Musings of a meandering mind

Mom V girlfriend

2009-07-04T00:35:00.002+05:30

This is one equation that is crystal clear but still it isnt.
While, both are vying for the attention of the son(boyfriend) but why is there such animosity and bickering?
There is always this current of tensions and i for one have never been able to handle it.
While every guy would kill to have 2 women dearest to him to love him, but sure as hell doesnt mean fight over him.
It is almost impossible to mention the name of one in front of the other without the risk of an argument and accusations of bias.
How does one keep both happy?

SNAFU part deux

2008-09-04T21:50:00.001+05:30

As i entered the house few minutes back and headed for the loo, i saw water dripping from one of the pipes attached to the geyser. As i touched it to see what the hell was happening, the whole thing came off and this jet of water hit me square on the face.

Plugging it with handkerchief, towel did not work so i headed for the maintenance fellows in the office. In the meanwhile the water had spread all over the house. The plumber could not be found so had to drag the electrician somehow. Cant remember what i promised him...booze or fags or something. anyways the man came to the house and gave me a disgusted look after seeing the condition of the house. So he went to the bathroom and surveyed the mess and reached behind the washing machine and i swear a non existent knob appeared magically and he switched the water connection off. God, why does this happen to me??

SNAFU

2008-09-03T23:29:00.002+05:30

It probably describes the situation i find myself in. I thought that living alone would be fun but it comes with its fair share of hassles. Having been royally spoilt all my life, i cant cook or wash my clothes or clean utensils....hell i cant even run the darned washing machine ... i find myself in a situation where i am living in a dump for a house (all my fault mind you as this house is freaking awesome ...before i checked in that is).

The maid comes in at around 6 in the morning and that is when i am at the peak of my sleep. Its a miracle that i more often than not hear the bell ring. manage to haul myself across and open the door. More often than not i hear a very quiet chuckle from her as she sees me. I make sure that i am wearing some clothes before i let her in but i have a feeling that when i have had a late night i may have opened the door in my underpants once or twice. She is probably the luckiest maid o the planet as i have no clue what she does. I generally dont know when she leaves.

The food is another problem. While i like to eat out a lot, i really miss amma s food a lot. I sometimes dont feel like eating anything as i just want to eat her stuff. there is a nice little chinese thingy close by but its not a place where you can dine daily.

Living alone sucks! thank god i travel most of the days.

Mein aisa hi hoon.

2008-09-02T18:29:00.003+05:30

So there was the 10th year anniversary bash of the office at a fancy little place near Hyatt. People came dressed in their best clothes, women wore their jewellery and all that. Some of the old timers were also there and the boss did something inexplicable with his hair which i believe is called hair weaving or something with silicon implants. I thought silicon implants were limited to women. One has to admire his zest for life though.

I chose to wear a dhoti and kurta. It seems that the border of the dhoti and my kurta colur were the same (i had no clue ...guess when other important things like the dhoti not coming off in front of 60 odd colleagues are going through your mind, things like the colour of the border of your dhoti doesn't seem important). I think i may have spent more time choosing the colour of my boxers than the dhoti... thinking "what if?". Anyways so there i was - "decked up" and i entered and headed straight for the bar as any normal individual would do after a day full of deadlines. BTW, shark tooth sucks....I still run on heavy heavy "fuel"

I didn't notice the fact that people were looking at me with their mouths open as i am known in the office to wear a jeans and tshirt come what may. So whether it was in admiration or surprise or the fact that i may have looked like a clown...i don't know and frankly don't care.

So most of them then come to me and ask "Why are you looking so sad" .. I went ... hmmmmm...don't know..tough day at work. I actually wanted to say -"this is the way i am you piece of dog s poo. I am a very intense and serious kind of guy, doesn't make me any different from you. I just don't like to announce myself at a party and would rather find a corner and sip my drink. You want to join ...welcome"

So the message guys is that " Mein jaisa hoon mein waisa hi hoon" ....

Cos Nothing else matters

2008-02-28T23:37:00.000+05:30

Nothing else matters

So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I dont just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I dont just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know

So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters

Why do i blog?

2008-02-28T23:32:00.002+05:30

People blog because of several reasons - For some its simple time pass, for some its a way to connect with people or topics that interest them while for others its a way to give vent to feelings or ideas that they cant share or discuss with friends, family, colleagues.

I am thinking why i blog ...

Friends!

2008-02-22T16:06:00.003+05:30

I have always had this argument with my brother. He has been of the belief that all said and done the only people who matter at the end are parents and siblings (having said that he has a great set of friends). I have always thought that this guy has gone bonkers but i am beginning to see some sense in what he says.

I have always been very dependent on my friends and so have they. I have always given them a lot of priority and have always gone out of my way to do things for them. But the last few weeks have given things a different perspective. Without getting into details much, my confidence and faith in friendship has been dealt a severe blow.

I understand that things and circumstances make people behave indifferently but i am hoping that they have the maturity to accept that a mistake has been made and take steps to rectify those mistakes.

fingers crossed

Boris Becker - the player

2007-10-18T11:32:00.000+05:30

I stumbled upon this book by chance when i went to the Landmark book sale.
I am a huge Boris fan. The blond lashes, the rocking of the racket twice back and forth and then the booming serve, the man was charismatic as well as a great tennis player.
This book takes us through his long journey on the court (and off it), his moments of great distress, his friends, coaches, lucrative contracts, women etc..
He won the Wimbledon in 85 when he was 17 years old. He did it again in 86 proving that the previous year was no fluke beating a hapless Lendl that day. He went on to win everything there was to win but the elusive title at Rolland Garros. Along with Michael Stich he won the doubles gold at Barcelona.
The book also gives an insight to his tax evasion problems, his illegitimate daughter but for me his recollection of encounters with Stefan Edberg, Agassi, Mcenroe, Sapmras et al. is what makes this book a stand out for me.
A must read for any boris fan...

2007-05-24T09:10:00.000+05:30

There seems to be no fun no aim in what i do these days. My life has become so mechanical that i can now do the job of the lathe i used to work on back in college. All the rush to get into the top colleges and schools and choose the right subjects now seems a waste of time. Work is so bloody over hyped. You study and slog like a mad person trying to do well for yourself and try and get into that job which will make you happy and you could then feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel nothing of that. I have a good job, a decent enough salary and yet i feel incomplete. Getting up in the morning rushing to work and then coming back exhausted with no will or time to do anything is fast becoming the story of my life.

Office is fun but it takes so much of my time. I can hardly believe that i have been here for 1.5 years. I love the work that i do but i will soon hit a plateau and god save me after that. There are new avenues to look for but the existing workload does not let you venture into those avenues.

The less said about personal life the better....

I feel increasingly restless, irritated and disoriented these days. I miss my metro stops, leave my ipod at work. I cannot read books anymore, haven't watched a movie at home since god knows when. My temper has become worse and i am a lazy lump .

I have not blogged in ages and there is no motivation to do anything these days. I don't even feel the need to do a spellcheck on this post or think for a title...i just dont care.

And the Aussie juggernaut rolls on...

