Baasha...

Honesty "will be" rewarded. Check this out. Unfortunately, people react only when someone suffers for being honest, failing to see, or sometimes shunning the responsibility of playing a part in implementing the bigger picture behind such a suffering...let's think positive...all the time...

The Story of My Experiments with Truth- An Autobiography

I finished reading this book a month ago. The book left me in awe.

This is the first autobiography or for that matter, any biography that i have read. I am not sure if the others will be anywhere near being as candid as this one. Experiments with Truth- nothing less, nothing more.

All of us might have different opinions about the political correctness of this man. That is beyond the scope of this blog and the book. What's impressive is the way he lived his life. So simple, so selfless and so so tolerant! He was passionate about a lot of things, but that never affected his decision making. In his view, all men were equals- there was simply no villain worth hating.

I'd recommend this book for anyone aspiring to be a tolerant person and just for them. The book tries to emphasize that we should look at only the positive side of a person. Needless to say, it preaches a lot about being truthful to our self. A great book, overall.

PS: People who dont like the man, please dont read the book, for there are quite a few points which will make you hate him even more. The penalty he pays for being candid...

Feel proud!

"You are back again. Is there a problem?", the lady behind the counter was concerned.
"No. I took my driving test and I am back now to get my license", I said.
Her face showed genuine surprise. Only an hour had passed since I got my temporary license permit from the lady sitting next to this lady and now I was back having passed the maneuverability and road tests, to get my Driver's License. That must've been a record shared by very few.
"Wow. That's great. Congrats", she said surprised by my efficiency and talent.
"Thanks", I said smiling with a feeling of achievement, shamelessly.
Little did she know that I had let my previous license expire beyond renewal date and so had to go through all the procedures again like a rookie.
When there's some easy pride up for grabs, why let go off it? :P

A short story-6

Compassion
---------------

Tears were flowing down Sudha's cheeks. It was nothing new. She was a very emotional 21 year old, caring a lot for people around the world. Death news of a few tens of people due to some mishap or another, wherever it might have happened, invariably sent a stream of tears out of her eyes.

It was an earthquake in Pakistan. 84 people killed and more than 300 injured. The sight of a one-year old, newly orphaned girl child was vividly captured by BBC. There was mud all over the child's body and that was enough to trigger the tears this time around.

All kinds of thoughts were racing in her mind. What is God doing? Is there a God at all? If there is, will He(or She) let all this happen? God's supposed to do good to the people He created, isn't He? No...wait...what am i thinking? There is God..."am sorry God", she said looking towards the roof of her bedroom. Ofcourse He does all this to prove that there's a supreme power governing the human race.

So, what am I supposed to do? I should help the mankind, feel pity for the ones suffering all around the world and contribute part of my time for their welfare. I should help the needy. I should be thankful to God for making me so fortunate...not as one of the many suffering all around the world.

Compassion is the need of the hour, she realised. She decided to join the Social Organization she had heard about last week. That way she'd be able to contribute as much as she could for the society.

Her mind was now clear. She decided not to waste any more time and was all set to leave when her 80 year old grandmom, who was pretty much confined to her bed 24/7 called out for her. "Sudha. Can u get me a cup of water, please?", she cried, unaware of the kind of urgency Sudha was in. "Mom will be home in 5 minutes. Ask her to give you water. Am in a hurry". She started her Scooty and accelerated it and felt the fresh air hitting her face.

"It's a new beginning to my life", she said to herself.

26 and running...

...actually, just ambling for the time being!

Anbae Sivam...

...

Ah Aah

Saw the movie a couple of days back. There's a dialogue in the movie that got me thinking. The translation goes something like this...
"Do we ever break our relationship with our mother? No. We never go in search of a different mother, come what may. Then, why are there so many break-ups in bf-gf relationships? It's because we don't treasure it as much as that of a relationship with a mother. We are not totally sincere in love."
- what else could possibly be the reason?...i wonder...

A short story-5

Was tagged by K7 and here it goes, a short story in 55 words...

A Must-Do
---------------
What a misfortune! There were hundreds of things that Raj had stopped doing while in USA, things that MUST be done while in India.
"How come THEY dont have this facility?", his grandpa blamed the States' infrastructure. Raj couldn't believe he let his slippers in the open outside the temple and not to a person-in-charge.

Tagging Bugs and Shy- write at your leisure girls...

Andre Agassi and The Ashes...

I used to hate the name even until 3 years back. I smiled whenever he lost, the way i do for Federer now. It was because i loved Sampras. Once Sampras retired, i kind of started liking Agassi, for i always knew he was a good player...a very good player. This is Agassi's 20th straight year at the US open, starting from 1986. Am not sure if anyone else has this kind of record...simply unbelievable. At 35, he's still the king of service returns, which was amply on display in his Quarterfinal game against compatriot James Blake last night. This was one of the best games of tennis i have ever got to see and i am thankful for it. Down 3-6, 3-6, 1-3, only Agassi could have possibly taken it to the fifth set, let alone...win it! I kept believing that he'd somehow pull this one off and he did! Agassi won 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(8-6). He did not give Blake a single matchpoint, which was not great only because it was Agassi. I started feeling sorry for Blake right after Agassi evened things out in the third set at 3-3 and almost lost my confidence when Agassi was down a break in the fifth. For all his worth, he broke back and took it to tie-break. There he was down 1-4 again! Agassi was on the comeback throughout the match, where he showed a lot of character. If he gets to meet Federer in the Finals, it'd be an awesome game where Federer would be made to give his everything to win, which is itself becoming a rarity these days. Ofcourse, there's Ginepri waiting to pounce on the old tiger to enter into a Grand Slam Finals for the first time in his career...but after seeing the way Agassi played in the QF, Ginepri would be hoping for something more than just his talent to beat the legend...

Another bad day for the Aussies in the Ashes. England are 319/7 at the end of the first day's play in the fifth and final test. Atleast, it wasnt too bad relatively based on what has happened in the last 3 games. I thought that losing the toss was a blessing in disguise, for this will give them enough time to take 20 English wickets. Hope rain doesnt take too many overs away from this game and spoil a well fought series...

IIT? what is it?

i hereby announce with great pride that i studied in a college that is one step ahead of IIT Madras and two steps ahead of IIT Kharagpur- hehe!

Read this

Dead Man Alive!

How i wish i had the mentality to disregard this as absurd without giving it a second thought....or do i?

just in time...

Happy 58th Independence Day, India. You've done me proud and I'll try to make you proud in all sincerity. Jai Hind!



gandhiji.jpg, originally uploaded by Minimal Ego.

Knee Injury...

Lack of a proper fitness regime, it's got to be. On Friday, during our regular cricket practice, I was bowling as usual. Suddenly, on my follow through i heard a cracking sound from my knee and the next moment i was on the ground crying in pain. My immediate thought was that i had broken a bone. I have never had a fracture in my life before and to have one at this point in time was the worst i could imagine. My teammates took a good look at my knee and the experienced ones diagnosed that it wasn't a fracture since there was no serious swelling. I waited there for another hour and a half for the practice to end and by that time i was feeling reasonably better and so decided against going to the doctor that night(i hate visiting hospitals- am quite the opposite of an hypochondriac). I was helped all along by two of my team mates, who took me to a nearby pharmacy to buy a pain relieving gel and then took me to a restaurant where we had dinner. Thanks guys, for being very helpful. They then brought me home and I was on my own from then on for another hour or so until my roommate came home. I broke a towel hanger in the bathroom putting my full weight on it! I took a painkiller and decided to sleep, when my roommate arrived. I told him about this and we decided to go see a doctor the next morning if it did not get any better, and it did not.
So, i went to the university hospital on Saturday afternoon and after having waited for nearly 5 hours, saw the doctor! Thanks to my roommate and another friend for their patience and support, the time flew by. The doctor diagnosed it as a possible lateral ligament tear or an inflammation in the meniscus. He said that he would not be able to find which one it was without being cruel to me. He said that it would hurt me a lot if he tried to then and so asked me to see an orthopaedist on monday when the pain would have lessened. I'll have to fix up an appointment and it could well be a week before I actually see an orthopaedist. Am on painkillers right now and was on crutches until earlier today. Now, am able to walk around without the crutches. There's pain(better than what it was yesterday though) and the swelling hasnt come down by much. Hope it heals soon.
Thanks a lot A and J for your help. Thanks a lot K and S for your patience and help. Living away from home will only be a nightmare if not for friends like you...

speechless...

It's not a daily phenomenon. Neither does it happen once a week nor probably once a month. You mean to say so much...yet, all you manage to do is be silent. The pun-man in you goes on vacation. The past haunts and the future seems to be one of solitude...while the present makes an onlooker wonder if you are naturally dumb. Parting with people you have taken for granted...certainly the time and place when and where words fail you.

