its a funny world out there!!

Few Pictures from Lahore....

2006-10-15T02:08:00.000-07:00

As I promised, I will try to upload a few pictures from my Lahore trip. So, click here. Am off for the India-England match now, lets hope our team does well this time. Ciao.

Zen: Endurance Test!

2006-10-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have been driving this Zen for past three years now. I always believed in my car but today I really got to see what it was really capable of! Just about a 1000cc with a weight of about 800kgs, it managed to take six people. Now don't ask me how we managed that, but we were just able to do that (unfortunately I don't have any pictures to show you this time, it was just to blurred).

Ok, so I am back trying to write another blog but am just not sober enough to think clearly what to write! Fine, let me complain again this time and talk about Bangalore a bit! It's one of the most cosmopolitan cities in India. You can find lots of young gals and guys from all over the country, just out of college or maybe an year and some, working their ass off from like nine to seven-eight. Also, you will see a sizable chunk of expats. Now, after all this hard work what do they need? Some place they can get relaxed, maybe have a few drinks, shake their bootys and forget about what's in store for them coming Monday.

As always, who thinks logically, who cares about what the majority wants, or at least, the majority who really cares and contributes think. So, one fine day, someone think, hey, these guys in Bangalore are having just too much fun meeting friends, getting drunk and creating (the so called) lawlessness later. So, let me be the one who decides what is good for them. Close down all the dance places, order all the clubs and restaurants etc. to be shut down by 11:30pm. And that is the sad story in Bangalore these days.

Well, we are quite used to it now. But not to be outdone, people have a lot more house parties these days. So, get kicked out (very politely unlike the clubs in the US as my dear firang friend pointed out today!) from these places by 11:30 and get together at a friends place. Now, you drink, play music, dance, no one bothers you (unless you live in a really annoying neighborhood with all these really fussy neighbors who keep complaining about all the noise you are making). Fortunately for our neighbors, we were quite considerate and keep the music just at the level that no one bothered.

Anyway, my point being, this is one good thing that has come out with the whole 11:30 bandh thing. You can really talk now. Without all that loud music and total strangers, a bunch of friends gathered together, you really get comfortable. You talk like you would never had in some club. Even for someone who meets others for the first time, it is better than the club atmosphere, you really talk and make more than just acquaintances.

This still doesn't do away with the fact that we are mature enough to know what is right for us and don't need some stupid cop telling us when to go home. That apart, I think Bangalore is a great place to be in. Over the past couple of years or so, I have driven and traveled so much around the city which I never did in my whole life. Leave for Goa at two in the morning or have a lifetime rafting experience after twelve hours of continuous driving, go on a trek at some abandoned railway track or be in the midst of all the wildlife, you can do all that here. No wonder then that I have been pestering this friend of mine to come to Bangalore for a long time now, only if she relented.

That is it for now. Time to sleep, will be back with something more interesting or more stupid soon. Till then, borrowing from The Truman Show, good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night.

Roger Federer

2006-10-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

You might find me mention this guy quite often in my blogs. Well, he's just too good and it's always a treat watching him play. He's the reason I follow tennis so much these days and to help me with any statistics, Google apart, I have a master statistician in house (my friend, batchmate, colleague and now my flat partner!), Satyajit or John as I love to call him.

But I am not here to give you any statistics on Roger, you can find all about him on Google. So, what am I doing writing this blog with his name as the subject? Well, I promised myself to be more active here and thought, maybe I should share a few interesting moments with Roger as the subject and of course, you might forgive my more sinister motive, getting more hits on Google for my page.

While in London, I had a chance to watch all the action at Wimbledon live. It was a Saturday and I had to choose between Wimbledon and the World Cup quarterfinals, couple of games involving England (against Portugal) and Brazil (against France). Since Federer was not scheduled to play, I choose to go for the latter. Unfortunately for me, both my favorites were outplayed and this friend of mine, who stood all night in the cold with nothing but a thin Manchester United (or was it some other club?) jersey on for the Wimbledon tickets, was rewarded for his endurance when he got a chance to see the God himself practicing on one of the main courts. And he didn't feel a bit sympathetic when he showed me all the pictures he had managed to click (this photo is courtesy him, you can check out more here)! So, I missed that one close opportunity to watch him live but maybe next time.

