One of the gripes I have always had as an UTSAV member is that we always seem to do the same thing every year... very little innovation, because in general people are too lazy to try new things. But seriously, how much Antakshari can you play? Secondly, I have always felt that the general membership should play an active role in organizing and suggesting events... not just the executive. After all, we are there to execute, but the membership is really what matters.
This year, I was approached by a member about putting together a team for the annual Longboat race. Almost every other club on campus takes an active role in UBC-REC events such as Longboat, whereas UTSAV has always lagged... maybe due to changing club demographics, this trend is changing, but whatever the case, I was pleasantly surprised and happy to try and oblige.
I was even more pleasantly surprised when it turned out that membership was actually more enthusiastic then expected. We had originally planned to subsidize only one team, however, we had enough participants to put together two teams, one mens team, and one coed team. Another UTSAV first! One minor issue for me though... although in general, I like anything sporting... there is one major exception. I really don't like swimming!
I took a few lessons as a kid... my parents insisted on it, as they said I would make use of it later on in my life. Consequently, I did actually learn the basics... how to float, doggy paddle, backstroke, and swim a few lengths of the pool at least. Not an expert, but enough to not drown I guess... However, over time, for some reason, I developed an adversion to water... I once actually almost drowned when I went fishing at a lake (long story, maybe for another blog entry), and had to be pulled out by an uncle... secondly, I was a bit fussy about swimming in public pools with people releasing god knows what kind of fluids into the water. Finally, and most importantly, I just didn't find it to be much fun. So whenever my friends were enthusiastically diving into the water for a swim, I preferred to remain poolside or laze on the beach.
Now, Longboat (unfortunately for me) is a water-based race where 10 team members enthusiastically paddle around a race course in English Bay, and ends off with the boat landing on the beach, and one of the team members running upto the finish line and banging a gong. While I was cool with the gong part, not so much with the boat part... what if we fell in? Well, I decided that I would be a hypocrite to encourage others to try new things, and then chicken out myself... besides, what were chances of us ACTUALLY flipping the boat?
Well, we had a pre-race clinic one week before the race so that everyone would know the rules and get accustomed to rowing the boat. Was pretty simple... I was selected to be the 'driver' who steered the boat, while everyone else was responsible for providing the propulsion to motor along on the water... while initially we had trouble paddling in sync, before we knew it, we were paddling around right in the middle of English Bay... we developed an 'interesting' 'R'-rated chant to keep us paddling in rythm (which I shall not mention as this is a family blog), and after a while, we got the hang of turning the boat left and right... despite the waves, we did quite decently! Satisfied, we decided to head back to shore, and THAT is where things took an interesting turn... literally!
About 100 m from the beach, one (unnamed) teammate decided to enthusiastically turn around and yell at another one of our teammates seated in the middle of the boat... unfortunately in his enthusiasm, he gave the boat a sudden shake which tipped it one way... and without warning, my worst fears came true and the Pacific Ocean which had until then managed to stay OUTSIDE of the boat, now started to pour INTO the boat! Within a split second, the boat was almost completely submerged, and flipped right over, and before I knew it, I was floating in the middle of English Bay!
In the ensuing panic, it was like a desi version of the 'Titanic'... bodys in the water, everyone screaming and shouting at each other! Thank god for our life jackets which kept everyone afloat! Not to mention, the waters of the Pacific Ocean are much colder then I ever imagined, and I was afraid that if I wasn't pulled out in minutes, some of my body parts would freeze and start falling off... However, despite my water phobia, I actually managed to stay relatively calm, and shouted at everyone to try and relax... one of my teammates sprawled himself on top of the overturned boat, while the others clung onto each other and the sides of the boat for dear life... I was genuinely worried for one or two of them who were shivering scared... I was barely staying afloat myself... what would we do if one of them went under? Well, thankfully, I didn't have to find out, as after what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality not more than 2 min, the rescue boats arrived to pull us out... one of the rescue members chuckled at us and told us we were the first boat of the day to flip... I chuckled back, and cursed at him in my head as I swam over, away from the flipped boat and into the rescue raft. One by one, we all climbed on to the rescue boats, and headed back to the beach... when we got back on dry land the spectators on shore gave us an enthusiastic ovation... not know what to do, I bowed back!
At the time, when the boat was submerged, the whole incident did not seem funny at all... but in retrospect, I think for some of us, the unexpected swim in the Pacific was maybe the funnest part of the entire event! Morals of the story, boys and girls?
1. Your biggest fears are often not as bad as they seem...
2. When in a boat, always wear your lifejacket...
3. Mom and Dad have an uncanny way of always being right!
(PS, We DID compete in the actual race today, successfully finished, and most importantly, this time we did NOT flip the boat... )
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Soundtrack to your Life...
