Wednesday, February 14, 2007
I have moved
Dear friends and fellow bloggers!
During the past 8 months at work, I had to restrain a lot from blogging, thanks to the company who blocked blogger.
After staying away from blogger for the past 8 months, I have finally figured out a way to blog..
I have moved to wordpress, and my new address is comingbacktolife.wordpress.com
I hope to blog more often in this blog!
goodbye... and cya at wordpress!
During the past 8 months at work, I had to restrain a lot from blogging, thanks to the company who blocked blogger.
After staying away from blogger for the past 8 months, I have finally figured out a way to blog..
I have moved to wordpress, and my new address is comingbacktolife.wordpress.com
I hope to blog more often in this blog!
goodbye... and cya at wordpress!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Child in US (Typed when I was bored and jobless at work)
Sometime during my 1st standard (has to be 1991).
I first noticed a slight pain on my incisors. My father called me and examined it. He confirmed that the tooth is shaking. He educated me that all milk teeth will be replaced by the secondary set soon. He also said that the child in us will gradually be clobbered to the subconscious by the monster in us. Though I didn’t understand what that meant at that time, I now understand what it means.
After a few days, the tooth was visibly shaking. I was afraid to pull it out, as it was paining a bit. I showed it to my father. He is a very patient and composed person. He told me a nice story, and as I got involved in the story, he pulled it out in one go. Out came the teeth, he gave it to me. I saw it, got so sad and started crying. I went and looked in the mirror, could see a big hole in the gate and was stuck by horror. I could visualize my friends poking fun at me the next day in school.
I was very rude at school when I made fun of a couple of my friends, one of them a bully, when they lost their teeth. I wasn’t smart enough to remember the repercussions of that otherwise harmless action. Now I started biting nails, had nightmares of the big bully turning pink and bursting into laughter.
Next morning:
Aim: I should not be a buffoon in front of my class mates.
Solution: Bunk the school till a secondary teeth replaces it.
Route: I have a stomach ache.
My mother, a scarecrow, got immediately scared. She told my father. He came to my bed, asked me where exactly I am feeling the pain. I said I am feeling it all over the stomach. Then he slowly tried to locate the pain, after some unsuccessful attempts from my side to pretend pain, he slowly realized the pain is somewhere else for me.
He asked: “Tell me the truth, do you have a stomach ache at all?”
I was in tears by this time again: “No!”
Father: “Then why did you lie?”
Me: “I don’t want to go to school”
Father: “Why?”
Me: “My friends would bully me”
The plot unfolds gradually. He sat beside me, and slowly said, “Son, what makes you think that a missing tooth looks ugly on you? It is something inevitable, and adds on to your beauty. In fact you have said that mutthassi (grand mother) looks good without the teeth. And what will happen if your friends bully you? It is just for a day or two, after which, all of you will forget them and become friends again. That is why children’s world is the most perfect one. “
Slowly, he took me on to his lap, patted me gently and waited till I get back to my smart mood again. He also promised me something special if I go to school and come back smartly.
I go to school with a bit of shyness, found things much better than what I actually thought. I could stand to the big bully (he was also toothless!) and came back running like Anil Kumble after guiding India to victory in a match with his batting prowess (hypothetical situation of course!)
I was half asleep by the time my father came back, and narrated the whole story. He was impressed by my performance and as he had promised, gifted me with a stamp album. I was so happy, I kissed him all over and went back to sleep happily.
16 years later:
My father is not there with me anymore. I am on my own, working in an automobile firm. I would not say I lie, but I am forced to say, many a times I tend not to reveal the full truth. They say all this is a part of work, where strategic relations are important. I get reminded of the Yudhistira- Dronacharya episode in Mahabharata battle.
It is all a part of the game.
“When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb”
I first noticed a slight pain on my incisors. My father called me and examined it. He confirmed that the tooth is shaking. He educated me that all milk teeth will be replaced by the secondary set soon. He also said that the child in us will gradually be clobbered to the subconscious by the monster in us. Though I didn’t understand what that meant at that time, I now understand what it means.
After a few days, the tooth was visibly shaking. I was afraid to pull it out, as it was paining a bit. I showed it to my father. He is a very patient and composed person. He told me a nice story, and as I got involved in the story, he pulled it out in one go. Out came the teeth, he gave it to me. I saw it, got so sad and started crying. I went and looked in the mirror, could see a big hole in the gate and was stuck by horror. I could visualize my friends poking fun at me the next day in school.
I was very rude at school when I made fun of a couple of my friends, one of them a bully, when they lost their teeth. I wasn’t smart enough to remember the repercussions of that otherwise harmless action. Now I started biting nails, had nightmares of the big bully turning pink and bursting into laughter.