Who wants to miss the Wimbledon finals? Not me for sure. No wonder than that when Panga and I were out with a couple of other friends on a Sunday lukkhagiri trip to Southall in London, (we had promised to show them around and help with some shopping!) we spent the whole afternoon in some shady pub watching Federer battle it out with Nadal while our poor friends were left to fend for themselves. Fortunately for us, they didn't complain much, and we are still in talking terms. And for once this year, we got the result we so badly wanted, for Federer to beat Nadal.

Talking about Roger again, this friend visited us in Bangalore a few days back. Thanks to a few twisted minds, we reached the airport to "welcome" our dear friend in a tradition Indian style, garlands, coconut, rice and what not! I am sure we managed to embarrass him. Later, when I was checking out the pictures, one really struck me. We have our own Federer look-alike!! Even my friend Himanshu (that’s the look-alike) acknowledged that himself. Take a look for yourself. I am sure Heman (as we call him lovingly) won't mind and Heman, if you do, maaf kar de yaar.

Well, that is all I have the energy for today. Can't promise I will be back tomorrow with something but will definitely try to come up with something this weekend. Ciao.

Catching Up!

2006-10-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

I will continue doing some catching up with this blog. A lot has happened in the past few months and I just can't help commenting on a few. Ok, moving away from the personal front this time, some events of national significance, and if not significant to you in true sense of the word, issues/events which I thought and talked about.

Where do I begin, let me start with the issue of quota in government aided professional colleges. It made big news and interests me personally, since I come from one of these institutes. So, with the allotment of quota seats to the OBCs, just about 50% of all seats are now reserved. Well, these numbers doesn't look that bad considering that about the same number of our population falls in different reserved categories. So, where's the issue?

From what facts and figures show, even the current quota remains unfulfilled;
A large number of these students are not able to cope up with the competition inside and drop out which I must say is not their fault, it's just the way it is;
Not much is being done at the primary school level which lays the foundation;
Will cost the treasury millions;
Talking about IITs at least, they are short staffed even now and the current infrastructure is maybe, if at all, just enough to support current numbers

Is this the real issue though? Does the esteemed Mr. Arjun Singh really care about the issues above? Caste politics have been going on since decades in India and this is just another extension. All they care about is how to get themselves in the news, create a nation stir and win cheap votes. So no wonder, all those protests and demonstrations fell on deaf ears. Well, few months, people will forget and life will be back as usual like nothing happened. We truly are great, myself included.

So, politicians come and go, but the system doesn't change, it's like one passing the baton of corruption to the other. Brings me to a couple of movies this year, Rang De Basanti and Lage Raho Munnabhai. Both were quite different in the approach but touched upon a common theme, corruption, the system, politics, things we loathe but love to talk about. Both made good money and did give us something to think about.

I read all these news about Gandhigiri being employed by some institute or group of people, makes me wonder how long this will continue. Has the movie really woken up the sleeping Gandhi within us (I am sure there is one!!) or are we just riding the Gandhian tide to get into news, impress friends and neighbors or as they say, making hay while the sun is shining? I don't know. But I would really love to see people getting their own act together, behave like they expect others to behave and we won't need a Gandhi and I can leave home in the morning and get to office without the frustrating 30 mins of agonizing drive on Bangalore roads and frankly, that's all I care about right now.

What else, the rise and fall of Sania Mirza? She is the best woman player we ever had and deserves all the applauds and recognition coming her way. But has she side tracked a bit? Again, I don't know. There are so many news channels being aired these days, each looking for something sensational to sell to gain visibility and what do they do when they can't find something? Simple, create one!! Fill the airtime with news about what a prodigy Sania is when she wins and the moment she loses, get the so called experts to dissect her game, and pass the verdict. So, I really don't know. Maybe there is some truth, she's barely played for an year, but requesting the chief minister for land to start a tennis academy, I really think she needs proper guidance from people who really care about her.

