Resurrection...

My First Cartoon...

2011-02-06T21:05:00.001+05:30

By seven7czar | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

I Vish...

2010-07-25T12:09:00.000+05:30

Thurday, 10th June, 2010. 8.15 P.M.

My thoughts wandered as I drove my bike towards the airport. “When was it that I had last been outside to see the sunset on a weekday?” I thought. By the time I reached, I realised I could not recollect that fateful day and blamed it on being a software professional.

I was here, yet again, to send off a friend. I called him to know where he was and found out that it was going to be a long wait. I looked around and my eyes fell on a board that read “Work in progress, inconvenience regretted”. I wondered when the supposed renovation was scheduled to get over and slowly started to take in my surroundings. Within seconds, I was confused. I was not sure if I was at the international departure terminal of the Chennai airport, its railway station, or worse still, its market. The buzz of human activity silenced the drone of the construction work. People were everywhere. Men going around in lungis, women squatting and serving food to their families as they were waiting, and people lying down on the roads made it almost certain that I had to be at the central station. Alas, it was not to be. A wry smile and then I merged to be a part of them.

Left with no choice, I stood cross-legged in a corner and immersed myself into a book. The next time I raised my head, I was pleasantly surprised. I could make out the silhouette of a prominent figure. I watched from the side as a tall, broad, bespectacled person pulled his trolley along. No securities, no clicking cameras, not even a sign of recognition among the majority of the crowd, and a somewhat protruding belly left me in doubt (it was always the face that I got to see in the televisions and newspapers). I followed my intuition and tailed them (he was with his wife who is his emotional bedrock), ever so tentatively. They came to a halt in the middle of the road, and she made a call (probably to their driver). I knew it was to be now, or never. I walked past his wife and approached him gingerly. The moment I was face-to-face with him, I threw away my caution.

“May I have your autograph?” I asked, and I made sure that there was no trace of hesitation.
“Sure!” he said with a reassuring smile. Maybe I was not that good at hiding my hesitancy.
I rummaged into my bag and got out a notebook. In those fleeting few seconds I also had to decide in which colour I wanted him to sign. I had a choice of black, blue, red and green. I went ahead with green. With my notebook in his left hand and the green pen in his right, he was about to sign when I noticed that the cap had not yet been removed. While he still held the pen in his hand, I offered to remove the cap for him. Once we were done with that, he signed with a flourish and returned my things.
“Thanks!” I murmured, as he collected his baggage, walked towards his car and gave me one more of his reassuring smiles.

I scanned the pages to the one in which he had signed. I could make out a ‘V’ and an ‘A’ which was dragged to the end to form a ‘d’. Vishwanath Anand. The number one in world chess. I was still in awe as I watched the man load his luggage, get inside the car and whoosh past me.

I came back to my senses, sent off my friend and drove back home. All along, there was again one question that was nagging me: “Why is it that he does not receive the same amount of attention as an ordinary cricketer or movie star gets?”

"Cause driving in traffic sucks.."

2010-07-07T10:18:00.000+05:30

It it not often that one stumbles upon a case where public transport is preferred over everything else. Fewer still are those when the cyberspace is consulted to decide the mode of public transport that is going to be used.

Be it love for the environment, animosity towards driving, or just the resolve to take to public transport on occasions that are not time bound, I decided to go ahead with it. It was then that I was confronted with the harsh truth that twenty years in Chennai had almost entirely revolved around Mylapore, walking and cycling to most of my destinations when left on my own. I had to face up to the task of asking around every time or find that treasure-trove of information.

This led to what has been explained earlier, a case where internet, that vast ocean of information, was put to test to identify the ideal means of commuting. And as it always does, the answers were there and it was only a matter of sifting through for the right match.

Chennai, as it happens to be, is considered to be among the World's 10 Best commutes(as of 2008), in terms of reliability, efficiency and cost effectiveness. The rankings were measured based on criteria that included the cost to the consumer and the government, overall investments in improvements and the speed and safety with which people reach their destinations. While trains do provide good connectivity in this city, it is buses that are considered as the lifeline.

"Busroutes.in" was the best "find", for it gave the solutions in the most simplest and effective manner. With a tagline "Cause driving in traffic sucks..", the site surely is a product of like minded fellows with an urge to get out of this maze of traffic that Chennai is also coming to be. Initially giving only the routes for selected buses, listing stages and marking stops in a map; it has gone on to evolve, and it now offers the bus or buses that need to be taken given the starting and ending points.

Irrespective of their motive for developing this idea, it does go someway in aiding to bring back the charm of travelling by buses. Insignificant though it may seem, travelling by public means does bring down the per capita emission of pollution and aids us in our efforts to save planet Earth.

Chennai being their initial target, they wish to move on to Bangalore once they have covered every route in Chennai. And maybe, with time, even the most remote locations in India might just be a click away!

For the love of what was lost...

2010-03-20T14:41:00.000+05:30

The eyes finally tuned to the news
And then the brain slowly followed the cues
With a jolt was brought reality
I heard myself say "What a pity!"
I wished to get under a hood
As a thumbs down best summed up my mood

Quivering legs took me out to the road
Somehow had to get rid of the load
Tried to speak to seek solace
A lump in the throat made it a thicker maze
The heat was on me and the ears went red
Everything had gone against what was said

Back to the eyes that were now brimming with tears
Symbolically confirming the worst of my fears
I was crying more than ever before
And then something more compelling came to the fore
The search for the target ended for my dart
For I was staring, not at the ending, but at the start!

From a Sneeze to a Hunt....

2010-01-26T23:36:00.000+05:30

As I sit down to write once again, wondering what has kept me away for so long, a quote from LOTR is crawling into my head. "All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost...". So goes one of my all time favourites, the latter part here reflecting what I have in mind now.....

