The Law of the Garbage Truck

Received below by Email: Liked it, wanted to enhance my putting my thoughts into it. But its too late in the night...Maybe Later. But read the below makes sense...

One day, I hopped into a taxi and took off for the airport . We were driving in the right lane when suddenly, a black car, jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed the brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches. The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, was really friendly. So I asked "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, The Law of the Garbage Truck.


He explained, "Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.. NEVER take it

personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on with the routine life. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.


The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...... 'Love the people who treat you right.. Pray for the ones who don't.'

Believe that everything happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, TAKE IT! If it changes your life, LET IT!Nobody said it would be easy.

They just promised it would be worth it!”

A very rightly said quote: Life is 10% what you make and 90% how you take!!!!

The weekend - 7th Jan 2010

This thursday evening after i came back from office and had a small nap, after Ishaa wanted to go to Qurtuba. Unfortunately I could not find my way to go where I wanted to. I went from 6th Ring which has no Exit to Road 45, Then took 5th and tried to join Road 45, but the sign to Road 45 said Surra and Rawda. So I was not sure If I would find Qurtuba on that exit. Finally, I decided to change the Plan and went to 360 degree Mall. Realized the importance of having GPS in your car or mobile phone. Yes you are right people used to ride on camels and find their way in deserts without GPS, or did they have GPS?, I think they used to know directions from the Stars. Isn't it. Any ways we live in an Advanced world. So I should get a GPS for directions. Can you believe although I might have driven down to Mirghab soo many times, always asking my friend for directions. Only recently I figured out how to get there on my own. That shows my Sense of Directions, Oopsss. I just revealed a weakness, so next time in an Interview they ask me for my 5 weaknesses I will mention this one. I will buy a GPS before the interview and say How I turned my weakness into Strength by buying a GPS. Smart right!!!

Ohh I lost the directions again, so I ended up going to 360 unplanned. I had been there many times before but this was the first time I went with my family. And this was the first day my daughter played with a balloon. Her first Balloon. I can remember the date now. As I blogged it. I think she likes going out, She enjoys looking at everything around, all the lights, she is awake or asleep, she stays in her stroller, having her own good time window shopping, as we do our shopping.

As we came out of the Mall to go back home it was 11:30 in the night, there was an empty slot next to my car. A young Kuwaiti Lad came and parked there, he seemed to be in a hurry. I was trying to fold my daughters stroller and put it in the trunk. As he came out of the car, in the speed of his haste, he asked me something in Arabic. Infortunately I did Not Understand and told him that, then he figured out I wasn't Arab. he asked me are you Indian? I said Yes, then he asked me in English: Will you have a problem in removing your car? I said NO, and he left. It was a nice Mercedes. SO I was like, such a gentle kid, there are others who will not mind parking behind you and blocking you until they do their shopping and this guy parked next to me and was ensuring that he did not cause any inconvenience to me. I think this is why this world has not end yet, There are real good people still alive in this world. This is how I thought about this kid. How would you have thought about it?

ASP.NET Error

After ages I am doing a Technical post on my blog. I usually put them here for future reference because when we fix a problem and face the problem again its easy to refer back else you have to think again, how had I fixed it last time, what was wrong. To save time this post.

I got the Famous Yellow page with message:
"Failed to enable constraints. One or more rows contain values violating non-null, unique, or foreign-key constraints."

I was reading data from my Typed Dataset and I knew there was no such constraints that would fail in the result set. SO before I started thinking Complex, I thought there has to be something simple. As I knew my Data sources. The problem was caused by a discrepancy between the defined max size of a data column in my Typed Dataset and the size returned from the database. Simple wasn't it.

Going PeaNuts!

I have a problem whenever I see peanuts I cant resist them, I have to buy and eat them. Buy and Eat, not Steal And Eat. So that's something normal and allowed. Anyways usually in Kuwait I find Egyptian Peanuts, they are much bigger in size and different in taste compared to the Indian peanuts. They are Huge compared to the Indian peanuts, like egyptian people ;) But that size does not matter, because they dont taste as good as the indian peanuts. But still beggars are not choosers, so I have to manage with Egyptian Peanuts out here. I am sure some store must be having Indian Peanuts... Gotta search.

Anyways when I got the peanuts yesterday and was having them, my memory went into a flashback mode and I could see my past when I was a kid. My Dad used to come back from work in the evening and he used to have two afternoon newspapers viz. "Afternoon" and "Mid-Day" and used to have a pack of peanuts. So it was a daily routine to wait for him to come to check out those newspapers and have some peanuts. I guess my love from peanuts must have started from there. Even in our localities back in India you can find hawkers with Roasted groundnuts. That is also what I used to love to buy and eat. And one of my sister's used to love them boiled. So whenever she used to visit us, we would get those groundnuts and boil them and eat it all together.

Looking back, there were such small things that used to keep people so closely bound together. That small pouch of peanuts might have cost hardly anything but meant soo much. Heard somewhere, What you Give is not Important, Giving is Important. In today's world we are so afraid of giving that the gift has to be expensive, branded etc.. etc.. Ok gotta end this post here...