And talking about all the news channels, just switch to one of them and watch the bottom half of your idiot box for the stupidest of breaking news you could ever think of. Sometimes when I really get bored, I just read one of these "Breaking News", really helps. Try that out sometime yourself.

Just read what I wrote and got a feeling I have started complaining a lot. Well, sometimes when you write and read what you write, it reflects on the kind of person you have become or are becoming. So, I rather stop at this point. Maybe, next time, I will try not to complain too much, if only, the Gandhi in people wakes up. So long.

Back!!

2006-10-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Finally, I resume after an year or so. I had just been busy in my own little selfish world, or call it plain laziness on my part! Again, I don't know how often I would be writing but will try. Thanks to Federer (Roger Federer? Tennis player?? World No.1???), after reading his blogs on ATP site, I was inspired to start again about the funny world out there.

Past one year has been very mixed, had good times and my share of bad times (which always seem to out do the good times!), have certain regrets, been optimistic, broke and been broken, still optimistic about few things! But life moves on and so do I and so does the world.

Of the few things I would remember about the past months was my visit to Lahore in Feb '06. Some official work, but ended up spending most of the time sight seeing and shopping (DVDs, clothes), eating (still miss those delicious Kababs I had at Food Street and my visit to Coco's Cafe overlooking Badshahi Mosque). And the biggest moment, watching India and Pakistan cricket teams play live at the Gadaffi Stadium (courtesy my client) and see India WIN!!!

The whole experience was so humbling, the love, the care they showed us made me feel so small, so stupid and so angry; what are the governments fighting for, some false pride?? Standing at the Lahore side of Wagah border, I could see people moving in and out with their suitcases in their hands, like they just crossed the road, just moved into a friends place! It was beautiful, just beautiful! And that was the memory I wanted to take back home and share with my friends!

I was also away in London for a few months this year, made a few new friends, met some old ones. Don't really feel like writing much about that trip or I would be late again for office tomorrow like always! Maybe, if I have the time and energy, I will pen that down too! Lots of pictures too, will try to upload a few soon.

This is where I stop today. Will be back soon with something interesting, or not so interesting, it is really a funny world out there, just keep looking for those lighter moments!!

Bingo!! Ghazal in "Main Meri Patni and Woh"

2005-10-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

Finally after days of extensive search on the net, I managed to get a source. You can listen to the song here (preferably use IE and you should have real player installed). The name of the song is Guncha (meaning: blossom or flower bud). It’s a beautiful song, pay special attention to the lyrics. The voice is so different; anyone knows who the singer is?

Here’s the lyric, enjoy!!

guncha koi, mere naam kar diya -2
saki ne phir se mera, zaam bhar diya -2
guncha koi……

tum jaise koi nahi, is jahan main -2
subeh ko teri zulf ne, shaam kar diya -2
saki ne phir se mera, zaam bhar diya
guncha koi……

mehfil main baar baar idhar, dekha kiye -2
aankhon ke zazeeron ko mere, naam kar diya -2
saki ne phir se mera, zaam bhar diya
guncha koi……

hoosh Bekhabar se hue, un ke bager
hoosh Bekhabar se hue, un ke bager -2
wo jo humse keh na sake, dil ne keh diya -2

saki ne phir se mera, zaam bhar diya
guncha koi……

guncha koi, mere naam kar diya
saki ne phir se mera, zaam bhar diya -2

Update: The singer is Mohit Chauhan who is also the lead singer of the band 'Silk Route' (remember Dooba Dooba?). You might probably find the song now on coolgoose.com or listen online at musicindiaonline.com. Thanks to all those who responded.

The Fun That was Goa!!

2005-10-25T04:06:00.000-07:00

We went on a office offsite to Goa last weekend which explains why I took so long for my next post! Well, we stayed at the Taj property, Fort Aguda Beach Resort and The Holiday Village which are just next to each other. Still trying to get back to normal state after three days of complete masti!

