What I learnt while/from Winning A Car.

So anyone on my Facebook and Twitter friend/follower list must definitely know the topic of rage that has consumed my timeline lately. I have won a car at the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). The last time I was this lucky was when being brand conscious with the choice of my pampers won my parents Gold in Oman.

I could very well go on about how awesome it is to have the honor of winning something, but to avoid being hated and jealousy is a green-eyed monster (says someone who gets jealous at the drop of a hat), let me bring it to you in the form of Tips. Rather, what I learnt in the whole experience winning a car at the DSF.

1. Use the Metro.
My entire winning scenario was wrapped around the efficacious use of the Dubai Metro. I woke up that morning firstly, late and secondly, feeling particularly groggy and almost decided to take a cab to work. In hindsight, as is always I'm glad I didn't. The Dubai Metro really is an awesome way to get around. It has its limitations regarding connectivity but is known to save quite a bit of time.

2. Use the Convenience Store.
The Zoom store where I got my Raffle Ticket is a very nice concept. Small stores at almost every metro station in Dubai. Prices are certainly up by a dirham or two, but the convenience of grabbing anything from a Newspaper to a packet of biscuits to a drink really wins you over. In my case, the Zoom store at the Noor Islamic Metro Station is located remotely and not along the exit path as it happens in other metro stations in Dubai.

3. Drink Green Tea.
Given my Diet choices from the past 4 months, the only things I went to get from the store were a packet of Green tea bags by Alokozay and a pack of sugarfree mints, the latter being something i have only found at the Zoom Stores. Green Tea really is an awesome beverage and is my go-to drink after a heavy meal or problems with digestion. Shout out to the boss, Mr. Asim Amin, for promoting a Green Tea friendly environment in the office.

4. Always write your full name.
There was a particular time frame in school where I used to write my name on all communication as Brian K. C. I hated people misspelling and making fun of my middle and last name and did this to cut out the chances of that happening. In college, I learnt to be proud of my whole name, its uniqueness, and how much it added to my character. So when I got that raffle ticket the first thing I did was to write down my whole name. Look how it paid off.

5. Pick up unknown numbers.
I know a lot of people who dislike picking up unknown number. Of course, they have their reasons. Now the call letting me know I had won was made closer to 11 pm in the night. I had just returned from the Gym and was preparing my food for the night.

6. Pray.
Once I got done with the call and a hug to celebrate with my room mate, I then proceeded to pray. Thank God for all he's given you and whatever he adds unto your name. For it is he who handles the grand scheme of things. Always.

7. Call your Parents.
My Dad falls asleep quickly on weekdays and my Mom was travelling that night. I made our neighbour in Salalah, Seby Uncle, wake Dad up just because I wanted to share the news with him. It had to be done. Thanks Uncle! I left a message for my Mom on Whatsapp that night and the next morning I placed a call to her to explain everything. Love You Dada and Mama!

8. Thank the people who played their part in your win.
Since I was sketching the same route via the metro again the next morning, I decided to pay a trip to the Zoom store again. The Ladies there treated me like a celebrity and took a lot of photographs. Never before have I felt so honored. I thanked them and indicated that a bit of their luck rubbed on to my lottery ticket as well.

The team at the Zoom Store, Noor Islamic Metro station who treated me like a Celebrity. 

9. Never Go Alone to a Presentation Ceremony.
Prior to Thursday, i did not know where Global Village, Dubai was. I consulted my colleagues at work and got a kind of idea regarding the same. At the Ceremony, the kind gentlemen asked me if I had a friend with a camera. I didn't. Both my Room mates were unavailable. In hindsight, I could have called and asked anyone else to come along, but I didn't. Real bad on my part. You need that one person atleast there because any momentous occasion really sucks if you don't share it with some one else. I missed my Dad, Mum and sister that day the most of all. (Thankfully, my virtual presence on social media gave me significant support. Glad to see that a lot of people have my back.)

The Side View of the stage I went up on.

A Kind Emirati Teenager in the Audience obliged to take my photograph in front of the stage.

10. Enjoy your 5 minutes of Fame.
I got on stage and on Live TV at the same time. 5 minutes of fame. Maybe Lesser, but thoroughly enjoyable. I picked up my chit. It was a Nissan Micra.

The Chits come in balls of uniform sizes. 

11. Miracles Happen.
6 months back, I was unhappy, dissatisfied with my life and did not know why I was in Dubai. I couldn't spot my purpose. 6 months ahead, it seems clear. I have a job which I like very much, I have lost a considerable amount of weight for the first time with my own effort and I feel like I have gotten closer to my parents and I appreciate them more now. To add to it all, I won a car! From a probability figure that would send folks into a tizzy, from entries across the wide city of Dubai, my name was picked. God is really great.

Its really been a ball, these past few days. Absolutely Enjoyable moments all along. Thank you guys for all the praise and support. I am lucky to have a prosperous ecosystem with my family and friends around the world who really come in and make good moments seem greater and make bad moments much better to bear.

Also, Dubai, I chide you too much. Thanks for everything.

The India Trip

Having to solve some paperwork issues and look up on bank accounts and other things that sound important, I had the pleasure to make a trip back to India a little before the Eid Holidays. Headed straight to Goa where Mom and Dad were waiting to take me around the beautiful state I call home. 

I made what most would call a foolish move of not taking a cheaper flight directly to Mumbai from Dubai, but instead, flying to Muscat, changing flights there and then flying to Mumbai. All just for the sake of flying with Oman Air, and some free time at Muscat Airport, because I don't have to tell you how much I love all things Oman.

