b) Food(s):
Spicy Beef Curry with Chore and More and More (I’m a FOB)
c) Hobbies: no real hobbies- I enjoy sports, chess, movies, salt, hot sauce-
you know, the usual
d) Countries
to visit/re-vi sit:
I plan to visit Ecuador with wifey and fam so I can stand on
both sides of the Equator at once. If you fart while
standing on the Equator does it smell on both sides of the
world? That didn’t make sense but I’m going to try it and
ask somebody. I also want to go back to India. I miss the
smell.
e) Sibling: I love all my siblings equally, but my older sis Nancy and I have
always been tight. BTW guys- she is a very eligible
bachelorette- Smart, beautiful, successful…holla at me for
pre-screening…seriously- email me at ben.kurian@gmail.com if
you’re 30 or older and interested. She’s going to kill me if
she ever finds out…
f) Sport(s):
Curling, Football, Boxing, Basketball
g) Restaurant(s):
Peter Luger Steakhouse – The porterhouse is crucial- A real
man’s meal
h) Bible
Passage: “Jesus wept.” – Short but real deep- think about it…Ok I just
like it because it’s the easiest verse to memorize.
Chung Lao: As a NYer, you have a choice to make,
Giuliani or Hillary in 08, and why?
Ben: Giuliani- Because I have a picture of
him with his arm around me in my study room. (what?)
Chung Lao: What’s the first thing you notice about a
person?
Ben: Depends on the person- If they have a
big nose- that’s usually it. If not- it’s probably how they
carry themselves.
Chung Lao: What is something you cannot stand in a
person?
Ben: Pretension. Be Real. If you’re
naturally an ignorant fool, be that, and at least at the end
of the day you can say you kept it real.
Chung Lao: Several months ago, Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 innocent
students/faculty at Virginia Tech. What, in your mind, can
be done to prevent similar occurrences?
Ben: I think if every person would take the
time to genuinely say hello, and maybe befriend that one
person you see every day that sits by him/herself in the
cafeteria, and holds conversations with his peanut butter
sandwich, we’d have a few less occurrences like this.
Seriously, this is a terrible problem in America, and we
ignore it until that person snaps, and by then it’s too
late. My prayers go out to all the families that lost
someone in that tragedy.
Chung Lao: Alex Rodriguez seems to be a champ of the
regular season. What’s up with him choking come playoff
time?
Ben: Give him a chance. He has a lot of
pressure on him. He’ll come through for us- New York is a
tough crowd to play for and he’s constantly being compared
with Derek. You know how it is- you’re only as good as your
last game.
Chung
Lao: Lady Terrapins vs. the Knicks? Who ya got?
Ben: Just because you used to play for them
I refuse to be partial to the Lady Terrapins Chris. I’m
going to have to go with the Knicks.
Chung Lao: While we’re on the subject, how would GM
Ben Kurian fix the NY Knicks?
Ben: I would fire Isaiah Thomas and hire
Glenn Thomas….keep it in the family know what I mean?
Chung
Lao: What is something you’ve learned from being a
parent?
Ben: One of my sons was born with a
developmental disability. Some people might think how
terrible that is or feel sorry for us, but we don’t feel
that way at all. That kid is the light of our lives, and has
taught us so much about life. When I have the worst day of
my life, and feel like life couldn’t be worse- I go home and
take him in my arms. He smiles and throws his arms around
me…. problems over. The biggest thing he has taught me is
that there is nothing in life so terrible that a smile with
a side of drool can’t fix.
Chung Lao: What is something you’ve learned from being
a husband?
Ben: Ask my wife- she’ll tell you that I’ve
learned absolutely nothing.
Chung Lao: Using nothing but Microsoft Paint, please
draw us a picture.
Chung
Lao: What is the most important thing in life?
Ben: Purpose
Chung
Lao: Anti-US resentment seems to be increasing as time
passes. Should the U.S. be concerned with this?
Ben: Yeah man…it’s not a good sign when you
act like you’re from Canada when you’re in another country
so you don’t get wrong directions. The US has always been
out for ourselves, and I think we’ve interfered one too many
times in other countries’ affairs. It’s going to catch up to
us one day.
Chung
Lao: Name someone you admire and why?
Ben: I know it sounds corny, but I admire
my parents. They did their part to raise us and were great
parents. When we grew up, and were settled on our own, they
left us and their jobs and pretty much everything else to
serve God as missionaries. Their love, Godliness, and
realness are the example that I will always try to live up
to.
--The Following Four
Questions were asked prior to the 2007 BSC--
Chung
Lao: Ok, as you know Brooklyn has failed to reach the
playoffs the past 3 years. What gives?
Ben: We never practice, and we haven’t had
several of our starters. We just show up and have a good
time. Either way, we think we want to win this year, so look
out for us.
