OmPrakash Makhija to Shantipriya: "Friendship mein no sorry, no thank you" (Circa 1970s). Outside the room a young man listens and makes notes. Thus is born the world famous dialogue of Maine Pyar Kiya
Pappu (played by Shreyas Talpade) to a wannabe actor (Circa 1970s): "Govinda Ahuja - Yeh kya naam hain. Iske Saath tu actor kaisa banegaa". Govinda Ahuja "Sir, mein sirf Govinda rakhoonga to chalegaa?". Pappu " Haan haan. Chal jaayegaa." Thus is born Govinda in bollywood!
Such are the incidents that pepper the first half of the pre-interval part of Om Shanti Om. The movie India has awaited with bated breath.
Frankly, the movie was worth a watch. However it left me with the feeling "Damn, she (Farah Khan) could have done so much more with the movie". The problem with the formula used here is that she is not quite sure what the movie is supposed to be. Is it a comedy, a drama, a ghost story, a "Gas-light" types psychotic thriller??? The second half gets highly predictable, and the ending (not the credits-thats another ballgame) leaves you with many unanswered questions. How is it possible that the Climax- Arjun Rampal gets trapped under a chandelier in the middle of a Muhurat shot of a movie - shifts from being in the middle of a large crowd, to being all alone with SRK in the same room in the blink of an eye. What happens at the end anyway? Villan dies aided by the ghost of Shanti Priya, and What happens to SRK's plan of exposing his villainy??? Noone knows. The highlights of the second half are the scenes SRK shoots for "Apaahij Pyaar" (a movie where he is handless, legless, deaf, mute and blind), and the filmfare award scenes : Kudos to Akshay and Aby Baby II!!!!
The end credits rock. All the crew from SRK, Karan Johar (his costume designer), the debutante heroine, Farah Khan, spotboys, lighting men and setting men get to walk the red carpet! That frankly was the best piece of the movie...
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
A story of apples and oranges
The story of apples and oranges
Long long ago, in Orchardland, there lived a family of apples. The Head Apple was a Happy go lucky fruit, and was a genuinely nice apple. One day, two strange orange fruits wanted to join the apple family. The Head Apple, being a progressive fruit, thought to himself “New Blood means new ideas, so we shall make them part of the apple family”. And thus, the oranges were included in the apple family.
Life went on as usual, and the Head Apple realized that the orange fruits had their own traits, which could be quite useful. They were citric, and hence brought a new flavor to the apple family. The two oranges, however were slowly, but steadily acclimatizing themselves.
As time progressed, both oranges grew and matured, Orange No 1 recognized that it was different from its family members, but also that it could get along with the family as long as it didn’t presume to takeover the life of an apple. Orange No 2 however, thought itself to be an apple and a superior apple at that. The Head Apple was fond of the two oranges, as they had brightened up the family, and indeed brought a new flavor to the family
One day, the Head Apple decided it was time to bring a democratic style into the Apple family, and called for a meeting of senior apples to discuss some important issues. Apples from all branches of the family came for this meeting. Now this was when some apples met the oranges for the first time, and they remarked on the fact that two aliens had been allowed inside the inner core. News soon reached the Head Apple’s ears, and the Head Apple took the dissenters to task, and made it clear that they were all one big happy family.
The Head Apple convened the meeting on a bright and sunny day, and all senior apples and the two oranges were invited. The meeting started, and issues were debated with fervor. The two oranges contributed where possible, the first orange not being too vocal, as it believed itself to be not of much use in a non-citric lifestyle. The other orange, under the belief that it was a superior apple, was far more vocal.
One of the key decisions to be taken was the recommended proportion of apple to milk in a milk shake. A heated argument followed, in the course of which the second orange spoke up with a strong opinion. “One apple to one glass is the ideal proportion. You can experiment with me, I shall sacrifice myself for this” it said. At this speech, the entire gathering burst out laughing. The orange was looking bewildered, and looked at its beloved Head Apple for guidance, and said “Head Apple, you know I am speaking sense, these other apples are talking in their narrow mindedness”.
The Head Apple was looking annoyed, and told the orange “What do you know about milkshake? You have a different acidic composition to that of us apples. Yes, I allow you to be part of the family, but remember you are from a tropical area. We apples are grown in harsh winters and have gone through far more rigors than you have. Do not take my indulgence to mean that I consider you equal to an apple”
The Orange was Squashed. It had learnt its lesson the hard way.
Moral of the story: Apples are apples, and oranges are oranges. Mixing the two is good as long as it is in a fruit salad, but if you try to whip the two together to mingle its taste, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Long long ago, in Orchardland, there lived a family of apples. The Head Apple was a Happy go lucky fruit, and was a genuinely nice apple. One day, two strange orange fruits wanted to join the apple family. The Head Apple, being a progressive fruit, thought to himself “New Blood means new ideas, so we shall make them part of the apple family”. And thus, the oranges were included in the apple family.