Midwest, Game 7

We knew that this could be the last midwest game we'd be playing this season, if we lost, even before the game had begun. We felt this wouldn't be the last game after having scored 193 runs batting first. We were more than sure that this wouldn't be the last game when University of Kentucky CC(UK) required 23 runs in the last 12 balls, more so because we had lost a close game already this season. The odds were so much against us losing from there. I had more reason to believe so because i was going to bowl the last over of the game if we got there for UK had just 2 wickets left. It required only 9 balls including a noball and a wide in the penultimate over for them to score those 23 runs. Their number 8 batsmen hit 3 fours and a six in the space of 7 balls that he faced out of those 9 balls and took them home.
The game was closer than what it was after 33 overs in their innings. They needed 29 in 24 balls. T bowled the 32nd and gave just 2. I bowled the 33rd and gave just 4. K decided to bowl himself and this time there was no reason to believe he was wrong. He had bowled his previous over pretty decently. The first ball which was pitched a little fuller than good length on the middle stump was whacked atleast 20 yards over the midwicket boundary and right then we knew we could lose. It was too good a shot for a lower order batsman to play. The next ball was a little shorter and was pulled one bounce into the midwicket boundary for four. It could have been stopped but wasnt to be. 13 from 10 balls with 2 wickets in hand. It was anybody's game now. I was already starting to worry about the last over and wasn't sure if it'd get there for different reasons this time! A wide. 12 from 10. A single. 11 from 9. The number 10 batsman managed to pick up an easy single. 10 from 8. A noball over the waist was pulled to deep square leg for four more. 5 from 8. A dot ball through to the keeper. 5 from 7. Another ball through to the keeper and the batsmen risked a single. The keeper could have walked to the stumps and taken the bails off but he panicked and threw the ball. It missed the stumps and more importantly number 8 would be on strike when i bowl the final over. 4 required from 6 balls. After having taken a good look at what had happened, I knew i had to bowl a good length ball outside off, way outside off rather. I did but it was a little shorter than what i had expected to bowl and the batsman proved to be a class act for he managed to cut it for four with an exquisite timing. I finished with figures of 6.1-0-29-1.
Earlier, our batsmen did a great job to post 193 from being 92/5 after 22 overs. I did not get to bat.
The scorecard for the game is here. Our team stats for this season can be found here. My stats in midwest league can be found here.

the thespian in us

how should one react when an acquaintance says, "You have impressed me with the kind of courage you have shown in this time of distress", when the one concerned actually spends sleepless nights worrying about the distress and just puts up a calm face for the public?

A short story-4

Dilemma
-----------

"I love you Divya", Raj said placing the red rose he held in Divya's hand. She was blushing and was happily grabbing the rose from his hand. Instead of feeling joyous, Raj was having mixed feelings, for Divya knew nothing about what he once felt for Shruti. He could not imagine what'd happen if she came to know later on that he hid this from her. Anyways, it wasn't a big thing that demanded a certain mention before proposing his love to Divya or so he felt...he knew that she could easily feel otherwise. She was a very sensitive and possessive girl. He hated himself for this premature proposal. Right then, he half-heard the "love you too" when he realized that Divya was in his arms. He hugged her tightly, more out of fear than out of affection, out of the fear of losing Divya's love...Divya's too.

Shruti and Raj were very good friends...are as well. There was a time when they just couldn't live without each other's company. Months and years rolled by and the friendship grew strong. Shruti knew everything about Raj. Raj knew most things about Shruti...more than most of her other friends. One fine day, he knew not why or how, he realized that he loved Shruti. He knew that his life will not be complete without her. She was everything he needed to survive. She wasn't the most beautiful of girls around but for his eyes and he was sure he did not love her for any one particular thing...it was everything put together that attracted him, made him go mad in love for her. He proposed his love to her the same night, the night that will remain in his memory forever.

He entered her house with a red rose. She was alone and welcomed him with a smile. He held the rose in front of her.
Saying, "Shruti, I love you", he smiled. She smiled back and accepted the rose. He could not control his emotions. He was blushing, smiling, laughing and crying all at the same time. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or if it was really happening!
"Raj. I don't deserve you", she said. He now felt sure that he was dreaming.
"What?", there was only one emotion this time and she was wiping the tears away from his cheeks.
"Yes Raj. You are a nice guy. You certainly deserve a better girl and you'll find one too, pretty soon. Now, stop crying."
"But why, Shruti? Is there something I need to know", he had stopped crying- but his thoughts were wandering in all possible directions.
"No, nothing. I know about me very well and I know you better than what you know about you. Now take my word when I say that you deserve a better girl", she was patting his back. He knew that he will not be able to push her any further and that she knew it better than anyone else.
"All I know is that I'll never be able to love another girl the way i loved you, ever", he sounded helpless.
She was genuinely concerned, but managed to joke, "Am sure there are a lot of hot babes around who'll get you in no time. Now, let's have dinner".
He stayed there well past midnight, lying down after dinner, resting his head on her lap for a couple of hours, trying not to think about what had happened. She handled it very well, talking about Aishwarya Rai and Formula One and other stuff he loved. That was the only time she assumed the role of his mother. It was him playing the dad in general, and in that way, it was a night he could never forget.

Raj was happy to hear that Shruti was engaged, to the son of her dad's friend. Shruti held a special place in his heart, as a friend. Once in a while, he'd think about the night he had proposed to her. But, he knew for sure that he felt nothing more than friendship for her then. Somehow, the thought made him feel happy. He could not tell how, what once seemed to be the only thing he'd live and die for, wasnt so anymore. Yet he gladly accepted this fact. Their bond as friends never slackened and he knew that it'd have been impossible with any other girl but for Shruti. His feeling towards her had evolved into one of respect. She'd always be the best girl he had ever met in his life.

Then came Divya. The fire was almost immediate. Both of them were madly in love with each other. They were not the most open of friends around, but it did not seem to matter. Divya knew that Shruti was Raj's best friend and the feeling of jealousy was quite evident. Raj was always in a dilemma as to whether he should tell her everything or not. He decided against it. If she truly loved his present, she'd not mind this past of his-if she ever comes to know of it, he felt. He asked Shruti for her opinion and she said he'd be a fool to tell Divya about the past, she said it was not even worth a mention and that Divya would laugh right on his face, if he said this to her! This was Shruti's way of making him do what she thought was the right thing and he sure couldn't do anything against what she had said.

"Raj. Thanks for making this easy for me...Are you listening?...", Divya shook Raj. Reality stared at his face.
"No. There's no dilemma", he blurted out.
"What? What dilemma?", she looked puzzled.
"No. nothing. Want icecream?", he smiled wickedly.
"Sure", she winked.
They walked hand in hand to the icecream shop...

Midwest, Game 6

It was an away game against Eastern Kentucky University CC and also happened to be a must-win game. Our captain lost the toss and we were asked to bat first. We'd have batted first anyways and so there were no complaints there. Not one out of the 22 players present there would have predicted what followed. It was a run fe(a)st. We scored 303 runs in the allotted 35 overs losing 7 wickets and my contribution towards the total was a 1 not out- yes, at last i got to bat this season! Everybody had a good time out in the middle scoring runs at will, well aided by a plethora of extra deliveries bowled by EKUDCC. Full marks to our batsmen considering the fact that the temperature was in the high 90s throughout our innings. It was like watching the Indian team batting a test match where runs were scored mostly in boundaries and extras.
The total was overwhelming and we knew all along that there was no way we could have lost the game. We had to boost our net run rate and so started out a little defensive. I was asked to share the new ball owing more to the lacklustre performance of J in the previous games than for my own bowling having been lethal. I was happy to have earned it, though. I gave the first breakthrough, making their opener to mishit a good length ball to mid-off where C took a brilliant one handed catch well over his head. Once we got their top 3 batsmen, we took some liberty and tried various bowling options- maybe overdid it a bit because it took us 32.1 overs to get them all out. I was not required to bowl again in the game and thus finished with a spell of four overs costing 16 runs for the solitary wicket. We won the game by 132 runs in the end. It could have been by a lot more but for their biased umpiring. A lot of plumb in front lbw appeals were turned down and a lot of wide balls that weren't wide enough were called.
We have one game to go and it happens to be another must-win game. Practically, the playoffs have begun for UCCC and we've started off well. Hope we win the next game and get into the actual playoffs- something that UCCC has never failed to do in over 15 years of having played in this league.
Here's the scorecard...

Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza participated in the Cincinnati WTA Tour. She managed to win the first two rounds and lost to the Japanese, Moregami, in the third round in straight sets on July 22nd. I was there at the court watching her lose! This was the first time ever that i was watching a tennis match in a stadium(or whatever!), and the experience was good. It'd have been sweet had she managed to win. After seeing the way she lost, i couldn't help but feel that her laziness was the major factor against her. She has a lot of scope to improve her backhand game and in rushing to the net to take the opponent's drop shots. She has power and I guess with a lot of practice and seriousness, she should be able to break into the top 25 ranks within a year or so.
Goodluck Sania!

The Ashes begins in about 5 hours

London, July 21 (UNI): Second-placed England goes into the Ashes needing to win all five Test matches to knock Australia from the top of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Championship.

Australia’s lead at the top of the official table has been over 20 points since August 2004 and it holds a 21 point advantage over its closest rival going into this series, an ICC release revealed.

England has a very good opportunity to close this gap as even a one-Test margin of victory would see the gap reduced to eight points while a drawn series would lift England’s rating to 117 - 13 points behind Australia, it said.

Australia’s dominance of Test cricket over recent years is such that it must win by a three-Test margin to extend its lead over England.

i love to think against the odds(things which are not in my hands, i mean)...not this time though. Goodluck to all those Brit supporters. Hope the luck ensures a "no whitewash", atleast!

Manmohan proud of Indian muslims

Washington, July 21 (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said he was proud that Muslims in India were patriots and "not one" of them had joined the ranks of terrorist outfits like Al Qaeda.

"We have 150 million citizens who practice the faith of Islam. And I say it with some pride about their patriotism that not one of them has joined the ranks of these gangs like the Al Qaeda or other terrorist activities", Singh told mediapersons at the National Press Club here.

