I played two games of chess today against an unorthodox opponent. He won the first, and then the computer was restarted amidst the second game, which he was also winning. It was not too satisfying, but the owner of the internet cafe took the brunt of it because he was overseeing the electrician that flicked the power on the outlet. He was working while everything was turned on. It didn't speak highly for the respect of the individual having his hands on live outlets and all, but it also irked me that I couldn't even lose my game in its entirety. Well, after that I got a game in with Upendra, Prashast's father. While Prashast and I were out gathering some new pens we came across a game shop that we peeked into becuase we had board games on the mind. I had wanted to bring a set home because his father told me he enjoyed playing. It was a nice change of pace to sit with someone who didn't want to bicker over a game. I can appreciate the movements rushing through my head, and I want to sort them out. I want to order them. Slowly, this will happen and my game will strengthen. I still have aspirations of attaining a higher level of play. My time on yahoo games is good, and the games can be quite interesting. However, I appreciate the slower games; I envision a parlor room set with drinks and music. It will be a lovely affair.

Prashast and I just got back from a visit with Karim, and we had some interesting conversations about generalizing. Karim was espousing on the positions of Jews and their influence in America, and it made me a bit edgy. It was not threatening in any way nor was it slanderous. It was quite complicated to discuss becuase there are so many facets intertwined in the statement. Yes, I do believe Jews are well networked together in the US and I also think it is part of the communal sense to assist one another. However, I deny the idea also because it sets up a paradigm for people being different than one another. The three of us sat discussing, myself, Prashast and Karim. A Jew, a Hindu, and a Muslim were talking it out, but we were all the same in a way. Are all of us different? Are any of us the other? I appreciate my experience and also that it may be unique. However, why am I so different from anybody else? So we believe in different faiths. We may enjoy different life experiences, but aren’t we all people asking the same questions in life? We all want to know who we are, what we are, and where we come from. These inquiries and similarity in life experiences makes us fundamentally the same in human terms. When we set up the notion of the other and maintain it as being fixed I think we prevent progress from occurring if only subtly. When beliefs are strongly founded without infringing on anybody else’s rights, only then may we all see a peaceful state existing between all of us. So, the conversation went the way of the dodo, but before that I was told not to be so specific all the time and generalize a bit. Um, I am not so sure about this one, but I do hope one day happiness will be a general feeling shared by all.