Life went on as usual, and the Head Apple realized that the orange fruits had their own traits, which could be quite useful. They were citric, and hence brought a new flavor to the apple family. The two oranges, however were slowly, but steadily acclimatizing themselves.
As time progressed, both oranges grew and matured, Orange No 1 recognized that it was different from its family members, but also that it could get along with the family as long as it didn’t presume to takeover the life of an apple. Orange No 2 however, thought itself to be an apple and a superior apple at that. The Head Apple was fond of the two oranges, as they had brightened up the family, and indeed brought a new flavor to the family
One day, the Head Apple decided it was time to bring a democratic style into the Apple family, and called for a meeting of senior apples to discuss some important issues. Apples from all branches of the family came for this meeting. Now this was when some apples met the oranges for the first time, and they remarked on the fact that two aliens had been allowed inside the inner core. News soon reached the Head Apple’s ears, and the Head Apple took the dissenters to task, and made it clear that they were all one big happy family.
The Head Apple convened the meeting on a bright and sunny day, and all senior apples and the two oranges were invited. The meeting started, and issues were debated with fervor. The two oranges contributed where possible, the first orange not being too vocal, as it believed itself to be not of much use in a non-citric lifestyle. The other orange, under the belief that it was a superior apple, was far more vocal.
One of the key decisions to be taken was the recommended proportion of apple to milk in a milk shake. A heated argument followed, in the course of which the second orange spoke up with a strong opinion. “One apple to one glass is the ideal proportion. You can experiment with me, I shall sacrifice myself for this” it said. At this speech, the entire gathering burst out laughing. The orange was looking bewildered, and looked at its beloved Head Apple for guidance, and said “Head Apple, you know I am speaking sense, these other apples are talking in their narrow mindedness”.
The Head Apple was looking annoyed, and told the orange “What do you know about milkshake? You have a different acidic composition to that of us apples. Yes, I allow you to be part of the family, but remember you are from a tropical area. We apples are grown in harsh winters and have gone through far more rigors than you have. Do not take my indulgence to mean that I consider you equal to an apple”
The Orange was Squashed. It had learnt its lesson the hard way.
Moral of the story: Apples are apples, and oranges are oranges. Mixing the two is good as long as it is in a fruit salad, but if you try to whip the two together to mingle its taste, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Hope this one comes true
Was recollecting a conversation with someone i had a few years ago, where i had told him my top three things to do in life were
- Go to scotland and see Loch Ness
- Go to Wimbledon and eat strawberries and cream
- Go to Nazca in peru!!!
Looks like the first two may just happen next month...
Ive always been facinated by history, more so since i stopped studying it for marks. And ive always enjoyed picking up books (though mostly romances) set in the elizabethan era, or that of WIlliam the conqueror. Be it the Battle of Hastings, or the merry wives of windsor...England has a history that has never ceased to amaze me. And i finally get to see some of it...
Saxon - Norman - English - Scot - Welsh - Irish... Cromwell - Tudor - Windsor - Marys, elizabeths, henrys, edwards and georges are galore... A piece of eternity...thats what this visit promises to be.
Here's hoping that i get that drive to Inverness
God save the queen!!! At least till i return home safe:)
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Some good days!
There are some conversations which you wish never started. And there are some which you wish never ended. Predictably, the latter are far far rarer than the former.
I met someone who talked non-stop for 6 hours with us, and gave us some good insights into life through the way he did business. One anecdote that remained with me was something he quoted from a speech made to a gathering. A statement was made saying that you need commitment to be successful. The said gentleman disagreed and recounted to me, that he had stood there and said that it was passion+patience which helps a person succeed
Another conversation that i remember from ages ago was with someone who was very dear. Somehow we grew apart, and im not sure if i want to regain our past relationship, because we both have moved on to become different people. I remember thinking that the said person would survive because of an innate code of honor i perceived there. But today, i look at the same person, and wonder, where are all those honorable intentions vanished??? Yet another rat in the race has been formed! But those days with long conversations about nothing in particular yet everything in general were indeed memorable...
C'est La Vie
I met someone who talked non-stop for 6 hours with us, and gave us some good insights into life through the way he did business. One anecdote that remained with me was something he quoted from a speech made to a gathering. A statement was made saying that you need commitment to be successful. The said gentleman disagreed and recounted to me, that he had stood there and said that it was passion+patience which helps a person succeed
Another conversation that i remember from ages ago was with someone who was very dear. Somehow we grew apart, and im not sure if i want to regain our past relationship, because we both have moved on to become different people. I remember thinking that the said person would survive because of an innate code of honor i perceived there. But today, i look at the same person, and wonder, where are all those honorable intentions vanished??? Yet another rat in the race has been formed! But those days with long conversations about nothing in particular yet everything in general were indeed memorable...
C'est La Vie
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Finally i found it
This is something i have been searching for. One of the cleverest ads ive heard on radio!
Hope you love it too
Hope you love it too
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tag. You are "It"
Tinkerbells has tagged me.
Rules:
1. Name the person (of course with the link) who tagged you.
2. Publish the 5th paragraph of page 123 of the book you are currently reading.
3. Tag 5 other people.
So here goes... from Robert Waller's Bridges of Madison County...
"For maybe 20 seconds the sat there. He went up ahead, only 30 feet from her. She could still do it. Get out and run into Harry's right door,climb in over the knapsacks and cooler and tripods"
A short para. Thank God:)
As for the third. Sadly the tag stops with me...Noone else i know in the blogging world to tagmmm
Rules:
1. Name the person (of course with the link) who tagged you.
2. Publish the 5th paragraph of page 123 of the book you are currently reading.
3. Tag 5 other people.
So here goes... from Robert Waller's Bridges of Madison County...
"For maybe 20 seconds the sat there. He went up ahead, only 30 feet from her. She could still do it. Get out and run into Harry's right door,climb in over the knapsacks and cooler and tripods"
A short para. Thank God:)
As for the third. Sadly the tag stops with me...Noone else i know in the blogging world to tagmmm
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Miranda Rights...or wrongs
Sometimes conversations you have had in the past creep out of your memory for no reason whatsoever. One such conversation came back to me today. This happened more than thirty months ago, when i was out with a colleague of mine.
Rewind. I was driving home from lunch when i heard from a friend that my roommate from college was going to marry a common friend. I got worked up, and not thinking too much about who i was with, i called her and chided her about it. That done, i put the conversation aside, happily enthused to my colleague about her marriage, and went on with my life.
Cut. Scene to 6 months later. Appraisal time. Said colleague is involved,and guess what. He uses that incident to cite how "away from people" and "distant" i am. Stupid me hears it out, and puts it out of my mind. Though it kept niggling me that something quite wasnt right about how a personal incident that ocurred in front of someone who i trusted was used against me.
Forward. A couple of weeks ago, i get back from a client and walk into office, and in a general chit-chat, mention how well qualified and competent the client staff seems to be, despite my expectations otherwise. Said colleague/boss nods. And says nothing.
Fast forward...and pause. Very recent appraisal conversation. Reminicent of group interviews from MBA days. Out of nowhere, no context watsoever, Said colleague uses the above incident. Tells me out of the blue, that the client in question was in the papers for some issues relating to technical glitches. and mentions, in front of the other people on the table how i had believed them to be technically sound.
Rewind (slowly). A couple of days ago, i hear something that gets on my nerves. Repeatedly. So i need to get it off my chest. And decide that i shall choose the person who should be (by virtue of his position) the most mature individual around. And i rant to him. End by telling him that it was not serious, just that i dont want to regret not discussing this with him, and that i feel much better now. Also tell him not to take it seriously.
Forward: The very mature individual quotes my words to all and sundry using my name. Whatever happened to discretion i say?
Stop. Think. Moral(s) of the story, which i need to really learn.
- When you are the boss, discretion definitely not a virtue you practice. At least mine doesnt.
- In professional life, everything you say, can and will be used against you. Finally i have learnt that
- There are very few friends at work. And most of those friends will , when faced with a scenario, choose to sacrifice that friendship for professional gain. Learnt that the hard way too.
People think they know you. But the only person who knows you best is yourself. As long as i remember that, i can and will survive. After all, this too shall pass!
C'est la vie
Damn, i sound morbid.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Ta-Ra-Rum-Phat
Yikes.
What a lousy movie.
Down with rediff reviews.
These were my reactions after seeing the much hyped Ta-Ra-Rum-Pum. Music was noway close to be melodious. The concept was far too weirdly depicted. In a nutshell, the movie sucked. The only saving grace was Javed Jaffery. A brief review (Movie is set in NY)
Boy meets girl and taxi driver. Boy falls for girl. Taxi Driver falls for Boy. Hitherto unknown, high school drop out, Racing car-wheel changer Boy catapults into NASCAR driving fame with just a little bit of help from Taxi-Driver. Boy is short sighted and lives on instalments. Overspends. Has 2 kids in the meanwhile with Girl. Has Accident. Loses nerve. Loses house, car and job. Moves into dirty neighbourhood. But decides to keep kids in posh NY school paying $2k for fees. Boy Drives taxi. Girl plays piano where possible for money. Keeps kids in the dark abt real situation. Kids find out. Skip lunch to save money. One kid rummages in dustbin to eat lunch. Eats shit. Falls sick. No insurance. Need $65k for operation. Prior mentioned taxi driver rides back to rescue. Enters NASCAR race. Wins. All happy. Boy reforms to careful man. And they all lived happily ever after
Yikes. WHat happened to unemployment benefits? Who ever needed a college degree to sell cars and become a concert pianist. And why the hell wud i keep a kid in a private school when i live in an area where there is no ventilation. And then there is the title song, with Four animated bears. A concept far too late, when rajnikanth did it 20 years ago in a Tam movie!!!
Music by Vishal-Shekar SUCKED. No other words for it. Songs suddenly appear. Rani 's costumes were good. So was Javed.
Add to it the fact that movie started 45 minutes late. Isnt exactly a good omen. I guess the screening guys needed the time to recover from their experience in the last show.
What a lousy movie.
Down with rediff reviews.
These were my reactions after seeing the much hyped Ta-Ra-Rum-Pum. Music was noway close to be melodious. The concept was far too weirdly depicted. In a nutshell, the movie sucked. The only saving grace was Javed Jaffery. A brief review (Movie is set in NY)
Boy meets girl and taxi driver. Boy falls for girl. Taxi Driver falls for Boy. Hitherto unknown, high school drop out, Racing car-wheel changer Boy catapults into NASCAR driving fame with just a little bit of help from Taxi-Driver. Boy is short sighted and lives on instalments. Overspends. Has 2 kids in the meanwhile with Girl. Has Accident. Loses nerve. Loses house, car and job. Moves into dirty neighbourhood. But decides to keep kids in posh NY school paying $2k for fees. Boy Drives taxi. Girl plays piano where possible for money. Keeps kids in the dark abt real situation. Kids find out. Skip lunch to save money. One kid rummages in dustbin to eat lunch. Eats shit. Falls sick. No insurance. Need $65k for operation. Prior mentioned taxi driver rides back to rescue. Enters NASCAR race. Wins. All happy. Boy reforms to careful man. And they all lived happily ever after
Yikes. WHat happened to unemployment benefits? Who ever needed a college degree to sell cars and become a concert pianist. And why the hell wud i keep a kid in a private school when i live in an area where there is no ventilation. And then there is the title song, with Four animated bears. A concept far too late, when rajnikanth did it 20 years ago in a Tam movie!!!
Music by Vishal-Shekar SUCKED. No other words for it. Songs suddenly appear. Rani 's costumes were good. So was Javed.
Add to it the fact that movie started 45 minutes late. Isnt exactly a good omen. I guess the screening guys needed the time to recover from their experience in the last show.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Its all about clear buckets
I had a conversation with someone today who is confused if he should be looking for a job. This isnt unusual coz i have this conversation with him every other week. But today the conversation was different coz i finally lost it with him and told him that i would not take what he says seriously because in my mind he is under that category which only talks and does nothing. This lead to my thoughts wandering about how all of can be easily categorized. Mind you, that is not to say that i am stereotyping a person, but that people can be clearly bucketed. They may be in different buckets at different times,but the buckets remain the same. So here goes some typical buckets in different categories...
- Politics @ the workplace: The idealist, the cynic and the suck-up
- Attitude (towards anything) : The talkers, The triers and The Doers
- More attitude: The nose pickers, the ignorers, the scolders
- Salespeople: The pursuaders, The brute-forcers, The whiners and the failures
- Managers: The good, the bad and the ugly:)
- Colleagues: The liked and respected, The liked but not respected, The disliked yet respected, The disliked and disrespected and The indifferent. You can add a passive and active facet to each of that!!!
- Managing professional and personal conflicts: The clearly professional , The confused/ conflicted, The distant professional, The completely personal, The selectively pro/personal
- Gullibility: The "Aa Bail Mujhe Maar", The Bails, and the smart ones!!!
I know i have been in different buckets for the same category at different points of time. But this is one list and logic i believe will help me understand this irrational creature called man
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Impossible scenarios
A list of top 10 near-impossible occurences. Inspired, by among other things, the good intentions of my friends to match-make
10. Me being fascinated by anyone, thing or place beyond a period of 24 months
9. A tam-bram boy who will agree to marriage w/o horroscope matching and w/o the usual vedic rites
8. Me blogging everyday
7. Immigrating to Tahiti (or is it emigrating)
6. Giving up corn
5. Saying no to people who are or have at some point of time been in my "respect" radar
4. A mallu who doesn't know of someone in the Gulf
3. An eligible good looking tam-bram doctor, single ready to mingle, based out of India!
2. Me saying no to loafing around
1. Me being consistent on the issue which should be no.1 on the list.
On the note of item #1, maybe i shud revisit this list tomorrow!!!Monday, April 23, 2007
A restless soul
Of late i find myself wondering if i have not limited my life by a self imposed rule of "no settling down abroad". And more and more, am tempted to break that rule. My initial reasoning for staying away from the temptation of "a more convenient" life abroad was that everything i hold familiar and dear is here. As things changed, i reasoned my rule to be a fallout of the "if you dont want to succumb, dont be tempted" logic. I often tell friends of mine who live abroad and ask me to consider emigrating, that i am scared to do so, as i dread becoming one of those AICD (Abroad immigrated confused desis) or more importantly i will not want to return home.
