Pakistan almost lost the match yesterday at least in spirit. But unlike Australia, they did some very good damage control and thanks to Afridi won the match by a comfortable margin.
When Ravi Shastri interviewed the Paki coach Geoff Lawson, he said their strategy was to keep Afridi towards the end who could then accelerate the scroring. Mr.Coach, you got it all wrong. If you had thought Afridi was just an accelerator, in yesterday's match he disproved it.
He is a mad mad hitter. Send him at the top of the order and you will see the difference. Imagine, if Afridi had made the same 22 in the first 2 overs, Paki score would have been some 37 at the end of 2 overs and Scottish bowlers would have been in a disarray and would have bowled defensively trying to save as many runs as possible. But since no batsmen from Pak took the initiative, they started aggressive and Paki batsmen could never really flex their muscles. Well, in after thought, it all looks so obvious. All said and done, Pakistan held its nerves and just did what was enough to beat the Scots.
On the other hand, Australia were in a daze. They never realised that the match was rapidly slipping out of their hands. I am sure the likes of Sunil Gavaskar will now have broad smiles on their faces. I somehow feel Australia has a really tough task against the English. England has very well groomed T20 players thanks to their county tournaments and would fight till the very last ball with Australia. We will have to wait and watch!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
Trip to Araku Valley
Hi,
Araku – If you have not heard of the name, let me try to use my pen to describe the beautiful mountainous area near Vizag. Dad, Mom, Deepthi and I attended my cousin’s wedding and were happy to catch up with many close relatives some of whom I had not met for years. The plan was to travel back home the same day until Deepthi proposed a trip to the Araku valley area to spend a nice day. It was easy for her to convince me and Mom, but Dad put up a strong fight having got tired of back-to-back journeys. But then, I always had confidence in Deepthi’s persuasive skills. Deepthi not only made him agree to the trip but also managed to get a booking at one of the jungle resorts in Araku valley region. She booked a ‘Wooden Log Hut’ accommodation for the four of us at the ‘Jungle Bells’ resort in the village named ‘Tyada’. Hold on if you want to know more about the jungle resort and the feel of the tribal culture we had experienced there.
So, the four of us set off from Vizag in a train that started early morning. The rail journey was one of the best I had - through tunnels that took us into the heart of the Eastern Ghats. Although I hadn’t kept a count of the number of tunnels, I could hear the 9 year old kid sitting nearby yelling at the top of her voice, “50”. We came across several beautiful lush green valleys and chill waterfalls that shone in the early morning sun.
We got down at the station ‘Borra Guhalu’ meaning ‘Borra Caves’ and walked down the railway tracks and then off them to get to the entrance of the caves. On a board that was hanging at the entrance, there was a description of the history of the ‘Borra Caves’ and also the scientific explanation of the formation of caves in the mountains. The name ‘Borra’ is a telugu and oriya word meaning hole and the caves have been named so as – ‘years ago when a cow fell off the mountains into a huge hole, the caves were discovered’. Legend says that the cow had fell through the caves into the river flowing at the bottom of the hills and came out alive. That had triggered the belief that there was something divine attached to the caves. The river was named ‘Gosthani’ river. Gosthani translates to cow’s udder.
The scientific reason for the formation of the caves seems to be the flow of water for years together through mountains breaching the rocks (something of that sort). Several structures of stalagmite (or was it limestone – plz bear with my feeble brains) have been formed inside the caves due to the settling down of the dripping liquids into various shapes. These structures have triggered the imagination of the people who believed that idols of various Gods have been formed naturally inside the caves.
After reading the description, we walked down the entrance of the caves. It was a beautiful sight. The hole at the top through which the sunlight beamed would have triggered the imagination of writers like Enid Blyton. We hired a guide who took us through the caves showing us various structures which have been imagined to be Lord Shiva, Parvati, etc. And then he pointed us towards certain dangerous locations inside the caves where a lot of honey combs resided (2, 3 people who ventured in there never returned. And then he showed us the top of the caves which was black (ash-like) in colour and told us they were all bats. Deepthi asked him, “I hope the bats won’t attack us”. He assured us they won’t. Some of the structures there seemed to have got the black ash like colour due to the bats (probably some deposits from the bats which he did not want to talk about).