Says a lot about how stupid and offending some generalizations can be. Jai Hind!

Autograph

Am delighted today. One of my favorite movies made in 2004 has won 3 national awards and i think all 3, deservedly. Firstly, the film itself has won the “Most popular film providing wholesome entertainment” award. Secondly, Chitra won the award for best female playback singer for the song "Ovvoru Pookkalumae" and thirdly, Pa Vijay, the lyricist bagged the award for the lyrics of that song.
Cheran earned my respect straightaway after i watched "Autograph". His acting was impeccable...very very realistic and his direction was amazing. The best, in my opinion, was the screenplay- simply flawless. The story might not be the best and i dont think it applies totally to this generation...but that can be just an opinion. Anybody who has lived and experienced life in India must like this movie. If they dont, then something's seriously wrong!
Chitra is my alltime favorite female playback singer. The feelings and emotions that voice brings into any song is unparalleled, in my opinion. She has the best voice of them all and in this particular song, did not have a tough job to do, thanks to the lyricist, director and Sneha, who made Chitra's job a lot easier. kudos to her for bagging the national award for the sixth time! Remarkable...
I dont follow any lyricist other than Vairamuthu closely, but i must admit that this particular song surprised me when i noticed that it wasnt Vairamuthu who had penned it after all. Great job by Pa Vijay. "muyaRchi yendRa ondRai mattum moochu pola swasippoam"...superb. If this song doesnt inspire you when you are down, i doubt if any other song would...

Great job guys. You've done proud to the tamil film industry and am really happy for u guys. Wishing u many many more awards in the future...

Midwest, Game 5

Game against Kentucky Cricket Club(KCC). It was a day filled with twists and turns and we deservedly lost the game. Not many teams get away after dropping an opening batsman, who ends up being 78 not out in a 35 over game, five times! We did not either. It was the most pathetic catching display by UC ever, in my memory. There was another catch dropped of the number 10 batsman in the penultimate over taking the tally to 6 dropped catches!
Batting first, we scored exactly 200 in the allotted 35 overs. Our number 4 batsman who was unbeaten on 39 was ridiculously asked to retire hurt by our captain, since he had a batsman capable of hitting better than him or so he thought, since the batsman who replaced him got out for 6. There were some blown-up egos DURING the game which made the captain not ask the retired batsman to pad up again! Infact, no one was padded up when the last 2 balls of our innings were bowled! Had a wicket fallen then, it would have been utter shame. The captain was completely out of sorts...and i was not surprised.
They started the chase in a good fashion scoring 35 in the first 6 overs losing an opener. Their second wicket partnership was worth about 100 runs and that kind of sealed the match before we started dropping every single catch that came our way. Luckily, none of them came my way! I had a good outing personally bowling 7 overs for 27 runs and picking a wicket. One of our new ball bowlers also bowled very very well finishing with a 5-for. Unfortunately, both of our spells were over with 6 more overs to go and KCC needing 47 more runs with 3 wickets in hand! I still cannot believe we lost the game from there. Our captain gave away 11 runs in the 30th over making it 36 from 5 overs. Then the other new ball bowler, J, gave 8 in the 31st making it 28 from 4 overs. In my and many others' humble opinion, the captain should have taken himself out of the attack. But he came back for the 32nd over and gave 10 runs making it a run-a-ball contest. Meanwhile, we ran a batsman out leaving them with just 2 wickets. 7 runs were scored off the 33rd over bowled by J making the equation 11 from 12. The captain bowled himself again! 6 runs were scored off the over and another tailender's wicket fell, the opening batsman going along nicely, courtesy our catching, at the other end. The number 11 was on strike and the first ball of the last over was whacked into the "unprotected" midwicket fence for four! Despite advice from me and a few others, the captain decided to keep that zone open, because the bowler, with all due respect for his talent, who has no brains, did not want a fielder there! It was an unpardonable error and we paid dearly for it. The bowler did a great job to follow it up with 4 dot balls, making the equation 1 from 1, with the opener standing helpless at the non-striker's end. Another error in field placement made them take an easy single. The square leg fielder was not in a single saving position and surprisingly it missed the captain's attention or he did not bother! They won off the last ball of the game. What should have been a 50 run victory or so, ended up being this way.
We had a team meeting after the game and a lot of holes in the team were discussed, the major one being the captain's potential as a player and more so, as a captain. The unethical issue of retiring the batsman was condemned by most of us. It was a very very long day yesterday and i slept for 10 full hours after the game.
We have two more games to go(both are away games) and winning both of them should ensure a place in the knockers. Losing one "might" be fine if we start working out the permutations and combinations...but at this point, we'd only like to think about winning both the games, the next one in particular. I'll post a link to the scorecard in a few days.

EDIT(17th july, 6:30pm):::::: scorecard's here

Midwest, Game 4 and Wimbledon '05

The midwest league game we had this weekend got cancelled. The other team pulled out of the tournament and so we got 2 points without having to play. 3 more games to go and all 3 are tough ones. We need to win atleast two to have a reasonable chance of making it to the playoffs. Very interesting and challenging situation...

Safin lost in the 3rd round and thus my interest in this year's Wimbledon has come down. It's probably gonna be Federer again. I'll now have to back up Ferrero, Coria, Nalbandian, Grosjean, Gasquet and Johansson in that order to win the cup! Doesnt look very promising, i must admit.

Midwest, Game 3

EDIT(June 21-6pm) ::::::here's the scorecard

UCCC played its 3rd league game in Group A of the Midwest Cricket Tournament yesterday. The game was against Charleston, supposed to be an easy team to beat. Some of the current players of UCCC had some unfinished business at Charleston. UCCC was defeated in a humiliating fashion by Charleston two seasons back and they did not get to meet last year. So, UCCC was hungry to take revenge and revenge they took...
It was a 4-hour drive to Charleston. Our captain lost the toss and we were asked to field first. On a terrific batting wicket, our bowlers managed to bowl Charleston out for 120 runs in 26.1 overs in a 35-over per side game. I managed to bag 4 wickets in 7 overs for 33 runs and failed miserably in bagging that magic 5th wicket from the last last 6 balls i bowled. The last ball of my spell was a yorker which missed the target by less than an inch outside off stump and went through to the keeper...it just wasn't to be. Anyways, this happens to be my best bowling figures in the Midwest Cricket League. All our bowlers bowled well and made sure that the opponents don't get to score a lot.
The chase was a joke. We chased down the target in 13.5 overs with 9 wickets to spare. It was a very sweet revenge with Vijay S, who was also part of the UCCC team that lost to Charleston two years back scored 52 from 20 balls! He made good use of the ridiculously short leg side boundary for a left-hander and in the process ensured that he, not me, gets the Match Ball as an acknowledgement for the Man of the Match performance!
It was a very good victory, UCCC winning for the first time this season with me being a part of the team ;).

The "Know Me" Tag

I have been tagged again and this time by Shy! Well, there was no name for this tag when it reached me- so i've named it the "know me" tag!

Well…here goes!

Three Names I go by:
Ram- by most friends
Jagan- by parents and relatives
Machi- aint it universal!!?

Three screen names:
rammgopalt
minimal ego
Ram- well...

Three physical things I like about myself:
my lips
my eyelashes (damn!)
my forearms- had to name a third one- hehe

Three physical things I dont like about myself:
My hair"style"(it's a mess!)
My feet(they are flat!!)
My double chin(am hoping it'd be out of the list very soon ;) )

Three parts of my heritage:
Chennai- home sweet home
Coimbatore- holidays meant Kovai until a few years back
Chengalpattu- childhood days were spent there

Three things that scare me:
peer pressure(it sucks big time!)
the thoughts after doing something morally incorrect
a bad marriage(what if?)

Three things I want in a relationship:
A girl to whom money means very little...if it means nothing, it's a big plus!
A girl who's voice isnt cacophonous...sweet voice is a plus!
A girl who's open-minded or atleast is willing to be open-minded to hear out things i tell her- obviously, there's no obligation to agree to what i say- but i have the confidence that if she knows me well, she'll find it hard to say NO :P

Three statements which are not all true or all false(Shy- u left this out :P- i changed it a little to make it interesting):
I have 6 fingers on my left hand.
I have never been in a relationship before.
I find it hard to maintain eye-contact while talking.

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeals to me:
Just-about-right figure- too fat or too thin dont attract me physically.
Big eyes(am getting ambitious now!).
A nose that is neither sharp nor blunt, big nor small, long nor short- hehe!!

I guess- in other words, someone like Aishwarya Rai ;)

Three things I want to do badly right now:
Be in Chennai(damn my next point)
Finish my Masters degree
Start working

Three places I want to go on a vacation:
Europe(my knowledge about places shows, i guess :P)
Srirangam- have been there only once and have absolutely no memories from that trip...
Shimla, maybe

Three kids names i like(Shy-omitted, again :D):
Aishwarya
Divya
Priya

I'll leave it for my wife to decide the name if it's a boy :P.

Three things to do before I die:
Take photographs standing next to 1.Sachin Tendulkar 2.Kamal Hassan 3.Aishwarya Rai.
Do something good for my countrymen(especially the financially challenged), that gives me satisfaction.
Give my best to raise my children(or child-we'll adopt a child in the event of failing to have one on our own- i have had thoughts of adopting a kid in any case...but am not sure if am that courageous and it also depends on what kind of wife i get) as (a) selfless individual(s) and also secure a good future for them(him/her) by never ever forcing them(him/her) to do things that i failed to do(or aspired to do but couldn't) as a child.

