Tribute to my kid brother

I write this piece a few hours before my departure from Chennai, the place of my loved ones. I know well how much I am going to miss them all, but there is one person who I know will miss me the most.. After all I did to him.
I'm leaving home once again David, back to my boring studies and not-so-boring friends. I wonder what made me think that I did not have a good time here, when all I did was have fun! I'll really miss you buddy, though I'll be back in a few months from now.
Of course, though you're kinda sore about me going for a while, you'll soon be up to your neck in your tenth boards. You know you'll have to slog it out for a few months now, and I'll be safely out of the way. If i'm around, I know, that will hamper thoughts of constructive work for both of us.
It was great of you to download all those movies I asked for and write them down into CD's. I'll remember you everytime I use those CD's man :) Don't worry about being different. Believe me, the whole Joseph family is different from the rest. You have no idea, but you soon will. And it always is cool to be different, no matter what folks may say. Keep at it bro', you'll be a star.
Keep training at parkour too, It'll at least give me motivation to work out if it doesn't do much for you. Oh, and for heaven's sake, don't get them in the way of your books.
I'll miss you lil bro, ciao
Sam

What a way to start the new year!!

As I do every time, I dutifully celebrated New Year's by attending the midnight mass and spending the rest of the day with my family. I know that I will never be one of them who drink and go crazy to welcome the new year. Only this time, I was more thankful to be spending the beginning hours of the year in God's prescence considering the amount of tragedy that took place during the new year's season.

At 5.00pm Yesterday, I accidentally (cause I usually don't read the news) stumbled on this news-clip about the bombings in Bangkok, Thailand. The initial stories said that the people responsible were drunk revellers who wanted to have an extra kick. The nerd in me was so glad that that I did my parents proud by staying at home and being a good boy. Of course, later during the day stories came in sayign that it was a planned attack by supporters of the outsted president. (Ah, I knew Politics would enter the scene at some point)

Well, in order to get back into the news mood, it was around New Year's did a plane crash in Africa killing hundreds and a ferry sank in a storm killing many more. This is the most catastrophic new year's I've ever heard about. (I guess I haven't lived that long)

Saddam Hussein was executed around that same time too. Man, doesn't it get worse. ex-president Ford passed away. This definitely isn't the best start for year 2007.