Then, he showed us a place at the top of the cave where there were some idols people worshipped. We walked up there and realized that it wasn’t as easy as it looked. Getting down was far difficult because a small slip would have costed us our lives. We came back to the entrance of the caves all exhausted because of the hiking. On the way back, he showed us various locations inside the caves where famous movies – ‘Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari’, ‘Guna’ and ‘Jamba Lakidi Pamba’ were shot. If I were in the production team of those movies, I would have lost 10 Kgs by the time the shooting had finished. We came out with huge satisfied smiles on our faces. Deepthi was all smiles as she knew everyone was thankful of her. It was not all over yet.
We took a jeep to ‘Tyada’ where we had booked a room in a jungle cottage. It was a hilly road and we reached there in 40 minutes. ‘Jungle Bells’ was a nice resort with several wooden cottages built on the lush green hills. We had to climb to our cottage ‘the Wooden Log Hut’ – a wooden hut-shaped accommodation mounted on logs which were planted into the hill. There was a balcony and 2 rooms with attached bathrooms. We finished our lunch and had a nice afternoon nap all tired from the hiking. We were in for a surprise when we went down to the jungle restaurant in the evening for tea. The tribal women were about to perform the tribal dance ‘Dhimsa’ in an area just next to the restaurant. I finished my tea and was all set with my digicam to capture the tribal dance. Some men came and lighted a fire and to my surprise were heating the ‘dhol’ in the fire. Deepthi said heating the ‘dhol’ would help them produce louder beats out of it. The tribal women walked in, all of surprisingly same height. They were wearing saris in the tribal fashion (tucked into the blouse).
Bang on time, the music started and the 13 women holding each other at the waists started moving in an amazingly synchronized fashion. I was not tired of watching them dancing the same steps for about an hour. Each time after going around the stage twice, they would all gather in a circle screaming in a high pitch voice. The dance was a treat to watch except for some 5 minutes in the middle when one of the crazy guests got on to the stage and danced rather awfully causing annoyance to the tribals. He was soon pulled out of the stage and the tribals danced merrily leaving us with a taste of their culture and lifestyle. After the dance, we 4 finished our dinner and went back to our cottage. Dad and Mom went into their room, but Deepthi and I decided to enjoy the moment by dancing like the tribals. Hearing our footsteps, Dad and Mom came out and immediately Mom joined the party. The 3 of us held each other by the waists and danced like the tribal women for about 15 minutes on the balcony. It was truly a great moment I will remember for years to come, the 3 of us just hopping around merrily holding each other’s waists. Dad got a bit conscious to dance but he sure was helping us with the choreography and was a good audience.
With thousand watt smiles we went back into our rooms and had the best sleep of our lives. We got up early morning the next day and set off in a bus to reach Vizag from where we caught a train to Rajahmundry and reached home at about 3 PM. This surely was one of the best places I have ever visited. So when are you going to visit ‘Araku Valley’?
Araku – If you have not heard of the name, let me try to use my pen to describe the beautiful mountainous area near Vizag. Dad, Mom, Deepthi and I attended my cousin’s wedding and were happy to catch up with many close relatives some of whom I had not met for years. The plan was to travel back home the same day until Deepthi proposed a trip to the Araku valley area to spend a nice day. It was easy for her to convince me and Mom, but Dad put up a strong fight having got tired of back-to-back journeys. But then, I always had confidence in Deepthi’s persuasive skills. Deepthi not only made him agree to the trip but also managed to get a booking at one of the jungle resorts in Araku valley region. She booked a ‘Wooden Log Hut’ accommodation for the four of us at the ‘Jungle Bells’ resort in the village named ‘Tyada’. Hold on if you want to know more about the jungle resort and the feel of the tribal culture we had experienced there.
So, the four of us set off from Vizag in a train that started early morning. The rail journey was one of the best I had - through tunnels that took us into the heart of the Eastern Ghats. Although I hadn’t kept a count of the number of tunnels, I could hear the 9 year old kid sitting nearby yelling at the top of her voice, “50”. We came across several beautiful lush green valleys and chill waterfalls that shone in the early morning sun.
