Looking Glass

Welcome to Chennai...

2011-11-22T10:16:00.001+05:30

...screamed one ofthe giant hoardings as my train made way to Chennai Central. The air feltdifferent this time - rainy and cold; by Chennai standards anyways. I was nowused to the routine of getting down at the station and finding my way to myuncle's place in Royapuram. And this includes haggling with the auto driversalthough I am usually no good at convincing them to what I think was the rightprice. I waited for my brother to come along soaking in the smell of rainaround. It is amazing how refreshing a morning can look time and again. Evenbetter with a bit of mist around.

I let my brothernegotiate the prices with the auto drivers. A little bit of knowledge of thelocal language helps I guess. Very soon we were on our way meandering throughcrowds initially and then with a little more free will. These short rides tookme back in time. I have my opinions of the city and some childhood memorieswhich will always stay with me.

We tend togravitate towards the bigger cities. Ala the protagonist of a movie they tendto make all the headlines. Chennai has been the nondescript. The quintessential character artist, stayingin the background yet robust and central to the storyline. Whilst most citiestend to bedeck themselves extravagantly almost tending to the Utopian, Chennaiseems to less fashionably blend in. It does not seem to be a facade. Not astone out of place.

And it hascertainly got it's heart in the right place. As a child I looked forward to a stopoverin the city on my way to Kerala. It was just a half day layover but it promisedwarmth. Warmth is where you feel welcome in a house full of people. It is whenyou have cousins waiting to spend the day with you. It is when you are receivedat the station at 4 am in the morning. It is also when your train doesn't havea stopover at Chennai but your friends still come to meet you at a station twohours away. It is a city that gave a standing ovation to a Pakistan cricketteam that beat India in a close match. It also pronounces the best brandloyalty with the city franchisees in IPL.

I go back to thiscity every year just to watch it from the sidelines. Every Chennaite I askeddoesn't dislike your city but they'd unwaveringly go back, whenever they get achance to 'their' Chennai. As I end this journey I look forward to my nighttrain to this city again. Just like filter coffee or ‘kaapi’ as they call it, itfeels better each time.

For the love of it..

2011-09-04T17:56:00.000+05:30

She was back, looking disconsolately at me. Her soft silhouette stuck the curvature of my eyes and I for one couldn't miss the coy glances once the eyes met. Delicately draped in exotically printed patterns, her elegance hadn't gone down one bit since we had last crossed paths. It was a case of the nondescript me, muddled in the mires of work meeting the classy her; looking divine. We had hit off well but gradually ended up spending less time with each other owing to workloads. Though we had briefly flirted aeons ago the time was ripe again to indulge. Our courtship is perhaps meant to be. Wondering the identity of such a sassy being?

I am talking about the book I had begun reading a while ago and gave up. Been a while - time to keep up my date.

So long, Murali

2010-07-25T20:00:00.000+05:30

I must confess at the outset that I’ve never tried following you that much because you were from another country. I perhaps first noticed you during the controversies that happened in Australia where you were so ridiculously no-balled repeatedly. I am a minimalist; purely following cricket for the purity and grace bereft of the technicalities. Never felt you were a chucker. I also felt that there were many other bowlers who ‘seemed’ to chuck but were never called. Everybody agreed that you were being humiliated. You stood strong in the midst of all this. I am sure you were proud of your captain at that time.

You came back stronger from those trials. Your strike rate never went down; nor did your smile. Even at the most desperate of situations I haven’t seen you frown at an opposite batsman or your own team member. Sure, you’ve shown disappointment which is pure instinctive.

You perhaps could easily have reached 1000 wickets if you wanted to – and you know that. But you choose to leave it all in one blaze of glory - choosing your final bow, achieving 8 wickets against a pretty good Indian team and going away in a fairytale ending. Being an Indian fan, I was wishing you could take the 9th wicket and it would start raining buckets in Galle but it was never to be!

Perhaps it was fitting that your team won, weather permitting or otherwise. You always were a winner, and a very nice guy; proving once again that nice guys don’t always finish last. You are respected as a person and as a cricketer all through my country and cricket is a loser today that you aren’t playing test cricket anymore.

School days

2010-05-17T15:16:00.002+05:30

Like a whiff of fresh air? Or the first showers post summer? Does the thought of your school days kindle the same kind of feeling in you? It does in me.

“You will come back to me in the future and tell me that your school life was the best” said my teacher. Looking back now one couldn’t agree more. Although I yearn to go back to my alma mater and repeat this statement back to my teacher I haven’t made it back as yet. I don’t want to go into the labyrinth of reasons as to why I haven’t done it. All this while I figured that one’s time as kids in school, under the nurturing eyes of our teachers; under the love and care of our parents; under the bonding of friends is indeed the best time of our lives.

Though we didn’t probably realize at that time, as kids we soaked in every bit of experience we could. We were lucky. Back then education wasn’t commercialized and we hadn’t entered the rat race of entrance exams and what not as yet.

School wasn’t really a chore. I never really remember complaining being there. I used to be irritated when the local rickshaw wallah who took me to school always turned up at the last minute. It wasn’t the kind of really late you know. The school assembly would just start the instant I arrived at the gate. Our gatekeeper (or ‘mali’ as we called him) always locked us out till the assembly session was over before he let us in. I considered this downright shameful. I never wanted to be late. Getting into high school meant I wouldn’t have to be towed by the rickshaw wallah and could walk to school. This meant a lot more freedom and almost never being late.

Then, the friends. I still remember the group of friends I bonded with - discussing exam papers, studying and playing cricket at my home. When study was deemed too much, my home verandah was converted to a cricket pitch. It was fun in the purest sense. And, then there was the walk back from school to home. We stuck back in school a few minutes after the long bell ran and slowly meandered back home. We did this on purpose though; never wanting to see the rush back of all kids going back home. We slowly ambled out, briefly engaging in watching our hostel mates playing basketball before turning back. The thrill of walking back on a Friday evening was something else as was the time when it rained. Some of my friends though having bicycles preferred to walk along wanting to join in the fun talk.