Chung Lao: Roy, you’re fearless leader and captain of
Brooklyn has predicted a championship in 2007, and I quote:
“So here’s what’s gonna happen next year Chris, we’re gonna
get our whole team back along with our two new additions and
Bklyn’s going all the way. Don’t waste your time Chris,
just engrave Brooklyn in next year’s trophy….go now……lol.
“Give us the run down.
Ben: In addition to having absolutely no
fear and being a leader, Roy is an enthusiastic and
optimistic young man. I admire his hairdo and his confidence
and I wouldn’t want to let him down, so I’m going to have to
concur. Brooklyn Zoo will run through this tournament like a
greasy taco through an old lady’s digestive system. Get your
flashlights ready because it’s about to be lights out…
Chung Lao: My intelligence reports had you sighted
rooting for Brooklyn, and Strong Island. What gives?
Ben: New York baby- it’s all love. Besides,
intelligence reports have sighted my cousins Ty Nitty and
Young Tobah on that squad. In case you’re jealous, I do root
for DC as well as long as they’re not playing NY.
Chung Lao: Name a team other than Brooklyn or Strong
Island that has a shot at the 2007 BSC title.
Ben: I think Gburg has the best shot. Don’t
sleep on them. Chris- stop laughing.
Chung Lao: What have you learned from being in an
interracial marriage?
Ben: Good one. My answer is absolutely
nothing. Allow me to explain: I was born in America. I lived
in America all my life. I visited India maybe 3 or 4 times.
Xiomara was born and raised in America. She visited Ecuador,
maybe a couple times more than I visited India, but that’s
just probably because it’s closer. We’re Americans with
parents that are immigrants (I think there’s a word for
that, but I can’t remember). Of course rice and beans is a
little different from chapatti and chicken curry, but hey-
we work it out. I cook the curry, and she cooks everything
else! Bottom line is that it’s all in a person’s mentality-
If you go out thinking hey I’m Indian, or I’m Chinese, or
whatever, and I am only supposed to marry someone within my
race, then you limit yourself to the possibilities that may
be out there.
Of course I understand if you are a FOB, and
can hardly speak English, then yeah- maybe you need to marry
someone that can understand you and enjoys running her hands
through the coconut oil in your hair. It’s not for
everybody, but I never doubted for once that God made this
young Spanish lady just for me- and He don’t make mistakes…
Chung
Lao: Are we living in the End Times?
Ben: I do believe the End is near, but I
just heard that they got 3 V-Dubs for under $17 Grand….
Whether we are or not, we should live like we are. The
writing is on the wall…
Chung Lao: Describe the ideal church, even if it’s not
realistic.
Ben: The ideal church? Well I’ll tell you
one thing- (Bro. Junior) ‘No you can’t get there in a
rocking chair.’ See- we can go ahead and describe whatever
we want as a church here on Earth, but you said it yourself-
it’s probably not realistic. I don’t believe there is a
particular church that is ‘the One’. Church is not a
tangible thing or a particular name- it’s the Body of Christ
comprised of every person across the World that is truly
following God’s Word and pursuing Holiness.
We have to deal
with the best we get down here, and work out the rest with
God. Earthly churches are run by humans, and as close as the
leaders may be to God, everybody has their flaws. The best
we can ask for is a church where leaders lead by example,
teach God’s Word- not their personal convictions, and the
entire congregation truly loves God and each other. A good
choir doesn’t hurt. ‘Can I get 3 Hullelluyyyaaass??!!’
Chung Lao: Ok, you collapse one night after a long
day’s work and go to sleep on your bed. When you wake up
the next morning, you come to find out you now live in a
civilization where dogs are the masters, and humans are the
pets. Based on how you treated Shabba, describe how Shabba
would treat you on a typical Saturday.
Ben: He would sleep till noon while I
screamed in his ear that I had to use the bathroom. He would
throw something at me, then grudgingly get up and get ready
to take me to the bathroom. He would then spot the yellow
puddle in the corner and proceed to beat me. Then we would
go out for a nice run, and all would be good. Then his
friends would come over and think I’m so cute and want to
pet me. I would wait until they feel safe, and then bite one
of them just hard enough so that they feel the pain, but not
hard enough to really injure them. I would get beat again. I
would hide under the bed until he cooled off, and then come
out, and we’d hang out, eat beef jerky together and watch a
ball game on TV.
Night time would come, and he’d get ready to go
out on the town, and I’d watch him get ready, wondering
where does this dog go every weekend, and wish I could go
along one time. I’d hear him coming in at the early hours of
the morning- “whew- he’s safe.” I’d get up, drag myself to
his bedside, put my head on his bed, and sit there watching
him until he fell asleep. I’d smile to myself and say-
that’s my dog, scratch myself, and go back to bed content.
Chung Lao: Lastly, leave us with a parting thought.
Ben: Somebody once sent me a quote. I’m not
too big on these things, but I thought this was pretty
cool-
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The
optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the
sails.” – John C. Maxwell
I say- he who smelt it dealt it.
Thank you all for coming out- Good night and God
Bless…