2007-04-30T15:58:00.000+05:30

Love em or hate em, they are the best.

There is simply no stopping this team. Hats off to them for putting on a show that throws light on the fact that the rest of the world is nowhere close to this team which is simply superb in all aspects of the game.

Bowl first or bat first, they will outplay you.

Many congratulations to the punter and his team.

Shimla - Lost in Transition

2007-01-05T20:39:00.000+05:30

Traditionally, Shimla is supposed to be one of the most visited hill stations in the country. It is well connected by road, rail and air. The British made it their summer capital in the early 1900s.

I remember going to Shimla first in 1997. I was in awe of the place. The scenic landscape, the picturesque surroundings and the whole environment took my breath away. I remember vividly walking in the mall area, admiring the NG trains and appreciating the colonial charm associated with the city.

The Shimla of today is a concrete jungle. You see buildings everywhere and the city is not what it used to be earlier. A recent notification, that states that the roofs of the buildings should be either green or red, has done little to improve the "commercial" look that the city has managed to take. The number of tourists visiting the Queen of Hills is gradually decreasing. I was surprised to see the number of hotels, resorts coming up in places like Solan etc which are en route to Shimla. Many people no longer like to come to Shimla and instead stay at places like Solan, Tara Devi etc..

The Mall has become a farce. It looks like a Mumbai local train at peak hour and you constantly step on people's feet to move forward. There is litter everywhere. Mobile magistrates are not efficient enough. This New Year turned the Mall into a free for all. People were up to all kinds of nonsense in this public place.

Parking is an eternal problem in Shimla. Multi level parking's are being constructed but they never seem to be enough. There is a traffic jam almost always at the bus stand and the Bye Pass road to Kufri is bad in patches.

The locals are disgusted by the amount of commercialization seen in their city and some claim that their place of birth is slowly being strangled to death.

Eye of the Tiger.

2006-12-29T11:55:00.000+05:30

After breaking my Ipod a few days back, I have had to get back to listening to good old radio. For the record, all FM channels in Delhi suck. You get to hear the same songs over and over again. And they think that Billy Joel is god or something....

Anyway, on the way to work today i got to listen to the Eye Of the Tiger after god knows how many years. I forgot about the existence of this song until today. It is one of my all time favs.

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger

Talking of Rocky, I want to see Balboa.

Marriage over celebrated

2006-12-14T09:08:00.000+05:30

Marriages have been really commercialized these days. It was evident yesterday when Delhi saw 35000 marriages in one day. There were huge life size structures all over the place with a Gazillion Watt of light bring thrown in every direction. Women did not seem to mind the dipping Delhi temperatures and were dressed in their "finest" clothes. Men tagged along ..

It came to my mind that such over-elaborate arrangements for a marriage are so much in fashion these days. It is a pity that people feel the need to spend so much money .It is of course good business for the suppliers etc but it is all overdone. Yes, marriage is a significant event and must be celebrated but how does one justify spending so excessively especially when there are people in many parts of our country who cannot afford a meal.It all seems such a waste to me.

Dh(Gl)oom 2

2006-12-13T09:08:00.000+05:30

I thought Dhoom was average but this one is a total waste of time. I am not surprised that it is
doing well in certain parts of the country but i have never felt so bad about wasting 3 hrs of my time.My friend said - "Its a bloody soft porn". I probably would not got to that extent but it was BAD. Bikes and Bikinis look good only when they are put to proper use (Pun not intended). The makers thought that Bikes and a certain intimate scene between HR and AR will make it work and it probably is working but i would not recommend it to anybody. Go watch Departed instead. Go watch it for Di Caprio and Matt Damon.

Uday Chopra gets to my nerves quite easily, I could not stand Bipasha in the second half. Abhisekh went AWOl for most of the movie. Hrihik was good and the less said about Ms. Rai the better.

The ending is probably the lamest that i have come across ever and i pray to god that we dont see a Dhoom 3(which in all probability we will).

I broke my Ipod

2006-11-10T19:28:00.000+05:30

Of palmistry and how it is bull

2006-11-03T09:11:00.000+05:30

I do not believe in Horoscope and sun signs and all that goes with it. I am a firm believer that you control your own destiny. I hate it when i am asked not to start a work or not go out of the house during raahukaal or yamakandam.

There is this guy at office who apparently is quite brilliant at palmistry. I of course think that it is bullshit. After a lot of persistence i finally gave in.

Here are his observations about me:

1. I do not listen to my elders at all. In fact, i am a rebel of sorts.... :)

2. I have an injury on my right foot ....Whatever!

3. I have a short temper .... Universally known

4. If i marry against the wishes of my parents then the marriage wont be successful ....Oh bummer!

5. The girl i end up with will earn more than me...Ouch, that hurt!

6. She will be more qualified than me ....And the hits just kept on coming

Holidays!

2006-10-20T07:08:00.000+05:30

Finally i have a few days of no work. It has been somewhat hectic with all the deadlines and travelling over the past few days so i am really looking forward to these holidays. First and foremost on my to- do list is eating all the sweets possibly available. Apart from that, there are a few parties to hit and going out with friends maybe for a long drive.

I also need to update my Gooner blog and my travel photo site. Then there is the ever pending post on my exploits in Slovakia and Switzerland. I hope to get that done sometime soon. For all of you who have given up on me ....I promise.

I am really looking forward to read something. First and foremost on my mind is The Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

I think Sunday will top it all though. Manchester United vs Liverpool (The Great English derby) and then later on the el classico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The Arsenal - Reading game is also thrown in there for good measure.

Be safe!

Women s Hockey

2006-10-08T13:49:00.000+05:30

Before any women reading this call me chauvinist or anything equivalent to that, I would like to go on record and say that I am all for women sport. There have been the Nadia Comenci s, Martina Navratilovas (talking pure tennis here :)), Cathy Freeman s...our own P.T. Usha et al who I have admired a lot. Anyone thinking why i haven't mentioned Sania Mirza needs to peek in here to see how i feel about her and she has not achieved greatness by any stretch of imagination.

If someone gives me the "Belinda Clarke is the Matty Hayden of Aussie women cricket team" then I am ready to take it , albeit with more than a pinch of salt.
I was watching a game on TV yesterday. For those of you who came in late, the Women s Hockey WC is going on.The match in question was one between Argentina and Australia. I am sorry but the quality of play was really bad. These are supposed to be 2 of the better teams. An Australian lady stopped a straight forward 4 yard pass from her teammate and the commentator went "Thats a great trap...." and i went " what the....". The ball was hardly on the mat and as far as i could see there was no deliberate scooping involved either. The game was end to end. 1 long hit from this side and 1 from there with the ball going out at regular intervals. A few of the Australian ladies would have given Cory Everson a real inferiority complex and took turns whacking the ball into touch at the opposite end of the ground.I never knew that one can hit a simple pass straight at your opponent...i thought that this honour went the Indian mens hockey team :).

The committment of the ladies was worth appreciating but unless and until you are a hockey fanatic you wouldn't stay on that
channel for too long.