Three of my everyday essentials:
A shower and the prayers that follow.
Internet.
Music.

Three things I am wearing right now:
My spectacles(i also use contacts!).
My Poonal(Sacred thread that goes across my torso from left top to right bottom).
My Watch(i part it only when there's a good chance of my left wrist getting dirty/foamy(note: not "wet"!)).

Three people who have been tagged by me now are:
Harish(favour returned- hehe), Jammy(i hope u dont mind!) and Niranjan(are u even reading my blog these days, beta?)

The TFM Tag

Got tagged by Harish, which means i'll have to write on the same stuff which he did, which happens to be Tamil Film Music(TFM)...as most tagged posts that i have come across, this one's pretty lenghtyyyyyy too!

No. of albums I own:

250 mp3 albums in my laptop and very few CDs and cassettes which are as good as zero anyways, since i hardly listen to them...

First Album that I bought(not including downloaded stuff):

Gentleman

Last Album I bought(not including downloaded stuff):

Anbae Sivam

Currently Listening to:

Idhu Oru Pon Maalai Pozhudhu- NizhalgaL- Ilayaraja

Albums that I'd want to take with me if marooned on a deserted island(20 albums):

ARR's Jeans<--- if i shall take just one !!
ARR's Kandukondaen kandukondaen
ARR's Alaipayuthey
ARR's Bombay
ARR's Rythm
ARR's Gentleman
ARR's Kaadhalan
ARR's Uyirae
Deva's Aasai
Harris Jeyraj's Anniyan
Harris Jeyraj's Minnalae
Ilayaraja's Anjali
Ilayaraja's Mahanadhi
Ilayaraja's Kadhalukku Mariyaadhai
Ilayaraja's Thalapathy
Ilayaraja's Mouna Raagam
Ilayaraja/MSV's Mella Thirandhadhu Kadhavu
Ilayaraja's Punnagai Mannan
Ilayaraja's Gopura Vaasalilae
Vidyasaagar's Anbae Sivam

Favorite Singer(s):

Male- SPB...the second name is not close enough to even merit a mention!
Female- Chitra(absolutely!), Harini(damn-she's married!) and Janaki(few of her solos are too good but i find some not so appealing)
Duets- SPB/Janaki, SPB/Chitra, Unni Krishnan/Harini

Songs that you are most likely to hear me sing or hum (Song - Movie - MD)- (20 songs):

These must probably the ones i frequently sing out loud.
Everytime i sing "Kaadhalin Deepam OndRu", i stop midway to find both my hands inside my pant pockets, invariably! Coincidence is that Rajni has his hands inside his pockets pretty much throughout that song! freak out!!! :P

EnnavaLae - Kaadhalan - ARR
KannaaLanae - Bombay - ARR
Yen Kaadhalae - Duet - ARR
Kaadhal Rojavae - Roja - ARR
Yaakkai Thiri - Ayutha Yezhuthu - ARR
Ennai KaaNa villayae - Kaadhal Desam - ARR
Minnalae Nee Vandhadhaenadi - May Maadham - ARR
Oruvan Oruvan - Muthu - ARR
VeNNilavae VeNNilavae - Minsaara Kanavu - ARR
Anbae Anbae - Jeans - ARR
Enakkena Yaerkanavae - Paarthaen Rasithaen - Bharadwaj
Konja NaaL poru thalaivaa - Aasai - Deva
Vaseegaraa - Minnalae - Harris Jeyraj
Ennai Thaalaatta Varuvaaloa - Kaadhalukku Mariyaadhai - Ilayaraja
Enna Enna Kanavu Kandaayoa - Valli - Ilayaraja
Engaeyoa Thikku Desa - Mahanadi - Ilayaraja
Kaadhalin Deepam OndRu - Thambikku Yendha Ooru - Ilayaraja
Inji Iduppazhagi - Thevar Magan - Ilayaraja
SingaLathu Chinna Kuyilae - Punnagai Mannan - Ilayaraja
Mun Paniyaa - Nandhaa - Yuvan Shankar Raja

Favorite Lyrics(10 songs):

Am a big time fan of Vairamuthu...the man can be unbelievably subtle in writing...he's simply great!

Rythm- Kaatrae Yen Vaasal Vandhaai

Kattil Idum Vayadhil Thottilida Chonnaal Seriyaa Seriyaa?
Kattilil Iruvarum kuzhandhaigaL aanal pizhayaa pizhayaa?

Ayutha Yezhuthu- Yaakkai Thiri

Jeevan Nadhi Kaadhal Kadal Nenjae
PiRavi Pizhai Kaadhal Thirutham Anbae

Gokulathil Seethai- Yendhan Kural Kaettu

Aayiram malargaLil aanandham kaaNgiRaai
niRangalae vaettRumai unarndhidu naNbanae...
...yaaridam kuRayillai yaaridam thavaRillai
thookkamae nimmadhi thoongidu naNbanae

KaLathoor KaNNammaa- Ammavum Neeyae

Poonai Naayum kiLiyum kooda manidhar madiyilae
petRa piLLayaippoal nalluRavaai koodi vaazhudhae
engaLukkoa anbu seyya yaarum illayae...

AruNaachalam- Adhaandaa Idhaandaa

...iLamayil uzhaippavan mudhumayil sirikkiRaan
iLamayil paduththavan mudhumayil thavikkiRaan...
...thanakkena vaazhbavan irukkayil iRakkiRaan
piRarkkena vaazhndhavan iRandhumae irukkiRaan...

DharmaduRai- AaNenna PeNNenna

ponnum poruL pogum varum anbu mattum povadhillae
thaedum poruL odi vidum deivam vittu povadhillae...

Thullaatha Manamum Thullum- Innisai Paadi Varum

kuyilisai podhumae ada kuyil mugam thaevayaa?
uNarvadhu podhumae adhan uruvam thaevayaa?
kaNNil kaatchi thondRi vittaal kaRpanai theerndhu vidum
kaNNil thondRaa kaatchiyil dhaan kaRpanai vaLarndhu vidum
ada paadal pola thaedal kooda oru sugamae...

PayanangaL mudivadhillai- ILaya Nilaa PozhigiRadhu

MugilinangaL alaigiRadhae mugavarigaL thavaRiyadhoa?
MugavarigaL thavaRiyadhaal azhudhidumoa, adhu mazhayoa?

Jeans- Anbae Anbae

PeNNae unadhu mellidai paarthaen adadaa brahman kanjanadi
sattRae nimirnthaen thalai suttRi poanaen aahaa avanae vaLLaladi

I tag:

hmmm...let's see...k7, Sri, Aks and Shy.

Canoe Trip Pics

A lot of my friends were here last weekend and part of the time we spent together was doing canoeing...some pics from the trip, though none actually shows us rowing a canoe for it was a little risky to carry a camera along while canoeing.

canoe gang-1.JPG, originally uploaded by Minimal Ego.

canoe gang-2.JPG, originally uploaded by Minimal Ego.

gang.JPG, originally uploaded by Minimal Ego.

gang-2.JPG, originally uploaded by Minimal Ego.

just like that.JPG, originally uploaded by Minimal Ego.

The midwest game-2 scorecard isn't up yet...keep looking here...should be up in a day or two.

EDIT(june 17th 11:30 am) :::::::: The midwest scorecard for game-2 is here.

Midwest, Game 2

My team won the second league game of the Midwest Cricket Tournament, on saturday. I did not play the game cos a lot of my friends were here, visiting Cincinnati. This victory puts us in a good position now...less pressure in the following games. Will post the scorecard in a few days in my next post!

Syed Abdul Razaak

I came across this heart-wrenching article in today's THE HINDU. Just made me think what good I have been/am/would be. Am trying to trace this person, to find out if there's a way i can donate(i feel terrible using this word for some weird reason) him some money. Ofcourse, what i give him wudnt be enough- but am sure this determined fellow will save his mother's life at any cost and my effort would just help take some burden off from his young shoulders.

Sachin-Ramgopal-Warne!

Somebody win this online auction for me and i'll be at your service for the rest of my life!

EDIT(june 14, 4:00 pm) :::::::: What a shame!...see this

Midwest, Game 1

We played a pathetic game today. I have a few excuses to give in the first place. The opposition team was not exactly the team i thought we were going to play. They had brought in a few players who played for a different team last season and this team was almost as good as our team when the toss was done. But, only almost. We were certainly the better team.
We made 159/9 in the 35 overs and i did not get to bat, because of some incomprehensible strategy of our captain who sent the guy who would have otherwise batted at number 11 at number 8. It was frustrating given the impeccable way i batted during practice, on friday. The total, as such, was very modest. The fact that the newly laid mat was a batsman's paradise only worsened our cause. Even with the kind of bowling we had, this total was atleast 20 runs shy of what'd have been a defendable total.
I opened the bowling from one end and ended up with figures of 4-0-24-1. After my spell, i felt i was gonna end up being the costliest bowler, but in the end i was the second most economical bowler of the 6 bowlers that were used! That sums up the kind of day we had with our bowling. Our fielding was even worse! I dropped a return catch off my bowling(though i had the guy in my next over and he had added 7 more runs to his total before getting out) and a slightly difficult chance at midwicket in the 22nd over. There were a few more catches dropped and some poor outfielding and a lot of overthrowing. They chased the target down in 24.5 overs and won by 6 wickets. A former India under-19 player who played for them scored an unbeaten 78 and he had just one life(the midwicket catch that i dropped).
In my opinion, we failed to deliver in every department of the game. I'd give a major credit for our loss to the uninspired leadership of our captain, which can, to a very small extent, be credited to a REALLY PATHETIC DAY he had with the ball. We have to play a level above our potential in the games that follow to make it to the playoffs.

