are in a romantic relationship with a grown man. So the million dollar question is what do you call a guy who is not a “boy” and not a “friend”?

Of course there is also the gender neutrality dimension politically-correct people harp on, which opens up a whole new can of worms. The terms “partner” and “significant other” are often used. “Partner” gives the impression that you have entered into a business contract with someone while “significant other” can make one feel like the insignificant one in the relationship. “Lover” or “sweetheart” is somewhat revolting, “suitor” sounds very nineteenth century while “date” sounds non-committal. “Companion” could work perhaps but it conjures up an image of Paris Hilton’s pet Chihuahua. So the search for a suitable word continues.