Empty Headed Sensibilities

Begaani Shaadi Mein Abdullah Deewana!

2011-04-30T05:35:00.002+05:30

Rafiq Abdullah has been a wedding crasher ever since he saw 3 Idiots and how free food was available at weddings. His belief was strengthened further when he heard his Hindi teacher once say, "Begaani Shaadi mein Abdullah Deewana" and he took it upon himself to immerse his feelings into any marriage he could gatecrash.

As an 18 year old, with free time to spare he finished a record 392 weddings during the peak Delhi season and also visited 142 bachelor parties just to live upto his name. Many Delhiites believe Rafiq is now a key figure at social gatherings and hence Minister of External Affairs, S.M Krishna gave him a Passport in 2 hours, a national record and sent him to England on the first flight on 28th April. The key motive behind this was to have Rafiq gatecrash the Royal wedding as no Indian official was called for

Rafiq Abdullah upon reaching England, quickly spoke to Shahrukh Khan and Raju Srivastava, his friends at most weddings and embarked on the mission to enter the Wedding.Much like every Bollywood actor, he entered the backgate and put on a waiter's uniform with the name Michael on it. Abdullah live tweeted the entire event and confirmed his addition of Chat Masala in the Chicken was the reason the washrooms were full till William and Kate moved on to the Royal Bedding from the Royal Wedding, a line he blatantly copied from one of the funny guys on Twitter and passed it off as his own creation. It was also his last Facebook status with 34 likes including his own and 3 fake accounts.

But then, the end was not how it was supposed to be as he was caught by the Royal Guards when his phone rang loudly playing, "Jiyo Khiladi Wahe Wahe" and he was thrown out. Like every victim he has confirmed he will be writing a book on his adventures in the palace called "Billu Ki Shaadi Ke Rangeen Lamhe." He is said to have received offers from Champa Publishers which would put Shobha De and Chetan Bhagat to shame.

Currently drunk in a West London bar, Iqbal will be unavailable to comment on anything until further notice. His Dad, Rafiq Abdullah Sr. though has lauded his son's efforts and already demanded that the idiom be changed to "Begaani Shaadi mein Rafiq Deewana" in honour of his son.

India awaits it's Deewana son!

Oh! Calcutta

2011-01-15T06:34:00.001+05:30

A post has been long due on the blog & nothing better than writing about my favourite city in the world - The City of Joy. Calcutta. Yes, I still call it Calcutta, just like a Delhite will always call his/her city as Dilli & how it will always be Madras for a Madrasi. It hurts us if you change the name & simply name it to suit yourself or may be garner a few votes for that matter.

This post is about the reasons why nothing surpasses Calcutta in terms of the joy it brings to heart & mind alike. Below are 2 reasons why the City doesn't dissapoint me one bit. It's Cricket & It's Food.

Cricket

The perfect fair weather crowd might piss many off but it is one of the most knowledgeable out of the lot after Chennai of course & Bangalore. The Eden Gardens is only a small part of the puzzle for a normal man, Cricket runs in the Metro, on a bus or a tram. For a child, it runs in Vivekananda Park, Victoria Memorial Grounds, Mayo Road clubs & many more. It is part of an upbringing of sorts so to speak. Sourav Ganguly is a God of sorts in the city for many reasons. He was one of the first Bengal cricketers to play for the country in a long time barring the in and out ones & Pankaj Roy, who our generation generally were eluded by. He showed that coming from a state like Bengal did not mean you could not make it to the Indian squad & succeed. He did & showed it in style. I will not need to elaborate as those who know me, how much affection I have for India's greatest Cricket captain & the architect of modern Indian cricket at large. For more see this.

Apart from all this, for a normal guy like me, the city has always been a playground. From Vivekananda Park to Northern Park to Victoria to Bada Park in Kankurgachi, it was always a pleasure to go and play in the scorching sun from 7 in the morning till 1 in the afternoon with 15 breaks for soda shikanjee, masala dosa at a measly 5 rupees then(I'm told it's 7 now) & of course getting into fights whether the shot by the batsman was a boundary or not. Highly unprofessional but fiercely competitive. If you lost a game, it meant that there would be humiliation once you enter class on Monday & you would be subject to wrath from those who haven't even picked up a bat in their life. Mind you Leg Before Wicket was not part of the game as it was always known that the Umpire will not give it out. We were too coward to accept that none of us actually knew the exact rules. Also, run outs were not known to us because the leg umpire would be indulging in talks with the square leg fielder or too busy to put his pads on as the job of a square leg umpire was only given to the next man in.

Then, there were the building/apartment rivalries much like you would find in Bombay. There were under arm tournaments on terraces to rubber ball tournaments under flood lights at the corner of a Cricket ground after throwing away the Badminton players because you wanted to play cricket. Such was the domination of the beautiful game.

Another feature, why I love playing in Calcutta is that there's immense pressure to procure a decent pitch too. Go to Victoria & ask anyone was it easy to get a pitch there. Answer would be no as people come as early as 4.30 AM in the fog & guard pitches for game due to start only at 6.30 AM. I have been party to such madness on a number of occasions just sitting at the ground with a red cherry in my hand constantly trying to think about out thinking the opposition batsmen. It was a high to swing the ball & if you did, people would remember you. Much like Irfan Pathan, I used to. :)

Food

If you have studied in Bangalore, Chennai, London or Pune or any other place in the whole wide world, you have had a Calcutta boy who does not stop raving about the food in Calcutta. In my batch in college, I was that boy along with my friends Chetan & Akshat.

Below is a listing of the top places in Calcutta which I feel are the reason why Calcutta food is Calcutta food.

1. Vardaan A/C Market (Camac Street) - Try the north indian dosa called chilla made of dal, along with coriander chutney or the jhal muri or the eclectic masala Coke. It will not disappoint you one bit. Not to forget, 2 puchka wallahs doling out huge puchkas & churmur to blow your mind. You will only say Slurp! & head two buildings away to 22 Camac Street for some shopping.

2. Mayaram Pav Bhaji (Lord Sinha Road) - The man started his career by selling Jhal Muris to girl from Shri Shikshayatan School & College. He moved ahead in the lane called Lord Sinha Road to open a small shop selling Pav Bhaji. It has since become Calcutta's top Pav Bhaji restaurant so to speak. Today it offers a wide range of items from Chowmein to Chaats but the central theme remains the Pav Bhaji. My friend used to stay in the same lane & knew the guy who used to make the Bhaji. He would order a normal Pav Bhaji, walk to the cook, give him 10 bucks & tell him to make it special. Ah! The Cashews would arrive & a spicier version would arrive to make us drool.

3. Ram Mandir (MG Road, Burrabazar) - Burrabazar is the city area. The marketplace. The Marwari zone. Get dropped at MG Road or Central via the Metro & walk to Ram Mandir. Saari shops throng both sides of the road & in a single line lie about 5 Pav Bhaji wallahs. My only complain with this Pav Bhaji is the excess tomato in the Bhaji. Each one is a competitor & has a top man who will entice you to sit near his counter. Also around will be the Chuski wallahs, the Muri Wallahs & Puchka Wallahs but the item that is most pleasing to the mouth is the Sandwich. Mint chutney, Modern Bread, Vegetables & Cheese to make you feel you're in Bombay.

4. Lake Kali Bari & Vivekananda Park - In the midst of trees & beautiful roads lies Lake Kali Bari, a temple & just outside another spectacle for the food lover. Go here & order a Bhelpuri if you like & then park yourself next to a Puchkawallah & let him go about his business. He will serve puchkas, churmur & monstrous Alur Dum. If you like it, he will also serve you Alu Dum puchka if you want. The same things are available at Vivekananda Park & cross the ground to reach Filler's for a burger or pizza if you like. It was the best pizza in town until Don Giovanni's arrived & much later the likes of Domino's & Pizza Hut. We did not have Nirula's. Still dont.

5. PARK STREET - There is not even a single person I know who has gone out of Park Street without a smile on his/her face if I have suggested some place on this street. Enter the street from the Maidan side, near the Mayo Road signal & on your left just before the Singer showroom you will find a Muri Wala dishing out an awesome dish in thonga. Head a little further, you hit Park Hotel. Tantra was for long the best discotheque in Calcutta known for parties that go on till dawn. Then there is Roxy, a high end lounge & of course the legendary Some Place Else, Calcutta's live music centre. If you want to have a quiet time, head upstairs on the third floor to Atrium & enjoy a cup of Coffee. Not to forget just outside Park is the famous north indian restaurant called Kwality, The Oxford Bookstore & Trincas, another place where live music is a specialty.

A bit further lies the watering hole you have heard a Bengali talk about atleast once in his life. It's called Oly Pub. Dirt Cheap liquor, old style set up & a Chanachur that would make you back there over & over again.

Next on the line is Calcutta's first ever Roll shop - Kusum Roll Bar. Being a vegetarian, I always ended up having the Paneer Roll but non vegetarians have a variety of rolls to choose from. Mutton Roll is supposed to be an all time best seller along with the Chickens & the Eggs.

You don't move a step & a barrage of restaurants will be lined up. From Moulin Rouge to Bar B Q to Blue Fox to Mocambo & a McDonald's fitted in between. These are restaurants you will be taken to whenever you visit the city. Bar B Q is my favourite because of the brilliant chinese food it doles out & the courteous staff always makes the trip enjoyable.

If you're into Sizzlers, cross the road & hit Peter Cat. I will concede that I have not had a better sizzler in my life having tasted the likes of Miller's 46 in Bangalore, Britto's in Goa, Chonas in Delhi & Kobe's in a couple of places.

Then there's Waldorf & a couple of others but nothing beats the buzz near Bar-B-Q or Oasis.

Also, turn about a 50 metres back and enter Russell Street to have the best sundaes in town at Super Zero. Russell Street also houses Gangaur, which you can visit for the most awesome upmarket Kachori Sabji for breakfast along with South Indian delicacies. Teej is another restaurant but I do not like it much for its pricing it serves moderate food in comparison to other Park Street stalwarts it competes with.

Bang opposite Gangaur, there's another Chaat corner with the usual items I have already mentioned.

6. Flury's - Have a look at the place & tell me you don't want your English breakfast with the choicest of confectionery items. From the Bacon to the Cookie. This place is a must visit early in the morning on the quiet Park Street stretch. Extend your breakfast to see the city get into its groove whilst enjoying a cup of tea & order pastries!

7. Kookie Jar - What Sweet Chariot: Bangalore, Kookie Jar: Calcutta. The Chocolate trufle boat must be no.2 on the list of items taken in hand baggage out of Calcutta after the Rosogolla. It is one of the most frequented spot by young & old alike. Over a period of time, has taken a lot of business from Kathleen & Monginis.

8. KC DAS - I cannot keep writing about Calcutta without the mention of Keshab Chandra Ghosh & the rosogollas they produce that have become a craze across the nation. Head to Dharamtalla close to Statesman House and you will reach KC Das. Do not stop at the Rosogollas as they now serve Sandesh with fillings of Rum, Whiskey & Coke. Have it to believe it!

Notable Mentions are listed below -

Khidki in Alipore

Puchka in Tollygunj near Malancha Theatre (tell him to add chillies)

Chola Chaat at Fancy Market

Kachori Sabzi at Sharma's near Gurudwara. Don't forget to ask for Samosa, Green Chillies & Jalebi that will melt in your mouth. If you want, ask for a good Vada to an Aiyappa swamy who dishes out good South Indian food too.

Zaaranj on Chowringhee

Food Lane opposite Tea Board, Burrabazaar for Chowmein, Chaats, Mithais all on the street

Fire & Ice for classic Italian pizzas at Kanak Building near Maidan Metro Station

Balwant Singh's Dhaba near Gurudwara for classic Punjabi food & their speciality, DOODH COLA. Yes, you heard it right. Coca Cola, Milk & loads of Sugar served with high quantities of Ice in an earthen pot.

Ajanta Dhaba & Jai Hind for the midnight Dhaba Food

Shere Punjab, another midnight Dhaba joint

AZAD HIND, the daddy of all Dhabas in Calcutta, boasts of a MF HUSSAIN painting right on top of the billing counter & excellent food. The live tandoor seen from the road when you pass by will make you stop the car and enjoy the food. Yes they serve food while you're in the car too

Flavours - Chocolate Pan, Ice Pan amongst other things. Cars throng this joint at night for paan & Bhel Puri at midnight

Annapurna, bang opposite Flavours for gujarati Ganthia, Idra, Dhokla & Jalebi

Tripti for South Indian Chettinad food. If you're in a group call for the Family Dosa. It's 4 feet long & crisp. Makes for a near perfect breakfast in a place aptly called Southern Avenue

Bhupendra Mansion - It will beat Brahmin's Coffee Bar Idly's by a few solar systems. Run by a family who open doors at 6 in the morning & closes by 9, it serves the best Idly in the city. The Idly melts in your mouth & the chutney is absolutely brilliant. Never have I been disappointed after going to Bhupendra's. It's relatively unknown to those who swear by Raj or Tripti.

Raj - On Hazra, this one is a delight to Gujaratis who have a special liking to South Indian food. They love going to Raj, stand in a long queue & have a good dosa. Best thing here is to order the special chutney along with their signature Idly Vada. Dosas are good as well but I would rather go for their Onion Uthappam.

Anand - Chandni Chowk's best South Indian joint to many. It serves an awesome chutney & Rava Dosa that will tell you to go hit someone back in the South. Try the north indian delicacies & you will not be disappointed.

Udupi - Across, the road from Anand in a small lane lies the small Udupi Cafe. It serves the best Upma I have had. Small & dingy, you might not like the set up, but the food is big plus. I used to go there regularly since my grandparent's lived next door for a long time.

Muri Wala(Lord Sinha Road) - There are two of them. They do more business than Kathleen next door. The imli chutney & choicest of masalas make this muri extremely popular. Incase you feel like taking some home there are packets with muri, badam & bhujia sprinkled with Muri Masala & Oil.

Sen Mahashay - Sen Mahashay is the Rahul Dravid of Rosogolla. It never got as much attention as KC Das. Right opposite Jaggu Bazaar in a small shop, one of its many, they have an expensive Rosogolla that is many a time better than KC Das. I might get killed for saying this, but it is purely a matter of choice.

Alu Chop (Jaggu Bazaar) - Just outside the Bhowanipore Metro Station lies the small shop which serves Alu Chop at a measly 2 Rupees along with plain Muri & a green chilly. It is a staple evening snack for many across the city but this shop easily beats all other chop shops!

I'm going out of choices, but if there are any more please add them(I'm sure there are).

With that thought, I look forward to my trip to Calcutta in February for the WC 2011 game versus England & a chance to go to places listed above & see folks & friends alike.

Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it!

Till then.

The Furious Case of the Facebook Like Button & Other Stories

2010-11-28T00:42:00.000+05:30

I think we Indians have taken Social Networking in a completely different way. In more ways than one, each day someone on Facebook pisses you off more than another asshole the previous day. Below are the irritations that are right on top –

THE QUIZ TAKERS – There are a few quizzes which are fun. Others are plain ridiculous. If you take the Koffee with Karan quiz on Facebook, then you surely were getting an orgasm while watching the Threesome of Ranbir, Imran and Karan. You might also have found Sonam Kapoor extremely enchanting and fascinating. To me she was plastic. Dont get me started about Deepika who looked she needed a tummy tuck more than any other plastic surgeries that were required. She was constantly trying to fit in to her red dress. Coming back to the quiz, you should really introspect before taking such a quiz. I say you had better watched any Saas Bahu serial and i would have pardoned you.

THE HOROSCOPE TAKERS – These are extremely God fearing. They could cry if their horoscope read that today will be a tough day for you. I say please do cry at yourself because the more horoscopes you subscribe on FB, more it is apparent that none of it will happen all day as you would be on Facebook trying to say hi to every chick who logs in to chat. If any cartoon tantric baba pleases you, then you should go and join Swami Nityananda’s ashram and help him out to predict more idiosyncrasies in your life.

My Prediction for any reader who actually subscribes to such a horoscope: You will go to the nearest Mandir and chadao 500 rupees.

FACEBOOK-TWITTER SYNCING INTELLEGENTIA – This is a rare kind. They announce in style that they have joined Twitter and everyone on their Facebook should follow them. Bhenfucks, apart from the exception of Suhel Banerjee (@Suhel), I know no one else who can do justice to syncing their Tweets & FB.

The entire concept of Twitter lies in updating wherever you are, whatever you are doing and posting links of anything the person tweeting deems fit. Facebook is now slowly becoming the place where people now vent their minds, start loving whichever team wins football that day, tag their friends beside them on their status telling the world what an awesome time they are having.