Looking over the shoulder

2006-09-27T11:24:00.000+05:30

I cross this bridge daily on the way to work. The bridge looks down on the Sarai Rohilla Railway Station. I arch my neck at strangest of strange angles, kick the person sitting next to me, swear at people who stand right on the bus entrance and block my view..all this to get a glimpse of the activity down the bridge. There is a sharp left bend as we descend from the bridge and that is generally where the vehicle catches speed. So, the 5 secs i get just before that are probably the most exciting moments till i get to office. Seeing a Vatva WDM2/3A about to depart with a west bound train has now become customary.

Today s sightings :

Vatva WDM3A
TKD WDM2/3A
ET WDM2

Discrimination

2006-09-25T19:20:00.000+05:30

I was on my way to Zurich (via Wien) from Kosice a few days back. As i entered the Airport, a barrel chested Airport policeman stopped me and another gentleman. We were asked to show our passports, boarding passes, invitation letters etc. and were asked all sort of questions. Me and this other man were both Indian and it was very disturbing to see the officials seperating us from the crowd and subjecting us to this kind of treatment. It was quite obvious that this was done, based on the colour of our skin.

I thought about this for a long time. I was clearly angry and frustrated. I told about this to my Slovakian colleague who listened to me for as long as i spoke. She then asked a very simple question. She asked me whether this is more unfair than what happens at Taj Mahal, other monuments and even on flights in India

1. The entrance fee for a foreigner in Taj Mahal is around 20 USD while that for an Indian is a mere 25 INR.

2. A Flight on a local airliner from Delhi to Ahmedabad cost my Slovakian and Greek colleagues 200 USD each while i travelled for as low as 3000 INR.

Is this not discrimination? she asked. I did not have an answer.

Bus No. 166

2006-08-09T10:30:00.000+05:30

Over the past 10 plus years this Bus has been more than a lifeline to me.
Remember taking this bus till Ring Road when I was in school. When I used to come back home on vacation during college days I used to commute to Karol Bagh and Connaught Place in this bus.
Today, to go to work I rely heavily on this bus to drop me off at C.P.
The frequency of the bus i great and it is generally on time. The race between a DTC and a Private Carrier on this route is a sight to behold.
The conductors and drivers are super fun sometimes and come up with great jokes and one liners
" DTC aa rahi hai peeche, kheech ke le zarra" (DTC is right behind, step on the gas will ya) is something I hear on a daily basis.
I remember a few incidents that make me laugh even now.
A lady wanted to get down at the Ashoka Garden stop and got into an argument with the conductor as he was not willing to stop there.

Lady to the Conductor: "Bhaiya tab se bol rahi hoon, aap rokte kyon nahi.Rok dijiye"
The driver intervenes and says to the lady:"Madam ji, usse kya jhagad rahe ho,Brake to mere pass hai"

"queue" culture

2006-08-08T11:22:00.000+05:30

Was in Cal recently and was witness to something that I have never ever seen in life before....a queue. People there actually form a queue to get into lifts and buses and trains.
I am not sure whether it was refreshing or it seemed extremely odd.
Having been in Delhi for most of my life, the term Queue is really a myth to me. We Delhiites don't believe in queue s. You have to be in a bus stand, a metro station in Delhi to understand what i am saying. We believe in a free for all.
See an opening and sneak through or even better don't allow the person inside a bus/metro to come out...go at him/her with full force and somehow get in.
Will we ever learn?
Do we want to learn?

"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment." - Darwin

Dhakkan Airways

2006-08-04T21:56:00.000+05:30

FLIGHT CANCELLED flashed all over Netaji Subhash Chandra International Airport against an Air Dhakkan (Deccan) flight to Agartala.

"Yaar ye deccan nahi hai, saala Dhakkan airways hai"..exclaimed a Sardarji who was to board that plane.

My colleague who often takes the connecting flight from Cal to Patna says that it is the shortest 1 hour flight he ever undertakes. Why? Because most of the time passes in squatting away flies that appear as soon as the flight takes off.

Another friend of mine was pissed that he was served chips that were well past their expiry date.

Here is an excerpt from an in cabin announcement:

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. This is your captain PATEL welcoming

both seated and standing passengers on board of Air Deccan.

We apologize for the four-day delay in taking off, it was due to bad

weather and partly due to the search for a missing tyre.

This is flight 717 to Mumbai. Landing there is not guaranteed, but we

will End up somewhere in India. And, if luck is in our favor, we may

even be landing on your village!

Air Deccan has an excellent safety-record. In fact, our safety standards

are so high, that even terrorists are afraid to fly with us! It is with

pleasure; I announce that, starting this year, over 30% of our

Passengers have reached their destination.

 If our engines are too noisy for you, on passenger request, we can

arrange to turn them off. To make your free fall to earth pleasant and

memorable, we serve Complimentary DHARU and Wada pavw. For our

not-so-religious passengers, we are the only airline who can help you

find out if there really is a God!

We regret to inform you, that today's in-flight movie will not be shown

as we forgot to record it from the television. However, for our movie

buffs, we will be flying right next to Kingfisher Airline, where their

movie will be visible from the right side of the cabin window.

There is no smoking allowed in this airplane. Any smoke you see in the

Cabin is only the early warning system on the engines telling us to slow

down!

In order to catch important landmarks, we try to fly as close as

possible.  For the best view , if however, we go a little too close, do

let us know. Our enthusiastic co-pilot sometimes flies right through the

landmark!

Kindly be seated, keep your seat in an upright position for take-off and

fasten your seat-belt. For those of you who can't find a seat-belt,

kindly Fasten your own belt to the arm of your seat. And, for those of

you who can't find a seat, do not hesitate to get in touch with a

stewardess who will explain how to fasten yourself to your suitcase.

ENJOY FLYING AIR DECCAN!

An Open Letter

2006-07-15T10:28:00.000+05:30

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh,

I returned home late in the evening a few days back to watch your so called "Address to the nation" in the aftermath of the Bombay blasts. Sir, I have the greatest of respects for you and I believe that in you, our nation has a very capable man at the helm. But your address to the nation was appalling to say the least.I realize that you are a moderate every which way but i am sure the fact that nearly 200 of our innocent brothers and sisters lost their lives is reason enough to bring in some compassion in your voice.I got the feeling that you simply read off the teleprompter.

As a citizen, I was expecting to see some passion in your voice and fire in the eyes and you had neither. I did not expect to hear you say that we will nuke the neighbours but what was so disappointing was the tone in which you presented the address.

Sir, it pains me to hear about the newly wed woman who lost her husband, the mother whose son had wanted to come home to cook dinner but instead fell victim to this act of terrorism. My heart goes out to all the victims and their kin and i feel helpless sitting here in an Airconditioned room sipping tea.

I am not doubting the fact that you would have been hurt too ..like me.But pray listen..If you do not bring the emotion out through your voice or the show some aggressive body language then I really dont see the point in talking to the people of the country.

Sincerely

World cup 2006 - Best Moment

2006-07-08T19:47:00.000+05:30

One of the best moments in the World Cup for me was the exchange of shirts between Zindeine Zidane and Luis Figo after the semifinal between France and Portugal. I remember Harsha Bhogle saying something like " I don't understand why some players exchange jerseys right at the end. You would want to walk off the park wearing your country s jersey"

Dude you will never understand.

It was a great moment between two of the world s greatest players. Both playing their final World Cup s and both showing that class is permanent.

It brought back memories of that Uefa Champions League final when Zidane and Figo took on Effenberg and demolished him and his side. It is a pity that we will not be seeing the likes on the field again but very lucky that we have been able to watch them when they were at the peak of their powers.

This for me has been the best moment of the World Cup 2006.

An Ode!

2006-06-26T21:08:00.000+05:30

This post is dedicated to the CD that got me through 4 years of College.
The College was no less than a detention camp located at a godforsaken place.
I bought it in a shop at Palika Bazaar for 30 bucks (After severe bargaining and bringing the price down from an exorbitant Rs. 150).
It was a compilation of songs by the legendary Kishore Kumar.
It had most of his gems from Aate jate khoobsurat to Zindagi ke safar mein with masterpieces like Deewana leke aaya hai, Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon thrown in between.
With no access to FM and no Computer this CD and the CD man were my only source of pleasure for about 4 years.
I wonder if i would have survived without it......

Why?

2006-06-10T11:30:00.000+05:30

Why...

Do people spit on the road?

Do i always get the middle seat on flights when i want the aisle one?

Do i get so excited when i hear the Champions League theme and see henry curling one past Cannizares(something i have seen about a 1000 times)?

Is Ponting being allowed to rake in century after century with a Graphite bat?

Did X-files go off air?

Does Advani undertake so many "Yatras"?

Dont some ppl grow up? ahem...

Did Rahul Mahajan have to snort cocaine and get caught?

Do people call Gandhi father of the country when he was a big @ssol?

Does Sidhu open his mouth?

The phenom...(No, not Ronaldo)

2006-06-06T11:50:00.000+05:30

Ah there it is, i said as my connecting bus to office arrived. Didnt have to wait for more than 5 mins today...life is good, i thought as i entered the bus and took a seat right at the end. I had just settled down and was about to take out "The Caine mutiny" (I know, havent read it..kick me when u see me next) when it happened. A loud noise emanated from the speaker just above me. "Ek bar aaja aaja aaja aaja aaaaaja". Oh shit, here we go.....

For those of you who came in late, Himesh reshammiya is a superstar..apparently. He is No. 1 on all charts all over the Northern half of the country. He remixes old songs and remixes the previously remixed songs. The shriek that actually is an essential part of his "singing" voice should not be confused as the voice of somebody whose pants are on fire, trying to wriggle out. This voice emanates from within with utmost fury and comes out to hit you in the face. The problem gets compounded by the fact that it comes out of the nose more than the mouth, and you thought Udit Narayan was the expert at that, wait till you hear this guy.

Basically, he is a truck load of Dog s poo. But then, I ll probably be taken to task if i dare say this to many of my friends who swear by him. The sad part is that the bus wallahs play his songs over and over again. The 45 min ride from CP to IIT Gate actually seems more like a lifetime. Trust me folks, there is no hiding. FM, Tape...he is everywhere. One of the bike ads also play his songs now.

"I will only sing for A.R. Rahman and noone else"..he says. Dude, go fly a kite...

Why he is such a hit, i ll never know.

hmmm....vivacious

2006-04-21T23:26:00.000+05:30

There is nothing which turns me on more, than a woman talking about Football. Lets face it... most women dont understand the F of Football and to some Arsenic and Arsenal are the same.They think that David Beckham is the best player in the world...arrrghhhhh.

Ok then, her name is Mayanti and when she says " Novi, Lincoln and Kuranyi linked well", my heart skips a beat. Her good looks are secondary only to her knowledge of the game which never ceases to amaze me.

I am not going to say that she is another Amy Lawrence in the making but she sure has the potential and she doesnt have to wear designer sarees with spahagetti-strap blouses to get attention.

Rock on girl!

2006-04-18T16:41:00.000+05:30

Have you ever prayed that a person twists his knee or ankle, breaks his leg, gets hit by lightening..or something like that...
I have (am) and his name is Juan Roman Riquelme.

Pakistani post match interviews

2006-04-15T21:35:00.000+05:30

Inzamam

First of all I thank Gaad (God) - Bismillah e rahman e rahim. Alla tala ka shuker
Bayj (Boys) played well....ladkon ne mehnat kee hai.

Moin Khan

We lost couple of early wickets in the middle of the innings.

Saqlain Mushtaq (after winning the man of the match)

Today good bowling so award, tomorrow also good bowling.

And i am not even getting into what Afridi and Akthar say.

One Heckuva ride!

2006-04-02T01:15:00.000+05:30

"Sabji train kitne baje hai" (What time does the train leave?), asked the driver as i entered the cab. 3:30 i told him. "Thoda jaldi nikalna tha fir" (Should have left a little early), he said. When i asked why he said - "Aab kya bataaon saab, ek aad peg maar rakhi hai" (I am slightly drunk).
It was Holi and the celebrations were just about over....

Ok then buster, drive carefully i thought as we picked up my colleague and left for the station. Whether he had seen Alonso in action a few days back or he was just totally sloshed...The exact reason remains unknown but what is known is that i am very lucky to be writing this.
"bhaiya dheere chalo hum ko jaldi nahi hai" (Slow down, we are in no hurry) - I told him as i saw the speedo touch 80 and a poor guy on a cycle fell by the wayside.
"Sir aap to issi pe dar gaye, mein to Chandigarh teen ghante mein laga deta hoon" (U worry for no reason, i reach chandigarh in 3 hrs flat)..."Mera mood mat kharab kijiye" (Please dont spoil my mood), he added as we screamed past a signal at the rate of knots. He was totally oblivious of the traffic constable who was blowing his signal like mad, the honking of about a zillion horns around us and most importantly the red signal. By now it was very clear that the effects of the bhang were in their prime and our man was a man possessed.

"Bhen ke...Teri ma" (@#@#), He shouted at a guy on a scooter who was guilty of not giving us room to overtake. India gate came and went in no time.
"Sir G hum to gadi ki steering chor kar chat pe beth jata hoon, hawa khane ke liye" (I leave the steering and sit on the roof sometimes to catch the wind on my face). He then took and unbelievable turn at 90kmph. The wheels shrieked as he almost ran over an old lady. He then followed that up with that " I have got wings" manoeuvre, last seen from Jason Gillespie when Very Very Special Laxman was thrashiing the Aussies all around Eden Gardens, by leaving the steering for about 10 secs. I had my heart in my mouth and probably a look on my face that was priceless.

By the time he had dropped us at the station, i was still in a state of shock and my colleague looked like he had suffered multiple organ failure. He dropped us and took off like a man on a mission..

Of Professor s and peeing

2006-02-01T20:38:00.000+05:30

One of the most awkward places to meet ur prof is in the urinal.Damn!I just hate it when it happens.Thankfully, its a thing of the past. No i still pee, i meant the prof part..i am not in college anymore. U just dont know what to do. A million questions race through ur mind.

