Monday, December 27, 2010

Countdown to 1 1 11

Wow... what a year it has been... a perfect 10 !

Looking back, it could have been a lot better. But no complaints, at all.

Few thougthts...To start with PARENTING, one of my favourite topics.

When we were kids, everything was linked to 'studies' and of course marks. ( Our folks were exposed to 'nishkama karma' much later :) !) But the restriction was more to the amount of time for playing! Much later, kids were restricted to the amount of time on TV !
According to a recent report, parents have started linking to amount of time on internet ....

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

On the historical necessity of WikiLeaks - Arab News

A good write up on the wikileaks...by an academician & ME expert

On the historical necessity of WikiLeaks - Arab News

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Stolen plates being used to dodge Saher’s eye - Arab News

Saher in KSA is one of the great things to happen on ME roads

Just sharing this news item...just to be careful of the risk, as the chances are very low

Stolen plates being used to dodge Saher’s eye - Arab News

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Adult content TV program after 11 PM

Adult content should be shifted to late night.
The move by I & B is correct.
Such broad directive is better instead of micro-managing & corruption thereof.

I am on a short vacation, spiritual... At a leading restaurant, they are playing cricket !
Ads in between on Neo Sports are for condoms !!!
Sports channels like Neo also should be more responsible !

Friday, October 01, 2010

BAD 2011

Theme for 2011 is WATER !

For over a billion people, water is a 'luxury' :(

Water bodies across the world are being 'destroyed' by us. We just need to wake up to this big threat...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Eco Friendly Festival

One aspect of Ganesh Chaturthi stuck me...the mandals were playing filmi songs and organising programes, mostly filmi ! Not quite religious or spiritual, I felt.

Ganesh visarjan is a period when Mumbai's coastal line is most polluted. Another thing I fail to understand...Spirituality, if without in tune with  Nature, is just not spiritual !

Many people and organisations have taken the initiative to spread awareness...to drive home, among the literate masses of the magapolis. But majority are just 'too busy' to care ! ... at their ( our) own peril...

DNA's effort was great. Happened to catch a glimpse at Oberoi mall ( Goregaon)...As I & my son stepped out after a brief shopping, I took a snap and wrote a request to 'go green....'. I pray, we have the discrimination to protect our environment.

Ganesh Chaturti @ Mumbai

It was great to catch one big festival, during vacation...Missed Janmashtami, but Ganesh Chaturthi, in its full glory @ Mumbai. Mumbai & Pune are the two cities where we can see this festival celeberated in full splendor and grandeur. Of course, some credit goes to freedom leader, Tilak.

Mumbaikar knows how to celebrate...all the drums, dance and high-decibel levels. Torrential rains did not affect them at all.

Year after year, monsoon comes with varying intensity. This year was one of the best monsoons...With same regularity, our roads 'disappear among the potholes, with rain-water' ! This year, the patch work (repair!!!) was not done, before Ganesh festival. People were threatening to go to court, complaining the poor road conditions and how it will affect the logistics of Ganesha statues!!

Mumbaikar, who makes substantial contri to the national kitty, continue to be at the mercy of an admin, not bothered about the basic commuting comfort...

gulfnews : Organic farming only way to avoid debt

Very inspiring...!!

Must read for all who is concerned about debt-burden, condition of farmers in India ( even after 60 yrs of independence), organic farming, etc.

Pls share too

gulfnews : Organic farming only way to avoid debt

Friday, September 10, 2010

Mumbai

After continuous rains over last few days, got a sunny day ! Many a Mumbaikar celebrated an extended week-end by moving out with family. The traffic was bearable.

It has been almost continuously raining, day & night. While it is tough to move around during the day, even with an umbrella, not so during night. Rain drop falling on the window pane was not distracting at all. But I was disturbed when I thought of the plight of thousands of slum-dwellers in Mumbai. For them, at the end of a tough day, a rainy night could be tougher to manage. . . It is sad, we have so many of them struggling to meet both ends, while making valuable contribution to economy and quality of life of the rich and middle class segments of the society ! Affordable housing is so critical for this group, at the bottom of pyramid.