Now when you are just tweeting all day imagine the FB timeline and the irritation levels of anyone who logs in and sees one complete ass’ updates.

Here’s how they write it :

XYZ : Guys! I am on Twitter. Let the Tweeting begin. Follow me @XYZ_SmartAss for awesome updates..Yaaaaaay!!! Follow me.

If you do that. People are not going to follow you. Twitter is way bigger than that and a much more interactive and educative platform than you have imagined.

Also, please do not use a hash tag for every word you tweet. Sincere request. You will never trend.

GIRL STATUS LIKES & COMMENTS – It has been running around on Twitter and Facebook how any good looking girl can update anything she feels like and it will get 40 likes and blah blah comments.

My question is simple. How can a status like, “What a good morning” get so much attention when the same thing updated by a normal guy gets a singular comment like, “ Abey saale kya good hai iss morning ke baare mein?”

Also, if you like that girl’s status doesn’t mean she’ll go ahead and reply to your ping or even initiate a conversation. Like they say, the good ones are taken and that is true. She will not leave her bimbo and you can just keep on ogling at her pictures before she even goes and likes them herself.

While we are at it, do not like your own status. It’s not cool.

TWITTER ONE LINER COPY CATS – These guys are there in plenty. Guys think they are smart to have opened a Twitter account and followed some people so that they can blatantly go and update their Facebook statuses for likes. There are some who go and write inspirational quotes. Latter are mostly girls and of course they get the likes and the guy simply gets a comment or two telling him saale kahaan se maara. That is when he sulks, all his dreams of getting 25 likes are gone. He curses his friend who ruined it all. To counter it he uses a technique which G. Khamba(@gkhamba) once tweeted and I have noticed it more often than not. This is how it goes –

Guy sees awesome tweet. Remembers it. Three days whilst people have forgotten it, goes and posts on FB. 25 likes. Win!

Last but not the least & this is obligatory for any post of the kind I am writing – SIR U MADE LAKHS is an Anagram of “ I collect old jokes & forward them to everyone on my Blackberry, Phone List etc and thus I am a Twit.” GET IT?

Sourav Ganguly : An Enigma

2010-10-18T02:21:00.001+05:30

I am guessing it has been two long years since Sourav decided to hang his boots up and shut everyone who thought his place was not guaranteed. But he lives on. In conversations & cricket at large.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Sourav Ganguly have an enviable record as captain and when the former sent Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of the struggling Rahul Dravid in a crucial fourth innings chase, I was reminded of the VVS Laxman move of 2001. Nothing else came to mind as I was happy as ever in the crowd privileged enough to see how Cheteshwar along with Vijay first & Sachin later would weave the Indian innings to a famous win at the Chinaswamy.

Such is the enigma of Sourav. He must have been proud of Dhoni’s move in his mind because Sourav has seen Pujara from close quarters at the KKR camp and knows that not many can play test cricket like Pujara does. It is moves like these that define captaincy.

Sourav Ganguly was a born leader many can say because he always chose his path and never listened to his adversaries. Some said the short ball would do the trick. It did many a times but couldn’t stop him from scoring 10,000 ODI runs and taking his team to a celebrated WC final in 2003. He always knew what he is capable of and never flinched when he was down. His obituary was written probably as many times he has scored a hundred for India but not once did those obituaries come true much like Steve Jobs.

When Sourav first came on to the scene in 1996(not 1992 for the ODI’s in Australia) to play a Test for India, he scored a memorable hundred at Lord’s and since then became a favourite for many as a hundred on debut means fans will come aplenty. He followed it up with another hundred in the next test with Sachin Tendulkar. He was an unknown quantity but Calcutta newspapers wrote with pride. It was a big moment in Bengal cricket since they last won the Ranji trophy in 1990. I remember playing at Vivekananda Park for my school taking 3 wickets in a match when my coach came and told me that Sourav Ganguly was here yesterday on the same pitch and had scored a hundred. There is no relation to the greatness of Sourav in this except that as a 13 year old it was bliss. It was like a Shardashram Vidyalaya student would say he was from the same school as Sachin. That kind of joy. It cannot be explained.

Within 2 years, Sourav had cemented his place in the ODI and Test sides. He was opening the batting with Tendulkar and both amassed runs at a fast pace. Tendulkar was already a great. Sourav was on the anvil. He used to come down the track to spinners with ease and caress quickies on the offside with finesse that is unmatched till date. Lara was ferocious, Gilchirist would be called murderous but Sourav was sublime. Pure Poetry and used his poetic licence to script many an Indian win.

He would go on to win 4 MOM’s in the Sahara Cup we watched as children waking up to Canadian timezones and calling the Cable Guy to put Star Sports on channel no. 26 and remove that WWF(now WWE). He would score runs in seaming conditions and take wickets

When you sit down and look at Sourav’s hundreds, his most important one came against a fiery Australian attack at Brisbane when the team was down. He played shots on a juicy wicket when the chips were down and scored 144. It was important in the context of the game and the series. Again that century is not remembered as much as Sachin's 241, the one without a cover drive. Actually Sachin's 241 came in a draw, but the most important contribution was Rahul Dravid's at Adelaide where he scored 233 and 72*. Sourav's century many writers confess set the tone for the season.

Sourav was a resolute captain with foresight and attitude that was needed for the job. Just that he took the job when sachin washed his hands off it and India was recuperating a match fixing scandal. He was handling a bunch of young cricketers who needed only some support. Gavaskar is known to have destroyed the legendary Dilip Doshi’s career but Ganguly would take these youngsters from camps and give them enough chances that they would feel the Indian side was their very own. At that point in time had Sourav left them in the wilderness and continued to play oldies we would never have seen the same fearlessness like we did in Kapil’s Devils of 1983. Somewhere in 1990’s that fearlessness was gone and lethargy was creeping in. Talents were not handled as they should have been. We lost Kambli to bling, Pravin Amre somewhere and lost the talents of SS Das, Sadagopan Ramesh & wicketkeepers of whom I have lost count. Sourav changed all that or most of it atleast. He ensured Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif and the likes got drafted into the Indian squad with ease giving them ample chances such that they start producing gems that would be part of folklore.

Harbhajan Singh had lost his father and was the only breadearner with many sisters and chose cricket would be his field. Amidst all the chucking charges on him, he made a grand entry with a hat trick in the famous Calcutta test match of 2001. Yuvraj scored 50’s at no.6 and moved up the order later in his career, a first for India since Kapil and Manjrekar were gone. Mohammed Kaif was India’s best fielder after Azhar and there is no denying in that. Irfan Pathan is a story that I could cry on because the way I used to idolise him, only Pakistani kids used to idolise the great Wasim Akram. I will write on him in detail some other time.

All these names are now household figures when they could have been forgotten much like Uday Chopra’s movies. Only that wouldn’t get chances like Uday to re launched because Indian cricket is a nasty business.

Sourav was a man of emotions and never spared the opposition. See the video below where he tells Mohammed Yousuf to get up fast as his overs would be cut if he continued to nurse the injury. He chose the Mecca of Cricket to open his shirt, wave it from the Lord’s balcony and celebrate India’s greatest ODI win since the WC in 1983 incidentally coming at the same ground. That time by the way, the wily Srikanth was smoking away to glory on the same balcony where Ganguly did a Salman Khan.

Each day I get ridiculed by friends for liking Sourav Ganguly so much and they only keep talking about the short ball stuff. It’s like Sachin fans telling whenever he chokes that he’s done enough. But I know i win the arguement when I base my theory on facts and figues which do not come handy to the Indian fan blinded by Tendulkarness and mass euphoria. Sourav Ganguly is a whirlwind romance only that it lasts longer and becomes stronger when you hear his stories.

When he was dropped from the team everyone wrote his name off. His contemporary Waqar would never find a way back in the Pakistan side but Sourav went back to first class cricket and score century over century for Bengal. He would turn up for Kalighat CC in the first division and score there too. When India were all out for 188 against the visiting Proteas for a brief moment they showed the score of Bengal playing Services(I think) and crowd went ballistic forgetting that the team they had come to see was bundled. Sourav had scored 159. I was quietly smiling as thanks to Cricinfo I had followed that through the day. He returned to the Indian side and scored a gutsy 83 after coming in at 37/4. He was the second highest scored in that series behind VVS and was never dropped again. It was and remains, the Greatest Comeback in Test Match cricket.

He scored a famous double hundred at Bangalore against the Pakistanis, his one day record was clean and he added more runs to it than his retactors wanted & also kept on smiling incessantly. His one day return was momentous with fifties in as many as 3 matches out of five if a remember correctly and a 98 in Nagpur. He even ocassionally came down the track much like his old self and made fun of the commentators in the process. Fans like me were happy while others seemed amazed.

With the start of IPL, he was the controversy child with John Buchanan. Accused immensely with regards to his athleticism, he only let his bat do the talking. In IPL III when he was blamed of not scoring runs at a quick pace and talks from a journalist at a Press Conference that he should come down the order, he picked up the mic and said, " from now on, McCullum and I will open in every innings." Get another 37 year old to say that. You wont find one now as Wilfred Rhodes is long gone along with Grace, Rajitsinghji and Duleepsinghji. Sourav scored a quickfire 88 of 54 balls in the game against Deccan Chargers that followed and hit India's best left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha for four sixes at the Cathedral of Indian Cricket - The Eden Gardens.

To be honest, like Peter Roebuck says even a fan has a number of battles to play. As a Sourav fan, I have won enough.

You might see greatness in Tendulkar, class in Laxman, grit in Dravid but for guts you have to have a look at Sourav. From letting Steve Waugh wait for the tosses to telling selectors that Yuvraj has to play to coming on national television in a soft drink ad and telling people to support a team he was dropped from. There is only one name. Sourav Chandidas Ganguly from Behala, Calcutta.

This is my ode to an Ordinary cricketer, Extraordinary Captain & The Man who made a Test Match comeback from his grave.

In the face of Adversity, India's answer - VVS Laxman

2010-10-08T06:48:00.000+05:30

Vangirappu Venkat Sai Laxman is like the Aditya Chopra of Indian Cricket. He is media shy, rarely gets animated and above all unassumingly produces masterpieces that would become part of folklore. The Australian media might have termed him as Very Very Special, but as I read yesterday, the Australian team surely finds him Very Very Sickening.

167 in a losing effort at the SCG in 1999 marked his arrival on to the big stage even though he made his debut in 1996. I remember waking up early that morning and telling my dad that VVS plays so much like Azharuddin, when Laxman pulled a ball from outside off to the long end on the leg side as if it were in the book. Such shots were never there in the book and will never be. You need to be a VVS to play them.

If you look at Laxman’s statistics, you will not be amused. With around 7000 test runs in his kitty at an average of 45 when the industry average so to speak is 50, Laxman goes beyond those statistics every time he walks in carress the ball on the leg side from outside off. It gives me goosebumps.

Laxman’s ODI record again is poor in comparison to the Industry standard. 2338 runs in ODI fail to take into account his centuries in Australia when every other player was struggling like a guinea pig in a cobra’s mouth. To top it, an average of 30 along with Greg Chappell ensured this Hyderabadi Biryani was never a part of fast food cricket. Actually for us purists, his test innings will keep us happy high for times to come.

VVS has never complained at being dropped like Yuvraj. Instead he has gone back to the grind and come back only stronger. Infact,Laxman who was being forced to open for India early on in hi career decided himself he's a better middle order player returned to first class cricket & got back as a middle order bat. I’m guessing it’s a generation thing – Fab 3 of the Fab 4 always made it back to the side everytime they were thought to be down and out.

Recently, his 73 not out against the Australians at Mohali battling excruciating back pain is a symbolic event in Indian cricket. It reminded me of Anil Kumble against the West Indies when he came out with a bandaged head and removed Lara with a straight delivery that hit him on the legs. Similarly his hundred against the Sri Lankans showed why he is like a good bottle of wine – getting better with age.

No VVS Laxman article is ever complete without the mention of his 281 against Australia at the Eden Garden in Calcutta. Below is a background on the situation & the series –

In the first test at Mumbai, India had pegged back the Aussies to 99 for 5 after scoring a paltry 176 in the first innings. Adam Gilchrist walked in at that time to join the lanky Matty Hayden. Sourav Ganguly made one tactical error in that series & it was this. He gave the ball to Sachin Tendulkar at this time & he was pasted for two boundaries by Gilly, which cooled the nerves if any. They went on to play freely both collecting three figure scores and in turn laying the foundation of famous 16th continous test win for Steve Waugh & Australia.

The visitors arrived in Calcutta to play at the Mecca of Indian Cricket – The Eden Gardens. Harbhajan Singh picked up a hat trick on Day one but Steve Waugh remained unfazed to take his side to a respectable 445. India folded up yet again for 171 this time but VVS had scored a 59 with a strike rate of 70 studded with 12 boundaries. Sourav would now make the bold move of sending Laxman ahead of dependable Dravid at the fall of Sadagopan Ramesh. With fall of SS Das with the score at 97 & 115 when Sachin would choke again, Sourav walked in and scored a breezy & uncharacteristic 48 only to fall when the score read 215. Story goes like this Glenn Mcgrath asked Sourav, “Hows Nagma?”, came around the wicket & Sourav edged one to Gilly. Rumours galore.

Rahul Dravid would walk in at that time and become the perfect partner to the brisk scoring pattern of VVS Laxman, who was looking at the ball as if it were a football and hopelessly crashing them on either side of the garden of Eden. India would end the day 254/4 with Laxman picking up his first three figure score of the series.

On the famous day 4th day, Laxman would dance down the track to Shane Warne that would remind you of Navjyot Singh Sidhu(the best player of spin I have seen), only classier. He pulled Kasprowicz, Gillespie & McGrath haplessly. Dravid on the other hand played the quiet hand. 180 runs coming out of that quiet hand big enough to be called a Full House incase you’re a poker fan I say.

Laxman ended that day 275* surpassing Sunil gavaskar’s long standing record of highest individual test score of 236*. In those times 200’s were rare. Many had come close to Sunny boy including Sachin with 217 the year before, Vinod Kambli twice with 224 & 227 & even Manjrekar Jr. with a 218 but it was the magical Laxman who would go ahead.

Laxman got out the next day after scoring 281 after scripting the greatest comeback by a team in a test match. In the face of adversity, Laxman rose up as a hero & along with Rahul Dravid destroyed the tall record of Australia’s 16 continous test wins. It is a scene that can surpass many a great cricketing moment.

India went on to win the Third Test & the series with two new heroes namely VVS Laxman & Harbhajan Singh.

This is the story of a cricketer I have held in high regard all through his career. This is the story of a cricketer I have told many a people being the eccentric I am. This is the story of the Very Very “Simple”, “Selfless” “Stylish” & “Special” Laxman.

Common Indian Sporting Myths

2010-09-25T23:48:00.000+05:30

We Indians keep having friendly bets during conversations about Sporting Achievements & Records based on memory & most of them are incorrect to the hilt but are wielded with so much confidence that they could put even Navjyot Singh Sidhu in full flow to utter shame. Here are the ones that you hear most often in the way they are spoken -

1. Cristiano Ronaldo toh Manchester United ke liye khelta hai boss.(Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Manchester United)

2. David Beckham toh Manchester United ke liye abhi bhi khelta hai boss. Hum kal hi YouTube pe dekh raha tha (David Beckham still plays for Manchester United, I just saw it on YouTube yesterday)

3. (Popular amongst Girls) Our favourite for the World Cup is Manchester United

4. Sania Mirza has won Wimbledon.

5. Kapil Dev is the highest wicket taker in the world.

6. Boss, Sachin Pakistan ke saamne 2003 World Cup mein Hundred mara tha (Sachin Tendulkar scored a hundred in the Super Six game against Pakistan in the 2003 WC in South Africa)

7. Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes still play together

8. Bro, Leander won the Gold in Singles at the 1996 Atalanta Olympics. Trust me Google it.

9. Wimbledon is Tennis.

10. India were in a winning position when the crowd stopped play in the 1996 WC semi final at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta. (They were 120/8 chasing over 250)

11. (Popular amongst our elders) Roger Federer and Nadal are ok, you havent seen McEnroe, Bjorg & Becker.

