A very interesting and thought provoking presentation.
COUNT = COUNT + 1
Yep, thats what this means to a programmer. One more year over.
A lot of good things happened this year --
A lot of good things happened this year --
- S and I visited India for the first time after getting married. We had a blast for 1 full month.
- Clocked the 3-Oh. But consoled myself saying "30 is the new 25". S took it as "27 is the new 16".
- Worked probably the hardest since 2002. And as in 2002, I did not get the reward that I desired. Someone has said "You don't get what you desire. You get what you deserve." I have tweaked it to "You get what upper management thinks you deserve, as long as there are enough rewards allocated". ;-)
- Sucked at cricket, but ended the season on a winning note.
- Took my resolution seriously for once.
- A little one entered the lives of someone very dear to me. The last time I was so excited was when my sis gave birth to my nephew.
- Clocked the 3-Oh.
- Worked probably the hardest since 2002. And as in 2002, I did not get the reward that I desired.
- Sucked at cricket.
Oh!!! Yes, I forgot to mention one more good thing that happened this year. I decided to be more optimistic about life.
On that note, wish all my (4) readers a very happy and a prosperous new year. Cheers.
REPEAT
Yep, someone has said that history repeats itself. And we thought of proving the someone correct for once.
Just like the proverbial London bus, the second one followed immediately after the first one. We won the tournament again this year.
We started the tournament disastrously - losing miserably against the eventual runner-up. Not only that, there were a lot of words exchanged during that game, primarily because we were responsible behind ousting them in the semi-final last year (in a tense bowl-out). The other team were hurting and when they won convincingly, they gave us an earful abt what they felt.
The next game was against a kids team on a freezing day. We were too easy on the kids and eventually our skipper had to give us another piece of his mind to ensure that we win the game.
The 3rd game went till the last over. At one point, the opponent was down and dusted with 40/4 in 10 overs but recovered to make 139/2 in 20. We needed 42 off 3 overs with 6 wickets down and then smashed the hell out of 2 overs to win with 5 balls to spare.
Lost the 4th game by some stupid batting and had to depend on rains and other results to fall in place for us to make it to the quarterfinals.
Somehow, everything worked out for us from then onwards. Played out of our skins in the quarterfinal and won by just 2 runs. The opposing team put us under so much pressure but we just held firm, 1 ball at a time. Eventually, winning by just 2 runs.
Semifinal was even difficult. We were done with abt 5 down in 3 overs but smart batting by lower order got us a tricky total. We bowled like possessed bowlers and won the game by 20 runs.
I had tickets for Panthers-Falcons game at Charlotte, but eventually made the hard decisions to not let the team down. Played the semi-final instead and won it for the team. Could not play the final, but then, our team was well set by then.
Played the Final against the same team as the first game and won very convincingly. We did not utter a word in retaliation. The pictures say it all, more than a 1000 words this time.
Just like the proverbial London bus, the second one followed immediately after the first one. We won the tournament again this year.
We started the tournament disastrously - losing miserably against the eventual runner-up. Not only that, there were a lot of words exchanged during that game, primarily because we were responsible behind ousting them in the semi-final last year (in a tense bowl-out). The other team were hurting and when they won convincingly, they gave us an earful abt what they felt.
The next game was against a kids team on a freezing day. We were too easy on the kids and eventually our skipper had to give us another piece of his mind to ensure that we win the game.
The 3rd game went till the last over. At one point, the opponent was down and dusted with 40/4 in 10 overs but recovered to make 139/2 in 20. We needed 42 off 3 overs with 6 wickets down and then smashed the hell out of 2 overs to win with 5 balls to spare.
Lost the 4th game by some stupid batting and had to depend on rains and other results to fall in place for us to make it to the quarterfinals.
Somehow, everything worked out for us from then onwards. Played out of our skins in the quarterfinal and won by just 2 runs. The opposing team put us under so much pressure but we just held firm, 1 ball at a time. Eventually, winning by just 2 runs.
Semifinal was even difficult. We were done with abt 5 down in 3 overs but smart batting by lower order got us a tricky total. We bowled like possessed bowlers and won the game by 20 runs.
I had tickets for Panthers-Falcons game at Charlotte, but eventually made the hard decisions to not let the team down. Played the semi-final instead and won it for the team. Could not play the final, but then, our team was well set by then.
Played the Final against the same team as the first game and won very convincingly. We did not utter a word in retaliation. The pictures say it all, more than a 1000 words this time.
MATCH WINNER
This blog is about this cricketer RKH. When he was playing domestic cricket, there were lot of good things heard about him. He played in domestic cricket under the leadership of VVC. No one knew whether he was a batsman or a bowler or a good fielder. The only thing that was known was that he was a player of genuine match winning ability. And like so many domestic players, no one knew if he will even get a chance to play international cricket.
Then he got a chance to play international cricket, primarily due to the captain VVC. He was a unknown entity at the world stage at the time of his debut.
In his first match, he surprised everyone with his (comic) timing and his unusual approach to the game. No one expected that the game could be played that way. It was just so positively surprising that not only he won the game for the captain VVC, he also won the hearts of the viewers. Not just that, he actually resurrected the careers of 2 players SD and AW.
Everyone was then looking forward to see RKH play again. They thought that this new "feel-good"approach will not work again and wanted to see whether he can live up to his standards.
He played the next match, in the same series. Most of the players (AW, BI and SD) were the same this time around. This second game, he was really very very good. This time, it was his sensitive side which touched the spectators. He pulled out a very old tenet, which was deemed to be totally irrelevant and outdated, and presented it in such a beautiful gift wrapping that everyone who saw the game, started believing it in again. That way, he again won the game for the captain VVC, he also captured the hearts of everyone who saw the movie. The careers of players like SD, AW and BI really got the impetus it needed.
Everyone were looking forward to the third game of the series. It was unfortunately cancelled, because one of the players SD had problem. It was a huge disappointment and everyone was worried about the future of this partnership.
Then RKH played his third game in another series. VVC was still the captain. The regular players (SD, AW) were missing and a few others stepped in (AK, RM, SJ). But really, everyone wanted to know how the game goes. They knew that if RKH plays well, all other players will perform superbly.
And he did not disappoint at all. The game was really good. His timing was good, there were many a sensitive moments in the game, there were a lot of funny moments as well. He stressed on an idea which was long long lost, and illustrated how it can be achieved. He left many a people with teary eyes (due to touching scenes) and achy stomach (due to too much laughing). He hit the sixers when it mattered and won the game, again. No one who saw the game left the stadium unsatisfied.
So, if you have not seen the game yet, go and see it. You will love it.
And after you see the game, instead of worrying about which game was the best, understand that all the games were very good. The spirit of these games was so good. And most importantly, all the games were won.
RKH won all the games, handsomely for VVC. Looking forward to seeing him play and win many many more games.
Now, let me unravel the mystery --
RKH -- Raj Kumar Hirani
VVC -- Vidhu Vinod Chopra
AW -- Arshad Warsi
BI -- Boman Irani
SD -- Sanjay Dutt
AK -- Aamir Khan
SJ -- Sharman Joshi
RM -- R. Madhavan
First Match -- Munnabhai MBBS
Second Match -- Lage Raho
Third Match -- 3 Idiots
WELL SAID - 0
Whenever I read a good article or interview, I find some good quotes which make so much sense and impact me in a certain way. This old post is one such quote which I still remember. This series "WELL SAID" is an attempt to list them at an easily accessible location. I will also mention the source of the quote, so that the readers can find out more.
Read this one from Amit Verma's post where he gives tips on how to be a good blogger. I just love this line, it makes such an impact.
Style should be a slave to the substance -- while writing a blog, the focus should be on the WHAT of the message to be conveyed and not on the HOW of the message to be conveyed. But what a classic way of driving the message home.
Read this one from Amit Verma's post where he gives tips on how to be a good blogger. I just love this line, it makes such an impact.
Style should be a slave to the substance -- while writing a blog, the focus should be on the WHAT of the message to be conveyed and not on the HOW of the message to be conveyed. But what a classic way of driving the message home.
PLAYING WITHIN THE RULES
One of the reality shows followed by S and I is Amazing Race. The latest season of Amazing Race finished last weekend and this season lived up to the high standards of AR. No wonder this show has been voted the best reality shows for so many years.
AR tests the participants in multiple aspects -- capacity to handle pressure, physical strength, thinking out of the box, adjusting to different cultures and being prepared for the unexpected. It takes you around the world and shows unique aspects of cultures around the world. And, of course, India features in most of their seasons.
But S and I like this show for another reason -- this show leaves your fate in your hands. Of course, there are twisters like U-turn once in a while, but most of the time, you play well and you make it through. If you mess up, you ruin your chances of going through to the next leg. There is no nomination for elimination, no plotting and planning, no backstabbing like some other shows (e.g. Survivor or Big Brother). This keeps the whole vibe of the episode very positive. Everyone is bothered about their individual performances without bothering to trip the other person.
This season was different in another aspect as well. This time I saw teams collaborate with each other and achieve common goals. They solved puzzles together, gave tips and pointers so that everyone gained in tough roadblocks. They shared clues and cabs. They gave each other crucial hints which altered the dynamics in a matter of minutes. They competed WITH each other instead of competing AGAINST each other. And this was not a pre-decided strategy. All these were decisions taken on the fly. Teams helped each other and moved on without any expectations of favors in return.
And funnily, the organizers could not do anything about it because no rules were broken here. It was all within the books and totally legal.
And in a very strange way, the teams which gelled like this benefited in some way or other. All the 3 finalists played the game in the right spirit, without any pre-determined alliances, and benefited at crucial junctures of the journey.
Obviously, there were players who played dirty games and made it ahead. But, they lost the trust of the other teams and it hit them at the worst place and worst time. But most of the teams played it the good way.
And this made the whole experience of the season a very positive one. Sunday nights were never depressing. We actually looked forward to having a freshly cooked meal in front of 1 hour of positive entertainment.
And see this --
Please can someone explain to the participants of some of India's stupid reality shows what "playing within the rules" means.
AR tests the participants in multiple aspects -- capacity to handle pressure, physical strength, thinking out of the box, adjusting to different cultures and being prepared for the unexpected. It takes you around the world and shows unique aspects of cultures around the world. And, of course, India features in most of their seasons.
But S and I like this show for another reason -- this show leaves your fate in your hands. Of course, there are twisters like U-turn once in a while, but most of the time, you play well and you make it through. If you mess up, you ruin your chances of going through to the next leg. There is no nomination for elimination, no plotting and planning, no backstabbing like some other shows (e.g. Survivor or Big Brother). This keeps the whole vibe of the episode very positive. Everyone is bothered about their individual performances without bothering to trip the other person.
This season was different in another aspect as well. This time I saw teams collaborate with each other and achieve common goals. They solved puzzles together, gave tips and pointers so that everyone gained in tough roadblocks. They shared clues and cabs. They gave each other crucial hints which altered the dynamics in a matter of minutes. They competed WITH each other instead of competing AGAINST each other. And this was not a pre-decided strategy. All these were decisions taken on the fly. Teams helped each other and moved on without any expectations of favors in return.
And funnily, the organizers could not do anything about it because no rules were broken here. It was all within the books and totally legal.
And in a very strange way, the teams which gelled like this benefited in some way or other. All the 3 finalists played the game in the right spirit, without any pre-determined alliances, and benefited at crucial junctures of the journey.
Obviously, there were players who played dirty games and made it ahead. But, they lost the trust of the other teams and it hit them at the worst place and worst time. But most of the teams played it the good way.
And this made the whole experience of the season a very positive one. Sunday nights were never depressing. We actually looked forward to having a freshly cooked meal in front of 1 hour of positive entertainment.
And see this --
Please can someone explain to the participants of some of India's stupid reality shows what "playing within the rules" means.
TIGER in the WOODS?
Everyone knows whats going on with Tiger Woods. But I am totally surprised with the public reaction to these happenings.
Don't get me wrong. No way am I supporting or approving whatever he has done. He has let his family down. Period.
But what I am unable to understand is, who are we to question him, ridicule him, mock him and humiliate him. There is so much negative media spotlight on him. There are Christmas cards, Christmas carols and songs written on him. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is making fun of him on radio talk shows and TV shows.
Don't get me wrong. No way am I supporting or approving whatever he has done. He has let his family down. Period.
But what I am unable to understand is, who are we to question him, ridicule him, mock him and humiliate him. There is so much negative media spotlight on him. There are Christmas cards, Christmas carols and songs written on him. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is making fun of him on radio talk shows and TV shows.
He is one of the best golfers ever and someone who was a role model to millions until last month. He was regarded as one of the best sportsmen from the US. An able testament to his class was that he recently featured in a Gillette ad with Roger Federer, Derek Jeter and Rahul Dravid. He is a partner in Tag Heuer as well.
He was made a hero by the people because he was very good at his profession. He gave it back to the society as well with umpteen charities to the needy ones.
According to me, TW is answerable only to his family. Everyone else is immaterial.
Who are we to make fun of such a great player? What have we achieved to point fingers at such a legend? Probably, the answer to this Q lies in another Q -- How much media attention do you want when you do a mistake?
Top of the stack
So, the Indian team finally reaches the top of the stack called ranking system. There will be umpteen but's that the team may be ranked #1 but still is not the best or that how can we be #1 when we have not won any series in SA and AUS etc. etc.
Everything accepted. But for now, let us salute to the players and the support staff who made this possible. Hats Off and Thank You.
The best part about this achievement is that it was achieved in the longest format of the game. Ironically, success in this format takes the longest to achieve. Any team can win 20-20 World Cup by great performances by just 1 or 2 players over a period of a week or 2 (just like Afridi did it earlier this year). A good team can win the World Cup by just being in top form just that season (just like Pakistan did it in 1992 or Sri Lanka did it in 1996 or for that matter, India did it in 1983). But to do that in Test matches, it takes consistent performances for a period of years.
According to me, this journey started in 2001 when India defeated Australia in that epic series. We were a very young team (Fab Four and Kumble were just 28-29, Bhajji-Zaheer others were even younger) and that series made everyone believe that the right ingredients were in place. The right guidance and direction were going to make this a success.
The super performance in Australia in 2004, Pakistan in 2004, England in 2006, WI in 2007 and NZ in 2009 were just additional levels built on that excellent foundation. The core group stayed in place (Fab 4, Kumble, Zaheer, Bhajji, Sehwag etc) and the journeymen (Bangar, Gambhir, Pathan, RP Singh, Sreesanth, Yuvraj, Dhoni) supported them. Some of them excelled to be the core group (Gambhir, Dhoni) and some perished away to the grinds of domestic cricket.
But, as a result of consistent performances over the last few years, the crowning glory was achieved today. Today, at least due to this statistical achievement, the cricketing world will take a note. Today, we are not a team who are afraid to play SA at Kingsmead or Australia at Perth or England at Headingley. We actually look forward to challenge them at their fortresses. We are a team who expect to win away from home.
In a couple of years, most of the seniors, especially the batsmen will retire. Whether the replacements may or may not fill these huge voids remains to be seen. But for today, thank you for making us proud, once again.
Everything accepted. But for now, let us salute to the players and the support staff who made this possible. Hats Off and Thank You.
The best part about this achievement is that it was achieved in the longest format of the game. Ironically, success in this format takes the longest to achieve. Any team can win 20-20 World Cup by great performances by just 1 or 2 players over a period of a week or 2 (just like Afridi did it earlier this year). A good team can win the World Cup by just being in top form just that season (just like Pakistan did it in 1992 or Sri Lanka did it in 1996 or for that matter, India did it in 1983). But to do that in Test matches, it takes consistent performances for a period of years.
According to me, this journey started in 2001 when India defeated Australia in that epic series. We were a very young team (Fab Four and Kumble were just 28-29, Bhajji-Zaheer others were even younger) and that series made everyone believe that the right ingredients were in place. The right guidance and direction were going to make this a success.
The super performance in Australia in 2004, Pakistan in 2004, England in 2006, WI in 2007 and NZ in 2009 were just additional levels built on that excellent foundation. The core group stayed in place (Fab 4, Kumble, Zaheer, Bhajji, Sehwag etc) and the journeymen (Bangar, Gambhir, Pathan, RP Singh, Sreesanth, Yuvraj, Dhoni) supported them. Some of them excelled to be the core group (Gambhir, Dhoni) and some perished away to the grinds of domestic cricket.
But, as a result of consistent performances over the last few years, the crowning glory was achieved today. Today, at least due to this statistical achievement, the cricketing world will take a note. Today, we are not a team who are afraid to play SA at Kingsmead or Australia at Perth or England at Headingley. We actually look forward to challenge them at their fortresses. We are a team who expect to win away from home.
In a couple of years, most of the seniors, especially the batsmen will retire. Whether the replacements may or may not fill these huge voids remains to be seen. But for today, thank you for making us proud, once again.
CELEBRITY OBSESSION
What is this obsession that we commoners have with celebrities? I have been wondering about this for some time.
There are more pictures of Shilpa Shetty's wedding than about 26/11 in the last few days. Btw, can anyone name her last movie? There are more pics / articles of Rakhi Sawant, AB, SRK compared to everyone else combined.
This time, I had a hands-on experience of this manic behavior.
S and I are in LA and SFO for the Thanksgiving week and are visiting the various tourist spots in the vicinity. When at Alcatraz, I could see visitors sit on the toilet of the cell occupied by Robert "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud and click pictures. I could see others enter the cells of this jail and act as if they are prisoners of this cell and get some pictures clicked. This is probably the only time (i sincerely hope) that ppl pay to go to jail.
Then we were in Hollywood - BelAir - Beverly Hills and taking a guided tour of the area when the tour guide was pointing to different houses and identifying the celebrity who currently stays (or previously stayed) in those mansions. Not even 5-10% of those house could be seen due to the huge screening trees around the homes. But still, tourists were clicking their way to glory. Even worse, they even were clicking pictures of some parks where some celebs were caught breaking the law. There was no proof that these celebs actually stayed there or the crimes were actually broken there. But, the obsession towards celebs and their star studded lives made these ppl believe anything and everything narrated by the tour guide.
This reminds me of one funny incident that my uncle went through in Mumbai many years ago. For someone who came from a very small town and was visiting Mumbai for a month, he took the Mumbai Darshan bus. The biggest attraction of this bus ride was to see bollywood star's homes.
The guide showed a bungalow as AB's home. Next week, his wife and kids came to Mumbai and my uncle took them in the same bus with the same tour guide. This time, the guide showed an entirely different house as AB's home. My uncle immediately caught him red-handed and questioned him in front of the entire tourist group -- Hey, last week you showed me a different home as AB's home. This week you are showing me something new. Whats going on? The guide was smart -- ShaaNa, as they are called in Mumbai. He coolly replied -- AB moved over the weekend.
There are more pictures of Shilpa Shetty's wedding than about 26/11 in the last few days. Btw, can anyone name her last movie? There are more pics / articles of Rakhi Sawant, AB, SRK compared to everyone else combined.
This time, I had a hands-on experience of this manic behavior.
S and I are in LA and SFO for the Thanksgiving week and are visiting the various tourist spots in the vicinity. When at Alcatraz, I could see visitors sit on the toilet of the cell occupied by Robert "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud and click pictures. I could see others enter the cells of this jail and act as if they are prisoners of this cell and get some pictures clicked. This is probably the only time (i sincerely hope) that ppl pay to go to jail.
