The Mondy Party

I was asked to open a bank account. So I went down the 11 floors, 1 by stairs (don’t ask me why they don’t have a lift which goes right up to 11) and took the express lift down. The UBS people gave me an account in less than 5 minutes. It was only while walking back to my office (yes I have a nice big office and I will take pains to describe it later) that I realized that I had a Swiss bank account. The epitome of the old Hindi movie bad rich guy! Now all I need to do is ask in a Ajit accent ‘Raabert Swiss bank account main kitne paisa hai…

The ILO building is not imposing. It is not beautiful. It is definitely not the Taj Mahal. In fact whoever designed it did so keeping in mind two things
a) Everybody has an ego
b) And though this is the ILO (labour), everybody here after all is management
Now imagine a big large jumbo with two aisles and seats not only on the two sides but also the middle. So think of the aisles as corridors and the seats towards the windows as rooms - sorry lots and lots of rooms (about 70-80 of them). What about the middle – think of steel grey cabinets, tonnes of them with a couple of photocopiers and printers thrown in to break the drab scenery. Now imagine this for 11 floors – grey outside and green inside.

A clear clarification must be made however – most people I have met and interacted with here are
a) Bright
b) Committed and
c) Hardworking
I also think that’s what is important. Period.

Switzerland is expensive. I remember how when I first came to the States I was comparing stuff to India and cribbing about prices. A small combo meal at McDonalds here costs 11 francs (compared to $5 in the US) which is really double that in College Park. One understands better the concept of relative poverty only when it hits you smack in the middle of the face.

Et maintenant je dois attendre le ` carte de legalization '- un permis suisse de travail et de séjour. seulement alors je tiens une chance d'obtenir un visa pour aller Nice ou Vienne ou Munchen…
(And now I must wait for the ‘carte de legalization’ – a Swiss work and residence permit. Only then do I stand a chance of getting a visa to go Nice or Vienna or Munich)

The Swiss have made it easy. The immigration officer took 5 seconds per passenger. Didn't matter which country you came from. Tourist or Work? Where will you stay?
Stamp Stamp, next...
(Very very professional)

The taxi drive took a little longer to the Residence Universitaire Internationale on Rue Rothschild, no roundabout way, clean cab, excellent driver......and took 30 swiss francs.
(Very very professional)

At the Residence, the reception was empty. The Cafe was not, asked for a coffee, she said something in French, i pointed to the machine and the cups, finally remembered Amelie (the movie) and said cafe and promptly ' ah cafe' then ' fiefsdamd francs'.
I have to learn French I thought while she wrote the numbers on a piece of paper.

Suddenly some one came upto me and said that since yesterday was a holiday, the reception would open for only two hours today. Then she went back to her coffee and paper. It didn't make sense. But then at first she said it in French and then in English, so maybe i got it wrong. The reception opened for exactly two hours as promised between 10 and 12...and it was the same lady. You can guess what she did after 12...
(Very very professional eh!)

But that is Geneva, they also have a one hour time in the middle of the today for lunch. As an Indian and now having spent some time in the US, work, being open, making money seems so the natural pasttime...now I understand why Europe is Europe...

My room - is small has a bed with linen and a writing table and two chairs. 2 lamps no room light, i share a bathroom and baby kitchen with my apartment mate. Heating coils no gas flame, tiny hotel bar fridge, hand shower but on the whole clean and tidy. (Pictures will be up later)
It also meant I wanted to get out and see the place.

Its in the Center of town opposite the UNHCR building with streets that have lovely cafes all around, and people sitting drinking wine or cafe in the afternoon sun. I first got myself a phone, then scouted for an internet cafe. Bought a phone card and then spent some time figuring out the instructions in French, (that seems to be the case for everything, and when they have alternate languages available they are German and Italian and sometimes a fourth one Romanche - even the Chinese are getting better at English and flooding their markets too).

Lunch at Burger King for 11 francs. Food is not cheap here and I promptly decided to buy groceries and try and minimize outdoor eating..

And I need a Schenzen, and I need a permit and i need good internet access. Internet withdrawal can be as bad as anyother addictive substance...

Football: What was and what will be...