It was also a great feeling to be a loved group of students in school. Though, we did have our very own tricks all the teachers loved us. It was a bit of a shocker to me in that I did not meet any of the classmates at the time of the Board results. I was out of town on that day and that was it. Everybody just looked at their results and moved on. Perhaps it didn’t occur to us that we had to know a way to contact one other. Being just before the dot.com revolution we did not have email addresses to exchange.

Now, years hence I still think about the days we had in school. Of the praise my teacher use to give during English lessons, the punishment meted out to the whole class sometimes, all the games played in campus and at my home with friends, the year end picnics, the time of the school magazine, the special chai and snacks my mom used to make for us at home when we were around studying or playing. It isn’t faint. It is a very vivid recollection but it’s gone and can hopefully be re-lived when my kids are around and go to school.

2010-04-28T20:16:00.003+05:30

I contemplated a bit on what to write; and then a little more on what the name of the post should be but figured that when I have a random post after a hectic week it’s better to be general than specific. So here comes my first nameless post, so to say.

For starters, I was very wrong in my previous post. I wasn’t going to get away with a lighter week at work. I must accept though that the work was lighter. It seems almost ridiculous that you end up doing reports and more reports for the work you’ve done; almost taking up a big share of the time you spend at doing the actual work itself. You need it though to convince the big bosses about how good you are at your work lest they don’t feel the need of you being there! There is a tendency to overplay, rant and display credentials of yours which actually make you feel stupid. And, you don’t even know if your audience is keen on picking the nuances you want to convey. But then you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do (even though it sounds very cliché). That summarized the week for me – there was a presentation which hogged most of my week; and a promise of more to come in the coming week. Have to go now. More later.

After a busy week

2010-04-17T19:41:00.000+05:30

It's really been that way all week. Although I have been coaxing myself to write something; and although I had a few thoughts in mind I haven't been able to get to it. I couldn't really wind down to pick something to write for now but figured that I should post something for the week - random thoughts from the week; especially things that I heard and read.

This summer has been a scorcher already. I live in a penthouse and find it hard to survive without the air-conditioner. I can't watch any more television because the living room literally blows me dry. It was the same news around office. There were colleagues researching on the best deals on air-conditioners; talking to dealers who could deliver a product quickly; the very same people who felt that they didn't need one till last summer. Well, is it really getting hotter or are we getting too comfy living our lives primarily in enclosed cubicles in offices? Either way spreading usage of air-conditioners is not very ideal I know. How much warmer can we get our World? I am reminded of a scene from a Telugu movie called 'Aditya 369' where the protagonists travelling forward in time discover that they cannot stay on the earth's surface due to heat and radiation and live underground. That's not a good place to be. Sighs!

Sania Mirza's wedding with Shoaib Malik seemed to have caught the headlines. While we shouldn't be commenting on somebody's choice of love I do think they hogged a lot of unnecessary media space. All the talk of which country she should be playing for is uncalled for. Thinking outside the realms of nationality she must be termed as an under-achiever. All that promise; looks, combined with a fiery forehand hasn't bought in many trophies, has it? Why don't we look elsewhere? Recently, Saina Nehwal got bracketed amongst the top five badminton women players in the World. That didn't get as much space as the wedding did. Glamour does rule.

Also, the IPL fiasco between Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor begs a mention here. After several accusations between them they seem to be getting into trouble with the big bosses. I have a feeling that they are a few skeletons in the closet here. We'll wait and watch for things to unravel.

As I write this piece there have been a couple of explosions at Bangalore just outside the cricket stadium hosting an IPL match. The authorities decide to go through with the match even while it posed a risk to the 40,000 people at the facility to watch the match. A bigger risk though was to the nation itself. Bowing down to such fear would have lent a major success to the perpetrators of this incident. It's an act of courage by the public, authorities and the players to not bow down under such fear. Any of these people were very well within their rights to not proceed. They choose not too and send a strong message to whoever it was. It also proved that our security system is still a little too lapse and gives a few brownie points for a few people making claims that all's not well with the state of security in our country. I am sure they'll make sure this event catches a lot of headlines.

Otherwise, I am headed for a pretty low-key weekend. Little bit of stuff to take care at home after which I am headed straight back to work the day after. I look forward to a lighter week next, and perhaps some more chirps in here. Rock your weekend. Ciao.

Perfecting myself at a sport

2010-04-09T16:52:00.002+05:30

Table-tennis is a game I enjoy immensely. My tryst with the game started while I was young at school but I never got much of an opportunity. My classmates were the champions of the school and perhaps even did well at inter school competitions. I for one was too shy and timid to even approach a table-tennis board and let them know I wasn't as good as them. There was also a question of access. My school had a single board and far too many people vying for time. That was when we started plying our trades at a crude form of squash and we became pretty good at that too. All our recess times were spent playing the game and I remember that I even pestered my mother to allow me to take lunch to school in order to allow more time for me to play.

It was during my engineering days that I got full access to a table-tennis board and started playing the game regularly. I did well in departmental competitions too. However, sport is very fickle. It makes you feel you're the king one day, only to show you unfathomable troughs the very next. Is it just a lack of practice? No. I remember we spent endless hours at the college hostel practicing specifically each different shot, a backhand here and a forehand there. Of course the chances of me doing well at a random game were good when I practiced but even so there were times when I felt helpless. I either found the net or the ping-pong hit my opponent instead of the board. It feels crazy when that happens.

Years later, I now play the game almost every day even if it is just for half an hour. Though I don't practice or take everything as seriously as I used to do earlier I still love the game like I used to earlier. However, knowing the different ways things pan out while I am at play makes be reinstate the fact I stated before. Things can get as fickle as ever. There are instances where things are a dream; the ping-pong can land wherever I want leaving people dazed. There are days like today when nothing seems to work alright. Even the pretty basic don't turn out well. Its days like these when I retire earlier than usual and spend my energies at something else, like this blog today.