The Iqaama thingy

Today morning, I had planned to get my daughters Iqaama (Residence visa) stamped on her passport. As per my understanding, I had done the Insurance and was under the impression that Medical is not needed for Infants so i went straight to the Jawaazat(Ministry of Interior) and realized, I had to do Medical test for my Infant daughter. Not a problem, I drove back home from there to pick her up to go for the medical test. Luckily, the Fahaheel hospital is next door from my house. So All the way I tried to ring my wife, but unfortunately her phone was in silent mode.

I went to the typing center, got the form typed then went home picked my wife and daughter and went to the hospital. Now the best part was, as soon as we went there, there was rush as usual. I handed the documents to a guy who was there willing to assist and I sat on the waiting chairs with my wife. I think we were the only family there, rest seemed to be working ladies or men. Now as we were sitting, The KUWAITI gentleman who seemed to be like the boss/head out there came out, telling people to move out and stand in queue etc. He saw us and asked me where are your papers. I said they are inside. He went back in, seems he could not find it. Came back to me and asked me What Nationality and name of Baby. I said Indian, Haajra Khatib. He went back In, finished my papers came to me and directed me the next step. and in the next few minutes I was out with the Medical Test report. May Allaah bless this Gentleman for the kindness he showed. This is why I like Kuwait and Kuwaiti's, nice People!!!

Dropped family back home, ran back to Jawazat, finished the papers and went running to office.

Why this post? Because I dont want to forget the kindness shown by this gentleman.

Girls love to Shop!

Its less than a week since Haajar came to Kuwait and she has been to City Center, Lulu HyperMart, and many Arabic Souk's (markets) in Fahaheel, Mangaf already. I think she likes shopping, after all she is a girl also. For a fact, all girls love shopping!!! When my wife was alone I used to keep shopping only on the weekend. But with Haajar here, I am more than willing to go out even daily. I think my wife must be the most happy person with this change. As she gets to do all the shopping, since Haajar is too young to shop.

Are You enjoying Being Dad?

One of my friends asked me this question, when probably my Baby was only a month old and I had just come back from india. When I was alone here since we were waiting for my Baby's passport and other formalities before she came to Kuwait. SO I told definitely I am enjoying being Dad, Alhamdulillaah!! And I will give you more on it once my Bint (daughter) comes to Kuwait.

Yes, everyone was scaring me, that once she comes to Kuwait, you will not get to sleep! Enjoy your freedom for the last few days etc. etc. But Alhamdulillaah, she is here in Kuwait and I m enjoying the company. Now as soon the clock strikes 3, I want to leave office and go home. When its evening I am willing to go out with my daughter, put her in the stroller and move around in the markets. Its much more fun! I m a Family Man, Now!!! Got only one wife and one daughter!! ;)

Life moves so fast, was a kid, then went to school, college, than started working, got married and now I am a father also. Some of friends said, you should not have a kid soo soon!! You should wait for couple of years etc. etc. But I remember hearing it from some senior people, I know this gentleman in my office, who told me once, Awwab you should have kids when you are young, He said he had his first kid when he was quite old. So he was advicing me, he said one reason is raising children needs patience. When you are young and have a kid, you have the strength to play with them and be like them as they grow up. And the second reason is by the time you get old, your children are on their feet and ready to take care of you! Sound Advice, Indeed!!

More Later...

Eid @ Mumbai

I went to Mumbai for Eid. I travelled only for 5 days, One of the benefits of working in Middle-East, you can travel frequently and for less number of days as tickets are cheap and travelling time is less. You can see your family often. So it was a short trip. I packed unpacked the day I reached and was packing again to travel back the next day. But it is always worth, as I find every moment spent with the family invaluable. The time u spend with your siblings and parents is worth millions, atleast to me.

The best part was on day of Eid, especially Eid-ul-Dhuha(Adha) when we have the goat slaughtering after the Eid prayers, when everyone in the building comes down to manage their Dhabiha slaughtering of the Animal. You get to meet all the kids and the elders, you get the chance to make fun and enjoy while slaughtering. Everyone works like a family, helping each other push their goats and hold them down while being slaughtered. The race between the butchers, to see whose is more professional and can skin the goat faster. So many things that you cannot enjoy living in foreign land. I am sure I have ignited the good memories of back home to all my friends and relatives who are staying abroad and could not make it to go back home for Eid.

May Allaah bless all of us with such Niyamah that we can go and see our families more and more often. Money will come and go, But You Live Life only Once! Try to plan your leave's accordingly, that you get a chance to get Eid @ home at least once in 2 years. It is easy to do so when you are single but more difficult when you are married as travelling with wive's sorry 1 wife only ;) and kids would not be easy. Where there is a will there is a way!!

Anyways! A belated Eid Mubarak to all! Make the most of whatever you have. I have seen some people try to make the most of Eid even in foreign lands, by doing Barbeque and all with friends@!! So Invite me if I am available and you doing Barbeque ;)