This post can make you sleep

I wish my name appeared in the list of those who went to bed early and woke up early.

Working as a journalist for three decades, I hardly had an opportunity to doze off before midnight.  

The famous dictum of Benjamin Franklin “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” never applied to me.

Hence, I accepted commentator Carl Sandburg’s suggestion, “Early to bed and early to rise and you never meet any prominent people.”

Yes, as another saying goes, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man a milk man."

Even when I try to sleep early, I face hurdles.

I stayed at a friend’s place and decided to doze off before time: His son put on the TV in full volume. I stayed at a relative’s home and his ferocious pet dog pointed its teeth making me restless throughout. At my home, I am always tempted to read or watch television before I hit the sack.

Waking up is still worse. When the alarm rings, I meticulously wake up, only to pile up pillows and doze off again in a sitting posture.

“You are lucky,” said a friend.

“Why?”

““I suffer from insomnia.”

“What are you doing about it?”

“I will not sleep until someone finds a cure for insomnia.”

Talking about sleep, my colleague asks a sensible question: “Why is it that the one who snores always goes to sleep first?”

Chocolate boy

The boy with a broad smile thrust a chocolate in my hand when I entered office.

Who can resist chocolate?

As I read somewhere, a survey revealed that 9 out of 10 people said they loved chocolate. The tenth one lied.

I showered praise on him, gave a hug and rushed to my seat.

I then merrily bit the bar, hoping to cherish the melting moment.

Phewww. I spat it out at the same speed that I gulped it.

It was bitter, acidic, pungent and much more.

The boy laughed out loud.

“It was Dark Chocolate,” he smiled.

“But why did you give me dark chocolate? I love sweet ones,” I reacted angrily.

“It is just that dark chocolate is good for the brain. I thought I could help you,” smiled the boy.

“You are like chocolate yourself,” I told him.

When he smiled, I added: “Full of nuts.”

Take a break, workaholic

(Posted for my records- Executive Qatar article)

Sharpen skills or stagnate

(Posted for my records- The Executive Qatar)

Hard to digest: Kids play spoilsport

 A family visiting an Italian restaurant in California was pleasantly surprised when the bill arrived: A huge discount for the three well-behaved children.

How nice! Those three children must be an exception.

Well-behaved kids in a restaurant! I wish they were in a majority.

Last week, I visited a food outlet with a friend and we wanted to discuss something serious about his credit card problem.

“Could you lend me some money?” he started when two children began screaming next to our table.

“Money?” I was embarrassed to say “no,” but could not say “yes” either.

In that momentary dilemma, the screaming continued.

“Shhh,” I tried to tell one child, when his mom gave me a nasty look.

Afraid, I turned my attention to my friend.

There was no respite. I looked at the mom again, pleadingly.

She passed on the look of an eagle waiting to prick my eye.

We got up and moved to the last table.

“Yes,” we started the conversation, when blaring music started playing on the stereo.

I was wondering how to say “no” to my friend when his phone buzzed.

“I have to rush. Catch you later buddy,” he picked up his bag.

While leaving the restaurant, I looked at the mom again and smiled.

But she retained her “eagle look.”

Talking of restaurants, I am sure you have heard this joke:

Two guys enter a restaurant and order tea. They then pick up their sandwich and start eating. “You cannot eat your own snacks here,” warned the manager. “Okay,” they say exchanging the sandwich with each other. 

Sugar, you are not sweet

Sugar seems to be turning bitter for many.

Most of the guests that I prepare coffee for warn me: “No sugar please.”

Last week, when my best friend dropped in and I offered a cup of coffee, she replied, “270.”

I did not understand.

“That’s my sugar level. Give me without sugar.”

Another guest told us, “no potato, no banana...” The list was scary.

In contrast, sugar per capita consumption is skyrocketing. According to figures available on the Internet, in 1800, it was 18 pounds of sugar per year. In 1900, the average person consumed 90 pounds of sugar per year. From four teaspoons a day in 1990, it has now reached 22 teaspoons today.

“Exercise seems to be the only remedy,” I told a friend.

“Do not remind me about exercises,” he pleaded.

“Why?”

“My wife wanted an expensive treadmill at home for running exercise,” he said.

“That’s great news,” I cheered.

“Now I am running after her pleading with her to use it.”