Goa was fun as usual! Since it was an office trip, most of the time we were in the hotel involved in some activities or games which again we enjoyed thoroughly. We did spend some time Saturday evening at the Baga beach and most of the first timers got the flavor of what Goa was about - just lying at the beach all day sipping beer and occasionally getting into the waves!! I will post some photographs and more about the trip soon, keep watching!!!

F1 2005: A Great Season Comes to an End

2005-10-16T00:43:00.000-07:00

And here we come to the end of the 2005 season!! Alonso powered Renault to win the Constructor's Championship with another race victory, what a way to finish the season!

And McLaren, well!! Hard Luck for Montoya who had to retire yet again, or would have seen a much closer fight. Raikkonen with second place finish was again at his best!

A great season that was!! And the biggest winner of all was the sports itself! Check out the official website for details!

Ghazal in "Main Meri Patni and Woh"

2005-10-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

There was a ghazal in the movie featuring Kay Kay....I could not find the lyrics anywhere on the net. Anyone has it or any pointers? Any idea where I can get the song?

Bangalore.......dead???

2005-10-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

Went to Taika last evening, one of the popular discos' in Bangalore but no dance floor anymore and the music turned out to be boring so decided to hit Zero G. Again, the place was already shut by then. Finally landed up in Java City for some coffee and pizzas. By 11:45, that place was also closing.

I wonder if Bangalore would be back to what it usesd to be 6 months back!! When these places used to be open well past mid-night....when you could shake your legs all night at the dance floor.......when you had so many places to have coffee and snacks late in the night.....when Bangalore was the city which did not sleep!! Really miss Bombay and Delhi!!!

I wonder....after having told by the cops when to sleep.....where to dance (which is NOWHERE!!!).....when 2 pegs of Bacardi result in 85% alcohol in blood....I wonder where is Bangalore going!! Its like poor infrastructure....heavy traffic.....there were not enough problems!!!

Is the city dead?
I dont know! Maybe it is!

Who killed it?
Who?

Cops? Politicians? people?
I don't know! Maybe everyone has a role to play!!

F1 2005: The Grand Finale!!!

2005-10-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

A great finish by Raikkonen saw him through to his seventh win this season, in what turned out to be the best race of the season. And the excitement is at the peak with just two points separating McLaren and Renault for the Constructor's Championship!! Who are you putting your money on? Mine is on McLaren!!

You don't wanna miss the final race this Sunday!!

A Smile is Worth a Thousand Brawls

2005-10-08T03:03:00.000-07:00

As you travel on life's way
With its many ups and downs,
Remember, it's quite true to say,
"One smile is worth a dozen frowns."

Among the world's expensive things,
A smile is very cheap.
And when you give a smile away,
You get one back to keep.

So, when a friend has sadness on his face
With troubles 'round him piled,
The world will seem a better place,
All because you smiled.

I don’t know who wrote this, but I try to derive inspiration for this poem while driving on Bangalore roads. Every second you find an indisciplined auto driver overtaking you, lanes don’t seem to exist; or a car or an auto parked on a narrow busy road causing even more commotion. Honking on a red light is a common practice. Well, who wouldn’t get frustrated, it’s just a matter of time? And the way things stand as of now, it’s not getting any better.

To top it all, every now and then I find someone giving me a stare like I have committed the worst crime in the world or shouting nasty abuses. Getting into a brawl or exchanging “pleasantries” is not very uncommon.

Now I have two options. One, succumb to the pressure and add to the growing number of people with angry frustrated faces. I have seen this happening to me of late; the moment I get on the road, I start finding faults with the way people drive or jump signals and end up cursing them, or get into occasional verbal exchanges, without realizing I am no different. Others are probably thinking the same about me. And end of the day, this does no good, I end up reaching office in a very bad mood, still cursing the auto wallah who overtook me or the driver who honked at me!!