Next morning:
Aim: I should not be a buffoon in front of my class mates.
Solution: Bunk the school till a secondary teeth replaces it.
Route: I have a stomach ache.
My mother, a scarecrow, got immediately scared. She told my father. He came to my bed, asked me where exactly I am feeling the pain. I said I am feeling it all over the stomach. Then he slowly tried to locate the pain, after some unsuccessful attempts from my side to pretend pain, he slowly realized the pain is somewhere else for me.
He asked: “Tell me the truth, do you have a stomach ache at all?”
I was in tears by this time again: “No!”
Father: “Then why did you lie?”
Me: “I don’t want to go to school”
Father: “Why?”
Me: “My friends would bully me”
The plot unfolds gradually. He sat beside me, and slowly said, “Son, what makes you think that a missing tooth looks ugly on you? It is something inevitable, and adds on to your beauty. In fact you have said that mutthassi (grand mother) looks good without the teeth. And what will happen if your friends bully you? It is just for a day or two, after which, all of you will forget them and become friends again. That is why children’s world is the most perfect one. “
Slowly, he took me on to his lap, patted me gently and waited till I get back to my smart mood again. He also promised me something special if I go to school and come back smartly.
I go to school with a bit of shyness, found things much better than what I actually thought. I could stand to the big bully (he was also toothless!) and came back running like Anil Kumble after guiding India to victory in a match with his batting prowess (hypothetical situation of course!)
I was half asleep by the time my father came back, and narrated the whole story. He was impressed by my performance and as he had promised, gifted me with a stamp album. I was so happy, I kissed him all over and went back to sleep happily.
16 years later:
My father is not there with me anymore. I am on my own, working in an automobile firm. I would not say I lie, but I am forced to say, many a times I tend not to reveal the full truth. They say all this is a part of work, where strategic relations are important. I get reminded of the Yudhistira- Dronacharya episode in Mahabharata battle.
It is all a part of the game.
“When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb”
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Woes of cricket!
Source: NDTV
BCCI Vice President Shashank Manohar has said that the Indian cricketers should "not be paid a single penny" for the way they played in Durban.
Manohar, who has been for long advocating the introduction of the pay-by-performance scheme for the Indian team, added that the Board was not to be blamed for the team's poor performance.
"We are administrators and we have done our utmost to provide the players with the best of facilities and support staff. It's the job of the players to deliver on the field, not ours. We at best can take corrective action and measures," he said
I agree with Mr Manohar for the first two paragraphs, after that, it is hypocrisy. How can you expect the team to deliver if they are not really exposed to bouncy pitches and quality fast bowling? Other than minting money through endorsements and playing politics, how much has BCCI done to the 1st class division of India?
The debate of making lively pitches in the domestic circuit has been on for more than a decade now, but why is BCCI keeping mum about it? The administrators also should take equal blame in this state of affairs of the Indian Cricket team. This is the perfect example of the case where one find the administrators are least bothered of anything except money. I believe BCCI should appoint people with passion for the game in their administrative positions than politicians, who are playing it dirty.
Now comes the second half of the story.
"After the strong statements on the floor of the house over Greg Chappell's credentials, the Left renewed demands that Sourav Ganguly should be included in the team.”
Would Saurav's inclusion have made any difference to the team? He has not made any big scores apart from a century in Duleep Trophy. So you cannot obviously take him for his performance in the domestic circuit, if that is a criteria.
One can argue that he has loads of experience with him, but it is more than compensated with his recent poor runs with the bat. So, it is a lousy statement by Lok Sabha.
So, the solution is,
Let politics get out of cricket.
The performance pay should be implemented not only for the players, but also for the officials. It is a collective responsibility.
Else, you can see another Manohar, who will be lashing at the team at another conference 10 years down the line.
These guys are incorrigible right??
BCCI Vice President Shashank Manohar has said that the Indian cricketers should "not be paid a single penny" for the way they played in Durban.
Manohar, who has been for long advocating the introduction of the pay-by-performance scheme for the Indian team, added that the Board was not to be blamed for the team's poor performance.
"We are administrators and we have done our utmost to provide the players with the best of facilities and support staff. It's the job of the players to deliver on the field, not ours. We at best can take corrective action and measures," he said
I agree with Mr Manohar for the first two paragraphs, after that, it is hypocrisy. How can you expect the team to deliver if they are not really exposed to bouncy pitches and quality fast bowling? Other than minting money through endorsements and playing politics, how much has BCCI done to the 1st class division of India?
The debate of making lively pitches in the domestic circuit has been on for more than a decade now, but why is BCCI keeping mum about it? The administrators also should take equal blame in this state of affairs of the Indian Cricket team. This is the perfect example of the case where one find the administrators are least bothered of anything except money. I believe BCCI should appoint people with passion for the game in their administrative positions than politicians, who are playing it dirty.