I'll provide link to the scorecard of this game in my next post in a few days.

Windmills of the Gods...

I finished reading this book last night. I did not like the only other book of Sidney Sheldon that i had read before, "The Doomsday Conspiracy", as much as i liked this one. He has now become one of my favorite authors! He certainly made me feel good about the way he said things on a lot of occasions throughout the book.
There were quite a few little surprises(not cos of the story, but cos of the way the narration was) throughout the book, ones that made me tingle with joy! Then ofcourse, there was this sequence of events where my opinion on who the bad guy was swayed at a rate faster than a pendulum time-piece going from right to left and back to the right! It had all the masala required to make a Hollywood film- infact the movie was released in 1987. I'd like to watch the movie some time to see what compromises were made to accomodate some of the minor suspenses in the book, which while reading i felt were impossible to show on screen! There are some impossible sequences in "The DVC", the book, too- am keen to see the way they are shown on screen.
Next, am going to read "Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand which is THE favorite for a lot of people i know...hope i like the book too!

Federer bowed out of the French Open Championship 2005 as i was typing this post! Somehow, i don't like Federer. That has been my initial reaction towards many other greats in the arena of sports. I dont like him because he's being compared to Sampras already, who in my opinion is the best player tennis has ever produced! Federer's game is very good, no questions about that. But I'll like him only when he starts being humble(the thing that defines my favorites like Sachin, Sampras and Steffi) on and off the court. Safin's my favorite as of today!

Midwest Cricket Tournament

The major tournament that our university participates in begins on June 4, 2005. I'm not as excited as i was the last few years i've played for my university- nevertheless cricket is cricket and there's no lack of motivation! :).
The details of the tournament can be found at www.midwestcricket.com and my team name is UC, the short form for University of Cincinnati, listed under Group A. You can follow my team's progress at www.uccricketclub.com and my progress here. I am one of the 5 selectors of our team as well and take immense pride at that. There was a chance that I might have become the captain following our "elected" captain's resignation, but my academic committments did not leave me a choice. Life sucks when you can't do the things you want to without any inhibitions! Thank God, I can atleast play- our captain resigned his post because his wife got pregnant and so he wudn't be playing a majority of the games! It worries me to think that worries like that arent far away for me either! Damn- am getting old!
Anyways, the game on june 4th should be a nice start for us. We are expected to beat the opponent team quite easily. Looking forward to the game...

A short story-3

--------------------------------------
Matches are made in Heaven...
--------------------------------------

This was it. His destiny. He was going to marry Revathi, a total stranger. Mohan could not believe what was happening.
"Dinner's ready", announced Revathi's mom.
Mohan walked along with his parents to the dinner table. There were five people at the table including Revathi's parents. There was a sixth plate for Revathi. She had been asked by her mom to serve their food and join them after the initial serving. The food was excellent, but Mohan couldn't have cared less.
"I have not had better Potato curry all my life", declared Mohan's dad. Mohan's mom gave him a stare. All of them seated at the table laughed except for Mohan and ofcourse, his mom. Revathi joined them at the table now.
Revathi was tall, fair, had her Masters degree in Environmental Engineering from MIT and was very attractive, yet homely. Mohan's parents were content that they had chosen the right girl for their handsome young son who had a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard.
Mohan was staring at Revathi now- but everything his eyes were seeing was Divya.
Divya was a friend from his undergrad college. She was not very attractive, had not studied beyond Bachelors, was dusky and short. But, he liked her very much. She was cute in her own way. She could keep him interested for hours, just by talking. He spent all his free time with her when in college. They have had lengthy phone conversations and chat sessions after he left to the US of A. Yet, in all these years, he had never thought about the possibility of being in love with her.
A month ago, when he met Divya to tell her about Revathi, she had said casually, "I have sometimes wondered if you had feelings for me. I have always assumed that our friendship meant something more than just that. All those phone conversations and chatting...i should admit that i have learnt a lesson- "Never Assume!" ", she smiled. Mohan smiled too and it was never discussed again. But the last 2 days were really disturbing for him, to say the least.
"Enough of ogling at your would be!", said Mohan's mom. Mohan realized he was staring at Revathi and changed focus. It did not take him long to be lost in Divya's thoughts again...
The possibility of losing Divya's friendship if Revathi turned out to be a possessive wife, the thought of missing Divya's smiling face that he was so used to seeing every time he wanted to, the thought of forgetting the feeling of liking her, the thought of not being loved by her.....he couldn't dare think of the consequences. He knew...he loved her too. He had loved her, all along...he knew it for sure only now.
He was now worried about how his parents might react. How will Revathi's parents react? Most importantly, what will be Revathi's reaction? Will she slap him on his face?...the very thought made his face turn pale. Yet, he knew he had to do it right then and right there. If she slaps him, let it be- he deserved it. He wouldn't be doing good to either of their lives by not telling. He knew he could never live without Divya...she meant everything to him. He mustered all the courage he could and started talking.
"Revathi...I have something to....", he stopped, seeing Revathi rise.
"Mohan. I am really sorry I had to put you and your parents through all this. There's someone else. I am in love with Karthik, a colleague of mine. It was really silly and stupid of me to have let you all go through this in the first place. I am really sorry", she was crying.
The elders were speechless, and Mohan was shouting excitedly, "Wow. I have not had better Potato curry all my life", munching the piece of potato in his mouth.

Of Open Book Exams and Deafness...

Guindy Engineering College, Chennai is considering having open book examinations. I am not sure if other colleges in India already have open book exams, but this, i believe, is a good move.

I was aware of this concept only while taking courses during my MS Degree, here in the United States. Most of my courses had open-book exams. The first time i took an open book test, i realized how tough it was! The questions were in no way related to what was already analyzed in the book that was in my hand! I have scored some really embarassing marks in some of these exams! It was a humiliating experience for someone who was used to scoring near full marks in almost all the exams back home! But the exams my university(in India) offered were mostly jokes! The scores mostly depended on how much one wrote and how the answer sheet was decorated! Here, it almost entirely depended on what one wrote! A huge leap and being nothing close to an extraordinary student, it took me a few attempts to get a hold on things. My worst grades were in the courses that were THE MOST important for my degree/thesis. Well, the grades don't matter much now- but then, they did!

But there's no denying the advantage these open-book tests offer. They make you think impromptu and extract fresh ideas out of your mind- something which can only mean good at any point of time in one's career/life. So, i guess it's a good thing that GEC is planning to introduce open-book tests. This also requires a great committment from the professors' part and if that's a given, i hope to see major improvements in the education system of GEC.

Another news i read today was both heartening and inspiring. It's really great to see the efforts taken by the students to help a friend restore his hearing, who they strongly believe deserves this kind of help. People like Senthil are always an inspiration. It doesn't sound great when ur mom says, "See- he's a poor kid and he studies well. What good are you, with all the comforts/luxuries that you have?"- but, when you get to know about such characters on your own, the inspiration is always there...a lesson to follow when i grow old!

The Godfather...

"Over with yet another novel", was the feeling after i finished reading "The Godfather" last night. I have not liked a single book as much as i liked "The Da Vinci Code" ever since i read the DVC. Maybe, only books like the DVC are for me. Started off with "Windmills of the Gods" today and the opening pages seem to suggest a story similar to "Deception Point" or something like that in store. Chances are that i'll like this book better than the GF.

GF was not bad- i can never call any book bad, more so because i choose to read only widely acclaimed authors/books. My reading habit started pretty late, only after i was 21...so i need to finish reading the good books first! Coming back...the GF could have been written a lot better, i felt. It had a very strong story, but somehow the screenplay(am yet to figure out if this is the right word to be used!) seemed to drift a lot. Shifting the story back n forth did not help either. Thankfully, i haven't seen any of the GF movies and i got the feeling that helped me to not hate the book. I heard that there's more story in the movie than is in the book- that the entire third part was made-up for cinema. I chose not to see the movie until i read the book and the i'll be seeing them soon, during the next chance i get. Honestly, i dont have a lot of positive things to say about the book. Quite possibly the first and last book of Puzo's that i'll be reading.

This book sure has inspired the making of "Nayagan". But then, "Nayagan" was very well made, keeping in mind the Indian public. Not to mention the genius(es) of the actor Kamal Hassan and the director Maniratnam and in my opinion, to top it all, Raja's BGM. Movies like that aren't made every day...

Today's Song: Malarndhum Malaraadha from Paasa Malar.

More Cricket...

We had our second practice game on the 15th of May, 2005. This time we had a formidable opponent in Columbus Cricket Club(CCC). It was again a 13 on 13, 35-over game where 11 get to bat(actually all 13 batted in the end although the score when the 10th wicket fell was what was taken into account) and 11 field. Our captain lost the toss for the second time in a row and this time the opponents decided to bat first. The venue was a neutral one- Dayton(since the weather was bad at Columbus and there was a game scheduled in Cincinnati). I did not get to open the bowling this time since i bunked practice on friday. It was only in the 8th over that we were able to make a breakthrough. I bowled overs 9, 11, 13, 15 and 28 and got 2 wickets. We managed to get them all out for 91 in 27.5 overs. My figures were a very satisfactory 2/14 in 4.5 overs(it was 2/18 in 3 overs last game). We managed to win by 3 wickets. We were 73/2 only to find ourselves suddenly struggling at 81/6. I went in to bat for a few balls after the chase was over. We gave ourselves a virtual target of 30 runs in 4 overs after the chase was complete and managed only 21 in the end. In the end, it was a good game. Our bowlers bowled 44 wides in their total of 91, which needs serious attention. I bowled *only*(it'd have been too much on any other day) 4 wides though ;). The batting looks a little shaky as usual, but it's always been the bowlers who have won games for UCCC. So, that wasn't much of a surprise. Two more weekends to go before midwest tournament begins.

