I'm here but I'm really gone

And what it all comes down to

Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet

I've got one hand in my pocket

And the other one is giving the peace sign

I'm free but I'm focused

I'm green but I'm wise

I'm hard but I'm friendly baby

I'm sad but I'm laughing

I'm brave but I'm chickenshit

-Alanis Morissette, "Hand in my Pocket"

today we went to have lunch with a friend of my parents at noodle house in emirates towers. four years ago, or maybe more cant remember, when it was just constructed it was empty and deserted. ek parinda bhi par nahin marta tha so to say. and today it was bustling with businessmen. foreign delegates. the works. there was no place to sit, and they dont take reservations. its the middle of the week. we went after 1:30 so it was past lunchtime. but it was still jam packed. much to my shock.

the restaurant is quite nice. the decor is very minimal but classy. they have those hanging lights which are very starbucks-ish/barista style. and they are bench like seats and you end up sharing your table with three other parties. initially we were seated near this local man, his kid who was having the most yummy looking icecream ever. i was eyeing it quite a bit, although trying very hard not to. (bechara bachei kei pet mein dard na ho) and there was these two arab ladies and im guessing a south african businessman. the waitress asked one of hte ladies to move over so i can be seated next to her and she gave me a really disgusted look. jeez, bite me. i have really no shok of sitting next to you either. anyway, watever. the food is pretty good and i want to go back and try their chilli prawns.

im seriously contemplating opening a cheesecake factory in dubai. with the same decor same style everything. restaurant business is one of the best businesses. i love eating in restaurants which are crowded. im not really fond of those quiet kind of dinners. id rather have noise but like pple noise not super loud music to drown out the voice. classical indian music in restaurants is quite boring too. any kind of soft live music is good too. i have so many ideas but cant implement any coz im brave but im chicken shit. i just wish i had enough capital and contacts. its hard to do anything in dubai without the right contacts. lets see inshallah.

neway moving on. this friend's kid has gotten admission in eton college. yep, thats right. the one in UK. the one where prince charles' kids went to. the one where queen elizabeth's grandsons went to. its definetly awe inspring. and awesome! and apparently to get into this boarding school you have to apply before your kid is 9 years old and then they have a written exam and and oral exam and they get interviewed at 10! and then finally at age 12-13 they get admitted. and all this only from 9th till 12th grade. but his dad has his kid's life all planned out after eton he will either go to oxford or harvard. and of course anyone getting into harvard and oxford is guaranteed a plush job. theres more. they have a scholarly exam to take as well. at the grade 8 level they are asked material of grade 12. and if they ace that they are chosen as a scholar. highly prestigious. and the school fees which is super expensive is maaf (not required) then. its like the UK equivalent of our own desi IIT. i had friends in undergrad who went to the States coz they didnt get into IIT, or flunked out in their first sem. really smart kids and from 7th grade it was ingrained in them that this is their goal. and no matter how well they are doing now, they never forget their stepping stone was always not getting into IIT.

i wonder if its all worth it. this stress on your kid. you miss out on watching your child grow up. the time where your child is no longer that, and is slowly turning into a young adult. you miss bonding with them. maybe it is a sacrifice and maybe it is right, i dont know. after all parents do what they feel is best for their child. but do they really know, all the time. i wonder. how about the fact that your child missed out on all the fun things that kids do. but then people say, on the other hand you dont even remember half the things you did as a kid so why not cultivate that time in doing something constructive. furthermore, there is no guaranteed correlation that u will be supremely successful if you go to these top institutions. there is of course a definite advantage, people treat you differently, you have access to excellent resources. there is a certain respect that comes with this added name. but in the end i really doubt whether these names matter. its ultimately your intelligence, your right-risk-taking-ability, your charisma and your hardwork mixed with a bit of luck which pays off.