Posted in Random Posting

Logo with a story

Potato Sandwich born

When I created this blog back in December 2010 the site name was an easy decision.   Potato Sandwich was the simple combination made up of both mine and my wife’s surname, when pronounced in Panjabi. It was not until later a few years later that I decided to add a logo to support the site.

PotatoSandwich

We both like the colour blue so injecting this into the sandwich worked for me.  I will own up that I wouldn’t normally consume a blue looking sandwich unless it was for the sake of #art.

Keeping it separate 

In December 2015 my focused writing got underway with my first novel. A true account of two brothers who drove 3 strangers from England to India in 1967.

At the start of this year I decided to create a separate website dedicated to my novel, and hopefully future publications. While the site is in development and will be live in a few months time, I was keen to develop a logo for my writing.  So phone camera in hand and with some ideas I created the following:

Header - WLS v2

So the story goes…..

In January 2015 my sister gifted me a personalised notebook from Hope House Press If you are a notebook geek like me, you would appreciate the quality of the cover and the silk lined paper. But the high quality of the paper deserved the right pen to write on.  Not pictured here but I treated myself to a mont blanc ball point pen 13 years ago and filled up this book.  Last year I invested in this red mont blanc James Dean edition pen for my next phase of writing.

I have to profess that I write more in comparison to typing on a computer – it improves my handwriting and keeps my hand strong. So the story for this logo is where old meets new, where hope turns into reality and new horizons.

Happy writing all.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Random Posting

You have been tagged – so question time!

Greetings, you are here because you have been tagged, like those before me, I have composed 11 questions for you to answer.  They are not trick questions and not meant to create any complexity in the mind, enjoy!

The first rule of being tagged is to post the rules:

  1.  You must post the rules
  2. Answer the questions tagger set for you in their post and then ‘create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged’
  3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
  4. Let them know you’ve tagged them!

Question Time

  1. If you had to change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
  2. What three things have you learnt from your immediate family?
  3. Today you win the lottery, what will you do in the next seven days?
  4. If you had the chance to go back in time to view a past event, what event would that be and why?
  5. If your life was a book, what would the title be?
  6. If you were asked to re-design the World, what message would you give to the new human race?
  7. Growing up, what’s the best memory you have?
  8. If you were asked to direct a film, what would it be about and what would you call it? (cannot be about your life).
  9. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go and why?
  10. Do you think all this “social media” and “instant communication” is a good thing for us?  Please explain your answer.
  11. If you were to write a hand-written letter to someone, who would you address it to and what message would you write in it?

To the “tagged” bloggers below, Many Thanks for taking the time to read this list and for any time you spend answering the questions.

PureComplex | MentalXpress | BritishAsian | Laila | Bikram | MissyD | Eva | Aifric | Nitika | AussieGirl | Shilpa

Note: If you happen to come across this site through browsing, feel free to answer the questions, I will be equally interested your responses.

Posted in Random Posting

I got Tagged – First Time

The following 11 questions are asked by Bikram

1.  What is it that you love to do, most, and would rather spend your time doing it?

Spending time with my wife and kids is my number one priority, above everything else, however I am fortunate to be able to have this flexibility.  So aside from that, I love writing and would like to allocate more time to developing that side.

2.What do you think others think of you?

My wife and kids: Loving and always there

My mum and siblings: A person of principles yet at times liberal enough to understand the changes that are happening around us.

My friends: Trust worthy, always smiling, accommodating

My Work: Hard working, honest and diplomatic

My U9’s football team: Works them too hard but always ensures they have fun first.

3.Where do you see yourself end the next 10 years.

In a position where I can continue to provide a solid platform for my kids’ next journey through life, continue to be a good partner for my wife.  Heavily involved in writing and publishing my work and ensuring I am well on the way to contributing back into the Community.

4. What is one quality of yours you admire the most.

If there is injustice, I will back you to the hill, even if it kills me!

5. Have you played a trick on someone that went bad, What is it.

Like everything, playing tricks was a part of growing up.  This may sound arrogant, but the very few tricks I did play never went wrong, I am a meticulous planner.

6.Who would you say made you who you are today (other than your parents, if that is what you would answer )

Other then my parents?  My two cousins in London who are brothers and following the death of my father 19yrs ago, have always watched over me like hawks, guiding me and making endless journey’s to ensure I didn’t lose focus.  They are also the main reason behind my “Sikhi Saroop” and my devotion to my faith.

7. What gives you joy?

When I park up in the drive, both my boys pop their heads in the front window and before I can reach the front door, they rush to open it and cuddle me tight – best feeling in the world and it’s all mine.

8.Who is your favourite hero and Why.

My wife.  Before I got married, I was still very much a “closed book” person, not so trusting because of the exposure to family politics at such a young age.  My wife “re-shaped” me entirely, taught me compassion, love but also to remain strong.  She will always continue to be my hero!

9.Why do you blog.

I love writing.  Full Stop!  I don’t rant, I don’t want to rant, life is too short to rant, just get on with it.  The joy I get from writing is unexplainable, however the double-joy I get when someone reads your post and finds it interesting enough to comment, is even more wonderful.