Summary from England
Chelsea won the league
Liverpool won the FA cup
Arsenal reached a Champions League Final
Man United oh i forgot they too won something its called a Carling Cup
:)

what i didn't like
Real did not win anything (again!)
Barcelona won everyhting (i hate that even more..and i love Ronaldinho, Messi but hate their newly developed we are the ebst arrogance..)
Inter did not win anything (yup when was the last time)
Roma did not win anyhting (do you really think there will be another time)

I am happy that
Juventus might be demoted to Serie B - those cheating lying b.........s deserve that
That Chelsea have Ballack and will buy one more top class striker and defender both of whom we need badly...
That the EPL will be better fought and no not because i think Man United will compete but because so will Liverpool
That Barcelona can only go down now, as others play catch up
That i can't find a single good match ticket for the world cup for under 300$

I am surprised that
Man United are going to get rid of Nistelroy...funny..give him to us at Chelsea or even Liverpool, please keep him in the EPL, he makes things exciting, is darned good and at 10M is a bargain...
Man United are actually planning to build thier team around a Non UK (Point 1), non white (Point 2) midfielder...hmmm
Didier Drogba actually thinks he will get a better deal at another club and as much as he has impressed in the latter part of the season he is not a Shevchenko...
That the stupid England coach picked Theo Walcott and not the highest (English) scorer in the EPL for the World Cup (Bent) and yes they did pick an English coach to take over afterwards. the funny part is nobody knows what Walcott can do, cause nobody has seen him play ...and Arsene Wenger said it will be a good experience for Walcott and they will find out that he is quite good. And then he promptly added that Walcott is unlike to even go to France for the Champions league..hmmm, he must be pretty good

4 Players that you must watch at the world cup:
- Carlos Tevez (Argentina and Corinthians, He made some of the Brazilian defenders look like juveniles, he is pretty good and in Argentina he will have a damn good midfield)
- Riquelme (Argentina and Villareal, he is brilliant and though Ronaldinho and Barca have hogged the limelight, in Argentina he will have a world class team)
- Fernando Torres (Spain and Atletico Madrid, brilliant guy and at Atletico he gets no support, he is their captain and they beat Barca both times, in fact they have beaten Barca on 5 out of 6 occasions lately, Torres scoring 7 goals, he is good, fast, and with Xabi, Fabregas and Reyes behind him, really would depend on how far Spain can go)
- Dao Prso (Croatia and Rangers, unknown to most, have seen him play for Rangers and heard about his Croatia exploits, he is fast, strong like Vieri in his heyday, but how far will Croatia get?)
(This is beyond of course Ronaldinho, Cole, and all the other stars...these guys are a joy to watch..have fun)

What i dream about
is an Argentina-Brazil final in the world cup. Losing semifinalists - England and Holland (as always)

What I think will happen
Brazil-Italy final
Losing semi finalists - Germany or Argentina and one surprise team

Have fun watching the world cup, read the Guardian for updates (write dirty emails about columnist Kevin McCarra to the editor), read my blog, email me..and celebrate for
the summer...

There has been too much criticism from too many on Chelsea
And now the fans respond.
http://www.chelseablog.com/2006/05/04/those-magnificent-men-in-the-chelsea-machine/
and http://www.chelseablog.com/2006/05/03/beauty-and-the-beasts/
And heck I agree with quite a bit of it.

I wrote to Nick and Steven today (http://www.worldsoccerweekly.com/). They run a podcast which is also a show on Sirius.
About this hypocrisy
Including on the Bayern Munich chap's comments
He wants a 'salary cap'
And he wants the G14 special winners to be treated exclusively.

Meanwhile except for Chelsea and maybe Liverpool the rest of my teams have finished again with nothing to show
Inter and Roma in Italy lose again
Real and Espanyol lose again
Lets see whether Liverpool can beat an inspired West Ham side

More on this later..

Did you know that a lot of Van Morrison's songs were about God.
It changes context, it makes you wonder...
A lot of Folk is derived from Religion, but I always thought differently about " Warm Love" and "Full force gale" or even "Here comes the night"

Its funny the places artists get their inspiration from - all kinds of things, and very rarely would you expect it to be a straight out 'God' thing.

I knew Cohen was inspired spent 5 years in a Buddhist monastery, but then he was a poet first and singer then...

Music and magic together...