Traffic has been unbearable. The travelling time has gone up by three to four times, thanks to pathetic condition of roads, poor traffic sense/management  & infrastructure constraint to handle more vehicles! More malls and residential complexes are sprouting across the city, with total neglect on the need to provide sufficient & quality road-connectivity. All logic of urban planning thrown to winds...It is collective responsibility of common man and his leadership. Pls wake up...

Ganesha idol installed in our compound, with a grand procession & the group dispersed...


As I type the post, it just started drizzling...!

Avatar 3D

Avatar (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]Watched the 3D version of this great film, in a theater @ Mumbai, with my son. 

Great experience, inspiring storyline, relevant message, superb execution.... Nothing great about 3D, as few times we 'ducked' to avoid getting hit by a flying stuff. It talks about our insensitive aggression & complex/attitude... we continue to mindlessly destroy our environment.

Must see... children will love it... If elders don't love it, bad luck for them - you are not a child at heart any more!

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Cheeni Kum....Old Age

Cheeni Kum DVDWatched the second half of 'Chini Kam' ! Yet again, like Bhagban, was spared of the first half.... But nice film, good performance by all lead actors. 
While I am 'old fashioned' in terms of value system ( traditional may be more appropriate!), Amitabh's verbal-attack on a fasting Paresh, was interesting...
He gives interesting facets of 'being old' ! Amitji is the best person to talk about it... At his age, he must be the role model for all, in his generation.
He says,Jealousy is a key factor... But then, it is so at all age-groups, child-hood to old age :)

Got an interesting PPT mail-forward , AGING MOMENTS :

  • it is time for harvest . . . earlier it used to be believed, Law of Karma would catch up in subsequent births...But it is joked now, karma would catch up in this life itself! 
  • so long as we continue to be 'AMAZED', we do not grow old
  • we are never too old to LEARN.... 

Monday, August 30, 2010

Betting in Cricket

Sadly the monster is back with renewed vigor ! Just when Pakistan is struggling to recover from the nature's fury, this man-made fury. According to reports, the victims of the catastrophe is denied urgent help as the donors world over are not sure the help would reach the needy...Corruption ! ! ! These cricketers had donated one-day pay for the flood victims.
Reacting to the expose, one of the 'respectable' former cricketer from England mentioned, 'with the ICC moving from West to East, this was bound to happen'. BBC correspondent spoke about corruption in Indian sub-continent.
While the Pak cricketers are caught in this, others' role can not be ruled out, East or West !
Sadly, even in this century, corruption is getting increasingly institutionalized, more in Indian sub continent, but also world over.
You can always blame it on credit crunch or 'Kali Yuga'. But, ethics in personal & public life is hitting a new low... Tiger Woods is a sad example on 'personal' values. Common 'wealth' games related corruption allegation  in India...

A friend shared...his son, in his tweens, is just getting hooked on to cricket! But every now and then, watching any cricket telecast, he would ask,' dad, is this game fixed?' And my friend would invariably say, emphatically, 'Not at all' !!! (He can't do that any more.) Even before he picked up the nuances of the game, he is aware of match-fixing and highly suspicious, feels father !


And, Cricket used to be a gentleman's game....


PS : Peter_eigen_how_to_expose_the_corrupt check out 

Sunday, August 29, 2010

More Movies

Cadillac Man
Decided to watch it, as I thought it will be something about cars ( 'Cadillac'). With a younger Robin Williams, I thought it could be at least watch-able ! Though he plays the role of a car salesman, nothing more...At the end of it, it was not about cars, salesman- funda, funny nor any where near ' Negotiator'!!! Waste of time...

Daddy Day Care [UMD for PSP]



Next attempt was Daddy Day Care..the 2003 film about two guys who lose jobs ( perhaps more relevant today, after 7 yrs!) and decide to start a day care for kids! Simple comedy, but watchable, thanks to Eddie Murphy and kids...A message for people losing jobs? Bloomberg reported skilled labour such as plumber/carpenter etc are in great demand, but people are reluctant to enter such fields...There is enough opportunity for the innovative lots...