Landing in Mumbai was sheer fun. Always brings back memories, that very act of landing there. How I once ran home from the airport, kept my luggage, changed into rain wear and ran off to attend a 7:30 Sudhakar lecture. How I love the early morning taxi rides from the airport to town and how i once was crossing the sealink at the very time that the sun rose. Such memories don't dwindle soon,and i don't intend to let them do so. Any ways, this time, Mumbai was all about being a leg in my journey to Dubai, so I hopped on to the inter-terminal bus and now excited myself with the prospect of landing in another favorite place. Goa!

The Goa section of my trip was not quite eventful. It was dotted with the usual meetings with relatives and family friends, but like always, this time also had that one get together with folks I must not have met since a decade or so. A sweet aunt and uncle who we last met in Salalah being the case this time. The rest of the trip focused on two things I was visibly deprived of in Dubai. Mom's Food (Including heaped servings of rice, which I otherwise avoid thanks to a precise diet) and sleeping on a proper bed were two things that really needed my attention. I also tried out this place, which surprisingly was tried out by my folks. An amazing seafood place, pretty nondescript, called Fishland, near the Panjim Residency. Amazing how a Fish Thali for 60 rupees can bring so much satisfaction.

9 days flew by with a lot of ease and I then had to prepare myself for the odd one and a half day in Mumbai. Spending that minuscule a time frame in a place you previously spent 3 whole years certainly isn't easy, but I kept a tight schedule and had adequate time for everything. Right from getting a new pair of spectacles and shirts to meeting up with the gang which surprisingly happened without a photo being clicked. Is the BMM blood fading away or have we become grown-ups already? Thanks, to everyone who was able to turn up. Before I knew it, 36 hours were up and I was catching a few winks in a taxi headed to the airport. When I finally arrived in Dubai, I happened to be so exhausted with the goings-on in India and the Jet lag, that I cooled off with approximately 18 hours of dead sleep. 

This trip didn't capitalize on everything I wanted but gave me all of the things I needed.

My return from Salalah and other non-important subjects

Wheww. Salalah was Fun. Specially when your first week involved being diagnosed with a Stomach problem diagnosed only because of excruciating Stomach pains on being administered a dose of Epsum Salt which was meant to clear the Stomach in the first place. Well that had a somewhat happy ending too, as I had my first experience of being on Saline and a bland diet which only helped my mom think up of tantalizing recipes for fish ands chicken made entirely oil-free and with very few spices.

The Mid-evening and Late-Night escapades were fun, considering the fact that most of my school friends now have Omani Driving Licenses along with Cars they actually drive! Well THAT only shows me where i stand on the Status List today, and i must confess, besides BMM, i have nothing to present to the world. Maybe a pack of Gulf-Imported Galaxy. Just That.

Mornings were terribly boring as i had to keep company to my pet parrot, a literal pain in my huge little backside. My Dad really loves him which is probably why he stuck around so much anyways.

I had this really nice routine done up for me where i decided to watch one movie from the Oceans' series every night, three-days-in-a-row. I realised with disgust why a Badmaash Company couldn't even get close to this wonder of a series. I also fell in love with Detective Beckett and the "Castle" series. Hoping to get my hands on a season soon.

With all this fun and merry-making you can bet your ass off I was missing Mumbai and the beautiful and sexy people who live here who have the privilege to be called "Brian's Friends" :D (Yes that was lame). I felt a little dagger stab me oh-so-softly when i realised i would be a week late for college. It was good the same dagger didn't show up when i learnt of my diet-to-be for the next one year. I would have probably pulled that dagger out and thrown it at the Doc. instead (The Bugger charged around 8k JUST for his first sitting).

Anyways, i returned to Mumbai two days back, on the 16th....and life which seemed would get better, is actually not. I seem really bored in classes, and something's probably gone wrong somewhere. Just waiting to figure out what. If you are an inquisitive classmate of mine and probably know what's bugging me, please write in at my e-mail id. I really need to get a hang of this unworldy flu.

Salalah

Lets face it. A lot of people complain about my excessive obsession with Salalah, and well, life in the Gulf in General. And i definitely know that a lot of my friends who've spent their whole life in Mumbai definitely stand by the nature of this metropolitan city which never sleeps and if it does, gets up in a few hours and gets going again as if on a dose of red bull. I respect their opinion. But being born and bred in the Gulf, or as i'd very much like to say, Salalah, things have never been the same to me. Mom and Dad both told me very honestly on my departure to India, that Son, once you live for three years in Mumbai, We're sure you'd choose it over Salalah anytime. But Im sorry folks, my obsession got the best of me. Be it those huge houses with two of everything, or that sloppily made shawarma. Everything, right from the namaaz at 6 in the morning do the difference in the taste of Mountain Dew have contributed in the process of making me fall in love with a country that is not mine.

It is just these days, during my vacations that i realize how badly i miss that place. No matter how hot or how cold. I'll even get through a cheap plane ride. But I just want to be there. I'm not doing anything quite creative here, neither shall i do anything there. But I must admit it, I'm dying to get to my hometown, If one can call it.

In one and a half year to be approximate, my visa shall expire and i will not be able to travel to my country of birth as a resident. It pains to even think about it. But whatever it is, Ill enjoy myself really well the next time i get there which, (taking into consideration my TYBMM), shouldn't be anytime before one year. But ill wait. As patiently as I can.

I was, am  and shall still be an Indian. But I cant help but acknowledge that little country lying below the UAE which has in more ways than one helped me become what I am today. Thanks Dad for taking the brave step of defying the usual work culture of the family. I'm glad you didn't set sail on any ship but rather went to the Gulf. And Thanks, both Dad and Mom. For letting me and Sonia grow up in a country i can proudly call my home. In fact, I can mention more ways by which I'm more of an Omani rather than a Goan.

PS: If Oman were in the running to the FIFA world cup, I'd be the proudest Indian :D