Now comes the second half of the story.
"After the strong statements on the floor of the house over Greg Chappell's credentials, the Left renewed demands that Sourav Ganguly should be included in the team.”
Would Saurav's inclusion have made any difference to the team? He has not made any big scores apart from a century in Duleep Trophy. So you cannot obviously take him for his performance in the domestic circuit, if that is a criteria.
One can argue that he has loads of experience with him, but it is more than compensated with his recent poor runs with the bat. So, it is a lousy statement by Lok Sabha.
So, the solution is,
Let politics get out of cricket.
The performance pay should be implemented not only for the players, but also for the officials. It is a collective responsibility.
Else, you can see another Manohar, who will be lashing at the team at another conference 10 years down the line.
These guys are incorrigible right??
Friday, November 17, 2006
Imagine! (An excuse for a post)
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
This was imagined by the one and only one John Lennon :)
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
This was imagined by the one and only one John Lennon :)
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Patriarchy
Time: 7.40 PM
Date: 03/10/06
Venue: Lonavla Railway Station.
Characters in the scene: A nuclear family, guess they belong to the local tribe, and a whole lot of passengers waiting for the Mumbai bound Indrayani Express.
Date: 03/10/06
Venue: Lonavla Railway Station.
Characters in the scene: A nuclear family, guess they belong to the local tribe, and a whole lot of passengers waiting for the Mumbai bound Indrayani Express.
The lady looked very tired, and the kid very hungry. Their clothes were totally in ragged condition. They were sitting on the floor of the railway station (Railway stations are much dirtier these sides, thanks to the masculine community who can't stop eating pans.Let them eat, but for God's sake, stop spitting them on the floor!). They were waiting for someone before they can start moving. Once can see a saree clad euneche, with a lot of powder on his/her face, her long hair was braided with Jasmine flower (Culture shock: In Chennai, all the females wear Jasmine ribbons/braids, where as in Maharashtra, normally people wearing Jasmine are looked to in a different angle!)
Suddenly, a man comes to the scene. He has a thick Veerappan like moustache, a cloth bag on his back, and a stick on his back. He comes behind the lady.
"Bang!" A huge blow with his powerful hands on her head.
The lady is startled, and looks back, to see her husband fuming at her.
Before she could figure out anything, comes a stream of swearings in the vernacular language, for something which she was to do/not do.
The kid, who is hardly 5 years old looks scared. The patriarch is still fuming. To give vent to his emotions, he starts beating the kid very badly. The kid runs and hides behind the lady.The lady kind of protect him from the father's anger. The lady is in tears!
After this assault, off he walks hurriedly, and the lady somehow gets up, takes the kid on her back and hurriedly follows her husband.
I felt like a useless, unable to do something against this outrageous treatment towards his wife.
But then what could I have possibly done at that time?
And the other people were not as moved as I was, guess for them it is something that is hackneyed.
Suddenly, a man comes to the scene. He has a thick Veerappan like moustache, a cloth bag on his back, and a stick on his back. He comes behind the lady.
"Bang!" A huge blow with his powerful hands on her head.
The lady is startled, and looks back, to see her husband fuming at her.
Before she could figure out anything, comes a stream of swearings in the vernacular language, for something which she was to do/not do.
The kid, who is hardly 5 years old looks scared. The patriarch is still fuming. To give vent to his emotions, he starts beating the kid very badly. The kid runs and hides behind the lady.The lady kind of protect him from the father's anger. The lady is in tears!
After this assault, off he walks hurriedly, and the lady somehow gets up, takes the kid on her back and hurriedly follows her husband.
I felt like a useless, unable to do something against this outrageous treatment towards his wife.
But then what could I have possibly done at that time?
And the other people were not as moved as I was, guess for them it is something that is hackneyed.
Ms. Shobha De: Isn't it yet time for you to get out of Page 3 and come to the villages, to help the needy?
Sunday, September 03, 2006
I am still alive!
"This e-Mail may contain proprietary and confidential information and is sent for the intended recipient(s) only. If, by an addressing or transmission error, this mail has been misdirected to you, you are requested to delete this mail immediately. You are also hereby notified that any use, any form of reproduction, dissemination, copying, disclosure, modification, distribution and/or publication of this e-mail message, contents or its attachment(s) other than by its intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily of the organization. Before opening attachment(s), please scan for viruses."
Friday, May 19, 2006
007
M: This may be too much for a blunt instrument to understand
Any thug can kill.
I want you to take your ego out of the equation
Bond: So you want me to be half monk half hitman?
M: I knew it was too early to promote you
Bond: One understands double o's (00) have a very short life expectancy.
Bond is back...
