Just updating my blog
Mood:  hug me
Now Playing: In the Flesh (Blondie)
Topic: Friends
Pradyot is harassing me to update this blog again - but I've been more interesting in updating my research blog lately.

I think I might be coming down with something since I don't feel too right ... and now I've got to walk home in the cold ... and it is really dark and miserable looking because it is cloudy and we have light fog I think.

Had a driving lesson this morning which went terrible :) ... I was just not into it ... hope it goes better tomorrow ... hope I feel better tomorrow ... anyway, going to wrap up warmly now and go home.

Tropical Storm Beta!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: One Sweet Day (Mariah Carey)
Topic: Internet fun things
Can you believe it??? We are on Tropical Storm Beta ... wow ... this is really turning out to be a busy tropical storm season. But strangely enough most of these are forming in the Caribbean Sea rather than in the Atlantic Ocean which is very strange.

I mean a couple usually form in the Gulf of Mexico - but both Wilma and Beta have formed down that way. But Beta has formed really low ... it has been formed off the coast of Nicaragua. Alpha formed in a strange place also just below Hispaniola .. what's going on with these storms ... there are no longer nice tracking from the Atlantic Ocean ... I mean that is good in a way since it is sparing the Caribbean islands (well the Windward and Leeward islands).

Anyway ... waiting for the advisory at 1 pm ... to see if Beta will turn into a Hurricane but it seems so close to Nicaragua I'm thinking it just might remain a Tropical Storm .. but who knows? Alpha was a Tropical storm ... I just want it to turn into a Hurricane so that we can break that record as well - you know - having a Hurricane with a Greek letter.

Anyway, waiting to see what November has in store ... wondering if there will be more storms ...

Pradyot bugging me to update journal
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Melody of You (Sixpence None the Richer)
Topic: Friends
So, Pradyot has been bugging me to update this blog for a few days now .. and I just told him I would do it in two hours time .. so decided to at least put this entry in to ensure I do not break the promise :).

Well ... gotta give him credit, if it wasn't for him perhaps I will never update this blog ....

Its cold!
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: A Beautiful Morning (The Rascals)
Topic: Milton Keynes
Man ... it's cold outside ... and I've got to walk home ... and I only came with a thin cardigan ... should have brought a jacket but it was looking sunny ... but now it has turned cloudy ... hope I can make it home without turning into an icicle ... I think I should be once I've walked for 10 mins since I may build up enough heat ... hopefully ... but then I've another 25 Min's to go after that first 10 Min's. Oh I'm dreading it ...

We are suppose to have a high of 15oC today ... according to the BBC it is currently 11oC ... but yahoo weather says it is 14oC ... hope to goodness yahoo is right ... the temp. won't have been so bad by itself ... but there is a 20 mph wind ... it is going to be freezing ... why did I not pack my jacket!! Why?????? Should have checked the weather before I left .... and take a jacket no matter what happens!

The Island
Mood:  spacey
Now Playing: Always Something There to Remind Me (Naked Eyes)
Topic: Movies
So, went two weeks ago to see the island with Shreena, it starred Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. The movie was pretty alright until a certain point (until he killed his original) and then it went positively downhill.

I liked the concept though of having clones to make parts for you or carry your kid to full term ... seems, really good - I might have invested in one of them if I had the money ... providing the company did exactly what they did ... don't tell me that these are real people and they exist.

Don't see why they couldn't make them brain-dead ... nevertheless the movie gave a weak reason but a reason nevertheless why you couldn't have them brain-dead: the chances of transplants increases when the person is healthy and moving etc.

I don't get the point of freeing the clones though ... well, I understand that 'they had to do it' ... it is a Hollywood movie ... so the nice chocolate ending must come, but what are the clones going to do now?? They don't have any jobs or homes ... how they're going to feed themselves?

Plus don't understand why it was so hard to kill Ewan McGregor (the clone) in the movies ... never mind in trying to kill him they must have killed a hundred people ... but guess they thought it was worth it. Anyway, the guy hunting them down, Djimon Hounsou, now that guy has presence ... I reckon on screen and off-screen as well. And for a guy who was a model ... he does pretty fine acting ... he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the movie 'In America' ... he was pretty good in that movie too ... I didn't know who he was at the time ... but seriously lots of presence ... not to mention a good pair of legs :).

Anyway, next Tuesday we (Alex, Farah and Adele) should be going to see the 'Pride and Prejudice' movie with Keira Knightley ... not sure if I'll enjoy it ... because nothing can beat the BBC version ... but I promise myself to go and watch it as a movie rather than an adaptation of my favorite book :). I'm going to try and persuade Shreena to let us go see 'Must Love Dogs' on Wednesday ... Amalia and Brandon said it was a good movie.

I got my new wireless card today!!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: For You (John Denver)
Topic: Amazon.co.uk
So, as I went in this morning ... there lying in my post box was my new wireless card ... wow! So, I came home and was able to load it and it worked ... got it set up in 5 minutes flat. And this is a rather more powerful wireless card since now it has been able to find 2 more networks in the area .... (well we used to always get RMNHome but just also got Home and one called Middleton ... all secured mine you ... but still feel good that this 3COM wireless card is working so well ... plus, it can be stored in my computer without I having to eject it.