Songs of the day : 44 songs in my winamp playlist from Shankar's 7 movies so far. Not one song was boring!

Lalu...

now, this is ridiculous...

A short story-2

The Dawning of Truth

He felt ashamed. Not in the worst of his dreams did Dev imagine that he could drink. He was the kind of guy who got people that drink pissed off so easily by giving them all sorts of advice and ridiculing them when they failed to listen. He was arrogant, they thought. But he believed he was doing the right thing and strongly believed that
drinking should be totally banned. After all, it had no positives, he reckoned.

Prakash was cleaning up Dev's vomit. They were roommates for 2 years now. Prakash remembered the day when Dev vehemently refused to let him store one beer bottle for one night in their refrigerator.
"Bring that bottle in and i am out of this apartment. I dont give a damn as to what kind of lease i break", Dev had said.
Prakash knew he had no choice there. The bottle was out and Dev had won the bout, which was never really there.

Dev was beginning to get back to his senses. His head still ached a little. He had drunk 8 bottles of beer and a couple of vodkas, all in his first ever attempt at drinking. It was the seventh time he vomitted that night which was being cleaned then...
Dev was crying now. Prakash walked up to him and put an arm around Dev's shoulder.
"I am sorry for what i did Prakash", he mumbled.
"It's ok. I understand why you did what you did. You never really had a choice", Prakash was feeling sorry that Dev broke up with Shweta.

Dev had dumped Shweta earlier that day. They had been seeing each other for over a year now.
"I dont have the courage to tell my parents, Shweta", Dev had said with tears in his eyes.
"I can talk to them Dev. Don't worry. Am sure they'll like me", she had tried her best to be convincing.
"No Shweta. It's not worth it. I cant put them through all this just to make our love successful".
The words had hit Shweta like a spear. There was tears in her eyes then.
"So our love means nothing to you? Why did you have to tell me your love in the first place then?", she had asked.
"It does mean a lot to me. I can never forget you. But my parents are more important to me, Shweta. I am sorry", he had left without saying another word, tears flowing down his cheeks.
She had not stopped him.

Prakash's arm was still around Dev's shoulder.
"I am not sorry that i broke up with her, but i am sorry that i did not let you store that beer bottle for one night. I never gave you a choice. I love Shweta a lot, but my parents wont give me a choice. Now i know what it is like to be left without a choice, Prakash. I am sorry", Dev was crying like a child.
Prakash patted his friend.
"Do you realize that you never gave Shweta a choice today when you broke up with her? If you are really sorry about not giving people a choice, you should go back to her and give her the choice she deserves", Prakash said.

The first rays of dawn came rushing in through the windows...truth had dawned.

Smell of Leather...

I played the first cricket match of this season for the University of Cincinnati Cricket Club today. It was a practice game in the build-up to the Midwest Cricket Tournament 2005. We played against Wright State University and it was a home game for us. It was expected that we'd win the game but the convincing manner in which we won it was very satisfying.
Having put in to bat first, we managed to score 207 in 30 overs. I did not get to bat. In reply, WSU managed just 73 runs and were all out in 15.1 overs. I managed to take 2 wickets in the 3 overs i bowled with the new ball. It wasnt a "great" match personally, but the manner in which every member of the team played his part to perfection was adorable.
We should be playing 3 more practice games before the tournament begins and hopefully atleast a couple of them against good teams. Am very much looking forward to those games and this season.

Shankar's strategy?

Anniyan's audio was released last week and i must've listened to every song in the movie atleast 20 times- "kaadhal yaanai" and "iyengaaru veettu" being exceptions- must've listened to those two atleast 50 times each! I think the songs are very good- far better than anything i've heard in tamil films in the last 2-3 years.
From Gentleman(1993) to Anniyan(2005), Shankar's has been a success story throughout(assuming Anniyan's a hit), but for the Boys(2003) fiasco. Needless to mention, all 7 movies of his have been hits audio-sales wise. What struck me as odd was the nature of the songs in all these movies. One common thing amongst the songs was that there was not a single moody song in all of his 7 movies. The only one coming close to being called as a moody song was "Punnagayil Thee Mootti" from Jeans(1998). Interestingly, that song wasn't included in the audio cassette until after the movie was released and running 50 plus days!
What makes the whole scheme of things interesting is that most of Shankar's movies are serious ones giving him atleast one chance to include a moody or atleast a thought-provoking song...but interestingly, Shankar seems to know what he's doing very well. Most times, a moody song upsets the speed of the movie and i presume that is the reason why Shankar doesn't include such songs in his movies. Anniyan, sure looks to be a serious movie...but u will think it's a romantic comedy if u go by just the songs in the movie!

A short story...

"Raj proposed to me 3 months back and i said yes to him almost immediately", said Priya.
"Oh wow...am happy for u", Rahul was forcing a smile.
"Yeah and i met his parents and they liked me too...and my parents were happy as well that i chose Raj"
"ofcourse"

It was almost a year back when Rahul had proposed his love to Priya, but she promptly turned it down, saying that he deserved a better girl! "Usual crap", Rahul had then thought. They remained good friends and just that, ever since...or so Priya was made to believe. Rahul couldn't really forget Priya. He tried making new friends but he couldn't get to open his heart with any of the girls. He had given up on girls now...

Rahul was brought back to the present as Priya said, "dad's happy cos Raj's well educated, earning handsomely and is from a good family"
"most certainly..he's the best", said Rahul.
Priya was smiling.
"seriously Priya...i think he's the right one for you"
"why do u say so?"- she was not happy with just the words but wanted to hear the reasoning too, he thought.
"Well...he's been very close to u and it has been obvious all the time that u enjoyed being with him and what better than getting married and living ur life with him forever?...and ofcourse there's no second thoughts about the way he takes care of u like u r some one-year old"...Rahul fought hard to get those last few words out of his mouth, for he knew, given the chance, he'd take care of Priya like a princess in a castle on a hilltop. She'd be made to live "a dream" life...

Priya's smile was becoming more pronounced with every word Rahul was saying and all of a sudden she was laughing out loud.

"Got you idiot! I was just bluffing!!"
"what the...",Rahul was smiling widely now.
"Today's April 1, remember??"
Rahul grinned, tears of joy welling in his eyes.
"I love u Priya", he said sheepishly.
"I know. I love u too and saying that was the actual purpose of my visit today", she smiled like an angel.
Rahul stepped closer to her and gave her a tight hug.

"Wake up Rahul"
"What?? Dad's voice!!...Priya- let him not see you now...find a place to hide"
"Wake up son and are you trying to hide that pillow ?!!"-Rahul realised that someone was giving his body a shake and he woke up, startled.
"What's the date dad?"
"28th, why?"
Everything started to make sense now...It was real until before Priya's smile turned into an uproarious laughter and immediately Rahul sensed tears welling in his eyes and this time it wasnt tears of joy and he wasn't crying in his dreams. How he wished all of it was a dream...

Thirty Two

Today's Sachin Tendulkar's 32nd birthday. He's one of the very few people outside of my family who have brought me a lot of joy. I salute the master and wish him many more happy years of life.

Tight Corners...

Friend 1: I used to sleep so deeply earlier that i used to have no clue when the alarm went off. Nowadays, i switch the alarm off after the first or second ring and go back to sleep! Now, that's an improvement.
Friend2: How do you know for sure that it was the first or second ring? Is it actually the first and second rings or the first and second rings that you get to hear, after you wake up? I guess it's the latter.

Now, what can Friend 1 reply? I guess there's just no honest reply to that question.

During my first year here, i used to sleep a lot. Out of the 4 roomies(me,Shankar,Shyam and SK), i would invariably be the last one to wake up. All 4 of us were being ragged with one(or more!!) girl(s) at the university.

One fine day, Shankar said that i was talking in my sleep and that i said "fruit salad".
Shyam said "Ava onakku fruit saladaa daa?".

I did not know what to say. First of all, i wasnt sure if i talked in sleep. When in India, my dad used to say that i said something in English while sleeping and that it was incomprehensible. So, I could have...but I could not afford to accept that for these guys would rag like hell then! Either ways, they did rag me a lot because of this.

Shyam, after a few days, claimed that i was kissing the air while sleeping! Again, i had to blindly deny what he said, all the time wondering if it really happened!!
There were a lot of other instances of me talking in sleep and only after a good year or so did Shankar tell me that most of it was made-up. He said that the "fruit salad" story was true though!

Now, this is what i call a tight corner. I have put a lot of people in tight corners and it is fun. Only when you are put in one do you get to know how tough it is to get out of it! I miss those Glendora days...