We got down at the station ‘Borra Guhalu’ meaning ‘Borra Caves’ and walked down the railway tracks and then off them to get to the entrance of the caves. On a board that was hanging at the entrance, there was a description of the history of the ‘Borra Caves’ and also the scientific explanation of the formation of caves in the mountains. The name ‘Borra’ is a telugu and oriya word meaning hole and the caves have been named so as – ‘years ago when a cow fell off the mountains into a huge hole, the caves were discovered’. Legend says that the cow had fell through the caves into the river flowing at the bottom of the hills and came out alive. That had triggered the belief that there was something divine attached to the caves. The river was named ‘Gosthani’ river. Gosthani translates to cow’s udder.
The scientific reason for the formation of the caves seems to be the flow of water for years together through mountains breaching the rocks (something of that sort). Several structures of stalagmite (or was it limestone – plz bear with my feeble brains) have been formed inside the caves due to the settling down of the dripping liquids into various shapes. These structures have triggered the imagination of the people who believed that idols of various Gods have been formed naturally inside the caves.
After reading the description, we walked down the entrance of the caves. It was a beautiful sight. The hole at the top through which the sunlight beamed would have triggered the imagination of writers like Enid Blyton. We hired a guide who took us through the caves showing us various structures which have been imagined to be Lord Shiva, Parvati, etc. And then he pointed us towards certain dangerous locations inside the caves where a lot of honey combs resided (2, 3 people who ventured in there never returned. And then he showed us the top of the caves which was black (ash-like) in colour and told us they were all bats. Deepthi asked him, “I hope the bats won’t attack us”. He assured us they won’t. Some of the structures there seemed to have got the black ash like colour due to the bats (probably some deposits from the bats which he did not want to talk about).
Then, he showed us a place at the top of the cave where there were some idols people worshipped. We walked up there and realized that it wasn’t as easy as it looked. Getting down was far difficult because a small slip would have costed us our lives. We came back to the entrance of the caves all exhausted because of the hiking. On the way back, he showed us various locations inside the caves where famous movies – ‘Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari’, ‘Guna’ and ‘Jamba Lakidi Pamba’ were shot. If I were in the production team of those movies, I would have lost 10 Kgs by the time the shooting had finished. We came out with huge satisfied smiles on our faces. Deepthi was all smiles as she knew everyone was thankful of her. It was not all over yet.
We took a jeep to ‘Tyada’ where we had booked a room in a jungle cottage. It was a hilly road and we reached there in 40 minutes. ‘Jungle Bells’ was a nice resort with several wooden cottages built on the lush green hills. We had to climb to our cottage ‘the Wooden Log Hut’ – a wooden hut-shaped accommodation mounted on logs which were planted into the hill. There was a balcony and 2 rooms with attached bathrooms. We finished our lunch and had a nice afternoon nap all tired from the hiking. We were in for a surprise when we went down to the jungle restaurant in the evening for tea. The tribal women were about to perform the tribal dance ‘Dhimsa’ in an area just next to the restaurant. I finished my tea and was all set with my digicam to capture the tribal dance. Some men came and lighted a fire and to my surprise were heating the ‘dhol’ in the fire. Deepthi said heating the ‘dhol’ would help them produce louder beats out of it. The tribal women walked in, all of surprisingly same height. They were wearing saris in the tribal fashion (tucked into the blouse).
Bang on time, the music started and the 13 women holding each other at the waists started moving in an amazingly synchronized fashion. I was not tired of watching them dancing the same steps for about an hour. Each time after going around the stage twice, they would all gather in a circle screaming in a high pitch voice. The dance was a treat to watch except for some 5 minutes in the middle when one of the crazy guests got on to the stage and danced rather awfully causing annoyance to the tribals. He was soon pulled out of the stage and the tribals danced merrily leaving us with a taste of their culture and lifestyle. After the dance, we 4 finished our dinner and went back to our cottage. Dad and Mom went into their room, but Deepthi and I decided to enjoy the moment by dancing like the tribals. Hearing our footsteps, Dad and Mom came out and immediately Mom joined the party. The 3 of us held each other by the waists and danced like the tribal women for about 15 minutes on the balcony. It was truly a great moment I will remember for years to come, the 3 of us just hopping around merrily holding each other’s waists. Dad got a bit conscious to dance but he sure was helping us with the choreography and was a good audience.