Anyway, got replied from amazon.co.uk who said they have received my returned item of the linksys wireless card, and they will be refunding me my money to my credit card ... plus they also refund me my postage ... didn't expect that. Wow, good customer service. Well ... postage wasn't that much but still (cost 1.21 pounds by first class).

Insects and all other creepy crawleys
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: Tum Ko Sirf Ko (Kasoor)
Topic: Housemates
Either it is all English people or people who live in the cities but these people seem deathly afraid of insects or other small legged creatures. I mean of the most harmless looking things in the world.

The other night I had to 'save' Eulette from the 'killer' moth. Well, she thought it was a killer moth from the way she was behaving, the thing was barely an inch, and it flew into the kitchen, and she was totally freaking out and wanted to basically run out of the run. The poor thing I think it was more terrified than anything else. Anyway, it eventually settled on one of the cupboards, so went up to it, allowed it to crawl unto my finger and then released it outside. I mean its a moth ... moths don't kill, and I highly doubt they bite people ... well they do eat clothing so guess they do bite a little ....

The night before, there was a spider that crawled in, it was less than an inch ... but Shreena and Eulette were freaking out. I am not scared of the spiders I do know ... but this one look a bit freakish to tell the truth, because its abdomen was quite large and rounded (something like the black widow spider - except this wasn't black) ... see, I am not accustomed to English spiders so not sure how dangerous they are, although I have been told there are no poisonous spiders in the country - so, going to assume the spiders I meet are not poisonous so still going to take caution with them, except if they are really tiny (because they are so much fun to play with when they are tiny, you can yo-yo them using their thread). Anyway, I got this one out by picking up its thread and trying to fling it out the window (it came through the window since it is industrially working on an intricate web there), but the problem was the thread was really sticky so couldn't detach it quickly enough before the spider came crawling in again, but eventually flung it far enough, and attach the thread to the outside of the window and closed it and thus ensuring the safety of all the people inside. I'm just a regular superhero :D. Anesa the InsectBasher!

But these people are even afraid of mosquitoes I think ... but killing mosquitoes do give me so much pleasure. I haven't killed any here though since I feel so sorry for them, their population is very small, and they are a bit larger than regular tropical mosquitoes and they are not sucking my blood so, no pleasure in killing them. They pretty much seem dumb in that they do not know they are suppose to come and bite me and suck my blood, so, got to feel sorry for the ignorant. (Just as a side note my favorite song from Kasoor is playing ... I just love this song - Mohabbat ho na jai).

There are some huge mosquito-looking insects that come in my room, I've been trying to figure what they are call (they are huge about 4 to 5 times the size of a regular mosquito) - they are attracted to the light ... anyway, probably that's what they call a gnat here - I am not sure. Well, supposedly one of the most common mosquito here in the UK is the Culiseta annulata, really can't identify it if I do see it ... never heard of that type. I'm accustomed to good old Culex, Aedes and Anopheles. Well, not really Anopheles that was only in Guyana and I don't think I ever came across that one - unless when I was in the interior but then again was so slathered with mosquito repellent that not much insects came near me.

P. might have brought home a girl last night!
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: Neend Udd Rai Hai (Kasoor)
Topic: Housemates
So, last night around midnight (alright so, don't know if it was midnight - but whenever I get up during the night after going to sleep I call it midnight) ... I heard voices under my window ... a guy and a girl. Now, three persons usually park under my window, Shreena, P. and Sarah. But the voice didn't sound like Sarah's boyfriend, well, at least to me, I think it was P.'s. And I think he must have brought home a girl last night (I don't think he has a girlfriend - so this is certainly a new person).

Alright, I admit it ... I'm a busybody -but I am not usually, just this one has perked my curiosity and I just want to think of it as a healthy need to exercise my investigative powers. Anyway, I tried to listen to hear which room they went into (because still wasn't sure if its Sarah and her boyfriend or P.) ... anyway, if I was a real busybody would have gotten up last night and look out my window and satisfy my curiosity. Anyway, I think I was too sleepy so, didn't hear properly to which room they went, I think I concluded it must have been Sarah and boyfriend. But this morning when I got up, I didn't see Sarah and her boyfriend's car ... so, thought perhaps it was P., but I could still be mistaken ... since I think I heard the front door open this morning and definitely heard some trudging in the gravel, however, I don't think I heard a car. Also, usually when Sarah and her boyfriend are here, I can usually hear them (they talk a bit loud) and their room is directly underneath mine, but I don't think I heard anything .... or probably was just too sleepy I couldn't care less. My deductive powers are saying that it most likely P. who brought a girl home. I don't believe it is Eulette or Paula since I think they were home ... and definitely not Shreena.

Accents
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Mr. Lee (The Bobbettes)
Topic: Pet Peeves
Well ... let's start with first that I really don't like American accents ... I know I've placed that statement very baldly. However, had to state that in order the premise can be set for my ranting.