However, it's a game I love a lot and I keep going back, hoping to conquer it someday.

How important is your cell phone?

2010-04-07T21:08:00.000+05:30

Ever thought about it? Do you have the habit of not remembering any contact numbers depending wholly on your cell phone? Well, I think it's about time we changed that attitude. I was cruelly reminded about this a few months back. My cell phone was stolen. Well, in fact snatched away as I was talking by somebody on a speeding motorbike. I could be nothing but a 'blind' spectator. It was a hopeless situation because my spectacles got pulled out together with the phone and I was at that moment as good as blind. I was in luck that I was near home and could get back without the need of them spectacles. I was dazed for a moment or two before it hit me that I was robbed.

There it was, all the contacts I had, numbers of all my friends and family who seemed to always be there on speed dial, all but lost. There were some that I faintly re-collect but I had to send out an email to all I knew to send me their contact numbers. The lazy people we all are, they were just a handful who responded. I don't fault the rest because we don't have time.

This little big incident made me despise myself a little bit. Here I am, somebody pretty good with numbers, not bad at all with memorizing them too. Why do I have to depend on something which I can lose, or go broke anytime? Storing them on your cell phone memory doesn't do our memory any good! I am making an attempt to remember numbers. At least it prepares me for something similar or better still, makes me less dependant on a machine.

A weekend at Vizag - a trip down memory lane

2010-04-05T20:59:00.001+05:30

The thought of Vizag always brings memories of the beaches, the cyclones, the lazy lifestyle and the wonderful people. It's been almost a decade since I was there so when I got a chance to go there one weekend recently I was fazed. Fazed, because my memories of Vizag are vivid childhood memories which one would never like erased by any sort of change. I was almost sure that the Vizag I knew is not probably the same anymore. We humans tend to hold the best things in our life close to our heart, forever cocooned from the perils of change. Since I wasn't going to visit much of the city I wasn't too perturbed though. I took the plunge.

We choose to stay at Rushikonda which though a little outside the realms of the city doesn't require too much commuting from the railway station. Besides, I had heard far too many good things about the bay views from the resort to leave out such an option. The views of the sea as expected were breathtaking. The resort itself was on a small hillock and it provided fascinating views of the Bay of Bengal for the occupants. One look at my room and the money we paid for the accommodation was all accounted for. Watching the waves seemingly pushing back the land, sipping a cup of chai was an awesome feeling. The unknown expanse of the ocean reaching the skies at the horizon seemed to put things in perspective. I needed that view of the ocean to remind me of the fact that we are nothing before a possible fury of nature.

It was a blessed weekend topped by rain towards the end of the weekend. It made us loathe the fact that we didn't have any more time before we returned. That said, I was happy I went back to Vizag. Inertia had set into my being - I went back once after I got a job, only once did I go back once to my school after I passed out, only once did I meet my teachers from school. All, things I want to set right. There is a sense of wrong I know but those hallowed memories are too sweet to be touched, too sweet to be spoilt by anything that doesn't confirm to what it was. Till today it was too much of a risk to take.

Passing by the city I saw lots of traces of change. There is perhaps a lot more in places I haven't been too but I kind of got the feeling that the inherent being of the city is intact. It's not just the infrastructure that makes up a city, the people do too. As long as the city doesn't become a metropolis swarming with people from all over the country (maybe even globally) the attitudes and the culture don't undergo any drastic change. It is here that Vizag doesn't seem to have been affected as yet. Hopefully it doesn't happen for a little longer. I understand that it's not good (or too much for) to wish on my part but let's hope the 'City of Destiny' stays in its being, as it is. Touchwood.

Finally, a post-graduate

2010-03-22T07:55:00.003+05:30

I understand that it's been a long time coming. I guess it's about time I proclaimed it as loudly as I can. Pursuing a post-graduate degree post engineering was a dream I set up what looks like ages now. After the initial roller-coaster I began to realize that it's not as easy as it looks. Added to this, work and related travel all added to my woes. I must accept that lately it had got to the point to ridicule where everybody began questioning if I would ever complete!

All said and done I must agree that all that 'ridicule' from friends and like was meant to push me on to finish. Well, it looks like it's been decades since I set upon a dream of becoming an MBA. Now I can announce that I am one. It's been a challenge taking work and life outside work (yes, I admit work is still a big part of my life) together with all the preparation for my exams - late-nights as usual and clearing subjects actually. It just isn't the same as when you are in college.

I've increasingly found out that the harder I worked the luckier I got. There were times I didn't read well but managed to scrape in a good paper. God wasn't kind on some of those occasions. There were other when put in some sort of hard work reading for a paper but the paper itself wasn't done too well. I observed that I got lucky in a majority of those cases. Writing non-stop for 3 hours was another challenge. Every 3 months I found myself doing this exercise again and again and wondered about my stamina to do so day in and day out as a kid.

Now, that everything is done and dusted, I must admit that there is that sense of achievement. It would have probably easier for me to drop out in between. My life was getting tougher as were my papers (well, that's not relatively speaking). It makes me happy that I chugged along without giving up. Three cheers to myself :)

Well, this is the loudest I can be - letting the whole world know.

The aura that is Sachin

2009-12-02T14:49:00.000+05:30

No, Sachin is not why I got interested in cricket. As a child I thought Gavaskar always batted and Kapil bowled. The rest were just nameless faces I wasn't concerned about. I didn't think much about the intricacies of cricket, neither was I bothered. Nor did his being a little kid when he started representing India bowl me over. I must say that it was somewhere during the tour of Australia in 1992. That was the time I was perhaps feeding on a lot of cricket, almost hoping that India would win the World Cup. That was not to be but that was when Sachin caught my eye. Balance on his feet while batting, as if doing a ballet is amazing. In my opinion this is what makes him stand out even today. The faster Aussie pitches didn't seem to bother him at all. He was already one of the most exciting players in the world.

