tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79779106717369346952023-11-16T02:48:18.291-08:00Space Exploring DinosaurAshwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-83545017775481708342013-04-09T18:08:00.000-07:002013-04-21T12:44:59.915-07:00An Afternoon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">AN AFTERNOON</span></span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">By </span><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ashwin</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Eapen</span></span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">It</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">a</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Wednesday</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">afternoon and I </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">wasn't</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> <span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">in the mood</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> for </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">a</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">n afternoon of</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Fine art</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> classes</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. The first </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">half</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">was to involve </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">learning to play the</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">bongo drums, and the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">second</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">martial arts.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I wasn't very good at either, </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">but t</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ruth to be told, </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">it was mostly</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> laz</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">iness</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> t</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hat </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">made</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> me </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">decide to </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">call </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">in sick and </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sleep in the classroom. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">As I saw it, being in a karate fight while playing the drums, was not in my future</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">If anyone questioned the authenticity of my excuses, I was confident that I could muster a pretty mean cough and an excellent sick patient look. After all, I did play </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">lead role</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> in the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">school</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> play</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the previous year</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The first half hour went smooth</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ly</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> with nobody suspecting my excuse and I</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> having </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">a </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">cozy nap in the e</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">mpty classroom</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> dreaming </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">of </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">being Batman</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">L</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ittle while</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> later</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I had to exit the bat cave as</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> sounds of</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">footsteps ap</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">proached</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> my fortress </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">of solitude</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">were fast and had </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">t</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> background of </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">heavy panting</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I wonder if I was in trouble and w</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ould </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">be summoned by the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">teacher to explain </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">about this sudden</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> sick</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ness and </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">have to</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> exhibit my acting skills.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> As the</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> got closer</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">mustered the courage </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">to sneak my head up to </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">and </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">find who it was?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1390991426" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="2102469132" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ashwin</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, where is everybody</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">?"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="943565600" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="972067431" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"Huh</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">!! T</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hey have all gone to fine arts classes</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. I'm not keeping to</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">o</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> well, so decided to stay in</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="161472855" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="842548396" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">It was Ajay, my friend who was a year senior to me.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I was relieved that it wasn't any of my classmates</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> as that meant </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">clearly was not in trouble. But I </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">wondered why</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was he</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> here</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">?</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="517740648" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1559776038" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"Where is Anthony?"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1893580326" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="615907275" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"Well, he is in fine arts class I assume"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="481951431" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="79745827" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"Ok all right</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> S</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ince he is not here</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> why don't</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> you come with me"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1970823705" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="422197537" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Clearly, he hadn't heard that I was sick or he just knew that I was lying, either way I wasn't too worried about that at this point.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="922304569" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="714761564" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"Where, why, what</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="846920568" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="476701726" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">W</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">e need a hockey goalkeeper, and</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Shenoy</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sir said if I couldn't find Anthon</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y, then I was </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">to call you"</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1549296854" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="192283040" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"Really, ok…I'll com</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">" </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I replied with glee</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1871952254" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">As I ran with him to the playground, I was </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">excited about the prospect of being called up by</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Shenoy</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Sir to be the goalie. He had run the school's hockey program for </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">several </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">years, and </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">had </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">over</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">seen our school</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'s</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> rise from being</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">T</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hrashed</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to being </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'T</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">T</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hrashers</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. But then </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the closer I got to the ground, my doubts began. W</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hat team</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I being goalie for</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was it for the school team?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was only in 7th grade, </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">wasn't I too</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> young?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">And there at the hockey field </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">see</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> my super seniors standing </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">around with their</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> hockey sticks.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Umesh</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Deepu</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Rohit</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">and the whole lot. These guys were </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">my </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">brother Ashok's</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> batch mates</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. My apprehensions about what I had gotten into just increased ten fold</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="941877403" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Ajay, w</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hat's going on?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Why am I being brought here?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">' </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1799303934" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Well, </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Alex who was the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">substitute goalkeeper for the senior team decided that he wanted to concentrate on academics and </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">quit being the goalkeeper</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> S</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">o you're </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">being thought of replacing him in the team'</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'What??? Are you serious'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I asked in disbelief</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">As </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sheer panic </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">rushed through my brain</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> there was also a slight sense of excitement</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">After all,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ashwin</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Eapen</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Senior team substitute goalkeeper</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> sounded qui</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">te </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">good</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, even if it was just the substitute. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">My brother's friend</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">walks over to me, and asks</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1427796272" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">So, </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Are you ready for this?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Think </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ou can</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> handle a few practice shots?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="359232317" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Yeah! </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I think so</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Of course </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">that was a complete </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">lie</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. This was </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> who we're talking about. I didn't dream of stopping his shots. </span><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> for us juniors in schools was Carl Lewis, </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Maradona</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> and possibly </span><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sachin</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Tendulkar</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> all combined in one</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> h</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">e could do it al</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">l</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. There were rumors a</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">mong</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> us kids, that he once single </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hand</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">i</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ly</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> dribbled the ball all the way from one half to the other, wading and making the other team's superstars look or</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">dinary</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, and nearly scoring the goal</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I could never confirm this rumor, but we never cared. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">He</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was our hero, and playing against him was </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">both </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">exciting and</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">intimidating.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'A</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ll right</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> S</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">uit up then. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The goalie's equipment is over</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> there</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. Put it on and get ready</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">As I slowly put on the bulk hockey equipment, I see him taking practice shots against a c</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">oncrete </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">wall. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> All I c</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ould </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hear is the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">rhythmic</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">whack of the hockey stick and </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">thud of the ball </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hitting the concrete wall.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> It </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">felt </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">like the ball</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> defying the laws of physics as it zip</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ped</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> at the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">speed of ligh</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">t</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and I could see cracks developing in the wall</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> gulp, as I stand up and walk over to the goal posts,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and wonder if this was a good idea after all.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">7th grader tragically killed in </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">a </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hockey shootout</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, was not how I saw my </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">life end</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">He looks up to me, and asks</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'Ready?'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1286457107" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'Yep, go for it'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I reply unconvincingly.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1365192254" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="494214438" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">He brings </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">his </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">stick up, and then in a split second brings it down</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. T</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he stick makes contact with the ball I barely see</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> it</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> as it zips pasts me. My feet are rooted to the ground</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. D</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">id that just happen? Holy Cow!</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="394591707" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I look up to him and say</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="907235019" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'All right, all right,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. Lets do this again'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="33589444" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Whack, and again the ball zips pasts me again. Over the next half hour I went through many</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1663224559" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="95752796" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'Al right, all right, come on'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="680362528" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1203901818" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'T</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">his time is for sure'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1150287631" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1313172577" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'All right, this is the last one you will get past me'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1214635657" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1096275866" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">P</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ffft</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">am </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">just warming up, come one!'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="118231940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1491164625" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">H</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">is shots and my lack of goal stopping were indiscriminate. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The balls flew</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">right, left, through my legs, in the side corner</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">over my shoulder </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">and all possible combinations.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">My prospect of being the senior team's </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">goalkeeper</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> wasn't looking ver</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">promising</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="412411442" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">And </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">just when I thought this was going nowhere,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I caught a break.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hits a shot</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> where the ball </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">instead </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">of </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sticking to the ground went up in the air, and whacked me on the helmet. Yes, I finally did it! I finally stopped a goal</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">!</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="922634590" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="321841960" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> rushed over to ask if I was ok,</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="924445182" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1129620838" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ashwin</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, are you ok? Do you need help to get up?'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="709244461" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1701815935" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'Huh?'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1237428023" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1143740790" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Why </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">is he asking if I was OK</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">? Wait a minute, w</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hat am I doing on the ground</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">?</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="53689152" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1831648495" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'Dude, you fell to the ground as my shot hit you on the helmet'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="487541147" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="766703373" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'Really? But the ball didn't go in right?'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1871211833" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1262987306" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">cracked a smile and replied,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'No it didn't. Well done, dude. Ashok</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">(my brother)</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> will be proud'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="1691637998" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="192969837" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Over the next half hour</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">gave me </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">around fifty to sixty </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">practice shots and while there </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">were </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">many that zipped past me, I stopped a good </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">number, none of which required further use of my helmet.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">As the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">school bell rang,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Suman</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">came over </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">to me.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="237521839" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="833866213" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Tell Ashok</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> you've been selected as substitute goalkeeper</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> C</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ongrats</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> dude</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. A</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">lso </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">please don't tell your mom about the helmet hit</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="487366332" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX247063251" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX247063251" paraid="487644512" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">No</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> of course not!!! And thank you'</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">T</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">here it was, I had been selected to be the goalkeeper of the </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">School's </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">senior team. I couldn't believe my luck, my laziness had finally brought me some luck. Now </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I would </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">g</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">t to skip classes to go for</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">practice</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and inter-school tournaments</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. I couldn't wait to g</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">et</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> home and tell my brother and my mom</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">M</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ore importantly</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">could</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">boast to my friends t</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he next day</span><span class="TextRun SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. Laziness indeed does pay off.</span><span class="EOP SCX247063251" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-14910964401563763662013-01-21T20:00:00.000-08:002013-01-23T18:51:11.112-08:00On these shoulders....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7625406563609981" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This December, I had a surgery to repair my right shoulder labrum. What
started out as an innocuous basketball injury 7 years ago, became an injury which deteriorated progressively as the years
passed. First, it would just be severe pain when I
injured it, then it slowly transformed into my shoulder popping out. Initially I was able to pop it back in by myself, until this year when after a certain misadventure it didn't and required a visit to the Emergency room. This was the final straw that made me decide that I need to take the big step to get my shoulder fixed
once for all, like going to the doctor......</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Over the years, my injury severely inhibited my
ability to play sports, especially being able to play basketball. Though I
never became the next Michael Jordan, basektball brought lot of fun and enjoyment for me. In high school I would
come back home, have a quick tea, and rush to the basketball court and
spend the next 3 hours playing there. Attempting to play like
Jordan, and naturally coming up very short on any of his
moves. But it was still a great deal of fun. Besides basketball,
I’ve had to be careful and more conservative with lot of my activities,
especially not to move or do an action in the horizontal
plane to the shoulder. So when the doctor informed me I had to get
surgery done, I didn’t think, “Damn, my life sucks”, but rather that this was an inevitability and was
something I needed to take care of.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My workplace was extremely understanding, and offered me a great flexibility
while I recovered. All through the process, they would tell me that healing my injury was the number 1 priority and that there was no need to rush back to work. Hearing those reassuring words comforted me a great deal and I felt lucky that I worked at such a great work place who were willing my to adjust my work
schedules. The other change that I needed to do was to postpone my Turkey trip. I had been planning it in great lengths over the months prior to the injury, and was very much looking forward to backpacking through the country. The trip was pushed to June, and in insight, the weather is lot more better in June than in December. I did try to sneak in the idea of doing the trip before the surgery to the surgeon but him giving me snarling look was enough to make me think better of it.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Preparing for the surgery date, I had this thought constantly in the back of my mind that I
was missing one final detail and that there would be some insurance
information that I missed, which would cause me to pay thousands of
dollars, and bankrupt me. No matter how many times I crosschecked the
documents and the requirements I kept thinking that I would arrive
at the surgery center, and they would look at the papers and go, “Sir,
you’ve failed to do this or have this, and we can’t cancel the surgery.