But the more i think about it now, the more convinced i am that a restless soul like me would not get tied down to a place just because it is convenient. So maybe i should look beyond geographical constraints, most of which are in my own mind. If i think about it, Singapore is only 3 hours away. Australia maybe eight. And living where i do currently is anyway akin to being shrouded in anonymity. What is the difference if i choose to get lost in the legions of rat-race participants in India, Australia or USA? Its globally the same stupid race anyway. The same type of people - The good, the bad and the ugly. Or to corporatize it: The idealists, The Cynics and the suck-ups. Its a matter of learning to disregard those people who are irrelevant to my life. This will probably be easier in an environment abroad. Coz i will have minimum connectivity beyond work - like language or culture , and so i can stay pretty detached.
So maybe, who knows, Sydney, Here i come???
But the more i think about it now, the more convinced i am that a restless soul like me would not get tied down to a place just because it is convenient. So maybe i should look beyond geographical constraints, most of which are in my own mind. If i think about it, Singapore is only 3 hours away. Australia maybe eight. And living where i do currently is anyway akin to being shrouded in anonymity. What is the difference if i choose to get lost in the legions of rat-race participants in India, Australia or USA? Its globally the same stupid race anyway. The same type of people - The good, the bad and the ugly. Or to corporatize it: The idealists, The Cynics and the suck-ups. Its a matter of learning to disregard those people who are irrelevant to my life. This will probably be easier in an environment abroad. Coz i will have minimum connectivity beyond work - like language or culture , and so i can stay pretty detached.
So maybe, who knows, Sydney, Here i come???
Friday, April 06, 2007
Of anniversaries...
Its almost a year since Egypt. And im not planning my vacation. Could be a. because i already have had a vacation since then in Bali b. I dont know anyone to vacation with c. One takes a vacation from work, not a vacation from being idle...
Its a combination of all three factors i guess. But i do know my next vacation is going to be in either Malaysia, Lakshadweep, USA or OzzieLand. Talk about diverse choices!!!
On those lines, some places i would like to visit...
Its a combination of all three factors i guess. But i do know my next vacation is going to be in either Malaysia, Lakshadweep, USA or OzzieLand. Talk about diverse choices!!!
On those lines, some places i would like to visit...
- Scotland and Ireland-The highlands and County Clare to be specific
- Greece
- Spain
- Peru - Nazca and Machu Pichu
- Ecuador
- Shillong
- China...
Thursday, April 05, 2007
The charge of the light brigade...
Everyday i learn something new.
Till a few days ago, i thought that the words "Ours is not to question who or why, ours is but to do or die" was the motto of the gladitors. Funny, because i cannot recollect for the life of me why i thought it was so. Except for the fact that it sounds sort of a follow-up to "Hail Caeser, those who are about to die, salute you"
The original words from Tennyson's poem is far more depressing (words used by a friend of mine who took it upon herself to educate me". It reads
Till a few days ago, i thought that the words "Ours is not to question who or why, ours is but to do or die" was the motto of the gladitors. Funny, because i cannot recollect for the life of me why i thought it was so. Except for the fact that it sounds sort of a follow-up to "Hail Caeser, those who are about to die, salute you"
The original words from Tennyson's poem is far more depressing (words used by a friend of mine who took it upon herself to educate me". It reads
"Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die"
Now that ive read the entire poem, im indeed depressed. Because it illustrates my thoughts in a far better manner than i imagined. The reason why i use these lines so often is because, i feel like i am breaking my head on a brick wall at times, and the end result is simply the same. Just give in, and do as you are told to. Because its your higher-up who told you to do so. Note: I use the word higher-up , not superior, because im no way inferior to the other person.
To illustrate why i use these words as my "anti-establishment" motto, here goes
Me: I dont understand why we need to do it this way. There is a far easier way to do this, which will save us a lot of trouble
The other: I am tired of doing things because they are easy
Me: Err...you do realise we are getting paid to do work. if we do it your way, it means additional effort for which we wont be paid
The other: If thats your only reason, i dont think we should do it. I am tired of taking the easy way out.
Me: to myself, as noone else is listening: Its not like you will do the additional work. Thats going to come to me. You can sit on your high and mighty horse and insist that things be done in your way because u want it done that way. Whats the logic ? Why do i even question u? After all u are the boss...