I was wandering about aimlessly. Ahem. Not in the real sense, but in the cyber world. And then I came across this article, mentioning something like giving out books in exchange for a review. A click here, and I was there!

"BookSneeze" - that was the name of the site I had landed upon. A queer name for what I felt had a great idea to back itself. An idea so simple, it just gets you thinking as to how one can sustain doing this. Here is how it works. Any blogger can register themselves with the site. Once done, they get a book of their choice from the BookSneeze collection for yourself! What next? You read it, review it, and post it in your blog and a consumer website. You provide BookSneeze the link to your review posted in a consumer website like Amazon, BarnesAndNoble,etcetra and the cycle starts all over again.

Agreed, the collection does not give you the choice that you would look forward to from a bookstore. But if you've entered the stage where you are willing to brave any book, and if you would like to write a review stating what you felt reading it, there should be nothing to stop you! Available to all bloggers at the US, they are willing to send over abroad as well, provided you have an established blog which they believe would help favourably to cover their shipping and product costs(yes, I'd asked them....and in fact, as I write this, I've got a mail from them saying my application has been accepted!!!! whoa!!! :D ).

Impressed with what I had come across, I decided to go ahead in my search to find more "ideas" with respect to books. A host of search strings, a million results, and at the end of it all I managed to find one another result really worth talking about.

"BookCrossing" - Ballycumber C. BookCrossing is the name of the little running book mascot of the site (the way it seems to be running free, without a care in the world does convey what they have in mind). So whats special here. This site, which has users of the order of hundreds of thousands, and books registered going up to millions, is striving to make the whole world a library! Makes no sense? On the contrary, it is quite simple. Registered users can register books that are rotting at home, which they've read/not read, and its journey begins there. Every registered book is associated with an unique BCID which becomes its identity for life. Next, the book is left alone in the open world, with perhaps a note stating that its part of the BookCrossing mission. The next person who comes across it, if he/she gives the slightest thought, will know what their part of. They can go to the site, enter the BCID and state that the book is in their possession. In this manner, the trace of the book can be followed. Once they are done with it, they can release it back to the "library" and its voyage continues. Whats more, users can go hunting for books, with those releasing the book being given the option of stating where they are releasing it. It does tend to bring a feel of adventure over something as simple as reading a book! They've certainly brought a new dimension to the phrase "hunting for that book!" :D

So what is the bottomline...

Release more books to this world to aid the process of making it an ever-growing library.
And how do we go about this....
By writing, and writing, and writing! (govi style)

P.S. Am I a die-hard Harry Potter fan? Or has everyone who has reached this point of the article realised that the first letter of the last three lines adds up to R.A.B ?? :P

3 idiots - The Truth Unveiled

2009-12-12T13:16:00.005+05:30

Disclaimer : All characters and incidents appearing in this story are purely fictional. Resemblance to any person is purely coincidental.

Before we begin the journey with them, let me first take the privilege of introducing them to you in as few words as is possible...

Rancho - The irrepressible free thinker who lets life decide its path for him.

Farhan Qureshi - The nerd.

Raju Rastogi - The dreamer!

I shall endeavour to tell this story from Raju's perspective, as it is his character that I find closest to my heart.

CHAPTER I : The Myth

We were in our first year of college. We'd made it to NIT Trichy. Well yes, it is not "IIT", but still, we'd made it here and it was time for us to let ourselves loose. So we thought (Rancho and myself), and we let ourselves laze about the campus while Farhan continued to devote his time to the books.....

"Did you know??" asked Rancho, for the umpteenth time that evening.

"What is it now Rancho?" I shot back, wondering how he manages to "know it all".

"About Raam! You know him right? Our senior in second year. "Dude". "NRI"....."

"Yes yes I do!" I said, interrupting him from feeding me yet again of all the cock and bull that I'd already got fed up with. Of course, it was impossible to not know Raam, for he was the role model for almost every fresher in college. What with his "cool dude" looks, his juggling skills in the football field, his strong silent manner,.... The list just seemed endless.

"Well, I thought you'd wanna know this one....."

Rancho did have this excellent capability of pausing at the right points of the conversation to arouse one's curiousity.

"If its something new Ranch, I'm all ears!" I injected, for fear of not being up-to-date with all thats "news" while at college.

"Indeed it is! It seems Raam is the only guy in the history of our college to have ever made it to OPAL!!!"

"What??!!" I said, more out of shock than anything else.

"I know what you are thinking. I am not making this up. I have no reason to!! All the seniors seem to know about it. It is news only for us. Seems he did it when he was in his first year. Sounds cool na?"

"Sounds cool?? I'm still not able to digest the fact that he actually entered the GIRLS HOSTEL! What with a 5k fine for walking along Opal street, wonder how he managed to get anywhere near that place to get in!"

"Hmmm. Yes. Interesting. What do you say, we'll give it a shot?"

"You mean WE get inside OPAL? You got to be kidding!"

"In fact, I'm not. Are you in this,Raj, or am I on my own?"

A semester with Rancho had taught me this : to know when he meant it and when he did not, from the tone of his voice. And this time, I was sure, he was DEAD serious.

"I'm in," I put in,"but lets not rush into this Ranch. Let us chalk out a plan. We shouldn't get caught mind you."

"Deal!!" he said, and the walk back to the mess, the dinner there and then to the hostel, all seemed to fly in a haze as our brains were swarming with ideas to put in place to accomplish our mission, Operation Opal(OpOp)....

CHAPTER II : The Idea

The initial euphoria of working towards OpOp gradually seemed to die down. For we were meeting with dead ends, in every attempt that we made. We sneaked in to the school adjoining OPAL one night, only to realise that every bit of the common wall was so high, that we could possibly not even dream of getting up and over it. If this was disappointing, then the amount of bushes and shrubs surrounding other sides of the hostel, with all their thorns, provided better security than any personnel, making even approaching these walls unthinkable.

