The track and the snails

Dear All,

It has been a while since I last updated my blog anyway I have been busy new job, moving to my own apartment o boy that was so good to have my own space a gain and also I was busy training for the Dhiraagu run held every year here in Male it a one round around Male, the distance is 5.2km not much but he considering it was my first race I ever done and only start running last year November I wanted to make at least a good time.

So 2 month before the run 5 did massive amounts of training in he gym and on the track strengthening my legs improve my endurance and technique and lots of track training with a good friend of mine.

Actually the running track in Male is quite a cool place to be well it is except of one thing people who think it is perfectly okay to walk on a running track WTF yes waking on the inside lane. Well I am not a expert of running etiquette on the track but normally the inside lanes are for people who are actually running and not walking and talking and having a stroll. It DRIVE ME NUTS and most of them are woman why and one you still can still go around but for heavens sake they are walking 3 or 4 wide.

Do they move or speed up or simply go to the outside lanes NO why would they, honestly why would they because as they live in ignorant bliss as they apparently own the track.

So all the runners are either going on the grass to pass them or just on the outside lanes, but when you have speed that is not possible.

Now dear readers this evening I had enough 3 of those snails where leisurely strolling asked them move during running did they NO so on my last sprint they did not move so I bummed in to one of them per accident I must say I simply did go to fast to stop. Anyway as my mother always said to us kids if you do not want to listen than we have to opt for other options.

While during the cool down one of those snails told why did I pushed her friend so I told here why are they walking on the inside lane why that is used for people who are actually exercising and they left... fellow track users where quite amused by the scene and got some looks of approval. A friend of mine told me hopefully they learned a lesson, well I do not think so because those snails are living in ignorant bliss.

This is how I see it I applaud everybody who exercise I really do as it is healthy and it has the possibility to change you live. but please please if you want to walk use the bloody outside lane because 2rd of the users are very much inconvenience by snails on the inside lanes.

O yes how did I do during the run well ended up 15th place so not bad.

And this is how I C it ban the snails from the 2 inside lanes of the running track.

One thing I simply do not understand... Jealousy

This is it I do not get it, well than again it could be me… But what is it with adults and jealousy, especially where I am living now. Here they are making it in a art form and it drives me NUTS….

Ok granted some times we are all jealous in one form or a other. In my case it would be in a form of admiration or something I want have or achieve, so if I wanted it I will work for it.

I asked some of my closest friends and nobody could give me a satisfying answer why people are so jealous here , to be honest I stopped looking for a proper explanation.

Hence I am mention 3 things that bug me the most about jealousy:

First - What is the problem with all of you Jealous people just be happy for some one, it does not hurt honestly it does not, in matter of fact it would make you a better and even a bigger person.

Secondly - Jealousy might be a ok or even slightly adorable when you are a kid (well younger than 10), but honestly when adults are jealous it is not at all cool, adorable or interesting IT IS JUST VERY VERY SAD period.

Thirdly - If you want to have something that someone else has, fore god sake WORK for it, it is so simple as that it really is.

And dear people that is how I see it….

Have a great day J

Elite

I had breakfast with a dear friend of mine, the other week we did not see each other for quite a long time so lost to talk about, but one part of the conversation stood out and made me think “ he mentioned he wants to be part of the Elite Club here” asked him what he mend with this statement? He refers to Elite as “those who have the money, so free to do what every they want to do”.

So I told with him why you are already in a Elite position, maybe not regarding the money part but, you are a writer and belong to the press, so you have a unique position here in this society, so in the eyes of some people you are a Elite person.

As the Oxford dictionary describes it “a group of people regarded as the best in a particular society or organization” and Wikipedia describes it as “In sociology as in general usage, the elite is a relatively small dominant group within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others of a lower line of order”

Thinking about this a bit further regarding the word Elite and it use. I came to discovery that the word Elite is used and many times misused by people as a way to differentiate and even alienate people in a society actually placing people in a particular box so there (little) minds can deal with things.

Let’s put it like this, when I am flying for business or pleasure I fly business class does that make me a Elite, having a good command English and love to read English Literature does that make u a Elite, going to a particular club/gym as there are people you want to mingle with and be around with does this make you a Elite or sending your kids to a school abroad for their education does that make you a Elite or be on twitter does this make you a Elite…… and the list is endless

Honestly is it that easy to give people the Elite Stamp, actually it is that easy. Like what I mention above it is a easy way to differentiate and put people in a particular box and furthermore Elitism is in the eye of the beholder. It is like this I can not have it and/or afford or you can not do it, it is easy to point finger to some one and say you are a Elite. While for that apparently Elite person it is the normal thing to do it is who they are.

It makes people feel better I guess to point fingers and say do not worry they are the Elite (meaning different than us) they can do whatever they want while we people can not…. STOP RIGHT HERE - REALLY just think about it if you live in a nice house /apartment with running water, ac/fan and electricity you are also a Elite, as many people still live in huts with no running water, ac/fan and electricity…

So everybody could be a Elitist it is how you look at it...

Keep well...

Spring Clean...