The type of music I load onto my playlist everyday in the office depends heavily on what my mood is that day... if I feel peppy... maybe some R&B or Pop... if I feel angry, maybe some Rap or Rock... if I feel sentimental... maybe some Old Classics, or Religious music... Sometimes even listening to a certain song can change the way I am feeling at that instant... or reinforce the feeling even more.
Its unbelievable the power that music has over us... it has the power to generate emotions, or completely change them. These feelings are gripping and seem to emerge from nowhere. Music is perhaps the simplest medium which can colour our mood, affect our perceptions, and subsequently control the way we act around others.
Personally, I am most affected by music which not only sounds good, but has lyrics which mean something... of course, we all enjoy the songs which make no sense, are completly generic, yet still sounds good to the ears, but in terms of songs which we actually remember and love, I think lyrics which we can relate to are essential...
Which songs are unforgettable to you, and why? Which songs are the ones which have affected you, and maybe influenced the person you have become? What is the soundtrack to your life?
Today, I am feeling melancholy... so I am going to say, 'Bittersweet Symphony' by 'The Verve'... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3m4e45bTo
Its unbelievable the power that music has over us... it has the power to generate emotions, or completely change them. These feelings are gripping and seem to emerge from nowhere. Music is perhaps the simplest medium which can colour our mood, affect our perceptions, and subsequently control the way we act around others.
Personally, I am most affected by music which not only sounds good, but has lyrics which mean something... of course, we all enjoy the songs which make no sense, are completly generic, yet still sounds good to the ears, but in terms of songs which we actually remember and love, I think lyrics which we can relate to are essential...
Which songs are unforgettable to you, and why? Which songs are the ones which have affected you, and maybe influenced the person you have become? What is the soundtrack to your life?
Today, I am feeling melancholy... so I am going to say, 'Bittersweet Symphony' by 'The Verve'... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3m4e45bTo
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Free Food!
The new term started up on Tuesday... which means that the campus is now flooded with Undergrads... Graduate students have this arrogance about them... we go out of our ways to mock and ridicule these lowly minions... probably just to blow off some steam after our professors mock and ridicule us. :P
As wonderful as it is to hear drunk Undergrads screaming like banshees until 3AM on every street on campus, and as fun as it is to be pestered with questions about Undergrad courses that we actually don't have the answers to, and as great as it is to no longer be able to get a seat on any bus because they are all filled with our young friends, there is actually genuinely one great thing about the term starting... the FREE FOOD!!!
Cooking is the bane of every student who lives on campus. However, come every September, we gain a 6th sense, the sense which allows us to detect all the free pizza partys, bbqs, orientation coffee, cookies, donuts and all the other free giveaways that come part and parcel with the start of the new academic year. As a student, we consider it our god given right to abuse the system, and go back for seconds, thirds, or even fourths until our tummys are filled... (or maybe thats just me).
Of course I am a special case... I have been doing this for years... my friend and I discovered this free food phenominon waaaay back in first year Undergrad when on the way to the arcade, we stumbled across the weekly Biological Gradute Students Society party which provided ample pizza and beer to all those who attended. Henceforth, we made it our business to pretend like we understood the discussions, and knew everyone who was there, all in the name of a few slices of Freshslice pizza every week. The days have gone where I acted like a Grad Student to get free pizza, and now the roles have reversed... yesterday I happily acted like an Undergrad so that I could score some free Dominos on Main Mall during Imagine Day celebrations... old habits die hard I guess!
So Undergrads, bring me your noise... bring me your questions... but above all, and never forget this... bring me your free food!!! :P
As wonderful as it is to hear drunk Undergrads screaming like banshees until 3AM on every street on campus, and as fun as it is to be pestered with questions about Undergrad courses that we actually don't have the answers to, and as great as it is to no longer be able to get a seat on any bus because they are all filled with our young friends, there is actually genuinely one great thing about the term starting... the FREE FOOD!!!
Cooking is the bane of every student who lives on campus. However, come every September, we gain a 6th sense, the sense which allows us to detect all the free pizza partys, bbqs, orientation coffee, cookies, donuts and all the other free giveaways that come part and parcel with the start of the new academic year. As a student, we consider it our god given right to abuse the system, and go back for seconds, thirds, or even fourths until our tummys are filled... (or maybe thats just me).
Of course I am a special case... I have been doing this for years... my friend and I discovered this free food phenominon waaaay back in first year Undergrad when on the way to the arcade, we stumbled across the weekly Biological Gradute Students Society party which provided ample pizza and beer to all those who attended. Henceforth, we made it our business to pretend like we understood the discussions, and knew everyone who was there, all in the name of a few slices of Freshslice pizza every week. The days have gone where I acted like a Grad Student to get free pizza, and now the roles have reversed... yesterday I happily acted like an Undergrad so that I could score some free Dominos on Main Mall during Imagine Day celebrations... old habits die hard I guess!