Our condition was deteriorating. Even Rancho seemed to be running out of ideas. We were in our room discussing our prospects with a feeling of grim defeat when we heard a third voice which nearly made me jump in surprise.

"I know what you guys have in mind. And I have an idea," said Farhan, looking up from his CEESAT textbook for the first time when we were discussing this.

Being our room mate, we had actually got along better than we expected, in spite of him being more mark minded than both of us put together. We got to know him better during the period of cycle tests and semester exams, when we tried to cram in as much as is permisssible in the last minute, with his aid. In fact, we realised that he was good company when he lets the books take a rest. So, we had taken to talking our plans openly in front of him, knowing fully well that we can trust him to tell no one about it. We were aware of the fact that he knew what we had in mind, but to think that he had an idea really jolted us.

"What is it, FQ?" said Rancho, recovering from the shock faster than I was able to. We'd started calling him FQ ever since his set of FAQ took us past the border line in every one of the first set of cycle tests. It was a title we had conferred upon him for his good will, though its pronunciation varied from anywhere like "F Q" to "f*** you" depending on the mood in which we were.

"Its really not a lot. But I thought you'll make more headway by consulting a girl about this than breaking your heads over it. After all, they'll surely know their hostels better!" Farhan said, with a smile on his face, realising that he had got his point through.

Over the next couple of hours the three of us thought of every girl we could possibly approach, the amount of trust we can place in each one of them and how could we possibly go about asking them without them realising that we were planning to get in. We'd zeroed in on Pia, my rakhi behen, when I finally gave up protesting that I'll never be able to do it.

The only consolation was that Rancho allowed me to do this at my own pace and didn't push me to do things immediately. I knew I could trust her, I knew she'd tell me if she knew anything that'd help us, but I just didn't know how to raise the topic.

CHAPTER III : The Call

The days spanned out and I was still not put under any pressure. For they were aware that I was pondering over the problem and how best to go about it. January ended, February came and with it came the fragrance of flowers. For it was time for "Rose Day" in college and we had a gala time sending proxies and making fun of guys who'd received their share of it. Amidst all this, I got a rose from Pia and a card which stated how much she looked up to me as a brother. I felt a pang and I was ashamed of having thought of only what I wanted of her. I sat down that night and wrote a poem for her and sent it to her through a message. She was so overwhelmed reading that one (though I had to point out to her what made it really special) that she called me back.

After talking about the poem I'd written, the card she'd sent, and anything and everything that we could possibly speak about, I finally realised that here was an opportunity staring right at my face.

"Hey Pia, do you think a guy can ever get into your hostel?" I posed, stirring in as much innocence as I could muster at that point of time.

"Actually yes! The front wall in our hostel, especially near the school, is rather low and I think even I can jump over it if pushed to my limits. But only a fool would want to risk that! What with all the securities around, and not to mention, the people in the quarters going hither and thither throughout the day. But why do you ask?" she said, maybe sensing for the first time that I might be up to something fishy and probably winding up to have a go at me.

"Oh nothing!" I rushed in, "We were just talking about Raam and you'll probably be knowing the story yourself," patting myself for unusual quick thinking.

We went on to talk for quite sometime, having attained what I had been after for so long now, getting it in the end with considerably less effort than expected.

CHAPTER IV : The Execution

After having told the other two as to what I had acquired, there was a period of lull. Nothing seemed to happen, no one seemed to take an initiative, and there seemed to be an unspoken promise that OpOp should not be raised.

And then, one day....

It was the 23rd of February, 2006.

As was customary, I was having my bath in the evening before dinner, after a long day full of classes. While I was bathing, it struck me that if OpOp ever had to be carried out, it ought to be today. A sense of excitement crept over me and I rushed to my room and told Farhan what I felt. I was halfway through it, when Rancho came inside our room in a hurry, back from a game of football at the grounds, and blurted out that he wanted it done today! I was left aghast. Here he was, telling exactly what I had in mind.

Farhan looked from one set face to another, and it was finally he who broke the silence that ensued.

"I'll come along," he said, "you two do need someone on the watch outside while you get in right?"

We tried protesting, we did not want him to get involved just in case we got caught, but he seemed to be as resolute as we were in doing it today. We knew he was talking sense, that we did need someone on the guard while we jumped in, and so finally, we gave in.

We took a couple of pens, went to the mess, and had dinner. We tried our best and avoided everyone, friends and foes alike, and once done with the rotten food, walked our way to the temple. The temple is some 100 m away from the Opal hostel, so once we were done with the temple, we inched towards our destination, hesitating to take every step forward.

We stopped near the end of D street, that runs parallel to Opal street. While Opal street makes way to Opal's entrance, D street faces the front wall, the wall that meant the world at present. We were counting down to 9pm, the time when the girls have their roll call, so that we could have the coast clear for.....

Seconds seemed to takes years, time seemed to stay still, and 9pm seemed to elude us forever. We were so preoccupied with ourselves and our watches, that we failed to notice an old female walking towards us. For a moment we thought she'd failed to notice us as well, and the moment was rather short lived.

"What be 3 guys like you doing here at this time in the night?" she asked.

"We were just walking back from the temple madam," said Farhan, " when I pulled a nerve and we just had to hold back for a while. We'll be off right away madam," he completed, and the way he said it, even I thought he had really pulled a nerve.

"Oh! Alright. Better get going. This isn't the right place to be right now" she said and walked away, while we pretended to move in the opposite direction, only to return to the same position in a couple of minutes.

This incident, to us, had two fold advantages. It brought in a rush of adrenaline, and also ticked the clock closer to 9, it was 8.59!

