Oilsands: Boon or Bane?

Last week I had the opportunity to go and visit my cousin and her family who are currently living in Ft. McMurray, in Northern Alberta, Canada. Ft. McMurray has been in the news over the past 15 years or so due to its location as the hub of production and development of oil from the Athabasca Oil Sands.

From a frontier town of a few thousand people only 2 decades ago, the population has swelled to around 100,000 people, rapidly straining existing infrastructure. Therefore, along with development of the oilsands around it, the town itself has been extensively developed, with construction going on everywhere, from houses, commercial centers, roads and even a new airport. The promise of six figure salaries, and the ability to work on one of the most exciting and cutting edge engineering projects in the world has lured people from all of the world to brave -40C winters and converge on this once remote town in Northern Alberta. Honestly, I thought it was a nice place. The population  is diverse, all basic amenities are available, and at least in the summer, I thought it was a beautiful place to spend an evening.

After getting back home to Vancouver, I have spent a bit of time doing a bit more research about the oilsands and their development. It holds special interest for me, for several reasons. As an Engineer, I thought the project was fascinating and COOL. Getting the chance to see machines larger than the size of most buildings, and get a glimpse of a development site which is hundreds of kilometers in area is basically an engineers dream. Moreover, my current area of research is related to investingating some of the potential effects of global climate change. Production of oil from the oilsands is a carbon intensive process, and environmentally speaking, not very friendly. Undoubtedly, development of the oil sands has a significant carbon footprint and thereby is contributing to global climate change.
The following thoughts are just my opinion. I am no expert by any means,  nor do I have any vested interests in what is going on right now in Northern Alberta.

Socio-Economic Impact:

It has been recognized by economists that the development of the oilsands is probably the single biggest reason that Canada was able to avoid the worst of the global recession. At current prices, production and selling of oil from the oil sands is extremely profitable, and pumps millions of dollars into the economy, which in turn creates thousands of jobs directly in the sector, and thousands more indirectly in related services. However, some reports indicate that development of the oil sands has artificially made the dollar stronger than it really should be, and increases inflation. Therefore, the argument is that the economy is over dependent on the development of natural resources, and the strong dollar is weakening other parts of the economy, such as the manufacturing sector. Honestly, I am not an economist, and I wonder if it is simply a case of sour grapes, as power shifts within Canada from the manufacturing hubs in the East, to the natural resources which are abundant out West.

Currently, in terms of reserves, because of oil sand holdings, Canada is in posession of the second largest known reserves of recoverable oil in the world behind only Saudi Arabia. In terms of oil which is currently unrecoverable, it would have the worlds largest reserves by a long shot. It is only a matter of time before technology is developed to tap into these currently unrecoverable reserves and make Canada number one globally. With these kind of numbers, and the worlds current dependence on oil, it gives the country tremendous political clout, and may make our neighbors to the south a bit less condescending in terms of attitudes to the country. Proximity, and a stable political environment give the mouse a bit more of an upperhand against the elephant. In my novice opinion, I do feel that if we use this resource diplomatically and wisely, Canada can definitely use it as a power to improve our standing economically and politically on the worlds stage.

Environmental Impact:
At first look, the development of the oil sands is environmentally devestating. Swaths of forest are cut down to make the sites accessible, and toxic water from the extraction process is spewing into tailings ponds which are located throughout the oil sands. Pipelines need to be built to transport the oil away from Alberta and into the United States, or to ports along the Pacific Ocean for transportation to Asia. Moreoever, compared to conventional practise, extraction of oil from the sand is an especially energy intensive process, as the oil which is extracted is in the form of bitumen, which needs to be upgraded through a complicated process into conventional crude oil. Undoubtedly, the ecosystem of the oil sands is being disturbed and perhaps irreparibly destroyed.

My particular area of research involves looking at the effects of climate change on infrastructure. The main contributor to climate change is the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore, I had particular interest in looking at how much carbon dioxide was being emitted as a byproduct of the extraction process. The results were rather interesting. First of all, clearly, it is an energy and carbon intensive process, and a major contributor to emissions. However, if we look at things on a larger scale, surprisingly, the oil sands were not as bad as some people make them out to be. 5% of CO2 emissions in Canada can be attributed to oil sands development, which is equivalent to about 0.1% worldwide. In the scheme of things... that is a very low number. Looking purely at the numbers, there are other sources of emissions which are much greater and it would make more sense to try and reduce them, than to worry about 0.1%. I still strongly believe that we should not blame China and India for trying to develop and consume in a way that the west has been doing for the past century. Per person consumption levels in the west are still faaaaaar to high, and I think we can make a larger dent in emission levels by consuming less ourselves. Rather than driving prices of oil up by cutting down supply levels, to me, it make more sense to try to drive them down by reducing demand.

