Desi In Toronto

My Daughter’s Note To Kumon

agsharma — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:56:02 +0000

My daughter just visited the Kumon center for the last time this Saturday.

It was a bittersweet moment for me. Rhea joined Kumon in 2007 (she was 5 years old) and as far as I am concerned, it was one of the best decisions I have made as a parent. I am a huge fan of the center and they helped nurse Rhea’s reading habits (even though they are non existent right now!) and helped her with the basics of mathematics.

When my wife was away at NYU, the stress of running the house, taking care of Rhea and working in downtown did not leave me enough time for my daughter’s studies. Thanks to Kumon, there was some sort of focus in that area.

But over the past few months, I noticed that her studies at school have progressively gone on a tangent with relation to Kumon. Don’t get me wrong! What they teach at Kumon is vital. Basic building blocks stuff. I am also aware that at higher levels, Kumon (or similar institutions) are more aligned to the school curriculum. Therefore, my wife and I decided to book a tutor for Rhea. Add the fact that we are moving to Kitchener soon, it was time to say goodbye to Kumon.

Rhea wrote this lovely letter to the head (Terri). Love the way she thinks she is super smart :)

Here are some other pictures from this month (tagged):

Regina Spektor

agsharma — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:33:05 +0000

Regina Spektor Is Back!!

The Difference Between 1st World And 3rd World

agsharma — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:52:36 +0000

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The Black Keys!

agsharma — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:56:26 +0000

Been a big fan of The Black Keys for a while now. I had thought that they had lost a little direction with their previous album Brother but they proved me wrong. Their latest album came out in December. Since I had put ordered it (yes i’m one of those fans), I was able to form an opinion on the album on the first day. This is the best album from the Keys to date. Even better than their earlier catalog.

So when I was offered the chance to see them live, I jumped at it. And the opening act was The Arctic Monkeys!!! What could’ve better than the combination. I was really looking forward to a fun evening of fantastic music. And then I see the seats at the ACC. That’s when I remembered the reason why I stopped going to large venues. I was wedged tightly between a woman making out heavily with her boyfriend and a guy who seemed to be having a competition with treat of the crowd. As in he was trying to prove he could drink more than 10 people put together.

The Monkeys were outstanding but the sound system was horrible! i’m surprised no one really complained about it. Since I was alone and wedged between the make out couple and the drunk, I kept quiet.

The enthusiasm I had for the show was dying by the minute. The worst was the time between the opening act and the feature act. Drunk got himself three beers, people behind me lite up a joint and the make out couple would not stop taking cute pictures of themselves, with the flash.

The moment The Keys came on, everything changed! From they opening song (Howling for you) till the end, they were outstanding. The art work on the screen was amazing but quite distracting. The music was good and the band was tight. I still had issues with the sound but the songs were good enough to tide over that short coming.

Overall it was a good experience but I have decided no more large venues. Young people are fun to around but sometimes they are too much. And with that statement I have officially become old!

btw, this is my first post on the Samsung Galaxy. Tried it several times on the iPod and the iPad but I was never able to finish a post on those devices.

Holy Batman, What Busy Week!!

agsharma — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:37:36 +0000

Last week has been a whirlwind of wok at “WORK” and on the home front.

The business I work for is changing my role from developer (which I love) to deployer. Which I love but not as much as the former. It means that there will be a lot more work on the weekends (something I am not looking forward to as this would have an impact on my daughter’s extracurricular activities) and late nights as my reporting boss is in China. Not looking forward to the new set up at all!!

As to the home front, we are moving to Kitchener Ontario! Wifey bought a clinic in that city so we are moving closer to the investment.

We went house hunting last Sunday. The first thing I notices is that Kitchener is quite a hilly area! Perfect for hill repeats! The second thing I noticed was the conspicuous lack of non-white folks. Maybe I was in the wrong part of the town.