The other option I try sometimes is raising my hand and giving a smile, it could be an understanding or an apologetic smile. It doesn’t matter who is at fault. More often than not, I get a similar response. After all, the other person is probably going through similar emotions and a smile is always a welcome change. This is not easy as it is against your instinct. And of course, this doesn’t change the way the traffic flows or people drive in the city and I still get a little frustrated when on road but it does make me feel much better in the end. Who wants to see angry and irritated faces around oneself? I have noticed, even a single person giving an understanding smile dissolves all my anger and invariably makes me smile, and if I can do that to someone, that lightens both our moods.

They say smile is contagious. Maybe this will bring about smiles on the faces of a few more people. And may be, just maybe, some might change the way they drive.

Formula One 2005

2005-10-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

I have been following the sport for past 2-3 years, especially after coming to Bangalore last year I hardly missed a race. Well, sitting at TGI Fridays' with a bunch of friends sipping beer, there is no reason why I should. In fact, the first time I watched a race was in Bangalore when I visited the city for the first in 2002. I am really impressed by the kind of following this sport has in the city. And with our very own Narain Karthikeyan now racing, the excitement and awareness for the sport has grown tremendously.

Well, I have been a Ferrari fan ever since I started watching, probably because they were winning and I didn't know better. But I am not one of those die hard fans, pretty flexible in whom I support. Also, it wasn't fun any more watching the one sided races the whole last season. So, it was quite refreshing to see the duo of Alonso and Raikkonen battling it out for the Drivers Championship this season. Even though the championship is already decided with Alonso becoming the youngest ever driver to win the title, you would not want to miss the remaining two races as a very close battle is still on for the Constructors Championship.

The season started off on a disastrous note for the reigning champion Michael Schumacher who had to retire early in the Australian Grand Prix. Though Barrichello did bring a podium finish for Ferrari with his second place finish, the stage was set for a tough season for the Ferrari but it was still too early to rule them out. The Renault has been showing good pace throughout last winter and the result of the race, with two podium finish, emphasized that this form had not been illusory. McLaren had to content with just four points, with both Montoya and Raikkonen suffering errant barge boards during the race.

Nothing much was expected of Karthikeyan in his debut race but he looked quite at ease in his Jordan and performed well to prove his critics wrong who had made disparaging remarks about his lack of experience.

The Formula One 2005 season was on!!

Renault went on to win the next three races with Alonso popping the Champagne each time. They couldn’t have expected a better start to the season. Their car was not only fast, but also the most reliable on the circuit. McLaren on the other hand had to wait till the fifth race to register a win; they were the fastest no doubt, but the engine and the car reliability was something they had to struggle with throughout the season. Ferrari had a mountain to climb if they were to retain their title, but the chances looked slim with Renault and McLaren outshining Ferrari in all departments. But the big surprise was Toyota which made its presence felt with its speed and consistency.

Renault and McLaren took turns winning the next few races with the exception of Indianapolis where the race itself turned into a fiasco after all the teams running on Michelin tyres opted out on Michelin’s advice that it could not guarantee safety on Indianapolis' banked high-speed turn. It was a big disappointment to all F1 fans and left a big question mark whether Indianapolis would be a race venue next year. This was Ferrari’s first and could very well be the only win of the season. Karthikeyan on his Jordan, one of the three teams running on Bridgestone tyres, finally managed to get some points but was outpaced by teammate Monteiro for a third place podium finish.

With thirteen podium finish and just two retirements out of the seventeen races so far, drivers’ championship was never a real threat for Alonso. There was very little to choose between Alonso and Raikkonen though, both are young and a treat to watch and we could hope that this performance continues next season. If it wasn’t for the poor reliability of McLaren, the fight would have been much closer, though McLaren did come up with a much improved car performance towards the later half of the season and the fans finally got to see a McLaren one-two finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

As far as Karthikeyan goes, he began the season on a promising note, consistently outpacing his teammate. But then, when he was expected to settle down and give a mature and intelligent show, he lost ground and found it even difficult to stay ahead of his rookie teammate, who on the other hand grabbed this opportunity and has already impressed many. There is no doubt the responsibility of carrying the expectations of one billion Indians is not easy. I do hope he gets more consistent without losing his aggressiveness, for that is his main weapon. Retaining his spot in the team might not be easy but it would be good to see him drive next year. Thanks to him, the country is more interested and curious about the sport than it was ever before.

