Be Good: Consumerist's 10 Commandments of Credit - Consumerist

Be Good: Consumerist's 10 Commandments of Credit - Consumerist

Catch and release

This fishing trip was supposed to a "Catch and Release", but when we finally did catch one huge black drum, it didn't turn out that way -- not after it had been hooked to get on the boat.
It was past 7:30 pm and we were getting sick of waiting for the fish to take bait. Black drums apparently are bottom feeders, so we had used mussels as bait tied onto the fishing line and set at the bottom.
We were sitting in the Cheseapeake Bay - rocking to and fro in a boat -- waiting for the fish to bite. We had been there since 1 pm that Saturday. After not getting any kind of fish for couple of hours the captain asked if anyone had a banana. My first reaction was -- 'is he going to use it as bait?'. Brad had one in his lunch box, so he went and brought a yellow, ready to eat, banana. The captain took and tossed it into the sea. Apparently it wasn't bait. He told us that bananas are unlucky on a boat. I had heard people in the sea were superstitious, but this was my first experience.
I had washed my hand in the cold water before. In fact a couple of minutes after we had anchored. Well my hands were sort of dirty because I had just puked and there was some in my hands. Washed off I had taken some medicine and rubbed some kind of liquid that smelled like chinese vicks on the back of my earlobes -- the mate said it would help with the sea sickness. Sure enough after that first vomiting bout I felt just as great as everyone -- ready to fish.
And apparently the banana had done its part. The captain started reeling one of the poles in -- 'Yippie fish finally'. Superstition or not, we had a fish and John was fighting it. He slowly reeled it in fighting it. But just at the last moment the fish sensed the slack and with a strong flick it broke the reel and headed off into the open.
That was the first likely fish and it looked like a big one when it was close. Couple of minutes later another line started to act funny. By now we knew when a fish was nibbling. One of the guys took it and started fighting it. When it was near the boat we saw it wasn't quite as big as the one that got away, still young. But this shared the same fate and broke the line.
We were quite disappointed. By now it was about 5 pm and we were getting tired of the beer and the sea. Suddenly another movement in one of the lines and whoa I took control.
I got the fishing rod and started reeling in the slack, occasionaly leaning back. I reeled and leaned and reeled and leaned. It was now quite near and we were ready to bring it in.
It was a bull ray -- oops! wrong fish.
Not catching anythign is disappointing but catching the wrong fish can be quite a gruesome experience. The mate brought the ray in and got a pair of pliers. The fish had apprently swallowed the hook and it was deep inside it. He took the pliers and twisted its jaws. Blood. He grabbed a tip of the hook and pulled. It wouldn't come out but instead more blood. God! He finally just cut the line and released the fish. The ray plopped back in and swam deep.
Sorry fish.
We got some fish occasionally but it all turned out to be sharks and rays, so we were disappointed and just looking at the sea. The captain had nevere had such a slow day, he was getting anxious.
Just when we were ready to leave, a fish on one of the lines. John took the rod and started fighting it and reeling it in. When it was quite near we saw it was a BIG one. The mate and the captain took hooks and brought the fish on board. It was a big black drum. We were not disappointed anymore. God that was good. We took some pictures and the engine started roaring.
Five minutes later we were at the docks and measuring the fish. The fish came around 77 lbs and from the looks of it the captain was saying it was probably almost 50 years old. Big. But there was one problem -- we didn't know what to do with it. We figured the captain and the mate would keep it. But it was too big of a fish to keep. So it was in our hands.
We took the fish and put it in the back of the truck. It was wide as the truck.
We got home not knowing what to do and asked around if someone knew what to do with it. But nothing. Well couldn't quite keep the fish like that could we? So we drove to the grocery store to get some ice.
Lucky for us a fisherman was there. He looked at it and was quite surprised. The fish he had caught was smaller. He said he would take it off our hands but would pay any money for it. Glad to have it off our hands. We let him have it.
Finally our 77lb ordeal was over with and with hands smelling like fish we drove to McDonalds.

p.s. Only one fish was killed during the whole ordeal and I am glad that the fish did not go to waste. Rest in Peace Big Black Drum in fish heaven.

Abroad

(published "The Friday Suppliment" 2001)

So I sit: totally bored.

What a day to have! The rain pouring outside, no electricity and to add the icing -I'm depressed.

I've just spoken with one of my friends. Well I'd actually called to raise my spirits but now it seems like I'd called the wrong person.

Nothing actually in what he said depressed me though. I should actually be happy for him. He's going abroad to the land of opportunities, the US. He's got his visa, flight confirmed and above all - a scholarship.

At first I was happy for him after all he was my best friend.

Everyone dreams of going abroad for further studies specially after completing ones Higher Secondary. I'd never been an exception and neither had he been one, except he hadn't much faith in himself. But with some reasoning and after attending some seminars I'd finally convinced him to have faith in himself. Due to some reasons though I couldn't apply but he'd gone through hell choosing the proper university, applying and planning everything. I give him credit for all that. But now after talking to him, thinking about it I find that I am not quite as happy now as I was just a few minutes before when I was listening to his excited voice stammering and telling me- ' Kno…know what! I'm going abroad.' Both of us were really happy then.

I'm unhappy not because I, who initiated the whole studying abroad prospect and that I am not going but my friend (who was like an innocent bystander) is going. No. The green faced jealousy has definitely not reared its head within me. It's something different and its what most of us fear – loneliness.

Now I am faced with the terrible truth and it makes me feel glum. I'm sad, not because of my friend's good news, but because most of my good buddies are already on their way abroad. All had plans to go abroad specially after completing their I.Sc. and now all of us are going away in separate directions not knowing when we shall meet again. It's like this pre-planned drama in which the God manipulates us to meet then separate-preparing us for further such separations in the future. No grudges what-so-ever with the Lord though. But it's just that feeling of loneliness that will not go away. In fact which will go on ever increasing specially after I see all my buddies leave Home-Sweet-Home, one by one. The truth I face is that we're separating and I'm not so fond of separation.

I look at my mother watching me and I myself am surprised when I tell her - 'we don't know what we've got until we lose it.'

And she adds with that grace-of-age voice-" It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives."

I kiss my mom for this and now wait. Wait.…wait….and wait…. for a new chapter to begin. A new chapter that I didn't know existed.

finally snowing

against all odds, it's finally snowing.
Global warming is still there, and it may be late in coming -- but God it is snowing and I'm liking it.
Hope it doesn't get too bad with the snow.
let it snow .. let it snow

My Saab v/s Dave's Truck.

It may not be the perfect car for some foreign kid starting out in Amrika, but it's a really cool car and I love it. It's given me some problems but I think it was worth it.
And so till the day I let it go -- I will love it.