Almost twenty years later, nothing seems to have changed. He is still scoring runs; plays a lot more shots and is still admired the world over. Commemorating twenty years of Sachin as a cricketer there have been plaudits flowing in; some placing him at the highest pedestal and some criticizing that he could have done better. Everybody is entitled to an opinion and each one of them is right in their own way. But aren't such comparisons unfair to the greatest of talents? Doesn't Math teach us that two variables can be compared only when all other dependant variables are the same? I personally have admired other players of this generation as much as Sachin if not more. I don't quite find it rational to compare. I cannot for example subjectively analyze Ponting for example when he is whacking our bowlers all over especially when I want my team to win. There can never be one greatest batsman if I may put it that way.

One young kid set out to play cricket for India one day. He made us smile, we wept when we did, we listened to him when he asked us to support the team, the coach supposedly confided in him when there was fear of a match being fixed, we missed him when we was not around; let us enjoy the sparkle while he is around. If the recent match in Hyderabad against Australia is anything to go by he will light up a few more arenas before he decides to call it a day. Isn't just that thought worth looking forward to?

Another attempt at blogging

2009-12-01T19:25:00.001+05:30

The past few months have been a whirlwind, with so many things happening in life. It's a phase in life which is definitely exciting but something that will keep me on my toes!

I can now declare myself a failure at blogging, though I've started of this piece suggesting another stab at it. I counted on myself being a little more regular in November but it wasn't to be. I do countless posts in my head and like it each time. Words just seem to come in a torrent when I am thinking about writing something. They become mirages when I try to put pen on paper. Just akin to waiting for 'that' masterpiece. Even now, I know I could do this piece much better but I give up. I want to give up thoughts of getting an audience, not entice any comments on my blog and generally start writing for the thrill of it. The glamor of being in the public eye, having lots of readers is far too much to ignore. I end up writing posts for comments; nothing else.

I stumbled upon nablomo recently and ended up thinking why not. I have entered myself to participate in the December month contest not eyeing any prizes, but to at least push myself to write a little more.

Relations

2009-08-12T17:49:00.002+05:30

I don’t want to sound profane, but families these days tend to get displaced globally; rendering most of the not so close relations insignificant. Gone are the days when one got used to playing cricket, watching movies together with cousins (and their cousins) during summer vacations. We had fights because of the competition but we usually hung out together only to quickly forget each other at the end of every vacation. Those were times devoid of cell phones and the wait for the next meeting promised much more fun. Cut to present, we don’t have the time or inclination to plan vacations together, we rarely if at all talk by accident. In a sense the spirit doesn’t seem to be the same. We all seem to have resigned to the fact that we aren’t kids anymore. Every single act is measured in the realms of adulthood. Families are so protective of what’s happening with their kids that they can go any lengths to dispel anything that goes against this norm. Competition – not just limited to areas of study or work seems to be the driving force. We pride ourselves on family togetherness but those values increasingly seem to be eroded. This piece isn’t being written to connote the death of a tradition but rather to suggest that future generations have to learn to live with it.

Random rants

2009-08-11T17:58:00.001+05:30

Times have been hectic; so much that I have been getting the feeling of losing it. I am currently rediscovering how work can creep into all aspects of one’s life. I go to great lengths to make sure my weekends are devoid of work, only to realize that there’s lots of sleep, movies to catch up with. There’s doesn’t seem to be any time left for hobbies, friends et al. I used to feel weird sending emails; short messages to friends in the city when calling them up would have been the way to go. Yes, ‘used to’ because it’s been happening for a while now. I plan and then re-plan trips, meets with friends but only a meager percentage of them work out. I do understand that this is the case with most of us; how much can we cram in? I’ve been trying to read, write and do sport outside of work with limited success. Travel plans are another activity I love planning. Fact is that they always stay in the realm of planned and never proceed. I’ve attempted starting to read again, and I must admit that there is some joy here. If only I could discipline and coax myself a little more it could open doors to other possibilities. For somebody who wants to take to serious writing, reading shouldn’t be a chore. I must make it more of a habit. Looking elsewhere it doesn’t look to be great time for this world. Most of us are just coming off after hearing news about a typhoon, a rapidly spreading epidemic and security concerns all over. Things don’t seem to be too alluring right now. The rain gods haven’t been effervescent this season and we are told that we are already staring at drought. These were my thoughts when I perched myself on my balcony yesterday night. Almost immediately I saw a shower come down. When it continued today morning as well it seemed to suggest that there’s hope after all.

Where have the sparrows gone?

2009-07-31T12:50:00.001+05:30

Remember the sparrow? Once ubiquitous, they have come down to barely fleeting appearances these days. Always chirping away it seemed to be one long monologue when they were around. We had them for company in our house while we grew up. We loved feeding them, and though they wouldn’t venture too close to us they were gracious enough to feed of food we used to provide them.

It was a happy co-existence till the time we felt we grew up and decided to look for greener pastures. Bigger cities, even bigger apartments and more people meant that we don’t have a place for them sparrows anymore. They used the crooks and crevices around human habitations to build their nesting places but unfortunately modern cities don’t provide them that luxury anymore. They probably still are around in villages and smaller towns where finding grain and a place to nest aren’t yet difficult. Sadly, nobody seems to miss them at all. Perhaps we haven’t noticed; perhaps we don’t care or perhaps we just don’t know them well. But, I really miss waking up on lazy weekend morning knowing I need not get to school, ambling to my balcony and being greeted by these wonderfully energetic creatures. I dread the time my kids read about them in books, and ask me about them. I wonder where I will find one to show to them. Ah, what are we turning our planet into!