A close friend of mine mentioned to me the other day the big changes he is undertaking in his life, quitting his job, taking a long break, tacking stock of his life. Than I spoke with my sister the other day, she is moving house and is undiscriminating throwing way things as she said, “they are not part of her life anymore and it is time for new things”. My mother brought a new car as she had enough of her old one. Actually more of my friends and family mentioning to me that they are changing something in their life’s either big or small.

This made me think why now new year is over looking at the calendar and than it struck me “Spring” it is coming and it has all to do with “Spring Cleaning”. Where I am from this is the period set aside for cleaning a house, normally applied when the winter end and the first warm days of the years begins. Needles to say that does not apply when you live in this part of the world.

But funny enough the feeling is still there when moving in to March and April is just around the corner, the feeling is there to Spring Clean not to clean a house but to Spring Clean my personal affairs in order to take stock of where I am in life to throw away extra and useless weight that u carry, o boy lots of useless weight is there… mind boggling if you think about it.

That is the point of Spring Clean: a new start, a clean slate, etc. The point is that everybody needs a fresh start a new beginning. In my books it is as refreshing as class of cold water with lots of lime and ice….

So spring clean your life, you will not regret it…

Banking Maldivian style

Having lived in quite a view countries and dealt with different banking systems so u can call me kind of bank savvy at least that was what I thought till I had to deal with the main bank here in the Maldives… Now that was a paradigm shift. Honestly I think the Maldives has a unique banking system. I can give it a seal of Uniquely different annoying but definitely different.

So here it is what makes banking here unique:

1. U can only redraw money over the counter at any of the bank branches before 1.30 pm after that forget it. Not that the bank is closed in contrary the bank opens again at 4 pm but they are only accepting money???

2. Between anywhere around 1am you can not use your bank card as they are closing the system for a while, for the night audit I guess.

3. At times all the ATM’s here in Male’ (all 8 of them) are all out of order not that they are broken just they run out of money that sucks if this happens after 1.30 pm see point 1.

4. Did u ever go to a bank and had to take a token, well normal practise in many countries, well the same here but I bed you do not have 50 numbers or more in front of you…

Now there is more:

5. As having a visa debit card, you can use it abroad as often if you want as long if you have money on your account, logic no! Well not really, this bank has restricted the amount of money you can take from your card per day ……. and the limit is US$200.00 a day WTF honestly WTF, can I just run some numbers here:

i. A hotel night aprox US$100 (in Colombo)

ii. A lunch avrg US$30 incl drinks

iii. A Light shopping spree US$50

iv. Taxi and misc US$20

v. Dinner sorry can not because my bank is acting like a bloody Nanny.

6. Talking about US dollars there is a shortage of Dollars here in the Maldives, this is interesting. Do you know if you have a US Dollar account here at the bank and let’s say you have a balance US$10,000.00 and you want to go on Holiday and you need to take some of cash with you (see point 5 for the reason). So u want to take US$5000.00 well easy just go to the bank and get your money as this is your money no…. LOL remember the bank acts here like your Nanny, when there is a bad shortage of Dollars (this is always the case) they give you only half, or nothing or only after a couple of days. If you are very lucky you get your Dollars, but than in small notes. Honestly a friend of mine got US$100.00 in notes of 1, 5 and 10 dollars notes.

Okay, so after the moaning are there some good points yes there are, hummmm let me see:

Check books are made while you are waiting. You get a Check book within 5 minutes now that is a good thing, back home it takes at least a week and the staff are quite friendly at least I never had any bad experience.

Once you know how the locale bank system works it is quite plain sailing, well in theory it is but you always have to be ready for surprises and trust me there are plenty of them here

Have a great day and enjoy banking and yes to my friend and family, honestly banks you have there are quite okay :P

Vday

Ok people who know me well know that I love to talk, I can not keep silent I simply have to express my thoughts can not do this alone in my head, I guess it is my way to make sense of it all… So now my thoughts will be on Memo’s world….

O yes thoughts now I have many of them. As it is to day Valentines day I should mention that in my opinion this is the most useless and pointless day I know and yes invented by a company called Hallmark and some other entrepreneurs to earn some extra bugs, well let me rephrase this a lot of extra bugs and good for them I would say a lot of companies can use some extra revenue with selling overpriced roses, stupid white bears with I love you on them, heart shaped things and yes those cards -sigh. But some companies are taking the biscuit a hotel in the Gulf, The Emirates Palace, which bills itself as a seven-star hotel, has the priciest Valentine offer - a seven-day stay for a cool million bucks ok this includes a private yacht and plane but still give me a break seriously… I do not see the point but than again it could be me.

So what is than the essence of Valentines day, think, think and more thinking well sorry to say there is NONE (except the get money out of our pockets) Okay some of you might say “it is to express your love to your loved one or the lucky person to be your future loved one”. Okay wait you honestly think that one day in the year does the trick well in my opinion not really.

If you love someone then you should love the way you would make every day a special day for them…not just for one day and not to show off you love them so much only on valentines day…

Well these are my thoughts on Valentines day… probably many people disagree with me on this and that is perfectly okay. But please please stop pestering me with happy Valentines notes on Facebook, Twitter, sms, etc as I am not really interested and do not get the point thank you……