I looked left and right, walked across the road, closely followed by Rancho, while Farhan held his guard at the other side of the road. It had to be done, NOW!

I did not give it a second thought, I pulled myself up the wall, heaved myself over and "thump", I landed on the other side of the wall. I was inside Opal now! Two seconds later, I heard another "thump" and I knew Rancho had followed suit and there he was now, beside me. We had planned up to this, but not what to do beyond it. For we were in now, and the only thing left was to get back out without getting caught. I pulled out the two pens that I'd brought along with me and tried to scribble our names on the wall, only to find that the pen failed to write on the wall(we did not even think of a marker!). Fed up trying to write, I scratched harder than ever, using the pen as a chisel, to carve out our names, while Rancho egged me on. When a pattern that faintly resembled our names had been produced on the wall, Rancho told me its high time we were out. And he was right! He looked over the wall. Farhan, our faithful watch over, showed the thumbs up, which was the sign for us to complete what was left. I did not even wait for Rancho to get off the wall completely. I was up and at his heels in no time. "Thump", we jumped together, and "swish", we'd crossed the road and joined Farhan in a jiffy. We walked towards our hostel, slower than ever, legs quivering, heart beat racing, with a sense of having achieved, looking over our shoulders all the while, still not being able to believe that we'd pulled it through!

We were a considerable distance away from Opal, away from trouble, in the safety of snacky, giving a toast to ourselves, when Farhan said, "Congrats guys! You two were in there for exactly 58 seconds!!!"

Operation Opal was complete...

CHAPTER V : The Revelation

Over the next couple of weeks we revealed what we'd done to a select few(Pia was certainly one among them for she had played her part in it). Our intention was never to boast about it, so we applied all the restrain that we could and saw to it that it did not spread like a forest fire. We succeeded in this as well, but we thought that it would be incomplete without telling Raam, the guy who'd inspired us to it.

After a game of football one evening, Rancho and I saw him walking towards his cycle, alone. We knew we'll never get a better chance to speak to him.

We rushed up to him, pulled ourselves up, and said in chorus, "We did it!"

"Did what?" he snapped back, more than surprised to see two juniors tailing him and telling "We did it!" with their faces lit up.

"Well, we did what only you've done before. We broke into Opal," Rancho said, with that serious tone of his.

"Are you guys crazy? Its a rumour buddies! I'm no fool to try anything like that! And just cause you tell "We did it!" in that excited tone of yours, I'm in no way believing you. You two might be good at acting, but it takes a lot more than that to trick me. You two can maybe try your luck with the thespians. They'll be willing to take guys like you into their midst. Better luck next time boys!" he said, and was off on his cycle, not even turning once to look back.

I was gaping, open mouthed, when Rancho, as is always, recovered faster. He tapped me on my back and said, "You know what? He is right! I don't think he'd ever have the guts to do what we did. I can see it from his eyes! Makes it even better, does it not? We are the only guys to have ever done it!!!"

Realisation sinked in. I managed to stop gaping, and start smiling.

THE END

"2 States" Couldn't agree more!!!

2009-11-15T15:07:00.004+05:30

Yes! I had it. "2 States The Story of my marriage" by Chetan Bhagat.The book that most of India's "youth" had forced upon themselves. As is my habit, I read the teaser on the back cover, and prepared myself for what I believed would certainly be worth it....

I opened the book and seeing the first page, a smile flickered across my face. "With Love" it said, and there below it was her signature. Don't raise your eyebrows! There is still no place for a lady love in my life( I guess that is about the best way to put that am still single :D ). I'd borrowed it from my friend and there is no prize for guessing who had gifted it to him. And so, I turned to the Prologue of the book, with my mind telling me "here is another story while you start off reading one" and hoping that "they would cross the finish line as well :P" .

Over the next couple of days, I spent a number of hours (having become a so called Corporate I can't even spend those few hours at a stretch and finish the book at one go! Guess I'll have to blame myself!) and I was through (as I read the last 100 odd pages from 10pm to 12.30am on Friday night, it gave me the opportunity to wish my mom at 12 on her birthday as well :D ).

I was impressed! Here was a book, with which I could relate in almost every possible way (is that why Chetan is called a "youth icon"?).

The story revolves around Krish (a Punjabi) and Ananya (a "Tamilian".... now, does anyone call us that way??); how their lives intertwine while at IIMA; and how, having wanted their parents and families to accept them and smile at their wedding, they fight all odds and scrape through, just when you start thinking its all doomed and over.

The style is simple, humour aplenty (what with two communities to go at!), conversations taut and most importantly, gives a flavour of India as it is! Every character in the book, however small their role might be, is well carved out. Be it Neeta, the psychotherapist, who comes in passing; Manju, Ananya's brother, who calls out gold's atomic number and name when given a gold ring; you start predicting how each one of them in the book is going to behave given the situation!!!

It does seem strange that the country which boasts as the world's largest democracy, which talks a lot about unity in diversity and all such rot, fall flat out when it actually comes to people from different regions or religions coming together, not just in cases of love and marriages, but as such, in any phase of life.

Somehow, it seems to me, that the younger lot of today's India are more open when it comes to regional, communal issues unlike the older generations who still seem to fuss over things that seem so trivial to us (or would it be the same case when we become a part of the older generation as well?!!?).

I kept the book down, hoping it would have changed a few hearts, if not the whole nation's!

P.S. I was talking about the book with one of my friends at IIMA who'd brought it home with him while he'd been here in Chennai for his holidays. It seems, his father, who'd read the teaser at the back cover, enquired casually over breakfast if he had any such plans! My friend was left aghast, and had some explaining to do as to why he'd took to the book :D.