With thousand watt smiles we went back into our rooms and had the best sleep of our lives. We got up early morning the next day and set off in a bus to reach Vizag from where we caught a train to Rajahmundry and reached home at about 3 PM. This surely was one of the best places I have ever visited. So when are you going to visit ‘Araku Valley’?
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Dravid should step out...
Hi,
Dravid's decisions have so far been pathetic to say the least about them. To start with, his decision to not enforce follow on in the Oval Test was one of the worst and most timid decisions taken by any captain of any national cricket team. What kind of message are you sending across to your players and your nation? That you can't even take a gamble to increase your lead in the test series? It all reflects the attitude of the India batsmen. Indian batsmen have long forgotten their natural game and are just playing to satisfy their critics. Sachin no longer would clear the field in the initial Powerplay overs as he is afraid that the moron sports news reader of some stupid channel 'Aaj Kal' or whatever would term it as lack of responsibility on his part. Saurav only plays to stay long enough at crease because he wants to re-cement his place in the team. Although Dravid cannot be blamed completely for the batsmen's attitude, his decisions reflect the insecurities of the Indian batting line-up. They all know they were stars at a certain point of time and the public expectations of their performance are huge. That is the very reason why they do not want to take any risks and play their natural instinctive game.
The bowling department's attitude is even worse. They know that the media, the fans and everyone know the lack of discipline of Indian bowlers and so they do not want to try anything new. They have got used to the blasting they receive after every defeat of the Indian cricket team. Instead of trying to rise to the levels of the International best bowlers, they keep getting satisfied with the fact that they are better than other Indian bowlers. That way, Kapil Dev, according to me was a great bowler. He always set his own standards and tried to better them every time. Indian bowling department has never recovered after the departure of the likes of Bedi, Prasanna, Kapil Dev and others. Javagal Srinath had always been a moderate bowler who would do nothing spectacular but would do enough to avoid any blame.
Are we playing cricket to avoid blame game? Do we not have a dream as a nation - to win the world cup, to be the best team in the world. Anyways, coming back to Dravid's case, his decision to field first with a team whose batsmen shivered to the likes of Anderson, Stuart Broad and who else (I can't even remember the names of some of those inexperienced bowlers). How could such batsmen have chased any total? And the worst part is his defense at the end of the match. He blames it all on the bowlers and the fielders. Well, if that department has been crippled for a decade now, as a captain you could have taken a decision that would help India win. Dravid still is a good Test captain inspite of his bad decision at Oval. He has the stature to lead the team through tough times and the determination to get the best performance out in trying conditions. In ODIs, India needs a more agile captain with a quick thinking brain under his hat.
Dravid's decisions have so far been pathetic to say the least about them. To start with, his decision to not enforce follow on in the Oval Test was one of the worst and most timid decisions taken by any captain of any national cricket team. What kind of message are you sending across to your players and your nation? That you can't even take a gamble to increase your lead in the test series? It all reflects the attitude of the India batsmen. Indian batsmen have long forgotten their natural game and are just playing to satisfy their critics. Sachin no longer would clear the field in the initial Powerplay overs as he is afraid that the moron sports news reader of some stupid channel 'Aaj Kal' or whatever would term it as lack of responsibility on his part. Saurav only plays to stay long enough at crease because he wants to re-cement his place in the team. Although Dravid cannot be blamed completely for the batsmen's attitude, his decisions reflect the insecurities of the Indian batting line-up. They all know they were stars at a certain point of time and the public expectations of their performance are huge. That is the very reason why they do not want to take any risks and play their natural instinctive game.
The bowling department's attitude is even worse. They know that the media, the fans and everyone know the lack of discipline of Indian bowlers and so they do not want to try anything new. They have got used to the blasting they receive after every defeat of the Indian cricket team. Instead of trying to rise to the levels of the International best bowlers, they keep getting satisfied with the fact that they are better than other Indian bowlers. That way, Kapil Dev, according to me was a great bowler. He always set his own standards and tried to better them every time. Indian bowling department has never recovered after the departure of the likes of Bedi, Prasanna, Kapil Dev and others. Javagal Srinath had always been a moderate bowler who would do nothing spectacular but would do enough to avoid any blame.