Baghban
Watched second part of hindi hit movie, 'BAGHBAN', starring superstars, Amitabh and Hema Malini. Would recommend only second part of the usual, long hindi movie, just to get into the plot. The veterans come up with brilliant performance, supported by dependable Paresh Rawail and Lillette Dubey, etc. Too much of
drama, but the theme is universally relevant. As life expectancy improves, the elders are not being taken care. It is universal duty or Dharma to take care of elders. Must watch... 

Friday, August 27, 2010

Mozhi-tamil movie

Almost a year ago, heard the songs from tamil movie, MOZHI. Liked the songs...would have heard them over, many times...while driving esp & singing along :) ...Katrin mozhi by both male & female and also other songs were very melodius, meaningful and hummable...When another friend, a trained carnatic musician and hence better informed about music, shared similar thought about the songs, I realized I was not alone in admiration. He in fact downloaded all songs sung by the male singer ! Vidyasagar just superb.

Another friend, who shares similar tastes when it comes to movies, confirmed the movie was very good. Watched the movie last evening...( official CD, not pirated !)

Lovely musical film...simple comedy, typical tamil movie comedy...Prakash Raj rocks, his laughter is contagious! Prithviraj, one of the top malayalam actors does justice to the role... Support actors such as the CA-secretary do a good job. The professor comes up with a great performance. Jyothica was brilliant... She got a dream role and she lives the role...

The world of the deaf/dumb, blind is so different from that of ours. We can't even visualise it.

We will appreciate the movie more if we have/know of people who have gone thru such experiences...I know of a couple...lady lost hearing much after their wedding. But the way husband takes care and the way they communicate...I admire the family. Now grand parents, God has since then showered His blessings profusely on the family...

DO watch it...with family. Official CD's are out now ! You will laugh, you will almost cry, you will sing...and, you will not feel guilty of wasting time !

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Back from Vacation

Back form vacation....India just got a bit more 'Incredible', I feel !

Mumbai got torrential rains. That meant, I ventured out less. But, thanks to rain-Gods, all lakes were overflowing.

My heart goes out to all those affected by the floods in Pakistan. It is time, the world woke up to this and extend maximum possible help.

Talking of natural disasters, it was shocking to see the extend of devastation in Leh.

As natural disasters are becoming a regular affair, we become less sensitive...nature has its own way of 'reacting'! And, we still debate on climate change. I pray for our children, future generations...hope they will forgive us for the damage we do to 'their' environment, which we have just borrowed from them.

With no family yet here, internet 'immobile' at home, Indian cricket just not worth-following/hence not re-connected TV.... checked out TED ( thanks to IPhone, it works even without internet!)

From creativity, Shekhar Kapur led his 'TED' to 'Water'...how rich waste, as clean water gets increasingly scarce... check out
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/shekhar_kapur_we_are_the_stories_we_tell_ourselves.html

While the rich ( in Malabar hill, et al) will spend extra time washing himself, for the poor in slums water is a mirage...As a child, I dreamt of having a grand bath tub at home. Now, as I stay in some of best hotels, I don't use bath tub, as I want to minimise wastage. May be when I am in Kerala, would try out ponds...

I finished washing clothes, this eve. For records, I do not use the rinse option at all.  One of the ways I try to save water. Need to do more...

Monday, August 02, 2010

Friendship Day with a difference -Shekhar Sen's 'Kabeer'

Courtesy - www.shekharsen.com
I have been seeing the ads of Sri Shekhar Sen's musical, mono act plays. Never heard anyone in my friends' circle mentioning about same, unlike film-previews! Have been planning to go for the show, for a long time. But, last couple of vacations, could not get suitable schedule. As such, this time when I saw the ad on ToI, I went ahead to call & book tickets. On the friendship day, after catching up with two friends' families, we proceeded to ISKCON for the 8 pm show....Kabeer. A quick Darshan @ ISKCON and we entered the hall 10 minutes before time.

Sri Sen has selected three characters from recent history - Kabeer, Vivekananda and Tulsidas. They all have contributed immensely to Indian ethos and culture, by challenging the status quo and inspiring people to move ahead, SSSpiritually. They were true heroes..

Time management was perfect, starting at 8 sharp, exactly 10 minutes 'interval'!