So Undergrads, bring me your noise... bring me your questions... but above all, and never forget this... bring me your free food!!! :P
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Restaurant Review: Novelty Sweets and Restaurant
Novelty Sweets and Restaurant
6665 Fraser St.
Vancouver, BC
Was in the midst of whirlwind fundraising for UTSAV with my executive friends this afteroon, and consequently, was in the Main/Fraser area. After a few hours of soliciting/begging, it occurred to us how hungry we all were, and so we decided to stop at Novelty for lunch.
I generally don't like any of the lunch buffets in the Main/Fraser area, but I find this one to be bearable. It wasn't the first time I had been here, and I always go for the $7.99 lunch buffet. The buffet includes Naan, Rice, Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer, Aloo ki Sabji, Choley, Dal, Samosas, and Jalebi.
The thing I like about this buffet, as that for this price, the taste is very decent. Generally low price buffets tend to be made with low quality ingredients, and are bathing in oil, but this is not the case. Of course, Novelty is no high end restaurant, and the taste shouldn't be compared with places like Maurya, Raga, or Samosa Garden. However, for the price, I think it is an excellent place to drop in and fill your stomach without regretting it the next day. Personally, I tend to fill up on the Naan and Butter Chicken, but the choice is yours...
One thing though... the service is distinctly lacking. Although the place was very clean, we had to wait forever for fresh Naan and Samosas. We were seated at a table with not enough plates, glasses and forks, and had to help ourselves.
Service: 2/5
Ambiance/Location: 3/5
Food Quality: 3/5
6665 Fraser St.
Vancouver, BC
Was in the midst of whirlwind fundraising for UTSAV with my executive friends this afteroon, and consequently, was in the Main/Fraser area. After a few hours of soliciting/begging, it occurred to us how hungry we all were, and so we decided to stop at Novelty for lunch.
I generally don't like any of the lunch buffets in the Main/Fraser area, but I find this one to be bearable. It wasn't the first time I had been here, and I always go for the $7.99 lunch buffet. The buffet includes Naan, Rice, Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer, Aloo ki Sabji, Choley, Dal, Samosas, and Jalebi.
The thing I like about this buffet, as that for this price, the taste is very decent. Generally low price buffets tend to be made with low quality ingredients, and are bathing in oil, but this is not the case. Of course, Novelty is no high end restaurant, and the taste shouldn't be compared with places like Maurya, Raga, or Samosa Garden. However, for the price, I think it is an excellent place to drop in and fill your stomach without regretting it the next day. Personally, I tend to fill up on the Naan and Butter Chicken, but the choice is yours...
One thing though... the service is distinctly lacking. Although the place was very clean, we had to wait forever for fresh Naan and Samosas. We were seated at a table with not enough plates, glasses and forks, and had to help ourselves.
Service: 2/5
Ambiance/Location: 3/5
Food Quality: 3/5
Friday, September 4, 2009
What the puck?
I was sitting down yesterday scheming of ways to spend the ridiculously few dollars I have in my bank account... do I go to the U2 concert? Naah... not worth it. The Kailash Kher concert? Well, unfortunately, the concert falls right in the middle of Durga Puja, and I probably wouldn't be able to attend... then it occurred to me... I hadn't been to a Vancouver Canucks game for a while... I wonder how much tickets cost now?
Logged into the Canucks website, and was shocked... the prices for tickets in the nosebleed section are $55... imagine that, the CHEAPEST seats were $55. However, despite the insanely high prices, I am still seriously considering going, provided I can convince a few other of my friends who are as foolish as me to part with their money as well...
Why on EARTH am I even considering this? I have already done way too much travelling this year... both in and out of the province... and I really shouldn't be able to afford this. But what on EARTH is it that draws me to go to a game when I am not even sure if I am going to see my team put up a decent performance. Hockey doesn't have any cheerleaders, so its not as if I am going to get to go and stare at any cute girls to get my moneys worth...
The last game I went to was with my friend Mohit, and it was the first time he had been to a Canucks game. They were actually complimentary seats, and we had to work as 50-50 ticket vendors for the first period, so really, we only got to see half the game. But for that 1/2 he was absolutely mesmorized. For a while, I wasn't sure if I was the one who had been watching this game since I was a kid or him! We were perhaps 200 m away from the action, but we were roaring at every goal, groaning at every hit, and screaming at every opportunity possible. When a fight broke out, we felt like we wanted to jump over the boards and join in the melee!
The Canucks slogan is 'We are all Canucks'. For every Canucks fan, believe it or not, this is true. We live and die with our team. We treat the players like gods when they win, and curse them when they lose... and even if they lose year after year, we still come back to them the following year, because well... 'We are all Canucks'.