You’ve to pay 10000$ fine....!!!!!”. Luckily none of that happened, and I'm still not bankrupt :). I was helped a great deal by my friend Mansiha. She helped me out before and after the surgery. Especially with dropping me and picking me up after the surgery. Ensuring, that I was in good condition after the surgery. It is truly great
to have a good friend who would help you out in these tough times, and I was very lucky to have one.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally,
the day arrived. Dec 13, and funnily enough I didn’t feel too nervous
getting to the surgery center. As I entered surgery room, I realized I
had some very poor choice of clothes for the surgery. Instead of wearing
track pants, which would’ve been considerably easier to get in and get
out, I decided to wear regular pants. Somehow my mind never realized,
how tough it would be to put the pant button on after the surgery,
considering my one hand would be immobilized. But barring this one
unfortunate oversight, everything was else went as per schedule. It is remarkable that doctors today can do the entire repair with 3 small holes in my shoulder. The greatness of modern day science.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I came back home feeling more nauseus from the anthesia than the pain from the surgery. Which I thought was a good sign, though I kept throwing up whatever I ate. So all that tasty food Manisha had cooked went down the drain. Sleeping was a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be. Partly because of the painkillers and because of numbing injection on my shoulder. Waking up the next day I realized there wasn’t a lot I could do besides
read, sleep, and watch TV. And that I did a lot of, especially the
first and third. I scoured Netflix to pick a movie to watch,
and finally decided to watch the series 24. 20 episodes in I
realized, the series was bullshit, and that Jack Bauer couldn’t do all this
shit he is doing, and no way can it happen in 24 hours. Come on.!!!! So
I stopped watching 24 at that point, and decided to move towards some
Harry Potter movies. Despite not being a fan, over thanksgiving, my friend had passed me this
sweet deal for the entire Harry Potter series on blu-ray for just 30$.
There was no way I could pass up on that for sure. And 8 movies later
I’ve to say that I was wrong all these years and the series is a lot of fun, albeit a bit lengthy. And
Snape surely is the best character of the lot.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now that surgery was a few day in, I knew the next big step lied ahead, physical therapy. This was a lengthy process but also very important in my road towards to recovery. The doctor wasted very little time and
began the physical therapy 4 days after the surgery, the idea being you want to reduce the stiffness caused by surgery. As they began
assessing my shoulder and it's range of my motion, I knew the road was
long and that there really was no turning back. I kept
thinking, was this such a good idea, did i do the right thing. As I
was struggling for my most basic motion, it dawned on me that I
wasn’t asking or wanting to do anything spectacular with my arms, all I
wanted was to just lift them or pick up something with it, and that I was so far away from that. It just humbled me a lot, and gave me perspective on how easily, what you think is something you can have with ease, is something you've to fight for sometimes....</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
returned to work a week after the surgery, and by return I mean, working
from home. I was still in no position to drive,and I had to sit on the couch to do my work. Sitting on a couch and working is not ideal, and over the next few days it made me realize that working from home is a nice thing to do
once in a way but in no way could I do it long term. I
missed the buzz of the work place, interacting with people, talking
about soccer, music and all the other good things that comes with being
around people. Also, considering it was the holiday season being stuck at home made me long for home, thinking about
the comforts of home, family, home cooked meals,
and so much more. And thinking of my Turkey trip and those balloon rides that I was supposed to take
in Cappadocia, made me sigh a lot..... Aaah, so many things. But, I was happy that my
surgery and post recovery had gone according to plan and that there were
no horror stories.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As
of writing, it has been little over 5 weeks since the surgery. I took
off the sling, as prescribed this week. I’ve been driving last few
weeks, with not too many problems. My physical therapy has been going on
at a steady pace, and I feel that the clinic i’m going to is pretty
awesome. They’re the right people for me, I feel they understand the process of
recovery very well and are pushing me at a steady pace. My mobility has slowly
been returning, and I know its a long road, one that is a matter of
months and not of weeks. And I’m sure at the end of I can do those 500
push ups that I’ve been wanting to do...and who doesn't want to do
that..</span></span></div>
Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-64306826670552356472011-06-28T21:43:00.000-07:002011-06-28T21:43:38.484-07:00Me....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What do I want to be, do I imitate you, or you in the corner</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I dream of the original idea, but its not there</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I struggle for identity, in midst of Joe everydays and black suits,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Everyone is running towards somewhere, why do I not want to be there...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Do I drop the accent, and the haughtiness and be me</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But where do I find me, is there a me</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Am I supposed to be my father's son, or my College's alum or my country's citizen,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But why not me, even though I don't know who I'm</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Do I want to travel, do I want to see parts of the world that few could imagine</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">or Do I want to run back home, enjoy the monsoons</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">go back to the playgrounds to remember a simpler day</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But do shadows and empty fields await me, as a stranger</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Maybe, but I will scale that mountain to seek me,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And when I do, I will meet you on it peaks</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Until then...</span><br />
</div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-43847216146652620102011-05-22T22:01:00.000-07:002011-05-22T22:01:15.557-07:00Why you must Volunteer.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_9EERBdbLH-IYj-UctGoHQ4h6-JkyDBt0sFLyEGuPYcz68b55dGVduQHP1uwNWNVu8_UJ8Q03CcJD69RQ-h6h_U7a_geefNAmNPpVGaII6tWz7b953fdEB9vCvKlpoTKEKOomA8Dqwk/s1600/v1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_9EERBdbLH-IYj-UctGoHQ4h6-JkyDBt0sFLyEGuPYcz68b55dGVduQHP1uwNWNVu8_UJ8Q03CcJD69RQ-h6h_U7a_geefNAmNPpVGaII6tWz7b953fdEB9vCvKlpoTKEKOomA8Dqwk/s200/v1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We often feel hesitant to take the first step to do something. For some it might be hitting the gym, for others it could be asking a girl out.For years, for me it was getting involved in volunteering and community service. I used to always think i would volunteer and give back to the community, for what was going to stop me. Of course the answer to that was, ME. To be more specific my laziness, my hesitation and my lack of commitment. I always used to put it off and think of it as something that I would so someday, but someday never became a today. This was the case until recently.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Getting a job, and moving to a new city(Washington DC) where I didn't know anybody and most parts of the city, I felt volunteering would be a great opportunity to meet people of DC and understand what defines DC. It was also an opportunity to give back to the community that I would be living, however small that impact might be. While I was aware in general terms that volunteer organizations were involved in the city, I didn't know of any specific organization or how to get involved with them. So in time of requiring information I did what any human being would do. Use Google. And as I had expected there were a ton of websites with a great amount of detail on opportunities. Filtering through them required time, as I wasn’t very sure on what level of commitment I could give, given I didn't have a car back then, and travel was a big hassle. Luckily I was able to find an organization called One Brick(http://www.onebrick.org) which fitted nicely with my requirements. It allowed people to volunteering but not having to given a fixed commitment. Almost like an ad hoc sort of arrangement. This allowed me to flex my schedule nicely to be part of many of their opportunities.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Despite this, it wasn’t another 2 weeks before I signed up for an event. On signing up my mind was filled with doubts and some of the apprehensions that I had before. Was this is the right thing to do, would I fit in and was I volunteering at a safe place. These questions lingered for the entire week, and were intensified when it was finally time for me to finally go volunteer. I remember reaching the venue and thinking, what am i doing here, can I just go back? But suffice to say, I'm glad I didn't. For all those thoughts disappeared within seconds of actually doing work. We went around cleaning up a fair, moving desks and benches, carrying some heavy stuff. In short it was a lot of work, and if my mom was there to see it she would’ve said that ‘Ashwin finally you’re doing some work’. As the day continued, I couldn't believe that I was actually having second thoughts about this before this. It was an awesome event and by the end of the day I was extremely happy that I got to do something meaningful rather spending my time doing something menial.