So, the entire Sunday was spent looking at houses ranging from the fabulous to beautiful. Seriously! We did not come to a single “ugly” house. Which just makes the decision harder. So far we scouted Waterloo (a very close neighbour of Kitchener) and some parts of Kitchener. I think we will be deciding by end of March on which houses to put an offer on.

Since we had these plans, I decided to do my long run on early Saturday morning.

The first thing I did when I stepped outside was to run back in and change from my shorts to slacks. My god was it cold!! The weather has been playing mind games with us poor Ontarians. So, I started with the intention of finishing 20K. My dreams of running a 50 K live on but I know I am not there yet. I am still in the process of building my long runs which have not topped 25K so far. Never mind. I have time. I think!

So I ran a random 20K. It was surprisingly tougher than I thought it would be. My legs were really aching by the time I finished. The only reason that comes to mind is because we slept really really late on Friday and we were all coughing or sneezing the whole time. I still have not fully recovered. I am hoping I do so cause I will run no matter how much snot I spew!

The week on the whole was tough. Probably the cold I was battling. The best run was on Friday. Sunshine + Friday + Downtown Lakeshore = Happiness all around. Except for the surly runners. Not a single one, barring a young lady (who received my best winning smile) returned my hellos. WTF! And Toronto is supposed to be a friendly city. Bah!

Hope to get in a solid week of running! Happy running everyone!

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

agsharma — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:17:08 +0000

Yes. I am alive and well and kicking it!The last two months have been a blur as life around the Sharma household went up a gear. Here’s what’s been happening :

Wife bought a clinic. Yup. It’s official now. Charu bought a practice in Kitchener, Ontario and has started working part time at her clinic. Why part time? She has retained the previous owner to ensure that the transition is smooth. As you can tell, she is very proud of herself.

Rhea, my daughter, has been, as usual, has been handful. She has found out that I can be lied to quite easily and has been taking advantage of that fact. I am just afraid that her lying will go from innocent remarks to putting a spin on me. Anyway, am really enjoying this phase with her. She is funny…..

….she is laughing most of the time….

….she is learning how to swim better. And despite her complaints about swimming being complete boring, I think she has a pretty good time in the pool….

….and our bed time ritual is our favourite. We read a book to each other. She has been reading Dear Dumb Diary to me and I have been reading Macbeth to her these days. There was a yikes moment when we stumbled on the word WHORE and all the linguistic jujitsu from me was not enough to satiate her curiosity. She being born in 21st century, activated the dictionary on the kindle and tried to read ”Promiscuous Person”. Saved! .

We have been trying to keep ourselves occupied this winter. Thankfully, mother nature has been good to all of us. No mountains of snow. Just enough to walk about in

As far as I am concerned, I have realised my role in this place called earth. My role is a supporting role. Supporting my wife through her business and supporting my daughter through her childhood. I accept this roles and am happy to see them fulfilled. The only time I get to spend with myself is during my commute to work and when I am running.

Yes, running is still a big part of my life. I am planning to run the Mississauga marathon on 6th May, 2012 and am seriously considering the 50 K Sulphur Spring Run in end of May. Still on the fence because I have not been able to do a really really long run yet. We will see how my training progresses in the next few weeks.

One of my aims is also to keep updating this blog. I know I have promised so many times before but this time I will aim low. I hope to update this blog once a week. And then we will see how to proceed from there.

Hope to talk to you soon!

Update : Here are some other pictures from the past few weeks that you might enjoy.

As you can see, her modesty just shines through :).

Can anyone guess why I took this picture? :)

Had the great pleasure of seeing the Heartless Bastards at the Horseshoe Tavern. They were, in a word, outstanding! Erika Wennerstrom pipes are just out of this world! Love the band and their new album.