I change my status on google to "Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die" Think to myself: Do and die makes better sense than my version. No wonder tennyson is immortal
Would'nt it be nice, if i go with the complicated things, dont reason why, and quit before i get around to doing it? Wishful thinking... but thats what happens when ur head hits a brick wall. You see stars.
Btw, my new motto on google talk..."For Yesterday is but a Dream, And To-morrow is only a Vision"...why, that's another story.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Semantics, The importance of
Cynical or disillusioned?
Then I figure that silence is the best defence. But uh-huh…Being silent gets interpreted as being too snobbish, not wanting to talk beyond a certain cirlcle of people.
Yet another case of damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.
So the next time someone says “Its all semantics”…remember, it’s a jungle out there!!!
Monday, March 19, 2007
The most morbid tourney so far...
This world cup will go down as the most morbid one ever.And im not thinking of the various bloodbaths on the field.
When i returned home post a late night movie, and having watched the mess India's batsmen had made in its first match, i was naturally curious to see how the second half was progressing. So i watched the match on DD at all of 2AM in the morning, having been deprived of Set Max. And somewhere along the way i decided to browse the net for scores of the other match happening the same day.
That was when i read news of a young Bangladeshi cricketers death in an accident. And wondered how teammates who had played with the chap could actually concentrate. It was fitting indeed that the captain dedicated the win to the departed. And to be fair, i believe the Bangladesh team deserved their victory. What convinced me was their fielding. You could lay the blame for poor batting and bowling at India's feet if you truly belived that the opponents were bad. But their fielding was tight, and no stupidity on India's part can be used as an excuse to cover that up
Then came the morning news today. The only coach i remeber by name and tenure. Dead. And the current Pak team will never forgive themselves i'm sure. I can only imagine how the Ireland team reacted. Im sure it crossed their mind as well that, if we had'nt won....what may have happened. Such is the irony in life!!!
Let's see what happens going forward. As i read somewhere. Even if the top 8 teams do not qualify, the biggest upset has already ocurred in the WC.
RIP
When i returned home post a late night movie, and having watched the mess India's batsmen had made in its first match, i was naturally curious to see how the second half was progressing. So i watched the match on DD at all of 2AM in the morning, having been deprived of Set Max. And somewhere along the way i decided to browse the net for scores of the other match happening the same day.
That was when i read news of a young Bangladeshi cricketers death in an accident. And wondered how teammates who had played with the chap could actually concentrate. It was fitting indeed that the captain dedicated the win to the departed. And to be fair, i believe the Bangladesh team deserved their victory. What convinced me was their fielding. You could lay the blame for poor batting and bowling at India's feet if you truly belived that the opponents were bad. But their fielding was tight, and no stupidity on India's part can be used as an excuse to cover that up
Then came the morning news today. The only coach i remeber by name and tenure. Dead. And the current Pak team will never forgive themselves i'm sure. I can only imagine how the Ireland team reacted. Im sure it crossed their mind as well that, if we had'nt won....what may have happened. Such is the irony in life!!!
Let's see what happens going forward. As i read somewhere. Even if the top 8 teams do not qualify, the biggest upset has already ocurred in the WC.
RIP
Monday, February 12, 2007
Fleeting impressions...
I spent the last week or so in the Northern region of India...Delhi, Jaipur and Gurgaon to be precise. Didnt have enough time to enjoy all the charms of the region, but i did get a few fleeting glimpses into the area...here goes in disjointed phrases
Delhi- Superb roads, pleasant weather, reasonable prepaid cabs, traffic jams at peak hour, bad autos, awesome metro, loads of history, confusing rountanas, lookalike roads, pending further exploration, weird people, good food, gol gappa at chandni chowk, shopping in ansals, late nights, dancing, more dancing, more late nights, pretty cool friends, all in all an awesome time
Gurgaon - Tracts of rural area between urban patches, cycle rickshaws, DLF, Malls, More malls, PVR, The Holiday, good food at Chawrie Bizarre, bad connectivity, partially livable, need a car, good friends
Jaipur - Weird connectivity - Only through bikaner house, camel carts, the best tourism showcase in india in Chowki Dani, Must-do for all, Lacquer jewellery, gems, jootis, shopping, food at chowki dhani, hospitality at chowki dhani, i just cant get over that place, pretty neat food, weddings, city palace, amber fort, 100gm quilts, multani mitti saris, food at LMB, Bad airport, late flights, wanna go back:)
All-in-all,i think ive had a superb time, just a taste of the place, but thats left me wanting more. Now suffering perils of overdosing on wedding food, alien water and gol gappas. My stomach needs some well deserved rest...