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I would like to think that event was an instigator in me, over the past year I volunteered in numerous events. But more importantly I got to see parts of the city and its heart that I would never have otherwise. I went to food banks to help organize food deliveries, drove around the city distributing food to poor and needy, and worked at the Smithsonian for their monthly events. It has given me a unique perspective on the city. I will admit to the fact that often I'm hesitant to go to the poor or the less affluent parts of the city and that I'm scared for my safety. Often we look at the affluent areas, the restaurants, and the pubs and think of it as the representation of the city. But that couldn't be further away from truth. Through volunteering it made me realize how trivial our thoughts and wants are. Our desires of higher pay, bigger house or bigger car are trivial when compared to what lot of people in the city go through. There are families out there thinking of how they will pay this month's rent or how they can feed themselves. It makes you thankful of your life but also sad that there is so much help needed.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mS0C8C_nhQ8QVQhhuyBWuHsL5x-40C2mgzDdqvljSM38_0b144I04BLv5DWgCbjvpwmO1FJaMfvT3AoFI_LPTMi7o9mtgqiocjy80dP7Grp21Za8cIOjgUbmzvByEgDDuGZ2B_N_ZiU/s1600/v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mS0C8C_nhQ8QVQhhuyBWuHsL5x-40C2mgzDdqvljSM38_0b144I04BLv5DWgCbjvpwmO1FJaMfvT3AoFI_LPTMi7o9mtgqiocjy80dP7Grp21Za8cIOjgUbmzvByEgDDuGZ2B_N_ZiU/s200/v2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But sadly volunteering isn't the most natural reaction for most to do. Many want to do it, some do it, but lots don't. For most there isn't an incentive to do it, you don't have the financial rewards of it, you don't get fired for slacking or it’s something that somebody else will do. Also its lot of effort and commitment on your part to do it. And here comes the essence of my point. Lots of live our lives wanting to find some sense of purpose and that we make form of dent in our lives that revolve around us.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Volunteering gives a person the opportunities to reach out to people and communities that you often wouldn’t otherwise. And when you give, give without expecting anything back. Some are appreciative, some aren't. The great thing about volunteering is that it gives you an opportunity to do something that will impact lives of people you will never otherwise see and in ways you can't even imagine. On your journey you meet so many passionate people. Often people like me and you, working, leading busy schedules, having a blackberry, but setting aside so much time of their lives to make other people's lives and communities better. Witnessing people like that gives me encouragement and at the same time a sense of shame that I don't do enough.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You might wonder where we can start. The simplest is to look outside your home. It could be organized group, or it could be an impromptu group that gets together to do a great good. You’ve to get out of your comfort zone and that nice Saturday morning coffee sometimes. There is no lack of opportunities in the city to do volunteer work. If not, you can always resort to our good buddy, Google. Another great place to find opportunities is through Meetup (www.meetup.com), where there are tons of activities every day. But the sad reality is that despite the plethora of opportunities there aren't enough people doing it. A person I know recently told me about a lady in Georgetown(DC) who collects gifts for Xmas from various sources and distributes them to low income families throughout the city. But sadly most years she isn't able to distribute all the gifts simply because there aren’t enough people to go do the drop off. I was shocked in a city where we see so many people willing to give and where there is no shortage of cars, that there is a scarcity of volunteers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I would like to think that this gives an insight to why I think that at the very least everyone should volunteer and how they can make their communities better. It isn't easy,but it shouldn't be. I like to end by giving a quote about what I think captures its essence...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference and that you have lived at all."....</span><br />
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</div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-53386264459975958692011-03-22T21:21:00.000-07:002011-03-22T21:24:03.485-07:00Roll the dice...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2NYz7m590eV33UBI2ChdGChLdbco9Pbz2EaR96KLwp4xYrPMSnr40I1q29C2g4TTrDNYnj3qCPU8NBlDvzWSsjAYr_nGbvTMbXQqjl3NyYy_wdNOrUQi85MsRjWK56LAzXq2_eQ2s7w/s200/board_games1_001.jpg" width="200" /></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of my fondest memories of my childhood was the lazy summers and Sunday afternoons that I spent with my family. A good amount of them were filled with memories of playing cricket in the yard or going to a small ground to play. The other main activity was playing board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, Snake and Ladders and other games I don't recall. And for the longest period in my life, I never played these games. I still can recall all those boxes gathering dust back home. And it wasn't until recently something changed which reunited me with one of my old loves.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As odd as it seems, the first reason for it was the Apple iPad. Let me explain, little under a year ago I was gifted the iPad, and I will say it's an extremely impressive piece of technology. But little did I realize its potential as an awesome platform of board games. When I think of it now it is a natural fit. The screen resembles a board, and the graphics and sound can really simulate the feel of a real game as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_Utes0CzWkLsHxw7GFfSR2G4-xHtVX1CW247OG9sJr_cHKZ9zP1G0SRchaEXZtzDmUHgH_e5NHnCnrX92zWGgC-MIBNQy6Y4-202nlrOoZyX_aFhq5YB6wEd2xSo6wYh3zewuf-hNG0/s1600/board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_Utes0CzWkLsHxw7GFfSR2G4-xHtVX1CW247OG9sJr_cHKZ9zP1G0SRchaEXZtzDmUHgH_e5NHnCnrX92zWGgC-MIBNQy6Y4-202nlrOoZyX_aFhq5YB6wEd2xSo6wYh3zewuf-hNG0/s400/board.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Risk and Scrabble on the iPad</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And often when I travel to work, these games are time eaters and also tons of fun. Especially two games on the app store that caught my eye were Scrabble and Risk. Playing scrabble all my life, buying Scrabble on the app store was an obvious purchase. And I've to say it's a brilliant implementation of the classic game. Sure there are times when you are left leaving head scratching when you hear a particular word exists. But the design is so intuitive that on a recent trip to my friend's place, his wife picked up the game within 2 minutes of getting it. The other game that I mentioned was Risk(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_(game)), which I will say didn't catch my eye initially. I was interested in it simply because I had seen the ad for the game on Xbox Live and heard really good reviews about it. So buying it on the app store was simply out of curiosity that anything else. But since getting to know the rules, I've become very addicted to it. The design is simple, but yet so effective in conveying the feel of being at war and that you have to constantly keep monitoring your trip units and those of your enemies too. I will confess that this game has beaten me more often than scrabble, but don't worry my day will come soon :). The great thing is that you have friends (big IF), you can play them over the network or Internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other big reason, I've fallen in love with board games yet again is this awesome meetup group near my house. For those who don’t know you can find tons of groups who share your share same interest in a particular area on the website Meetup.com. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a great way to organize these kinds of unconventional groups and bring people together to share these kind of experiences. Sometimes it goes by the way side but often it’s bloody awesome. And this case it's awesome, plenty of people who know tons of board games, man some of them I've not even heard about. We meet every Sunday at <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1718 P Street NW, DC around 1pm. And so far it's been a packed house. The games are loads of fun, filled with dumb moves (mine mostly) and awesome moments of winning a game (definitely not me). It brought back a lot of good memories of my childhood fighting and arguing my brothers during those lazy afternoons over board games. And the awesome thing is that every week the organizers do something new, which makes going for them lots of fun. And I will also say they’re very well organized and arranged that the experience is just even more awesome.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's funny that these two seemingly unrelated events reunited me with a past that I had long forgotten and one that I want to remember and relive. If at all you guys have an itching to play those old board games, go ahead buy an iPad or find a meetup or just buy some board games because they are definitely worth the every single dollar or rupee or euro or whatever that you spend on it.</span></div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-36633493616514840772011-01-09T19:48:00.000-08:002011-01-09T20:03:24.322-08:00A concert of a different kind....<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/artisticked/3308243487/" title="Avial . . . !! by ~~ Artisticked ~~, on Flickr"><img alt="Avial . . . !!" height="177" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3400/3308243487_a98d628b7d.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Today was unique experience. I attended for the first time a live concert on the Internet. As it sounds its live video feed from the concert. The band was one of my favorites Avial. For those who know me, you probably are already scratching your heads thinking, oh no, not another Avial post, but for those alien to them let me get you up to speed. Avial is a malayalee dish, which is a mixture of different ingredients. And as name suggests their music is too. They are an Indian rock band, who sing in my native language of Malayalam. Their songs have varying elements of traditional folk to heavy rock riffs. Their music is truly unique, with heavy bass lines, very little guitar solos and song structures which don't follow the typical lyrics-chorus style. For anyone who loves music their first album is definitely worth a check out. Even though they sing in Malayalam, they've fans ranging all across the country and the world. Avial is Tony John on vocals, Rex Vijayan on guitar, Binny Issac on bass and Mithun Puthanveetil on Drums.<br />
