No wonder why India falters in every Olympics. The 34th National Games is currently going on in Jharkhand. Sportsmen from all over the country are competing in 36 different disciplines of sports and yet there are no news in the air about them. Its quite ironic that people keep track of the New Zealand v/s Kenya 's World cup result but not many are aware that Richa Sharma has just bagged 11 Gold medals in swimming. Or for that matter, a tiny north-eastern state of Manipur is currently in the 2nd position just below the Services. I bet these athletes put the same hard-work if not more as that of our esteemed cricketers. Yet, they struggle to get attention even after hauling Gold medals after another. Is the worth of these medals lesser than that of the 'six' that the cricketers hit? I doubt.

Currently reading "The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga". I loved the way the book is being written - raw and sharp.

comments

Of the end of 2010

Ten years from today , I remember looking at the dark sky above on the same winter night - eve of a new year. It was the start of 2001. It has been a very long journey since then. Sometimes you don't make path, you happen to follow it. Back then, I didn't knew what I wanted to become. And even today, I don't. Never even in my wildest of dreams, I would have thought that I would be writing a computer program on the eve of another new year. But then, stranger things have happened in these years. Of all the things that happened, I took pride in having made not many friends but few chosen ones with whom I can share everything. Ten years is indeed a long period. Things get changed from the way you look to things you want. Let us welcome 2011 as a year to cherish and fulfill all those dreams and things that you have always desired. I wish you a very happy new year.

comments

Of the unused umbrella

Four monsoons have passed since it was picked from the supermarket. Whenever the old man predicted rain, it never did. It did rain when it wasn't expected. Thus, remained unused, unscathed. Will this monsoon be of any different? Or is it just that some things are meant to be remain virgin? He sighed.

PS:-
Inspired from Short, Fast and Deadly to write this prose in 420 characters.

comments

Its time for Africa - 2010 Football World Cup

The 2010 FIFA football world cup is in its final stage with only 4 teams left. What wonders me is the effect of this world cup on this Cricket frenzy country. Almost everyone seems to have engulfed in it. And the advantage of being an Indian is that you have the options of 32 teams to support for. And when your favourite team loses, you can always change for another team. If I were to pick two teams among those who have already been knocked out, that would be Japan and Ghana. The way they have carried themselves in this tournament has been amazing. Relying simply in their strengths with a strong belief that they can do it. With the whole Asia behind Japan and the whole of Africa supporting Ghana, it has been tremendous.
Sports can bring changes and believe me, it can do wonders. For instance, take the example of Manipur which is constantly in the news for the 2 months long blockade affecting every facets of life. But due to the World Cup fever , it is reported that the rate of crimes and conflicts have been reduced drastically in this troubled state.And coming to the question of who will lift the cup, I would say it would be either the Germans or the Dutch.

comments

Of honesty

Applied for 5 days leave. And gave the reason as "Attending a friend's marriage." This irked my boss. I could have easily given the reason as "Attending a cousin's marriage." That would have sounded more appropriate but I never thought it that way. Sometimes honesty does not pay yet I prefer to be honest.

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain .....
Pink Floyd on this rainy day -

comments

Of some random thoughts and the 3-iron

My old Maths teacher used to say that the worst thing in life is the regret of something not done when you knew how to do it. Like finding out after the exam that you have left a question whose answer you knew pretty well. Like finding out that your deeds have not been what your heart says.

Btw, I have been watching some strange movies lately. One of them is the Korean movie :3-iron directed by Kim Ki duk. It revolves around a guy who breaks into empty houses whose owners have gone for vacation. He would stay in the house for few days. At the same time he would repay the cost of his stay by washing clothes , mending electronic gadgets, watering the garden etc.The movie does not have many dialogues but just gestures.You will find yourself asking a lot of questions - and realised that the director has succeded in portraying what he wanted without actually making a fuss!!

comments

Cocooned

'COMFORT' zones can be dangerous. The very thought of moving out of it can make you crippled.They say you don't have to do different things but do differently. But then again, the greatest deeds are done when explored.Life becomes exciting when the wind blows from the opposite end. Otherwise, you are cocooned.

comments

Of Roald Dahl and the short stories

I had this wrong notion that Roald Dahl wrote only for the children until I picked " The Collected Short stories" from the Landmark few weeks ago. He is too good to be predictable. Thats the pecularity of his stories. Moreover, the stories are based on simple themes and human facets. Each story is written with finnesse that makes the reader think hours after reading it. Pinch of dark humour with the sharp endings makes Roald Dahl's stories addictive.

PS:-
I was wondering what made Shashi Tharoor to poke his nose in theIPL mud. A person with his qualifications and caliber could have proved much worthy if he would have concentrated on many issues that the nation is facing rather than supporting for an IPL team for Kerela. Anyway, I believe its a lesson for all the politicians to make their priorities right.

comments

Memories cannot be erased .When we want to forget, we over-write it and when we want to remember we re-write it.

comments

Amidst ruins, miseries and cries, "miracles" like this[link] can only bring a vision of hope to this saddened country. Not always the human spirit is being challenged like this.

No Pakistani player being picked for this year's IPL ? If I remember, they are reigning champ of the Pyjama[Twenty20] Cricket. Not very fairly treated I would say. Cricket should have left alone. Ugly things do happen which could have been easily avoided.

PS:
You have to say "no" sometimes just because saying a "yes" every time becomes a weak trait. People tend to take you for granted and end up doing things without credit.

comments

When the mouse bell the CAT

The mouse has finally replaced the pen and paper, CAT goes computerised. But it was really surprising to see the kind of confusions and pain it has given to those numerous aspirants [link] who could not write the exam on the D-day. Luckily, I wrote(read clicked) the exam but not without enduring those woes. At the first place, there was a lot of confusion going around at the test centre. Unnecessary checks were performed. The students were not even allowed to carry anything with them in the test centre. Even purse,keys and watches were not allowed. The routine checked-in process for boarding a flight seemed less tedious. In addition to that,the exam did not not start at the correct time as mentioned in the admit card. Going digital is a good move but then there should have been proper preparation from the organiser. It was well below the IIMs' standard that they boast of. Lets hope it is not repeated for the other days of the exam. Lets see how the organisers manage things before they could teach lessons in management.

comments

23:30 says the watch. Spent the whole day looking for the bug. Went to the nearby dhaba just to find that it has just closed minutes before. Shut down the machine to go home , then it happened that you have lost your bike key ......Nothing seems to be working the way I wanted. Very little can be done in such times. The best way is to let things happen and wait for your time.

PS:
Just felt like humming this song by Kishore Kumar:-
"Tum bin jawoon kahaan..... ki duniyaan mein aake, kuch na phir chaaha kabhi.... tumko chaahke ...."

comments