Are we playing cricket to avoid blame game? Do we not have a dream as a nation - to win the world cup, to be the best team in the world. Anyways, coming back to Dravid's case, his decision to field first with a team whose batsmen shivered to the likes of Anderson, Stuart Broad and who else (I can't even remember the names of some of those inexperienced bowlers). How could such batsmen have chased any total? And the worst part is his defense at the end of the match. He blames it all on the bowlers and the fielders. Well, if that department has been crippled for a decade now, as a captain you could have taken a decision that would help India win. Dravid still is a good Test captain inspite of his bad decision at Oval. He has the stature to lead the team through tough times and the determination to get the best performance out in trying conditions. In ODIs, India needs a more agile captain with a quick thinking brain under his hat.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
A play in a play in a play!
Hi,
So finally it has ended. My 2 month long stint with the theatre group MisF!T has finally ended yesterday. For 2 months I had had a lot of fun learning all the basics of theatre from developing a character to projecting the volume on stage to moving professionally on stage. At the end of the workshop, we had to give a presentation. There were 8 of us who had scripted this play titled 'The Last Scene' which belongs to the genre - 'A play in a play in a play'. We were to make the presentation at Tunbridge High School last night at 8 PM. But heavy rain had brought a huge frown on all our faces. That was when Ratan Thakore Grant (our instructor) stepped in and found us a place in a restaurant - AJ International. We made space for our play and for the audience and improvised on the spot to suit the space constraints provided by the restaurant. It was fun and I thoroughly enjoyed acting under such circumstances. Finally to the clapping of the audiences (there were around 30 invited audience) we introduced ourselves and received their feedback on the script and the individual performances. I was appreciated for one character I played - 'Director RK', but was thrashed for my performance as 'Inspector Joshi'. Oh yeah, we all played 2 characters because it is a 'Play in a play in a play'. I will provide the venue details when we stage another show, why don't you drop in?
So finally it has ended. My 2 month long stint with the theatre group MisF!T has finally ended yesterday. For 2 months I had had a lot of fun learning all the basics of theatre from developing a character to projecting the volume on stage to moving professionally on stage. At the end of the workshop, we had to give a presentation. There were 8 of us who had scripted this play titled 'The Last Scene' which belongs to the genre - 'A play in a play in a play'. We were to make the presentation at Tunbridge High School last night at 8 PM. But heavy rain had brought a huge frown on all our faces. That was when Ratan Thakore Grant (our instructor) stepped in and found us a place in a restaurant - AJ International. We made space for our play and for the audience and improvised on the spot to suit the space constraints provided by the restaurant. It was fun and I thoroughly enjoyed acting under such circumstances. Finally to the clapping of the audiences (there were around 30 invited audience) we introduced ourselves and received their feedback on the script and the individual performances. I was appreciated for one character I played - 'Director RK', but was thrashed for my performance as 'Inspector Joshi'. Oh yeah, we all played 2 characters because it is a 'Play in a play in a play'. I will provide the venue details when we stage another show, why don't you drop in?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Romeo And Juliet
A love-struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made.
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like "you and me babe, how about it?"
Juliet says "hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
He's underneath the window she's singing "hey la, my boyfriend's back.
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that...
Anyway what you gonna do about it?"
Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet that you exploded into my heart
And I forget I forget the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame.
Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real.
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?
When you can fall for chains of silver,
You can fall for chains of gold,
You can fall for pretty strangers,
And the promises they hold.
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah!
Now you just say "oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him".
Juliet, when we made love you used to cry.
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
I can't do the talks, like the talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be.
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you,
I can't do anything, except be in love with you!
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be,
All I do is keep the beat and the bad company.
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme,
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time!
Juliet, when we made love you used to cry.
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
He says something like "you and me babe, how about it?"
"You and me babe, how about it?"
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made.
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like "you and me babe, how about it?"
Juliet says "hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
He's underneath the window she's singing "hey la, my boyfriend's back.
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that...
Anyway what you gonna do about it?"
Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet that you exploded into my heart
And I forget I forget the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame.
Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real.
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?
When you can fall for chains of silver,
You can fall for chains of gold,
You can fall for pretty strangers,
And the promises they hold.
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah!
Now you just say "oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him".
Juliet, when we made love you used to cry.
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
I can't do the talks, like the talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be.
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you,
I can't do anything, except be in love with you!
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be,
All I do is keep the beat and the bad company.
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme,
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time!
Juliet, when we made love you used to cry.
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
He says something like "you and me babe, how about it?"