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Now on to the concert. The concert was at a club in Mumbai and was in celebration for the launch of their website avial.in. I was pretty excited for it even though i was seeing it online. Sadly the stream was single video feed and I guess you've to expect that as probably such sophisticated production costs could only be afforded by bollywood and cricket, at least in India. Anyways they began the concert with a song that I couldn't recognize, either it was a traditional malayalam folk song or song from another band I am not aware. It was pretty good, and the accoustic guitar really lend itself. Up next was a song called "Anna Kallan" from their forthcoming album. The song talks about fake swamis and priests. Tony did a real good job of singing it, and the guitar riff was really catchy. Anyone who wants a preview should check it out on YouTube. After that another new song called "Ayyo", and I had heard it previously. The version they cracked at Mumbai was mind blowing. Awesome bass riffs, coupled with a really awesome guitar work. I would say they've definitely getting the mix absolutely correct on this song. It bodes well for their new album.<br />
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By now, I couldn't help feeling that Tony was sort of getting on my nerves. Not his singing, but rather he really didn't try to mingle with the crowd. His interaction with the audience pretty lame I've to say. I really did wish somebody like him with an opportunity to really connect with a small audience absolutely squanders it. Anyways, more on that later. Little later, came the highlight of the night when guest singer Neha S Nair came out to sing the traditional song Nagumo. The singing and the fusion was amazing, it was just an incredible performance. If they do post a video of it online, you should definitely check it out.<br />
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It was at this time, the stream started acting and it went down for about 10-15 minutes, and I missed out lot of their numbers sadly. And it came up back up around the conclusion of the song Aadu Pambe. As the concert went by Tony's singing began to deteriorate, his performances on Karukara and Nada Nada were pretty bad. Its funny, I've seen lot of videos of Avial's live performance and he usually sings those songs pretty balanced, and has of late he has nailed Nada Nada. Its not like he is a bad singer, but just seems like he didn't care, which was sad and I'm pretty sure everyone will talk of bringing back the previous singer Anand which is pretty dumb. <br />
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In ending this, I would say the online experience was a sort of an Avial. It can't beat the experience of being there listening to it live, and singing along, but yet its an awesome model to bring in audiences. My respect for the band has increased even more(something I thought wasn't possible). They're truly an exceptional and unique band, which can really hit the heights as a live act with little more consistency from the lead singer. As with the rest of fans, I'm eagerly waiting the release of their next album.Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-84186733664618550282010-09-19T15:08:00.001-07:002010-09-19T15:15:15.374-07:00The Glasshouse....<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clandrie/4561924066/" title="photo sharing"><i><img alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3385/4561924066_edd64bc126_m.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></i></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clandrie/4561924066/"><i>73/365 - Signal the Escape [Explored]</i></a><i><br />
Originally uploaded by </i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/clandrie/"><i>c.landrie</i></a></span></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If I could throw a brick I would,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Shatter the glass windows that have sealed within me,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Why won't words come to me, where have you disappeared to,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Why do I struggle to speak, why won't I speak</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Words disolve into the paper, my words have been stolen</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My pen has dried from inactivity, it seems so long since I wrote</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Has the old lady, sealed away my words for a prize</span></i><br />
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</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Though beauty surrounds me, beauty of the hopeful and the bleak</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I see people in love, people lonely, I see beautiful people,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I see the homeless, craving for a piece of bread,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I see the happy, in joy of love, and life</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">but yet I am unmoved, I feel nothing, see nothing,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The circles and fountains unomove me, the rainbows don't seem to inspire me</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Listless and enstranged, I see truly far away from them all</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">locked away in my world, insulated by everything</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Invisibly moving through the days</span></i>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-55145990657353089322010-05-26T17:46:00.000-07:002010-05-26T20:10:14.170-07:00While We're Young....<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wvdBrLADk1FECysdrITMklEFMwqxEWz9GDJQ89A9dd2IHIpC7MedYN96f-mLXPPN3Buo0lJC7AoKh9vDevc9Nnepl7DFHikMG_FXuT0ZRn7JTHekqAtWYSXbjKdNfkiDbEf0v1MIeXw/s1600/DSC00126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wvdBrLADk1FECysdrITMklEFMwqxEWz9GDJQ89A9dd2IHIpC7MedYN96f-mLXPPN3Buo0lJC7AoKh9vDevc9Nnepl7DFHikMG_FXuT0ZRn7JTHekqAtWYSXbjKdNfkiDbEf0v1MIeXw/s200/DSC00126.JPG" width="200" /></span></i></a></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While we're young, let us do what the young do,</span></i></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Get on elephant backs and traverse the jungles</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Discover gold in the King Solomon's mines,</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and then jump off the cliff to escape the impending natives</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While we're young, let us not worry about our careers</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For some say, careers are a 21st century invention,</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Let us free our minds and do things we always wanted to do,</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Maybe start a coffee shop in Cochin,</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Or maybe scale the city of Machu Picchu</span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLugVKzZC6rnlCw_fn6CcZFYKJE48Jfa1oairphugA1yf-6j0QVaVD6A_hVNXNOvaiHzRO0Ohnm0fxpMO4nOSR_9j49MXRua3SD2yzKzDRSpKeDYMfYX9NlJM1yYaSXLTE5EiNITswl9I/s1600/DSC02245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLugVKzZC6rnlCw_fn6CcZFYKJE48Jfa1oairphugA1yf-6j0QVaVD6A_hVNXNOvaiHzRO0Ohnm0fxpMO4nOSR_9j49MXRua3SD2yzKzDRSpKeDYMfYX9NlJM1yYaSXLTE5EiNITswl9I/s200/DSC02245.JPG" width="150" /></span></i></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While we're young, let us fall in love</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Forget logic and reasons</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And fall in love with the seasons</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And feel like being loved rather being in love</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Do the unexpected and runaway with her to your own cove</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While we're young, let us be young,</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And stay young...</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-84870522028310323322010-05-16T00:56:00.000-07:002010-05-16T22:53:25.079-07:00Brothers of Nothing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQB9H9mWOAabCh57U0reQzK-XpEtvDx5CHt-4yTc2SXmdWAEwjmtb2skfyVjchKZ4mOw8t2Q5k7PXU7RfXAiSfEz-bqaUXaUdZD3ZwHJN-byDPTe5gKq8kNRZFwd_fVj-FpqODhSx630/s1600/4516750359_8b67db098c_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQB9H9mWOAabCh57U0reQzK-XpEtvDx5CHt-4yTc2SXmdWAEwjmtb2skfyVjchKZ4mOw8t2Q5k7PXU7RfXAiSfEz-bqaUXaUdZD3ZwHJN-byDPTe5gKq8kNRZFwd_fVj-FpqODhSx630/s320/4516750359_8b67db098c_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471774142122782802" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">I've nothing to offer, so do you,</span></div><div><span style="font-style:italic;">We can cook food, as long as you don't finish it<br />We can drink beer, as long as you leave me four<br />But we have no money in our banks,<br />Despite that we gather around our ranks<br /><br />Why we are friends I wonder<br />For women abstain our homes,<br />For we've no contacts to give you jobs,<br />Our languages and cultures vary like the moods of a women<br />For we are people who can only talk nonsense<br />But we do have some chicken and beer<br />And you can have them, as long as you would give me some too<br /><br />As our days come to a close, I ask<br />Won't you all stay for another drink,<br />Stay till the neighbors kick us out,<br />Talk into the nights about our lives and the lack of it,<br />For tomorrow, we might have money and houses<br />But we wouldn't have the joys of drinking with little money<br />Or Dance into the night like senseless creatures,<br />And be the Brothers of Nothing....