With two more races to go, the Constructers Championship is still wide open with just two points separating Renault and McLaren. So, grab your beer and get ready for the action, Formula One was never this exciting for a long time!

Check out the Official Formula One Website for Race Results, Schedule, Technical Insights and much more!!

Cricket Again....

2005-10-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

Cricket is something which is close to most Indians and no matter how much we get disgusted by the ineptness shown by the BCCI, or the bitching about inside and outside the dressing room, the sight of Sachin or Sehwag hitting a Six or Kumble getting someone with his googly just makes you forget everything for a few moments.

I was reading the newspaper this morning and there was an article on the front page about BCCI putting Dada on some kind of notice. And I thought what this was, after having "solved" the rift between Chappell and Ganguly. But after wasting a couple of minutes on the article, I had no more information than I already knew.

Quoting from the article,

“To a specific question on whether Ganguly should continue as captain, Mahendra said "It is for the selection committee to decide and the Board does not interfere in the matter." The BCCI chief also rebutted suggestions that the Board was turning a blind eye to Ganguly's poor form and his tendency to get embroiled in controversies which was a dangerous sign for the country's cricketing future.”

"See what you are saying could also be the feeling of many other cricket fans in the country. But let us all not forget that recently Ganguly has scored a Test hundred in Zimbabwe", he said. "Ganguly also might be seriously thinking about his form. So to say that we are not concerned or bothered is not right, we very much are," Mahendra said.”

Well, thanks Mr. Mahendra for thinking that many in country "could" also feel for the country's cricketing future. Maybe, in another few years, he will know that many "do" feel for the country's cricketing future. And about Ganguly's century, I don't have words to talk about it. And about Mahendra himself, why can't he get Dalmiya to write his public speeches as well and keep a spokesman for giving all interviews and reading out the speeches on his behalf? He might make more sense that way.

Love or Misery?

2005-10-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

Currently reading Short Story Masterpieces by 5 British Masters, Oscar Wilde, Hector Hugo Munro, D.H.Lawrence, Joseph Conrad and Charles Dickens. Just completed couple of stories by Oscar Wilde, short, very simple but conveying a strong message at the same time.

From one of his stories, The Model Millionaire, loved this part, kind of funny.

"Unless one is wealthy there is no use being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realized. Poor Hughie! ........ He had tried everything.......Ultimately he became nothing, a delightful, ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no profession.
To make matters worse, he was in love."

I wonder, why does love always add to your misery?

filmi baap!

2005-09-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

One tends to get very crazy ideas when there is nothing much to do. I have been watching a lot of Bollywood movies lately and in most of them, the lead "actor" is the son of some past actor. Now, this is no surprise anymore, Bollywood is less of an industry and more of a family affair these days. Anyway, I am not here to talk about this family affair, it's not very interesting. What I noticed was, the initial movie(s) for most of these guys was always promoted or produced or directed by their dads, which is again no surprise.

Now, after watching a lot of these movies I wondered, if one had to choose one of these dads as his own dad, whom would he go for? I know what you are thinking, what kind of weird question is that? I got the same reaction from some of my friends. Well, look at it this way. Whenever you think of a person, an image comes in your mind based on how you perceive him and in this case, the perception comes from the kind of movies one has acted in or made or the kind of person media had made out of him. So, when I think of Dharamendra or our Dharam paaji, I get an image of this macho punjab da puttar who probably grew up drinking bowls of milk and eating loads of butter. Or take Jitendra who is like this honest, dull and boring guy. Now based on the image I have of these actors and the kind of movies they made to launch their kids, I tried to reason who would be an ideal dad.

Now, there are tens of such dads to choose from, Amitabh, Dharamendra, Suresh Oberoi, Rakesh Roshan, Jitendra, Feroz Khan, Vinod Khanna, the list goes on and on and on. After going through each one of these potential dads (Naah! I would say just 3 or 4, I am not that lukkha), I finally settled upon Feroz Khan. I won’t go into details why I reasoned out others but I will tell you why I decided to go with Mr.Khan.