Am i supposed to start up a converstaion?
No i cant talk to him or he might remember that the assignment was due today.And i hardly open my mouth in class so this wont look good.

Should i just stand there and do my thing while he does his?
What if he says as usual that we are like dead duds and dont interact?
How do u interact with ur Prof in the bloody loo?

Do i look up or look down?If down then down where?
Why the hell is he taking so long anyway? What the hell did he drink in the morning?
What the hell did i drink in the morning?
Is that slab in between high enough?
God, why have u made me so tall..?

I remember one such situation. I had just given a presentation in the auditorium and the cumulative effects of Coffee and the air-conditioning were beginning to take its toll.So as soon as my presentation was over, i rushed out to relieve myself.As i started the process, my Prof barged in. Well he is human too and he drinks coffee too, so...

Me: errrr...Good afternoon sir!*Did he hear me whistling?*

Him: Hello.*no he didnt*. That was one good presentation.

Me: Thank u sir

Him: Where r u doing ur research?

Me: *Yeah right, dont u understand the gravity of the situation?Am i the only 1 who is finding this uncomfortable?* IIT Delhi sir.

Him: alright. Did u check out the latest ENVIS newsletter?Its got a beautiful article on biopolymers (My research topic).

Me: *Only thing that i check out in the library is the librarian.Boy oh boy! She s a piece of work* No sir, I ll do it right away.

Him: Also I have this friend at NCL. Remind me to mail him and i ll see if he can help you with the Literature survey.

Me: Definitely sir.Thanks.Thats kind of you.

Him:So how do u plan to blend the lactic acid and the film grade polyethylene?

Me: Sir i am gonna use a blender and a film blower..........

So there we were, Prof and the student discussing the finer aspects of synthesizing biopolymers from waste ...standing adjacent in the urinal stand in the toilet of the Department, letting the ideas flow amongst other things....

What a week Already!

2006-01-25T10:04:00.000+05:30

A-Rod lost
India s getting hammered all over the park
and Arsenal are out of the League Cup.

God, why are u doing this to me ?
Why put me through this ignominy?

Hey You

2006-01-24T23:41:00.000+05:30

Hey you, out there in the cold

Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don’t help them to bury the light
Don’t give in without a fight.

Hey you, out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you, with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I’m coming home.

But it was only fantasy.
The wall was too high,
As you can see.
No matter how he tried,
He could not break free.
And the worms ate into his brain.

Hey you, standing in the road
Always doing what you’re told,
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,
Can you help me?
Hey you, don’t tell me there’s no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.

Well, only got an hour of daylight left. better get started
Isnt it unsafe to travel at night?
It’ll be a lot less safe to stay here. you’re father’s gunna pick up our trail before long
Can loca ride?
Yeah, I can ride... magaret, time to go! maigret, thank you for everything
Goodbye chenga
Goodbye miss ...
I’ll be back

This song is the best ever. The intricate string work by Gilmore, the percussion courtesy Mason and the wonderful voice of Roger Waters combine to melt u in pure ecstasy.
Just 3 words-Floyd is God....

11 things i hate about Madras.

2006-01-19T00:26:00.000+05:30

1. The Heat....it kills ya.period!And you sweat like no pig has ever before.

2. The auto wallahs...Those fucking bastards...if patience aint 1 of ur virtues then dont talk to them and dont faint at the rates that they charge. Dont get fooled by the smile on the their faces or the meter inside the autos as the former lasts only till you step inside and park your rear and the latter hasnt worked since Alexander went on a rampage.According to them, Petrol rates increase daily(Do they think mani shankar aiyar will be alive if that happens) and there are 1 ways galore (Obviously they have nt been to Bangalore).

3. The seat blocking mechanisms on display in buses.A handkerchief covered with phlegm or a cap as dirty as Llleyton Hewits` or a bag given free by nalli or pothy s or chennai silks or any of the zillion stores on usman road, on the seat mean that it is reserved and u better acknowledge that by not sitting there.Reminds me of the way cheetahs etc mark their territory by peeing.

4. The mouthful of obscenities that i hear after i have thrown that handkerchief outta the nearest window. But i love the fact that i dont understand the abuses that are hurled at me.

5. CAS- Conditional access system or Set Top Box.The 1 week or so that i am here i have no access to HBO,Star or any of the sports channels.Not watching my beloved Arsenal in action is a blow below the belt.

6. The fact that there is an alcohol shop almost everywhere.Every third shop seems to be a liquor selling one and have enough people standing outside to cause a traffic jam.

7. The absence of multiplexes.Boy, for a metropolitan this city has very few good quality theatres.If u want to watch a movie then u head to Satyam..plain and simple.Cos there are very few other multiplexes and the ones that are there exist far far away.

8. Hang out spots. The number of places where u can have fun and really chill out can be counted on thy fingers.Elliots Beach, Coffee day and a few other places are where you ll find all the crowds on a weekend.There is no versaility like say a delhi or a bangalore.

9. Food. This city loses out again on this count.You are not exactly spoilt for choice. No Mcds, no wimpy means that most Chennai people have no idea how a good burger tastes. Marrybrown sucks and so does that place on greames road. And someone please tell me what happened to that super place near the adyar flyover where one used to get those super duper burgers for 15 bucks.

10. Dress sense. I am not talking abt everyone wearing stuff designed by some fancy designer or show off the nike or adidas logos but at least where something that looks good on you for crying out loud.

11. Last but not the least, i hate the looks that i get when i walk on the street or in the bus or trains...why? because i sport a lets say..non-conventional beard (inspired by Robert Pires) and i get looked at as if i am from a yet to be discovered planet.

Beam me up scotty....i dont belong here.

Operation Majnu!

2005-12-22T14:34:00.000+05:30

Hot on the heels of Operation Duryodhan comes this. Though this is no sting op but it sure has stung the nation. Beating up couples and that too like dogs is no moral policing. The police says that the park which was in the limelight is a hub for all sorts of ahem...activities.Apparently,couples go beyond just holding hands. If holding hands in public is a crime then you should go and have a look at what all happens in Purana quila,Humayuns tomb and other such "historical" places in Delhi. And as usual the whole thing was politicized and now we have Mayawati and others gunning for Mulayam s neck...you would think she has other pending matters like the Taj corridor scam.
I was watching the coverage of this event on the newly launched CNN-IBN news channel and i was horrified to see that the face of the girls was blurred whereas the faces of the men were shown as it is.How unfair is that?