</span></div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-70324240259325802302010-05-13T23:05:00.000-07:002010-05-14T00:39:34.576-07:00Summer of Music<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-XE-1dVeEpqeEl5qSfR5UJf7DTiyoP3LqVi0cel_m0towXpmDxyYGqxJaAlZJ1jMmNUdjYlu3w6bMRaCMxDMQC2GA_xTscj-Q1cOzNt9sqN6GYp8YOu_kPtGN-IMGh5kAqe9PLkLnsk/s1600/3601057730_c8a9e522f7_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-XE-1dVeEpqeEl5qSfR5UJf7DTiyoP3LqVi0cel_m0towXpmDxyYGqxJaAlZJ1jMmNUdjYlu3w6bMRaCMxDMQC2GA_xTscj-Q1cOzNt9sqN6GYp8YOu_kPtGN-IMGh5kAqe9PLkLnsk/s320/3601057730_c8a9e522f7_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471004449474331234" /></a><div>This summer, while my spirits and focus should be else where, I seem to have found my love again. Its been almost 10 years since I've felt like this about music, when I had my first "<i><b>Summer of Music</b>"</i>. I've rarely related or enjoyed any of the contemporary offerings of the supposed "mainstream", whether it was rock, pop, alternate or anything else. I always had a feeling that every single of them sounded the same, and as they were having an orgasm while singing or as if they had gone to a the same school of Crap music. Until now, my view was that no good music was created after 1999-2000. While all of this might make me sound like an elitist or an oldie or a snob,it feels so bloody good :)</div><div><br /></div><div>My first summer of music happened at the end of my 11th standard. Up until then I will admit that most of my music tastes revolved around Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and some other crap. Yes <b>Thomas</b>, I've said that in the open, I loved Britney Spears!!!! It wasn't until one night in 11th grade when I was watching MTV Classic and the song "Don't Stand so Close to Me" by the Police came on. And my mind went"<b>BAM</b>" and it was as if the song opened the secret door within my brain. I remember thinking "Bloody hell that sounds outstanding". And I had never heard this song, despite it being released in 1980, a measure of how musically illiterate I was. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1hOcywSvWHx2fge1XtlDP161M2r401TW9ILemk8Gd3rMsFGvowYdlCkMcug80xMaCmelMbEXJYdOGt8aZc7cLAxMekFoJOxUcsPFh8fr8qjc4WlVRlNtqWkiNwZKJQs6JK7MCwtda2A/s1600/the-police3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1hOcywSvWHx2fge1XtlDP161M2r401TW9ILemk8Gd3rMsFGvowYdlCkMcug80xMaCmelMbEXJYdOGt8aZc7cLAxMekFoJOxUcsPFh8fr8qjc4WlVRlNtqWkiNwZKJQs6JK7MCwtda2A/s200/the-police3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471004722530503826" /></a></div><div>So I ran the next day morning with whatever cash I had(Most of it was my mom's) to Music world and bought "The Very best of Sting & The Police", and suffice to say I listened to that cassette so many times that the tape broke 5 times in a 2 week period. From then on there was no turning back, with the influence of Thomas, my music tastes broaden to Pink Floyd, U2, Metallica, Beatles, and so many many more. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvABM111517nLRAWOQi7UilTR8SjmT8LLsRTq1s3bQvYHsFhECb68_KYQlQV2dbCvTuX17uXGXYywbajLr8yQK-xchsrrnQuumvcQBvevOibNPVtebrTuPVXRUk-lPADqskzcpbK05_s/s1600/DSC00064.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvABM111517nLRAWOQi7UilTR8SjmT8LLsRTq1s3bQvYHsFhECb68_KYQlQV2dbCvTuX17uXGXYywbajLr8yQK-xchsrrnQuumvcQBvevOibNPVtebrTuPVXRUk-lPADqskzcpbK05_s/s200/DSC00064.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471009419342055890" /></a>For the entire summer, I was mesmerized by the music, the lyrics, and the fact that most of these stuff existed when my mom was in her teens. And to my dismay my mom had an entire collection of Rock LPs stacked away without my knowledge, which included "The Dark Side of Moon" .Wow, how much cooler could the summer get, my mom and I can listen and sing to the same songs and talk about it. Of course I ensured I made every single friend of mine listened to these songs, whether they had a choice or not. And I had to convince them to change, and have some taste in music :)</div><div><br /></div><div>But sadly, the summer ended and descended into a bleak Winter. And I've struggled ever since to listen any of the crap that most of bands of today put out. Whether it was Nickelback, Poets of the Fall, Sting, or U2 or any other genre of music. I've for the most part found it difficult to relate with them, or found anything unique with them. Always felt all of them sounded the same, or had to sound according to some archetype sound. I've derided the talent shows like Idols shows, the remixes that bands put out and pretty much every form of modern music. And for years, I was stuck with the songs I had fell in love in when I was in 11th grade. Until this Summer.</div><div><br /></div><div>I always envisioned my Summer of Music would return when there was a new Police record, but sadly that's not happening since Sting is still stuck in his own world. But I've found love again in a rock band from my state Kerala called "<b>Avial</b>". </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj9o125rIaXvzSDMKdqO3bKiI52XpcPnD9gVS7BNdtJldA1g1ZaM2syB5EY3OfPO1pXKRrlPbEUXstgRuSxgo-U0YXAle9Es4rRar4C6n1aOfhBHktVNxx0qfgq0ubfnCyqcrVWfwnJk/s1600/4036641745_f32a06b7be_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj9o125rIaXvzSDMKdqO3bKiI52XpcPnD9gVS7BNdtJldA1g1ZaM2syB5EY3OfPO1pXKRrlPbEUXstgRuSxgo-U0YXAle9Es4rRar4C6n1aOfhBHktVNxx0qfgq0ubfnCyqcrVWfwnJk/s200/4036641745_f32a06b7be_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471005270318239138" /></a>Initially my reception was sort of lukewarm, but as with every love, it blossoms in the summer. And suffice to say, they're bloody awesome. I feel yet again like the kid who fell in love with music in the 11th grade. Inspecting every single aspect of their music, from their beautiful bass lines to their drums to their lyrics. Their drums sound a bit like the Police, the organ sounds like the Doors, the intro stuff like Pink Floyd, but their combination with Malayalam music and its folksiness is something out of this world. I keep listening to songs like "<b>Adu Pambe</b>", "<b>Chekele</b>" , "<b>Njan Aara</b>" till my roommate throws the kitchen sink at me.</div><div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1bpf8P9uyJ5epOWQovaQEsPtNc1fsCDTjukNZSa8zDAVQEApCcwqwR4KvO7USPXD2vYJXCza7sZMZKaodAMLykcO3Qs35LQiupOi59GkBjXlrm1N81BClQ-frImvMpTS3nABnT1qmEI/s1600/3601063110_246c288c1a.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1bpf8P9uyJ5epOWQovaQEsPtNc1fsCDTjukNZSa8zDAVQEApCcwqwR4KvO7USPXD2vYJXCza7sZMZKaodAMLykcO3Qs35LQiupOi59GkBjXlrm1N81BClQ-frImvMpTS3nABnT1qmEI/s200/3601063110_246c288c1a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471005711860038018" /></a>And the best thing of this summer is that, it has expanded to so many other bands. Most of them are Indian and folk. I've found great stuff like Raghu Dixit, Trio, etc. Its amazing how well India music lends itself to rock music, while at the same time sounding so unique. And I can't wait to listen to the new music I will find this summer. And I pray that the next Summer isn't going to take another 10 years to arrive. And yes, you've no choice, you're going to have listen to them all, whether you've a choice or not.</div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-91317384515992863532010-05-06T09:52:00.001-07:002010-05-14T00:20:03.184-07:00Strands of hope<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katrini/3050307072/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/3050307072_c298faf2d2_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); width: 211px; height: 142px;" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;">Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/katrini/">Katrina †</a></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;">You've queued up behind a million lines,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">thinking this would be the last time</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But it wasn't meant to be,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When will my time be, you ponder</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The apparent Unjustness makes you want to surrender</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Instead I tell you, it isn't just about day,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Even in the darkness, the moon shines upon you</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Showing you the way through this abyss</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The light will shine on you, for however dim it is</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Take away these dark emotions that have besieged you,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When will you see light, for I don't know how</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But I know its out there, for I've caught glimpses of it,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You will see it soon,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And we will celebrate in its brightness, soon... </span>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-57136967719136604682010-04-21T16:04:00.001-07:002010-04-24T21:42:57.810-07:00Under the Heavens<div style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aknacer/2683382999/"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 2px solid" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2683382999_9cef2d9bd9_m.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px;font-size:0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aknacer/2683382999/">Love Silhouetted</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/aknacer/">aknacer</a></span></div><p>Through the siloutte of my window blinds, I can see that the heavens have opened up<br />I've no sense of what day it is,<br />My room smells of unwashed clothes and alcohol,<br />It feels like an eternity since I stepped out of my self contained Hell,<br />My brain tells me that I need a lot more than a bath and shave<br /><br />I step out, into the pouring rain to feel nature's blessing<br />As the tears of the God brush my face, I remensince of the days that have slipped away<br />Days, that all have turned into ashes by the fury of hells's fire<br />I stand in the rain hoping it washes away the ashes<br />Into the streams of an unknown ocean<br /><br />The rain has extinguished the heated earth<br />Maybe, I should step into town,<br />Make contact with living and not just speak into emptiness<br />As the town draws close, I can see the moon in the sky, protected by the clouds<br />The shining lights, and buzz of the town strikes me<br />I feel lost in this oceans of people, Do I belong to this herd<br />What am I doing here?