Environmentalists fear that development of the oilsands will provide a ready supply of oil and thereby discourage the use of greener forms of energy generation. However, realisticly speaking, I feel that not making this source available will only drive up world prices further and at some point we would give into human greed and start extracting anyway. If not here, then extraction of oil sand would surely be done in other parts of the world. Rather, after giving it some thought, it would make better sense to make use of this asset to improve the countries standing, but to try and develop it in a more sustainable way. How we should do this is something that a proper policy needs to be worked out, and it needs to be done soon, as we are rapidly heading towards the tipping point at which we will irreversibly change our planets ecosystem.

Tuum Est?

UBCs motto is 'Tuum Est'... which is latin for 'It is yours'.

I have spent over a decade at this prestigious university, and have probably had my happiest moments in life, biggest dissapointments and have even shed a few tears here. The campus now has a special place in my heart and at times, I feel more at home here than I do at my own home.

For the past few months though, I feel more and more like a stranger on campus... the energy of being surrounded by young people no longer rubs off on me. I have seen generations of students come and go, and yet I remain stagnant. The surroundings have changed so much, and I no longer feel as if I want to adjust.

Perhaps these days 'Tuum Est' is no longer applicable to me and UBC any more.

9/11 in Retrospect

9/11 is a phrase which just needs to be said, and not explained. I still remember this day, 10 years ago, napping on the Skytrain, on the way to my classes at UBC, blissfully unaware of the horror that was unfolding on the other side of the continent. I heard a few people discussing planes slamming into buildings and the Pentagon being attacked by those around me, but I just figured they were discussing an action movie and so I went back to sleep...

It wasn't until arrived on campus and found a group of people huddled around a radio that I came to hear of 'America under attack', and what had earlier seemed like fiction, suddenly became reality. Needless to say, the rest of the day, no one payed any attention in class, and we all were more interested in finding a TV during breaks to find out just what was happening.

10 years onwards, undoubtedly America has changed. Minorities, in particular Muslims, I feel will never be trusted again. Security in normal places is just incredible. The sense of freedom, which I observed as an outsider, is now lost.

There is no doubt that not one of the many thousands of innocent lives which were lost that day deserved their fate. But many innocents have died in retaliation throughout the world as well. And I have a feeling, this was the gripe that many throughout the world had before the whole attack took place anyway. Rather than engaging in a dialogue to find out what the cause of the anger against it was, America has just gone about trying to crush it. In my opinion, the world still looks upon the USA, and in particular their foreign policies, with disdain... the goodwill and sympathy the world shared 10 years ago is now lost.

Osama bin Ladens goal was to terrorize the western world into accepting his philosophies. That has not happen. The USA is resilient enough, and will never be forced to act as cowards. Moreover, Bin Laden is now dead, and Al Queda is not the force it once was. Coupled with the slow self democratization of the Middle East, it seems as if people are slowly turning away from Radical Islam, and more towards tolarism and peace.

So where are we? Back to Square One? I don't think either side here has been a 'victor'. Will we forever maintain the status quo of respecting America for its might, but privately cursing them for the arrogance, and the ambivalence they often show? I hope not... if the wounds continue to fester, I worry it is just a matter of time before a new Bin Laden emerges, and a new chapter of fiction becomes a frightening reality.

Bachelorlife Timings

Just some amusing timings I have noticed about myself, and are probably applicable to any single guy living alone.

When will he go out to buy household supplies?

When he is out of toilet paper...

When will he do his laundry?

When he is out of clean underwear...

When will he cook something?

When the fridge is completely empty.

When will he clean his place?

When he knows a pretty girl will be coming over.

Sustainability and Society

Sustainability and the environment are not topics that I have seriously thought about up until the last few years. This has changed for two main reasons. Firstly, these two topics are always in the news these days, so they are impossible to avoid. Secondly (and more importantly for me), my PhD Thesis topic has to do with sustainability and infrastructure. Consequently, I have learnt alot about how infrastructure affects the environment, and in a vicious cycle, how the environment affects our infrastructure.

