Beirut Shop Window: 28th October

So, What takes you to the toilet?

I know quite a few folks who find inspiration in the bathroom.

I also know creatives who find ideas while they are in the bath, having a shower or sitting in the throne. (No wonder some ads are shisse, right?)

Jokes apart, taking a piss could be quite an inspirational moment too. So much so, a colleague of mine who is a Chicago-based senior creative, used to call every loo-break an “opportunity to find an idea.” Do we find inspiration, do we find ideas, or do we “come-up” with an idea is another point of discussion, but what genuinely baffles me is the connection people have with their bathroom to their brains. Be it a quick dump or an hour-long soak in a bubble bath with a glass of bubbly and someone to share. Both bath, and the bubbly.

I know someone who would take a good book, a pack of cigarettes and shut the door behind – only to spend the whole night on the throne and emerge in the morning with a big smile on her face. A night on the throne without any disturbance and a book covered from cover to cover. (I often used to wonder if she read naked. I wasn’t married then, and I was allowed to have such wonderful thoughts.)

Going back to the topic. I also know people who take the Daily Mirror to the toilet. Then there are some of us who read trash and gossip columns while attending to the matters. Then there are the ones who go in with a book of Sudoku, or a crossword. Oh, the intellectual type.

I’m not even going to talk about the ones who take Playboy to the bathroom.

The new generation (jeez, I feel so old) has their inseparable gadgets and their digital life continues non-stop without a loo-break. Soon there might be a day when there’s a little stamp at the end of a mail that reads “sent from the loo, via my Blackberry.” Be it the Blackberry, the iPhone or a simple phone with a tiny monochrome monitor, 140-character input is all you need to stay in touch with the world. Besides, one’s private life ain’t so private anymore thanks to social networking, and there is no harm in letting the world know that you are taking a good dump. Besides, that’s a sign of good health too. Right?

So what do you take to the toilet? A book? The newspaper? Your mobile? Or just a quick cigarette? I’m not talking about the days you are constipated, I was just wondering about our habitual rituals and morning regimes...

In the Meantime...

Finally, the storm has subsided and there is calmness in my life. Last three months have been extremely hectic and chaotic. Four new business pitches: two short-listed and one won. Eighteen-hour days for three straight months is potentially dangerous to one’s health – I would’ve strangled someone if not for the two quick trips to my paradise isle in-between. Sri Lanka, the small miracle, is an amazing stress reliever. A quick trip is a quick fix, and it works like magic, always. A drink by the sea, a bite of seafood, some quality time with the family and friends and a long drive around the country is just what the doctor ordered.

Then there was Ramadan: the season of fasting and feasting. It is also the season to contemplate and reflect upon life. Since it is the time to forgive and forget, I made some sincere efforts to iron out some hostilities of the past, and succeeded. I’m not the one to hold any grudges, life is too short and too precious to be upset with (and continue to be upset with) people.

Ramadan came and went, sending me off to Sri Lanka just before the Eid-break. Would’ve chosen Beirut or Istanbul if the circumstances were different, but home is home always. Missed out on the usual feasts of biriyani and watalappam – especially the yummy one that comes our way from Spikey’s grandma every year. Instead, we were cooling off in our Kataragama retreat, enjoying the wonderful food and company of “Pans” and the clan. The river seems to have a consistent water-flow since the dam was built, making it the ideal natural spa all year round. A sip of Cranberry+Vodka when immersed neck-deep in river-water tastes a million times better than any Cape Cod I’ve tasted anywhere in the world.

Anyhow, I’m glad that the mad rush is over. I’m rejuvenated and ready for the next lap, back in the holy city of Jeddah.

In the meantime, amongst other worldly happenings:

• Got tagged. Will define what love means to me, in due course. Promise.
• Hijinx and Delilah contemplated quitting. They even wrote the last chapters. Glad they didn’t.
• Got the Saudi driving licence in a day. Was pleasantly surprised to discover that their “computer exam” is offered in Sinhala too – even though I chose English to be on the safer side.
• Received a Dentsu global nomination for some work I’ve done last year.
• Was a member of the jury judging a public awareness campaign in Saudi Arabia.
• Bought the brand new Golf. Being a car that runs less than 10km a day, it is going to take a long time for me to break-in the engine before I could take it for a spin...
• Dee does the much-awaited video collage. Nice.
• My birthday passed by without a sip of alcohol. A record in 15 years, if not more.
• Realised that I am much happier than 10 years ago – even though I have less assets and less people to boss-around.
• Got in touch with the kids, thanks to the ex-wife who decided that the communication channels should now be open. So there’s a lot of Skype and time online. Much to catch up; much less time for blogging. Sorry, priorities are priorities.