Delhi- Superb roads, pleasant weather, reasonable prepaid cabs, traffic jams at peak hour, bad autos, awesome metro, loads of history, confusing rountanas, lookalike roads, pending further exploration, weird people, good food, gol gappa at chandni chowk, shopping in ansals, late nights, dancing, more dancing, more late nights, pretty cool friends, all in all an awesome time
Gurgaon - Tracts of rural area between urban patches, cycle rickshaws, DLF, Malls, More malls, PVR, The Holiday, good food at Chawrie Bizarre, bad connectivity, partially livable, need a car, good friends
Jaipur - Weird connectivity - Only through bikaner house, camel carts, the best tourism showcase in india in Chowki Dani, Must-do for all, Lacquer jewellery, gems, jootis, shopping, food at chowki dhani, hospitality at chowki dhani, i just cant get over that place, pretty neat food, weddings, city palace, amber fort, 100gm quilts, multani mitti saris, food at LMB, Bad airport, late flights, wanna go back:)
All-in-all,i think ive had a superb time, just a taste of the place, but thats left me wanting more. Now suffering perils of overdosing on wedding food, alien water and gol gappas. My stomach needs some well deserved rest...
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Deep thoughts...
I had a very typical me conversation with a friend recently which made me think (a rare occurence and a life threatening one as such strenuous activity may likely kill the two surviving brain cells of mine)
Me: ...Dont understand anything u said...
Friend: Supposing there are X and Y, and you are good friends with person X. And dont really care abt person Y. Supposing person X kills person Z. You will be more accepting towards that scenario rather than if person Y killed Z
Me: What if i like Person Z more than person X...
Friend: Even then. You will be more accepting because X is your friend.
Me: But i have a logical question. If person X kills person Z, how can person Y kill Z as well. You cant kill a dead person, you know...
(I imaging said friend must have been driven up the wall with my flippancy)
But flippancy aside, this conversation got me thinking (yeah - the dreaded word again...One brain cell gasping for breath already).
Its all about relationships and perception. I should use the word equation, to be more apt. Coz you have equations at the work place, and relationships outside it. And my thought centred around work and the workplace. I noticed that whenever i have a "mentor", "buddy", "great dude" equation with someone, i tend to overlook their obvious unprofessional conduct at times. The exact same mistake or one of a lesser intensity committed by a person with who i share a more "duh" "uncool" "who cares about him" "what an idiot" equation, i treat like it is the biggest mistake since Bush (Sr and Jr) attacked Iraq. And i do consider that a HUGE mistake. Rather like most of the marks i score on my exams (there comes flippancy again...)
So whats so deep about all this? Nothing. I knew this even before this conversation happened. But i realised something more. In case a positive equation has turned, or is turning, negative, then i go all out to nitpick and ensure that i completely turn against the person. At least mentally. Not the greatest thing to do. But there it is. And i refuse to accept that its only me. Im pretty sure, the rate at which someone comes crashing down from a pedestral is far higher than the rate at which they got there. And more importantly, once the fall starts, it is the viewer who pushes the idol down faster.
That brings us to rebuilding: resurrecting equations which have turned sour vis-a-vis relationships that started sour is far more difficult. After all in the latter case, there is no way to go but up. And in the former case, well, disillusionment is the hardest phase of any equation to get over...
Well so much for deep thoughts. Lets go back to flippancy...
wonder why it is that when i pack my stuff, my cleanser always leaks, but my toner stays intact...
Me: ...Dont understand anything u said...
Friend: Supposing there are X and Y, and you are good friends with person X. And dont really care abt person Y. Supposing person X kills person Z. You will be more accepting towards that scenario rather than if person Y killed Z
Me: What if i like Person Z more than person X...
Friend: Even then. You will be more accepting because X is your friend.
Me: But i have a logical question. If person X kills person Z, how can person Y kill Z as well. You cant kill a dead person, you know...
(I imaging said friend must have been driven up the wall with my flippancy)
But flippancy aside, this conversation got me thinking (yeah - the dreaded word again...One brain cell gasping for breath already).
Its all about relationships and perception. I should use the word equation, to be more apt. Coz you have equations at the work place, and relationships outside it. And my thought centred around work and the workplace. I noticed that whenever i have a "mentor", "buddy", "great dude" equation with someone, i tend to overlook their obvious unprofessional conduct at times. The exact same mistake or one of a lesser intensity committed by a person with who i share a more "duh" "uncool" "who cares about him" "what an idiot" equation, i treat like it is the biggest mistake since Bush (Sr and Jr) attacked Iraq. And i do consider that a HUGE mistake. Rather like most of the marks i score on my exams (there comes flippancy again...)
So whats so deep about all this? Nothing. I knew this even before this conversation happened. But i realised something more. In case a positive equation has turned, or is turning, negative, then i go all out to nitpick and ensure that i completely turn against the person. At least mentally. Not the greatest thing to do. But there it is. And i refuse to accept that its only me. Im pretty sure, the rate at which someone comes crashing down from a pedestral is far higher than the rate at which they got there. And more importantly, once the fall starts, it is the viewer who pushes the idol down faster.