I was attending a Symposium last week which had to do with 'Sustainability in Engineering'. One of the keynote speakers was a gentleman named Mr. Peter Robinson who was with the David Suzuki Foundation, a group dedicated to Environmental Issues in Canada, and around the world. He was one of the better speakers of the day, and I enjoyed his talk very much.

One statement he made really made an impression on me. He said that he felt Environmental Sustainability could never be achieved without achieving Societal Sustainability first. The two go hand in hand. That is, unless Society develops in a sustainable and responsible manner, Environmental Sustainability will be a dream, and our Ecosystem will continue to degenerate.

I felt this was a very poignant remark. We can engineer as many solutions as we want to Global Climate Change and environmental issues, but as long as we, as a society, do not have the will to sacrifice and adapt ourselves to living a sustainable lifestyle, technological innovation will be pointless. We may claim we want to save the Rainforest, but how many of us check if our coffee beans are certified by the Rainforest Allaince? We may claim we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but how many of us would prefer to drive a hybrid vehicle over a high-powered BMW? We chide the 3rd world for developing in an unsustainable manner, and take pride when we cut our emissions by a few percent, but our frame of reference is so narrow that we forget that we are the ones whose excessive consumption has effectively caused the crisis we are in in the first place!

It is one thing to talk big, and to maybe develop a few potential solutions. It is another thing to act on our words and implement them. If we are serious about saving the planet, lets stop just talking about it, make some sacrifices, and actually do it.

A question of happiness...

A thought has been passing my mind a bit these past few days.

What is true happiness?

Yes, that is actually quite a deep, complicated question, but I would like to narrow it down a bit.

Specifically, should one be happy if they are content with what they are given, or should they be happy if they get what they desire? Does the former inspire lethargy, and the latter inspire greed? Maybe there is a happy medium in between?

Not really sure of the answer myself, but would like to hear some thoughts.

A Short Rant

Something is irritating me today... and it is actually quite silly. And it has to do with Social Networking.

1) Why are there people who insist on adding you to their 'friends' list, login regularly to check up on what everyone else is doing, and yet insist on keeping their own profile totally private? What is the point of social networking, if you refuse to be social yourself?

Guess what... all you are doing is being creepy, and are nothing better than a snooper.

2) Why are there people who login to regularly check up on what everyone else is doing, and yet take forever to respond to their own postings?

Guess what... we all know you are jobless enough to be logging into Facebook like the rest of us, so stop trying to act like you are too busy to be doing so.

That is all.

A Lunch Conversation

I had a discussion with our departments new Safety Director last week. It was the first time I really had the chance to talk with him personally, and we had a very interesting discussion over lunch. Turns out he was an ex-engineer at Ballard Power Systems, and was layed off after working there for 14 years. When I asked him about if he was happy in his current position, he replied that although the pay was not as good, the piece of mind he got here, the lower stress levels, and the extra time he got to spend with his family more than made up with it. Essentially, no matter how successful he had been in his professional life, it did not compare to the enjoyment he was getting from having a successful personal life.

The other thing I queried him about was about the future of Ballard. For those of you who don't know, Ballard Power Systems was a Canadian startup that in the early 1990's developed a Hydrogen Fuel Cell which produced ZERO harmful emissions. The invention was supposed to revolutionize the transportation industry and solve all our worries about climate change. The company ballooned from a few zealous inventors to a huge company of 300 engineers based out of Burnaby, BC. Ford Motors invested 750 MILLION dollars into the technology and the idea was that in about 20 years, all cars would be running on Hydrogen Fuel Cells.

Well, things haven't quite worked out as imagined. Ballard is now OUT of the automobile business, and has downsized to about 100 employees. There is even talk that this uniquely Canadian company may be sold off to foreign investors. But what went wrong?

Essentially, the problem was that although the technology worked perfectly, and was tested in prototype cars, buses and other modes of transport, no matter how much convincing was done, governments have not supported the production and supply of readily available Hydrogen to fuel these vehicles. The expectation was that once people saw how wonderful the technology was, Hydrogen would be readily produced along the same scale as Gasoline, Diesel, Propane and CNG is now. The problem is that at present, production of fuel Hydrogen is not economically feasible. Other types of fuel are cheaper. Think about it... we have the technology available to massively reduce greenhouse emissions, and perhaps solve our problem of Global Climate Change and yet, we ignore it.