The performance was truly mesmerizing. The simple stage/setting, superb light & sound effect and great performance by Sri Sen. Kabir had over 40 songs, and over 40 ragas. He would effortlessly switch from the role of a weeping mother, assertive young Kabir, kind wife, smart children and other roles, including the king ! The message was very thought provoking just as the life of Sant Kabeer.

The auditorium was packed. We were in the inspiring company of some professional artistes themselves.

The whole experience was truly SSSpiritual !

Would strongly recommend all my friends, esp those living in Mumbai, 'Must See' rating. One play is worth over 100 bollywood movies

Sri Sen's website :http://www.shekharsen.com/kabeer.htm

An interview: http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/interviews/28_interview_shekhar_sen.asp

Friday, July 30, 2010

Friendship Day

Dearest Friend,

Blogging is a new hobby for me. Now I am at a milestone - to post my 300th post!

Sachin, when asked about his 300 runs milestone, he said,'it will come if it has to' ! I am not being so dispassionate about this achievement. I was fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a writer, thru my blog. God-willing, I will graduate to the level of an author of a book.

God has been very kind me, I have lived in so many different places. Every where I got a set of great friends. Indeed, life would have been incomplete without all those friends.

A big thanks to you for being there, in past, present and future too. May God bless you, hey friend. If God had given more people, more friends like you, this world would have been better place to live in...

Count your age with friends but not with years - Anonymous


Let us spread the Spirit of True Friendship





Thursday, July 29, 2010

A Short Trip to Kuwait, Officially

clicked while driving past this popular
structure @ Kuwait -IPhone !
Made a short, official trip to Kuwait, early this month. I am not fond of travelling, really. But once I reach the destination, I love it, for the new experience.. Kuwait was no exception. Enjoyed the week-long stay!

Kuwait was hotter, and also humid, unlike my karmabhoomi. Humidity was attributed to Indian monsoon though :)
Loved the place for its sheer variety and limited-openness ( better vis-a-vis Dubai, which is 'too open'!) The sheer variety of cars on roads.... wow! Saw many driving my fav car, Porche Cayenne.
Kuwait can definitely boast of a high proportion of women drivers.
A friend made an interesting observation, 'most mallus drive Pajero'. Perhaps one of the mallu-super-stars (mammotty/mohanlal/suresh gopi) may be driving a Pajero, with folded dhoti/mundu ! :)

In spite of high temperature during the day, I went to the Udupi restaurant ( veggie only!), for lunch, not once but for three consecutive days!
A friend took me to the Japanese restaurant. Great location, but not a veggie's delight !

Hotel Marina seen from Marina Mall
Was unable to check out Asha's, supposed to be one of the best Indian restaurants, owned by Asha Bhonsle, at Marina Mall.
(Ashaji has joined the bandwagon demanding a Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar!! No comments !!)
Stayed at Hotel Marina, one of the best places I have stayed in recent past. Great location, fantastic sea-view, great people & service. I was pleasantly surprised when the GM, who was at the lobby, passed by to greet and exchange pleasantries. But, veg-option in menu was a disappointment and the chef did not bother to help either, when requested. But hope to come back with family...

The term, Success, always fascinated me. Like so many other things in our lives, 'Success' means different things to different people. One of the parameters of success I consider is the number of self-less friends we can count on. God has been very kind to me,  on this front too. Kuwait visit was memorable, thanks to some old friends and new friends through them...

Vacation 2010 @ Incredible India!

Middle East hit consistently 50 degrees plus. Friends confirm this is hottest summer, and we are just peaking! So, the timing of my vacation turned out to be almost perfect. 'Almost' because, it is raining cats & dogs in amchi Mumbai ! ( Hence the new blog design-template with monsoon-touch. Pls let me have your feedback)

A short pilgrimage to PSN. Back filled with peace and tranquility. Still counting my blessings....
Thanks to good monsoon all over, even the drought prone areas are green...Was part of the alumni-group to plant a few saplings...My usual lip-service to Green campaign ( I earn my bread from car finance!)
We need to do so much more to sustain the environment. We can not forget our environmental responsibility...Our children deserve a greener earth!

Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu, I pray fervently. . .

Vacation 2010 @ Incredible India!