12. India has never lost an Olympic Gold in Hockey (Fact: They last won in 1980 at Moscow)

13. Cricket is the National Sport of India.

14. Macha, I know it. Sreesanth is the first Kerala player to play for India. (Ever heard of Tinu Yohannan?)

15. Mohammed Kaif scored a century in the NatWest Series Finals at Lord's against England in 2002 (Fact : He scored 87* in 75 balls)

16. PT Usha & Milkha Singh have won Olympic Golds.

17. Dhanraj Pillai is the captain of the Indian Hockey Team

18. Sanath Jayasuriya had steel in his bat during the 1996 World Cup.

19. Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal are the worst enemies & do not speak to each other. (Fact : This)

Well that's all I remembered at the back of my mind. Do add any others which I must have missed.

India & Twitter - Love blooms Late

2010-09-09T19:39:00.001+05:30

6 years ago, everyone had Ramu Yalamanchi's Hi5 as their homepage.
4 years ago, everyone had Google offering, Orkut as their homepage.
Currently, the homepage is Mark Zuckerberg's wonder child - FACEBOOK.

Every teenager and those in their early twenties log on to Facebook, get some gossip, look at a few pictures & put up their statuses. Then they log in again and see if anyone else has liked a particular or even better commented on it. Take it a step higher and wait to see if someone else has shared an item you posted.

A lot of people are now on Twitter. When Jack Dorsey launched Twitter in 2006, not many paid much heed. Indians ignored it point blank. I mean who wanted to log on to a website and update their status in only 140 characters when he/she could mighty well do it on Facebook. 140 Characters seemed like a big hurdle until America took up Twitter as if it was a cause. Celebrities found a new home. Paparazzi "followed" them on Twitter as well. An era of Twitter began.

A Twitter Account is very simple to operate. All you have to write there is what you feel like. It does not have to be what is on your mind and you carefully write it. Twitter is a free world of sorts that we Indians dream of. You write what you are doing, post links, engage in conversations with celebrities and follow people.

Websites like tinyurl.com & bit.ly amongst others cannot deny one bit that Twitter is a boon to their existence.

What differentiates Twitter from other Social Networking sites is the dynamism. Like in India, we say things move very fast in Mumbai & our American contemporaries would talk about New York, Twitter moves the world at a faster pace.

In India, Twitter's emergence is clearly linked to the increase in the number of celebrities on it. Not many can deny that Sachin Tendulkar opening a Twitter account was an important event in Indian Social Media circles. It was all over the news & so many people joined Twitter because of the master batsman. Initial reports suggested Sachin might give Ashton Kutcher a run for his money but reports were far fetched.

WIth more & more people on Twitter from India, usage of Social Networking sites on the go has seen a stark increase. Twitter clients like UberTwitter, Twitterific & Snaptu have become very popular in India. A lot of my friends like to keep their Twitter accounts always updated and keep searching for new Twitter clients & better people to follow. A lot of Indians have joined Twitter in a slew to share their humour, wit & some fascinating online content. Indian Media is madly & I am not exaggerating one bit, following the celebrities to catch one small news and then write entire articles or present half hour shows for that matter. Indians are very outgoing & that is the primary reason why all the Social networking webistes are hugely successful in India.

A few mortals to follow include rameshsrivats, greatbong, suhel & surekhapillai. Add them to know how integral Twitter has become to our online presence and how by tweeting about their lives

My simple suggestion is to join Twitter & write freely. Simply enjoy the atmosphere, take in the knowledge, carefully avoid celebrities and Tweet as you like.

You can choose to follow me @MirajVora on Twitter

Pakistan Cricket Crisis : Synopsis & Comments

2010-09-01T04:23:00.002+05:30

If there was one thing that got my interest this week it has to be the latest match fixing issue that has rocked the cricketing world.

Pakistan is one team that knows how to be in the news. Infact with each act they put the previous shameless act to shame. Consider this, one the 2
nd day of the Sydney Test earlier this year, Pakistan were leading the mighty Kangaroos by 235 runs and end of day four they lost the test by 35 runs. Only Pakistan can ensure such drama. Kamran Akmal was summoned after the test series and lots of reports of in fighting also came up. A few players were banned. Pakistan's bans are so casual that they could give complex to the casual nature of the guy you saw in Zanzibar on Baga Beach on New Year's eve in Goa. Both know they will be back. In the latter's case he just goes back to Goa but in the former's case, the Pakistan Board needs him back. That's where lies the difference.

Now let's look at the culprits -

Mohammed Asif is the perfect example. He has talent that could put the entire Indian bowling attack to shame with his mastery of swing and immaculate line & length. He however finds it mundane to go about his task in normal fashion and treads paths which are only taken by Emraan Hashmi in his movies. Like Emraan Hashmi's movies have one hit song always, Asif on the other hand produces an efficient display of fast bowling every once in a while. He goes to bars, does drugs, gets caught, goes underground, gets banned and one fine day he is back with the red cherry in his hand wearing Pakistan colours and moves the ball in & out. In other countries, Asifs have been known to have been left in the dark and become part of folklore. They have had their magical debuts and dream runs and never called back.

If Asif was born 15-18 years before his time he would have found his contemporary in Vinod Ganpat Kambli. Vinod Kambli rise to stardom was mercurial much like Asif but he never got his due as soon he took the bling route. Asif will keep getting his chances as Pakistan Cricket is an impotent authority incapable of taking any stand for a considerable amount of time. The only man who has suffered their wrath probably is Salim Malik but he did not redeem himself in any way at all probably because he was not as gifted as Mohammed Azharuddin, who now is Lok Sabha MP from Ghaziabad.

Take the other culprits into account now.

Mohammed Aamer is 17 years old from the moment he entered the big stage and will probably remain so for the next 3 years and like Shahid Afridi turn 30 after played for 20 years or something. I will go by the book. If he is 17 then its not his fault. He was told to bowl the no ball by older and wiser men in his team. The length of the no ball assures my belief that he is an amateur at spot fixing. The 'kid' beat Suraj Randiv by a few inches.

Aamer again is a wonderful speed machine from Pakistan but if the authorities are strict then he will probably join the long list of Pakistan bowlers who were tipped to the next Waqar, Wasim or Sarfaraz Nawaz for that matter but never made it.

Now take Salman Butt. His inability to play on England wickets demand he be dropped immediately but there's no one else who can don the Captain's hat and help the team. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have made him feel like a child in a topless bar(sidhuism). He has no idea of the moving ball and I do not even intend to type my thoughts on his fielding.

TV channels have also shown newbies like Wahab Riaz & Umar Amin with the bookie. That my friends is an explanation in detail about how the bookies run our beloved sport. They might be discrete in our nation but our neighbours are dumb and move with them wherever they go.

Pakistan Cricket Authorities gave interviews after interviews trying to convince the media that strong steps will be taken but don't we all know that all the Pakistan Cricketers involved will later come and perform against India itself and we will say why wasn't he banned. It will happen because Sharad Pawar has no stand on this issue. He is being raped in the Parliament for his lackadaisical attitude towards Indian Agriculture and this ensures his mind clearly not focused anywhere.

There is no immediate solution to Pakistan's problems unless they go into exile for 2 years and come back with a new team. The world is 'sick' of this current lot and their adventures and however talented they might be, they are morally so low that only a life ban can help them.

Sajid Khan demands "India's Got Talent" be an Official Commonwealth Games Event

2010-08-25T00:54:00.001+05:30

In a bid to ensure India gets at least one Gold medal, Sajid Khan of all people has come up with a master scheme by demanding that the show he judges become an event in the upcoming games.

Times Now is already alleging Suresh Kalmadi’s sister’s 5
th daughter’s boyfriend’s father is an Executive Producer on the show and Suresh Kalmadi’s household expenses are handled by him. Boria Mazumdar said like always that Sourav Ganguly played well irrespective of the topic of the debate & Suhel Seth was constantly shouting, “but Rajdeep, but Rajdeep” only to be stopped by Soccer & Recreation expert John Abraham who politely informed him they had left the CNN IBN studios 45 minutes ago.

Suresh Kalmadi was not available for comment, but Michael Fennell, head of Commonwealth Games Federation who is visiting India to see if the Delhi venues is convinced it is a mighty leap forward & the only chances of India securing a Gold as no other country’s participants will be allowed to take part. He added the India Habitat Centre would be an excellent choice to conduct the events.

Ashutosh Gowariker, an old foe of Sajid Khan called a Press Conference at his Bandra House & told the media that his best friend Aamir Khan will also take part even though the time to prepare is at least a year and a half short on his demands. The media left Ashutosh’s house in a hurry to get a sound bite from Aamir as Ashutosh kept shouting that Heyyy Babyyy was a pathetic movie.

Many athletes like Abhinav Bindra, Mary Kom & the likes have welcomed the idea because they know they suck. Abhinav Bindra told the Times of India,” Suresh ji should accept this idea & also award Colors a chance to show the Games live with Nikhil Chinappa & Ayushman as hosts.” TOI added that Raman Bhanot, the Fair & Lovely Fourth Umpire was neither Fair nor Lovely and always supported Mohinder Amarnath in the studio when the latter starts singing songs from
Sholay without any reason.

Sonali Bendre & Kirron Kher, the two other judges both made their way to their pathetic designers to ensure their wardrobes are upto the mark but had to return disappointed as the Colors Producer Ramesh Something confirmed that in the format there was no scope of the judges winning any medals & hence all designer costs have been cut.

Deepika Padukone & Neil Nitin Mukesh are already one up after their Lafangey Parindey blind roller skate dance act getting a thumbs up in the first round. Siddharth Mallya tweeted, “Guys! A loud Cheer for RCB girl Deepika for India’s Got Talent. Go Girl. Get the Gold. XOXO”

Amidst all the drama, the entire Colors team is upbeat about their show final getting some TRP’s & to fool everyone that the show is actually a CWG event now keep showing Manmohan Singh’s thumb’s up picture before & after every commercial break to fool everyone.

Ravindra Jadeja heaves sigh of relief after Randiv Episode

2010-08-19T12:22:00.000+05:30

Suraj Randiv has no idea how big a favour he has done to Ravindra Jadeja by bowling that no ball. All the media bashing has now completely shifted to Suraj from Ravi and many back in Rajasthan are happy that their not so favourite son will now not be ridiculed the way he always is.

A Ravindra Jadeja fan club from an unpronounceable place in Rajasthan says they are in the process of setting up a small temple for Randiv for this favour. Evening
aartis(singing chants for Gods) are already underway from the evening Randiv crossed the line.

After Viru tweeted, “ Hi guyz Randiv came to my and apologize.”, Ravindra Jadeja is reported to have been standing outside the room for Suraj. A self proclaimed Sanjay Dutt fan, Suraj demanded a Jadoo ki Jhappi from Ravindra Jadeja for taking in all the troubles.

However, Dhyan Ranatunga, son of former Sri Lankan cricketer Arjuna and a budding off spinner is reported to broken down as Randiv was his idol. He has vowed he will now be chucking & making faces like Muralitharan all his life & go on to take more wickets than his father.

Ms Dhoni a staunch Ravi supporter has told Aaj Tak, he will gift Randiv his oldest & useless bike the 110 CC Hero Honda Passion for this deed. Even though Randiv would become the first owner of a Hero Honda in Sri Lanka he is still inside his room playing Tetris on the handheld video game.

In the weeks break that the Indian team has got, Ravindra Jadeja has got permission from BCCI to fly to Mumbai & meet Uday Chopra, who is now ready to make his next movie on Ravindra’s contributions to Indian Cricket called “
World Cup Impossible.”

The Contrarian View on Sports is what this Generation is About

2010-06-26T23:55:00.004+05:30

Television and Internet are shaping this generation is what everyone says. Many like me would add the mobile phone to that and go a step further and put it right on top. All three mediums are extremely powerful and the mobile phone is insanely viral, TV more commercial and the Internet is credible (leave Facebook in a corner) and commercial.

Coming to the point of Sports, we Indians have taken sports viewership to an entirely new level altogether. I will go sport by sport that are majorly followed and highlight my findings over the last few months on how the Contrarian view is imminent and all around us.

Football

I will start with the beautiful game which I will concede is gaining more popularity than many of us imagined over ten years ago. Indian leagues are not followed by everyone and the most popular is the Barclays Premier league. I read an article over a year ago on how the Munich crash of Manchester United and revival saw many Indians follow the legendary club. But this article is about the Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and the new Manchester City fans and how people have started following football and religiously so. I am a Manchester United fan and it obviously is a thought that where exactly were the Chelsea fans all this while. There was no noise. Their time is now. With the Double this year the Blues have garnered more fans in India than anywhere else. You have a boy in Baswangudi in Bangalore rooting for Didier Drogba from Ivory Coast. The thing is that the new generation is following other clubs because of various reasons. Many started following the Blues because of Jose Mourinho, the Special One and Liverpool because of the aura around Stevie G and the Miracle of Istanbul. It is these things that have added to the fan base of the other clubs more than anything and the generation takes pride in supporting the clubs. I pity the Arsenal fan because it hasn’t won any silverware in quite a while and the Real Madrid fans, who think they have the best line up but together it is a recipe of failure.

This is just talking about the clubs. Come to the World Cup and you see the elderly rooting for a South American nation invariably. Lionel Messi is the man half the people know and the other half are rooting because of Maradona. The latter is, simply put an arrogant Bastard and with each article I read he seems more like Chetan Bhagat crying still and yearning for more credit for the 1986 WC. In Calcutta it is unholy not to support Argentina or Brazil  but I have become an ardent England fan overtime after supporting Germany when Kahn was an enigma and Klose scored as if he were born to. Our loyalties have changed. Thoughts have and these sporting events bringing out a new audience for each and every country playing the WC. My friend Eldrich roots for smaller nations and the underdogs always sometime forgetting the superiority of others but his following is such that he will surprise you by telling who wears Jersey no. 23 in a Uruguay for that matter.
Apart from all the above there are supporters for Netherlands with Van Der Waart, Van Persie, Sjneider and the likes lined up along with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and the amazing Iker Casillas’ lead Spain who have Torres, Xavi, Iniesta amongst others.

This World Cup will change Football in India. Brazil is no longer the only team we support. Not anymore.

The Contrarian View has easily overtaken the obvious.

Tennis

In tennis there are 2 players. RF & RN. Period.
In this case I fall in the category of the Contrarian by being a die hard Rafael Nadal fan. He is easily the most humble Spaniard you will meet even though by demeanour he looks rough and arrogant. Add to that the record on clay and his Australian Open triumph and to top it he won the Wimbledon. A lot of people will continue to respect Nadal for his game and immense connection that people find in his game. On the other hand Roger is poetry and Rafa is House Music. A lot of us have an affinity to the latter.

The elderly will speak at length about Becker, Sampras and the greatest comeback in Tennis by Agassi. They love Federer.
Murray, Roddick, Tsonga, Djokovic and the likes are in my opinion the best players in their era but with RF & RN. No game. No set. No Match.

Cricket

You have to agree here as well that there are Sachin Tendulkar fans and then there are others.

I again fall in the others Category with due respect to SRT. I have found immense respect for Sourav Ganguly for he is a Southpaw and the best strategist of the game in recent times. There are people who follow South Africa and not India here. It is not shocking even though South African were worst hit during the match fixing scandal as public memory is short. Everyone forgot Azhar even though the man ended his test career on 99 Tests with a score of 199 as his best. I felt for him as he was the victim when the dirt was all around. People felt more Ajay Jadeja as he is more affable and his playing style made him the Sandeep Patil of our generation. Incidentally even when Sachin mesmerised us in 1998 at Sharjah it was Azhar’s captaincy and Jadeja who used to catch my attention. No one can forget how they bailed us out in Cuttack when we were 27-3 against the then strong Zimbabweans at Cuttack scripting together a partnership of 275, the highest ODI partnership of that time.

Then you go a little ahead and you will find fans for players like Shaun Pollock, Steve Waugh & Jacques Kallis amongst others all at the top of their game in early 2000’s. The elder Waugh became God when Gibbs dropped his catch and the World Cup in England. Come to think of that WC and Lance Klusener became the hero of Indians while Jonty Rhodes showed the world how to field. At all times SRT continued to perform well but never like the 1998 Coca Cola Cup and CB Series in 2008.

Late 2000’s – The world found entertaining cricket in the likes of Sehwags, Dhonis, Morkels & Pathans. The T20 WC triumph changed our outlook on the shorter version and then it caught us like a disease. We found heroes in stars like Kieron Pollard, Yuvraj Singh etc when the game needed stronger technique. In my opinion Rohit Sharma is currently the player for the future.

