Sheeesh.. what's that smell? seems like something is burning.. 

Hello...

Ok, i know it's been a long ime, but better late than never i guess...

I am here back in Toronto (have been for quite some time now actually), and have been pretty busy catching up with what i had missed in the first week of classes...

Anyways, the weather here in Toronto is getting quite bad with the 'feels like' tempreture touching -30 at times...yup, thats pretty cold. There was a snow storm/blizzard a couple of days back so that was quite terrible...luckily it was on a saturday.

I've also heard that the weather in Dubai has become quite good with rains and all that...good for u, i guess...

Anyways, i havent quite seen a lot of posts other than from Imran and a rare one from Faisal, so i was just wondering where everybody was?

I downloaded "Christmas with the Kranks" and saw it yesterday. For you uneducated souls, it's a movie based on the best selling novel by John Grisham called "Skipping Christmas" (the name was changed, so that not to be confused with "Surviving Christmas". Well, i have only one word for the movie and that is CRAP.

Do yourself a favour and read the book.

Finally, I hope this post restarts our blogging 'season', cause it seems to have lost it's charm lately.

That's all from me.

Take care
avi.

Eid Mubarak..

Ahh.. right this is the third day of Eid.. I know its late.. but "anyways"
Eid Mubarak..

This Eid was very very upsetting for me.. It was supposed to be my last Eid before I go abroad.. don't know when I'll get to celebrate Eid again... but alas I wasn't able celebrate it nor did I get to attend the slaughtering.. cause I had a PHYSICS 4 paper early in the morning... u can imagine my disappointment..

Anyway the night before Eid it was raining heavily.. it continued on raining even during the Eid Prayers... My dad decided to go to the Al Ghurair Mosque rather than The Eid-gah..
As I was walking I just realised how beautiful the weather was.. Imagine the city being empty.. the rain pouring down on you constantly.. the only noise is that of the raindrops.. uff.. it was amazing.. I so wanted to pray outside in the rain.. but we arrived in the mosque early so there was lots of place inside..

Anyway came back home.. and started studying for physics.. Everyone in my family except for me and my baby cousin left to see the slaugtering.. DAMN! I so missed it...

Anyway I arrived in school and wished everyone.. then off we went for the exams.. After that Shahlan and Zubin drove us to our regular hang-out BARISTA.. we (Ibad, Mohannad, Zubin, Mohannad, Saif, Shahlan and Me..) talked for a while.. I had my regular choclate excess.. and well.. we left..

Now there's one more exam to go for me... that Chemistry on the 25th..

Anyway I was just taking a break from chemistry that's why I decided to blog.. my brake's over now.. so gottta go.. and please pray for me..

FINALLY!!!

Congratulations to Bangladesh, they finally did it... Let's hope that 2005 ushers in a brand new chapter for Bangladeshi cricket!



Bangladesh create history!

Till next time,
Take care and have fun!
][mran

Avinash in his moment...




Till next time,
Take care and have fun!
][mran

A very Natural Picture...as you can see, nobody's posing...

][mran

Don't have much time so I'll just post some pics...

Don't have time, so I'll just post some pics which Avi and I took over the weekend...


Avi and I at his place!

][mran

The day before avinash's departure from dubai.. riiight.. that's "F-C-U-K" written on his shirt.. 

Me and Avi.. at Reef Mall... eating ice cream.. Sheesh we both have expensive taste.. 

Best Of Luck everybody!

It seems everybody's exams are coming up, so I just wanted to wish everybody the very best of luck for their exams, and hopefully you will all come through with flying colours!

Till next time,
Take care and have fun!
][mran

Happy B'day to the Hijab girll....

Riiiiiiight.. Happy Birthday Ambreen Athar @ Girl with the black goonghat..

SNOW!!! Enough said...

Just wanted to give you guys an idea of what the weather is like over here. Woke up this morning and I found this outside my window!

SNOW AT WINTERS!!! Ironic isn't it?

It's -7 degrees Celsius outside at the moment, though I haven't ventured outside as yet...let's see how long this lasts!

Till next time,
Take care and have fun!
][mran

hmmm...

Ok guys, its been a long time...

first of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2005...

I'm at mumbai domestic airport right now waiting for my flight to hyderabad where i have to go for my bros marriage and the flight is delayed as usual...

The past few days have been extremely exhausting for me... ia hve been partying till 5 in the morning almost everyday and during the day have been bzy preparing for the marriage

Imran, i should be in trono by the 10th (yup its delayed again) and i shall meet u guys in dubai by the 7th(will stay 3 days there)

anyways i have to go catch my flight now

will post more when i have time

cya
avi

Start reading from HERE, and work you way downwards! And now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

Hello people!