"You and me babe, how about it?"
Friday, August 10, 2007
Nostalgia - Jungle Road
Jungle Road
I rode the cities, I rode the towns
I rode the streets, the ups and downs
As I reached the edge of the human abode
I drove my wheels to the Jungle road
Jungle road the magical road
my heart kept beatin’ as a whirlwind blowed
Jungle road the magical road
the ground kept thumpin’ as the elephants strode
The song of the birds, the whistle of a train
the dance of the trees to the tune of the rain
the kiss of the breeze, the mist in the sky
caressed my soul as I whizzed past by
the Jungle road the magical road
my soul kept dancin’ as the wheels just rolled
Jungle road the magical road
the mystical abode of stories untold
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Nostalgia - My siver jubilee b'day
30th of May, 2006 (It was my birthday btw) - at 12 late night, my friend Massi gives me a call to wish me Happy B'day and then says, "The weather is beautiful tonight. Why don't you open your door and come outside". The Sherlock Holmes in me started deducing something out of this and I realised that this guy might be waiting outside to wish me happy b'day. My guess turned out to be true and Massi and Nelson were waiting outside my door with a b'day cake and a gift wrapped up nicely. I was happy but was surprised bcos none of my friends ever treated me this way. I cut the cake and started opening the gift. I saw a nice grey bag and asked him how he knew I wanted to buy a bag. Then there was a nice shirt inside absolutely of my liking. Then, I saw a Temptations chocolate. I felt there was something fishy. I looked at him and he asked me to open and read the card. I read the card and was totally amazed when I found that it was signed...
Deepthi
She had asked her colleague visiting Bangalore to pass on the gift to Massi who would drop in at my home by 12 to surprise me... It was truly the happiest birthday I ever had...
Deepthi
She had asked her colleague visiting Bangalore to pass on the gift to Massi who would drop in at my home by 12 to surprise me... It was truly the happiest birthday I ever had...
Monday, August 06, 2007
Nostalgia - Yeh hai meri kahaani...
Hi,
You must be aware of the movie - 'Zinda' in which the hero Sanju baba sings this song 'Yeh hai meri kahaani' during his stay in the tight-walled jail for 14 years for no obvious reason. Same is my state now. When I had come to Bangalore I had chosen to become the flat mate of Kallu mama, as I saw nothing wrong in that decision. Now I will describe my weekly routine as a flatmate of this die hard Sanju baba's fan:
yeh hai meri kahaani
khamosh zindgaani
sannaata keh raha hai
kyun zulm seh raha hai...
The monday starts with the same song yet again. I get the feeling that I have been destined to hear this song at least some crore times, before knocking on the doors of heaven or hell.
ek dastaan puraani
tanhai ki zubani
har zakhm khil raha hai
kuch mujhse keh raha hai...
It is Tuesday.. or is it? It looks like Monday yet again.. sorry sorry.. looks like nahin.. sounds like Monday..
chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon
Wednesday.. had a tough day at work.. Came home to relax.. and yeah sweet song.. let it be the same song.. I don't care.. I don't know if this is a punishment and if it is, I probably deserve it.. like Sanju baba thinks in the movie..
bus yeh meri kahaani
be nishan nishaani
aik dar beh raha hai
kuch mujh se keh raha hai
Thursday has been a good day at work.. The client seemed to be impressed by my work.. wow days have changed, now I find work interesting once in a while.. but has the time really changed.. nope nope..
chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon
Friday.. the weekend is approaching.. am enthusiastic about finishing off my pending work at office so that I can remain free over the weekend.. mission accomplished, lemme go back home to see if things have changed...
Ab na koi paas hai
phir bhi ehsaas hai
sihaaiyon main uljhi pari
jeenay ki aik aas hai
Well.. the weekend has approached. Well, now that I know this particular aspect cannot be changed in my life, lemme as well start enjoying it... woww.. what a song...
yaadon ka jangul yeh dil
kaanton se jalthal yeh dil
Sunday.. where is the song.. Kallu mama.. wake up and turn the bloody song on.. Lemme hear it.. hear it again and again.. the way Sanju baba gets addicted to fried wantons.. but all said and done.. this is definitely a very good song.. hats off to Strings... am your fan..
chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon
Yeh hai meri kahaani...........................