Like mentioned above in anecdotes and examples alike we found solace in other players while one group kept crusading for Sachin Tendulkar. My arguement is he never scored when needed with the exception of the CB Series in 2008 and Sharjah 1998 and kept scoring on will at ease with class all the time. Also my criticism if any or only commentary if you might say was ended when he scored the 200 in ODI’s. But as a fan who looks at the game for a lot of years, Sachin Tendulkar always remained the lit-up Moon of our cricket when stars shone and got covered by the clouds of our judgement.

Sachin easily outshone everyone. If Roddick was the worst hit in Tennis – Rahul Dravid was battered in Cricket. I have not seen many talk passionately about Dravid, Kumble & Laxman. I will continue to however. Their contribution to world cricket is very very significant.

Inference

What all the above has done?

Healthy debates running in every hostel, pg, bar, house, adda, Facebook & Twitter. Cricket no longer remains the centre and Football & Tennis form the Contrarian along with F1. Football truly with EPL, Champions League, La Liga and now the WC and Tennis with the Grand Slams and Sania Mirza because she gets mileage out of TOI as if she owned it.

And since I love banter and all this happening around me.

I’m loving it

P.S – I haven’t added anything on Formula One as I do not watch the sport as much but if anyone has a piece to add to this post is most welcome.

Thank You Dirk Nannes & Kemar Roach. This loss looks Good.

2010-05-13T22:55:00.004+05:30

First and foremost, Dhoni just included the IPL parties in one statement of his in a 25 minute press conference. That's my only line in his defence in this blogpost.

Tactical Blunders is what this tournament will always be remembered for when India looks back at it. Ravindra Jadeja is India's worst find in the last 4 years or so and certainly does not deserve any further chances for the next one year. But his problem is that he will perform consistenly throughout the year and cometh the WC he takes it all upon himslef to ensure that he plays a pivotal part in our exit from the same. Sad news is he now going to travel to the barren, slow pitches of Zimbabwe and will be useful.

Ravindra Jadeja is a man with no integrity. When he saw the money he and his manager flocked to different franchise owners to finalise his price and in turn lost the chance to even play in the entire tournament. Now, what should a cricketing body like BCCI do to such players? BAN THEM. But no we will play him as is still only 20 if i'm not wrong and give the youngsters a chance. More on him later.

Now coming to why this EXIT is GOOD?

A. The senior cricketers surely have burnt out because the slowness of IPL and how it took a year to complete the 60 matches they played in this edition. Now they have a month's time to introspect on what went wrong and take immediate measures.
The countrly might just be angry but a year later when the ODI WC comes to lala land and we fail, they will go mad and first on hitlist will be Ravindra Jadeja because he somehow manages to fuck up the WC all by himself in the same way Sachin took us to the WC finals all by himself.

B. THE SHORT BALL - Senior players will have to see how to face the situation. Last year the ball was seaming in England and hence India's weakness against the short ball was not much of a factor but this it is out in the open. We agree we cant play Kemar Roach but what about Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo. The best matting line up in the world has suddenly found itself technically challenged and that one glitch seems to write our destiny in big ticket tournaments.

C. Yuvraj Singh - September of 2007 in South Africa was the most romantic period in Indian Cricket when the young boys under Mahi scripted what only Kapil's Devils had done in 1983, A World Cup victory. Format is immaterial and victory is supreme. Yuvraj Singh in that tournament had carted Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over and followed it up with a 30 ball 70 in the semis against the Kangaroos simply setting up the match for the Indians. Cometh 2010, he has gained more weight than his dad and is now struggling with form, short deliveries and poor fielding. Yuvraj as his name suggests should have been the heir apparent after Ganguly but attitude & behavioral issues made sure that captaincy would elude him. Similar story happened in KXI. Now for a YUVRAJ if he is dropped he might cart around petty Ranji bowlers all over the park and regain some form but if the selectors are smart understand Yuvraj's importance they should send him off to England and grind it out in seaming and bouncy conditions. my friend Naveen says he is the official brand ambassador of the Aloo Parantha, With time I hope that changes and the sweet touch of Yuvraj returns.

D. Rohit Sharma produced a gem the other day against the Aussies. Poor him he had only Harbhajan for company who is the wisest fool with the bat barring that 50 in 18 for MI. Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina are the only match winners we had in this tournament. Gambhir's honeymoon with the bat seems to over and only Virender Sehwag was brave enough to raise his hand and come back. I'm not going to blame M Vijay was he just was a quota player and their stints at the top level are generally shortlived. I would be more than happy to be proved wrong but Mr. Vijay you need to stop thinking every pitch is a Chennai pitch.

E. Dhoni needsto have a look at his own batting in the death and proviude ample reason as to why Ravindra Jadeja was being played so often than not. Also, Dhoni needs to answer the question as to what was he doing 2 down when Rohit Sharma had played so very well in the previous game. The lad did not even get to face a ball while Dhoni and Yusuf "RR" Pathan were busy taking singles painstakingly.

F. Zaheer needs to stop tweeting he's gonna play well and shit. Seriously. That paunch of yours will put Romesh Powar to shame and you seriosuly need to sit down and think why you were bowling like Sreesanth. Sadly Sreesanth's wayward delivery also look like he is swinging the ball. In your case it was a lackadaisical approach to the crease and your jump seemed like oh its in my action so lets just do it.

So these culprits -

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yusuf "RR" Pathan, Zaheer Khan & Yuvraj need to go back and stick to the basics and only then we will see them perform.

Ravindra Jadeja cannot improve and even if he scores 10000 runs in ODI and take 300 wickets, I will not support him. He needs to be dropped right away and not called up. Small little Prick of 20 and is playing bidding games for himself. Douchebag!

Enough has been thought about and BCCI needs to make the pitches juicier and not think that they will get a sub standard pitch everywhere they go. Today, Kemar Roach and Dirk Nannes have opened a can of worms a year before the big World Cup next year. We must pull up our socks and play really good cricket to win it.

We now go to Zimbabwe with "We will never get to play for India XI", a bunch of blokes who would have never played for India otherwise. Most I can see them is warming the bench and carrying bottles and messages from Krsten to the centre had they ever made it to the original 15. These players need tocome good and prove that their IPL performances were not fluke and Suresh raina has a daunting task to make sure this unit performs against the likes of Malinga, Mendis and Chigumbura.

18 Questions

2008-06-22T17:03:00.002+05:30

Completely lifted ala Pritam style from Varun's blog.

Here it goes 18 questions..

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it?

Ans. Hmmm..There s one on my hand near the elbow..got it long back while fielding in a match against Hyderabad CC at Bangalore's Brijesh Patel Cricket Academy Grounds..

2. What does your phone look like?

Ans. Sleek and weighs like thin air..Nokia 5310 Music Edition Phone which i changed after like 4 yrs..

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom..

Ans. In bangalore nothing but i plan to put something inspirational and Calcutta there was a Jacques Kallis Poster which is now taken off and the room has been converted into my Mom's new office..

4. What is your Current Desktop Picture..?

Ans. Got it from a blog while researching for Quiz generally..

Here it is

5. Do you believe in gay marriages?

Ans. I do not havw any problems with them but i dont understand whats the fuss all about? Just let them be as they too have a choice..

6. What do you want more than anything right now?

Ans. Well, 1. Peace of Mind and 2. End to Politics in College..I mean I can play it too just coz i'm shut and taking the whole shit doesnt mean they can go on n on..

7. What time were you born?

Ans. 7.52am.. :)

Yes i know it..!

8. Are your parents still together?

Ans. YES YES very much..in 23 days approx..they will be celebrating their 22nd Marriage anniversary..

9. Last person who made you cry?

Ans. Pretty much don't remember..

10. What is your favorite perfume/cologne?

Ans. Well, nothing in particular..but I like Ferrari..and i have a pretty old one from Paris i got from my Aunt..it's called Monsieur Di Givenchi..

11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?

Ans. Hmmm.. Long Black Hair with a tinge of curls may be..mind you may be..
and eyes.. Hazel is perfect..

12. What are you listening to right now?

Ans. Lambi Judaai..Jannat..

13. Do you get scared of the dark?

Ans. Ah no..!

14. Do you like pain killers?

Ans. I don't remember the last time I had them as i dont get unwell or something tht often.

15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?

Ans. Yes very much.. I'd be too skeptical of putting myself in a relationship but ultimately would make the cut..somehow..lol

16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

Ans. Haldiram Bhujia..i can like pretty much live on it.. and somehow go back to Calcutta to have Muri..

17. Who was the last person you made mad?

Ans. There's this crazy teacher we have who in the 3rd yr of College tells your parents to call him up coz u ve not attended the Freshers.. and when you tell him. " Sir, this is the 1st time I bunked this semester" He retorts," Gentleman, you rape also for the first time, you murder also for the first time and you kidnap also for the first time"

I rest my case..wat say?

18. Is anyone in love with you?

Ans. Hmm.. my family and few friends are..lol
Otherwise yes there's a girl...and i'm pretty happy about it...

MY FILM AWARDS

2008-02-03T23:42:00.000+05:30

The Last year has seen many a spirited performances in the Film Industry..
Here are the awards..(exaggeration may be!)

Best Choreographer: Farah Khan for OSO (Dhin tana)

Best Editor: Amitabh Shukla for Chak De India! (I wonder what he would have cut..they say it is one of the toughest jobs..and i dont think any other movie did a better show in terms of overall package)

Best Songs(Could'nt resist extending the list): MAA from TZP, Tumse Hi from Jab We Met & Baatein Kuch Ankahee from Life in A Metro

Best Singer(Male): Shankar Mahadevan for Taare Zameen Par(TZP)

Best Singer(Female): Yeh Ishq Hai by Shreya Ghoshal (JWM)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Aamir Khan for TZP and Shreyas Talpade for OSO

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Chak De Girls

Best Film : Jab We Met

Best Actor(Female): Kareena Kapoor for JWM

Best Actor (Male): Shahid Kapur for his best performance till date in JWM and no second thoughts on SRK for Chak De India!

My Choice of Top 3 Bollywood Movies of 2007

2007-12-25T15:05:00.001+05:30

The First Spot undoubtedly goes to Jab We Met for bringing a fresh lease of life in HIndi Cinema though the Second half according to many is predictable and blah blah..
But my take is that the second half with poor Anshuman reeling behind Shahid to get the pie makes for one of the most hilarious sequences of the Year.. His dialogue, "Arre Kuppal(Couple ) to hum dono hai" is truly funny. Kareena Kapoor looks slimmer and better and at her natural best. Shahid Kapur's career gets a lift out of a superb performance cum sympathy for the bad bad Break up. All in all the Movie of the Year for many..at least many i know..

At Second Spot, Shimit Amin contnues his dream run at the Box Office after Ab Tak Chappan with Chak De India and receives tremendous support needed to make such a film from the Big Daddy of Indian Film Production YashRaj Films. Story of a Loser team going up the rungs and ultimately winning a World Cup otherwise would not have gathered such a response from an Indian Audience who might have seen many such movies but it was the presence of the larger than life SRK that did the trick. A Beard and looking more his age than acting ten years junior or make it twenty SRK is a charmer, both to the team and the audience. Extremely jovial incindents inside the team make the watch more memorable and how there are fights in between till the fag end of the tourney is also a great reperesentation of how all the sports in the world are played and rivalry inside the team has been there ever since. The film takes you outside the world of Cricket but within days of the release, the MOvie becomes the National Anthem of the Indian Cricket Team.

A Close third is OM SHANTI OM. The answer to that is for 3 simple reasons

1. Deepika Padukone
2. Deepika Padukone
3. Deepika Padukone

For all those who dint like the movie have their say but in the battle of Saawariya and OSO, the latter came out winning hands down and Yenna Rascala Mind IT is probably the only south indian term a north indian knows as of now. Excellent picturisation and SRK looks old but all that is forgiven.

Well for those who missed the bus are Sajid Khan's Heyy Baby, Bhool Bhulaiyya, Namastey London and Bheja Fry. INcindentally three of them are Akshay Kumar flicks and he seems to have a tremendous patronage in the public as he dishes out hits at will.

BCCI : Board of Complete Confusion in India

2007-12-06T18:51:00.000+05:30

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Co. scripted the most spectacular success stories with a team that not many had tipped to win a World Cup and last of all a Twenty20 WC, a form of the game that was not favoured by the Board and more importantly not even played much.

Leave that aside, the team went to South Africa within a week of the India England ODI series and with no Official Coach. COmendable is the contribution of Lalchand Rajput, Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad who took the mantle of this responsiblity with panache and extreme professionalism.

THE LARGER QUESTION IS WILL INDIA HONOUR THEIR SERVICES???

Next on the Agenda is its 7 point Memorandum for the Selectors.

Mr.Niranjan Shah released it very easily curbing every possible thing and enjoying the limelioght. Sir, Dilip Vengsarkar is a former captain has played more than 100 tests and scored more than 8000 test runs and the way he has been treated is a cause of worry for the INdian fan because no where in the Management of Indian Cricket except for the Selectors a Crcketer figures. It's filled with bureucrats, politicians, Media persons.
It's a game that I believe should be run by Cricketers and they would be in a better position to see how indian cricket goes ahead not with murky television deals and even worse treatment of ex-cricketers and present cricketers.

A UP ranji cricketer committed Suicide and present Board official Rajiv shukla(Last seen on some Hindi Channel reporting from Rae Bareilly) bluntly saidno support will be provided.

The fees given to players in Ranji trophy was only increased when Money Rich ICL began clearly snapping up players Left, Right and centre and specualtions are rife today about even India's one time prolific MIddle Order Bat Mohammed Kaif to be joining the rebel league.

Well.. this is all for today on BCCI : Board of Cricket Contol in India..lol..pun intended..

Of Times Gone By.. Just Gone By..

2007-12-03T17:10:00.000+05:30

Well..
6 Months of no blogging and now i'm back courtesy three main reasons..

1. I have a Continous Internal Assignment which carries TEN MARKS for which I have to make a Blog..

2. I have a Continous Internal Assignment which carries TEN MARKS for which I have to make a Blog..

3. I have a Continous Internal Assignment which carries TEN MARKS for which I have to make a Blog..

Hahhaah..Just kidding..Obviously the Assignment is the Driving force behind me blogging again it gives me immense pleasure to actually start writing all over again..

So I'm back and loads of cricket and bollywood and stufff here and there..

After all it is indeed,

CRICKET AND OTHER THINGS..

Now, the reasons for just not blogging and hence the hiatus,

No internet at my place..
but now im trying to fix something and sure will write pretty regularly..

Goblay

2007-09-19T20:28:00.000+05:30

One energetic professor and a small but motivated group of students present Goblay- An inspiration, an ancient chant, a way of life.

Mediocrity has become alarmingly acceptable. Almost every service offered and product developed could be made exceptional with just a little more effort. But we choose to accept the mediocre, the mundane.

Goblay is a campaign that will encourage, nay demand that people say no to mediocrity in all its forms.
The first step of the campaign is the mammoth task of capturing 10000 of the funniest faces people can pull. The intensity of your grimace represents your hatred for mediocrity,and the owner of the ugliest or funniest face wins an I-POD. The main incentive of course for having your picture taken is to leer off a 60 by 18 foot banner, displayed in one of the most popular colleges in Bangalore.

On having your picture taken you will receive a Goblay pledge card, on which you will place your thumb impression, solidifying your commitment to the fight against mediocrity.Once you have joined the Goblay campaign, visit our web site, goblay.com to find out how
you can implement Goblay’s philosophy in your life, hold Goblay events, propagate the Goblay philosophy in your classroom and live a Goblay life.
The aim of Goblay is simple. To say no to mediocrity. And Goblay’s message shall spread till we all strive to be unmediocre.

Till we can all proudly proclaim- I am Goblay

goblay.com awaits you!

Some Trivia (7)

2007-07-07T21:52:00.000+05:30

Yeah writing after a pretty long time..and what better day to post Some Trivia 7 than today..

07.07.07..

Here it goes..

1. David Beckham, ManU Jersey No.7 legend once told in public that he uses 60 Pairs of Marks & Spencers Underwears. The next day he landed a Multimillion dollar endorsement deal with them.

2. The 7th President of U.S.A Andrew Jackson killed Charles Dickinson in a duel and was wounded by a bullet. The bullet was lodged near his heart and could not be removed.

3. Google has in 2007 surpassed Microsoft as the world's most-visited site.

4. The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the worlds population. (So let's do something bout messagin..population n ll is no threat..lol)

5. Cigarette smoke contains about 4000 chemical agents.

6. 1 out of every 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online. (Now you know wh divorces are increasing at a rapid rate)

7. Over 1000 elephants were used during the construction of the Taj Mahal. (And i Don't know how many votes were needed or would be needed to make it a Wonder of the World)

A Lot Has Changed..!!