Well ... everyone here ... I mean in the UK ... declares that I have an American accent ... could you believe it? Me? An American accent ... terrible insult ... but everyone just says so ... I guess it doesn't help when I use mostly American slang ... but that is because I just watch a lot of American cable.

I can't believe I have an American accent (or probably they really can't tell the difference) ... I guess the reason must be because I don't have a strong enough Caribbean accent. But that is just because of the different places I've moved around ... when I went to St. Vincent, my accent changed from being Trinidadian. I know that for sure, because when I moved to Guyana, someone told me (I think her name was Kamala), said I had an up the island accent (she used to live in St. Lucia so she knows about this stuff).

So, then whilst living in Guyana, I think I acquired a bit of a Guyanese accent. Well, the Guyanese accent is much flatter than the up-the-islands or Trinidad accent since those are sing-songy, but Guyanese accents are really flat, and they stressed their Rs. Whilst Trinidadians and some small islanders do not know that Rs exist much less for the THs, so, I think to fit in and get rid of people making fun of my accent, I think I began stressing my Rs just like the Guyanese - I must have done very well actually, because most people did not know I was from Trinidad. And even when I went to Berbice etc., they just thought my accent was a Georgetown accent instead ... alright some still thought I was from outside from Guyana. But seriously, I think I had a pretty ok Guyanese accent ... I think it was so ok, most people forgot I was from Trinidadian then again ... I remember Raymond and Vishal used to say that we've been there for so long I could be considered Guyanese. When I went to see Karol at Reading she introduced me as Guyanese ... could you believe it ... I was a bit irritated ... I was like I'm not ... I'm Trinidadian. Her excuse was that she forgot because I was there for so long (it was just 7 years ... although been back often - well with Mum and Pa living there I must be :D). That reminds me, I haven't been in Guyana awhile since last year ... I was supposed to go this last time I went home but Pa and Mum came to Trinidad instead ... Hmm ... gotta go back because Mum and Pa moved and want to see the house ... only thing it will be strange going back and not seeing my room ... because when I think of going home to Guyana, I always think of our last house, so it is going to be a bit of a challenge to build a new house into my memory.

Anyway, I've gone off the point ... well, after I moved to Trinidad, and people heard my accent, some people thought I was Guyanese. Oh the horror! Ok no self-respecting Trinidadian ever wants to be mistaken for a Guyanese (sorry - but its the truth). So, had to relearn the Trinidad accent, dropping my Rs and THs every now and then to get back in sync. Had to do that even if I didn't want to, since Grandma and Grandpa had no clue what I was saying unless I was speaking in a strong Trinidad accent that only included broken English. However, Amalia says my accent is waaaaaaay too strong ... its embarrassing since it makes me look as if I'm from the back of Penal (which indeed is true) - but I shouldn't advertise the fact :P. So, made a compromise speak with a strong Trinidadian accent only with my grandparents and speak normalish (which means what I don't know now) ... but it seems normalish turns out to be an American accent (at least to the British people here) ... so, destressing my Rs, keeping in some THs and flattening the accent makes me sound American ... that's all I can see.

Probably after staying four years in this country, the American accent will go and I'll have some hints of a British accent ... so no one can accuse me of an American accent.

That reminds me on Sunday when I called home, Brandon picked up and he thought I was one of his aunts, because I was sounding like them. So, maybe ... the British accent is already rubbing off ... but to me ... haven't heard it as yet, I still sound normal (that means no American accent!).

Chavez offers help to the US :)
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Lean on Me (Bill Withers)
Topic: Internet fun things
Do love Chavez!!! I don't know if he is offering aid to the US so he can just thumb his nose at them ... but got the news of HardBeat. He has offered and let me quote:

"Chavez is offering 2,000 soldiers, firefighters, volunteers and other disaster specialists; $1 million in aid through its Citgo Petroleum Corp., and fuel to help in hard-hit areas in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi."

Was watching an interview of George Bush Sr. and Clinton, and when the reporter asked if they will be asking for aid, I think George Bush Sr. didn't look to please with the question but Clinton has diplomatic as ever, indicated that he would not be surprised if countries did send aid to them (I think perhaps they do want - but they don't want to admit .. after all they don't want to lose the persona of being the most 'powerful nation in the world').

Anyway, I think Chavez thought it was his duty to help a fellow suffering country. Think he has forgiven Pat Robertson temporarily and his small feud with Bush :). Really can't stand those tv evangelists ... could you imagine people proclaiming they follow the way of Christ are actually condoning assassinations ... I think they may have forgotten one of the commandments:

"Thou shalt not kill"

I remember clearly during the Iraq war, the CBN and TBN channels (both channels proclaiming they were 'Christians'), were talking in glee of how the US infantry had wiped out the Iraqi infantry ... is that really the way a Christian person should be speaking about life?? Guess they have forgotten

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"

and let's not forget

"Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

And these are the people who are preaching these days and hoping to spread the Word ... God save the Christian world ... because if this continues then Christianity as we know it ... it ain't gonna resemble what it is supposed to be.