Then we were in Hollywood - BelAir - Beverly Hills and taking a guided tour of the area when the tour guide was pointing to different houses and identifying the celebrity who currently stays (or previously stayed) in those mansions. Not even 5-10% of those house could be seen due to the huge screening trees around the homes. But still, tourists were clicking their way to glory. Even worse, they even were clicking pictures of some parks where some celebs were caught breaking the law. There was no proof that these celebs actually stayed there or the crimes were actually broken there. But, the obsession towards celebs and their star studded lives made these ppl believe anything and everything narrated by the tour guide.
This reminds me of one funny incident that my uncle went through in Mumbai many years ago. For someone who came from a very small town and was visiting Mumbai for a month, he took the Mumbai Darshan bus. The biggest attraction of this bus ride was to see bollywood star's homes.
The guide showed a bungalow as AB's home. Next week, his wife and kids came to Mumbai and my uncle took them in the same bus with the same tour guide. This time, the guide showed an entirely different house as AB's home. My uncle immediately caught him red-handed and questioned him in front of the entire tourist group -- Hey, last week you showed me a different home as AB's home. This week you are showing me something new. Whats going on? The guide was smart -- ShaaNa, as they are called in Mumbai. He coolly replied -- AB moved over the weekend.
So, whats different in this one?
Yesterday, the marriage clock chimed 4 am. Its been 4 fabulous years full of fun and bliss. The near and dear ones called to wish and it was a day exactly as we would have wanted it to be. Morever, this was our first anniversary to fall on a weekend. All our prior anniversaries including the wedding day were weekdays.
So, to mark the occasion, I did what only insane or very rich or unmarried men dare to do. I took my girl on a shopping day out, to a place where there are 150+ factory outlets of any brand that you can name. We will do the math of the damage some other day.
But what surprised me was not her appetite to shop but the reasons to choose a dress. "The collar is different on this one.". "I do not have anything in this print". "The sleeves on this one is nice". "The color is different". -- Rather, if there is any reason to buy the dress, the lady decides to buy it.
On the other hand -- whenever I liked a shirt or a tee or jeans or jacket, I used to remember some garment which I already have which has something in similar to the new garment and would not proceed with the purchase. If there is any reason why I should not buy it, the man decides not to buy it.
Made me wonder -- is this an inherent difference between men and women? Are all the Martians like this and are all the Venetians like this?
Views most welcome.
So, to mark the occasion, I did what only insane or very rich or unmarried men dare to do. I took my girl on a shopping day out, to a place where there are 150+ factory outlets of any brand that you can name. We will do the math of the damage some other day.
But what surprised me was not her appetite to shop but the reasons to choose a dress. "The collar is different on this one.". "I do not have anything in this print". "The sleeves on this one is nice". "The color is different". -- Rather, if there is any reason to buy the dress, the lady decides to buy it.
On the other hand -- whenever I liked a shirt or a tee or jeans or jacket, I used to remember some garment which I already have which has something in similar to the new garment and would not proceed with the purchase. If there is any reason why I should not buy it, the man decides not to buy it.
Made me wonder -- is this an inherent difference between men and women? Are all the Martians like this and are all the Venetians like this?
Views most welcome.
Namaste
An awesome interpretation of the word "Namaste" which we have been using for years together. Worth a watch.
AMAZING CREATIVITY
Now here are 2 instances of amazing creativity. We all remember "Jack and Jill" from our childhood. Here are 2 takes of that nursery rhyme.
1. A Bhojpuri remix by Raju Srivastava --
2. If Jack and Jill really happened, how NDTV would report it -- http://india-in-my-nightie.blogspot.com/2009/10/two-persons-hurt-in-climbing-mishap.html
ps: The 2nd link is something which I got from Amit Verma's blog.
1. A Bhojpuri remix by Raju Srivastava --
2. If Jack and Jill really happened, how NDTV would report it -- http://india-in-my-nightie.blogspot.com/2009/10/two-persons-hurt-in-climbing-mishap.html
ps: The 2nd link is something which I got from Amit Verma's blog.
TOO SWEET TO HANDLE?
There is a very well known celebrity chef. He has been cooking for more than 12 years now. He has made a few very good dishes, probably some of the best of all time. All those dishes were the favorites of his guests and very well reviewed by critics. Even today, whenever he is making a dish, it is very anticipated.
He had one sous chef amongst many. This sous chef has now graduated out of his culinary school and is ready to make his own signature course. Another well known restaurant, known for its head chef, gives a chance to his sous chef to make his own signature course. The stage is set for a very good course.
The ingredients are a few, but from the best farms. One of them is from a farm which has been known for generations for its products. The latest farm produce is regarded very highly and it is expected that this one will be a part in a lot of good dishes in the future. The other ingredient is also someone who has created a unqiue place for itself in the palate of critics with a special taste. There are a few other routine ingredients -- the salts and the peppers etc. But nothing over the board.
Now comes the topic of the style of the dish. This is a dish which you might eat a lot in your day to day life. As someone from the city where this dish originates, I have seen this dish being prepared many times.
All in all, the stage is set for a great dish. Now comes the time for tasting.
The entire course turns out to be perfect. From the time you taste it, you know it is perfect. The main 2 ingredients get ample visibility, the supports play their role to perfection and never end up outstaging the main 2 ingredients.
But the last bite -- ended up being too sweet -- and ruined the taste. To make the last bite sweet, there was unnecessary sweetness added and that made the entire dish, too sweet. Probably, just because of the belief that every course should end up with a sweet dessert.
Sounds familiar? Well, thats "Wake Up Sid" in a gist!!!
Ayan Mukherjee, a very good director who started as an assistant under Karan Johar. Moved to the Yash Chopra camp to direct his first movie. Ranbir "the-next-Kapoor" is regarded very highly not only on potential but also on the glimpses of the few performances so far. Konkana has set the bar pretty high for herself. Support cast of Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak and Rahul Khanna play their "supporting" role to perfection and the other characters stay in the outskirts of the plot.
The story is something which I have seen happen so many times in Mumbai. Rich kids who do not think abt anything else other than cars, parties and money. Capturing those aspects of such a life so well shows the class of the director. More importantly, this has been done in Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya, but still W-U-S stands apart. The whole movie moves smoothly and its very easy for most of the metro-kids to relate to.
All this until the end. Why is it that 2 individuals HAVE to fall in love or live like a brother-sister? Why can 2 individuals not be friends for ever? Why can they not be in a pure relationship which does not fall in the 2 categories mentioned above?
The director probably had to do this to the classical Indian taste, but for me, it ruined the movie. But that has ruined this whole dish, according to my opinion.
Why does every dinner have to end with a dessert?
He had one sous chef amongst many. This sous chef has now graduated out of his culinary school and is ready to make his own signature course. Another well known restaurant, known for its head chef, gives a chance to his sous chef to make his own signature course. The stage is set for a very good course.
The ingredients are a few, but from the best farms. One of them is from a farm which has been known for generations for its products. The latest farm produce is regarded very highly and it is expected that this one will be a part in a lot of good dishes in the future. The other ingredient is also someone who has created a unqiue place for itself in the palate of critics with a special taste. There are a few other routine ingredients -- the salts and the peppers etc. But nothing over the board.
Now comes the topic of the style of the dish. This is a dish which you might eat a lot in your day to day life. As someone from the city where this dish originates, I have seen this dish being prepared many times.
All in all, the stage is set for a great dish. Now comes the time for tasting.
The entire course turns out to be perfect. From the time you taste it, you know it is perfect. The main 2 ingredients get ample visibility, the supports play their role to perfection and never end up outstaging the main 2 ingredients.
But the last bite -- ended up being too sweet -- and ruined the taste. To make the last bite sweet, there was unnecessary sweetness added and that made the entire dish, too sweet. Probably, just because of the belief that every course should end up with a sweet dessert.
Sounds familiar? Well, thats "Wake Up Sid" in a gist!!!
Ayan Mukherjee, a very good director who started as an assistant under Karan Johar. Moved to the Yash Chopra camp to direct his first movie. Ranbir "the-next-Kapoor" is regarded very highly not only on potential but also on the glimpses of the few performances so far. Konkana has set the bar pretty high for herself. Support cast of Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak and Rahul Khanna play their "supporting" role to perfection and the other characters stay in the outskirts of the plot.
The story is something which I have seen happen so many times in Mumbai. Rich kids who do not think abt anything else other than cars, parties and money. Capturing those aspects of such a life so well shows the class of the director. More importantly, this has been done in Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya, but still W-U-S stands apart. The whole movie moves smoothly and its very easy for most of the metro-kids to relate to.
All this until the end. Why is it that 2 individuals HAVE to fall in love or live like a brother-sister? Why can 2 individuals not be friends for ever? Why can they not be in a pure relationship which does not fall in the 2 categories mentioned above?
The director probably had to do this to the classical Indian taste, but for me, it ruined the movie. But that has ruined this whole dish, according to my opinion.
Why does every dinner have to end with a dessert?
LIFE IN THE DESERT
Got this link from one of the blogs that I follow regularly. Pictures of someone praying, someone feeding pigeons, someone working out, someone flying a kite, someone playing soccer, someone enjoying at an amusement park just prove that there is life amidst the mayhem -- that is pretty much every remaining pic in that link.
Whats the plan Mr. Obama? When are you going to stop all this?
Whats the plan Mr. Obama? When are you going to stop all this?
RAKESH MARIA
From the time this name started making the headlines (since 1992), this man never ceases to amaze me.
Even though his father was a bollywood producer, he chose to appear for IPS. Today, in an organization known only for corruption and encounter killings, he one of the most respected officers. His sincerity and his commitment makes him stand apart from the crowd. Especially, during the November Mumbai attacks, he was the one who held fort in the Mumbai Police Control Room and controlled and marshalled a war-like situation.