2007-06-11T10:30:00.000+05:30

Well..
A lot has changed indeed in the last 5-6 days since i left Calcutta for Bangalore..
Rafael Nadal won his 3rd french open and few of the girls in class were talking abt a French manicure?? is it..it ws hilarious to hear how deeply they re intersted in these things..

I shifted from my old place to a new one with Hardik and Pratik and a 4th guy is needed coz the rent is high..lol..
Infact if i look back we were 4 of us but the 4th one backed out and so the three of us were left stranded homeless and had no option but to shift despite the fact we din have 10 months adv rent..lol..we jus had around 7 months coz the 4th person ws due to giv it..but the owner understod our situationand how we were ditched he rented us the flat..and now we are all broke until another guy joins in..which i'm sure is gonna happen soon as 1st yrs'll join college from the 15th..

1st day in College ws disastrous to say the least as a lot of OLD FRIENDS turned their backs for a reason i fail to understand and shall remain a mystery until i appoint the CIA..but then i managed sittin behind and reading the CITY of JOY by Dominique Lappierre..a must read if you're from Calcutta..and otherwise an amazing book too..

The new place has 2 balconies..one near the gate..and one behind so i cn put the washed clothes there and no one can see ;).. the terrace is also good...and its all for us coz its a one floor apartment..ah n its still closer to college..rite opposite FORUM Mall here..

Ah..thts about it..not much thou..yeah..
Lewis Hamilton was amazing i heard..n I still wonder what is BCCI doing about the Indian Coach..was'nt DAV WHATMORE already decided upon and TIMES OF INDIA had material about his plans with TeaM INDIA..? Ah ONly TIMES NOW EDITOR Arnab Goswami will clear tht doubt..hehe..but yeah i really wanna noe abt this coach mystery as i havent been reading the papers and only from tomo the newspaperwallah's gonna come..

TC till then..

Cheers..

Miraj..

Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

2007-06-02T05:34:00.000+05:30

Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Pyaar ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Iqraar Ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Dildaar Ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Us Laal Salwar ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Us Pehli Mulaaqat Ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Us Waqt ke Ehsaas mein
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Dil ki khwaishon ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Us Raat ki Baat ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Us har Mulaaqat Ke
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon
Aaj Main Nashe Mein Hoon

Par Nasha to Utar jaata hai..
Phir kya Fayda Nashe Ka..
Nashe Mein Nahi..
Zindagi Mein Bharna Chahta Hoon
Dil Mein Nahi
Uske Har Kone Mein Sambhalkar Rakhna Chahta Hoon..

Chahta Hoon Aur Bhi Bahut Kuch..
Par Ghalib Ne Thik Hi Kaha Tha..

"Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Ki Har Khwaish Pe Dum Nikle"

HAZAARON KHWAISHEIN AISI...

2007-06-01T02:14:00.001+05:30

DO NOT THINK. DO. NOT THINK.

Some Trivia (6)

2007-05-30T21:32:00.000+05:30

Ah..After quite some time I'm putting a post on the Some triva Series..

1. In informal ways, it's said a person is going to Denmark if he/she is getting a SEX Change Operation done.

2. The first McDonald's was built with borrowed wood near Pasadena by two brothers, who
wanted to pursue a career in Hollywood. There is also one at the North Pole, and
a floating one on a steamer at St. Louis. (I'm Lovin It)

3. My best of the lot in this post. you'll love it. Earlier on Google if you typed "Failure" and clicked on the I'm Feeling Lucky link, then you would've reached on the homepage of the White House website, but this got so popular that it had to be closed down, still if you want go type "Miserable Failure" not in quotes and click on I'm feeling lucky you'll get an article about how rampant this failure thing had got.

4. This is exactly how small girl Hansika used to look in Koi Mil Gaya and soaps like Kyunki not so long ago..and surprisingly as ever she looks this in her new movie with Himesh obviously called Aap Ka Surroor. Honey I Oversized the kids is it??

5. The very popular TATA SUMO gets it's name from long time TELCO Head SUmant MOolgaonkar.

6. Earth is the only planet not named after a pagan God.

7. The number of people alive on earth right now is higher than the number of all the people that have died. Ever. (On this note Let's Celebrate Life!!)

8. Alfred Hitchcock used to use HOT CHOCOLATE SAUCE in his movies as substitute for BLOOD.

9. Charlie Chaplin, the original came third in a Charlie Chaplin lookalike Competition.

10. This is a killer and an old favourite.

Lincoln and Kennedy

Here's a little part of US history which makes you go h-m-m-m:
Have a history teacher explain this if they can?

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners.
Both successors were named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born! in 1839. I was corrected on this and he was born on 1838
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Kennedy.' I was corrected on this and the theater was named Ford at the time of the assassination. Thanks H.!
Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln.'
Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
And here's the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

Enjoy!!

You Know You're in Christ College Doing BBM When...

2007-05-26T23:37:00.000+05:30

Well..Just like one of my older posts before which was on You Know you're an Indian Kid from the 90's if I made a list on my college..

So You Know You're In Christ College Doing BBM when,

you wake up at 9 and still reach coll on time..

the guards n watchmen show more authority on you than your father even thought of..

the teachers teach everything..they call it Multitasking is it?

your overall development means a certain 6 classes in a semester named Hole-n-Stick Development..

you go to the counsellor to tell a secret or a problem with assurance that it'll be kept a secret but by the time you reach the class is the talk of the department.

you're a part of academic or sports or technical or bathroom or ground cleaning or sum committee..they'll make you feel special..

you dont understand anything in class

you've gone for industrial visits..learning a lot..lol

you are completely in love with CMS (Chaddi Mein Susu) (sorry for the censored bit..)(and ya u noe na wat is CMS??)(CMS-Center for Management Studies {Jain College} is a rival college)

you are the only college that participates in its own college fest

your parents receive a letter from College stating there are serious circumstances your child faces, shaking them completely, until you realise your attendance is 74.999999% and if you attend jus one more hour then the serious circumstances will not be there..(Minimum attendance is 75%)

you are just happy that your Block atleast has fans..unlike Main blk n ll..

you stand in a long queue for hours to pay an important exam fee only to realise you are the one on whom the door is shut, come later..Lunch Time..!! (and yeah..u cum d next day nd d fine obviously awaits..)

you hate the attendance policy..is it a college or wat

you give your id cards to the class reps for no reason

you go to the Auditorium for no reason but sleep

you attend about 5 inaugurations of some association you are not a member of..

you love it when no one has a laptop in class and hence no presentation..either for students or teachers..

you go to Forum for lunch more thn once a week

you knw Forum is second college..

you cant enter the building at 8.56 am

you've been caught sleeping atleast once.

you've submitted CIA's(Continuous Internal Assessment) after months and still managed to get marks.

you get like 29 papers signed to get a day's attendance and still not sure if you'll get it or not..

you know that the College ground is always available for Cricket anf football by the end of 2008 will sure become a non-entity in the dept.

you hear from teacher's a line like the following, "If you can't understand my silence you cant understand my words.." Pun intended..lol

you love it when the attendance lady takes the slip and you're thrown outta the class after that..haha..

the only person you are afraid of is Mr. Jain Mathew(HOD, BBM).

the only person you respect after seeing him teach is Mr.Jain Mathhew

and yeah.. last but not the least..

whatever happens YOUR CLASS IS THE BEST(I'm sure every college goer will agree to this)

I'm Calmly High On Cocaine Baby..!!!

2007-05-24T00:36:00.000+05:30

Cocaine Baby..! I'm Posh!!
It's just another thing..It makes you really calm and really high..!!

So why not..I have the money and i don't mind a small and miniature hole of 5000 or 7000 for a gram of heaven(read Cocaine) then i'm your man...

I read it on one of the news channels where viewers were sending in their views about the case of Maninder Singh and cocaine. One of them said so rightly, "Cocaine is the downward pull in the upcoming Indian economy"

Rahul Mahajan

Sanjay Dutt

Kate Moss

Whitney Houston

Fardeen Khan

Drew Barrymore

and a list that would shock you to bits have been addicted to Cocaine and such is the adulation of some of the above that they are even called Role Models. I think a Role Model is an individual to look upon and not one who ends up doing such stuff that can be something so disgraceful like drugs.

I'm studying in Bangalore and the culture of drugs is so rampant there and the police is so ignorant. Vendors come to homes and leave the stuff and there's no one to catch.

Come Calcutta, every morning around Ten am move around Victoria Memorial and you'll find Nigerians and Niggas moving around. I was just having my Coca-Cola after football when one of my friends told me that these Niggas are drug peddlers.I was shocked to bits to hear this

It's a time when we have to come up against this killer that does'nt only kill the person doing it but also his/her families who are taken aback and lose their children in the drug addiction.

Today, a Maninder Singh was caught and people like Syed Saba Karim and many former Cricketers are suporting him. When Fardeen was caught he was also supported and Rahul Mahajan is the person the BJP will put in front of Rahul Gandhi after 15 years. Rahul Mahajan will come and ask for votes and seek blessings and will duly keep apologising for his act which is not pardonable, and the son of Pramod Mahajan there's no stopping him, Pramod Mahajan, though dead still is a name that BJP loves and Rahul will bank on that to do something in life because his career as Pilot has'nt taken him anywhere.

We've read numerous articles on drug-peddling in Colleges, Schools, Parties, Rave Parties so why does'nt the police take action. I know there are deaf ears and very few people who ll keep their ears open to this venom that is killing the so called High Society Page 3 or whatever they may be with a very rapid rate.

I only can end by saying and calling for support for the following 4 words,

SAY NO TO DRUGS

Yeah Play ON...!!

2007-05-21T18:50:00.001+05:30

BCCI Chief Sharad Pawar and company are having a nice time in Bangladesh along with the players as there's hardly any play or is it?

They went no invitation from the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and one wonders when the invitation came and why suddenly when only Dilip Vengsarkar,the Chief Selector was supposed to go initially. So are they here to talk to Dav Whatmore??

The answer is yes, but what was the need of Mr.Pawar to come with atleast 20 officials when Niranjan "I know there's money in Cricket" Shah and Ratnakar "Yeah Yeah there is money in Cricket" Shetty of the board were all set to meet Dav after the series.

So the need arised when due to prior commitments in India, Mr.Pawar could'nt meet the BiG Five aka Sachin, Sourav, Rahul, Anil and Laxman regarding the contracts issue.

Mr.Pawar these are players who are playing for you and not servants who will do anything you say as you want them to.

The issues to be adressed are :

1. Non-Payments of player fees since September 2006.

2. Excessive Cricket.

3. Are the players getting the 25% of the Board's earnings.

4. What's happening to the Domestic Cricket dead pitches which fail to increase competition.

The players have been toiling throughout the year and not getting fees. A Sachin Tendulkar would'nt mind the fees because he has enough to last his lifetime and future too but what about a Munaf or a VRV who get a look-in are dropped or injured amongst other things. I guess your contract with NIMBUS tells you to have a certain number of days of Cricket, so don't take the pain to do much, just call up Bermuda Cricket Board and organise matches on and on and earn revenue throughout the year. There are 3 plusses from it..

1. India will lose less.

2. Virender Sehwag will be back in form(I atleast hope so.)

3. A Country like Bermuda will have their standards risen by playing a test playing nation.

and yeah there's a 4th point..

4. Dwayne Leverock will lose weight as he complained that he played less cricket.(Call him for that contest what's that called Biggest Loser..our cricket Crazy Suniel Shetty should get hold of Leverock's number)

I think enough is enough. Players need rest and cricket in the right doses not in overdoses. Try and think rationally about their condition(Just try because 80% of You'll haven't held a Bat or Ball in your life).

We don't want VRV Singh and Munaf vomitting in the scorching sun and losing fitness or the seniors pitted against you further badly only to increase your grievances.

It's time we looked ahead and gave cricket to the players and us, the JANTA in the right doses otherwise the fate will be like few days back when you had no sponsors for the series in Ireland and arch-rivals Pakistan.

Coffee..Alone..Barista..Park Street..

2007-05-17T22:48:00.000+05:30

I wonder why I do it so many times..Sit alone for coffee at Barista(Park St)..Doing nothing..
It's just the feeling of doing nothing and enjoying coffee that gives me so much pleasure..Seeing old aged businessmen doing the same thing also tells me i'm not alone and i'm alllowed to think and captivate myself through dreams i've wanted to live and thinking how to give those dreams that elusive Reality it was always asking for..
I sit and see random people giving orders and couples fussing over the order and the guy at the counter like always does one thing when he's typing the bill, he asks for the person's name and if it's a girl one can see the glint in his eye and how his voice pitch will increase when he calls her name for the order..I just sit there and smile..
I see couples sitting with their order(more than half don't even bother to have it) and think of the umpteen times I've done it myself and think of the most amazing times I've spent at Barista..I sit and think how my life has changed in Bangalore and how this Barista has changed too after Lavazza took over, the interiors but the staff is the same, the now store manager Ritesh, whom i've been seeing here ever since still asks me why I left Calcutta as he types Barista Blast(It's the best you get there) without asking me..lol..I pay up..Stand for him to make the coffee and take it not going back and sitting n waiting for the order which means taking the pains to go again for the order..
I see an old couple sharing a Coffee and smiling ever since they've seen the couple on the left corner and obviously reminded of their days..I just sit and smile as everyone is talking to someone and I am talking to myself..I tell myself about the things that are going on in my life now..I merrily write them on the tissue provided with the Coffee..

1. I am homeless..the old flat which we'd rented, it's owner is creating problems even though in the past one year there haven't been many complaints from the residents of the apartment rather we've been a decent lot..So i have to shift as soon as i get back to Bangalore.

2. I am working just for the fun of it..Stock Trading is fun and i'm learning and just clearly can figure out why is it so bloody addictive.

3. I have to go back and work some part time..I waste too much time.

4. I have to face a few people who mattered a lot and don't matter because they've chosen it that way and why have they chosen it that way is a mystery I wish i could solve.

5. I have to study hard.Real hard.

and yeah..just come to Barista..because i doubt i think so much elsewhere..

p.s Do not know why i wrote it..but just that something's needed to come out this way or the other..

Magic Further More..India's Answer to Usher..

2007-05-17T02:21:00.000+05:30

Don't know what's happening, this video is even better than the last one..
Everyone's probably seen the little superstar's video on YouTube but this one's fresh maal as they..
Hilarious to the core, and one thing's for sure, if you liked d 2 vids below you gonna LOVE it..hehe..

ENjoYY!@!!

Further Magic..

2007-05-16T19:13:00.000+05:30

I got this video from a very close friend, Atika and just checked it out in half sleep and this shook me up, a very realistic video on how to be happy with what you have. It's called Miniature Earth, please pass on the link to everyone possible because this is one video which everyone should see..

Hopw you'll Like it, the Pursuit of HappYness ends here is it? see it to believe me..

Some Magic..

2007-05-15T21:49:00.000+05:30

You were an Indian Kid from the 90's if...

2007-05-15T00:06:00.000+05:30

I am a member of Facebook, a very simple networking site and along with Orkut, i find it really cool because there are amazing groups and you can upload albums at will at lots of stuff.

Here, I found this Group called "You were an Indian Kid from the 90's if..." and trust me the reasons put up there for anyone being an Indian kid from the 90's are hilarious, true,stright from the heart and makes for an amazing read..So i ve pasted it down here..it's a bit long but you' ll enjoy every line..

Enjoy..Here it goes..

You loved the 90s if....
*You ever considered cricket as your religion and Sachin as your god!

*Every mother wanted to name her son 'Raj', 'Rahul', or 'Prem'.

*(for the girls..) You loved shahrukh, salman, or aamir more than your boyfriend.

*Your bling was shahrukh's "C-O-O-L" necklace from KKHH.

*Aamir's colorful shirts from Rangeela were your way of impressing girls...

*You consider Madhuri the sexiest math teacher ever for teaching you coutning with her latka jhatka styles in "ek do teen....chaar paanch che saath..."

* You considered the Sachin-Ganguly opening pair as the best ever even when India lost all their matches.

* You always had 8 rupees on you for a Frooti.

*Your relatives in India always brought you hip clothing with fuzzy bunnies, and English words that make no sense, in bright colors like yellow, pink, and the ever popular lime green.

*"Bhenchod" was every other word in your sentence.

*Every wedding in your family lasted a week and included 500 people.

*Bollywood was all about hilariously weird choreography and flashy clothing.

*You thought Ballu Balram was the baddest 'Khalnayak' ever so when Sanjay Dutt went to jail, a part of us died.