Makes me wonder!! Chetan, I think you should see to that this book of yours reaches the parents as well!!!

A Dream come true??

2009-11-01T20:11:00.004+05:30

It was one of those days when you are online, and you have absolutely no idea as to what to do! You've checked your mails, you've sent away a couple to keep the threads up and alive, you've done your bit of chatting(more than what you are capable of actually!) and you've even gone about managing the fantasy league football team!!!

As a person who does not take to social networking(it somehow seems inherent now, I cant take to it,try as I might! :D), and who does not know what videos to search for in youtube, I was basically in a position to just close down all the browser windows and switch off the system.

And then, a change of heart. I wanted to visit espnstar's website and have a look at all the fantasy games available, now that I have revived my interest at it, thanks to EPL which i hardly follow....

So, I did just that. I went to their website, and checked out what all they'd come up with by now. Super Selector was still on(I guess it'll never fade away.... As long as cricket goes on, so will Super Selector!!!). There were a number of events regarding football, F1,... Anything that anyone could possibly think of!

And then, there it was, popping up in front of me, asking me why it is taking me so long to notice the inevitable....

Now, how many times have I told that I'll give anything to Harsha Bhogle to swap places with him(though I wonder what there is that he'll want of me!). Harsha Bhogle!! Hmmm... The first thing that the name brings to mind these days is the way we exploited it at college(For those who know what i mean, well and good. For the others, don't ask me how... it is quite inexplicable!) Getting back to the point, Harsha Bhogle has always been someone whom I've admired. Be it his simple style at commentating, his quick witted one liners("In the past, cricket in India was organized, but now it is promoted" he said at the recent TED India Conference at Mysore and "I like his optimism. Every time he swings the bat, he looks at the boundary lines. But the ball is in the keeper's hands!" on Ravindra Jadeja are some of his recent ones which have left me gaping with awe), just about everything that he does. If I had been impressed with his cricket commentary, I began to look upon him after he played host during the FIFA World Cup of 2006 for ESPN STAR sports. A commendable job for someone who hardly followed football till then! ( I still can't forget it. Towards the later stages of that World Cup, when he made his first mistake in the show, the expert panel who were sitting along with him at the studio actually appreciated him for the phenomenal, near flawless performance he'd been doing for a first timer!)

Once again, I seem to be deviating quite easily! Where was I? Yeah.... Here it was, popping up on me... An ad for the event "Skype Star Commentator". An event that allows you to post auditions online, and the winner, amongst other things getting to host a show with SportsCenter on ESPN. After being a little skeptic about the whole idea, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. It took me a week to put the thought into action, and yet another week to post about it and make it public :D

Yes! I did three auditions, two on cricket and one on football, namely,

Cricket - The Legend of the Little Master

Cricket - Looking back at India's eastern son

Football - A devilish bite

Hmmm... I guess it might all boil down to what we call welllllll (well tried that is). But in any case, it was a dream come true, irrespective of what the result is gonna be. After all, its not every day when you do something you've always been craving to do :P

Block & Tackle!

2009-10-04T12:13:00.004+05:30

About three months, almost 80 days, since my last blog, and still the wish to get back to it has almost always been intact! Somehow, the months of August and September seem to be jinxed... Yet another year when I've not been able to make a single entry; at least I've got back earlier this time round! :)

To call it a "Writer's block", would be a bit far fetched. It is too early to call myself a writer, and nor did I have any blocks as such( if you count out keying in "www.blogger.com" in the address bar :D )

It has been a mix of it all, these last eighty days.

One month full of joblessness, peppered with those send offs at the airport and the railway station, when our group formally got dismantled(physically, that is), with guys heading to different parts of the world...

Followed by my entry into the corporate world; those induction programs; the "college to corporate" thingy; 13 days of training(more than just training!); the workstation; those train, bike and bus journeys; the list just goes on....

And the distinguished day-to-day life that I've started to lead; losing old habits; yearning to create new ones but never actually doing it; spamming Sathyam every weekend; listening to old stories, dead and buried; posting new ones in a thread that keeps wanting more; a birthday that is gonna be etched in my memory; meeting new friends and hearing a lot about "twins"; a first that had many firsts; again, I can keep on adding more.....

Anyways, I've finally come to the point of tackling one of my lost habits, blogging! No new inspiration, just that I've always wanted to keep it going; like I always wish to walk, to talk....

I've been reminded by myself, that come November, and it will be the third time I'll be trying my hand at novel writing(not a single word written in the past two attempts though). November, having been established as the novel writing month (though not many seem to be aware of it) invites all those who've ever felt the urge to put pen on paper (rather, hands on keyboard these days!) and jot down 50,000 words to create their own novel. Though NaNoWriMo(National Novel Writing Month) lays more value on the quantity rather than the quality of the literature, it certainly is a starting point...

CONCLUSION??

Well, if you really want to write, just get down to doing it and you'll end up with something. Even if it is completely unrelated to what you have in mind... "Block & Tackle!" ?!?

The surface is not flat, it's spherical!!

2009-07-12T15:13:00.001+05:30

Naa!! I'm not talking about the earth being spherical or the old misconception that it's surface is flat. If indeed, it is information on that that you are looking for, I advice you to click here! :)

What I have in store is something that will quite fit your hand, but still, going to leave you as baffled as the surface of the earth had centuries earlier...

One of my friends got in touch with me, asking for my mail address (though we meet each other quite frequently) citing that he wanted to send the link of a page to me. After much difficulty (me email id has got 24 characters in it!!), he did manage to send it. And then...

He had briefed me as to what to expect and it was, once again, something to do with Rubik!! It was an article from the Times telling about the new puzzle that Ernö Rubik has come up with...