That brings us to rebuilding: resurrecting equations which have turned sour vis-a-vis relationships that started sour is far more difficult. After all in the latter case, there is no way to go but up. And in the former case, well, disillusionment is the hardest phase of any equation to get over...
Well so much for deep thoughts. Lets go back to flippancy...
wonder why it is that when i pack my stuff, my cleanser always leaks, but my toner stays intact...
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The good ol' island life...
Salamat Pagi...
The first thing i hear from every person in this country. And of course the giggles. They giggle for everything. I think we should rename this country Gigolasia rather than Indonesia. Apparently its the most corrupt country in the world. But in the past three years (Touch Wood) i havent really had to face anything personally in my short trips here...
This is my first trip to Jakarta though. My three day jaunt in 2004 doesnt qualify. This time around i understood much more of this country which is so similar to India. I understand now what "island time" is. A concept i had read in every book that mentioned hawaii, fiji or bali. After three years, i finally understand it. Most of these guys dont hurry. They have no place to reach or no reason to be the first ones there. ALl this means 1.5 hour lunches, discussions on indian population, Shah Rukh Khan and loads of shopping.
That brings me to the next thing about this country. The most consumerist country i have seen. After including Singapore and Dubai. As a friend here says, people either are in office, or in malls.
Every conceivable brand has a presence. Its an expensive country. Newspapers cost Rp5000, which translates to Rs.10/- or 60cents. And if u convert 120 USD, u are a millionaire. Such is the exchange rate here.
What else...I dont stay in Jakarta. Stay in a place called Bekasi which is in the neighbouring province , travel to another area called Cikarang. Its an industrial area with huge industrial estates. And my driver here tells me that Bajaj and TVS are starting motor bike factories.
Indians are pretty few and far between here, as is Indian food. Vegetarian food is next to non-existent. Cap Cai (pronounced Chap Chai) and Gado-Gado are veg things u can get...
I like this country though. Coz its friendly. Coz its liberal despite being the largest Islamic nation in the world. Coz all my favorite stores are here. Coz the roads are smooth. Coz its island life...Coz im away from the usual grind. This place always makes me stop and think whether im a loner after all...or is it that i dont need the same people around me all the time. Coz i think i enjoy myself most when im travelling alone. Not that i like being alone in the country where i am. I just prefer the company of locals rather than finding "one of our own". Am sure that if i was travelling with someone from office, or home, i wouldnt have seen half the places ive seen in this country. Or eaten half the things ive eaten as well... Something to ponder about..
The first thing i hear from every person in this country. And of course the giggles. They giggle for everything. I think we should rename this country Gigolasia rather than Indonesia. Apparently its the most corrupt country in the world. But in the past three years (Touch Wood) i havent really had to face anything personally in my short trips here...
This is my first trip to Jakarta though. My three day jaunt in 2004 doesnt qualify. This time around i understood much more of this country which is so similar to India. I understand now what "island time" is. A concept i had read in every book that mentioned hawaii, fiji or bali. After three years, i finally understand it. Most of these guys dont hurry. They have no place to reach or no reason to be the first ones there. ALl this means 1.5 hour lunches, discussions on indian population, Shah Rukh Khan and loads of shopping.
That brings me to the next thing about this country. The most consumerist country i have seen. After including Singapore and Dubai. As a friend here says, people either are in office, or in malls.
Every conceivable brand has a presence. Its an expensive country. Newspapers cost Rp5000, which translates to Rs.10/- or 60cents. And if u convert 120 USD, u are a millionaire. Such is the exchange rate here.
What else...I dont stay in Jakarta. Stay in a place called Bekasi which is in the neighbouring province , travel to another area called Cikarang. Its an industrial area with huge industrial estates. And my driver here tells me that Bajaj and TVS are starting motor bike factories.
Indians are pretty few and far between here, as is Indian food. Vegetarian food is next to non-existent. Cap Cai (pronounced Chap Chai) and Gado-Gado are veg things u can get...
I like this country though. Coz its friendly. Coz its liberal despite being the largest Islamic nation in the world. Coz all my favorite stores are here. Coz the roads are smooth. Coz its island life...Coz im away from the usual grind. This place always makes me stop and think whether im a loner after all...or is it that i dont need the same people around me all the time. Coz i think i enjoy myself most when im travelling alone. Not that i like being alone in the country where i am. I just prefer the company of locals rather than finding "one of our own". Am sure that if i was travelling with someone from office, or home, i wouldnt have seen half the places ive seen in this country. Or eaten half the things ive eaten as well... Something to ponder about..
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