Once again, I am in Toronto, and since today is Sunday, I thought I should blog! I mean, I've been rather non-existant on the blog lately, so I thought, that since I'm back here, and since it's the New Year, I should start things off with a bit of a BANG!

So, I decided to try something different this time. It's kinda like a book with pictures and chapters and stuff... Each post is a new chapter, and each post is supported by a picture! Please make sure you read this post first, and then work your way downward. I did this so that you won't have to read backwards, so thank me for the trouble I have taken! So, I now give you:

How I Spent My Last Two Days In Dubai...Which Were Also The Last Two Days Of 2004!

I called up Dhiraj in the evening, and asked him if he was busy. He was going to collect his mobile from Jumbo's repair workshop, so I decided to join him, since I was getting bored at home!

After we collected his mobile, Dhiraj decided to show me Knowledge Village, and the infamous IITM!

So, FINALLY, I got to see the place. I have to say, Knowledge Village has been made very nicely! Everything is so brand new! It hardly looks like college at all!

Well, just before we left Knowledge Village, I decided to click a picture of the two of us there, and so, here it is!


Dhiraj and I at Knowledge Village.

A surprise meeting at Hot Burger!

So, after we leave Knowledge Village, we go back to Dhiraj's shop. On our way there, we bump into Samnan, Shahlan and Imad at Hot Burger! So, we quickly leave Dhiraj's car with his sister, and come back to meet these guys all sitting at Hot Burger!

It was really nice to sit around and goof around with these guys after such a long time! Imad was still as funny as he used to be, and everybody had a real great time there! Just as we were leaving, I took this very nice picture!


Samnan, 2 Thumbz and Imad at Hot Burger!

As we walked out of Hot Burger, who should I chance to meet?

I bump into Ali Abbas and Ali Wasif!

Yes, none other than the Ali's! YES, BOTH OF THEM, TOGETHER! What luck eh?

So we all get chatting as to where we've been, how we've been doing, stuff like that. Lot's of stories were exchanged in the brief encounter that we had, but it was really nice meeting these two after so long!

Just before we all dispersed, I managed to get a photo with them! Of course, I did feel a little out of place since I didn't have a dupatta, or whatever those things are called, around my neck, like the two of them.


The Ali's and I.

So, that night, I went to sleep very happy, since I met so many people, by sheer coincedance! As I drifted into a deep slumber, I wondered how my last day in Dubai, as well as the last day of 2004 would treat me...

New Year's Eve!

So, New Year's Eve was upon me, and I didn't quite know what to do in order to celebrate it! Suddenly I get a call from Faisal telling me that he and Mr.Pinto, are at my place, while I myself was at Bur Juman doing some last minute shopping! So, I quickly drop everything, and ask my parents to pick out a woollen cap for me, and go and meet these two. After shopping for some eatables in Spinneys, we all went back to my place, where we ate what we had bought, and had some tea (not me of course, I don't drink tea), and then we decided to paint the town red since it was New Year's Eve!

First stop, was Mrs.Richard's house, which was actually Faisal's doing. So, we all went to see Mrs.Richard, who very generously gave us all something to eat, and as we were looking at her Kenya photos and asking about her Lebenon trip with the girls, Faisal managed to pose like a king at the head of her dining table, for a quick photo...and he quickly rewarded himself with a quick bite! I of course, joined him immediately and we had a little feast!


Faisal really enjoying himself!

So we decide to leave Mrs.Richard's house...

As you saw, Faisal and I were really tucking into some of the stuff she served us, so for a long time we just sat there and chatted about this and that and the other. Finally, we decided that enough was enough, we had better make a move, otherwise we'd disrupt our own plans, as well as Mrs.Richard's family's! So, just before we left, Mrs.Richard's son Jeff was nice enough to take this picture of all of us under the Christmas tree!


All of us under the Christmas tree!

We visit Mrs.Dayal!

As we leave Mrs.Richard's house, Mr.Pinto decides to take us to Mrs.Dayal's house to visit her! So we go and see Mrs.Dayal, and she makes sweet Lassi for Faisal and me! I had to have more than one glass, it was really delicious!

As we sat there, we put on 'Yaaron', and the three of us sit around the centre table, and sing along! We all switched off all the bright lights, and sang to our hearts content... It was really lovely!

Soon, Mr.Pinto and Mrs.Dayal start having their own conversation, so Faisal and I busy ourselves with some nuts that Mrs.Dayal served us, and started chatting merrily about everything under the sun. Mind you, Faisal and I were still sitting on the carpet around the table!