<br /><br />Then You comes along, and pass me a reassuring smile<br />As if everything is ok and to be at ease,<br />And then you just disappear into the darkeness<br />Who are you and where did you go?<br />Desperately I look around to catch the smile that left me in a trance<br />Then I catch your eye and you're sitting across me with your beautiful smile<br />Is it what you say, or is it how you move, I feel memerised<br />I can just feel the room disappearing into the background,<br />With just us the two of us light in it,<br /><br />As the night passes by, so does the inhibitons and its attachments<br />As I move close to you, Your clothes dissolve into the night,<br />And you come and lay next to me, and pass me your love<br />As We make love into the night, I take you into my heart and pour it into you<br />And you just smile, and kiss me...The night passes on...<br /><br />Its morning again, and it's raining again<br />You're lying next to me,<br />I've no more ashes to be washed away<br />Only a beautiful day in the rain....With you... </p>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-21959584535348072702010-04-20T00:59:00.000-07:002010-04-20T02:34:07.202-07:00Lucifer, I hear you await me<div>Lucifer, I hear you await me</div><div>How many drips of alcohol will it take for you to show yourself</div><div>Come out of your hiding, I want you to burn me, I'm ready to see you in your true colors</div><div>Send me to your hell and your abyss, and burn me into ashes</div><div>You hid behind her mask, as you enamoured me, you promised me the world,</div><div>Then you left me behind in the woods, lonely, desperate and lost</div><div><br /></div><div>You made me scream into the night, wail like a wolf in the wild</div><div>Wail I did, as I sought salvation, and for someone to light the woods</div><div>But nobody came, my tears became darker and so did the night</div><div>Bruised and incapable,you took me into your world</div><div>Showed me the lusts and temptations of the flesh and its attachments and asked me to sin,</div><div>You told me, I would burn in your kingdom if I didn't obey<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div>And I whimpered, as my skin burned </div><div><br /></div><div>But I can't live on like this, and I can't make you make me,</div><div>Burn me at the stake, throw me into the jagged rocks, for am I not afraid anymore</div><div>I will wait for you on the hilltop, and I will face you alone</div><div>I've left the world behind for I no longer care for the remnants of it</div><div>I want you to do your worst, for I will face you and defeat you</div><div>And you shall fall again from your kingdom</div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-86103507365931954512010-04-17T23:40:00.000-07:002010-04-20T01:44:30.730-07:00Father I need you...Will I dissolve into a meaningless being<div>Or will i take the fight to bring my life some meaning</div><div>Am I an angle sent from the heavens</div><div>Or just being suffering through disillusion or madness</div><div>As I struggle to cope up with my petty life, I see chaos and uncertainty ahead in these roads</div><div>They seem to heading into a dark alley, where I will be beaten into pulp again and again</div><div><br /></div><div>Why do I suffer so, I wish I knew, for I've no answers</div><div>In my fits of alcohol, I look above and ask Why, why my lord</div><div>What did I do, for what have I sinned, or what have I wronged</div><div>Did the Father not tell you of the sins that I didn't commit</div><div>Why do you do this to me?</div><div><br /></div><div>I cry my heart out into the emptiness, asking for this misery to end,</div><div>I pray that this night ends and that there is hope</div><div>But I cry alone, I pray alone, I sit alone, as my life slips into insanity and madness</div><div>Father, won't you help me out, won't you bring me a vision of your plans for me</div><div>Don't foresake me in this endless night, I need you</div><div>I will wait on the hilltop, to seek your deliverance</div><div>I do not belong to anyone or to anything, I've nothing left but hope</div><div>Give me my shining day in the sun</div><div>if not I will not be afraid to face whatever you want me to go through</div><div>But Father please don't forsake me, for I need you in this endless night......</div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-78696667108572136572010-04-01T01:15:00.000-07:002010-04-01T01:56:00.696-07:00Tales of Alex and the Space Exploring Dinosaur- Chapter 3: Us & ThemChapter 3: Us & Them<br /><br />“How is this even possible? Since when did beings have forms of guitars and walls? And why do they speak English? Come on this has to be a dream!!!!”<br /><br />Sam reassures Alex “ Listen kid, how can you possibly think of this being a dream. Is being on the moon unfathomable? Did those history textbooks tell you that Dinosaurs went extinct? Think again. Now about the Guitar Creature, it dissipates some of the best forms of sound known to any kind in the universe. Does it matter how it looks. Do you still not want to believe that it’s all-real” Alex gives him the stare, thinking, “ While this Dinosaur is surely crazy, why he makes sense as to why I would want this to be not real, its awesome” Sam smiles at him, and nods “ Yes it is”.<br /><br />As they approach Floyd & Pink, Alex recalls of those long afternoons that he used to spend with his mom. He never understood the strange noises those records made, especially her favorite The Dark Side of the Moon. And now he feels it makes complete sense that it sounded so out of this world, it was of alien origin. Literally. But yet he is more reminded of the sense of calm and peace he felt as he listened to "Us and Them", as he drifted into the realms of his subconscious where everything was slow, peaceful and beautiful.<br /><br />Alex is a little bit wary of how these creatures would react to a human. But surprisingly, he sees Floyd singing the guitar track of "<span style="font-style: italic;">Us and Them</span>", with its slow paced and soulful sound and Alex is suddenly at ease, and realizes how much he is at home here with a single play of a song. Pink approaches him, and speaks up "Hi Alex, I'm Pink. I've been a wall ever since I can remember and I specialize in building walls and then breaking them down and building them all over again. And this is Floyd the Guitar, his noises are said to be from the Gods of Rock themselves. Don't be fooled by the strange shape, he is the master of beautiful noise. But I give you a warning; he can be sometimes a bit testy and go into crazy tunes. I think he needs to be retuned once in a while" Suddenly Floyd, launches into a guitar riff of "Another Brick in the Wall" and Pink replies "All right All right. I get it...He is the greatest ever".<br /><br />Alex is amazed at the camaraderie between two after hearing about the war the two waged from Samuel. Samuel reads his thoughts and tells him "The thing is, before I brought you here, I gave them a little warning". "What did you tell them?” asks Alex. Pink gulps and mentions "That he would turn Floyd into dinner and use my bricks as stones to fry Floyd over. Gulp". Alex smiles at Samuel, and thinks, "He must be one mean beast. Thank god, he is on our side".<br /><br />Now that they have been introduced, Samuel feels its might be time to give the entire picture on what's going on. Samuel beings "Alex, I'm sure you're eager to know why you’re here. While it all might seem strange, it is quiet simple. I brought you here because Floyd and Pink need your help". Alex surprised asks, "What help could possibly a ten year old give a couple of music legends". Pink jumps in and begins to explain "As Samuel told you before our civilization is dying. Good rock music is dying, the Great Wars waged between Floyd and I have left our civilization is shambles. And an alien race called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Idols</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">GotTalents</span> moved in and began destroying our civilization with their infernal music; our civilization couldn't bear to hear it and has been slowly dying off. We're on the brink of extinction."<br /><br />Alex replies, "That is all extremely sad, but what can I do, I'm just a 10 year old boy who doesn't even know how to sing or play the guitar". Alex suddenly realizes how much of lie he has said and his expressions tell of it. Ever since he first listened to Pink Floyd, he would have endless dreams of being on stage performing "Us and Them", while the entire crowd would be in awe of his voice and his guitar skills. Even though he never had the confidence to ever admit it to anyone, he still would sneak away and learn to play the guitar in the basement while his siblings where snuck away in bed. Samuel looks at him ask him, "Really, Alex. You've never played the guitar? Not even the tune of Us & Them". "Gulp, how did he know that? This is getting dangerous, he reads everything I think" Alex wonders. And then he speaks up "All right, I lied, I'm pretty good at Guitar. But why do you need me? You've Floyd, the descendant of The Rock of Gods".<br /><br />"Floyd might be of Gods, but his time is coming to an end. And he is no match for the power of the Idols and GotTalents. They've control over the airwaves, brainwaves and even telewaves. And we need a new blood to defeat them, and prove once and for all that the Civilization is still kicking and we want our empire back from these thieves. You can be symbol of hope that we desperately need to bring those in fear and laziness to break out and produce beautiful music and Alex, we all feel you're our Next Rock God"<br /><br />"I’m not sure if I fit a God, but all right I'm in, so what do you want me to do ", Alex replies. Samuel, clearly happy that Alex has agreed, "Lets sleep for the night, it’s been a long day and you've had to take in a lot. We'll talk once we get some nights rest and the Dark Side of the moon is in its full force again" Alex tries to get shut eye for the night, but his thoughts are transformed into excitement at the prospect of being the Hero that he always dreamt of being and intense trepidation for this mighty unknown race who have stuck so much fear into Floyd and Pink. Well, at the very least, he thinks “<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Out of the Way, it’s a busy day and I’ve got things on my mind</span>"Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-60121371262398205042010-03-26T22:45:00.000-07:002010-03-27T19:10:45.509-07:00Tales of Alex and the Space Exploring Dinosaur- Chapter 2: The Dark Side of the Moon"Alex wonders to himself , "Wow, the moon looks so beautiful, even though it has a feel of destroyed beauty with its craters, mountains, I could imagine being lost wonderfully in this serene and lonely world". Suddenly Sam turns to him and asks "Who said its lonely?". Stunned for a minute, Alex can't believe firstly that Sam just read his minds and secondly What did he mean We're not lonely. He wonders, what sort of dinosaur is this. His teacher never mentioned that they travelled Space, neither did she say about any speaking legibly and also Dinosaurs are meant to be extinct. Though he was glad Sam wasn't.