Finally a weekend sojourn - one long overdue

2009-07-17T14:34:00.007+05:30

Warning - Unsually long post ahead. Best avoided :)

Finally, finally, as we promised to ourselves a trip plan to Srisailam worked out. We dragged ourselves out of bed at five in the morning on Saturday wanting to start early and avoid the city traffic as the day wore. Sita and I opted to play the good Samaritans by occupying the last row of our vehicle - that it was an Innova probably helped. Our conversations bordered on realistic to wildly insane. Planning regular weekend activities was an interesting topic, one I would classify as meaningful; using this trip to hunt for a place to setup our golf course was perhaps bordering on insanity.

We drove via the airport. I may sound preposterous but this was my first glimpse of Hyderabad city’s new airport. People had warned us that they weren’t too many places to eat along the way and we were advised to carry some food. By the time we had found a pit stop to have breakfast we were terribly hungry and the place didn’t really matter to us. A few dosas later, armed with some help on directions we were on our way to the Mallela Theertham waterfalls.

The drive was fantastic - acres and acres of land; surprisingly devoid of people. There would appear a few villages in between as if to provide an interlude. These were the only places for us to buy some water or a snack. The waterfall needed a diversion from the Srisailam route we were on; a winding mud road through a village which tested our spines. I couldn’t help notice how many of the houses had Sundirect hoisted on their rooftops; not surprising though. Perhaps it was the only way to access television in the town. The waterfall is reached by climbing down a stair of steps. About 350 in all, it all seemed so easy that were wondered why there were benches laid out midway for people to rest. We realized later that it making our way up was a different matter altogether!

The falls itself were exhilarating. Unmindful of the slippery rocks it looked like people were eager to get drenched. It needed a lot of coaxing from everybody for me to take the plunge though. A very bad fall years ago during such a trip has left my mind permanently scarred. However, I do try to overcome this every time though I might need to be pushed to do it. I don’t regret the fact this time though. After a few initial hesitant steps to feel the mood of the water we finally let go and allowed ourselves to be completely drenched – every nerve, each sinew. The water caught us breathless initially but then it all came back to us in a moment of ecstasy. I was enjoying being thoroughly rinsed when I realized that in my moment of haste I had left my cell phone in my pocket. That ended my fun under the waters because I had to take care of my communication equipment. Thankfully all was well. We sat back for over an hour feeling completely refreshed and recharged, suddenly realizing that we were hungry. A quick bite later we were on our way to Srisailam.

The journey was fascinating. Monkeys emerged from the forests on the road perhaps curious of the doings of human life. The ghat road provided breathtaking views of the dam which sadly was devoid of much water. We reached the temple town late in the afternoon. Munching a sumptuous lunch was our first priority after which we decided to catch a couple of hours rest before visiting the temple. It rained uninterrupted for two hours while we slept. Rain never seemed to relent completely but we decided we should make the visit to the temple on the same day. Walking barefoot towards the temple amongst puddles of water turned out to be pure bliss. The soul and the body seemed to connect with the earth and the feeling was enchanting. We never seem to pursue such things anymore though we yearn for them.

We departed for the night promising to one another that we would start early the next day but our tired limbs had other ideas. It was cold and rainy and seemed like any other Sunday but finally hunger pangs made us get out and get ready.

We took the ropeway down the hill and then a motor boat which was going to give a whirlwind trip down to the dam. It wasn’t as thrilling as some of the one’s I had before (the one at Lake Tahoe still tops, and by miles). The boat trip was breezy. Understandably people were excited. Not that the ride was worth it but because there is something about a trip on water which thrills us. Perhaps some inherent human psychology to not remain grounded – we are thrilled to fly or float. I couldn’t help notice though that the water was very unclean and not inviting at all. We could see the river wind down between mountain slopes towards possibly more interesting avenues (caves, existed there somebody said). But, since we were out of time we had to leave that for later.

Going on the safari during our return was planned and we didn’t want to forgo this plan. The thought of spotting a tiger was thrilling although I wasn’t sure if it would be very exciting if one of those species really decided to confront us. We decided to take the call of the wild though – the thought of a viewing point promised with breathtaking views clinched the deal. There was no tiger though, just a few deer and some peacocks. As we went along I became pretty sure that we wouldn’t see any tigers though. The state of the road seemed to suggest that it was pretty regularly used by people and a tiger wouldn’t really be interested to frequent especially considering their aversion to us humans. My want to witness the royal animal outside the realms of restriction stills remain unsatisfied. I wait for my next chance. The end point of the safari was really the icing on the cake. A view point towards the end of a cliff provided breathtaking views of the Nallamala forest range. The sun played hide and seek with the clouds and one could see the sun rays filtering in from amongst the clouds. The huge trees below looked like clusters of wedges of grass and one could see the shadows of the cloud shifting amongst them, perhaps playing a game of chess of their own. Standing there on the cliff we could feel the breeze beating against my face. We soaked this all in spending a heavenly thirty minutes before turning back to continue our journey.

Though we had lots of sleep to catch up over the next day or two, I realized the importance of taking time out from routine, experiencing the thrill of traveling and catching up with friends. It was perhaps a journey well begun with promises of more.

Beautiful while I sleep

2009-07-01T17:30:00.007+05:30

I’ve been thinking about this for a while but have been procrastinating. One of the joys for me towards the end of a day has been observing my wife’s elaborate preparations before she goes to bed. She makes it a point to have a nice relaxed bath and always look nattily dressed. It is as if she has to look like an angel in her dreams. It’s an absolute pleasure watching her go through this routine everyday. Although she’s been trying her best to drive in some of these good habits into me it hasn’t actually worked. I am usually catching up with some personal emails, reading a book or watching the idiot box at the end of the day following which the only thing I can think of is to sleep like a log; whatever state I am in. How I wish – I could be beautiful while I sleep.

Things I'd like to change

2009-06-29T14:16:00.010+05:30

I state travel, reading as a hobby; something that I always looked forward to. Work has taken me to a few different places – in India and the USA and it’s been an enriching experience. The last couple of years however have been pretty barren - on both fronts. No major travel conquests to report and I’ve almost stopped my reading habit. I count two books I could barely complete in the last year. A couple of failed plans to Pune and Coorg over the past 6 months haven’t helped matters with weekend sojourns. It looks like a sort of inertia has stuck my being.