The advice our director gave me was quite telling. With engineering problems, it is important to think things through from beginning to end. Ballard had a brilliant idea, and successful implementation, but they never considered human nature, and how selfish we can be. Until the effects of climate change begin to seriously affect us, we will not pressure governments to support sustainable technology as long as it is expensive. No matter how brilliant the idea the engineer comes up with, and no matter how serious the problem is, ultimately, it comes down to the bottom line, and the power of what is in your wallet. Every individual needs to think things through from beginning to end, because no matter how brilliant your idea may be in the beginning, other factors may come to dictate how successful it is in the end. And I think this is a lesson that can be applied to may of the decisions we make throughout our personal lives as well.

It is good to listen to those of us who have life experience, and I was quite lucky to be given the chance to learn something from this person just over this simple lunch conversation.

Spicy Koffee

Last week I was watching an episode of the Indian Talk Show, 'Koffee with Karan', Season 3. The two guests for the episode were the gorgeous Deepika Padukone an the lovely Sonam Kapoor. In all honesty, I had never actually watched an entire episode on TV until last week. Before this I had only watched clips and bits online via YouTube. I must admit, of the various Indian talk shows, Koffee with Karan is definately the most entertaining. It seems his guests are more at ease on his show, and it seems as if they are more free and open to discuss all aspects of their life. This was illustrated quite nicely in the following clip (7:39):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybFA-HtSSrM

And this was one of the reactions to this episode...

Hmmm... well, I must admit, as a guilty pleasure, I did find this episode amusing and entertaining. However, two things struck me... there is most definitely a difference in the way that this generation of actors and actresses deal with the media and the public. I could never have imagined anyone like Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, or Rani Mukherjee ever making such candid statements in an interview 15 years ago. And secondly, it makes me wonder about the kind of responsibility celebrities have to the public. While these two went on the show to enhance their popularity and promote their own movies, I wonder if at the same time they should try and set some sort of example for their followers? In particular, as Koffee with Karan is a show watched by family members of all ages, I was a bit surprised that Deepika and Sonam would make such 'interesting' statements, and how younger people might interpret their remarks. I am not advocating a morality police be instituted, but I kind of think celebrities should show a bit more common sense as to when and where they make certain remarks.

Christmas Commercialism

I happened to be at the mall a few days ago (November 11) to pick up a few supplies from Zellers. While nothing out of the ordinary happened at all, one thing struck me. The Christmas decorations at Oakridge Mall had already gone up, and some stores were advertising Christmas sales. This really irritated me.

I understand that the economy is not doing so well, and stores need to turn a profit. And the holiday season is the most profitable time of the year. But my goodness, when stores are bombarding you 6 weeks early, you can't help but wonder if Christmas has just gotten too commericalized. Furthermore, are we really so out of touch that we would rather worry about Christmas Shopping than take at least ONE day to remember our fallen soldiers on November 11?

Commercialism and advertising is fine, but when it starts up before Remembrance Day, it is just a bit too much. I wouldn't be surprised if soon stores advertising for Christmas in July, and we as consumers take the opportunity to shop it up.

Busy Month!

Well, it has been over a month, and I haven't posted anything! In truth, it has been a very busy month. However, nothing blog-worthy has happened, and I haven't had any thought provoking ideas to write about either. Nevertheless, be it weddings, pujas, dandiaya nights, farewell parties, reunions with friends, movies or ISA events, I must say this has been one of the most enjoyable and socially active months I have had in a while!

Hopefully next month I get time to rest my old bones and perhaps blog something more noteworthy...

IST

This post is about a pet peeve of mine... and ironically although it is a pet peeve, in all honesty, over the past few years, I am very much guilty of having become quite accustomed to performing this peeve... which I guess makes me a... hypocrite!? :S

Every Indian knows what IST is... 'Indian Standard Time' means that no matter what the occasion, you always show up late for an appointment/meeting/get together... sometimes, it is being 'fashionably late'... but more often than not, it is just being irresponsible, insensitive and too lazy to actually show up places on time.