I was reading his interview (continued here and here) and then I had a chance to see this video. My admiration for him continued to grow and I started imagining how intense would he be at work.
Then I got to see this scene (start from abt 5.10). K.K. Menon plays Rakesh Maria in this movie and this scene where he just silences the terrorist is so hard-hitting. The red light in the background make the sequence very impactful.
Hats off to the director Anurag Kashyap, actor KK Menon and obviously, Rakesh Maria.
Even though his father was a bollywood producer, he chose to appear for IPS. Today, in an organization known only for corruption and encounter killings, he one of the most respected officers. His sincerity and his commitment makes him stand apart from the crowd. Especially, during the November Mumbai attacks, he was the one who held fort in the Mumbai Police Control Room and controlled and marshalled a war-like situation.
I was reading his interview (continued here and here) and then I had a chance to see this video. My admiration for him continued to grow and I started imagining how intense would he be at work.
Then I got to see this scene (start from abt 5.10). K.K. Menon plays Rakesh Maria in this movie and this scene where he just silences the terrorist is so hard-hitting. The red light in the background make the sequence very impactful.
Hats off to the director Anurag Kashyap, actor KK Menon and obviously, Rakesh Maria.
CHECK THIS OUT!!!
Take a look at this video. A spectator catches a flyball at a Phillies game. This is equivalent to a spectator catching a sixer hit in cricket. The only difference is that in baseball, the spectator can keep the ball for self. Usually, these serve as a souvenior for life and one can make a decent amount of money by auctioning it on ebay and the likes.
http://sports.yahoo.com/video/player/feat/MLB_Highlights/15594603
The dad catches the flyball at a Phillies game. He has his few moments of fame. Then his daughter asks for the ball. Daddy gives it to the daughter and without a moment's haste, she tosses the ball back where hundreds of fans wait to collect the souvenior.
However sweet and funny this is, I am really surprised at the father's reaction. There is absolutely no frown on his face. Not even an ounce of sadness or anger. His smile never vanishes, even for a fraction of a second. Infact, as soon as the kid realizes that she has done something wrong, he immediately hugs her so sweetly.
This reminded me of all my mistakes I have done as a kid (and mind you, I have hundreds of them) and have missed the rod.
Thanks mom and dad!!! You are the best!!!
SAFE or INSIGNIFICANT?
Yesterday evening, my local football team got trounced and shredded to bits. It was a horrible game and a gutless performance. It does not give a good vibe for the rest of the season. As soon as the game started going south, I went off and slept.
Today began with Indian cricket team taking on Sri Lanka in the final of a stupid Compaq cup. The game was laced with a brilliant century by Sachin and then a gutsy performance by Bhajji to bring the trophy India's way. Until the 8th SL wicket went down, it was anyone's game. I was excited to say the least. As soon as the 8th wicket fell (the 9th fell, next ball), the game was in India's hands. I was so happy after India won the game that I was cheerful for the rest of the day.
Then, in the evening, saw unknown Del Potro take on the might of Roger Federer and deliver a performance which can be termed as the tennis upset of the year. A player whom I love, respect and adore lost against someone who no-one knew before this tournament. As soon as the game was over, I got to make dinner so that I am done in time for the Patriots season opener.
This pats game turned out to be a total humdinger. Even until the last play (3 seconds), any team could have won. It was such a humdinger that I was actually shouting and wifey's doubt about my craziness were gaining more and more conviction with every passing second. As soon as the game was over, I was very very happy. Felt good enough to work for a couple of hours into the midnight.
Which brings me to the thought -- are we armchair fans in the best position? Nothing to lose, everything to celebrate. If the team we support wins, we get the bragging rights. We get every right to gloat about. But on any occasion when the team loses, we can blame the bunch of overpaid fatsos and conviniently slide away from the wrath.
Do we, the armchair fans, have nothing to lose and everything to gain? Are we safe?
FUNNY?
Wifey and I were seeing the desi version of "I am a celeb... " meets "Survivor" in "Iss Jungle se...". In the first few episodes, it was seen that the so-called celebs were penalized for not speaking in Hindi on the show. Have seen similar attempts on "Bigg Boss" as well.
Fair enough, they want to reach a wider audience (read non-English speaking) and improve the TRP by forcing the cast to speak in Hindi.
But then, a few days after the "penalize" episode, the cast continued talking in English without giving a damn abt the fines. So, the producer of the show added subtitles to aid the intended wider audience. Again, very fair. TRP at any cost.
But the hilarious part is, these subtitles were in English!!! Whats the point in adding subtitles in English when the audience can not even understand english. I am yet to meet someone who can read a language but can not understand it.
On similar lines, here is one such funny blog -- http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com/2009/09/two-out-of-three-aint-bad.html
Wifey and I were seeing the desi version of "I am a celeb... " meets "Survivor" in "Iss Jungle se...". In the first few episodes, it was seen that the so-called celebs were penalized for not speaking in Hindi on the show. Have seen similar attempts on "Bigg Boss" as well.
Fair enough, they want to reach a wider audience (read non-English speaking) and improve the TRP by forcing the cast to speak in Hindi.
But then, a few days after the "penalize" episode, the cast continued talking in English without giving a damn abt the fines. So, the producer of the show added subtitles to aid the intended wider audience. Again, very fair. TRP at any cost.
But the hilarious part is, these subtitles were in English!!! Whats the point in adding subtitles in English when the audience can not even understand english. I am yet to meet someone who can read a language but can not understand it.
On similar lines, here is one such funny blog -- http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com/2009/09/two-out-of-three-aint-bad.html
YOU SAID IT!!!
Wifey has been obsessed with reality cookery shows and realty shows for some time now.
The former genre has chefs doing exactly what aspiring singers do in the umpteen singing talent hunt shows in India. Come from all corners of the country (or even abroad), give a taste (literally) of their skills and get eliminated 1-by-1 every episode until there is 1 winner who earns a minor bounty and slips into oblivion. These chefs make cookery as complicated as rocket science and the judges (barring a few really good ones) are no better than Anu Malik giving singing lessons to aspiring singers.
The second genre has home buyers checking out 3 prospective homes before finalizing the purchase of one of the three. This one is relatively less monotonous because, once in a while, the buyers shun all the 3 prospects and improve their chances of getting casted in another episode.
These shows are not that boring to watch once in a while, but for someone who has ABSOLUTELY no plans to get into real estate soon and for someone whom food is something that is good to the palate, these shows can be a real torture. Especially, while watching a good movie or a live game, it can be killing if the channels keep swapping every 2 minutes.
So, I finally gathered courage and asked. And for my 3 readers, this is a crash course in "How to crush a conversation in 2 easy steps for Dummies" --
Me -- Dont you get bored seeing the same shows every time you sit in front of the TV?
She -- Its like seeing your football / baseball / cricket games every time you put on the TV.
Me -- Yes, but thats different. Its a new game every time.
She -- Well, so is this.
If, anyone knows how to defend this case, I will nominate you for the best orator in this world.
ARISTOCRACY or DEMOCRAZY?
I had earlier posted a blog on similar lines. I would like to mark this post as part 2 of that blog.
YSR died in a chopper wreck and even before his body is brought back to Hyderabad, there are lobbyists clamouring to nominate his 36 yr old son to be the next CM. This fellow is just 100 days in politics, yes just 100. He stood for parliamentary elections earlier this year and was elected from his home town. Prior to that, he had absolutely no experience in politics. Whatever he is today (politician, newspaper baron etc) is purely due to the blessings of his father. Yet, why is there such a big hoopla to get him to the post of the CM? Just because he is YSR's son.
And this is the norm, this is the rule. And this rule has no exception. Go to any political party today and only the sons and daughters are getting promoted. Descent is the sole qualification.
Here are umpteen more cases -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_families_of_India
Every instance above is from a different part or different state. Irrespective of the state / political affiliation / generation, the next generation inherits the chair.
Same about Bollywood. Only star sons / star daughters get good opportunities. Else, how can anyone justify the presence of Tushar Kapoor in this industry.
The most important part is, we the people, are allowing this to happen. For decades, this is happening and we the people just accept it. We are supposedly the "power" bearers and we give the power in someone's hands just because they are their father's son/daughter. Just like earlier days -- when the princes used to take the throne once the father dies or abdicates the throne, by default. Only thing left for the "praja" to do was yell "Maharaja ki jai ho !!!"
So, the real Q is -- are we still in Aristocratic mode? When will democrazy go away and real democracy arrive.
I had earlier posted a blog on similar lines. I would like to mark this post as part 2 of that blog.
YSR died in a chopper wreck and even before his body is brought back to Hyderabad, there are lobbyists clamouring to nominate his 36 yr old son to be the next CM. This fellow is just 100 days in politics, yes just 100. He stood for parliamentary elections earlier this year and was elected from his home town. Prior to that, he had absolutely no experience in politics. Whatever he is today (politician, newspaper baron etc) is purely due to the blessings of his father. Yet, why is there such a big hoopla to get him to the post of the CM? Just because he is YSR's son.
And this is the norm, this is the rule. And this rule has no exception. Go to any political party today and only the sons and daughters are getting promoted. Descent is the sole qualification.
Here are umpteen more cases -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_families_of_India
Every instance above is from a different part or different state. Irrespective of the state / political affiliation / generation, the next generation inherits the chair.
Same about Bollywood. Only star sons / star daughters get good opportunities. Else, how can anyone justify the presence of Tushar Kapoor in this industry.
The most important part is, we the people, are allowing this to happen. For decades, this is happening and we the people just accept it. We are supposedly the "power" bearers and we give the power in someone's hands just because they are their father's son/daughter. Just like earlier days -- when the princes used to take the throne once the father dies or abdicates the throne, by default. Only thing left for the "praja" to do was yell "Maharaja ki jai ho !!!"
So, the real Q is -- are we still in Aristocratic mode? When will democrazy go away and real democracy arrive.
