When choice is a problem

Everything in this world has in some way or the other got to do with choice. We study and work harder to have better choices for career. We earn more so that we can have better choices... When we have to go travel, one has numerous choices.

But nowadays I feel that the very fact that there are lot of choices makes decision making quite a daunting task. And too much of choice leads to more confusion than clarity. And the decision is not always clear-cut - they always come with some ifs and buts.

For example, the other day when I was going to buy a bathing soap in target, I saw a whole shelf dedicated to soaps of different fragrances and sizes and prices. Sometimes a simple decision like buying a Hamam has these days becoming quite a complex problem. Of course the solution here could be to a different one each time - you may actually be able to do that with soaps..

But mildly increase the prices of goods which you are choosing and you will start feeling that "brute force trial" of all choices is not always the smartest option.

Right now I am grappling with the choice of a mobile phone. These days there are so many companies with so many models and so many features (some of which I cannot comprehend, for ex: movie editing on a mobile!!). Sometimes I wish that the telecom world had not changed so much that my old phone (6100) looks out of sorts. And here is the problem of mamking the right choice - the moment I buy one, I am stuck with it for atleast 2 years :(

PS: I read this article and I yawned myself :) and one funny thing came to my mind - the word choice told so many times reminded me of the ice-cream who used to scream in the street "Ice, Ice" - Choice, choice sounds similar, doesn't it

Time for a change

Indian team has lost to the second string English team and what is most disappointing is that the "masters of spin" succumed to spin - what an irony!

I have noticed over the years, even though the players have changed, teams have changed, the Indian team has an uncanny knack of making heavy weather of gettable targets. I have never seen an Indian in the recent past which has chased in the fourth innings and won a Test when chances were 50-50. We dont seem to have the mental resolve to grind through the tough periods and wait for the bad balls to dispatch them. Instead we lose patience and try out some extravagant drive or pull and gift the wicket in a platter.

The whole team could not score 100 in the last innings and it is really disappointing.

As in the corporate world where a company is only as good as its last quarter results, I believe that a player should be in the team only on merit of his recent performances and not on his past laurels. I would really like the selectors to take some hard decisions and I definitely want to see some heads roll.

When...

When is the white blanket going to melt away and give way to green carpet...

When am I going to be able to get down from the skyway and walk fearlessly on the gravel road...

When will I be able to take a stroll outside without being dressed like a mini astronaut...

When am I going to sit on my patio without having to rush back inside as the toes and fingertips start paining...

Basically the above four lines are poor tries at poetry to say "When is summer coming?"

Nothing in particular...

Weekends can be quite a drab or quite fun...

Ram taught me the complex art of making tea which I successfully executed first thing in the morning. The end product was edible, drinkable rather.

However nothing much on the plate for the day, we set foot outside as the weather has started to get a bit warmer. Went to Chipotle and had a Burrito Bol - a fanatastic dish made with rice, beans, sliced pieces of chicken, cheese and some other ingredients - a total yum and filling item.

With our tummies full, we set out to see the house that one of our friends had bought. It was a fabulous place and considering the astronomical price he paid, it better be good. The lovely thing about American houses is that people prefer to stay in suburbs with a lot of scenic beauty. In summer, his place would just be beautiful.

After praising his good selection on the house, we went to the Mall of America (considered the biggest mall in America). Did a bit of window shopping, a bit of actual shopping, discount shopping - basically all shopping possible and thinkable.

Of course I did not do much shopping - I am not that keen - I just watch my friends making purchases and showing off the good deal that they made... I usually stick to my role of saying "looks good" or "does not look good".

Came back quite tired, had another round of good hot tea... I guess the rest of the evening would be just chilling out and watching TV and some movie that comes on it...