Revamp Indian Batting Line-up for ODIs

After a close analysis of the IndoPak ODI series that concluded yesterday, I felt that there was an immediate need to revamp the batting line-up of India. People in some cricketing forums echoed the same thoughts. On paper, Indian batting looks to be solid and more reliable than the Pakis, but when it comes to match situation, they flunk more often than not. A simple analysis will get the needful done without requiring new faces in the team.
The first 15 overs are crucial and India invariably needs a good start. Out of the seven given batsmen- Sachin, Sehwag, Ganguly, Dravid, Yuvraj, Kaif and Dhoni, in my opinion, all of them can be successful opening the batting with probably the exception of Kaif, who can be a candidate for both LBW and caught behind with the new ball and we dont need to take chances there. Next is the 15-35 over phase. Ganguly cannot rotate the strike and get singles at will. Dhoni, i feel, will find it a little difficult too. So, i think i should rule them both out for playing the 15-35 over period. The other five can do justice to that role. Then comes the last 10-15 overs where one needs to run like hell and also have the ability to hit big. Kaif, Dravid and Ganguly dont qualify fully to do this role. The other four can play this role to perfection.
So, the analysis is now complete. What needs to be done is fitting the right piece at the right place.
1. Ganguly needs to open alongside Sachin, Sehwag, Dhoni, Dravid or Yuvraj. Since it'll probably be a crime to not let Sehwag open, Ganguly and Sehwag should open.
2. Numbers 3-6 must have sachin, dravid, yuvraj and kaif(order undecided as of now)
3. We need Sachin n Yuvraj at the death and so Kaif and Dravid need to bat at numbers 3 and 4...letting Kaif in early might help since he has a better stamina and he can be the one to take the attack to the opposition first, when it is required to do so and Dravid can anchor the innings from the time he enters to bat until probably the 45th over or so. So, i'd say Kaif at number 3 and Dravid at number 4.
4. Sachin at 5 and Yuvraj at 6, followed by Dhoni at 7.
5. So the line-up would be:
Ganguly
Sehwag
Kaif
Dravid
Sachin
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Dhoni can always be sent to bat at number 3 when chasing big totals if the run rate is poor at the fall of the first wicket....else he should bat at the death where India needs big hitters.
Consider Irfan to be the all-rounder we've always dreamt of and this line-up can be compared to a very familiar batting line-up.
Ganguly-Butt
Sehwag-Afridi
Kaif-Shoaib Malik
Dravid- Youhana
Sachin- Inzy
Yuvraj- Younis Khan
Dhoni- Akmal
Irfan- Razzaq
It doesnt need a Bob Woolmer to get this right...it just needs an imitation of the way he thinks...an outright plagiarism. Will the new coach and Ganguly get this right, atleast now?

NAPM, NAPL

I finished reading Jeffrey Archer's Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less last night. I might be revealing significant details from the plot in this post and so reader discretion is advised in further reading of this post!
It's only my second book of Archer, after Kane and Abel and I should say it was not to my liking as much as K&A was! Considering it was only Archer's first novel though, I thought he had done a pretty good job. The only worrying factor was that some of the incidents were too dramatic and rather thankfully, the author did not make it over-dramatic by thinking of some plot to get back the last $1.24!
I had a hunch as to who Anne was, right when her character was introduced, since I felt that her character was almost unnecessary to the plot at that point and I should say that I lost the surprise element there. Maybe I was over-expecting stuff and hence was surprised in the end which I felt was rather tame, considering the momentum gathered in the early stages of the book. I also did not enjoy the fact that Harvey Metcalfe was shown to be a stupid throughout...didn't justify him becoming a millionaire with the help of his brain!
The humor in the plot was very subtle and extremely pleasant to my liking. So was Archer's deliberate play with words...he proved to be a master at it, yet again. The characters were well etched and the screenplay was very gripping, albeit dramatic. The carefree manner in which David Keslar was dumped off the screen was adorable(i kept expecting that he'd reappear in the end!) and I couldn't help but adore the manner in which Archer, unlike Follett manages to keep the intimate scenes limited to kissing, allowing himself the privilege of having an audience whose ages can range anywhere between 10 and 100!
The book's certainly worth a read...

F5

I was in standby mode for sometime now...not my usual-self, really. Certain things were keeping me down and wouldn't let me enjoy life the way i used to. To sum up, neither company nor solitude could cheer me up...life sucked...and then, yesterday, came the phonecall from an old buddy as a blessing in disguise.
No, he did not have a foolproof solution to my problems...rather he gave me a lucid suggestion to keep myself upbeat despite all the hassles surrounding me. It was simple, yet perfect. He asked me to enjoy life and do things i liked doing the most. The only thing that I'll have to keep in mind though is to not be addicted to anything and schedule my time sensibly, so that I could do both- things i like to do and things i ought to do.
I was feeling so good after talking to him for about an hour last night. He was talking like a big brother, although he's younger to me :). For the first time in my life, I realized how good it'd have been to actually have an elder brother who went through the same things as I do now. He went through a similar phase and he had an elder sis who offered him invaluable advice and instilled in him, self-belief. Now, he has passed them on to me and am more than thankful to him for that.
Now, I'll be able to see the world and embrace the niceties of it, just the way I wish to and used to...

PS: F5 = refresh...

Welcome, Spring!

I have always been awestruck by the manner in which seasons change in Cincinnati(in most parts of USA, for that matter). Even more surprising has been the timing of the colleges around the country. Spring quarter commenced a couple of days back in my university. Almost near-perfectly, the climate has also changed. Yes, looks like spring is here! The temperature was in the mid-sixties throughout yesterday and it has entered the 70s today, mostly 75 throughout the daytime.
The first thought that occured to me this morning when i saw the forecast was that I'll be able to play tennis from now on. Alas, my joy was short-lived, for I will not be able to play tennis, not today, since my tennis partner is back from a trip to India only today and is still suffering from jetlag(i could hear him snoring just as i reached the outside of his apartment door!). I'll have to be content with playing racquetball, for today.
Quite honestly, the single most important thing to me about soaring temperatures is the fact that i don't need to wear shoes all the time! I hate to waste a couple of minutes putting the socks on, tying the lace knot and such(hehe- call it laziness!) and worse, undress(??) it and wear it back for a matter of few minutes, for instance, when visiting a temple or a not-so-close friend, where I'll be obliged to remove my footwear. Slippers- you are certainly the best...I missed you so much for the last 6 months or so...Life without you was so very time-consuming!!

Sachin and an Elixir of Life

India lost to Pakistan at Bangalore and the test series was levelled 1-1 by Pakistan. India would have managed a draw had they played 6 more overs(not had they scored 100 more runs, mind u- time and overs were the key). Sachin scored 16 off 98 deliveries, the second highest in that innings in terms of balls faced. Ganguly, Laxman, Sehwag and even The Wall couldn't come close to facing so many balls. My point is, given the situation, i was furious to note a couple of my friends put the blame on Tendulkar's slow batting, for the defeat. On retrospect, i think i am awed by the talent of these guys who manage to find some crooked angle to the whole drama by which Sachin can be crucified. For die-hard Sachin fans, it's always better to ignore such people.
I read about this pill, which increases the life span of an individual by 30 years. If I have a choice, I'd give it to Sachin, just to dwell in the delight of seeing him bat for 30 more years!...and then there are these critics who blindfold themselves everytime Sachin walks into a cricket field...

Ennai Thaalaatta VaruvaaLoa...

Absolute masterpiece by Raja. I was watching the movie last night and i must say the song swept me off my feet, yet again. It is one of those select songs that u never get tired listening to, one of Hariharan's best in my opinion. There were rumors then that Raja had rejected Hariharan in an earlier film of his saying that his voice wasnt suitable...after all the maestro picked him to sing the right song in the end!
I can select "repeat" in WMP and keep listening to it all night...maybe i'll do it some day!
Ennai Thaalaatta VaruvaaLoa... :-" ... :)

Death

I came across this article in cricinfo.
Slater is among the elite few, those in my opinion, do not deserve their celebrity status. A fine batsman, but a despicable personality on and sometimes off the field. Not that my opinion has changed much after i read this, but I was certainly moved by this article. The next time I get to see or hear Slater, I'd certainly feel sorry for him and will never look at him the way I did in the past.
The fact that someone is dying certainly makes us feel sorry for them, no matter how much we hated them before. After all, life is transient...

Pirivu

newly dusted...

Pirivu
------
oru naaL pirindhu sendRaai
en aayuL mudindhadhena ninaiththaen
oru vaaram pirindhu sendRaai
nee vandhadhum maRujenmam eduththaen

nee arugil irukkayil uNaravillai
pirivu nanjinum kodiyadhendRu
nee sirikkayil naan aRiyavillai
andha oLiyinaaldhaan en kaatchiyendRu

en sandhaththiRku thaenkavi thandhaai
ini vaarthaigal attRa oasayae michcham
naan azhugayil enakku aaRudhal sonnaai
ini aaRudhal illayena vaadiyadhu nenjam

vaaraththin pirivae nenjai vaattugayil
vaazhkaikkum piriven endRaai
neerattRa maramae ularndhu vaadugayil
neeyattRa naanum piNamae kaaNbaai

-RaM tHe ScRiBbLeR

PS: tried posting it in tamizh, but cudnt figure out how...until i do so, bear with me!

India-Pakistan-Cricket

Pakistan cricket team is in India to play 3 tests and 6 ODIs and i wont be watching the matches live, well, i guess! I have followed every series that India has played starting from their Newzealand tour in 2003 except the one against Bangladesh. I will miss watching cricket badly, more so because I think India will probably win both the series with ease.