Ganguly Powar(ed) out of the team

2005-12-15T15:06:00.000+05:30

Let me begin by saying that i am no great fan of dada, but even i feel sorry for him..the way in which he has been dumped out of the squad for the third test.It wont be wrong to say that Sourav played a role (Big or small..i ll leave that to the pundits) in our win.His partnership with Sachin was very crucial and knowing the way out lower end crumbles from time to time,it was imperative that he forged a partnership with Sachin.
Flashback...Kiran more,head of the selection committee, bowled a teesra by saying before the first test that Ganguly was being picked as an all-rounder.That was in itself a load of crap.Calling Ganguly that is a major insult to the likes of Kallis and Flintoff.Having said that...How many overs did he ball over the 2 tests..zero,nil,nothing. And then he is dropped and the reason given is that Yuvraj has to play and Ganguly cant be kept in reserves. Who are they to say that Ganguly cant be 12th man and carry drinks?And the replacement for him is Wasim Jaffer-an opener.We already have Sehwag and Gambhir in the team and i dont know why there is a need for 3 openers in the squad for a series at home. If it has been decided that Jaffer will play then Gambhir should have been shown the door.
Make no mistake, i dont hold a grudge against Jaffer..but i just dont see the need.
I wont be surprised if Bahutule,Kambli etc.all make a comeback to the team.As it is we have a player who should nt play for the country(read Agarkar) from Mumbai and now with the shift in power , Mumbai wallahs will be forming a bee line to enter the team.

3 degrees and dipping

2005-12-13T23:55:00.000+05:30

When a guy has to go to the loo every half hour....to just pee, you know that its cold.Snow fall in Jammu meant that cold winds reached the capital and sent the mercury tumbling down. Gloves,woolen socks etc. were pressed into action on a day that made wearing multiple clothes mandatory.I am moaning, not beacuse of the temperature but because of the fact that we had to call off a Badminton session.There is something about playing sport at 12 in the night,under flood lights and when it is very very cold.anyways,before i take off on another tangent,lemme just say....watch out delhi,its going to be extremely cold this winter.Luckily, sun has been kind enough to make an appearance in the day to provide some relief and more luckily, there has nt been any signs of fog.Lets hope it stays that way.

YOu beauty!

2005-12-10T18:09:00.000+05:30

Finally, the wait is over and Sachin got his 35th.What can we say?This man is a genius.This record will stay for a long long time.Many Congratulations to the greatest batsman of our time.May he score many many more tonnes and keep helping India win.

My 1:30 AM songs

2005-11-29T15:10:00.000+05:30

The following in this particular order(dont ask why)-

Aawarapan Banjarapan (MM Kreem has an awesome voice)

Koi Roko Na Deewane Ko (From Priyatama, sung by god himself)

Elangathu (From Pithamagan,Though I cant understand the lyrics at all)

Comfortably Numb (Minus vodka or dope)

Dil mera ek tara (Cos i drool over Dippanita!)

Najaane kyon (Bilal and Faizal rock)

With or without you(What can i say abt bono that hasnt been said already)

Toxicity (By System of a Down)

Estranged (GNR..these guys cud v split now but when they churned it out they were awesome..Axle,Slash and Matt Sorum..get back together?)

Unforgiven 2 (The door is closed, so are your eyes But now I see the sun, now I see the sun)

Dreamer (Ozzy)..because i am.....

Let it snow (Frank Sinatra)

Laloo ki laltern bhuj gayi

2005-11-26T13:37:00.000+05:30

Finally, Bihar will see someone in power who is not Laloo Prasad Yadav or his wife or his brother or his wife s brother. The writing was very much on the wall early in the year but its now plastered firmly on the wall and in laloo s face.Blame it on communal forces or on Ram vilas paswan or anti-incumbency or santa claus, the truth is that u v lost sir and u d better get ready to sit in the opposition side of the Assembly.Lets just hope that the promise made by Laloo that Bihar will be put on the path of progress and that Biharis will not have to go outside their state for employment will finally be acted upon by Nitish Kumar. Here s wishing him all the best.It will now be loads of fun to see the reprucussions of this loss at the Centre.

Of Sania and flaring tempers

2005-11-25T15:54:00.000+05:30

"There is a fine line between being aggressive and being arrogant.I am aggressive and not arrogant".This in response to a question on her attitude in an interview recently.Frankly speaking she had crossed that line soon after her match against Serena Williams last year.Why do people find it so hard to keep their feet on their ground after meeting with a little success is beyond me.She is great for the game in the country no doubt but with success comes responsibility and thats something Madam Mirza has still to learn. I dont have a problem with her T shirts or the fact that she cant serve but walking out of press-conferences mid way is just not acceptable.Last week s incident was not only an insult to the firm for which she is doing an ad-campaign but also to a certain Mohanlal who was also present there.Either keep your mouth shut when asked for an opinion on controversial topics like pre-marital sex or be prepared to peppered further even if your addressing the media on other matters. BTW,can non-muslim, non-clerics issue a fatwa?

Danish disaster

2005-10-21T21:39:00.000+05:30

Will Michael learn to rock ever?

Course not...Their brand of "soulful pop music" is a sucker to the core.Personally, the fact that these bunch of buffoons are allowed to do live concerts is a disgrace. Me thinks that they are a group of knock off artists. The sad part is that some Indians listen to this load of crap as was evident in the recent concert in Mumbai. I can say with total conviction that the organizers dont understand the m of music.MLTR s music is aimed at young lovers.I know that love is blind, how i wish that it were deaf too....Their attempt at "brutal planet" results in a "25 minutes".The lead singer - a gayish looking guy by the name of Jascha Richter thinks that he is carrying forth the work(awesome if i may add) done by Kurt Cobain.Lead guitarist Mikkel Lentz goes abt his work as if he is Jimi Hendrix reincarnated.I am done man.This is as much publicity that these guys can get on my blog.MLTR should probably stand for Meaningless Lousy and Torturous Rubbish(sorry ppl..this is the best combination of adjectives that i cud come up in the spur of the moment). You go ahead and see if u can better it....

Tam Brahm Chick Vs Mallu Christian Chick

2005-10-21T15:18:00.000+05:30

This has always been a bone of contention for us guys back at coll.At times it has been given as much importance as a Manu V Arsenal (Sorry Chelsea u never figure in such hotly contested debates cos ur after all only a Roman mob save Frank Lampard).One camp seemed to think that Tam brahm girls are the complete package, a theory that had my backing not only because i come from the same community but also because thats what comes across from experience. And then there was the other group which backed the Mallu Christian babe because according to them they ooze oomph and are cool and classy(which are all terms that are very subjective). Since it used to crop up so often in our conversations, i think that it merits a thread on my blog.
The Tamil Brahmin woman has come a long way. She s no longer the simple girl with her head dripping Parachute oil and with "Malli poo" following her everywhere she goes.She s evolved beautifully from the culture shock that shes been in the grasp of and no longer believes in "maddi","6 and 9 Gajam Sarees" and all other such crap that she gets a dose of from her mother right from birth.Infact she is now going places. She has broken free from the chains of conservationalism that have always pinned her down and she s now in ur face. You mess with her and she ll give it back to you..with interest..compounded, if i may add.She no longer marries the Software Engineer from US that her parents fix up. Her music interests no longer lie solely with Carnatic music but she now is an ardent listener of Metallica,U2...the works.She will now make her own choices. She wont be content with a Bachelors degree but wants to get into stem cell research and optical physics.She nowwears a T shirt that says "Bite me" without the fear of falling prey to some arbitary person s prejudice. Basically,its her way or the highway.All in all most things abt her rock baring her mother who can be a pain in the wrong place especially if ur dating her daughter.....
My perspective of the Mallu Christian woman is that she s very sophisticated.Whether its just superficial and they are indeed(oops) hollow from the inside is a pt of debate.Beauty after all is only skin deep. though there is no denying the fact that this woman knows how to carry herself.An indicator of this is that almost every receptionist and Ait Hostess seems to be one of them and u cant but help give em a second look.Setting the dance floor ablaze seems to be an inherent quality in most of them.
I know that i dont have the power of generalizing and there is no thumb rule when it comes to such comparisons. Thats why there might be the odd case where i might be way off the mark.
Wat say you?

