Almost every year, on a certain day, I have to put up an act. And, just like is expected of any actor, with practice – my pretence has improved in quality. My voice modulations are very controlled and my comic timing is perfect!! And I have managed to keep my audience ignorant about my lack of subject matter expertise. That day, is the day of Super Bowl – the biggest day of football as they know it in America!!
I show up at someone’s place to watch the game, and it is really the food and the alcohol that my eyes are absorbed with – from entry till exit. And yet, yours truly does not forget to play his role – with kaizen. Once every few minutes, I erupt into a frenzy of “high fives” with my greasy hands (here is a tutorial for those interested). Some years, I am so involved that I shake hands during the half time show. Like that one year with Janet…totally “out of place”!!
And that is how, an evening of brilliant performance seals my invitation to next year’s party. Of course, it is nobody’s business that the next morning, I have to check the local news before I show up at work. (so who won again ?) And I apologize for that!! I should really try to remember things better.
But this post is not at all about that. It is about the game, I grew up knowing as football. And tomorrow is the end to a different kind of lying. I do not have to schedule fake conference calls anymore from 6:30 in the morning or attend meetings with really no one but the cafeteria television from 1:30 in the afternoons. My eyes shall not seek for sleep and I shall stop predicting incorrectly on Raja’s blog. There is one more match, one that will put my conscience to rest for the next four years. And for that I had to do something special. I called for a “team meeting” !!
I call it the “FINAL” Dip – a team meeting of boiled edamame, red onions, jalapeno peppers, peppers in all kinds of colors, cutting board, really sharp knife, paper towel, sea salt, not so virgin olive oil, roasted garlic and a green bowl !! I know the picture is not super appealing, but then it is not like you are going to actually get to dig into it. So go ahead and start the ooh’s and aah’s – as I get ready to watch a football match which I actually understand !! Till next time … Waka Waka !!
Not so virgin oil..I love it
Yep…was a getting a little tired of the chastity tag there.. 😛
To be scooped up with thick tortilla chips?
Am definitely not losing sleep over the finals. Did get an invite or two to rough it out in a sports bar. The very thought of it gave me a headache.
Btw both of us have been commenting and writing with a manic zeal 😛
Aye aye …. or with water crackers…. or with your fingers. No invites at all 😦 I see that …. it is annoyingly pleasant 😛
The dip looks yumm..
share ur feelings about Football..
thanks CW .. 😛
I didn’t understand anything in this post. Except for the food. That I understood. Om nom nom.
😛 …. that is not a good thing on my part… gotta read what I write …..it did taste good … took out the boredom of Yellow Cards !! ….. thanks for your comment … 😛
Some of your posts, like this one, has a humor the kind Sanjib Chattopadhyay (author of ‘Chaagol’) has. I like that a lot.
Fortunately, I went to a university here that forces you to learn the basics of American Football. Actually, now I can talk about NFL, NBA, MLB and even NHL 😛
I actually saw him once in person in Calcutta Book Fair…actually remember the first story of his that I read – Dampatya Kalohol. Used to read him a lot when in India. Have not picked up a Bengali book in many years now. It is a great honor to have his name and mine in the same thread. Thanks much for the thought. The only games I used to follow when in Univ. here were NBA and NHL i.e. before NHL went into the shut out for a couple of years. 😛
lovely style of writing! thoroughly enjoyable!
refreshing actually!!
cheers!
Welcome to the blog Magic Eye. Thanks so much for your kind words. Sorry it took me long to publish your comment. It had gone into spam. Hope to see you back for more. 😛
Are you going through soccerish football withdrawal too?
Not anymore … will need to get back to some regular blogging.. soon !! 😛
Real pity that the fare they dished out in that game was not worthy of that highly appetising edible stuff that you have favoured us with the photograph, or this excellent post !
I know Ramesh…I was looking more at the food and the wine than at the screen. At one point, I think I even dozed off and scooped up some dip with my nose 😆