You must be aware of the movie - 'Zinda' in which the hero Sanju baba sings this song 'Yeh hai meri kahaani' during his stay in the tight-walled jail for 14 years for no obvious reason. Same is my state now. When I had come to Bangalore I had chosen to become the flat mate of Kallu mama, as I saw nothing wrong in that decision. Now I will describe my weekly routine as a flatmate of this die hard Sanju baba's fan:
yeh hai meri kahaani
khamosh zindgaani
sannaata keh raha hai
kyun zulm seh raha hai...
The monday starts with the same song yet again. I get the feeling that I have been destined to hear this song at least some crore times, before knocking on the doors of heaven or hell.
ek dastaan puraani
tanhai ki zubani
har zakhm khil raha hai
kuch mujhse keh raha hai...
It is Tuesday.. or is it? It looks like Monday yet again.. sorry sorry.. looks like nahin.. sounds like Monday..
chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon
Wednesday.. had a tough day at work.. Came home to relax.. and yeah sweet song.. let it be the same song.. I don't care.. I don't know if this is a punishment and if it is, I probably deserve it.. like Sanju baba thinks in the movie..
bus yeh meri kahaani
be nishan nishaani
aik dar beh raha hai
kuch mujh se keh raha hai
Thursday has been a good day at work.. The client seemed to be impressed by my work.. wow days have changed, now I find work interesting once in a while.. but has the time really changed.. nope nope..
chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon
Friday.. the weekend is approaching.. am enthusiastic about finishing off my pending work at office so that I can remain free over the weekend.. mission accomplished, lemme go back home to see if things have changed...
Ab na koi paas hai
phir bhi ehsaas hai
sihaaiyon main uljhi pari
jeenay ki aik aas hai
Well.. the weekend has approached. Well, now that I know this particular aspect cannot be changed in my life, lemme as well start enjoying it... woww.. what a song...
yaadon ka jangul yeh dil
kaanton se jalthal yeh dil
Sunday.. where is the song.. Kallu mama.. wake up and turn the bloody song on.. Lemme hear it.. hear it again and again.. the way Sanju baba gets addicted to fried wantons.. but all said and done.. this is definitely a very good song.. hats off to Strings... am your fan..
chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon
Yeh hai meri kahaani...........................
River on the Rise
Hi,
I was standing on the banks of Godavari in between two of the longest river bridges in Asia. It was a beautiful sight. To my left was the oldest bridge connecting Rajahmundry and Kovvuru, which was built by the Britishers, standing rock solid in spite of the wear and tear it has accumulated over 70 odd years. To my right was the newest bridge constructed 10 years ago, made of concrete, with beautiful arches adding aesthetic appeal to it. Both the bridges were separated by not more than 15-20 metres. I was standing in the middle and I had a look at Godavari water which had calmed down after showing its fierceful side 3-4 days ago hitting lots of villages in Konaseema with floods. The water had the calmness and serenity marked by the cool breeze blowing over it, but it still looked ugly because of the lives it had ruined. I looked up and saw the converging parallel lines (quite paradoxical), the two bridges (more than 3 Kms in length, that is how wide Godavari is at my place) running parallel but giving you a view as though they are converging at the other end near Kovvuru. There, at the other end of the bridge a dim light showed as a train was getting onto the new bridge, at the same time a lightning flashed in the sky and I so badly wanted to capture that moment in a photograph. But they say a picture is worth 1000 words. Let me see if a 1000 words can give you the experience the picture had given me. Below is an attempt at poetry (bricks n bats welcome)
Stood I with my feet sunk in the godavari river
froze I as the breeze touched me as cool as ever
To my left stood an old bridge solid like a rock
to my right was the newer bridge that carried the track
As I looked towards the horizon where both of them kissed
the dim light of a train showed, as the river below hissed
Beauty filled my eyes as lightning filled the skies
and I sang a song in praise of the river on the rise