Sachin hit a double! I am a die-hard fan of the cricketer and the person. We have mortals to look up to. . .
Loved the article on ToI, which indicated why Sachin is so successful, for so many years. (Chk out link : Sachin's 300 )
  • Discipline  ( he went to bed on wed @ 830 pm, was up early, etc!)
  • 300 runs..'will come, if it has to': that is practical SSSpirituality!
  • He played like the debutant at other end, Suresh Raina - 'every day is a new day in the life of a great artist'!
Inspiring stuff!

PS : While batsmen from both sides happily accumulated runs, test cricket hit a new low....:( Test cricket needs better pitches. ICC needs to step in. Sharad Pawar can start from home...

Thursday, July 01, 2010

The green food movement - Culture - livemint.com

This is one of the most inspiring articles I have come across recently, on this topic that has a direct impact on all of our lives...and also, on future generations...

The difference is, while many of us just restrict ourselves to convenient levels of 'Green'-activities, Oswal has gone ahead and taken the challenge to EXECUTE the thoughts....

Hats off to Oswal... we need hundreds of such initiatives to save our environment.

The green food movement - Culture - livemint.com

CHECK OUT THE LINKhttp://www.livemint.com/2010/06/28215806/The-green-food-movement.html

The green food movement

With a menu and decor that aims to control carbon footprint, a new fast food outlet in New York started by an Indian, is a vegetarian restaurant with an environment-friendly twist

Friday, June 25, 2010

Blog to Publish

Dear all fellow-bloggers, would-be-authors!

I am sure many of us, at some point of time, dreamt of writing a book...becoming an author...Many of us are able to fulfil the dream, thanks to this option, Blogging !

Some of us are yet to get on to the bandwagon (blogging), content with tweets/FB, etc., while some are yet to transfer the thoughts on to the paper, before publishing.

For all bloggers, you have an option to publish your blogs. Check out....
http://blogspot.sharedbook.com/blog2print/googleblogger/index.html

Many of us, who may not be qualified to get an agent/publisher to fulfill our literary dreams ( publish) or just don't want to get in to that process, another option is SELF PUBLISHING.
Came across an interesting article...authors shake up traditional publishing with do-it-yourself ( WSJ)

I am a fan of Amazon.com  and the idea itself. Now such players are enabling budding authors to enter the publishing world, fearlessly. We mey be 'at the leading edge of a technological disruption...' WoW !!

Too much of anything is bad

I have a nagging feeling, I am spending too much time on my computer/phone... on the verge of becoming an E-DDICT! ( addicted to e-world)

Partly because of work. Personally, I am into a bit of blogging, gmail/ymail. Low on Facebook/Linked in/alumni portal. A passive presence on Twitter/Buzz. I am on linked-in for professional reasons, and on social NW sites just to be in touch with friends...Those were the days when we would actually write letters to friends...I used to write quite a few...

The impact of too much time on e-world may end up 'infanstalising the 21st century mind', says the article.Check out this link
Are we too switched on for our own good? ( check out this link)

How do we get out ? The author says, 'digital detox, fast ....imagine', etc.
Manage time better, consciously switch-off...I am tempted to add, Meditate...be Ssspiritual 

Thursday, June 24, 2010

ADs, irresponsibly

Messi is all over...at South Africa, though he is yet to perform to his best, yet...just like some other greats, incl Rooney. But Missi's KFC ad is quite all over  ( Check out at : Messi World Cup Ad)
While I am a great fan of Messi and his coach, Maradona, did not quite like him featuring in KFC ad. Nothing personally against KFC. But, being a converted veggie, not in favour either :)

Another ad featured seemingly no great player - but still McDonald was riding on the popularity of the game. To feature a kid, their target audience, was good marketing decision. But not healthy.

The pepsi ad featuring, Messi, Kaka, et al, is beautiful (Pepsi Ad| Oh Africa - Akon ). But afterall a Pepsi-ad. 

My thought: the sporting greats should be more selective in accepting endorsements ? Something more healthy, more wholesome and Local-Organic...Pls GO GREEN!

An entire generation, across the world, is growing up on Pepsi/Mc/KFC et al. