just like that

Once in every four years, we come across

(i) the biggest sporting extravaganza on the planet.
(ii) the existence of sports like Boxing, Weightlifting and Shooting.
(iii) small African countries that can't be found on the map winning many medals.
(iv) an entire nation of one billion and more waiting with bated breath for that single gold/silver/bronze.

That time has come. Lets pray and hope for the best!

I finally got my posting this month at work. Coimbatore will be my new home. The Manchester of South India, the city and its surrounding geographies are in the middle of an economic boom. For the first time, I see a city where manufacturing is above par the services/agriculture in terms of employment as well as wealth creation. The cost of living, not surprisingly, seems to be nearly as high, if not more than, Chennai. In fact, one of my friends went to the extent of suggesting that it is costlier than Bangalore.

Anyways, since I am going to be here for sometime, you will have enough of Coimbatore snippets in the days to come. Just thought I will make a post as I begin another journey in a new city. I am looking forward to the challenges and hope to have fun in the way!

You know Valentine’s Day is near when

a) The normal stationery shop you visit is suddenly full of ‘You are the one for me’ cards and heart-shaped gifts.

b) Your newspaper comes with special ‘love’ supplements.

c) The news channels run breaking news as “One crore red roses sold in February”.

d) Shopping malls run all sorts of Ms. And Mr. contests.

e) A lot of (otherwise idle) bloggers write some silly post on it :)

As of now, the only missing link is the self-proclaimed moral police who pop-out on occasions like this and tell people what is right for them and the society. (I guess they will give it a skip this time as they are busy with other ‘Maha’ issues)

Anyways, my earliest memory of V-day goes back to eighth standard - I overheard a conversation while standing in the prayer line at school which went as follows “Do you know today is lover’s day?” “Yeah! I know. And Ganesh is going to propose to Divya” (Names changed to protect identities :) ). But it wasn’t until I was 15 that I actually came to know about the dress-color codes to be followed. I remember being furious with myself for not having a green shirt with me (Green, supposedly, was to indicate to your target segment that you were available). These two silly events keeping come back to me whenever I think of V-day. Since my other adult years did not provide any reason to remember Feb 14 in any special way, its time to bring this aimless post to an end now!

I wish all of you a Happy Valentine’s Day. Enjoy the day. Love everyone and throw away any of your old hatred for anyone! And above all, treat every day of the year as V-Day. Let your heart go on!

Since we are already in February, it is probably a bit too late for the 2007 year post, but since I had started writing it sometime back, I might as well complete it. This should also satisfy all my readers who have been complaining about too much of cricket posts :)

It was a year of two parts – the one on campus and the one after.

The one on campus

The last few days on campus were quite enjoyable as was most of the two years. Birthday cakes and treats, parties, movie downloads, yearbook testimonials, placement preparations, a few last-minute love stories, and farewell trips with friends – it was all happening! And then came the three biggest days in any B-school’s calendar – Day 0, Day 1 and Day 2. (Yes, all those stories you read in papers about placement getting over in half-a-day are, mildly put, pure #%$*). Anyways, blessed with a buoyant economy and a hard-working placement committee, we all got our dream placements. Delighted mothers, relieved fathers, and proud siblings - the convocation was really the icing on that huge cake called IIM Indore.

And then it was finally time to leave - everyone had to, except that no one really wanted to! There are moments in life when you wish you had an opportunity to go back and do it all over again - that feeling came over me as I stood near the stairs of my hostel block and took one final look at the home of my two years. And when I finally boarded the train at Indore, I knew I was finishing up on one important journey and starting on another.

The one after

The one month period after campus and before work was bliss - I slept a lot, ate even more and generally didn’t do any productive work. And then I joined work. The first four-and-a half months was so hectic and so full of travel that it passed before I could say ‘paint’. After that it’s been relatively peaceful with occasional bursts of work.