*You were around when the word 'bad' became a slang for 'cool'.

*You've had govinda's song "meri pant bhi sexy,meri shirt bhi sexy, meri chal bhi sexy hai" on a cd at one point of time or the other.

*Wicked moves on the dance floor meant pelvic thrusts like Govinda

*No one was more ‘Khiladi’ than Akshay Kumar.

*You thought Shahrukh should dump Gauri for Kajol.

*You thought Kajol should dump Ajay Devgan for Shahrukh.

*After DDLJ, anyone that stopped either of the above deserved to be shot.

*You followed up every cricket session with chhole bature from the bhaiiya on the cycle (instead of a fancy 3 story restaurant)

*Every time you got mad at friends, you broke your friendship with a ‘katti’ only to patch it up minutes later with an ‘abba’.

*Every time you pulled a fast one on your friends, you said “teri jhand ho gayi��?.

*All your mom’s shirts had big buttons and even bigger shoulder pads.

*Bigger than both was your mom’s hair.

*Ash and Sush were your versions of Pamela Anderson and Cindy Crawford.

*You knew more about the match fixing scandal that axed Azzharuddin and Jadeja than you did about your history books.

*You had every single album of Daler Mehndi in your car.

*Thanks to Alisha, you wanted someone that was “made in india��?.

*You heard the rumors that Prabhudeva had challenged Michael Jackson to a dance showdown.

*And you had no doubts that Prabhudeva would win.

*You woke up early on Sunday mornings just to catch Disney Hour on Doordarshan

*Doordarshan was actually one of the channels your cable guy offered.

*You weren’t sacrificing your sleep JUST on cartoons. Uncle Scrooge, Tale Spin, Mowgli weren’t just cartoons; at that point they were your world of reality!

*Shaktiman was its only saving grace.

*Chacha Chaudhry was the greatest comic book character ever (until ‘Archies’ took over)

*You'd heard the hindi version of mowgli's title song.."jungle jungle baat bani hai pata chala hai....arre chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai phool khila hai

*After Darr released, the alphabets were pronounced as “a,b,c…j,k-k-k-k-k,l,m…x,y,z��?

*( for the NRIs….) Every time you visited India, you took two suitcases full of imported chocolates for your relatives.

*You owned a Maruti 800.

*You were certain that Doordarshan's very own Byomkesh Bakshi was the only detective that could make Sherlock Holmes feel incompetent.

*You caught all the new Friday releases at cinema halls named Paras,Sapna,Eros,Natraj and Odeon instead of the modern day multiplexes.

*Balcony seats+soda+popcorn+ a burger + a dairymilk = Rs 150

*You spent countless nights of wellagiri with your friends eating chuskis at India Gate or Gateway of India.

*Every single birthday party in 1997 was held at Future Zone or Essex Farms.

*And you went to every single one of them cuz honestly there was nothing funner than shooting creatures,racing cars and bowling.

*And if that wasn’t smart enough then the Tehkikat Gang filled up all the gaps with it’s thrilling and mysterious shows.

*The ‘2 minute Maggi’ became the 2 minute tiffin,lunch,dinner and snack.

*You thought you were worthy of hosting your own ‘Khana Khazana’ because you could make perfect Maggi in less than 2 minutes.

*You’re completely on pace with the current craze of TV shows because you were already eased into the genre with saap-seedhi, double trouble,Kricket with a K etc…

*You were hooked onto and remembered the catch phrases to most of the Indian commercials!

*You’ve heard of the following tag lines (that today would sound funny..lol):
- jab mein chotta baccha tha... badi shararat karta tha
meri chori pakri jaati..... roshni deta bajaj!!!
- vicco TARMARIC(thats how they used to pronounce it)... nahi cosmetic
vicco tarmaric ayurvedic cream.....

- Yeh dil maange more..AaAahAaAaaaaa
- Khao Britannia 50-50, very very tasty tasty
- Dhaara dhaara shudh dhaara
- Saaree pe saaree Parag saaree

*You were obsessed with all the Indian junk food- Gems, FATAFAT, Crax, Center-Fresh, Bar-One…

*The Zee Horror show and Aahat kept gave you ugly nightmares every week and yet you returned to watching the show.

*You followed Chandrakanta every Sunday morning to it’s very last episode(common you can come out of the closet. It might not be the coolest thing but we all watched it).

Hope you'll Enjoyed it..am sure you did..

Tetris !!!!!!!

2007-05-14T21:11:00.000+05:30

Oh..i cant imagine..how happy n in love with Tetris i am..found it on Anuradha's blog..
Hope you ll like it..hehe..

Cheers..!!

Film Review : Life(Read SEX) in a ..... Metro

2007-05-13T22:15:00.001+05:30

Finally after three weeks back in Calcutta, I get to meet my old school friends. As planned(by them and obviously not me) we went for the movie Life(yeah Read SEX) in a .... Metro. Afternoon show 6 old friends and much frenzy already as i had heard about the movie from a friend before.

So here it goes,

If you din't see KANK then the story was put up on Orkut Scrapbooks as,

A1 and A2 are married,B1 and B2 are also married and A1 falls for B2 and B1 obviously for A2 and they live happily ever after.

Though this never happened in the movie and issues like Infidelity and Post Marriage blues were amazingly handled by the creative genius of Karan Johar.

Now, the issue is if KANK's story was this, then what would be Life(yeah yeah You know what to read) in a.... Metro's story is shorter and simpler and sweeter.

A to Z everyone is having sex and it's not an Orgy.

Now the Cast :

Dharmendra
Nafisa Ali
Kay Kay Menon
Shilpa "Big Brother Mother Sister Father Family Britain U.K." Shetty
Shiney Ahuja
Kangana Ranaut
Konkona Sen Sharma
Irrfan Khan
Sharman Joshi

Now, the story is simple,

Sharman Joshi is a Call Centre employee who earns Rs.15000 p.m and has an amazing apartment whose keys he gives to anyone and evryone above him in office to have SEX whenever he wants and in turn takes favours and promotion happens when Kay Kay, his boss also comes to know about the sex racket in his own office with atleast 10 of his staff involved with different people himself asks for the keys and gives the promotion.

Kay Kay is married(unhappily of course) to Shilpa and has a no strings attached commitment free sexual relationship with Kangana Ranaut, one of his employees and has continuous tensions at home.

Konkona is a 30 year old girl in Mumbai and sadly a VIRGIN(she still din't beat Rahul Bose's 32 year old virgin stunt in one of his movies..Pity!!)and the roommate of Kangana and sister of Shilpa. Irrfan Khan meets her through Shaadi.com of course and she catches him gaping at her cleavage and clearly decides that there cannot be any future with the man.She goes on to be trapped by her boss at the Radio Station she is working to date a RJ, who she finds out to be gay with the boss..

Shiney Ahuja is a theatre actor who goes to Churchgate to practice plays on the third floor of an old age home on the 2nd floor of which Shilpa comes to meet her Amma(Bharatnatyam Teacher) every saturday and love happens. They don't hook up as better sense prevails for the 1st time and the Bharatiya Nari(filmi term) in her is aroused and she backs away.

The saddest and the most disgraceful act in the movie, a bold topic which Anurag Basu, the director failed to present was the choice of a live-in relationship of Nafisa Ali with Dharmendra and their cosy act on the bed along with the Smooch with lights off (we could still see it) was completely uncalled for and more so disgusting. The whole Nafisa-Dharmendra thing did not look cute at all if anyone ever though of calling it.

The most beautiful couple of the movie are Konkona and Irrfan not just coz they din't have sex but because theirs was the only story that looked real. Ofcourse it's hindi cinema and if Irrfan ran away from his own marriage on his Ghodi it's ok for us to have some fun.

Now, coming back to Kay Kay, his Kangana suddenly in the middle of the movie wants commitment from him and when she realises she's never going to get it, eats a bad quality Rat Killer to kill herself and this does'nt happen in her apartment but Sharman Joshi's, who finds it out later. Because when Sharman realises his boss is on with Kangana, the girl he likes he is shattered and gets a girl from the red light area late in the light thinking that his boss and her Kangana would have left only to find her lying in the bathroom. She gets better and Kay kay at this time is out of station to do a favour for Sharman Joshi,who is the man in the situation and helps Kangana get back to normal. Only days later her roomie comes back and shouts at Sharman thinking him to be her beau, and goes to call a Cab to take her returning to see Kay Kay with her she's devastated.

Later, after a very close moment with Shiney, Shilpa runs away(as mentioned earlier)
and that evening when Kay Kay tells her about his sexual escapades with an office colleague Shilpa tells about her fall for Shiney and insists nothing happened. Kay Kay is aghast and shouts at her and ultimately finalises to stay with Kangana, breaking the heart of Sharman,who is now in love with Kangana. He gives him a promotion but he is heartbroken and doesnt give his Flat Keys this time round and resings of which Kangana comes to know and goes back to Sharman leaving Kay Kay.

In an abrupt ending Shiney is leaving for Dubai and asks Shilpa to come with her or stop him, she does none and instead leaves him wishing luck to stay with family. It's a happy family for Shilpa as Kay kay has no one and he comes back too, while i forgot the sad Nafisa-Dharmendra couple fades as Nafisa dies while being taken to the hospital and Irrfan and Konkona and Sharman-Kangana are also happily ever after(like in all hindi movies)

Rating

3 on 5
Don't noe why while writing this I felt there was a lot more than i actually had though upon, thats why a 3.

Enjoy the Movie...!!

Evaluating Feelings Within..Abt Feelings Never Thought Upon Earlier..!!

2007-05-12T23:56:00.000+05:30

Family

My permanent ATM, Understanding at times, matters a lot and weird at the same time.

Love

Ah..!! I like the feeling of being in Love..I'm Lovin It..

Studies

Interest me when it matters, otherwise it's a Social Norm kind of a thing. You score marks and people love you..

Music

Peace.

Blogging

Becoming a sort of a Passion.

Cricket

First Love. Can't deny it.

Friends

What did you say?? wat?? Friends?? The TV Series rite? or abt the select few who don't turn their back..I don't have friends..I just have few people as pillars.. Fair and FoulWeather Pillars..Rock Solid.

Sachin Tendulkar

" I hav seen GOD, he opens the batting for India."

Mark taylor on SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR.

Whatever be the case the man has unsurmountable talent and probably the most complete batsmen of our times.

Woh Lamhe Woh Baatein (The Song from Zeher)

I have a feeling towards the song. Can't stop loving it.

Quizzing

2nd Love.

Writing

New Found Love.

Nokia 6610i

Yes, the Nokia 6610i(Now without the camera though) has been my inseperable partner through the last 3 years..hehe..

Sourav Ganguly

Feel strongly about DADA, probably naah surely GOD OF OFF SIDE.

Irfan Pathan

The most gifted swing bowler of the Post Wasim Akram Era, a talent India lost due to Greg Chappel's insistence that he was an all rounder, when the Southpaw himself admitted he's evolving into one.Love his bowling.

Ah..thts abt it..Cant write more..
but these are things i strongly feel abt..
and so rightly..

Feelings neva thot upon..Earlier..

My Visual DNA

2007-05-12T03:55:00.001+05:30

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Hockey Demoted

2007-05-12T01:29:00.000+05:30

Mani Shankar Aiyar accepted the portfolio as the Petroleum Minister under the Manmohan Singh Regime despite the fact that he did not know the details of his job and how to go about it and went around creating umpteen problems for himself and his differences with the then ONGC(Oil and Natural Gas Commission) Head were out in the open and his incompetency at his job seems to have carried on to his current portfolio of the Sports Minister as he simply demoted the National Sport of the Country to the GENERAL Category from the PRIORITY Category. Along with men's hockey, the Sports Ministry also downgraded football, taek-wondo, swimming, cycling, volleyball, fencing and karate. Squash, wushu and kayaking/ canoeing are the three disciplines which were promoted to the `Priority' category.

At a time when Indian Hockey is going through it leanest phase, the government chooses to shy away from saving the sport and wants an increment in performance and then only it shall think of upgrading it. Mr. Aiyar it is sports like Hockey and Football that have a fair share of Money involved in Sports that need to be adressed to along with the ones you have upgraded more so because Hockey and Football are played more than the others on the list.

Not even the Indian Olympic Association Head Mr. Suresh Kalmadi was informed about the demotion. According to him the move is clearly not welcome at a juncture when the preparations for the mega Commonwealth Games of Delhi in 2010 are in fullflow.

Now, intricate issues like Hockey's infrastructure need to be adressed, Mr.Aiyar takes time out demotes the Sport, takes away the support much needed and sits merrily on Page One beating Shilpa Shetty's Life in a Metro's premiere at London's Leicester Square.

Get a life Mr.Aiyar and come up and show support by doing something Productive and not being there and hogging the limelight by doing this (Probably the 1st time you're in the news after your removal as Petroleum Minister).

As you see in the Picture, What Went Wrong? is exactly what the officials and players asking that leads to Hockey being demoted, The Indian Hockey Team gave a Fighting performance Yesterday at the Semi-finals losing to Malaysia in 16th Azlan Shah Sultan Hocket Tournament after a string of losses here and there.

I wish Mr. Aiyar all the very best for the future because once again he's in the muddle and this time I'm sure if he's out of the Sports Ministry then God save him..!!

Freedom is it??!!??

2007-05-12T01:18:00.000+05:30

Till about the last time I visited Calcutta, my family was stern over night outs and late nights or whatever be the case 10.30 pm was the deadline.

But come April 2007, I suddenly have the permission to go out late and no questions asked. I understand studying in Bangalore I can easily roam about the streets whenever I want to but here it's a different story altogether. There are rules and you abide by them. What is pleasant is the NEW Flexibility in the rules for me and allowance to go out at night.

Evening aroung 9 I went out with friends to have Hookah and returned at 10. Earlier going out at 9 meant answering 10 questions at the end of which the reply to my asked permit to go would return a BIG NO! but today no Questions asked. I guess my parents suddenly are showing trust in me..

And then at 11.30, I was hungry and wanted Tea of the Gurudwara(Balwant Singh){It's famous throughout the country if you are in Calcutta sure go and have tea there}nearby and ahem ahem I went out had my Tea.. Felt great..Felt like Bangalore.. Felt a very weird sense of Freedom, Something I can't describe..All i can add..

Feels Good..!!

Some Trivia (5)

2007-05-11T20:09:00.000+05:30

1. More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes.

2. Los Angeles's full name is: "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Poriuncula" and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, "LA."

3. Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

4. Kama sutra includes 30 different kinds of kisses. (And you were arresting Richard Bhaiyya (Gere yeah??!!) over a peck to Shilpa "Big Brother Mother Sister Daughter" Shetty

5. There are only four words in the English language which end in"-dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

6. A blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant.

7. Drunk drivers in Taiwan can choose their penalty. Try this in Jhumritilaiyya or rather UP where Mayavati's just taken over and crime rate will increase in numbers never thought about.

8. Lincoln's children kept goats in the White House. Down the line one of them changed shape and size, he's still there, they now call him George Bush.

9. James Bond code number 007 temporarily become 7777 in You Only Live Twice.

10. In average a woman smiles more often than a man..Yeah Why not after all the trouble you give us...!!

Enjoy!!

Some Trivia (4)

2007-04-26T21:23:00.000+05:30

1. Sachin Tendulkar very unsurprisingly has the record for being the youngest cricketer to score 1000,2000,3000,4000,5000,6000,7000,8000,9000,10000 runs in Test Cricket..

2. Atif before The [V] Concert in Jan this year sang Woh Lamhe Woh Baatein(ZEHER) twice at 2 concerts in Karachi and Chennai the magic of the song he says it rained..

3. The last novel published by Agatha Christie was "Murder from the Past." She wrote it around 1940 but specified in her will that it was to be published after her death. She died in 1976.

4. Tug-o-War was played in Olympics. The Last time being in 1920 at Antwerp.

5. January 2, 1971, the last tobacco advertising on American television and GOA gutkha amongst others is still on rampage on Indian TV. (India Shining is it??)

6. Every day, 7% of the US eats at McDonald's.

7. If you put a drop of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death..lol.. I sure wanna do tht..hehe..

8. Every year 4 people in the UK die putting their trousers on..lol..wonder what would it be in here..

9. Dreamt is the only English word that ends in the letters "MT".

10. Most lipstick contains fish scales..hahaa..can it get funnier..

Enjoy..!

