Abhishek Singhania

I am such a fool

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 17:52:25 GMT

I cant believe I have done it again. I had torn a ligament in my knee last November and here I am in November having done it again. Last time I did it, it was entirely accidental. I was playing football after having led a sedentary MBA lifestyle and as luck would have it, I twisted my knee and was moving around in crutches for a couple of months.

This time around I have no one but myself to blame. The thing is that once you have torn your ligament you are never quite normal again till you have a surgery done. And what did I do? Under the influence of a few beers I believed I was the king of the world and more importantly that I could actually dance. And for the people who dont know my style of dancing... It only involves jumping around like a jackass. And lo and behold I did it again... I twisted my knee and have torn the same ligaments again. The only thing is this time around I am in America... a few thousand miles away from home.

The only positive side to the whole experience is that I got to experience the health care system in America. Dont know if that is worth all the discomfort of being immobile again...

Travails in the US - Epsiode 1 (8th - 11th Sept)

Mon, 12 Sep 2005 01:02:52 GMT

I dont think that I let many people know but I am currently in the US on an exchange program for a term. I will be doing a term at the Graduate School of Business, Chicago. Have been in the US now for about 2-3 days. Am currently staying with my sister and brother-in-law who live in Cleveland. Just a few impressions about the US.

I guess a lot of people who have visited the US might have felt the same things as I am about to describe but what the hell I might as well write it down.

First of all the airports at London and Chicago looked like some 5 star hotel lobbies courtsey the splattering of Indians doing work and travelling along with a lot of white people at the same time. Just as one would never imagine buying or eating anything at a 5 star hotel until and unless somebody else was paying for it one wanders around these airports looking around with absolutely no intention of purchasing anything.

My sister lives in the suburbs of Cleveland, in a town called Avon. And her house is the quintessential American suburban home. I cant say that I am very enamoured by the life in America. What strikes me the most about the feeling that I get from my sister and all can only be compared to the feeling which one gets when one goes for a vacation and then wishes for all the comforts of home. They probably feel more Indian, listen to more Indian music and watch more Hindi movies than I do living in India. I mean yes they are living very comfortably and all but all that they crave for is there back in India.

Yesterday we went to this shopping complex and I dont think I have ever felt so conscious about everything that I was doing ever in my life, not even in an interview. But i guess that kind of feeling will go away in some time.

But one thing that rocks here is the public library. They have DVD's, video tapes and a pretty wide variety of bookds to choose from and all this is free (I mean you have to pay your city taxes etc. but apart from that it is free). I could spend a month just watching the movies and as for the books I dont know much but yes I managed to lay my hands on the latest Salman Rushdie novel in hardback.

There is a lot more to write about but if i started doing that I dont think i will have much time for anything else.

So now it is time for me to eat, read, watch movies, enjoy and probably philosophize a little less. And then head to Chicago in a week's time.

My first run in 6 months

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:01:18 GMT

Today has been an extremely satisfying day. Went for a jog for the first time after getting my knee busted way back in December. Had forgotten the sheer joy of any physical activity and what it feels like to be breaking in a sweat. I can kind of understand the reason for some of my peevishness for the last 6 months.

Saw a brilliant movie after a long time,a Spanish movie called "motorcycle diaries". An understated movie which almost leaves you disappointed at the end only to be rescued in the last few scenes. Would recommend seeing it with subtitles altough there is a lot that you can pick up even without the subtitles.

Normal - Abnormal

Wed, 07 Apr 2004 03:39:36 GMT

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." - Albert Camus

I really did believe that the above was true till I realised that the converse is about as true. It works both ways I guess. You can be normal trying to be abnormal and abnormal trying to be normal and at the end of it you end up just deluding yourself in to being either one depending on which suits your purpose better.

I am back on live journal.... after a long time

Thu, 04 Mar 2004 07:50:12 GMT

The reason for my return should be quite obvious ...
Sitting at a desk with a computer in front of me with net connection and not much work to do. There is only so much a person can do with the internet.