Why Cheat In A Marathon?

agsharma — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:53:59 +0000

Here are 11 runners who cheated during a marathon. A typical case would be :

4. Skip Miles 13-23: Anthony Gaskell (London, 2010)

At the 2010 London Marathon, 69-year-old Anthony Gaskell smashed records when he crossed the finish line at 3:05:00. It was the fastest time on record for his 65+ age group. But upon closer analysis of his recorded statistics, it was discovered that Gaskell supposedly ran the second half of the race (13.1 miles) in less than an hour – an impossible feat for even a world champion. It turned out he forewent running the there-and-back portion of the course entirely, skipping miles 13 – 23. Gaskell would later claim he hurt himself and was simply trying to get to the finish to receive medical attention. Nonetheless, his honorary plaque and title were revoked.

Each of the 11 cases presented above, the cheat was caught with consummate easy. So why bother to cheat?

I know it’s easy to ask that question but I think the answers are always fairly complicated.I mean, running a marathon is a very big deal. Of those 11 cases, how many had run a marathon before and just wanted to finish and miscalculated and finished with fantastic times? I am not talking about the ones who either gave their chip away to another runner or just did not run at all. I am talking about the ones who were dedicated enough to make an attempt.

I have to confess that one I had a strong urge to cheat during my running as well. I did not do it, but almost did.

The run was the 30K Midsummer Night’s Run. The run was fairly grueling because the humidity was at around 85%. I was woefully unprepared for the run and went just because I had signed up for it. A crucial mistake I made was to switch from water to Gatorade for my run. I never have Gatorade. Ever. And my stomach rebelled. At the 26K mark, I had to go to the bathroom and I was in for almost 10 minutes. When I came out, I realised that the bathroom was at a juncture of a loop. I could have easily walked into the bathroom at the 26K mark and come out of the bathroom at the 28K mark. And that’s what I started to do and then the little voice in my head said”what the fuck are you doing?”. I did not bother trying to answer and I turned around to complete the loop from the 26K back to the 28K mark. And then at the end of the run, I puked my guts out!

Looking back my reasoning was not to aim for the best time in the run. I was already doing awful. My reasons to cheat was to finish the run as soon as possible. But thankfully the Jiminy Cricket inside me was able to convince me that it was moronic to try and cheat. I mean, what for! So that I can tell the world I finished the run 10 minutes earlier than I actually did?

My Top 10 Albums Of 2011

agsharma — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:55:20 +0000

Here we go! I always look forward to these kinds of posts.

10) Hey Rosetta (Seeds)

One of the most intelligent bands from Canada. Their songs are a remarkable blend of grunge, strings and melodies. Songs are a little too long but each one carries a build up that’s hard not to rock out on.

9) Feist (Metals)

Saw her live with Broken Social Scene and what a fantastic performer! Totally rocked the crowd with her songs from The Reminder. And that’s what I was worried about. Feist would be remembered by that one album. But she proved me wrong. Metals is an excellent follow up album! There are no outstanding singles like 1234 but the whole sound is amazingly lush and quite pleasing to the ears.

8) Fucked Up (David Comes To Life)

This album is a concept album and runs for 1 and a half hours! Needless to say that you need quite a few listens before the blazing guitars and the screaming start to make some sense. However, once you get over that “hump”, the wait is totally worth it. Amazing album!

7) Yuck (Yuck)

I hear influences of Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth in this album. What drew me to this album was the emotion in the songs. And the hooks in all the songs were quite hard to miss. A band worth watching in the future.

6) The Black Keys (El Camino)

Finally an album from the Keys which does not have a single slow song!! Even the slow starting Black Submarines blasts out midway. Excellent work. I am going to see them at the Air Canada Center in March next year!!

5) TV On The Radio (Nine Types Of Light)

Another excellent album from TOTR. These guys never seem to cease to amaze me. Although this album is not as powerful as their previous work, but it’s good enough for year’s top 10!

4) The Chemical Brothers (Hanna)

This is probably the first I have put in a soundtrack on top 10. Well, it helps that the soundtrack was by one group only. I remember watching the movie and being completely mesmerised by the music in the background. It just fit in so well with the scenes. It’s mostly instrumental which means that without watching the movie, the music is meaningless.