You can run but you cant hide

2005-10-19T02:54:00.000+05:30

No, i am not quoting Joe Louis on the eve of his fight against then light heavyweight champion Billy Conn but infact thats what Delhi seems to be saying to all the women residing here.I am f*****g bugged,appalled and simply frustrated at the crime against women.For those of you who speak statistics...there is 1 rape in the capital every 10 mins or so. Another astonishing stat is that only 20% of such incidents get reported. The sad part is that its become a way of life here.

What really is the problem here?Is security too lax?-Yes, Are the laws not stringent enough?-For me,Yes.Though capital punishment maybe toooo harsh for culprits but i think that some kind of severe punishment must be dished out.1 of my female friends suggested castrating the person who commits such horrendous crimes.hmmm..The lady probably has a point in that this would serve as an example and deter other men from doing so but i think i ll reserve my judgement on this one.Do all these men, who indulge in such dreadful things, find it so hard to control their libido? One school of thought (1 thats still in the stone age) suggests that women provoke men by wearing "revealing" clothes.WTF? If ever there was a lame excuse. Someone tell them that this is the 21 st century and moral policing doesnt work.These ppl will probably suggest a dress code for women next..what a farce.

Metro stations,Parking lots and generally anywhere is no longer safe for women. Very soon we will be hearing rapes reported inside the Rashtrapati Bhawan or still worse..the PM s office. Personally, this whole scenario is sad and unfortunate because it takes the gloss off an otherwise splendid city. The only people not complaining?....the pepper spray manufacturers.

He is back

2005-10-19T02:06:00.000+05:30

Drafted back into the first team earlier then expected,Titi announced his arrival with a bang. 2 goals and a splendid performance means that Arsenal stroll through a relatively tough trip away from home to Prague. The icing on the cake is that he is now ahead of Ian Wright and is the all time highest scorer for Arsenal with 186 goals.All in all a thoroughly professional performance from the guys. Two screamers from Henry,a clean sheet and a win away from home...can i ask for more. Watch out Manchester city and David James.

Master of the Game

2005-10-18T02:42:00.000+05:30

I will not use phrases like "maturing with wine" because there is nothing cliched about
DB10.In an age where money dominates loyalty, this man has stood out.He has been giving
football fans all over the world something to cheer about for over a decade now.The Dutch
Master,Dennis the Menace,The best ever import to the EPl,The footballer with the best
first touch-are just a few praises showered on this guy.For me, the qualities that really
stand out are -his work ethic, tremendous skill,technical ability and consistency in a
sport which is relentless and unforgiving.Signed from Inter Milan by Steve Ricoh in 1995
he has been a great servant to The Arsenal.He has given tonnes of magical moments to
gooners and oranje faithful throughout his illustrious career.His goals against Newcastle
and leicester were voted amongst the top 10 all time best goals in the EPL.His goal for
Holland against Argentina, when he took down a long pass and turned a world class defender
like Ayala on his head and slotted past a stunned keeper stands out.How often have we
heard a commentator say that Bergkamp can "see a pass", but to actually put that into
practice is a different ball game altogether, and this is something that our man can do
with ease and that too at the top level against players of world class ability.He is a
role model for many a young and aspiring footballer.Here is a man who has managed to keep
his feet firmly on the ground despite reaching dizzy heights and achieving unparalleled
success.All great things come to an end and as we see Dennis playing his last season at
the top level with same grit,vigour and determination as his first, we can just look at
him in awe and marvel at his achievements.He has left an indelible mark on the game and
his goals and achievements will be itched in the memory of all his supporters
for ever.

Bill Law(e)ry

2005-10-03T04:33:00.000+05:30

How many times have we woken up at 5 in the morning to watch the action from down under and heard the words "Welcome to the Adelaide Oval".Having been brought up on a diet of this guy s commentary i think i ought to dedicate a few lines to this man.Along with Richie Benaud,Ian Chappell and others, he has been the voice of Channel9 s excellent coverage of cricket in Australia.Few of his gems are -"he is hit that clean as a whistle","its all happening here".Even though his loyalty lies with Australia but i have never seen him biased in his opinion, which is the hallmark of a good cricket analyst.For me, one of the greatest moments in Cricket was when An 18 year old by the name of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was smashing the likes of Mcdermott, Alderman and Hughes to all parts of the ground on a minefield of a pitch at Perth.There was this one particular shot when he played Hughes down the ground with all the audacity in the world and the icing on the cake was when Lawry exclaimed over the microphone "What a shot. Stand up and applaud". Another instance where Lawry was seen at his best was during the 1999 semifinal between the aussies and the proteas.The last over of that game is itched in the memory of cricket lovers for ever.The last few overs of that match saw Bill Lawry and Mike Procter on air and they were almost at logger heads. When Klusener hit 2 boundaries of consecutive balls from fleming, Procter was ecstatic but after the last ball run out, Lawry came into his own and in his own "unorthodox" manner gave vent to all his emotions.That was 1 moment where we can forgive him for not being neutral.He does not have an accent of some1 educated at Oxford nor does he posess the world s most sweetest voice but the passion and sincerity that come through with his voice are indisputable and an absolute joy. His commentary is synonymous with action packed cricket and he is a treat to the ear.For once, i have to agree with Ted Corbett when he says that Bill Lawry is an international treasure.There is noone who calls cricket like him. May he keep all of us entertained like he has always done.

Ordeal at midnight

2005-09-30T01:52:00.000+05:30

Here i was flipping through the channels at 1 in the night and i stumble across a movie with u know who as the leading man?Mr. Sonu Nigam..yup the same deewana guy who used to host that sa re ga ma voice hunt thingie few years back.All you have to do is watch this movie for 30 secs to realize that he does not qualify as "leading" or as "man".Let me elaborate...in 1 particular scene he is seen smoking cuban cigars with a martini in hand. I had not bothered to hear what he was saying to the bartender but i wont be surprised if he wanted his martini shaken but not stirred(eat ur heart out 007).Then there is this moment when he kisses the female(who i must admit i really did fancy)... I am now sure why this guy s first marriage did not last even a year cos the way he kissed gave me the feeling that he was searching for straw berries inside the lady s mouth. Grow up dude...10 year olds can kiss better.Another point of debate would me Mr hero s side burns.I cant even begin putting in words, those 2 lines that originated from near his ears and kinda met in the centre somewhere near the chin.He has now had what 4 bites at the cherry(movies) and always seems to come up with something that closely resembles an unmitigated disaster. The funniest part is that he does it with an arrogance on his face and loads of conviction, almost like Marlan Brando in Godfather. On a scale of 1 to 10 i ll have to give him a negative 5. Phew.. i v seen better perfromances on Ram lila stage events.Please spare us the
torture and stick to what u do well..singing.