I was standing on the banks of Godavari in between two of the longest river bridges in Asia. It was a beautiful sight. To my left was the oldest bridge connecting Rajahmundry and Kovvuru, which was built by the Britishers, standing rock solid in spite of the wear and tear it has accumulated over 70 odd years. To my right was the newest bridge constructed 10 years ago, made of concrete, with beautiful arches adding aesthetic appeal to it. Both the bridges were separated by not more than 15-20 metres. I was standing in the middle and I had a look at Godavari water which had calmed down after showing its fierceful side 3-4 days ago hitting lots of villages in Konaseema with floods. The water had the calmness and serenity marked by the cool breeze blowing over it, but it still looked ugly because of the lives it had ruined. I looked up and saw the converging parallel lines (quite paradoxical), the two bridges (more than 3 Kms in length, that is how wide Godavari is at my place) running parallel but giving you a view as though they are converging at the other end near Kovvuru. There, at the other end of the bridge a dim light showed as a train was getting onto the new bridge, at the same time a lightning flashed in the sky and I so badly wanted to capture that moment in a photograph. But they say a picture is worth 1000 words. Let me see if a 1000 words can give you the experience the picture had given me. Below is an attempt at poetry (bricks n bats welcome)
Stood I with my feet sunk in the godavari river
froze I as the breeze touched me as cool as ever
To my left stood an old bridge solid like a rock
to my right was the newer bridge that carried the track
As I looked towards the horizon where both of them kissed
the dim light of a train showed, as the river below hissed
Beauty filled my eyes as lightning filled the skies
and I sang a song in praise of the river on the rise
Friday, August 03, 2007
Yeh hai Sanjay Dutt ki kahani!
Hi,
Sanju Baba got it all wrong. Yeah, I am talking about Sanjay Dutt the bad boy of bollywood who has been sent to jail at the age of 56 (or is he 48?) as he had once bought a toy called AK 56. Of all the people who got upset, I can tell you Kallu mama - my ex-roomie would be the saddest one. Today Kallu and I were discussing what Sanjay Dutt could have done to escape this penalty. He could have followed the example of Dr Haneef. He could have bought his toy in Australia and got caught to the Australian police. The Minister would have cancelled his tourist visa and the media would have criticised the Aussie Government for this. His sister or daughter or one of his lovers should have worn a yellow sari (with some help from their homely friends) and made an appeal to the Indian government.
This would have given him all the sympathy in the world and he would have been sent to India. Instead what Sanjay Dutt did was - he acted in this movie called Zinda where he sought experience in jail (his sixth sense would have forewarned him and encouraged him to get some jail experience) and then he did this movie called 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai' where he drew parallels between himself and Gandhiji. Kallu mama, the Sanjay Dutt fan argues that Sanjay Dutt is as great as Gandhiji since both of them got sentenced for 6 years and that too in Yerawada jail. Yo Kallu mama, you are a true fan!
Jokes apart, I feel if his offence is something punishable, the judge hasn't done anything wrong in punishing him. Of course, he still has the legal option of appealing to a higher court. I like the way his family and he himself are conducting themselves. When he comes back he will have lotsa people waiting with bouquets. Long live Sanju baba!
Sanju Baba got it all wrong. Yeah, I am talking about Sanjay Dutt the bad boy of bollywood who has been sent to jail at the age of 56 (or is he 48?) as he had once bought a toy called AK 56. Of all the people who got upset, I can tell you Kallu mama - my ex-roomie would be the saddest one. Today Kallu and I were discussing what Sanjay Dutt could have done to escape this penalty. He could have followed the example of Dr Haneef. He could have bought his toy in Australia and got caught to the Australian police. The Minister would have cancelled his tourist visa and the media would have criticised the Aussie Government for this. His sister or daughter or one of his lovers should have worn a yellow sari (with some help from their homely friends) and made an appeal to the Indian government.
This would have given him all the sympathy in the world and he would have been sent to India. Instead what Sanjay Dutt did was - he acted in this movie called Zinda where he sought experience in jail (his sixth sense would have forewarned him and encouraged him to get some jail experience) and then he did this movie called 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai' where he drew parallels between himself and Gandhiji. Kallu mama, the Sanjay Dutt fan argues that Sanjay Dutt is as great as Gandhiji since both of them got sentenced for 6 years and that too in Yerawada jail. Yo Kallu mama, you are a true fan!
Jokes apart, I feel if his offence is something punishable, the judge hasn't done anything wrong in punishing him. Of course, he still has the legal option of appealing to a higher court. I like the way his family and he himself are conducting themselves. When he comes back he will have lotsa people waiting with bouquets. Long live Sanju baba!
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