Here is a man, who, after 20 years or so, has come up with yet another puzzle, that is bound to create waves, as the first one had. With a promise of lesser mathematics being involved, a hint saying gravity plays its own part(!!) and a suggestion that the manual dexterity of the solver (which if you would like to know, has no place with the cube) has a role to play; the "Rubik's 360", as it has come to be named, is surely going to appeal and irritate the masses, as much (if not more!) as the cube had done during its hay days.

Next up, it is for us to wait till the official release in August happens. Till then, let us just chant the mantra :
"Six squares made THE CUBE; now, three spheres make 360!!!"

Those 3 hours...

2009-06-17T01:30:00.000+05:30

The last 3 days, 13th, 14th and 15th of June were amongst the best days in life. A trip to Coorg with 13 mates from school, whose company you can't fail to enjoy, there was not much one could ask for.

Except for those hours when even the best of times turn out to be sour, for everyone in the group is enveloped by a sombre mood. There were 3 such dreadful hours during this trip of ours, which left everyone awake lamenting into the night.

No, it has nothing to do with anything that happened to any one of us (not even the dog licked face!) in particular, for though there might be one suffering in every incident, it always is hilarious to the rest of the group. What I'm refering to is something that left everyone of us, without any exceptions, in a gloomy state.

It is the India vs England Super 8 T20 World Cup game that I have been building up to. A must win game, we all believed India would go all out to clinch the match and hence stay alive in terms of the tournament. It was not to be!

The chase was abominable! Having restricted England to 153, even if it was never to be a cake walk, we could have easily got there. But there was no sense of emergency to speak of. Be it the detestable misfield by our vice captain Yuvi making what would have been a wide+single a wide+four (making all the difference - 3 runs!); the unfathomable decision to send in an inexperienced Jadeja at number 4 ahead of the in form Yuvi at a crucial juncture; our beloved Dhoni ("Captain Cool") tapping and picking the singles, never even lofting over the infield (except the last ball!); running only a single of the penultimate ball, when a double would have atleast left us with a chance to tie the game off a last ball six; it was all as if we'd resigned to the fact of being defeated throughout, with no intention to win, ever!

Defeat is acceptable, but not in this fashion.

And now, to add insult to injury, the best batting line up and the best batsmen of spin have been brushed away by a modest total of 130 by the South Africans; now on par with Ireland as the only team to have lost all 3 Super 8 games; leaving us to nurse lost pride.

We know it is impossible to win always; that our cricketing team is most strained, physically and mentally; but what we except is a certain degree of respectability, even at the face of defeat.

Lets learn from the minnows...

2009-06-10T10:43:00.004+05:30

Have a look at the video. Its the best piece of stumping that I've ever seen in my life. Harsha Bhogle initially calls it a "clean piece of work" behind the stumps, before realising that, in fact, the foot was momentarily in the air while the bails were dislodged. With just a fraction of a second to react, to collect the ball cleanly and effect such a dismissal needs due recognition.

This is my way of paying tribute to one of the finest moments of wicketkeeping in cricket history!

Just a "Touch" away

2009-06-09T22:42:00.014+05:30

Few are aware of the Apple's iPod Touch. Yes, it's not quite the same as the iPhone, but, apart from not catering to calling, messaging and certain phone specific applications, it still does have a lot to boast about. Here is a quick look at some of those impressive features.
Music - Whatever said and done, it is an iPod, and it is with due respect that I therefore mention what it is primarily made for.
Photos - An impressive way to carry those photos which you wish to show off to others.
Videos - Allows you to store and share some of those clips that you'll always want to have with you.
Games - What with the Apple store playing host to a wide range of games, and with the Touch's motion sensors, gaming is indeed taken to a different level.
eBook Reader - Download the right application and you instantly have a handy reader. With a large number of books to choose from, and in addition being able to read word and PDF documents, the Touch might indeed be the reading solution we are looking for.
Internet - If only you get access to a wifi network, the Touch is all you'll need further. Be it surfing the net using safari, watching videos on YouTube, chatting on meebo (an excellent interface), checking the weather or the stocks, or searching that particular street on the map, the Touch has it all.
In fact, my last three posts (including this one) have been through the iPod Touch!

A void!

2009-05-29T13:40:00.001+05:30

The evening is drawing to a close. You switch on the television. Your fingers automatically key in the necessary on the remote control, and you are tuned in to Sony Set Max. Only to find that you are facing on the screen one of those Hindi movies you'll keenly wish to avoid, or worse still, dubbed movies which you'll rather not take to in their original format!

Yes! It is that time again. Almost a week has passed since the second season of IPL got over and the void which it has left seems in no way diminished! Be it the cricket or the controversies, the stars or the show hosts, there was always something in it for everyone of us to wait for the next day.

And now, it is all over.

Only to keep us waiting for the next.

Perhaps the wait isn't going to be too long. What with a World Cup to defend in a weeks time, it is better we too start preparing ourselves.

As the new ad for the T20 World Cup goes "Aanay Dhay!!"

Gifts for thought!

2009-05-27T11:32:00.004+05:30

It's been almost a year since my last entry. But still, it seems as if it was all bound to be this way. For what I write now, seems to sprout from where I'd left it last.....

Having just passed out of college, it seems as if I wake up each day after an extended farewell! Yes, it is one of those things that happened during those last days at college that I wish to write upon.

About a month ago, as early as five in the morning, a number of my precious juniors had been to our hostels to leave us our farewell gifts (Their intention being to leave the gifts while everyone was still fast asleep. Unluckily for them, I'd not gone to bed yet!). Pitying their plight, I gave them time enough to sneak into my room and leave what they'd brought. And so they did...

And now comes the reason why I believe this to continue from where I left...