Firstly, he is one of the most stylish men in the industry, pretty outspoken and bold in his approach, doesn’t give a damn what people think. During his younger days, he has acted with the best (read the sexiest) female cast of his time which includes Mumtaz, Saira Bano, Rekha, Zeenat Amaan and others. And now comes the best part, launching his son. The movie was Prem Agan, which is among the top 5 on my “Worst Movies Ever” list. But I am not here to talk about movie credentials, it’s about Fardeen and I am sure he had a great time working opposite his female lead. And then came Janasheen where again Celina didn’t care much about wearing clothes and Fardeen wouldn’t have mind either, after all, papa says that’s what the movie demands. Now, would he not be the coolest dad?

You may or may not quite agree, which is fine. But if you are not doing much these days, get crazy and choose your filmi baap, after all, one doesn’t get to do that every day.

Disclaimer: This was just a random crazy thought; I think I already have the coolest dad.

Five Pegs Down!

2005-09-29T02:07:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning with a severe headache, wondering why, why did I drink so much last night? It was about having self control. I could have stopped at one, but no, I was in control and thought one more wouldn't harm. And with each drink I was getting more and more in control and before I knew, I was down five pegs!!

I went home, straight to the wash basin, and threw up. It did hurt watching my thousand bucks go down the drain and I realized, it really was all about control, the only difference being, it wasn't I but the alcohol which was controlling me, but alas, the realization came too late.

The thing is, the more I drink, the more conscious I get. Conscious, not to the extent that I stop behaving stupid, something you get a license for when you are drunk (Oh, I do that, what's the fun drinking and not getting drunk?), but conscious, about being under control of all my thoughts and actions. For example, people get concerned if I would be able to drive, which is a genuine concern, after all, I have to drive some of them home. My reply is quick, "I am fine". Now, I don't lie there, I can drive safely when drunk, or at least I like to believe I can (so what if the cops few months back thought otherwise and slapped me two thousand in fine for drunken driving). And this belief comes from me getting conscious and keeps me going.

And the journey continues, I know it's not very safe, but now is not the time I want to worry about it. Till then, maybe I will stop at Four, rather than being Five Pegs Down!

Cricket or Crisis: Isn't it time to take decisions?

2005-09-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

The recent controversy surrounding cricket in India has made a complete mockery of the game. Who is to blame? Some have come out strongly in open for Ganguly's support, while others feel its time for him to bid farewell to the game.

But the saddest part is that the governing body, the BCCI, has yet again failed to make up its mind. Be it the television rights issue or the internal elections, I haven't seen them taking a firm stance. I don't care if they prove to be right or wrong, taking a decision is what matters today. One learns from wrong decisions, even a child does that, but I am afraid the so called caretakers of the sport are afraid to even try. Cricket and in general, the whole country has suffered thus far due to lack of firm decisions on the part of people who are capable of doing so.

Of course, politics is playing a big part in all this, and who knows, the seed to all this controversy could well have been sown to get some political mileage. I may be paranoid here but when it comes to elections and politics anything is possible. It's easy sitting back and writing all this, everyone seems to be an expert when it comes to discussing the corruption surrounding the whole system, isn't it time to do something, isn't it time to take strong decisions?

Why Blog?

2005-09-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

I see so many of my friends blogging and I wonder what is so interesting about it? I am yet to figure that out. And the best way to do that, I thought, is to start blogging myself.
This is my very first post, I have hardly written a couple of lines and already I am lost for words. Maybe, thats only me, but it gves me a lot to think about. I remember my school days, when we were asked to write essays and compositions on some topic. This is very similar, choose your topic, write what comes in your mind and forget. I find it difficult to put down my thoughts on paper, maybe because I never sincerely tried doing so. So, I decided I will give it a try, penning or rather "keying" my random thoughts and maybe I will figure out..Why Blog?