JINNAH or SARDAR PATEL
There is a popular saying "If your enemy is hell bent upon jumping off a cliff, do not bother to push him over the edge". Congress party is sticking to this piece of advice by keeping mum on the current show of self-destruction going on within the BJP.
Most of us are aware of the chronology of the events in this entire mess, but this is really a bunch of losers trying to find a scapegoat. After the loss in the recent parliamentary elections, they are enacting a headless chicken perfectly.
They needed an excuse to start the post-election massacre and Jaswant Singh's book gave them a much-needed trigger. I am not the best person to validate the authenticity of the excerpts from the book, but I, for sure, do not care whether it is true or not.
I thoroughly respect Sardar Patel. He is the reason why we see India as a nation and not a collection of Kashmirs. Nehru was the one who handled Kashmir - the only state not handled by Sardar Patel - and look what a mess it is. The sole reason why India is what it is today - an unified nation - is Sardar Patel. Infact, the very reason why India is a part of Kashmir today - the Instrument of Accession signed by Raja Hari Singh - is Sardar Patel. He arm twisted the king into signing it, else Kashmir would have been taken over by Pakistan in 1948.
But, if Jaswant Singh's book is true, I respect Sardar Patel even more. If he is the reason behind the partition, may he reign in heaven.
Who wants a unified India-Pakistan-Bangladesh. I can not even imagine a country bordering Afghanistan and Taliban neighbours. Terrorists from Pakistan and Bangladesh are already wrecking havoc in our country even when they are not allowed in our contry. Can you imagine what they would have done if they were legally a part of our soil.
Bomb-blasts every day in every city... No way to identify who is a terrorist or not, because everyone would be a citizen of "unified" India... Western nations threatening to bomb us to stone age... Proving to the world that we are not bad and the trouble makers are "non-state-elements"... Phew!!!
Thank You Sardar Patel for saving our country, one more time!!!
CALM AFTER THE STORM?
Last Friday, I took my project to completion. I was working on this project since November 2008. Thats 10 long months.
In the 10 months before November 2008, I executed 2 big and 5-6 small projects. But the latest project was the only one that I worked on in the last 10 months. Nothing else, absolutely nothing. Every single day, I was working only on this project. From 8 am to 9 pm, sometimes even later. Add to it, up to 4 hours per day every weekend. I was not a part of any other initiative, any other activity during these 10 months.
It took a toll on my health, personal agenda and family life. The India vacation not withstanding, I did not take even 1 day off during the entire 10 months.
As the project neared completion, the heat kept on increasing (duh!!!), tempers flared and verbal volleys ranged. For once, I was always in the clear and the only thing I received was praises and cheerios. But all other teams had a bad time.
Eventually, the project reached a logical conclusion and then arrived the calm after the storm. From last Friday, there has been a void in the schedule. It seems like there is no urgency for anything anymore. There is no one baying for your blood. Life is a routine 8.30 to 5 vanilla flavor.
Actually, one incident touched me, I had a print out of an important design document which was like my bible in the last 6 months. I carried it around with me like I carried my wallet or like my cell phone. I used to refer to it like I used to check my email. On Friday evening, after I finished my project, I cleaned up my desk and picked that document to be shredded. Putting that document through the shredder actually touched me.
Why does this happen? Why does someone miss the most hectic phase even when it takes a big toll on life? Why does someone miss the storm in the calm?
WHAT THE HECK!!!
Two high profile Indians go through a similar bad experience. I would not call the experience a shocker or a trauma etc. It is something that any one of us might have to go through.
APJ and SRK are two people who are in two professions which are as different as chalk and cheese. Both of them have raised the bar and have set such high standards for themselves in their own way that a sizeable chunk of Indian population regard them in high esteem. The fan following is pretty much similar across gender / age / profession.
Both of them go through a similar experience -- APJ was frisked in India and SRK in US. Both of them are Muslims, one is a nuclear scientist and other is in a profession where bad elements of the society invest a lot of their black money.
But, the gracious way in which APJ handled it probably showed how dignified he is. I do not think SRK is creating an issue here, it could be the hyperactive media. But SRK can keep his mouth shut and let this whole thing die away instead of giving media bytes and adding fuel to fire.
Just amazed how the same situation can be handled smartly and how it can be messed up as well.
NICE QUOTE
Was reading an article about a journalist meeting his idol, an Indian legend of royal descent. The journo was worried that the legend might not live up to the idolized image he had envisioned in his mind.
Ironically, the last line of the article read -- "There is one thing worse than being disappointed by your heroes and that is to let them down yourself."
OMAR SHOWS THE WAY!!!
Jammu-Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah submits his resignation for the allegations that his NC government is involved in a scandal which happened when his government was not in power. The same opposition (read Mehbooba Mufti) which is creating a ruckus right now was the one in power when this scandal took place. But, its really amazing, how Ms Mufti shove the entire blame on NC and now is creating hell in the JK assembly.
But, what is really praiseworthy is how gracefully Omar Abdullah has handled the situation. Within an hour of the issue raised in the assembly, he submitted his resignation. That too even after CBI had given him and his government a clean chit in their investigation. In his speech, he just said one sentence -- "I am guilty until proven innocent, so I submit my resignation".
When was the last time any politician said that and submitted the resignation? Probably, Madhavrao Scindia in 1992. That too when the investigation agency had already given a clean chit? Never.
If even 10% of our politicians follow Omar's suit, our country will be a much better place to live. Thanks Omar for showing everyone the way to go.
BACK!!!
RS reminded me that I have been out of action for way long. So true!!!
The project that I have been working on since January has been killing me. So bad that I have not visited the gym since January. The only activity that I have indulged in is weekly cricket practice. Whenever I get a breather, I just feel like relaxing and reading something which, according to my dear wife, makes no value-add. I have not worked out, never had a jog, not done anything creative for a long time.
Cricket has been very bad this year for me as well. I played only 4 games this season in which I got to bat only twice and scored only 3 runs. In bowling, I bowled 10 overs only, gave whopping 90 runs in those 10 overs, got only 2 wickets and took only 3 catches. Dropped one catch which could have turned the game in our favor.
Have taken S only to 1 vacation, albeit a good one. Yes, we did spend one month in India, but when is a vacation to India long enough. We are planning a vacation in the later half of the year, when the project pressures die down.
But, its almost end of July, and 7 months of this year are already overs. Within a couple of months, mercury will take its annual dip and all the activities will die down gradually.
So, here is a resolution -- I will go daily for a run and try to go to the gym atleast twice a week. Take S for a nice vacation at the end of the year. Will make sure that my contributions to my cricket team make me proud. Will indulge in activities which will lead to some value add. And yes, will blog regularly from here on.
RS reminded me that I have been out of action for way long. So true!!!
The project that I have been working on since January has been killing me. So bad that I have not visited the gym since January. The only activity that I have indulged in is weekly cricket practice. Whenever I get a breather, I just feel like relaxing and reading something which, according to my dear wife, makes no value-add. I have not worked out, never had a jog, not done anything creative for a long time.
Cricket has been very bad this year for me as well. I played only 4 games this season in which I got to bat only twice and scored only 3 runs. In bowling, I bowled 10 overs only, gave whopping 90 runs in those 10 overs, got only 2 wickets and took only 3 catches. Dropped one catch which could have turned the game in our favor.
Have taken S only to 1 vacation, albeit a good one. Yes, we did spend one month in India, but when is a vacation to India long enough. We are planning a vacation in the later half of the year, when the project pressures die down.
But, its almost end of July, and 7 months of this year are already overs. Within a couple of months, mercury will take its annual dip and all the activities will die down gradually.
So, here is a resolution -- I will go daily for a run and try to go to the gym atleast twice a week. Take S for a nice vacation at the end of the year. Will make sure that my contributions to my cricket team make me proud. Will indulge in activities which will lead to some value add. And yes, will blog regularly from here on.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
As they say, there is no sureshot recipe for success.
But if you are a writing a book on cricket, then there IS a sureshot recipe for success. Write a book and criticize star Indian players. The book WILL SELL thousands of copies. How many cricketers, especially Australians, have done that?
Gilchrist, Langer, Hayden, Steve Waugh. Now comes Mr. John Buchanan. He added a few "controversial" comments about Gavaskar, Ganguly, Tendulkar etc and boom!!! the book is a hit.
But, the funny part of it is, the timing of clarifications this time. The first thing anyoneheard anything about the book is the standard "My comments are taken out of context and misunderstood". After this news showed up, then everyone started reading the book and more statements came out. More controversies. More clarifications. More readers.
Success achieved!!!
I think I have had enough of coding. I should write a book on cricket now.
:-)
p.s -- Prem Panicker writes on his blog on exactly the same topic and here is how he mirrors my thoughts -- http://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/truth-in-advertising/
As they say, there is no sureshot recipe for success.
But if you are a writing a book on cricket, then there IS a sureshot recipe for success. Write a book and criticize star Indian players. The book WILL SELL thousands of copies. How many cricketers, especially Australians, have done that?
Gilchrist, Langer, Hayden, Steve Waugh. Now comes Mr. John Buchanan. He added a few "controversial" comments about Gavaskar, Ganguly, Tendulkar etc and boom!!! the book is a hit.
But, the funny part of it is, the timing of clarifications this time. The first thing anyoneheard anything about the book is the standard "My comments are taken out of context and misunderstood". After this news showed up, then everyone started reading the book and more statements came out. More controversies. More clarifications. More readers.
Success achieved!!!
I think I have had enough of coding. I should write a book on cricket now.
:-)
p.s -- Prem Panicker writes on his blog on exactly the same topic and here is how he mirrors my thoughts -- http://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/truth-in-advertising/
CHESS... AGAIN...
Read another funny line... And how true and meaningful...
Life is like a game of chess... The people whom we interact with assume the role of pawns and rooks and knights and queen and king...