They'd gifted me a Rubik's cube! Not just another cube, but one in which six of their faces were etched as caricatures. Having identified the moment I saw it what it was that they'd intended, I quickly tried to solve it and see the finished product. Overwhelmed by emotion, it took me longer than usual, and by the time I was done with it, I myself couldn't wait any longer!

And then I had it, the completed cube. Only to find that though the cube was solved, the problem wasn't, for the six caricatures were not rightly alligned.

And then, it set in! While in a normal cube, the orientation of the centre pieces in each face is irrelevant, the cube that I'd been gifted with had an added constraint. Not only had I had to solve the cube, but I also had to keep in mind the position of the centre pieces!

Unaware of it themselves, my juniors had bumped me into a problem, the solution for which had become one in a septillion rather than one in a quintillion!

It took me a couple of days to get working on it and solve it such that I could picture the six caricatures properly. But when I did it, it did give me a sense of satisfaction, more than ever I've felt at completing a cube!

So, next time, when someone gifts you something, don't be too happy! You might after all be pushed into a chain of thought you've never had before!

And now its an obsession!

2008-07-18T14:35:00.002+05:30

It was the last day of our sixth semester. With the exams already out of the way, the only real work that we had to do was to get packing to our homes. Amidst all this confusion, there was one of our seniors who had come to our hostel, Pearl, to see us off. And it was then that it all started...

There he was, sitting and talking to us while we were rummaging everything and stuffing them into our bags. It was now that he spotted a Rubik's cube, lying alone in the corner of one of our rooms, in memory of the Nittfest(our intra-collegiate cultural festival) that had gone by.

At first, no one took notice. But as he started solving the cube with ease, soon a group started forming around him! Believe me, almost every single person were in awe, and every one wanted to know the 'trick' immediately. It ain't that easy though...

I had made a mental note that when I return to college for the seventh semester, I should be able to solve the cube with ease.

It was as I guessed, difficult. Time passed before I actually got my hands on a Rubik's cube. And once this was done, I searched the net(the faithful servant who promises to be of help whenever needed) and after some work ended up with the right site for me, a beginner's guide!

Still, I was not through. The first time I did solve, with the algorithm in front of me in the computer screen, it took me almost four hours! Worth it, for I just didn't solve, but tried and understood the intricacies of the cube.

What started as a mere whim, was slowing becoming an obsession!

I was spending a lot of hours everyday on the cube, and slowly but steadily brought down the time that I needed to solve it. I was able to better the algorithms that I knew, to suit to my methods of solving. And with this done, next in line is speed solving, and solving it blindfolded!

What more, it gives you a satisfaction when you think of it in the following manner :
The solved Rubik's cube is one out of 43 quintillion (43,252,003,274,489,856,000) permutations that are possible on the cube!
Well, its not just another toy any more!

The Prestige

2008-07-04T12:34:00.002+05:30

The Prestige is a novel by Christopher Priest with the title derived from the novel's fictional practice of stage illusions having three parts: the setup, the performance, and the prestige (effect).

Having heard a lot about its movie adaptation during my third year at college, I automatically took the book from the shelves of the British Council Library when I came across it.

A month passed, and still I had not read the book.

This is all that I'd have had to report had I returned it then, but it was now that I finally mustered myself to take to it. And once I had taken to it, I couldn't drop it. It took the better of three days to finish the book, but it was certainly worth every minute of it.

The story is structured into five parts and takes place at the present with the actual story dating back to a few generations. The story revolves around two characters( or is it two?), Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier. Before they go on to become world class magicians, a meeting between the two ends up in a bitter rivalry which takes the better part of most of their lives. They constantly try to out do the other, and even sabotage the other's acts.

A trick which involves transporting oneself into a seemingly impossible new position in a matter of seconds, forms a pivotal role to the plot. Borden develops it first, calls it the The Transported Man, enhances it with better effects and calls it The New Transported Man. Angier, having always the difficulty of coping with a trick, in spite of being a magician himself, goes on a search to emulate his rival. Borden, who strongly believes that no one would ever find his secret, tries to mislead Angier. Angier, in his search, meets the physicist Nikola Tesla, who develops an apparatus, which helps Angier achieve what he is thriving for, with a bizarre effect.

Angier calls his version of the trick as In A Flash and with it becomes a great success. Borden, unable to comprehend this, tries to find Angier's secret, and what happens then and how it has come to haunt their families even after generations have passed, form the rest of the plot.

A bewitching read for anyone who has the slightest interest in legerdemain or the liking for stories with the protagonists lives running in a parallel fashion.

Next up, I'm looking to catch up with the movie!

Strutting the roads!

2008-06-30T13:39:00.005+05:30

It was Friday, the 13th of June. One of those days when things you least expect come out to be the truth. It was the day which marked the release of the much hyped movie, Dasavathaaram. It also marked the clash between France and the Netherlands at the Euro. But I end up remembering the day for something else...

Along with two of my friends, I was to watch Dasavathaaram(first day, night show!). As is my habit, I took to walking the distance to Inox, Citi Centre( being eco-friendly, I take it upon myself to walk and use public transport as much as is feasible!). I reached well in advance of our slated 10 p.m. show( 5 mins to state the truth!). With so many shows of the same film on a single day, ours was inevitably delayed, and we finally took to our seats at half past ten.

Torn between two of my friends, one who had already seen it, and the other who was hankering to see the football match rather than the movie, I managed to enjoy Kamal's presence on screen( since there isn't almost a single scene without him, I could have said I enjoyed the movie... this way better though!).

At 1.30, my friend offered to drop me home. En route, he informed me that he was running out of fuel. So I suggested he should rather go to his place directly, than come out of his way and drop me at my house. As agreed, he left me at the Nilgiris supermarket. This was about ten minutes from my house, and though I had no reason to be afraid, I was still dreading the lonely walk at this time of the night. It turned out to be quite the contrary...