Inertia really, because though work takes up a big part of my time, I spent another major chunk of it sleeping! Required I know, but I should stop being a lazy bum and devote a little time to reading and writing. Started reading The Devil Wears Prad a last week; also have The Hungry Tide lined up. God knows how many years I will take to finish these two. It makes me sad that I hardly devoted any time at all to reading since school. As good as crime in my parlance and it is something that I want to change in my life. Read a lot more and take to writing. Not sure how good I can be at it but I do not want to lose before I get started.

Better news on the travel front though; we have been able to get things moving. Plans for a weekend trip to Mallela Theertham and Srisailam are half-way there. Knowing how good we are at postponing trips I wouldn’t have committed this here but this time around we have done some accommodation reservations – so it is almost a point of no return for us. Here’s hoping things go according to plan and I can opine a travelogue pretty soon.

To 'tip' or not...

2009-06-11T14:52:00.004+05:30

The other day we went to a very famous (and very good) vegetarian restaurant in my city and enjoyed a wholesome meal. It isn't a very expensive restaurant, and the ambience is nothing to die for. In fact there is almost always such a very big crowd in there that it becomes difficult to find a place unless of course you are prepared to wait.

The food though is pretty good and that's a reason I usually end up frequenting the place. Being near my home is a good enough push too.

I paid the bill using my card and decided it's put in a part of my tip in the card to get my bill to a nicely rounded number (Rs 200 sounds better than a Rs 191 for me!). My server confronts me while I do this saying that I was not allowed to tip anything less than 10 rupees. That didn't go down well with me. A customer cannot be told a minimum amount to tip. I pay for the service, ambience and 'IF' I am happy. I later looked at my bill and found out that service charge was included as part of my bill. Now, I make it a point to check my bill before paying; always tip in cash; and never tip at a restaurant charging customers for their service.

Vamos Federer

2009-06-08T00:47:00.002+05:30

He probably waited for the 14th slam much more than anything else he won. It's our fault perhaps to estimate a time because he's been winning them like they are being held in his backyard. A true champion; his chest was perhaps incomplete without this one but there'll still be bricks thrown at this win I guess. He didn't win against the player who's competed best against him in this era. But for no mistake of his though - let's play it down folks.

I always got a feeling that he never quite played to potential against Rafa. Probably credit to the young man. I though was waiting for the day when this French expectation was lighter in Federer's mind. I am itching to see a hungrier Nadal playing against a more relaxed Federer. Wimbledon's round the corner and I can't resist the thought enough.

The two champions of the present era have given us enough thrills when they played one another. A grand slam final doesn't seem to be one without them playing in it. Brute force, adrenalin, the incredible energy and stamina that Nadal brings witted against silken grace, an almost nonchalant laziness, pure genius. Waiting for more gentlemen; bring the goose-bumps on!

Bye bye Pakistan, and welcome to the maidens!!

2007-03-18T21:28:00.001+05:30

A second upset on a single day. Ireland's grit got the better of a certain bunch of Pakistani cricketers. Sad for the World Cup stakes to see such an exciting team already headed home. Minnows alright, but winning the toss is becoming a huge advantage. I bet if this were in the subcontinent there would have been a big hue and cry over the pitches. But all's very fair and good for cricket when it happens outside of our place!!

Feel terribly agrieved that a player of Inzamam's stature took his last bow from World Cups in such a way. His exit has been as incredible as his entry was in '92. He deserved better but alas. Agree, all the conditions against them but Pakistan were poor like India were on the same day. And, you can't make two mistakes in such an early stage of the tournament.

Ireland showed a lot of grit and fantastic captaincy. They held their nerves, and cricket will only be richer with the spirit they showed yesterday. Looks like they have some decent players too. Super 8's will be richer with all the colors they bring in to the game. And it all looks much better with the pretty girls that follow them. I hope they keep winning ;)

Tigers vs Lambs

2007-03-18T06:37:00.000+05:30

Father Losing, Son Winning - this was a placard held up by an enthusiastic Bangladeshi cricket fan at Queen's Park, Trinidad today. Bangladesh cricket is buzzing. If you have any doubts about this statement then go have a look at banglacricket.com. Their performance today makes a clear statement: they no more are minnows. For me, ICC and cricket was a winner because the tigers were simply brilliant today.

Disciplined bowling, electic fielding and stunning batting was on view. What more, the batsmen in question looked exuberant, classy and wily old foxes all put together in young 17 and 18 year olds. Tamim Iqbal's shimmy down the track to deposit Zaheer Khan in orbit created a superstar in cricket. He could be another Saeed Anwar in the making. Abdur Razzak beating Sachin in flight to get him caught behind was another sight of the day. Bangladesh didn't win today by luck. They outplayed the Indians.

A poor day at the office for the Indians. They looked the minnows!!

Agreed, the conditions were conducive to the bowlers. But I thought the batsmen weren't creative enough. Spinners were allowed to dictate, and they were too predictable when they attacked. Bangladesh exploited a lot of holes in India's lineup which are going to hurt as this Cup progresses. Well, that is if we are going to progress too far :)

All's not lost though because we have always been slow starters. But, today belonged to the Bangladeshis. Today was their day in the Sun. Take a bow folks. They just gave us a kick on the backside. The Tigers playing against the Lambs.

The Intelligent

2007-03-18T03:11:00.002+05:30

We always chase the stars, always the ever elusive. We go on and on, working and solving problems (you bet, am a software geek working on what else - fixing bugs) for somebody we don't even know. But am I becoming so very intelligent, that I am starting to miss the obvious? Isn't this something to think about?

And yes, the pun with the headline is intended....

World Cup – India and my dark horse.....

2007-03-17T06:50:00.001+05:30

Cricket's greatest extravaganza and how can I resist not turning into a writer. These days we see predictions, team analysis and what not from almost everybody around. Maybe I am not the expert, but that does not stop me from jotting down my 2 cents of knowledge (or crap!!).