Now, why am I writing about this today of all days? Well, it is one week to the start of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and the venues and accomodations are still not ready. Any other major professional world sporting event would have had their facilities ready and tested 6 months in advance, but not in Delhi... because, after all, IST is the norm. It just wouldn't be 'Indian' if things were done professionally and on time for a change. Heaven forbid you question it, because if you did, it would be 'Anti-National' to do so. Instead it is better to blame foreign contingents for having standards which are just overly high. It is far easier to make excuses than accept your mistakes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9025907.stm

The Indian middle class has eagerly bought into every western vice thrown at it over the past two decades. It is about time that it learns to accept some of its virtues, and those are of punctuality and professionalism. I really genuinely hope that somehow Delhi manages to get things done at the last minute, and that the games go off smoothly, because if not, it will really be a major embarassment.

Ironically, India was ranked as the '3rd most powerful nation in the world' just a few days back. Well, perhaps it is time to start acting like a powerful nation, rather than just flaunting the title.

Random News...

A couple of items in the news have caught my attention lately. Of one, I have a definate opinion. The other... not so much.


Ground Zero Mosque
9 years ago, after 9/11 there was much discussion and debate over what would go on at the site of the former World Trade Center. At that time, I don't think anyone ever would have imagined that a plan to build a mosque at the site would ever possibly be considered.

To be clear, the mosque would not literally be constructed at the site where the World Trade Center was located. However, when the buildings collapsed, there was massive damage to the adjacent areas, even blocks away. And it is at some distance that the Islamic Center would be located.

This is a tough one. On one hand, America espouses itself as a bastion of democracy, tolerance and freedom of expression. Therefore, there should really be no opposition to the project. But I can understand the sentiments of New Yorkers, and why they would be so upset with the idea of constructing a mosque in such an area, after the events of that terrible day. You would also think that perhaps Muslims would be a bit more sensitive to the sentiments of those opposed. Its a crappy deal, but unfortunately, 9/11 has made the world tougher for those who follow Islam. It will be interesting to see which side backs down ultimately, and what the reprecussions will be.


Match Fixing
On this issue, I have a much clearer opinion. What the hell is wrong with Pakistani Cricket, and more precisely the Pakistani Cricket administration? After their fellow countrymen greeted foreign cricket players with bulletholes in their buses last summer, it now seems as if the players themselves are determined to go abroad and completely screw up the game. Although nothing has been conclusively proven yet, a decade after match fixing first surfaced, it appears to have resurfaced, and it seems as if some of Pakistans best cricketers are involved.

In the midst of the suffering caused by the terrible flooding there right now, it is quite sad that the countries players would abuse the national pastime like this. I have always had a lot of respect for the talents of Pakistani fast bowlers, and it is really a shame to see that rather than throwing cricket balls around, they are throwing their careers and their integrity away instead.

All izz well?

'Aaaaaaaaal izzzzz wellllllll...'

That is the advice Amir Khan gives to his friends in the movie '3 Idiots' to make them feel better. Just tell yourself that 'All izz well', and eventually, all will become well. It is an advice that I am given quite often, and I know friends who swear by it.

All izz well? Yeah right. What good does it do to tell yourself that all is well, when things are not well? Life is not a Bollywood movie. Things do not magically work out on their own. You are in control of your actions and not the results. Since you are in control of your actions, why not try and take control of your destiny as much as possible and try and make things well, when they are not going well? There is no guarantee that all will become well, but I think it is much more sane advice than just being a happy-go-lucky foolish optimist.

So should you be pessimistic? Absolutely not. No one ever got any where by being full of negative energy. The first step to making your life better is to believe that it can be better, and that will never happen if you are convinced that nothing in the world can go right.

So friends, my advice to you, is don't be a foolish optimist, and don't be a negative pessimist. Be a realist, allow yourself to be depressed, and allow yourself to be happy. Both emotions will make you a stronger person in the long run. Make your own decisions, but never have such a big ego to not be able to take good advice.

Remember, not to look at the glass as being half full, not as being half empty, but recognizing that you have the capacity to fill it upto the brim.

And that is the gyan I have to give today. :)

The Big Fat Indo-Canadian Wedding

Several of my very good friends are getting married this summer, and I guess I get to take a more active role this time around. I have attended a few weddings in India, but mostly as an outside guest, and not a member of the 'inner circle'. Perhaps for this reason, although I have enjoyed the weddings I have experienced in India, I definately have more knowledge of what goes on at the Canadian version.