10. Do you believe in love stories , if yes why

Growing old with the person you love, sharing every little detail, isn’t that a love story that can be shared with generations to come?  If so, then Yes.

11. Tell us an incident that you remember always.

In 1993 I travelled to India with my mum to spread my father’s ashes. While in India, we decided to visit Hemkunt Sahib and my mum’s family kindly put all the arrangements in place for this.  It was a long drive from Delhi and to get to Hemkunt Sahib to visit the Gurdwara, you had to stop at various checkpoints to rest and spend the night. When we reached our second checkpoint during the evening, we didn’t quite like the accommodation so decided to press on to a nearby hotel.  Now we were travelling late at night and there were no lights along this rocky path to the hotel.  Suddenly, our 7 seater van decided to stop on us and we come to a halt near a bend on the dark rocky path, there was barely enough space for two vehicles to pass.  It’s pitch black and we have no torch to shine under the bonnet to see what the problem is.  At this point I am not that worried, being that I am 16 yrs of age and finding the situation very exciting.  On the other hand, the remaining five members of my family are panicking because it’s dark, we are in the middle of nowhere and not even in a position to walk as we would know where we would be going.  My mum then starts reciting the Japji Sahib and I kid you not, from out of no where we hear a noise and it’s a chap on a scooter coming in our direction.  He very kindly shines his headlight onto the engine and our driver manages to sort out the problem and start up the van.  The chap on the scooter backs away and before we can Thank him, he has vanished, no trace of the tail light of a scooter or the sound of him venturing over the rocky path.  To this day I find it very difficult to explain the situation however I know someone somewhere was listening, watching, in our hearts we so wanted to complete this pilgrimage of Hemkunt Sahib and I always feel that no power in the world could have ever stopped us.

Posted in Random Posting

Potato turns ONE

Exactly a year ago today I started this blog, there was a sudden urge for me to write something, but an even bigger urge to share those thoughts with the outside world.

It’s been a fantastic year of blogging and along the yellow brick road I have come across some amazing bloggers, but more importantly some amazing people!

The PotatoSandwich Thanks all those who have visited this site and posted comments, even those who just hit the like button.

Year 2 in the life of PotatoSandwich will see more strange thoughts, more photography and a greater insight in my world of writing stories.

However, for now, I would like to showcase the two posts which motivated me to start this blog; I hope you enjoy them, blast from the past.

Letting Go – The Father of the Bride

What’s Worse than the M25

Posted in Random Posting

The 100th

Commentator: “….and that shot brings him into the 90’s, the packed crowd shout even louder, he can feel the expectation ever since the first run he put on the board. Oh what a lovely cover drive, that’s 99 and end of the over.  Both the players in the middle walk towards each other, the heat is intensive, but his mind must be exploding”.

Me: “Ever since I walked onto the field this morning, my heart hasn’t stopped beating like a wild horse.  I now stand on 99 runs, one more and I will have achieved my very first century.  As I walk to the middle to meet my batting partner, my eyes seem blurry, I need to keep my composure”.

Umpire: “Start of next over”

Me: “Ok, back to the wicket to face the bowler, heart is beating faster, legs seem weak, jelly-like, my head feels dizzy.  I try not to look at the wicket-keeper; his eyes are gleaming, his gestures unsporting.  As I turn, I notice a circle of fielders around me, are we playing ring-a-ring roses?  I knuckle down, here he comes, all 6f4 of sheer pace and speed, the ball is pitching outside, here’s my chance….OUCH!

Commentator: “Ooh I bet he felt that one, bang on the left hand.  The ball looked as if it was pitching just outside and then suddenly turned in, he is hurt”.

Me: “Don’t show any pain, get on with it.  Here he comes again, leave it, leave it, don’t be tempted.  Four more balls to go, I feel sick, why did I ever choose to play this game, do I have the balls?  Don’t grip the bat too hard, relax.  Shut up mind, you are giving me too many instructions, go away, leave me alone, let nature take its cause.  Here he fucking comes again, right, screw this, I am throwing the kitchen sink at this”.

Commentator: “He knocks the ball to deep cover and off he goes……”

Me: “Run….run….off I go, right partner, start running in the opposite direction.  I am running hard, don’t tumble, don’t look around, forget the fielder, I can run faster than he can throw.  I can see the chalked line, there it is, I am there, I can see a red ball in slow motion making its way alongside me.  Jump forward you fool, stick out the bat, hurry.  Puff of smoke, what happened, my eyes were closed, I am lying on the floor, people screaming everywhere, I look up at the umpire, he’s making a window shape gesture, what, referring it to the 3rd umpire, I thought I made it, holy shit, will I ever get another chance?”

Commentator: “We are waiting on the decision, keep your eyes on the screen people, here it comes, twisting graphic tells us NOT OUT.  The crowd roar in celebration, his first 100, well done”.

Me: “Just lie here, don’t move, savour the moment….the start of many a great things to come”.

I don’t know what it’s like to be a cricketer who is on the cusp of making 100 runs, but today this is my 100th post.  What’s the connection with the piece I have written, not sure but I had been pondering for some days on what to write, hesitant, like the cricketer, so I let nature take its cause.  I am sure so many others have reached this milestone, I’m just happy I stuck with something for a change.