3) Beirut (The Rip Tide)

Solid album from Beirut. Songs are seamlessly sewn together with the melodies packed on more melodies. Wonderful album and one of the few albums that my wife and daughter liked on first listen! Rarely happens.

2) Bry Webb (Provider)

After disbanding (?) the hard rocking The Constantine, Bryan Webb came out with this folk rock album inspired partly by the birth of his child. The album is a complete anti-thesis of what we have come to expect from Bryan which is why this album works so well. It’s got one of the best ‘growing old’ song I have ever heard (Ex Punks). He also provided back vocals on Feist’s album. Looks like everything he touches will turn to gold!

1) Yellow Ostrich (The Mistress)

Why I find this the outstanding album of the year is because it is so strange! I mean, how can album be haunting and catchy? Low key and bombastic. That’s how I would describe it.

To Hate Is To Be Patriotic

agsharma — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:12:09 +0000

<Link>

New Canadians will be required to remove veils before swearing the oath of citizenship, Jason Kenney, the minister of citizenship and immigration announced on Monday.

Mr. Kenney said he had heard concern from citizenship judges that some Muslim women wearing face-covering garments may not actually be reciting the oath when taking part in the ceremony.

“They told me last month that it’s a fairly common problem. Every week, in every region of the country, we’re dealing with situations where applicants arrive with a veil on,” Mr. Kenney said. “Frankly, I found it bizarre that the rules allowed people to take the oath with a veil on.”

In recent years, the face-covering garments worn by some Muslim women have come under increasing scrutiny, as governments and courts have wrangled over when women should be allowed to cover their faces.

Mr. Kenney, who made the announcement in Montreal, dismissed questions of religious freedom.

“When Muslim women do the Haj (pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia) they’re required not to wear a veil. They’re required to show their face,” he said. “The idea this is a religious requirement I do not accept.”

Additionally, Canadian law takes precedence over religious edict, Mr. Kenney said. He also announced measures to boost language testing for new immigrants.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

So far the headline and the articles I have read are “no veils allowed during the OATH CEREMONY”. Why? After the identities have been verified, the due process of citizenship is done, why is it truly necessary for a “no veil” policy?

I have been to a citizenship ceremony. It’s a CEREMONY. Nothing really happens there except your name is called and you are handed your
citizenship certificate and you may get your photograph taken with the judge. There are usually 300 people at the ceremony. Do we need ceremony monitors to ensure all the 300 people are reciting the oath? If saying the oath is so important, may I suggest that we recite the oath individually in front of the judge? That would make far more sense. But the armchair patriots want to throw up a tantrum over the fact that some from the crowd of 300 or so are not reciting the oath hence they are not Canadians! Absolute crock!

It’s this kind of stupid jingoism by the Tories that makes me cringe.

The #Occupy Movement

agsharma — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:12:25 +0000

I am not part of the occupy movement. I do not go out in the camps, I do not write letters to my MP(s), I do not sit in protest in Bay Street, I do not approach random people and demand that they hear me.

However, I am part of the conversation about the movement.

The movement to me represents a sign of discontent by the masses (including me) about the natural order of the system as defined by capital. The small number of people deciding on what role everyone has to play is bound to crash and burn. This message is not lost on white collared workers like me. The disparity in North America between the rich and the poor, not as horrible as it is in the third world country, cannot be scoffed away in this continent. Anyway, working in a bank that keeps declaring losses every quarter is bound to affect my job as well. How much longer before I am trolling the roads for a job while the executive class lives off my taxes?

The attraction to the movement also stems from the reaction of the powers that be. “Health and safety concerns”, the main stream media’s parroting of the politician’s line of attack. And once the camps have been closed, FUCK YEAHs from these parrots suggests that the movement is over. Far from it.

The dysfunctional system in place in North America, favours the massively rich at the expense of the rest (the poor and the middle class) is too strong a message to be ignored.

Let’s begin!