The first week has already floated away and I don't think we are disappointed. We've already had a tie, and all the top players have been spectacular of the blocks. All that bodes for the best world cup ever. It's exciting when the world's very best are going to be in their top form when they do battle in 'the' premier tournament.

India kick-off on the morrow. Where do we stand? For once everything looks relaxed. Well, is it?

There is a sense of coldness developing in our performance these days. I see a constant effort to get the job done, which means we've cut of some frills associated with our game. We have a captain who accepts our shortcomings. Nobody as yet gives them us chance, but nobody can ever write down such a dangerous side. I find this good enough for our boys. But you know what – all the bicker is going to start from tomorrow (lol).

This is going to be a swansong for most of our big boys, so we should expect a feast from them. Do you expect Sehwag to do better? Well, I do. Expect a few surprises up the order too because I feel something's cooking in our dressing room. We can expect Saurav, Sachin and Dravid to be rock solid. Take away every else people. These folks are going to win us a few matches. Yuvi and Dhoni are our focus players and very important one's too, and for once we have a pace attack that people are looking up to. Well, I see a team I can look forward too...

Coming to my other favorite – The Black Caps. New Zealand are on a hot streak, that's as if today's performance wasn't testimony enough. They have the best captain (I think so, and believe me there are a few who say so), steady bowling, Bond – for sheer pace and almost everybody can bat. They are no more the dibly doblers of cricket. They are serious contenders now. I have a gut feeling that they are on a roll which is probably going to take them a long way and surprise a few teams along the way.

I cheer for India, I have a very strong feeling that it's the Black Caps this time. I would like to stick my neck out and say that I'd be happy if my favorite teams can make it to the semis. Well, wait and watch.

Am I working enough?

2006-05-10T09:49:00.000+05:30

This seems to be a question I always ask myself. After five years of cross-dimensional(now, what is that??) work I believe I can call myself a software professional. Always caught up in endless amount of work, things seem odd when I find time for hobby or can get out of work before dark.

Currently I am enjoying the pleasure of not having to put in any extra effort outside of my normal work hours. I find time for an hour of “Seinfield” after work, and a further hour of lawn tennis before I can catch up with “Friends” and cook my dinner. Wow, that's awesome, isn't it?

But things seem odd. I almost find no company to partner my tennis recreation. All my buddies are working hard at fixing another bug and making money for my organization. Wait. Now, that makes me feel guilty. Am I working enough? Is eight hours a day not enough? Everything seems out of place. I, seem out of place. All this lead me to write this piece. I just got curious about what you guys think on this.

Should our work get so important that it occupies everything in our lives? Maybe it shouldn't. But, how about a counter point. We spend almost a third of our day at work and another third sleeping. Then shouldn't work be damn important?. Because it earns you your livelihood should we be always(albeit grudgingly) thinking about it?

I believe it all depends on where you draw a line. If we can strike a good balance with our other activities and not overwork I think we would do just fine. But knowing when to and how to is probably tougher than the number of software enhancements I have to work on. Maybe I can never figure that out. But before I get busy again I will surely enjoy all my evening sojourns, my tennis practice, all the ogling at girls in my apartment complex, Seinfield, Friends and a lot lot more!!.

Solitude

2006-04-25T10:28:00.000+05:30

Some of my most tranquil hours in life have come during those long rain-storms, which confined me to the house for the afternoon and the most part of the forenoon as well. Almost drifting away in the seemingly endless pelter of the rains and ending it all in a long evening where there was enough time for my thoughts to unfold. I still remember those incessant rains which Vizag used to receive. Barring those times when there was a deluge, I would half-heartedly perch myself on my first floor house balcony. Half-heartedly because, though I would have loved to waltz the rains I thoroughly enjoyed the security of my house. There is used to spend seemingly endless hours admiring the droplets of water, in my own sweet world – where I was never alone.

People would be tempted to ask me why I did that. Wasn't I alone? Being a small kid wouldn't I have preferred the company of men and other kids?

I would be inclined to answer in the negative. How exactly do you define company or proximity? What is this space which separates me from the others? Does being near bring two minds together? If we don't need a mind to be together then what bonding are we talking about? Two minds can be together even if they are afar.

Can we,instead of the long gossips with the society have our own thoughts to cheer us? I'd be considered a loner if I say that I find it wholesome to be alone for the greater part of my time. There is no better companion to us than “Solitude”. Aren't we more lonely when we go out and move out among men. I am alone when I think or do my work. Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intersperse a man and his fellows. We meet at very short intervals and not acquire any new value from each other. Does the value of a man lie in his skin – that we need to touch him, feel him, see him?

Silence, they say is an feeling in which many great things fathom themselves. Solitude – I'd say is more so a state of the mind. It shows how much a man is at peace with himself and with his surroundings. And we rarely manage to achieve that except with Death.

A Question of Time

2006-04-24T01:26:00.002+05:30

I had no time, I was a little busy today”.

This is an oft stated premise which we give a family member, a friend or a dear one. Now, is this really true? How much time is really enough for us? Not twenty-four hours?

I remember a line from a movie I saw a very long time ago in which the protagonist tells a girl - “Time hota nahin hai,nikalna padtha hai”. Now for the folks who thought that was Greek let me tell you it is not. That's a quote from a Hindi movie and it meant - we never have time, we have to make it. Well, at least that's what I got from it!!.

So then what does it convey. We'll never find time for everything and everyone. It is absolutely impossible. Life has become very contemporary. The people we move with, the kind of work we associate with are becoming the most important part of our lives. To explain our failure to keep up with the rest of our things, we have one good reason. A lack of time.

And that is no understatement. We really don't. Change is constant. We have to run to keep pace with the world which is running amok. In the midst of all this we don't have enough time to stop and stare. Are we handling things as we ought to? Am looking for answers.