One of the nice things about the Canadian version is how it is possible to try and blend the old traditions in with the new. Mehndi/Haldi is commonly done, and the ceremony itself is usually held at the Mandir/Masjid/Gurudwara. But along side of this, things like the 'First Dance', Cake Cutting, and Introductory Slide Shows of the happy couple have been silently incorporated into the festivities.

No doubt the Indian version is purely authentic, but the Canadianized version can be quite a blast. In fact, people go all out to try and imitate the glitz of the posher Indian weddings, which I am quite sure is inspired by what we are exposed to in Bollywood movies. While it is difficult to copy the wedding ceremonies themselves, mainly due to lack of time, and facilities, it seems as if a concious decision is made to try and outdo one another at the wedding reception(s). These days, things are stage managed, with professional photographers, videographers, the most glamorous of dresses, expensive jewelery, color themes (yes, it is imperative that the seat covers must be color coordinated with the grooms tie apparently), slide shows, stage performances, DJs, bad jokes by the MC, etc, etc, etc... The lowest cost I hear of these days at a wedding is not less than 50k, with richer couples spending upwards of 6 figures on their wedding festivities! Wow, with costs like that, it is probably good to remain a bachelor!!! To be honest, I am sure that in the midst of trying to impress family, friends, relatives and strangers the families of the bride and groom are probably stretching themselves to the limit, but heck, they want us to enjoy, and enjoy we do to the max!!!

The food... ah the food... the quality of a recpetion is judged not by the happiness of the bride and groom, but by how many appetizers are served (usually not less than 3). You have heard of a 6 course dinner? Well how about a 6 course appetizer? Vege Pakoras, Tandoori Chicken, Fish Pakoras, Paapri Chat, Tandoori Rumal Rotis, Gol Gappe... yes my friends, this is quite common. And I haven't even started with dinner yet.

To wrap up, just a list of stereotypes which I find applicable to most, if not all Indo Canadian wedding receptions (and I am sure those who have been in my position can add to this list, so I would like to encourage you to do so):

1) Butter Chicken. I have not encountered a wedding reception where this has not been served. Even if the bride and groom are vegetarians, to keep the meat eaters happy, somehow, this dish makes it into all of the dinner menus.

2) Michael Jackson. I do not understand why, but for some reason when playing the English Music, most DJs are obsessed with playing 'Thriller' as many times as possible during the night...

3) Crazy Dancing Aunty. There is always one crazy aunty who rocks the dance floor (or at least thinks she is rocking the dance floor). You can recognize this aunty as there is usually a circle of wide eyed younger people who dance in a circle around her in a mesmorized trance.

4) Drunk Uncle. There is always one alcoholic uncle who has a few too many during the night and ends up on the dance floor trying to do the Macarena while balancing a half-empty bottle on his head. It never works... you can recognize this uncle as the tie he is wearing usually starts off around his neck, and ends up around his forehead.

5) The Performance by a Relative. Sometimes good, usually a snooze, the bride/grooms nephew/niece/brother/sister/6th cousin is inevitably forced to do a dance performance during the reception. The good thing for the performer is that no matter how the performance is, he/she is rewarded by crazy dancing aunty (see number 3 above) who will come up, and join in the dance near the end and reward the performers with no less than $20.

6) The hopeless MC. I have attended very few weddings where the MC has actually been good. Usually its not even his/her fault, as people are too busy eating/gossiping/getting sloshed at the open bar. Usually he/she fades into the background, and their lasting memories are unfortunately of having made bad jokes, and dealing with poorly functioning A/V eqpt.

7) Irritating glass tappers in the audience. One of the weirder rituals that seems to have been picked up from western weddings, is that of someone in the audience tapping on their drinking glass loudly with their silverware during the reception. This is to indicate that it is time for the bride and groom to publicly display their affection for each other in front of everyone with a kiss on the lips. Unfortunately, with Indian weddings, the bride and groom are usually too shy/terrified for any PDA, and so instead, are forced to uncomfortably sit still while the irritating glass tappers tap on their glasses until they finally run out of strength in their wrists...

Commercials

Question... why are North American TV commercials so crappy?

This has come to my attention each and every time I travel outside of the continent, come home, and am forced to subject myself to the unimaginative, unentertaining drudge that pops up every few minutes on my TV screen.