On the personal front, a six day week meant just one day for all the catching up - catching up with friends, coming online on Gtalk, sleeping long hours and all the efforts towards getting a driving license and passport (both still continue to be in the pipeline). Thanks to weekday night shows, I managed to stay in touch with the film stars. And by installing DISHTV, my lifelong ambition of watching Sachin bat on a 29 inch screen was also fulfilled :)

There is one more very significant thing that happened in the year of 2007. Right through my school and college days, I have tried everything from drinking Complan (Yes, I was a Complan boy!) to working out at the gym to put on weight. None of it had ever worked even a little bit and I had given up hopes long time ago. And yet, magically, this year, with almost no effort from my side, I put on so much weight that for the first time in life, I was actually worried about my diet :). For this reason alone, 2007 would go into the annals of my biography as a very important year. 2008, u better have something really special up your sleeve :)

With the current mood in India, the title alone would have sufficed as a post but I am so angry right now that I need to pour my feelings somewhere.

To the Australian cricket team – I would like to remind you that the world hasn’t forgotten what Glenn McGrath, Michael Slater and so many others have all said at various points of time in the field. So don’t act like a bunch of angels now! What was said in the cricket ground was to be left there. If other teams started complaining about what you say to them on the field, Australia can never field eleven players in any match.

To Australia and its people – If you want to prove to the world that you are a good sporting nation, this is the time to do it. You know what’s happened – so if we call off the tour tomorrow, you know it was because of your own team’s making. Sorry about that! I, as a cricket fan, have at times saluted the way in which your team has played the game but your current team will have none of it. It’s tough to believe a team led by someone like Steve Waugh has also been led by a rogue like Ricky Ponting.

To Mike Procter, the South African match referee:

1) When harbhajan did not agree to the allegation (or to the actual words as charged) against him and you had no neutral person (namely the umpires – Whether they were neutral in the game is an altogether different matter) supporting the allegation, on what basis can you lay a ban on the accused?

2) Coming from South Africa, a country which has fought so long against racism, you should be the first person to understand when something is meant as a racist remark and when its not. Or are you probably trying to pay back for all the good that the Indian board has done to South Africa when you came out of apartheid?

To Indian fans – Thanks a lot for the support and feedback you have been giving in the media. It proved that we not only burn effigies but also can support our team in an hour of crisis. Continue the good work!

To the BCCI – You have begun acting the right way. Ensure the job gets finished properly. For the benefit of everyone, the following is the procedure we should adopt:

1. Revoke Harbhajan’s ban completely, failing which we will pack our bags and catch the next flight out. If the hearing is suspended till end of series, we can continue to play under the condition it will happen before the beginning of tri-series.
2. Although we would like Bucknor and Benson not to stand in any more matches, it currently cannot be changed mid-way through a tour. This must be understood by everyone. We should register an official protest for now and leave it at that. For any international match played after this test series, BCCI should insist on these umpires not officiating in any India matches. It might sound very childish but their performance left very little scope for anyone to think otherwise.
3. If the matches do happen after revoking the ban, ask our team to give it back on the field in every single opportunity. The series has already been lost, so what is left for us is not just ‘pride to play for’ as some might argue but use the opportunity to show those guys who we really are and what happens when you rub good guys on the wrong side.

The most stupid thing for us in the world would be to continue the tour if the ban is not overturned. It will be like bowing down to every team in the world and saying “Next time I tour your country, keep your players and the match referee ready – We have our key players waiting for a ban” .

Enough is enough!This is the time to show our cricket power to the world. For far too long, we have been seen as a country of meek people. Its time to assert ourselves, not only because we deserve it, but for the simple reason that we are right! Come back India!

Wishing all of you a very happy new year! May this year see all your dreams come true!

Iam someone who believes every day of every year is a new one and needs to be started afresh but nevertheless, these occasions give you a chance to reflect upon yourself and an opportunity to start something new and positive for the days ahead. As for the year that went by, it is quite a memorable one and I would probably make a post on it sometime. Till then, happy new year folks!