Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Numerical Illusion


The parties to ring out 2006 have been over for almost a month and the confetti has already been cleaned away. Now it's time to look ahead to the New Year with new hopes of aspiration and school of thoughts. However, for many of us it would be nothing more than psychological illusion of numbers in our grey matter. The aspirations and hopes are simply a complex function of psychological and physical needs. The results are obvious; it may bring new invention or catastrophic war or absurd static environment. Nevertheless it creates waves of turbulence psychologically and thus drives the human for endeavor.

I was celebrating this illusion with fragile hope but obviously there are some distance seed of glistening hopes submerging as a mirage in the horizon. The New Year started with three peoples in internet room and we make count down and switch on the system expecting that positive change will happen in the world for everybody from the peoples fighting hard in western Africa to ethnic conflicts erupting on different parts of Asia. For Europe and America, global terrorism, serial killers and small arms could be in the races that need to be addressed. For me, the year ended with vanilla coke and coke was again something I drink (eat) for the first time in this year. As I don’t see any changes that are happening instantly, it’s giving me a glimpse that this numerical illusion has a long way to go for me and battle would be fierce in Basra as to General David. I have first photo of the year 2007 and it was worst photo!!- A pictorial illusion again, that can hardly describe my feelings and emotions. It must be photo taken on the rush. Later we gather and make first loud noises of the year. Finally, I was spending time with friends in so called virtual world of future and past ,chatting with someone who is lagging by year; European friends; others who have already spend couple of hours of new year; my Australian friends; An numerical illusion again talking with past and future numerically and at the same time for me .

Every day was amazing living in the single digit temperature most of the time. Also I encountered one of the weird combinations of maximum and minimum temperature; Maximum was 4; minimum was 3; the amazing difference was 1; the numerical illusion is following again.

Days are becoming colder but my fantasy remained as gray feelings that submerged permanently in my delicate mind. It was a hoax for me and I am hoping for colder days and snowfall in February. Again, I conquered Mount Everest by chatting more than 12 hours continuously, a disease called chat mania.

Food etiquette was following again when some of our Chinese friends invited for Chinese food. It was wonderful time at Ahwai Special Brother Restaurant and Bar at Xinjekou. We were lucky seven and it started with drinks, both hot and soft. I started with sprite. We sat in corner, in a separate chamber of restaurant. The starting was very exotic as they started to bring dishes with uncooked food. Surprisingly, we find at the middle of table was a big cooking bowl, above it had a child and under it was the gas burner. So, we realized that we were going to be chief chef and have to cook every food implicitly cooked on the big and small bowl. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any oil. We were going to taste the lower and upper bounds of these foods when they are boiled; cooked. Simon was better in cooking and sooner he established himself as chief chef, so he took the initiative and we were passively assisting him. I was strictly following his steps and find out quickly that there were no complex algorithms that needs to be followed. The rule was simple fold. Just make sure that what you want to eat and just pour it in big and small bowl where hot soup was boiling. There were many vegetables and meat lined up nearby. I was scared at first and thought what we were going to do with it ? When I counted it, there were more than twenty items of food. I took a long breath. However, It was a perfect moment for us relaxing and enjoying the Chinese food with commercial break for photograph and rest room. We were enjoying very slowly as we have to give some spaces and time for our stomach to process the food we have eaten. Honestly, that day is one of the days in my life that I have eaten so much food. Following some days, my stomach complained me notoriously and I was always running. However, Eating Etiquettes were behind curtain that seemed it never existed.

Surprisingly, I am happy that these days my old friend of aged 68 could answer me something in English after every morning exhaustive training. He loves to say, “I am fine, Thank you” with his old-smile and with a parrot-type imitated stereo-type tone. After all, it was remarkable achievement for both of us.

I suffered from Flu for seven days. It was terrible; I thought I will die of Flu. I vomited after 22 months and I recalled my days in Burundi and I was more serious and scared. I almost fainted for few seconds and they took me to the hospital. When I was in hospital, I feel good as many patients were waiting for the same diagnosis. The professionalism of doctor and nurses really deserves sound of an applause. I find most of the doctors were busy checking the history of patient in computer. Nurses were so skilled that the injection they give me never touches my skin. But all peoples stare at me wherever I go as I must be the only foreigners in that closed chamber. Later, I was lining up with many patients who were suffering from Flu to have some salines. Finally, she injected me three salines and was back to my room at midnight. Immediately, I started to feel good. However, after that incident I feel so bad and I realized that my emotions were falling down drastically. I thought, I was desperately surviving for existence. I feel I was lonely and deserted. It must be homesick.

I got two important books from my western friend, I am grateful to her as those two books can change, foster and consolidate my school of thoughts and can pave way for the aspiring future.

For no reasons, I change my room. I am in 305 now, the numerical illusion again. I was moving from Namibia to Nigeria, South to West Africa. My old room mate and I lived in harmony for last four months. I am grateful to Francs for being my first roommate and definitely would remember him for my whole life. But I have more lavish life style now as this room is well furnished with sound system and notebook computer.

The new course was professional and applied course as we were learning about vendor specific technology. Microsoft windows 2003 server administration was interesting and professional course. This was more like a workshop, where we were spending most of the time in installing and configuring different services in servers. The musical cacophony vibrates around walls and surpasses around the environment making it more allure. It was wonderful experiences that we gathered could be instrumental in real world. I am sure the professor loves music and dance very much. Unfortunately, final exam was the disaster for most of my classmates.

Using the public bus for first time was something that made me skeptical as there was problem of language and procedures we have to follow. However, there were no differences between car and bus except that couch seats and few peoples. In bus everybody seemed loyal and perform their daily job in the tiny electronic gadget that’s near the chauffer. Everything is automated through the tiny electronic gadget. I compared to my public bus in my country, its ambivalence. I realized that we were becoming VIP for the last five months without experiencing this exotic environment and not caring financial gain.

Finally, I am wondering about my long month holiday and spring festival. Don’t know how this numerical and psychological illusion drives me but again I have to wait time to see its poignant effect. But again let’s hope that this numerical illusion prevail positive changes for all living things.