E for Elephant

Below is a real conversation I had yesterday with a Qatar airways customer care agent in Sweden over the phone.

Agent : Could you tell me your booking reference number please ?
Me     : B.. B as in boy
Agent : B as in boy..
Me     : P.. P as in pen
Agent : P as in papa ?
Me     : S...
Agent :  Sorry ?
Me     : Sorry, S as in Sweden
Agent : Oh ! S as in Sweden
Me     : E as in ... ( thinking for a common word starting with E )
Me     : E as in Eye !
Realised that was a terrible example and started thinking again.
Agen (helpfully) : E as in India?
Me     : (what ?)

(Now, for those not familiar with Swedish, Swedes pronounce I as E.. ie IBM is read EBM.. true, look it up)

Me     : No, no, I know you read I as E, but thats not it.
Agent  : E as in elephant ?
Me    : Exactly ( thank you elephants)
Me    : T.. T as in three
(I know, my fault)
Agent : oh ok, three as in number 3 !
Me      : Facepalm !

An 'Up'lifting movie

There is no way but Up ! from here. Pixar has once again proved that they are one of the best film makers of today. Not just the best 'animated' film makers. If you could get over the pre conceptions about 3D animation being for kids, you will be treated to one of the most touching films of this year - Up!


Carl promised the love of his life, his would be wife that he will take her to Paradise falls - a place of natural beauty untouched by man and move their camp house there. As the business of living life takes its toll, the dream is always pushed for later - until its too late.

And that is just the first ten minutes - pure gold. From kids to old couple, the movie beautifully captures their love, their anguish (they cant have kids) and the simple joys life.

For me, the idea of tying balloons to the house and floating away to the place of your dreams, to leave the mundane life behind is far too exciting and almost too real a metafor.

All of us have a Paradise falls, somewhere we want to go someday. And there is always someone  we want to share it with. And its always too late.

But in the end, love finds happiness and adventure in the most boring things in life. As Carl found out and hopefully, all of us will.

Fight Global Warming..

Leave your fridge open.
If all of us leave our fridge open for a day, will it cool the earth?

Dye your hair white.
This one is simple and easily explained by physics. White reflects more sunlight.

Use more oil.
Burning petroleum products raises the temperature every year. If we can finish it off in 10 years instead of 50..