There is a slight difference between life and a game of chess though... In the game of chess, a piece stays in its role... In the game of life, any person can change his/her personality according to the situation and, often will, play the role that suits him/her the best... He who can accurately identify the role played by other individuals gets to be the king...
KINGS?
Noticed a funny thing... Monarchy was abolished at the time of independence but kingdoms continued to exist... Some of their descendants still use the title and now rule indirectly after standing for elections... This election also stars many royals trying their luck at the ballot casino... More often than not, the royals win handsomely proving that people are still obsessed with this medieval concept of royalty... Here is one more proof --
The IPL teams are named as --
Bangalore ROYAL challengers
Chennai SUPER KINGS
Mohali KINGS Eleven
Rajasthan ROYALS
Their competitors, ICL, are not so far behind --
Lahore Badshahs
Dhaka Warriors
Was reading an article abt the ongoing feud between IPL and ICL where money muscle has made IPL a king and the ICL a pawn... Then read a funny line "Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box"... Ironic, but how apt...
SENSE OF HUMOR
Last week, wifey forwarded this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiVcnJ5iLqs And this video reminded me of a very funny experience a couple of years back...
We were flying back from Miami to Philadelphia after a 4 day vacation... It had been an exhausting day... The weather at the beach had been brutal and the mental agony of the fact that the vacation is getting over with every passing minute and the boring routine for the workweek lurking ahead were making the torture even unbearable... Then this funny flight announcer started the party... His announcements cheered us up and we actually felt that the vacation actually was extended by a hour and a half of the flight... He cracked us up with his witty one-liners and made our journey thoroughly enjoyable... Of our numerous flight journeys, this one remains always fresh in our memories...
Similarly, I had a colleague in engineering... Due to his Bengali surname (though he was not actually a Bong), we used to affectionately call him Babu moshaay... He was an average student who managed to pass comfortably but never featured amongst the rankers... Very Lazy in every aspect... Not so active in sports or extra cirricular activities or reading or general knowledge or speaking skills... Overall, nothing spectacular worth mentioning abt him... But his biggest (and only) asset was a very good sense of humor... With his silliest comments, he used to crack everyone up... Even the professors were never spared... This made his company the most craved one... He used to be on every organizing comittee and every group and every function... We spoke a few days back and i was glad to find out that he still retained his most important asset...
Then in the office life, there was a guy (who later was my roommate as well) who always knew how to release the tension with one silly comment... His sense of humor and wit was not as spontaneous as Babu Moshaay's and more often than not, repetitive... But still, that made him popular and a wanted (well, not most-wanted) fellow...
Even now, it can be seen that people with a sense of humor (albeit laced with sarcasm) command a special mention and are very popular... Be it friend circle, office group or relatives, wit and humor is a entry ticket to the show...
Sadly, this is one thing which either you have or you do not have... It cannot be learnt... One can learn a few jokes here and there, but the spontaneity is either inborn or not... This time, I am on the wrong side of the receiving end... Thankfully, wifey makes it up for both of us and keep me grinning regularly... She is most-wanted everywhere and i just tag along ;-)
Hopefully, my readers are lucky (either inborn or partner wise)...
THOUGHT PROVOKING ARTICLE
http://virsanghvi.com/vir-world-ArticleDetail.aspx?ID=236
Also, please read the comments on the blog... Makes for an interesting reading...
OUTSOURCED
Saw this movie tonight... Very nice movie... I like these types of movies which are easy on the brain and heart when u see it and not much to recall once the movie is done... But this movie, though easy on the brain when seeing it, leaves a lot to recall after its done... The reason being, I can connect to this movie...
Starting from the whole concept of outsourcing, where most of us have a distinct role to play to the country where the movie is based - India - there are a lot of things which we can relate to... Not all the aspects of India shown in the movie show India in good light, but we cannot deny that these aspects are true...
1 - Not all call centers have the best facilities setup...
2 - Indians do not find it important to respect personal boundaries of the people whom they care about...
3 - The view about how losing a job is such a small thing for call center employees though shocked me...
4 - Poverty can shock the hell out of visitors to India, but the fact that anyone can be happy even within those circumstances shocks them even more...
5 - Some people still consider INDIA = I'm Not Doing It Again...
Having said all that, this movie really touched me, especially the scene when the staff manages to meet their targets inspite of working on the terrace of a flooded building... Worth a watch definitely... Just dont expect anything special once the movie is over...
YEH DELHI HAI MERE YAAR!!!
Took a flight to Delhi to meet my sister... Was very excited to meet her and her family... Had met my parents and my in-laws when they visited us, but had not spent any time with sis / B-I-L and my nephew since the wedding... My nephew is 4 1/2 year old and i have not spent even 4 1/2 weeks with him since the time he was born...
So, to set it all right, S and I reached Delhi... Sis came to pick us up at the airport and after a hour long ride, we get to meet the family... My nephew thought that 4 1/2 years of silence was not enough and decided to stretch it for 1 more hour by sleeping all the time during the drive... And after reaching home, he decided stretch it a no more and eventually -- after accepting a bribe of bag full of toys and chocolates -- relented to "accept" his uncle and aunty...
Once, we got the approval, it was amazing fun after that... Every minute was fun for all of us... Those memories will linger in our memories for ever... Every time i miss my nephew, i just have to close my eyes and switch back to those days... Thats it... The golden moments just play themselves back as a youtube video...
Then came the most awaited part of any Delhi visit... Food!!! The foodie that i am, I could not wait to go out and freak out on that gorgeous food... Bro-in-law decided to see to test our apetite and took us to a place called "Punjabi by nature"... They decided to make sure that our apetite peaks by serving the food as late as possible... But boy, we failed miserably... Amongst 4 of us, we could not finish even half the food meant for 3 ppl...
Next day, sister took us to eat golgappa (pani-puri)... Though this pani-puri is not the best i have ever eaten (fyi, i am from mumbai and the pani-puri at my local gaadi is the best), it ranks right up there... And, the pani-puri did what it should do... It gave me a delhi belly...
Few more days of lots of fun with my nephew, great food cooked by my sis, yapping with bro-in-law and sis and driving a bullet-thunderbird and it was time to say alvida to Delhi...
More tears and more hugs and it was time to bid adieu to few more dear ones...
MUMBHAI!!!
So, after surviving the first round of shopping, i decided to go to my place... my city... Mumbai... After 1.45 hrs of airtime, I reached on a not-so-hot day on Feb 16th... It was hot and humid by any standards, other than Mumbai standards... Actually, a typical mumbai-ite would term it as a pleasant day... The moment I landed at the airport and the first drop of sweat tricked down my neck, I knew I was home...
There are a few things which characterize a Mumbai-ite... He loves heat and sweat... It doesnt bother him a bit... Secondly, if someone tries to act over-smart, knows how to bring the "shAAna" (over-smart fellow) down to earth... And I got to do that as soon as I landed out of the airport...
The auto-rickshaw driver tried to squeeze out a chota-Gandhi (100 rupee note) out of me for the ride to my place... When he started to act smart, the dormant-for-3-years mumbai-ite in me sprang up and gave it back so nicely that he did not even dare to ask anything extra for luggage...
Reached home at 3... Did not want mom and dad to come to the airport at 2 o clock in the afternoon... So had told them that i am scheduled to reach at 5... They were pleasantly surprised to see me early and then angry because I deprived them of 1 hour under the sun :-)...
Cups of tea followed with yap yap and yap... Then dad went and got the best sev-puri in the world... From the local gaadi... How funny that every one thinks that their shop serves the best delicacy... A bengali thinks that his halwai makes the best mishti... A mumbai-ite thinks that his galli has the best wada-pav... A londoner thinks that his lane has the best fish and chips... A new-yorker thinks that his local pizza place makes the best pizza... Funny, but true...
Relished the sev puri... followed by another round of tea...
Next day, went to Siddhivinayak temple... Try to be there every tuesday of my stay in Mumbai... Was there even 2 days before my sister's wedding... 1.5 hours in the queue and was not tired even a bit... Thats the amazing thing abt waiting in line at the Siddhivinayak temple... I have waited once for 7.5 hours and still had the strength to go and work the rest of the day in the office... After the temple, went and had amazing limbu-paani at a street side stall and then chaats again in the evening...
The remaining 2 days passed even quicker... Some gifts for family members and some for friends... Some more chaats... Lots of tea... More eating and eating and eating... Then wifey arrived...
Once wifey arrived, it was even more fun... Mom and dad were happier (even more happy than when i arrived)... First day, met college friends... It was the first time when Sneha met them... Met a very close friend with his wife and kid... Got to know that the other friend couple is expecting in June...
Next day, was even better... Relaxed the first half of the day... Second half, had to go to navi mumbai to meet cousins... Actually, the fact that it all fell in place was nothing less than a miracle... One cousin and his wife had to drive from Pune... The other one's wife had to work that weekend... The third one's kid had 10th standard examination going on... Eventually, after lots of planning and re-planning, the venue was decided...
Bombay traffic decided to show its ugly face today... 2.5 hours of wait and sweat in a non-ac cab were very difficult... Amazingly, not even 1 cool cab showed up on the way for us to switch over... Reached the venue 1 hour after the scheduled time...
But things switched after that... Next 4-5 hours were full of fun... Yapped Yapped and Yapped with cousins and their spouses and uncles and aunties... Amazing food in a restaurant (theme based on a mumbai local) with drinks... And a smooth ride in a MERU cab made the evening memorable...
Next day, more relatives, more delicacies to eat and more yapping and fun... Came home at 9 O clock after a long hard day... Thats when it hit me that in a few hours, I will be leaving Mumbai... Its all down hill from now... The crest is over, the downward slope begins now...
SHOPPING SHOPPING!!!