I took to my mp3 player as I always do when I walk , and I started. It was one of those walks which will stay forever. At this point of time, there was not a single vehicle in the vicinity. I gradually took the liberty to walk in the middle of the roads! It was like a dream come true. The entire stretch of roads were at my disposal. I danced to the tunes of the song I was listening to, and was held up just once while crossing the roads. Two in a bike, probably returning from another night show, glanced at me in a queer fashion, thinking I must be out of my mind.

Who cares!! I continued on in much the same way and reached home in time to celebrate a Dutch victory. And what should I say...
It was neither the Dutch victory, nor Dasavathaaram which urged me to put that day into words, but the feeling of being the King of the roads that did!

A Way of Life

2008-06-22T23:51:00.002+05:30

Live life the easy way - Be a l.y.e.r!
I believe that one's span of life can be broken down into 4 phases: The formative years, student years, the worker and then old age. If these stages of life can be spent in the manner it should be, then this world would surely be a better place to live in.
L - Learn to live.
Y - Yearn to live.
E - Earn to live.
R - Return while you live!

If only people realize that there is nothing to be taken, that there are so many craving for just the right to live, then surely the better times would dawn.

Up & Off --- To The MOON !!!

2008-06-13T17:29:00.001+05:30

A lazy Thursday morning( oh well... Yes! Every day is a lazy day when you are having your holidays...). The newspaper comes as a bliss to all those whiling away time without knowing what to do. You can read through the articles, pour over it for a few minutes and then there is no need for you to put the facts into your heads. That was exactly what I was doing. It was then that I had encountered this relatively small piece of information, in a magazine that comes along with the newspaper, claiming to send your name to the moon!

It was in and out, or that was what I'd thought of it until it hit back at me when I was online that very afternoon. I got the magazine out again, typed the link and lo! There it was...

The page was relatively simple, just accounting that names were being collected by NASA to be placed on board the LRO(Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) spacecraft for its historic mission bringing NASA back to the moon.

The Asimov in me has always been of the opinion that earthmen would one day go on to establish what they've always wanted, life in another planet. As my thoughts started moving in these vague lines, I had decided. I myself may never end up being on the moon( as long as I'm alive, its gonna be affordable only to the elite few!). Why stop my name being there as well?? So I posted my name and, what next? I get a participation certificate from NASA!!!

All the names are to be loaded in a micro chip and sent to the moon. Send in your names before the 27th of June to join the band wagon. What are you waiting for ? It is just a click away!
http://lro.jhuapl.edu/NameToMoon/index.php

The Storyteller

2008-06-12T13:00:00.003+05:30

24th of May, 2008.
6.30 p.m
The match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals was on. A win would have ensured a semi-final spot for us, Super Kings. I was at home, watching the match with my family and three friends of mine. We were to be at the Landmark, Nungambakkam bookstore by 7 p.m. My dream was to come true. I was going to get a chance to meet Jeffrey Archer, in person! After much urging, I was able to force my friends out of my house and we were off to Landmark(CSK needing 68 off 6 overs, lost the match. We went on to lose again to the Royals in the final, thats history now!). It is my belief that a guest can be late, not the hosts. And as part of Chennai, I was the host. Against all odds, we did make it to the place before 7, ensuring a place for us to stand among the stifling crowd of 1500 and also to be on time to welcome him....

He arrived a few minutes after 7, and the hour and a half for which he spoke and answered questions seemed to fly past us as if it were a few seconds! While most of what he spoke seems to have been covered in one form of the media or the other, there were a few good things, which I felt had been left out.

On being late, he had said " I usually arrive on time for all my meetings, but the way in which your people drive, even the Italians seem gentle to me now!" , to loud cheers and applause.

How he went on to be a best seller, his experiences with the American radio while marketing "Kane & Abel" to make it the number one best seller, and every other incident he quoted, kept the audience wanting and waiting for more!

And the way in which he signed off, it is going to be etched in my memory....
"I'll be coming to India again at the year end when the English cricket team would come for its tour. I know whats going to happen then. India would be put to bat first. Sehwag goes for 3, Dravid for 1, Sachin for 2, Ganguly for 1, Laxman for knot, and at lunch India go in at 33 for 7."
A hushed silence, followed by loud " boo's ", and then silence again....
He goes on to say, "After all, I am a storyteller!", to thunderous applause.

No wonder, he is one of the best storytellers of our age...

DEATH

2008-06-11T14:11:00.000+05:30

Did I but not tell you to take mine for hers,
Evading you I believe is always a daunting task,
After all our prayers, we face our worst fears,
Turning away, you eclipse us with your merciless mask,
Hating ourselves, we just brood over our near and dears!

For "Old Love" Sake

2008-06-05T14:11:00.000+05:30

Walking down the college road ,
Whistling and seemingly bored,
Heading towards me is a herd of bovine,
And they start off with the following line,
"Mooo" said one, "Moo" said another,
All the same, I ain't gonna bother,
For they don't know what is in my mind,
Thoughts about her go wind and wind,
I think of her once and again,
But no chances to be taken in this bargain!

Her eyes, her nose, or any of her feature,
Without doubt, leaves many a mad creature,
It ain't these that make me wonder,
That life without her would be a blunder!
It is the heart within which makes me sing,
"Give me her and I'll be King!"
There is one thing which makes me shudder,
"Would all these go to another?"

I try to push all these thoughts aside,
And occupy an empty bench side,
Just in order to start all over,
That she were mine, now and forever

This is the first poem that I ever wrote( on the 8th of Feb, 2006 ) and I want this to be my first blog as well!
P.S The first four lines of the poem are not mine. I do not know to whom it belongs to either!
P.P.S "Old Love" is a short story by Jeffrey Archer which impressed me.