Bharat is an Integral part of INDIA

2007-04-18T17:51:00.000+05:30

India is one of the fastest developing nations in the world and the with 58% of the population depending on agriculture, India is never the INDIA that we are projecting to the world. BHARAT is its most integral part and this whole urbanisation and globalisation has to go a long way to support BHARAT and not the India we've been Marketing(India Shining anyone??).

It's time we stand up and support the majority of us here in the country and make them feel the part of whole INDIAN revolution and assert their importance on the global scenario rather than giving false promises and hopes that come down like a house on fire after every elections.

I attended a Marketing Seminar a few months ago where stalwarts like Prahlad Kakkar and Arnab Goswami had come to share their thoughts. Arnab is probably one of the most enigmatic and powerful journalists i have come across and his power of speech captivates many and i was not an exception. There was a tinge of arrognance and attitude that you could admire and not think otherwise. Arnab Goswami is the Chief Editor of TIMES NOW and he said it clearly, "Give the people, The news they want."
Now when he says that he just wants to give a news that glorifies the aspect of Journalism and shunning the good old pillars of Journalism. I beg to differ and say that today people need to know about RURAL INDIA OR BHARAT and understand the sheer importance of those people who are responsible for us eating in here, for us being safe because thier kinds go to the army, because they're becoming poorer by the day and we richer by the second.

Are you ready to identify BHARAT and the gaon ka BHARATIYA??

Calcutta..

2007-04-18T10:11:00.000+05:30

I'm back where i belong ..
I'm back in Calcutta..
and I'm elated..

Love You all..

Miraj..

p.s OUTTA WORDS..

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar : A Phenomenon

2007-04-13T12:15:00.000+05:30

" I hav seen GOD, he opens the batting for India."

Mark taylor on SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR.

He is God of Batting nad there is no question about it. Gone are the Days when he would dance down the track and give fast bowlers sleepless nights and spinners would be subject to psychological torture and horrifying dreams(Remember Scandalous Shane). This is a mature Sachin with a responsible and defined role in the team, one of a sheet anchor along with Rahul Dravid because the dose of aggression comes from youngsters like Yuvi,Raina,Kaif and Dhoni amongst others.

Sachin has played over 120 tests and 375 one-day internationals and the "Junta" still questions his position in the team. I mean he is the guy who's got you more one-day victories than anyone and his battings is a viewer's delight.

I remember i was in class in 8 or something and Sachin had completed his 10000 runs in the shorter format of the game and people had gone berserk all over India. You've made him an important part of your life MR.Mad Indian Cricket Fan and if he did'nt perform one match he's degraded and subject to humiliation and comments that no player would ever like to hear from his so-called fans.

So it's the time of reckoning for all those who call themselves Sachin's fans(TRUE) to stand by him and understand the Greatest want of a cricketer ever is a World Cup victory and more than us it was His Dream to become a World Cup Winner..

Sachin We are there..Aren't We..??

The Trip To Coorg (A Prelude)

2007-04-13T11:55:00.000+05:30

In Between March and April this year this is my 3rd trip something at the atart of the year had not even thought about. We had gone to Mangalore to play holi and had a blast, we went to Belgaum for the KLE Belgaum's Case Study Analysis Fest called Sixth Sense and thoroughly enjoyed the experience ofcourse was the icing on the cake.

Come Mid-April and within hours I am all set to catch the Bus to Coorg for a short 2 day trip to Coorg about 300kms from Bangalore with 15 of my classmates. This is probably our 1st trip here which was planned and even hotel bookings and sightseeing have all been done with(Thanks to Velenta) unlike the first 2 trips where it was all so impromptu but fun nonetheless.

The most ironic part of d trip is that there are only 6 guys and 9 girls, I mean we are in for a tough time handling them for the next 2 days. But the bunch is a lively one with everyone different from each other in his/her own merry way, which is why we just wont need to worry about anything nad part 24x7 like crazy.

Looking forward to one helluva trip..

Adios Signing off..!

The Things I Learnt in College And Bangalore..! (Part I)

2007-04-12T18:09:00.000+05:30

1. Attendance is all that matters..(F**k that guy who said size matters and all..lol)

2. You should be up by 9am to reach the 9am class.

3. You have the right to go to college in an Auto when it is at a distance of 500 metres and people further away from your place go WALKING..!!

4. Hindi and English in College are bullshit..Im doing Business Management..

5. Teachers are perfect managers..Coz the way they multitask their subjects..hmm..need'nt add a thing..lol..

6. Kannada Gotilla i.e I Don't Know KANNADA i.e also I Hate Kannada.

7. Autowalas in Bangalore are the most humanitarian class..lol..

8. Forum is a temple and Transit(The Food Court here) and McDonald's is where you get the Prasad(For high fi Prasad go Firangi Paani alias Sahib Sindh Sultan {a restaurant cum bar}) and for Aarti and other religious proceedings proceed to 3rd floor to PVR to find movies like SMS 6260 amongst others.

9. You'll never get to know how they calculated your internal marks..lol..

10. If you bunk there's no way of you being caught, and you can merrily roam around in the campus and the faculty will ignore you first..lol..

11. Edward De Bono made a shitty Theory on Some Hats..I mean Hats and he wasted loadsa years too..Chya..

12. Keynes' mother will be dead the day i get the Time Machine.. I mean how could she carry a guy who would give horrifying nites and dreams at the thought of Macro Economics..I mean this guy din't only make theories but had problems with others too..( His Criticisms if you go through the Text are longer than the Theories of his..)

13. Orkut is the Source of all Problems..

14. Sourav Ganguly is India's Best Batsman..(the amt of debates in college hav led to this addition here..)

15. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was better than Ghost Rider.

16. Last hour in College sucks..and other hours..ummmm...no comments..

17. Rock Paradise(My Home) is one place that rocks..!!

18. College Festing is one rocking thing if you're not into it then you're missing something.

19. B Stands For Best (My Section) and all those who say they're better than the Best can wait..

20. Abhaya Madam(Our English Teacher) can't stop us from taking our End Semsters leave alone the Mid-Sems..and We'll continue to throw chalks on each other all the while..

Well..

This is the 1st Installment of 20 bullet points..Hope to put in more Soon..haha..Enjoy..

Some Trivia (3)

2007-04-09T17:03:00.000+05:30

1. Shahrukh Khan made his film debut under the direction of Arundhati Ray in her movie "In Which Annie Gives in Those Ones" in 1989, a film that went on to win the National Award for Best Cinematography. Furthermore SRK played a GAY character..16 minutes on screen it started off with this movie and now one can say he's sure the King Khan of the Indian Silver Screen.

2. Sourav Ganguly on his 1992 tour to Australia when told by the team official to carry drinks on to the field is rumuoured to have replied telling, "I'm No Ramu I'm MAHARAJA"

3. Coca-Cola is the World's Favourite Cold Drink. It is prepared by a formula called 7X which is stored in a Vault of the SUN TRUST BANK in USA. It's a fact that only 5 people in the world know this formula at a period of time and even 2 of them are not allowed to fly together to keep the formula safe.

4. The Tagline of AVIS CAR RENTAL was "We're No.2. We Try Harder". Times Now, the Indian News Channel changed it to suit its purpose and used it as, "We're No.1. We try Harder"

5. The name for Omkara was earlier O Saathi Re and was later changed to Omkara after a public poll. Wonder where they conducted it..??

6. Coca-Cola once released an Advertisement which said, "We're in more countries than the UN"

7. The character of KACHRA, the leg spinner in Lagaan was based on former India leggie PALWANKAR BALOO.

8. Dav Whatmore, in my mind the front runner for the job of India Coach after Chappell made his International debut for Australia under Greg Chappell.(A proud Captain for sure!!)

9. Leander Paes' Great Grandfather was one of the finest poet's Michael Madhusudan Dutta.

10. Mohammed Kaif’s house in UP has been painted off black quite a few times after the Indian Team’s losses. What is trivial and sad is that it was painted off black twice when he was not even in the team…

Enjoy!

BCCI Uses It's Long Handle to Full Effect..

2007-04-09T16:45:00.000+05:30

Well Well Well..!!

Sharad Pawar, Union Agricultural Minister, President Of Sharad Pawar International School Society and amongst other things the President of the Board of Complete Confusion in India(BCCI) cleared a lot of air after a Working Committe meeting preceded by reports on India's debacle at the WC 2007 by the Captain Rahul Dravid, Former Coach Greg "I Love Suresh Raina and Youngsters" Chappell and Sanjay Jagdale, India's Manager on the WC and a meeting of 7 former captains invited by the Board to give valuable inputs on the future course of action.

Now, When you say about using the long handle you'd probably relate it to a batsman scoring runs in sixes and boundaries but for the 1st time in history BCCI has used it's power and have set out new rules and a considerable 40% scrap in match fees along with new norms to feature in ads for the Team India players..

What is not shocking is that the measures taken have been doing the rounds once the WC exit took place but it needed the 7 captain panel to pressurise the BCCI to actually excercise control.

It's a step ahead for Indian Cricket in general, just hoping that the players get out of the dilemma of WC debacle and start afresh..

Believe in the talents which we have and understand we have in plenty and remember the line.. WHATEVER HAPPENS HAPPENS FOR THE BEST..Who knows this is the start of another chapter in Indian Cricket another Golden Era awaits..

The Mad State of The Indian Cricket Fan..

2007-04-06T04:37:00.000+05:30

To become a fan of the Indian Cricket Team you have to have the following requisites:

1. Hate Cricketers.
2. Hate the way Cricketers play.
3. Burn their photos after one loss.
4. Take part in rallies to ban Cricketers.
5. Provide Expert Advice.
6. Do everything that a FAN can never do but a mad FANATIC can..

Indian Circket fans have a short memory and there's no way you can stop their upsurge when India loses because this is the only public forum on which they can speak for hours and the frustration of lives and wives amongst other things will be taken out on 11 individuals who form a team which he is supposedly a FAN of.

It's a sad state of Indian Cricket and burning effigies and doing their SHRADH's are the saddest and most horrible tasks that they have performed. Infact in Bhopal, a group called 13 Pundits to complete Tervi and obviously shutterbugs and media glares came running to catch the shameful incident and presented it with utmost pleasure and had this been done in a big City like Calcutta(like it was the day we bowed out of WC 2007{virtually} losing to Sri Lanka) they would have proudly presented it as lead story or something..

I'm asking what Sachin asked.. HAS ANYONE ASKED WHAT THE CRICKETERS ARE GOING THROUGH??

THE ANSWER IN CAPITAL LETTERS IS NO.. NO.. NO..

We are busy criticising them to thew hilt and making our own theories about the loss.

The Mad Indian Cricket Fan is not a fan anymore in my eyes, it's a shame if these people celebrate if India wins the next series right after the WC 2007 against Bangladesh..

It's wrong we must understand..It's wrong to burst out like this and give them no chance to say anything..The moment India was 112/6 more than anyone their heartbeats went slow, their team was on the verge of getting out of the WC.. their dream was shattered..

Probably, the last WC for many in the team and more than anyone else they are shocked,devastated and whatever else you can add because the loss is irreparable..

It's time to move on and let those souls be.. They also want some time to come out of what was so unexpected and trust they want to deliver more than anyone..

They might be doing ads and commercials but no one has any idea how much they practice and what is their regime, they know for a fact if they are not playing the ads will cease.. and if you remember Sourav Ganguly had become a brand in himself when was the Captain of India but within a week of his deparute form the team the only ad he was left with POGO Potato Chips..I know because that ad would play in Calcutta channels and eastern region only..

so we have gotta be forgiving..life moves on..

Memories of I BBM B... A Year to Remember...

2007-04-04T00:45:00.000+05:30

It's been one year in Christ College and the system has nearly killed me..lol..

It's been a roller coaster of a ride on an auto rickshaw..Coz thre's no other mode o transport..lol..

Great friends..Great Home and greater expectations from life as days go by..

Exams are going on and within few days 1st yr ll be over and i ll be a senior to 1st yrs who come with aspirations and expectation from the College of Knowledge..Christ College..

Started out from Calcutta on the 16th of June,2006 with no home in Bangalore and my mom was worried if i could find myself a PG or nething thre and come 18th June i reach Bangalore to know that a senior who had told i could pool in and join him in his flat tells me that he can't take me..

Left stranded i Joined the 1st PG of my life.. Raju ka PG..where food was pathetic and no roommates and i was given a room with 5 beds and no one to share..haha..it was paradise living alone..but in College i met Aditya aka Adi(no one calls him Aditya no one!!) and Rohan..

Adi turned ma saviour and i shifted into his flat at Rock Paradise..
From then on it has been a party that i think there's no better place to live in near college than ours..

600 metres from College and we three still manage to take an Auto to Coll and be late too..Who wants to wake up for a 9 am class..not us..lol..

Class Cricket team is another feather in the Cap..and i m the Captain..ah i enjoy the job.demanding not on field but befo the mathc coz evry1 bunks practice haha..
It's a wonderful Class Cricket team and our team is the only team to have beaten the Tournament winners Section C..

There;s so much..
All in all 1st yr has been far better than i had ever imagined..

The night walks to Paramount Hotel for a juice..
The morning sleeps..cuz v din sleep in the nite..
The movies at PVR..
The Gag's aka Gagan who left us and went back..
The continuous talks at nights..
The photo sessions on the terrace..
The ultimate terrace of Shobhit..
THE SHOBHIT KRISHNA AGARWAL( understand the middlename and u understand him..)
The whole gang of Rockers..
The night outs here and there..
The only Dhaba in Bangalore...ulsoor..
The rivalry with other Sections..
The System in College we hate so badly..
The College we love so much despite everything..
The place that Bangalore is because there is ROCK PARADISE..
The middle finger in all pictures (Courtesy Miraj Vora)
The Baiji of sorts we have at home..
The Akash-Cas..i neednt add a word..!!
The rivalry of India and Pakistan..
The Class we have..
The Class reps we have..lol..Love em..!!
The pieces we have in the class..!! be it jermyn or chirag or any1..
The Class Co-ordinator..(Morning)
The CCMA Co-Ordinator (Priya Ma'm)
The CCMA Ceremonies at the Auditorium(about 5 of them were there rite?? i was sleeping sorry!!)
The Festing..
The love of Calcutta(Chetan, Akshat and Me)
The feeling of Calcutta.(if u noe wat i mean..)
The Teen Sukhi Kuttiya from Tinsukhia..
The Hindi Teacher..(who?? wat??)
The English Teacher..(abhaya is tht so??)
The Maths teacher ( teacher?? it's teachers..i thot a dozen of them had taught us by sem end)
The Computer Teacher.. (1st day Outstanding Students..)
The Running of to Forum for a morning movie..
The PAPA (abhinav who else..!)
The Cricket matches..
The football run..from nowhere to finalists beating amazing teams on the way..
The Class winning Thrive..
The class trip to the village..
The holi on the beach at Mangalore..
The trip to Belgaum..
The Trip that we've planned to Coorg aftr Xamz..

Ah everything and lots more tht awaits us in this prestigious management institute..

Here's an ode to the enigmatic I BBM B..

Love ya all..!!

Some Trivia (2)

2007-04-02T14:16:00.000+05:30

Ah..I do continue it..

Here's the 2nd edition...

1. Mithun Chakravarthy has 12 dogs in his house and each of them are named Mithun Chakravarthy.. Numbered though 1,2 and on..

2. Continuing with Mithun Da, The Actor was India's Highest Tax Payer for the years 1994-1999

3. Hewlett-Packard was Started by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in a Palo Alto Garage in California.

4. Mohammed Azharuddin wore the Helmet only for the 2nd time in his life when he played his 1st test for India. He said it was too expensive a protective cover for him before that.

5. Amitabh Bachchan, Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, Anna Kournikova, Boris Becker and Michael Johnson are all promoted Sahara's Amby Valley Project.

6. Lasith Malinga recently took 4 wickets in 4 balls and his 1st victim in the 4 he took was Shaun Pollock, who has also accomplished the same feat in 1st Class Cricket on his County Debut for Warwickshire against Leicestershire.

7. Nusli Wadia, the Owner of Bombay Dyeing and Nestle India amongst others is the grandson of Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

8. Coming from South Point High School(Calcutta), one in which 13,500 students study had the record for the School with the Highest Population for 1984-1992 and was also mentioned in the Guiness Book of World Records. A few years ago City Montessori School(Lucknow) overtook South Point with a mammoth population of 24,000 students.Now that is one huge number.

9. Timothy McVeigh, a convict in the Oklahama Blasts in USA ordered two pints of Ben & Jerry's mint chocolate-chip ice cream as last meal before his execution that took place on June 11, 2001.