At some point during that time in Mrs.Dayal's house, Faisal and Mr.Pinto decide to imitate something, but I don't quite remember what. Anyway, here's a photo of them trying, and by the look of things, they were trying really hard!


Mr.Pinto and Faisal desperately try something...although I'm not so sure what exactly...

Finally, we decide to leave, so once again, we're on our own!

We decide to take a cruise...on an abra!

So, we leave Mrs.Dayal's place, and as we three are wondering what to do, Mr.Pinto decides to call Farhad and Rushad, to see what they're doing! They decided to join us, and so, after I was dropped home for about 10 minutes to attend to some work, we all go back to Deira, to catch a cruise on a private abra! I don't know who's idea it was, but it was a brilliant idea! For Dh50, we really had a nice time on board!

Faisal clicked this picture just after we got onto the abra!

All smiles on the abra!

On the abra...

So, once on the boat, we look around in amazement. Seriously, Dubai, from a boat, at night, is beautiful! I suddenly realise how much this city means to me! Both sides, Deira and Bur Dubai, so many memories!

So, firstly, we sat and watched in awe, as this HUGE FRIGGIN' SHIP-LIKE BOAT goes past us! I must admit, it looked like something that we just couldn't afford that day...maybe some other time!

So we're walking around the boat, going backwards and forwards, trying to hold on for dear life, when Faisal decides to act like a daredevil, and stick his hand in the dark waters!


Faisal decides to drop his hand in unknown waters.

I first tell him to stop doing it! But then I realise what a great photo opportunity it was! So, I clicked, and Faisal went on with his antics: standing on the rim of the boat, almost putting his foot inside the water... but this time, we all almost got heart-attacks, so for our own safety, we told him to stop! And I didn't click anything because I didn't want to encourage him!

Waiting for the New Year.

As there was still a little bit of time left for the New Year, we tried to spice things up by singing songs and the lot. Of course, all of them started singing a Kenyan song, and I just smiled and looked on!

Finally, Mr. Pinto managed to muster up some courage, and grabbed on to Faisal at the front of the boat (the helm or whatever), and made believe it was the TITANIC!

Of course, just as I was about to click, Mr.Pinto decided to point at something else, so the pose isn't perfect, but at least Faisal didn't get distracted!

TITANIC pose!

Soon, we were counting down the last couple of seconds of 2004. "40...30...20...10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As soon as it struck 12 midnight, we all shouted together, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" In fact, we went around shouting Happy New Year to every single passing boat that we could find! Phone calls were made, messages were sent, handshakes all around. A very nice and warm, fuzzy feeling!

So, Faisal and I decided to take a picture on the boat together! Here it is!

Faisal and me on the abra!

Soon, we could see the place from where the ride had started, and so we got ready to disembark. I had to catch a flight in 2 hours!!!

Finally...

Finally, as our boat ride came to an end, I felt a little sad, wondering earnestly whether I really had to leave immediately or maybe I could stay an extra day...

As we walked back to the car, Mr.Pinto asked me to do something crazy! He told me to stand in the middle of all the people along the creek and shout 'Happy New Year 2005!', so, after a little hesitation, I DID!

I closed my eyes, threw my hands into the air, and shouted,"HAPPY NEW YEAR 2005!!!"

Mr.Pinto started laughing and laughing! People started staring at me, I'm pretty sure they thought I was drunk or something... But anyway, it was a crazy thing to do, and Mr.Pinto said he was proud of me, so I guess I'm glad I did do something so crazy!

As we drove home, I thought of taking a picture inside the car with all of us, so here it is!

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR ALL OF US...except Mr.Pinto...

As you can see, we managed to push Mr.Pinto's face out of the photo, something he wasn't so happy about, but anyway, we got a portion of his sweater!

So, I was dropped home. Surprisingly, Faisal himself said, "You're not going without a hug man! But please don't cry!" So, hugs all around, I went home, very happy that I got to spend such a lovely New Year's with close friends!

Just wanted to thank you Faisal, for spending New Year's with me. Meant a lot to me, seriously it did.

Now, what did the rest of you do for New Year's? Come on tell me! If you have any pictures, please put them up, I'd love to see them!

Till next time,
Take care, and have fun!
][mran

Better late than never, I guess...

Once again I find myself at Frankfurt Airport (or FraPort), and I wonder where the last month went...
I had a really really nice time, and I'd like to thank everybody who made it so special.
The last two days in Dubai were really nice for me. Lots of things happened by sheer coincedance, and I shall tell you all about it when I blog next from Toronto.

Will miss you guys like crazy, and I know I may not have met everybody properly, but hopefully next time I come, people will be less busy and I'll be able to meet all of you 'properly'.

By the way, a very Happy New Year to all!

Till next time,
Take care and have fun.