I don't know what it is about this game that has the capacity to unite a city together, or at the Olympic level, unite an entire country together. India has cricket, most of the world has soccer, and well, Canada has hockey... actually Canada IS hockey... we may not be the games superpower anymore, but without a doubt are the games most passionate followers. And I suppose the passion is what makes fools like me consider spending money on tickets which I really can't even afford...
On a sidenote, does anyone have $55 that I can borrow for ummm... textbooks next week? ;)
Logged into the Canucks website, and was shocked... the prices for tickets in the nosebleed section are $55... imagine that, the CHEAPEST seats were $55. However, despite the insanely high prices, I am still seriously considering going, provided I can convince a few other of my friends who are as foolish as me to part with their money as well...
Why on EARTH am I even considering this? I have already done way too much travelling this year... both in and out of the province... and I really shouldn't be able to afford this. But what on EARTH is it that draws me to go to a game when I am not even sure if I am going to see my team put up a decent performance. Hockey doesn't have any cheerleaders, so its not as if I am going to get to go and stare at any cute girls to get my moneys worth...
The last game I went to was with my friend Mohit, and it was the first time he had been to a Canucks game. They were actually complimentary seats, and we had to work as 50-50 ticket vendors for the first period, so really, we only got to see half the game. But for that 1/2 he was absolutely mesmorized. For a while, I wasn't sure if I was the one who had been watching this game since I was a kid or him! We were perhaps 200 m away from the action, but we were roaring at every goal, groaning at every hit, and screaming at every opportunity possible. When a fight broke out, we felt like we wanted to jump over the boards and join in the melee!
The Canucks slogan is 'We are all Canucks'. For every Canucks fan, believe it or not, this is true. We live and die with our team. We treat the players like gods when they win, and curse them when they lose... and even if they lose year after year, we still come back to them the following year, because well... 'We are all Canucks'.
I don't know what it is about this game that has the capacity to unite a city together, or at the Olympic level, unite an entire country together. India has cricket, most of the world has soccer, and well, Canada has hockey... actually Canada IS hockey... we may not be the games superpower anymore, but without a doubt are the games most passionate followers. And I suppose the passion is what makes fools like me consider spending money on tickets which I really can't even afford...
On a sidenote, does anyone have $55 that I can borrow for ummm... textbooks next week? ;)
Restaurant Review: Main Kabab Hut
Main Kabab Hut:
219 E49 Ave
Vancouver, BC
I had heard about this place from a number of my friends recently, and since I was in the neighborhood, decided to try it out for dinner.
The restaurant is essentially, a 'hole in the wall' kind of place... very tiny, with only 3 tables, and a kitchen directly behind the counter. Essentially, the restaurant specializes in North Indian/Pakistani non-vegetarian cuisine, including Biryani, Nehare, BBQ and Kebab.
My friends who had been there all raved about the Chicken Biryani in particular, so I decided to give it a shot. I didn't have to wait very long, since the place was practically empty, save for one other customer, probably because most people were fasting due to Ramazan... the cost for a plate is $8.00
The food was very good, no complaints. But to be honest... not spectacular. I have been to my Muslim friends houses on Eid, and quite frankly, that Biryani was better... the mothers touch was missing I suppose. However, having said that, this Biryani was also quite authentic, and better than that which would be found at more expensive restaurants. I was very impressed by the quantity, as I was barely able to finish the plate. The Biryani also came with a small bowl of Raita, which was a nice touch to aid digestion after consuming all that masala. Considering the portions, and reasonable price, I do recommend anyone who is in the area and craving some non-veg to drop in and sample some of the delicacies.
219 E49 Ave
Vancouver, BC
I had heard about this place from a number of my friends recently, and since I was in the neighborhood, decided to try it out for dinner.
The restaurant is essentially, a 'hole in the wall' kind of place... very tiny, with only 3 tables, and a kitchen directly behind the counter. Essentially, the restaurant specializes in North Indian/Pakistani non-vegetarian cuisine, including Biryani, Nehare, BBQ and Kebab.
My friends who had been there all raved about the Chicken Biryani in particular, so I decided to give it a shot. I didn't have to wait very long, since the place was practically empty, save for one other customer, probably because most people were fasting due to Ramazan... the cost for a plate is $8.00
The food was very good, no complaints. But to be honest... not spectacular. I have been to my Muslim friends houses on Eid, and quite frankly, that Biryani was better... the mothers touch was missing I suppose. However, having said that, this Biryani was also quite authentic, and better than that which would be found at more expensive restaurants. I was very impressed by the quantity, as I was barely able to finish the plate. The Biryani also came with a small bowl of Raita, which was a nice touch to aid digestion after consuming all that masala. Considering the portions, and reasonable price, I do recommend anyone who is in the area and craving some non-veg to drop in and sample some of the delicacies.
Service: 4/5
Ambiance/Location: 2/5
Food Quality: 3/5
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