Do we care to return an old friend's note? Even our own family members seem to be against us once we are married. We don't tend to think with them anymore. We do not realize the importance of people in our lives. There'll be cases where our rejection might lead them to not come back to us again. We always to realize the importance of something only after we lose it. Should we be doing it with people too? Can't we make a little bit of time today to write to a friend, call a parent. And not just for the sake of making the call. Can you make the call to inquire how your mom is doing, how's she doing with all the work, whether she needs any help at all. If you can start doing this i believe you would have made some time and no more will you say you were too busy.

Everybody lives only twenty four hours a day. Skip a few minutes of the unnecessary gossip we have everyday, lose ten minutes of your sleep and wake up early, think a little bit less about ourselves. It's not going to do any harm to us. It'll tell somebody that you have not forgotten them. That you still care about them. And when they ask you how come you are not busy maybe you could even tell them - “Time hota nahin hai,nikalna padtha hai”!!.

Kipling's "If"

2006-04-13T09:30:00.002+05:30

It must have been a pretty inconsequential afternoon in high school when my teacher read out to us Rudyard Kipling's “If”. I was an eight grade student and the poem perhaps hit me out of my afternoon siesta. I don't complain at all because it is a pointer for personal integrity, behavior and self-development(Naah, I can't write these – I pulled these words out of somewhere). But believe me folks, the poem has made a big impression on my life and here I am to write my kind of tribute to it.

As a prelude to writing up this piece I read up some stuff on Kipling. You would be interested to know that he was born in India. But the beauty and poise of “If” is a stark contrast to Kipling's personal life. It was believed that he was sent away by his parents, abused by his foster mother and a failure at school. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1907. So much for history.

The premise of the poem is so wonderful that I think it would be worthwhile to put it here, right in my blog. And what better tribute can I pay than put the poem right in here.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

I don't know in which situation Kipling might have written this poem. But to me it feels like that of a father talking to his son. Not because of the last line folks, but because of the message it carries.

If you have a poll on what the best lines are, than what would be mine? That's tough. Each couple of lines would outdo the other. But if i am asked to pick my best lines they would be the very last. "If you can fill the unforgiving minute.....you'll be a Man, my son!". Don't ask me why – it has more than a punch to it!!.

Inspiring Generations

2006-04-03T01:41:00.000+05:30

Indian cricket and Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar have been synonymous for the past 16 years. Is there a reason to believe that all that is on the wane? Multiple injuries haven't helped, nor have the failures which one should say is becoming more frequent. Is he at a premium in the side? Am not a cricket expert, but let's try and dissect this premise – from a cricketing side, from a fan's side and above all India's side.

Exciting talent, a captain who is fast improving and a side that is winning – that's Indian cricket this season. There are many stars who have become the flavor of the people, who are slowly going to be getting more endorsements, and become more famous. Where does Sachin stand amongst all this? I would take you back to the third one-day international against Pakistan at Lahore this season. I wouldn't go into stats, but India had a big total to chase. Having lost two quick wickets, it was time for Sachin and Dravid to steer India out of trouble. And boy did they.

But here's where you'll find and interesting paradox. Dravid is a giant amongst contemporary batsmen. The most technically correct, and the most consistent. And here's where I would like to put all the talk about “Tendulkar's end” to rest. India walked into seaming conditions,with the Pakistan opening bowlers making good use of it.Dravid, played, missed and looked all at sea.Sachin's knock was a lesson in batting,of perfect coordination,of letting go the good deliveries.For 35 overs it was a master teaching the cricket world on batting against the seaming ball.It's always been a pleasure watching Sachin decimate bowling attacks.But watching Sachin leave,was for me the stamp of his genius.He swerved,missed a few but kept the bowlers at bay.But never did he compromise on the scoring.And Dravid, all the while looked like a duck lost in a pond.I am by no means belittling his contribution to the important partnership,or his skill.It was a day where he looked second best to genius.And you have to accept that.

The signature straight drive,the seering pull shot,the exquisite cover drive and the cheeky paddle past the keeper are still at their very best.

Even after 16 years of cricket which drains the very best people of their competitive juices, you'll still find that childish enthusiasm whenever he gets a bowl, the same intensity when he comes to bat and the same athleticism on the field.He still pulls his weight in the cricket team,be it with his performance or with the way he guides the youngsters.It was one of the saddest days in Indian cricket when some in the crowd(at Mumbai's Wankhede,3^rd test against England) booed Sachin after he got out in the second innings.

Sachin is again out on an injury break.Let us consider the worst and suppose Sachin never plays a test match for India again.In such a case Wankhede would have been his farewell match and what a farewell did we give to him.I know a few rotten oranges don't spoil the basket but is this the way we treat one of our beloved sons? I'm sorry, but we spoilt a few pages of our history here.We surely haven't seen the last of him.Lahore is a good enough example for me.India would have lost the match that day had it not been for his innings.

He is a shining example for sublime batsmanship, and a statesman cricketer.Let's hope the light keeps shining.

Finally, at work!!

2006-03-07T10:30:00.000+05:30

Seriously, I've been kidding about this blog stuff since over a year. There are days when even the laziest of the dogs get down to work and today is such a kind of a day(well, night) for me.<

It's tough to keep a blog regular. I can never figure out how people manage to do it inspite of all their daily chores. Well maybe - they have no other work!!. Hmm, that makes me feel much better:)

I am not going to make any promises but surely I'll have one more post coming up after this. And then after that? Who knows.

Kick-Off

2005-12-18T02:45:00.000+05:30

Blog time again. I wonder what I'll write. This is the second blog I have ever created.Gave up on my first one about a year ago!!. That one has been deleted I believe.

I don't think I'd be regular with this one too, though. New Year time coming up. I have a resolution to make. Hmm.One after so many years. I wish to keep my blog periodic, write down whatever junk I can think of.

Well, whose going to read my blog anyways. So I am going to fill in the spaces with whatever I can manage. What the ......

I know you understand. Ciao.