10. Orkut is an old Turkish word that means "city of hapiness, pleasure, joy, luck". But in Finnish Orkut means "to have Orgasm"..

So have you had your share of Orkutting??

Enjoy!!

Oh! Calcutta..

2007-03-28T16:05:00.000+05:30

I first read these two words in Calcutta Forum.. Where in there's a restaurant of the Same name..

But then after a year in college in Bangalore when i say these now i feel like a small boy taken away from home and put into a hostel for studies..But then who comes to college for studies..and yeah i should not forget to mention..i live in a plush flat and not in a hostel but the Calcutta feeling lingers inside my heart..

In class, Me, Chetan and Akshat form the Awesome Threesome from the City of Joy and anyone pointing fingers towards Cal gets a good lecture and ultimately suffers a loss in the debate started against Cal..lol..

Such is the inclination that yesterday in my dreams i saw MG Road here change to The Red Road Strecth and Brigade to Park St..

Every Calcutta landmark is a memory, though i am sure in the last one year new landmarks have arrived and i surely have missed on them..

Park Street Barista.. CCD's all round the City.. Landmark(Emami), Vivekananda Park, Victoria(Not between oct 1 to 15 coz it's closed that time..lol.), Cricket at the most weird places with most weird rules..Sunday football with bhaiyyas at Victoria..A quiet Sunday lunch at home..A rowdy monday morning with Dad leaving fer office right at 9am(not once have i seen him go at any other time) and Me waking up at 9.30 to rush for the Morning ten am shows at Inox(umpteen movies i ve watched), the Vada Pav at Burp!, Nights and Nights on the phone, getting Caught by Parents for doing that and a helluva other things.. everything just makes me go crazy..

I want to go back to Calcutta..It's heaven..
But then i realise while writing this that my end sems are round the corner so i better get down to study or atleast pretend to..

Love ya Calcutta..

I m coming..

It's All Over...!!

2007-03-27T07:33:00.000+05:30

We started the Wolrd Cup as Favorites to Qualify from Group B but stumbled at the first step.

Bangladesh convincingly defeated us and overshadowed us in all the three departments and earned themselves invaluable 2 points which they will remember as a landmark win for the future of Bangladeshi Cricket..

Next game was against a low-key Bermuda side whom we thrashed left right and centre but havin them down to 110 for 8 we let them off the hook and they ended scoring a dencent 156 with Hemp scoring a 76* and becoming the first Bermudan batsman to score a half-century in a WC match.

Now that India too had 2 points, a score of 413 against Bermuda nonetheless, Virender Sehwag who showed signs of his early touch (mind you just signs), a mammoth 257 run victory and a chance to reach the next stage by winning this key Group B encounter.
But then bowlers did their best and it was left to the Best Batting Line up in the World on paper to score 255 in the stpulated 50 overs.

Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Mahendra Singh Dhoni played amazingly to leave India at the hands of defeat and announcing to the world that we are virtually out of the WC.

it was amazing though to see the Confidence of The Bangladeshi cricketers in the stand cheerful and all confident to beat Bermuda in the final match of the group and end all chances of India enetering the next stage of the World Cup..

Bermuda though lost to Bangladesh put up an amzing show first by notching up some 94 runs in a continuously rain interrupted match in Trinidad and then followed it up by some excellent seam and swing bowling by Kevin Hurdle and Salim Mukkuddem, the latter in particular picking up the 3 Wickets that fell..

So it's all over and as i read on a blog yesterday all hopes of an Indian WC triumph boosted by Mandira's Cleavage, Pepsi's Blue Billion and Gold or whatever are now in the drain and Indian Cricket in its worst state..

A resurrection is needed ..

Is it on the Cards??

The Pursuit of Happyness

2007-03-26T06:48:00.000+05:30

I came to the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore about 9 months back from the City of Joy, Calcutta(it's not Kolkatta fer me atleast!!) and would rarely watch English movies..

But then here in college I have friends who don't understand Hindi at times..Friends who love English movies..Love english music and lots of things I never followed..

It was in the last year or so I have seen and learnt so much about English Cinema and Music that i feel in my school days i missed out on it..

So one of these movies which i watched is The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith and an adorable kid called Christopher(the same name in the movie) amognst others..

Movie is as simple as it gets..
From Loser to Winner..
Circumstances drive him..
And he holds fort..

What leaves me like a sting from a bee is the simplicity with wich the director of the movie has dealt with the topic..

Running around the metro stations with a suitcase, a suit, a child and a piece of shit called intensive X Ray or something..
Every little bit has ben presented with the touch of a master..
I'd hail the Director for directin the movie in the most amazing way possible..

for now i've no words coz i m jus deeply moved by the movie and remember those lines from the gentlman in the cabin who gave Will Smith his job..

Today is your last day as an Intern and Tomorrow could be your first.. Would you like to work with us at Dean Writers as a broker

What is Left in Life..??

2007-03-25T22:56:00.000+05:30

I agree i am mad about Cricket..but then i m not that mad to watch a game between Bangladesh and Bermuda...........naaaaaaahh..

But the intensity of the situan is such that at evry single run scored by a Bermudan i will clap..jump...and do all kinda crazy things..

The reason..

1. India wil qualify only if Bermuda wins
2. India wil qualify only if Bermuda wins
3. India wil qualify only if Bermuda wins

Haha..this is wat life is..Life in love with Indian Cricket..
I'm romancing Indian Cricket since when i Dont know and have had sad times and good times..but this one is one i ll rememba till i live becoz neva eva till this situan comes again..lol..am i gonna watch a match between Bangladesh and Bermuda..

A weird weird situation..!!

Disaster Management..!!

2007-03-24T15:41:00.000+05:30

After an amazing game of Cricket with Munaf Patel sweeping an handing yet another catch at the boundary in the safe hands of Chaminda Vaas it was curtains for India..

The expressions of the Indian Team in the dressing room could have won them Oscars had this happened a month ago..(and Kodak Theatre wud also ve been closer)

A loss irrepairable..The Indian lost by 69 runs and lost their chance to get into the next stage of the World Cup(i'm taking it granted that Bangladeshi TIgers will brutually murder the Bermuda Minnows but then i may be proved wrong as cricket is a game of wonders)

Now an estimated loss of advertising was put up at 150 crores and betting ring a minimum of 5000 crores..

Losses Losses and more Losses..

It's just a feeling of sheer disappointment that i m writing all this shit here but then the truth is we have to look ahead and plan for the future now and not look back..

India has to look for the future and the future is YUVRAJ SINGH..

I think Yuvraj has it in him to take the big job and has expressed his liking for the job and he s dreamt of it like many others..

or else..

Dada should be given the job and Yuvraj should be made his deputy..

It's time to make a tough call..

and ya the coach..

please no mohinder amarnath..haha..

Sixes Sixes and More of them..!!

2007-03-22T23:30:00.000+05:30

Six..
Six..
Six..
Six..
Six..
Six..

These are just the ones hit by Herschelle Gibbs off Van Bunge in a complete mad assault of the Netherland bowling..

This World Cup thanks to Small Grounds of West Indies and better Bats of batsmen and some ordinary bowling by bowlers has seen over a hundred sixes in its first twelve matches..

I mean what respect to the art of bowling...lol..
I myself am a bowler and would never like anyone hitting sixes off me but watching the quality of sixes that we have gives immense pleasure that batsmen have been hitting the white kookaburra all over the park(and outta it!!)

What amazes me is the ease at which batsmen have hit the bowlers..
For instance YUVRAJ hit all his sixes on the legside and all were connected so well you could figure it by the sound that came from his Sunridges Bat( ah! thats under the Hero Honda sticker)..

Now..take Herschelle Gibbs' sixes and see his sixes on the link below, you'd be astounded to see all his shots were from the book and he played them with extreme precision..Infact i think the bowler was an intelligent bugga..coz he pitched the 4th,5th and 6th balls too short to be converted to half a dozens but such are the bats these days and such was the power and timing of Gibbs that all the six balls sailed into the Crowd..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9OyikoK-dI

Now that the SUPER 8's are round the corner and the only team other than the test playing nations to feature will be IRELAND, who knocked off Pakistan outta the World Cup... I realistically believe that IRELAND will face the brunt of going into the Super 8's but an experience that will give them a lot to learn..Really want them to do well..!!

Thats about it from me..Adios..!!

Some Trivia (1)

2007-03-21T17:27:00.001+05:30

Some Trivia is a series I'm Starting hoping i ll continue trying to put bits and pieces of information from here and there..

So Here's Some Trivia for all of you..!!

A bit of Cricket and A bit of Other things..

1. We all know Shahid Afridi scored a Hundred off 37 balls with Waqar Younis' bat..
That was trivia for me when i read about it in my young days in school in of the Cricket Trivia books but the twist to this is that bt was given to Waqar by none other than Sachin Tendulkar..

2. Thomas Alva Edison by the time he died held 1093 patents more than anyone ever

3. Coca-Cola was under serious problems at the start of the 20th Century because it was proved that it used to put cocaine in its bottles.

4. Dinesh Mongia replaced Mohammed Azharuddin as the Brand Ambassador for Reebok after the latter was banned for life in Match Fixing issues even though he was not in the Cricket Team that time and also not for the next six months..

5. In the last quarter of 2005, 144 iPod's were sold evry minute.

6. In 1982 Time magazine named the PC its "Man of the Year" and in 2006 it named "YOU" as the "Man of the Year"

7. The mobile users of India grows every month with about 2.5 million people.Now i know why Reliance keeps running tellling Karlo Duniya Mutthi Mein..

8. The longest station name on the Indian Railways is Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta.

9. The only country in the world that has a Bill of Rights for Cows is India.!!!

10. Bruce Lee had to slow down his movements so the camera could catch the action..

Enjoy...!!!

India Finally Win..!!

2007-03-20T19:01:00.000+05:30

India is back and with a big bang..!!
413 in a one-day is no joke..
be it Bermuda or any other nation scoring at the pace India did was phenomenal after a stunning loss to 'MINNOWS' Bangladesh..

The Plusses from the Match:

1. Virender Sehwag's return to form ( His mom finally was able to get through his new CABLE & WIRELESS connection coz Reliance left him long ago..but mind you i neva said C&W took him ..lol..)

2. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar returns to form and scores at a brisk rate to record yet another fifty in the shorter version of the game..

3. Anil Kumble.. I believe if India has to go through into the next round Kumble's straighter ones (he does'nt turn) are a lethal weapon in the Indian Kitty..plus his Wrong 'Un and Flipper scare the breath away of many a great batsmen of this era

4. YUVRAJ SINGH : Now this is a PLUS of the 1st order and his shots over mid-wicket may sure assure that next time on Friday the Port of Spain Stadium will be full at least on the empty stand where Yuvi keeps hitting those towering sixes..
83 of 46 balls makes it an innings of the highest order and look closely there was not a single false stroke or slog..neat cricketing shots from the book..

Now for the MINUSES

1. Sourav Ganguly's slow Batting: A return unmatchable and 89 valuable runs.. I just wished when he was batting had he upped the tempo it would've been 450 ;)

2. Ajit Agarkar: has'nt been bowling well and Irfan Pathan or Harbhajan should come in for him.. He isnt hitting the right spots..

That's about it from me..

Hope ya liked it..!!

Sourav Ganguly...!!

2007-03-14T22:49:00.000+05:30

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly made an emphatic return to International Cricket..
Yeah now that you've already thought about his return lately i'm talking about his entry in the Indian Squad in 1996 on the England Tour..He was on the flight to England after a gap of four years..

So this is probably not his only comeback but then a comeback that shall be remembered in Cricket till the game goes on..

It all started when Nantie Hayward was firing all cylinders against an Indian Team which then most recently slumped to a 0-4 loss to SA.. Wickets fell and amidst the greens came a man with a mission.. Sourav Ganguly walked in bravely only to be greeted with a quickfire dose of Chin Music, a nice bang on the helmet. It all changed once the early jitters were gone and Sourav came back into his own and those who have seen the innings say they saw the best of Sourav in that innings and then on he carried the confidence into the test series to emerge as India's best batsman with a tally of 214 runs in 3 tests..He missed a hundred but scored 83 in tough conditions and unlikely support from Irfan Pathan in that innings helped the confidence of both..

He was then called to the one-day squad and the rest they say is history..

I just hope he carries his form into the World Cup and helps India with amazing opening stands with Robin Uthappa(Sehwag is'nt a cricketer anymore in my opinion)..

Cheers..!!

Barista Taken Over by Lavazza

2007-03-12T23:38:00.000+05:30

Barista has been one of the most amazing coffee chains of India and when these Indian Co.s are busy taking over companies everywhere Italy's Lavazza takes over Barista..

Italy's largest coffee company, the $1.2-billion Lavazza, has reportedly picked up 100% stake in two coffee businesses of Chennai-based Sterling Infotech Group. Lavazza is said to have signed a deal for taking over coffee chain Barista Coffee Company as well as coffee vending business Fresh & Honest of the latter, for an estimated combined valuation of around $125 million.
(Source: http://www.agencyfaqs.com/news/stories/2007/03/10/17261.html)

Barista is a company that was jointly owned by Barista Coffee Co. and also by Tata Coffee. The chain has a very niche customer base and those who love it are frequent visitors because of the ambience..Now that it has been taken over by Lavazza i am sure that new things will come our way..

All i can say is Barista Rules...!!

Im sure many would disagree but then you sure haven't seen Barista Park Street(Calcutta) and Barista MG Road (Bangalore) i'm sure your thoughts will change..

Irfan Pathan : From Poster Boy to Where's your Form gone My Boy???

2007-03-12T23:03:00.000+05:30

Those who know me will sure know that Irfan Pathan is my favourite Cricketer..
But then India's Poster boy a year ago is at loggerheads with irony of being at the side of media anguish and rightly so.. He has lost form because he lost his length..
he has been bowling his short ones at military medium pace without troubling the batsmen much and when he returned to India from the tour of South Africa i had no hopes of him playing the World Cup but the selectors and Coach cum Guru Chappell hav shown faith and called the Southpaw back..

I clearly believe that Irfan Pathan in form is the most dangerous weapon INdia would ve gone into the WC with but thn that ws not to happen and its a beleagured Irfan..

All i sincerely hope is that Irfan finds his form(read Length) and India get back the coveted WC aftr 24 years..It's a long wait and i just hope Dravid's men pull it off for the BILLION praying fer them..(thank you Pepsi for inspiring this line..)

FOLLOWING IS THE MOST AMAZING VIDEO OF IRFAN PATHAN..

HOPE YOU LIKE IT..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWiPMQ2dvro

Politically Sporting National Interest (A Term I Made but Can't Understand)

2007-03-09T23:37:00.000+05:30

The Minsiter for Information and Broadcasting intervened in the matter of the telecast rights row that hit the headlines during the recent India West Indies series at home. He clearly said that all footage relating to National Interest should be shared with Prsasar Bharti and on top of that Doordarshan will have a 25% share in revenue. Oh! Brilliant Sir but my only question is the team that is playing at all related to Indian Government or anything of that sort? Because the BCCI is a seperate entity and what you are doing is clearly stealing rights of companies who have paid in millions of Dollars in the game. So in short with Government backing you want atleast some business for the lagging DD channel?? Understood.. But then Sir what about the National Football League for which you have personally given the rights to ZEE SPORTS(Mr.Subhash Chandra and You sure shared that Chemistry at the Press Launch!!) for what i shall dare not ask because i'm sure AIFF( All India Football Federation), whose Presidentship is under You and is also a Government entity makes it obvious that FOOTBALL is sure not a Matter of National Interest.

Now that few questions have been raised I'd raise few more more, this time for the BCCI. Mr.Pawar, you are the Agricultural Minister and the last I'm sure you'd attended the Parliament.. or did you? You must've been busy with ICC President nominations and less worried about Indian Agriculture for sure. But then there's no denying that Cricket under the Pawar regime has grown tremendously but are'nt National Duties a part of National Interest? May be May be Not.

National Interest is something that sure needs a revamp or do we have rights for that too?? May be i could place a bid and then share rights with NEO Sports to publicly display it.

All in all, if Cricket needs go a step ahead and other sports a hundred more steps this example of negligence of Football and negligence of National Duties by our leaders who just know to multitask for more and more income just throws light on the sad state of the games. Its time the public took interest in National Interest than just voting and may be it was time the hugely popular TV NEWS Channels make news of these issues rather than getting frightened by Political Parties and losing out on the entire essence of Journalism and the Freedom of Expression(Did I actually say Freedom??) that we all boast of.