North American TV shows are followed around the world, and are so popular. Why then, can't the commercials be of the same quality? For some reason, people are afraid to push the edges in some cases, or in other cases, prefer to convey the message in a direct, uninteresting way. Commercials in India or Europe, are to me, far wittier, cute, and comedic, and actually stay in my mind after the ad is over. Someties the ads are better than the programs.

I don't think a North American commercial has EVER enticed me to buy the product after watching the ad. Even the Super Bowl ads are usually nothing to go gaga over. For a continent so rooted in commercialism, our commercials are definately a drag...

(Anti) Social Networking

I read a very interesting billboard sticker the other day which got me thinking. It read, "Why do we have more Facebook Friends than Real Life Friends"?

To be honest, I don't even remember what the sticker was advertising, but the question was quite relevant. I have nearly 300 friends on Facebook, and to be really honest, I think I would be lying if I said I was actually in regular contact with any more than 50 of them at any given moment in time.

Social Networking is an interesting phenomenon. Undoubtedly, it has its advantages. It has allowed me to get in touch with and rediscover what long lost friends are upto. It is a nice time pass. And I guess moreover, it satisfies the secret desire we all have to find out what is going on in each others personal lives.

The question that we must ask ourselves is when is it too much? Is social networking actually making us ANTIsocial? Where I once used to phone or meet my friends to pass on my birthday wishes, it has now become far more convenient to leave a message on their wall. Real life discussions these days seem to always make some mention of what someone posted on some social networking site. It seems our virtual lives are taking precidence over our actual lives. Given the astonishing rate at which the internet and social networking sites are becoming integral parts of our lives, it will be interesting to see just how social or anti social we become.

Pride and Prejudice

It's been a while since I posted anything. In truth, the past few weeks have been not too eventful... nothing earthshattering has really been happening in Vancouver/on campus, and I haven't had any great revelations to share with the world.

I have been having some random thoughts lately about peoples preconceptions, and essentially our prejudices. I have written blog articles in the past condemning people for being racist/biased against others for no reason. But I wonder, is it okay to have a prejudice if that prejudice is not hurting anyone? I have my own prejudices against people, thoughts, and ideas... but as much as possible I am tolerant of others, even if I don't accept/agree with them. Usually, I just dismiss anything I don't agree with, without actually considering the other side of the argument. I don't think that makes me a bigot, but I wonder what it is about this mind block that keeps me rooted in my mental comfort zone. Sometimes, I wonder if it has stunted my growth as an individual... hmmmn...

Sorry for the boring post people... next time, I shall try to write something more juicy.

Feeling sick...

Its the Olympics, and I know I shouldn't be feeling blue, but I feel sick... not of the physical variety...

Sick of research... sick of Undergrads knocking on my office door... sick of answering questions about life I don't know the answer too... sick of people... sick of egos... sick of lies... sick of telling myself the glass is half full when I know its half empty... sick of putting on a smile for the world...

Sigh... I need a doctor.

I-Buds and Bouncy Balls...

I was in a Fast Food restaurant a few days ago... after finishing my meal, I went to throw out the condiments into the garbage, and I noticed that by the trash can, there was one of those mechanical 'toy' dispensers. Basically, it is meant for little kids to put their change in, and out would pop a trinket for them to play with for a few days until they get bored with it.

Of course, when I was a kid, I had collected quite a few of these trinkets. The toys only cost $0.25, and I would end up with a toy car, maybe a candy, or my favorite, a small rubber bouncy ball (yes, I am a simple creature). So you can imagine my surprise when I noticed that the cost had gone up to $2.00, and even more interestingly, you don't get toys out of these machines anymore... for $2.00 kids can now buy earphones for their Ipods... 'Ibuds'!

Now I understand that times are changing, and kids are definitely more tech savvy than when I was a kid, and I was probably more tech saavy as a kid than my parents, and so on and so forth. But seriously? I sometimes wonder if kids even know what it is like to a 'non-virtual' toy, or actually go outside and play 'non-electronic' games. I have noticed that even my students have stopped using paper and pencil... most of them take their notes on a laptop, and 'jot' down information quickly into their cell phones. Perhaps I am getting old and cranky, but for some reason, this kind of worries me...

Keep your Ibuds kids... I prefer my rubber bouncy ball.