<div><br /></div><div>Even though Alex's mind were filled with questions and a bit of frustration, he was more occupied by the fact that he was on the moon. The moon where rockets go to with their astronauts and he had reached it within minutes. He couldn't help but being a bit smug. The moon he wished upon every night. As a kid, his grandmother used to tell him stories about the moon, about how it grants wishes and is always present to talk to. So every night before he slept, he used to pray to Moon asking for a companion, a friend who would be with him no matter what and take on adventures into the unknown worlds he dreamt of.<div><br /></div><div>Sam looks at Alex and asks him "Do you want to know, who else is among us?". Alex, though reluctant to find out, grudgingly replies "OK". So Sam tells him a tale of 2 friends, "Have you ever wondered where music came from. Well, long ago there was a civilization of Creatures which ruled the moon. Their form of expression was music. So if someone wanted to cry they would sing "Let it Be", if they were happy it would be "Strawberry Fields Forever", and hence music was created. The kingdom was ruled by 2 leaders, Floyd and Pink. At some point, for certain reasons they had a falling apart. Floyd wanted to play the guitar all day, while Pink wanted to write lyrics. Because they couldn't agree on it, music began crumbling and the civilization slowly start dying out. And in their desperation they send a record to planet Earth hoping to keep music alive. And this is why the first record of True music on the earth is called The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd." Alex, while perplexed at the story, can't help asking "Why you telling me this?". Sam, takes a minutes and tells him "I will tell you in some time, lets walk on".</div><div><br /></div><div>Alex, looks across, how gently Sam's step are. He thought the earth, or rather the moon would shatter every time Sam took a step. He also didn't know that dinosaurs had a pleasant expression, especially seeing those jaws. But Alex trusted Sam, it was if he had met him in a previous life and were best of friends. But yet he couldn't place it where. As they passed, a huge crater, Alex sees fossils of guitars and bricks. He wondered what it was all about. He looks up to Sam and asks, "Why are there remains of guitars and that of a wall here?". Sam looks at him and smiles, and gestures in a direction and what Alex sees next amazes him.</div><div><br /></div><div>2 creatures, one shaped in the form a guitar and another shaped in the form of wall, arguing with each other. Those must be Floyd and Pink.</div></div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-67502715136032296812010-03-24T21:35:00.000-07:002010-03-27T19:11:10.153-07:00Tales of Alex and the Space Exploring Dinosaur- Chapter 1<p class="MsoNormal">Alex hardly had any friends growing up and he was the 10th kid of about 20 kids in his family. While being among his family gave him some amount of happiness, he always knew that he could truly never relate with them, not because of who they were but rather because of who he was. His life would always be about fantasies, dreams, and imaginations, lively yet unrealistic folk stories.<br /><br />When he was 8, he went to the Dinosaur Exhibit at the local museum. While where he grew up there were no dinosaurs fossils and people probably never had heard of one, Alex for some reasons was extremely excited at the prospect. And surely enough the trip to the museum piqued his interests greatly in dinosaurs. Was it the magnificent height and structure of the skeletons, or was it the vivid stories the guide gave on how dinosaurs lived, and how they ruled the earth gazillion years ago, it was clear that Alex would give anything to go back in time to see these beautiful creatures . He was especially in love with the T-Rex, he would dream of being able to roam and scare everyone with it's scary and fearsome tooth. The only thing, he could closely recreate in life was its thunderous roar, which he would obligatory roar at every lunch break in school. The kids at first glance figured he had a nut loose and began making fun of him.But a sympathetic teacher understood his idiosyncrasy and took special interest him and shared with him all the books on dinosaurs she had being fascinated by as a kid.<br /><br />One night, deep in his sleep he was woken up by roar outside his bedroom window. For a minute he thought it might have been a dream like the ones he had been having for the past few weeks and decided to go back to bed. But again, he heard a roar.He was tensed but yet curiously peeked outside his window. And wow, there stood a beautiful yet scary T-Rex Dinosaur. Alex couldn't believe his eyes, he pinched himself, gave himself a knock on the head and threw water on himself, but yet the creature still remained. Clearly this musn't be a dream and then to make things even weirder, it spoke, "Hello Alex, I'm Sam, the space exploring Dinosaur"...Shell shocked, Alex didn't speak a word. Alex was a very quiet kid and rarely spoke up even when he was excited. So he kept quiet hoping Sam would speak for him. Then Sam asked, "Do you want to see the moon? I can get you there in a few minutes". Alex was beyond belief and without uttering a single word he just nodded in agreement and grabbed his camera to ensure that in the morning he had proof to show his siblings.<br /><br />Samuel takes Alex slowly in his claws, Alex can't help getting scarred thinking that those very claw have eaten so many creatures. Surely he couldn't be another. Samuel gently places him on his back and asks him to hold on. And they're off. As they blast off, he can see his house, the local tea shop, the ground where he plays every weekend, then he sees the bridge he takes every day to go to school and suddenly he sees his school, it looks so green from up above. He is so excited at the prospect of flying. Then he sees India, next to it Sri Lanka and miles and miles of beautiful blue oceans. The oceans sparkles like one of the diamonds he sees the rich lady next-door wears, except the ocean is a lot nicer and prettier.<br /><br />Samuel asks him, how he finds the trip. He wants to tell him its unbelievable, breathtaking, and that he saw all cars driving up an downs the streets, that he thought all the houses looked like cardboard boxes from up above, yet all he tells him is "It's Ok, thank you". The kid despite wanting to tell so much more is scared to talk more, but yet he does tell him a "Thank You" because he realizes that Samuel made his dream come true, Being with a dinosaur and exploring the supernova. He wants to ask him so much, who he is, what he does, how does he live, he can't wait to know everything. He is bloody excited, and then Samuel tells him to look out and see what is on the horizon. He looks up, he sees the beautiful blue moon. He has seen them through Anand’s telescope and imagined of how the craters on the moon were actually Dinosaur footsteps. And now he can't believe that it might be actually true. He can't wait to get to the moon, and drive the moon rover. </p><!--EndFragment-->Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-77255238194287157862010-03-23T09:15:00.000-07:002010-03-23T09:17:11.666-07:00I Promise!!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQsYcfVcPlqxJc0FIUT5Wuz5sXprbFMHWXova_iLS7MVHjr_kvz0aLpHvItW6vT2tKa_ZwzYBKsV75qoId_uff_Qi1qLOFsvccqYtQeya18CditSRyjkb0Lxxk1wrgrsTmwSWYC-dsUM/s1600-h/aDSC00101+(14).JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQsYcfVcPlqxJc0FIUT5Wuz5sXprbFMHWXova_iLS7MVHjr_kvz0aLpHvItW6vT2tKa_ZwzYBKsV75qoId_uff_Qi1qLOFsvccqYtQeya18CditSRyjkb0Lxxk1wrgrsTmwSWYC-dsUM/s200/aDSC00101+(14).JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451864062221005506" /></a><br />I promise, this is my final and uninterrupted entry into the blogging world. While, you "eagerly" await my return, enjoy some of my older entries from my older and aborted blogs. Hopefully the coming days should show a return of form for me in more than one ways...<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-25613901812201444282010-03-23T09:00:00.001-07:002010-03-23T09:00:31.039-07:00My Strange Birthday Circa 2008 :)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; ">On Saturday was my birthday and probably one of the strangest and most uneventful days in my short 24 years. Firstly this was my 1st birthday in the US. So there was this thing about it turning the 16<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> in India, while the US lagged about by 10 and half hours. So I wasn't sure if it's my birthday yet or not. And that felt stranger than you think. People started wishing and stuff and that was eerie you've to say.<br /><br />Then came the fact that I spent this birthday alone. There was no party, no cake cutting or the other things that filled my previous birthdays. If you know me well, you'll know I love my birthday and I get excited like no other day on my birthday. It's the day people wish me and more importantly give me gifts.hehe.I'm the king for the day. I remember sometime in my schoold days I wasn't well on the eve of my birthday and my mom suggested that I take the day off. If it was any other day I would've done it with glee and happiness but that day I was like "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Nooooooooooooooo</span>"...and I started doing some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">exercises</span> to get over my sickness(god only knows why) and by the will of the mind I got well and went to school and became the hero of the class(for a day) and was soooo happy. Even in my 11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> and 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> I wanted to wear "color" dress to school. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hehe</span>..silly me..<br /><br />So this birthday I woke up late, didn't even want to wake up. I don't know why. And took my time, had a nice breakfast. Read up stuff, called up a few people in India and then sent a few mails here and there and finally moved myself and went to a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">restaurant</span>. Bought myself a nice meal and nice cold beer. And then went to the ice cream place and had some ice cream. After that I indulged myself in shopping and loafed around the place. It was strange thinking that there was no one to<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">celebrate</span> my birthday with, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">at least</span> the ones that I wanted to with...And as I was walking home I felt so sad thinking of my old days and realized that I would never have those fun and frolic filled moments of my younger days ever again.While I realize that the next year I might be surrounded by new friends and surroundings and maybe I will have a blast. Yet somehow the day that I got a year older filled me with sadness of no more "hero of the day" birthdays rather than the idea of getting old...Cheerio and welcome..to the 24 year old club</span>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-76163100603399262732010-03-23T08:57:00.001-07:002010-03-23T08:57:55.850-07:00Growing up..According to me Few Years ago<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); "><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">When you're young, you sit and wonder I cant wait to be old and to have this or do this or that and then you get old and you hope that you can be young again to not to do the things that you do today or to have this or that. The big difference in both the thoughts is that, in the former it will inevitably come while in the latter it will never be ever again be a part of your life. And it is that thought that I somehow can never escape and will escape I guess..<br /><br />Recently I went back to school, went around 4-5, knowing none of the teachers would be around. Just wanted to be around the place, revisit all memories. God I miss them so much, that somedays I just wish that I could somehow get out of the life that I live today. I know its foolish and that those days are gone and will never be back. But as I stood through the corridors of my school, at the doors, the playgrounds, the classrooms, the blackboards, benches(Infact one of the benches, still had the remains of some of the art work we had done), you just couldn't help feeling at that moment that you're stuck in a place which you want, buy you won't get, you won't live again here<br /><br />But then if everything is black or white, things would've been soo much more simpler in life, wouldn't it. But unfortunately it isn't. All you can do is rememember those memories, yes you've to move on and I will as everyone does. Live today, dream about tommorrow and nostalgicaly think about yesterday.<br /><br />There are no solutions here, neither are there any problems, just an nostalgic guy..who seems to take forever to get over them...</span><div style="clear: both; "></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="post-footer" style="margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(119, 119, 119); text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.1em; font: normal normal normal 78%/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; "></div></span>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-29488408544750338362010-03-23T08:55:00.001-07:002010-03-23T08:55:44.966-07:00Want to trade Hell for Heaven?<div>If everyone wants to go to heaven, why is everyone afraid of death!!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>I sometimes think, what lies ahead. After today, after tommorrow and sometimes maybe even after death. Death is inevitable, but its amazing that we go on. We know that we're fragile, that it takes nothing to end anyone life. Funny. We build mansions, buy fancy cars, want to've huge bank balances, but the moment you die, does it matter. Whether you're poor or rich, you've to die and go wherever is that you're headed without what you've bought/stolen or earned. And despite all this we still keep on going, keep on living. Is it because we realise that there is life beyond today or tommorrow. Or is it because we don't think all that much in the 1st place to be bothered about things like that. I don't know.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I know, we all want to live and would take every single chance to live it, every single chance to hang on to it. I don't know what lies ahead, somedays at night I sit and wonder all this. Where does this road lead to, after all, there is a destination. I wonder If I'll be rich, if I'll marry the girl I love, if I would've kids, If I'll be somebody tommorrow, and then I wonder what after all this ends... What after it..What??</div><div><br /></div><div>My friends tells me that there has to be more to life, that even after death there has to be something, otherwise its a pointless life. But I'm a skeptic of that view, not because I don't want it to happen, but because How can we be sure? Could this just be a joke, yeah you live and then you die and thats it. Goodbye..finito..What if, this is a test, only those who clear this round make it to the next...Our entires life is based on this idea, Survive, live on..move on...And what if at the final step, its an deadend...No More!!!!!!!!! What if??</div><div><br /></div><div>I wonder....And thats the beauty of life...Like Sting once said, the only thing certain in life is death!!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Till then...Live On!!!!!!!!</div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-78080990423344703872010-03-23T08:53:00.000-07:002010-03-23T08:54:07.393-07:00Doing the right thing...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Its funny.. We always know what the right thing is, but we seldom do it...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Today evening, I was out on Brigade Road, was about to head back home. Then I thought, why not go to the pub & have some beer and head back home. Then I thought I should curb on having beer, so I thought I would get to Corner House and have one of their delicious Ice Cream. But then I thought I should cut down on my ice cream. For nearly twenty minutes, I was in dilemma, I knew doing that I would regret it, but somehow the temptation was a bit too much. I didnt know what to do, whether to go to Corner House or go to Pub World or just head back home. Even though I knew that doing any of that wouldn't be good, I still wanted to. Even though I knew this, I still was in a dilemma. Luckily for me I decided against either and headed back home and wrote this blog..</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">But very often most of us dont do that. We do the wrong things even though we know we shouldn't. We always believe tomorrow will be the day when we set things set right, but never does tomorrow turn up. Its about now or never. And that is the Right Choice...You Hate it but you know its right...If you're able to listen to it, well and good...If you can't, try to once in a while, you'll be more happier, maybe not that moment but a later stage down the road</span></div></span></span>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7977910671736934695.post-75804092234272156182010-03-23T08:51:00.000-07:002010-03-23T09:20:25.951-07:00Love of a liftetime<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is an Old poem i wrote a really long time back,yeah back then i was lonely.Not anymore:)<br /><br /></span></span><h1 face="'courier new'" style="font-weight: bold; "><span><u><span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A Love of a lifetime</span></u></span></u></span></h1><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">she said she wanted to go for a walk<br />and that she would be back soon<br />how was i suppossed to know that she would never return<br /><br />i searched the whole city,couldn't find a breath of her<br />dissappeared with out a trace<br />stood,sat and slept at the door<br />expecting her to come back<br />but nothing came<br /><br />a few days later i hear she is a million miles away<br />and that she never wanted to see me,<br />or hear me<br />and even take a look at me<br /><br />maybe she found someone better,maybe she found her life empty<br />maybe i wasn't enough<br />maybe i was rude to her and didn't give her space<br /><br />alcoholism and drugs seemed to be my relief for a while<br />when it didn't work,more alcohol and drugs followed<br />soon i realised that these couldn't heal the pain<br /><br />tried to satisfy my emptiness with other girls<br />but each and every time,every face became her face<br />i couldn't let go,<br /><br />days and nights passed with no notice<br />some times,the days and nights couldn't be seperated<br />they longer didn't matter to me,<br />my only shining light disappeared forever<br />there was darkness where once a light shone<br /><br />my thoughts were flooded with those days<br />where we would stare at each other's eyes and could see things we could never explain<br />days where we could talk for hours and never be bored<br />the days when i would walk with her,talk with her,go out with her<br />walking through the pathways,holding hands<br />somedays we would hike on the hills<br />and share those moments together<br /><br />oh,times have passed<br />and still everday i can feel her embrace<br />20 yrs could have passed since that faithfull day,but it seems like only yesterday<br />by chance,for the 1st time in 2 decades i saw her<br />and she looked at me and i looked at her<br />and i could see no ring on her finger<br />and there was no ring on my finger<br /><br />I looked at her and asked her one word "why?"<br />and she starred at me and said<br />"i couldn't accept that i loved you<br />i couldn't and so that's why i walked away<br />and i could never love anybody else"<br /><br />shocked and dazed,i walked away<br /></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">She......</span></span></span></div>Ashwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865128282032701525noreply@blogger.com2