I'll miss Sachin's batting more than anything else. His record breaking century, him crossing the 10000 run mark in tests and a lot more! Damn. I hate the fact that i have put myself in a spot where i cannot afford to watch India take on Pakistan in a cricket match! There can't be a thing more tougher than this for me to face. Well, there is and that's why i wont be watching this series...

Good luck India!! will miss u guys...

Atticus Finch !

If you are familiar with this character from Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird", i can tell you that you know a lot about me. Like any other individual, i have evolved with experience too. I am really amazed to see the way i have transformed from a short-tempered college student into a "highly" tolerant...err...college student! The transformation phase is almost 8 years old now...

Scout: "It's ok to hate Hitler?"(given that he is a dictator and is ruthless)
Atticus: "It is not. It's not ok to hate anybody"

Scout is Atticus' 9 year old daughter and that's the kind of advice Atticus keeps offering Scout and her elder brother Jem, throughout the book. I think my character(for the past few months) is one that is very similar to Atticus'. To me, it's more than a coincidence that i read this novel only now! Just as i realized what kind of a person I was, Harper Lee's book reassured my realization.

Yes. I find it so hard to hate people, of late. When someone tells me something wrong about someone else, i try to defend that person. I guess, it's because i have started believing that there is no one particular way to do "anything". If i can be right, the other person can also be right. Maybe, i am contradicting myself here. For example, X tells me that Y is bad. I say Y needn't be bad and start defending Y. What i essentially do here is, saying that X is wrong in assuming that Y is bad. So, i am depriving X of his right to express what he thinks(which can be right too)! It's some kind of a puzzle that i am still trying to decipher, myself.

On second thoughts, i dont contradict something arbitrarily. It's only when people say wrong things about someone that I get into defense mode. And more often than not, only after making sure that they dont have enough evidence to back their statements. I think I live by a simple rule- "Dont hate anyone".

One of my friends remarked that I shud be a saint to live the way i live. Is this true? Is it so "unhumanlike" to not hate people? i dont know. I have been able to do it with considerable success(yes- there's the odd one here n there hinting that i am a possible hypocrite!) for some time now and am really happy to live life this way. It gives me a sense of satisfaction. Isnt that what people yearn for? Satisfaction in life...

Jeans

I saw the movie for the zillionth time last night. I just adore the movie. This is one of those movies which i love and know that others have valid reasons to hate! For a neutral movie watcher, the movie shud qualify as a "one-time" watch. But, i know a lot of people who just hate the movie...

The storyline is a lot better than most crappy movies in Tamil. The music is amazing(i guess all critics wud agree on that). I guess it's the histrionics of the cast that fails to live upto the expectations of these "haters". If Aishwarya's acting is amateurish, Prashanth's is ridiculous. Lakshmi, S V Shekar, Nasser and above all Radhika steal the limelight. But, unfortunately the "hero" and the "heroine" are pathetic. Is this reason enuf to "hate" a movie? i dont know and dont wanna try justifying it either.

I saw this movie 8 times in theatre when i was in college. With every extra time, my love for the movie increased. At one point in time, i knew the dialogues and BGMs byheart that i started uttering them in the theatre even as the movie was running. A lady who sat in the seat in front of me got upset and turned back and gave me a stare! Even that cudn't stop me. We(me n my friends) just started laughing at the whole scenario.

So...what made me see the movie 8 times in theatre? U'll be brutally wrong if u guessed it's bcos of Aishwarya's presence in the cast! Yes...that was a reason. But, not the only one. I thought she was her best in this movie(until i saw Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). The first few times i went to see the movie was bcos of her. As i said earlier, everytime i saw the movie, i started liking something about it. The music, Shankar's handling of the plot, the graphics, the craze for America and a lot more caught my interest. To add to it, the fact that i had a reason to cut class! If being in college was fun, being outside college with college friends was more fun! I can never forget the good times we had outside of college and "Jeans" played a big part in helping us do that!

kudos to Jeans. i adore thee!!

Valentine's Day

ok....me being me, i had to write something today!! Let me not get into the history of why Valentine's day is being celebrated today. It's supposedly the day when lovers(and dear ones too) express their feelings for one another and also supposedly the sales of greeting cards and flowers are at their peak!- on retrospect, maybe Christmas is an exception...

What is my opinion on celebrating V-Day? i think it's good to have such a day. For that matter, i am a fan of having special days for friends, mom, dad and so on. Sure, it doesnt mean that u love them or admire them just on that one single day...but in the fast-paced world we live in, it's always good to have reminders. We forget our friends' birthdays, anniversaries and so on. The online reminders are a boon. Similarly, this is a chance to tell our dear ones that we love them and care for them wherever we are and however busy we might be!

I have never proposed my love to any girl on a Valentine's day...26 of them gone now, in all! I think it'd be quite romantic to do so ;). But then again, it'll also be so artificial if i actually waited till that date in the event of me deciding that it's time for me to propose in december itself!

One of my friends from UC is getting married today...infact he must've gotten married by now. He came here with me, graduated, got a job here, worked for a few months and went back to India for good with a job in GE...now he's married to the girl he loved! *sigh*. Feb 13th, 2005 marked my parents' 27th wedding anniversary. It also meant that it's been 2 years since i visited India(the last time i went there was on feb 10th, 2003- only my sis knew that i was coming...i planned it so that i cud be there for my parents' 25th anniversary!).

Time's flying fast...hope i settle down soon!

Dearth?

i had a lot of time to pass today and i thought i'd blog! i tried to think of things i wanted to write about...guess what? i cudnt think of any! the situation is now like the "nothing" episode of "Seinfeld". am writing about...yes u got it-"Nothing".

What are my passions? cricket...and a few personalities who make some of the arts adorable and worthy to follow! i can write about them forever, but those will most likely be biased statements to a neutral observer.

I try to be very neutral these days except on things that are already my passions! I am not opinionated at all...even if the topic of discussion is "God". Instead, i observed that i am being "against" blindly passionate(read heavily opinionated) people these days. The ones who use foul language and foul means to establish that what they think is right. I think this new role of mine is very easy to play compared to defending my passions!

so, is it after all good for me to not be passionate? i dont think so. i am supposed to be a passionate guy and i respect others' passions. it's only when they argue(and use foul language) that what they say is the right thing without giving proper evidence, that i play the mocking role(with no feelings whatsoever- i dont worry about what i said when i goto bed- best thing about this whole issue!).

I strongly believe that there's no right or wrong thing in this world for a lot of things. the secret is to silently follow what we think is right without hurting the ones following what we think is wrong. "Tolerance" is the need of the hour...again, this is right according to me- may not be according to u!

why the hell is this blog named "dearth"? was i talking about a dearth of topics here...lol!

Love Story

At last, i read it! "Love Story" by Erich Segal. It's been almost three years since i read his "Doctors" and i became an instant fan of his ever since. Segal's wordplay and characterization did not disappoint me this time around too. Neither did the screenplay(or whatever the corresponding term is for books!). What came down as a disappointment to me was the story(as how it applies to the current era(a year can be an era too!))!, an integral part of the title...

This is the story- a wealthy college lad meets a middle-class college girl and falls in love with her almost instantly! The guy's dad doesnt approve it and so he leaves home and marries her with full support from her dad. They struggle initially and after some hardships, lead a happy life. She wants him to get back to his dad and to come to talking terms with his family. He wouldn't. Then one fine day, he learns that she has leukemia and is dying. He tries to please her in all possible ways. Then, she too learns from the doc that she is dying and then there's some senti. One day, she dies and then he hugs his father(who arrives at the scene) and cries and thus the story comes to an end!

I can understand this as being a novel story in the 70s(maybe not, actually). Rich guy-poor girl, family problems, one of them die....usual masala! But what comes to me as a surprise is the fact that people who are of my age(am 25 now) list this as their alltime favorite book! I am sure they know similar fictitious or real-life stories that are very similar to "Love Story". There are a handful of movies that have a similar plot! The only thing that can convince me is if "Love Story" was the first of it's kind...which i think is not quite likely.

If this book is an alltime favorite to someone who was born after the 1970s, i think Erich Segal's vocabulary and screenplay(duh!) deserve all the credit...the story? sorry Mr.Segal- i dont think so!

More Kozhambu

More Kozhambu is one of South India's special dishes. It's a mixture(broth n vegetables) that is eaten along with cooked rice! It's one of my favorites. Yesterday, i tried cooking it!

After getting some (in)valuable tips from a friend on how to go about cooking it, i started cooking. I decided to use "Lady's Finger"(aka Okra) as the vegetable(dint have much choice, really). I churned Green Chillies, Kadala Paruppu(Channa Dal) and Cumin Seeds(both soaked in water for some time before churning), Coconut, Yogurt and Buttermilk in a mixer. The choice of what to use how much as i always believe is the cook's discretion. Channa Dal helps in getting the right consistency and so the choice of right amounts of the other ingredients revolve around it. I churned Channa Dal and Cumin Seeds as fine as possible before adding the other ingredients into the mixer. On a pan, I fried mustard seeds and the okra and then put them into the liquid(the one from the mixer) and heated the mixture gently. Then i added a lil amount of turmeric powder and salt and kept stirring the mixture. The More Kozhambu was then ready to be tasted!

It took remarkably less time than i anticipated it to take. I decided to make very little since this was the first time and i immediately realised it was a blunder when i tasted the end-product! Yes, it tasted really good.

I got my ultimate compliment when my roomie said it was too good for someone cooking it for the first time! So, now i have another dish in my kitty! Welcome More Kozhambu...i am going to have MORE of you in future!