Wifey was given a license to go crazy on shopping in India... She had been a darling in the few months prior to the travel and deserved one such free license... But boy, did she use it like a Ferrari in the Catalunya Grand Prix...
The first pitstop was curtain shopping... The next one was the first amongst the many many ones for dresses... The next one (fastest lap so far) was for shoes... i have been promised by her that this is going to be he career best performance, so I better fasten my seatbelts for some serious damage!!!
Watch this space for more news and dont be surprised if this turns out to be the boost that Indian economy needed to get out of recession!!!
VISA, I WANT IN SIR...
Needed to get my visa stamped from the US embassy... The planning continued for more than a month... Umpteen documents, copies, statements, forms, certificates are being procured and arranged for this most important task of the visit... The entire visit was planned around the visa date so that the visa stamping is done upfront... The rest of the vacation is fun time...
Reached Chennai the day before the appointment... Checked in into the hotel, crashed immediately... But could not sleep for the whole night... Was checking the time every 3 minutes (really!!!) and by the time it was 5 am, was up like a spring... Ready in 22 minutes and could not be more nervous to go to the embassy...
Left 1 hr before the interview time and reached the embassy at 7 am... Hoping to be the first in the queue, but there were atleast 50 ppl already in the queue when we reached there... Then got to know that abt 50 odd were already in... Interviews were scheduled from 7 am in the morning, ppl reach the embassy at 6 am and the actual interviews do not start before 8 am...
This was my first ever visa interview and wifey had promised that it would be SOME EXPERIENCE... And u bet she was right... Waited in the queue... There were SO MANY ppl there, i felt that it was the queue to the gates of heaven... But wait, I think ppl do think that US is next to heaven, so may be i was really in the gates to heaven...
Then came the disappointing part... The way ppl (esp. students) were asking for their visa made me droop my head in shame... It was like going for a job interview without knowing that you do not qualify for the job and then begging for an opportunity...
Some of the funny QnA which i could not help but eavesdrop --
1 -
VO -- Why do u want to go the US?
CD -- Because the agriculture system in US is very developed...
VO -- What does agriculture have to do with ur degree?
CD -- Nothing, but i can learn agriculture after my MS.
REJECT
2 -
VO -- Why ABC university specifically?
CD -- Because this university does not need me to take a GRE and a TOEFL...
VO -- But why did u not take a GRE and a TOEFL...
CD -- Because this university does not need me to take a GRE and a TOEFL...
VO -- Did u apply to any other university?
CD -- No, because i did not like any other university which does not need a GRE or a TOEFL...
VO -- Do u know that GRE and TOEFL are a must for students interested in coming to the US?
CD -- But this university does not need me to take a GRE and a TOEFL...
REJECT
3 -
VO -- Why do u want to go to the US?
CD -- To learn to cook Biryani... (O???? YES!!!)
VO -- Why there? Why not here?
CD -- Because, the Biryani there is better...
REJECT
There are many many more funny instances of such interviews... But these actually made me sad... Is life so difficult in India that ppl are so desperate to go to the US?
Then came the most disappointing part (not that i really regret it, i would have this disappointment every time i go for any visa)... S and I were done with our interview in less than a minute with 1 Q each... The only Q for me -- how long have u been working for ur employer? the only Q for S -- Does ur husband have his own visa? Thats it...
We got the visa stamped and passport delivered next day at 10 am... After all the effort put in to create a stack of documents, only the first document on the top (the visa approval) was required...
Came back to the hotel, grabbed a bite and crashed again (to get over the sleepless night)... Woke up just in time for the flight... A 45 minute flight later, back in Namma Bengaluru... A crazy 2 hour ride in an ac cab later, home sweet home... Awesome meal and zzzz!!!
HOME SWEET HOME
For the first time in little more than 3 years, I was in a queue where no one could have stopped me from entering... I was in the immigration queue at the new Bangalore International Airport waiting to enter Indian soil... And I knew that there was no way that anyone could have stopped me from doing that... After all, it is MY COUNTRY, some place which i know that i belong... Something which I can call MINE... That feeling brought an instant smile which has lingered on ever since...
Since the first step (felt like the first step on the moon) after the immigration counter, I started thinking about everything that I could see and analyze it in my own way... Here is what I think at that instant...
1 - This new airport is beautiful... Hats off to the planners... I can not see any feasible aspect which makes this airport any way inferior than other airports I have seen till now... Obviously, there are a lot of other pieces which are out of our hands -- weather, dust etc... But, it is CLEAN (why is that even considered an achievement), nicely planned, nicely maintained so far...
There are some who find faults in this airport... But the easiest job in this world is that of a critic... Hail the successful and criticize everything else... If these same people were on the planning commission of the airport, then this would have been the best ever piece of architecture after the St. Paul's cathedral according to them...
Thats when I recall the not-so-famous lines of my friend Azzu... He says (unless, he has copied) -- Be the change you want to see in this world... These same people are the hypocrites who will throw trash right outside the bin and spit on the "DO NOT SPIT" board and park right under the "NO PARKING" board... So, they do not have any right to throw dirt that any fair effort of such magnitude...
2 - The approach road sucks though... The only road connecting the airport to the city goes through umpteen villages (or small towns) before hitting Bangalore right in the heart of the city from where one has to find the way to the destination... With the city traffic already in a terrible shape, this is one aspect where the planners have erred... There should have been something like a ring road around the entire city (with atleast 3 lanes on each side) which connects the airport... Later I learnt that the original plan was to create a high-speed train way (or a mono-rail or an expressway) around the entire city to connect the airport to the city and the access points of the train would allow multiple entry spots into the city. Brilliant idea except that the proposal turned out to be very expensive and there is more mulling going on. By the time, the green signal is received for this proposal and the dream turns out to be a reality, the solution will be too inadequate for the over bustling city...
3 - Traffic needs a blog of its own... Too much to finish in 2-3 lines...
4 - People -- The city has grown like crazy in the last 3 years... The new immigrants are no longer limited to the IT junta... Labourers from Andhra and Tamil Nadu are trying their luck in all the mega-construction projects being undertaken in the city or some mundane jobs elsewhere... There is a big chunk of ppl from the north-east india who can easily be recognized by their looks... These ppl usually find jobs in restaurants or showrooms or malls etc... Another set of immigrants are the parents of the kids who have settled here... The kids ask the parents to sell all their assets at their native place so that they can afford to buy a home in Bangalore... Naturally, the parents have no other place to live and have to come to stay in this city at a ripe old age... These elderly citizens can be seen taking walks in the parks (once abundant and now very few are left) in the early mornings or in the evenings...
5 - Family -- Most important... These are the people who are planning for our visit from months together... Utmost care has been taken to arrange for our favorite brands of cosmetics, favorite dishes, extra cell phone, power adapters (to enable US appliances to work at Indian voltage), bottled water and toilet paper... They will get up at 1 am in the morning, drive for 40+ kilometers (25+ miles) to reach the airport at 5 am, wait for us at the arrival gate without a cup of morning coffee just to catch a glimpse of their little ones... Choicest breakfast will be ready at home with hot water for bath... These arrangments will take them more than a few months, but all this will be done without the tiniest wrinkle on the forehead just with the anticipation of spending a few days with the people who matter the most to them...
6 - Helping staff -- The driver, the cleaning maid, the sweeper, the gardener, the cook... all the employees at home are waiting anxiously to see us after a long time... At the back of the mind, there is a sweet anxiety for "imported" chocolates and gifts... But they are very happy when they get to see that we have not changed even 1 bit in the last few years...
7 - India rocking -- In the numerous drive around the city, one cannot pretend to not notice that India is booming... The number of cars and two wheelers and cell phones have gone up like anything in the last 2 years... There is nothing that is not sold in india... American, Japanese and European cars... Latest cell phone handsets... You name it!!!
8 - Relatives -- The phone starts ringing over time with calls from the close relatives to enquire about our well being... All of them pretty much ask the same questions -- when did u land, how was the flight, what plans for the next few days and u have to spend atleast 1 evening with us... The affection behind each of those calls is very touching... In my case, there are a few more Qs -- Have u learnt Kannada by now? Atleast, can u understand the meaning? The moment I answer affirmative in Kannada, I get one more point towards the nomination for best son-in-law of the year...Close cousins leave work earlier than usual just to meet us... Neighbours drop in so do close friends who knew about our travel plans... Some ppl fret over less time allotted for them, and a tight vacation schedule leaves us in a difficult spot...
9 - Awesome food -- The choicest foods are waiting for us... We have decided not to hog street-side food until the visa appointment, so in the first 3 days, everything is limited to mother's kitchen (in my case, mother-in-law)...
The saga will continue...
LONDON CALLING
Spent 2 days in London en route to India... Beautiful city... Every nook and corner carries a big chunk of history within itself... Bone numbing chilly weather preceded by the worst snowfall in the last 18 years in London made things difficult, but still, once one is dressed appropriately, nothing should stop one from reveling in this town of amazing architecture...
S's cousin was sweet enough to accommodate us in their lavish London home during our visit and we had the most comfortable accommodation and the best home-cooked food in London... Their guidance helped us decode the maps and tricky London roads easily and left us using our brains only for sight-seeing...
Here are some points worth mentioning during the entire visit --
1 - Heathrow -- a mini-city within itself... Huge, clean and very organized... And the Indian diaspora just loves working at Heathrow... Reminds me of Russell Peters -- Indians can never think of bombing airports, because Indians love working at airports...
2 - Subway system -- very convenient and most-importantly, clean... I did not see even 1 trash bin (or litter-bin as it is called there)... Instead, there were message boards which said "Take your litter home with you"... Interesting concept, especially considering it works... Makes me wonder, is it so difficult to expect our transport system to be clean? I don't expect to do away with the trash bins, but is the effective usage of the trash bins too much to expect?