Elegant Elena

2005-09-30T00:32:00.000+05:30

Great things come in small packages. Cliched but very true in this case This babe might not have the looks of Anna Kournikova or the looks and game of Maria Sharapova but she is a piece of work.One can be forgiven for thinking that she is just another one in the russian brigade that has taken the WTA by storm but she stands out.I say that not because she s a long legged blonde with the most beautiful smile on god s earth(if you buy that?) but also because of the way she carries herself on the court and boy..can she hit a ball. Her consistency has meant that she s right up there in terms of ranking.She single handedly won the Fed Cup for Russia this year(though she has a double fisted backhand), which is surely a feather in her cap.Dont let her frail physique fool you cos this lady packs a punch.This pony tailed beauty is a treat for the eye and you just cant have enough of her.

Will Titi leave?

2005-09-29T00:53:00.000+05:30

I really wanted to choose a non-sport theme for my next post but this is something that i had to take off my chest and something that has been giving me sleepless nights.
Will Thierry Henry leave THOF(Arsenal Football Club)?
This is the million dollar question facing all associated with this Club.
Henry s delaying of contract talks is sending wrong signals to his supporters.The only person who is managing to remain calm during this whole episode is the gaffer. El prof is very positive about the chances of getting his main man to sign on. Henry s loyalty to his club is beyond doubt, but does this come at a price?
He started out as a raw talent at monaco and juventus who would run up and down the left flank withour purpose.Arsene brought him and transformed him into the world s best player(Though Ronaldinho might have something to say about that).He is now feared all over Europe and has given many a sleepless night to defenders.I was surprised when i found out recently that he has a better strike rate in Champions league than Shevchenko.Strange- mainly because of the criticism thats dished out to him over his ineffectiveness at the european stage.Personally i think that it is his absolute dominance in the premiere league that makes people talk about his European performances. Who can forget the hattrick at the Stadio Olympico against a star studded roma side or the stunning performance against inter at the Guiseppe meaza "san siro" when he made veterans like mataraze,toldo look pedestrian.
The Arsenal team of the late 1990s was full of french players.Henry,Pires,Vieira,Petit,Grimandi and later on Wiltord made up the bulk of the squad.So much so that the tabloids cried out "Arsenal win the world cup" after France 1998.But now with Petit retiring,Vieira and Wiltord applying their trade elsewhere only pires and henry are left, though there are a few young french players like flamini and clichy in the squad.Though Henry s almost part english now, but the lack of fellow country men at club level might make him leave. Vieira left for Juventus in the summer and Pires is only a shadow of the player that he once was(thought i think he ll regain form soon) and the chances of him leaving look pretty high at the moment. Henry has come out saying in recent times that he needs to win the champions league.Thats a fair comment because thats the only medal missing from his otherwise impressive collection.He will also get higher weekly wages at other clubs which might be a factor.
Looking at this issue from the club s perspective, the brand new Emirates stadium at Ashburton grove,will be ready for the start of the 2006-2007 season.The debts are estimated to be in the region of 200 Million USD at present. Will they be able to turn down a lucrative offer for Henry?David Dein had reiterated time and again that Henry s indispensable but the growing debts might make him rethink.
If Henry does leave then there is a strong chance that he might end up at the Camp Nou.Juan Laporta has made no bones abou the fact that he is after Henry and has in fact gone to the press saying that he will get his man in the summer.That will be a sight to behold,Henry Ronaldinho and co running at defenses.
Being a die hard Arsenal Supporter my heart says that he will overcome the temptation and stay on.Also,Wenger will play a huge role in persudaing him to stay as he has plans of building a team around henry. He is also smart enought to know that letting Henry leave means that he will have to find a striker to replace him very soon and thats next to impossible.
I expect Titi to sign the extension in the next few days and put an end to all the rumours.

The Prince and the Chappell

2005-09-27T02:48:00.000+05:30

The latest crisis to hit Indian cricket might be a surprise to many people but i think that it was something that was always on the cards.When Greg Chappell was made coach, i remember having this conversation with a friend about how long he will last.Ian Chappell went on record saying that he would have never taken up this job mainly because of 2 reasons. 1. He would be expected to transform the team overnight 2.The political argy bargy that prevails in Indian cricket, which is no longer played behind closed doors. The way Indian players, Board and Management go about their business is nobody s secret. The inefficiency, ineffectiveness of the whole setup has made it a farce and something that ought to have been changed long ago.The fact that the cricket boards of countries like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have a CEO and the Indian board doesnt have one speaks volumes for itself.Talks of professionalising the whole set up have been going on for a long time but no efforts have been made in this direction and the results are there for all to see. Greg is a hard hitting, result oriented coach and there was no doubt right from the beginning that the "aussie way" would never go down well with the bulk of the players especially someone like sourav ganguly who is so used to bossing and forcing himself on others.
Greg Chappell comes with a huge reputation. He was1 of the greatest players that the game has seen and is a very astute and shrewd individual. There is no doubt that Indian Cricket will benefit greatly from his experience and methods, provided he is given leeway to operate.It is a great surprise to see many former players say that Greg should work according to the Indian Environment, which basically means that he should keep quiet to all the nonsense and turn a deaf ear to all the petty politics played around him.I am sure thats not going to happen and if common sense prevails, the board should back the coach they appointed in the first place, even if it has to be at the expense of their blue-eyed boy.
Coming to the other person in the eye of storm, Sourav Ganguly "Dada" is at the fag end of his career and he should quit gracefully like the steve waughs and Ian healys of the world. He played the whole game very smartly, he opened his mouth after getting a hundred (against a school boy attack) and then decided to wash dirty linen in public.Ganguly has been a good player for India in the shorter version of the game but the deficiencies in his technique and general lack of skill make him unsuitable for the test match version and this is a well documented fact. The days of " through the off side first there is god and then ganguly" are long gone and the only reason why he is keeping a place for himself in the side is because of his captaincy. He lacks imagination, respect of the players and the ability to react to situations which are prerequisites of a good captain. The sad part is that he is oblivious of the term "leading from the front", something which has made former players like Clive Lloyd, Steve Waugh achieve legendary status.At the bottom of his heart, he knows that he cannot keep a place in the team on the basis of his batting skills and thats why he does not want to renounce captaincy.The fact that he supports and nurtures youngsters in the team and also that during his captaincy, regionalism has ended are both valid points but they are not good enough to undo the wrongs.When a player of the quality of Laxman can be dropped then why should ganguly get special treatment? Averages of around 20 against Australia and 9 against Pakistan is an indicator of the fact that this bad patch has carried on for too long.A player is only as good as his last innings so the axe should fall on the captain s neck.But knowing the way the so called "people who matter" operate, a truce will be called between both parties and we ll probably see chappell and sourav teeing off on a golf course pretty soon.And Indian cricket will continue to suffer.....