January 02, 2016

Arnab's Year in Cities - 2015


Although the ARNABlog took a well deserved back seat to the ARNABride in 2015, the world travels dipped only slightly from previous years. The final tally for the year stood at 21 cities across 7 countries after a whirlwind of weddings, receptions, and honeymoons. A series of road trips around California and its adjacent states was bookended by some wanderings in the Middle East at the beginning of the year and Central America at the tail end. Despite a horrific bout with chicken pox, I did not visit Seoul for reconstructive surgery.


The 2015 List
  • Bakersfield, USA
  • Cambria, USA
  • Doha, Qatar
  • Dubai, UAE
  • Fresno, USA
  • King City, USA
  • Kolkata, India
  • Las Vegas, USA
  • Los Angeles, USA
  • Modesto, USA
  • Monte Verde, Costa Rica
  • New York, USA
  • Oakhurst, USA
  • Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
  • Reno, USA
  • Sacramento, USA
  • San Diego, USA
  • San Francisco, USA
  • San Jose, Costa Rica
  • Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • Vancouver, Canada

Years past
*****
 The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands. 
– Richard Burton

April 26, 2015

Why is the Tenderloin Called the Tenderloin?

Me: Look... Here is a map marking all the places people poop on the streets in San Francisco.
Friend: You live right in middle of the large brown spot!


My friend had correctly identified that the large brown spot was the Tenderloin, my residential neighbourhood in the land of the free and the home of the brave. The filthy downtown district consists of historical buildings, good nightlife and dining options, and a community of homeless (but not hopeless) people, drug addicts, nutcases who had been released from asylums and left to fend for themselves without any societal support, and other maladjusted individuals.

More loin than tender, I wondered how the area had earned its moniker and did some investigation. It seems the original Tenderloin referred to a seedy section of New York in the 19th century that shared many of the same characteristics as its present day San Francisco namesake.

Dirty cops earned so much money for looking the other way at the sinful activities taking place in their precincts, that they could now afford to eat expensive tenderloin steaks rather than the cheapest hunks of meat that their meagre salaries would otherwise allow for if they had not engaged in graft and bribery. The San Francisco version had borrowed the name as 'the Tenderloin' became a more generic term for crime-infested red light districts across America.

April 12, 2015

Life After Pox

Friend: I can barely see anything. Your face looks fine. I don't know what you worry about. I can literally see nothing other than a tiny thing on your forehead.

Me: Before the pox my skin was very smooth, with no blemishes. Now there are holes on my forehead, cheek, and nose.

Friend: Dude... I was expecting something way worse.

Me: Sorry to disappoint.

Friend: Yes! shame on you! You can't even get proper chickenpox. Useless. Completely useless.

Me: Now I look like a normal human with blemishes.

Friend: It gives your perfection a human touch. It makes you more relatable for other people.

Me: That's a good way to look at it.

Friend: It's the only way to look at it.

March 30, 2015

Thirty Years A Hunk

I suffered a terrible bout of adult chicken pox, leaving my previously unblemished skin tarnished. Once I was no longer contagious I returned to work.

Coworker: How's your chicken pox? All recovered?

Me: There are scars and holes all over my face. It's horrible. I had smooth skin for 30 years.

Coworker: I hadn't noticed all the scars till you mentioned them.

Me: I noticed the scars.

Coworker: But honey... you're vain.

March 09, 2015

A Goodly Woman for a Goodly Man

I received an interesting email today:
Hey. My name is Ekaterina :) I'm from Kirghizia and very goodly woman! and I'm trying to find goodly Man ;) If You are interested ;) reply me ;) I can send You my photo attached, good bye)
Unluckily for her, this goodly man has already found his goodly woman.