3 - Monuments -- Each of them stands apart in its own way... London Eye, Buckingham palace, Tower of London, River Thames, Lords cricket ground, London Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafalgar square... Each one of them are legend which blend perfectly into this extravaganza called London... Makes me wonder, if all the heritage that India had could have been harnessed, how many Londons could India have boasted of?
4 - Crazy Cold -- I was wearing a jacket which was meant for Antarctica and 4 layers of clothing underneath... Still was numb to the bone... Had to sip coffee (2 pounds a cup) to keep me warm... Pity the cricketers who have to play with 4 sweaters on...
5 - Expensive -- Train ticket from airport to paddington station at 34 pounds per head... Train ticket at 2$ per line per head... whoa!!! Thats First class fare in Mumbai for an entire month (ALL U CAN USE!!!)... The Indian in me doesnt stop converting currency...
6 - Accent -- After seeing the UK accent being made fun of in US (esp. Emily in Friends), it was kind of funny to actually talk to ppl talking that way... Had to try not to burst out laughing...
Having said all that, I repeat, London is a beautiful city with loads and loads of history... Visit that city for atleast a week in summer... Unforgettable experience for sure... And dont forget to load your pockets before u enter the city...
SATYAM EV JAYATE
Seeing the events of the day, this quote flashed in my mind. Hence the title to this blog.
Mr. Raju, once heralded in the US to be as dangerous as Osama (because Satyam was taking jobs away from US), has turned out to be Hero-to-Zero in a matter of a day.
To the IT-junta, this was never a revelation. "Window-dressing" as it is called in our industry, has been happening for some time now. The fiscal year in US and the fiscal year in India do not overlap. So, there are cold quarters in US where Indian companies have to show consistent revenues and vice-versa. So, some additional assets from previous quarters are adjusted towards missing assets from the current quarter or missing assets from current quarter are adjusted against more-than-expected assets from next quarter. All this is done with honest interests to provide a consistent revenue pattern and avoid wild fluctuations in the share prices. And it is fine as long as there is no carry-forward of the manipulations across fiscal years.
Sadly, it does not work that way. The ever-growing demand from shareholders makes the companies take that dangerous stride and inflate the numbers beyond the Lakshman-Rekha called as the fiscal year end. Then the Ramayana takes plane. More and more hot air is pumped into the balloon. This hot air makes the balloon fly higher, than it can do safely, making everyone happy. But, soon the hyper-inflated balloon is stretched beyond its capacity and a small pin (Maytas deal going sour) causes it to burst.
So, as RS puts it, its a discovery and not an invention. And it would have not been uncovered at all, had the MAYTAS deal not gone sour. Probably, a bruised ego and a stained reputation pushed Mr. Raju in doing this.
All said, the whole reason underneath this fiasco (and the potential many others still under the covers) is the greedy shareholder. They need to understand that IT companies cannot yield high revenues and huge dividends quarter after quarter and year after year. It is easy for a company to reach from 1 million to 10 million in 2 years, but it is not possible for the same company to reach from 1 billion to 10 billion in even 5 years. But under pressure from the shareholders and stake holders, such things had to happen and will continue to happen.
Once a high-paying sector where freshers were hired at 20 thousand rupees a month has now shrunk to a stage where getting 8 thousand a month is considered lucky. College passouts choose an employer purely based on the pay and not on career prospects. MBAs are made to work as clerks.
Not sure whom to blame here -- the hunter or the hunted? Because, while the hunter (shareholders) was enjoying chasing the prey (IT companies and employees), the prey itself was enjoying the luxuries during the chase. Rather, the prey itself allowed itself to be chased faster and faster.
The only truth is, the cup once thought to be made of crystal has now turned out to be made of brittle glass instead. And it has cracked.
INSANITY RESTORED
Few days back --
Thanksgiving --> Christmas --> Holidays --> New Year...
2 day weekends --> 3 day weekends --> 4 day weekends --> Whole week off...
Half empty office --> Just 20 team mates in the office --> Just 10 of them (all indians) in the office --> Working from home --> Not even 1 person in the office...
Semi-formal attire allowed --> Denims allowed in office for 2 weeks...
Today --
Formal dressing... Everyone back in office... Full House... Frantic calls to and from India... Managers and developers panicking for deliverables due this Friday... Escalated Client calls... Production issues (few pennies of interest being incorrectly credited to the account)... May have to work on Thursday night to support production install... What a crazy day to start the new year...
Feels like insanity has been restored after all!!!
Few days back --
Thanksgiving --> Christmas --> Holidays --> New Year...
2 day weekends --> 3 day weekends --> 4 day weekends --> Whole week off...
Half empty office --> Just 20 team mates in the office --> Just 10 of them (all indians) in the office --> Working from home --> Not even 1 person in the office...
Semi-formal attire allowed --> Denims allowed in office for 2 weeks...
Today --
Formal dressing... Everyone back in office... Full House... Frantic calls to and from India... Managers and developers panicking for deliverables due this Friday... Escalated Client calls... Production issues (few pennies of interest being incorrectly credited to the account)... May have to work on Thursday night to support production install... What a crazy day to start the new year...
Feels like insanity has been restored after all!!!
THE YEAR THAT WAS!!!
Naming this blog as a tribute to a favorite show during my childhood. This show made me fall into the habit ofdesperately look forward to a Friday evening. I have maintained that habit by the way ;-).
So, the year that just went by a few hours back gave me lots of memories, good and bad.
Let me list the bad ones first, so that I can end up on a good note --
1 - The worst one - Mumbai attacks. It left a permanent scar. I dont think i was more upset than on this day. And the fact that the torture continued for 3 days, ended lives of 300 including some good officers, made it worse.
2 - The global economy went from bad to worse. Every one step in the right direction was followed by two in the other direction. Feel bad for anyone and everyone who is impacted.
3 - Life in India for a common man is getting bad with every passing day. Politics is hitting new lows below the rock bottom (yes, it hit the rock long back). Safety has gone to the dogs. Caste and religion seems to be the only qualification. Scandals keep on mushrooming every now and then and just die a natural death. No one is convicted.
4 - Some sports (hockey, soccer, tennis (paes? bhupathi? sania?)) continued their nosedive and the politicians in charge of the respective sports associations are least bothered.
5 - Once again, I flattered to decieve on my promise to have breakfast daily.
And the good ones now --
1 - My first 5-wicket haul and a first-ever tournament victory.
2 - Joined a gym and am going their sincerely since then. Feel good about it.
3 - First time i had a hookah. Got that one struck off my all-time TO-DO list.
4 - Had my folks over and spent quality 3 months with them. A memory of a lifetime.
5 - India continued to do well in few sports (badminton, boxing and cricket with the olympics being the crowning glory).
6 - Indian economy is doing much better than others the credit of which goes to Mr. PM and Mr. FM. Along with Mr. MS Ahluwalia, these 2 continue to deliver the good stuff.
7 - My nephew created a new record in telephone conversation with me. Yes, 2 months ago we spoke for 7 long seconds when he asked me to get "Big Fiat Palio car" from here. Earlier our conversations never crossed 5 seconds. Hopefully, this year, we manage to get into double digits.
8 - Wifey continues to amaze with her culinary skills, apetite for bhel, addiction for cleaning and stamina to talk. Yes, she raised the bar even further this year.
9 - My father started to have breakfast and take vitamin tablets daily. He has been doing this sincerely since he restarted it last time.
So yes, the goods outnumber the bads, so all-in-all a better year. On this note, let me wish my (read-4) audience a very happy and a prosperous and a SAFE 2009. May all your wishes come true.
Naming this blog as a tribute to a favorite show during my childhood. This show made me fall into the habit ofdesperately look forward to a Friday evening. I have maintained that habit by the way ;-).
So, the year that just went by a few hours back gave me lots of memories, good and bad.
Let me list the bad ones first, so that I can end up on a good note --
1 - The worst one - Mumbai attacks. It left a permanent scar. I dont think i was more upset than on this day. And the fact that the torture continued for 3 days, ended lives of 300 including some good officers, made it worse.
2 - The global economy went from bad to worse. Every one step in the right direction was followed by two in the other direction. Feel bad for anyone and everyone who is impacted.
3 - Life in India for a common man is getting bad with every passing day. Politics is hitting new lows below the rock bottom (yes, it hit the rock long back). Safety has gone to the dogs. Caste and religion seems to be the only qualification. Scandals keep on mushrooming every now and then and just die a natural death. No one is convicted.
4 - Some sports (hockey, soccer, tennis (paes? bhupathi? sania?)) continued their nosedive and the politicians in charge of the respective sports associations are least bothered.
5 - Once again, I flattered to decieve on my promise to have breakfast daily.
And the good ones now --
1 - My first 5-wicket haul and a first-ever tournament victory.
2 - Joined a gym and am going their sincerely since then. Feel good about it.
3 - First time i had a hookah. Got that one struck off my all-time TO-DO list.
4 - Had my folks over and spent quality 3 months with them. A memory of a lifetime.
5 - India continued to do well in few sports (badminton, boxing and cricket with the olympics being the crowning glory).
6 - Indian economy is doing much better than others the credit of which goes to Mr. PM and Mr. FM. Along with Mr. MS Ahluwalia, these 2 continue to deliver the good stuff.
7 - My nephew created a new record in telephone conversation with me. Yes, 2 months ago we spoke for 7 long seconds when he asked me to get "Big Fiat Palio car" from here. Earlier our conversations never crossed 5 seconds. Hopefully, this year, we manage to get into double digits.
8 - Wifey continues to amaze with her culinary skills, apetite for bhel, addiction for cleaning and stamina to talk. Yes, she raised the bar even further this year.
9 - My father started to have breakfast and take vitamin tablets daily. He has been doing this sincerely since he restarted it last time.
So yes, the goods outnumber the bads, so all-in-all a better year. On this note, let me wish my (read-4) audience a very happy and a prosperous and a SAFE 2009. May all your wishes come true.
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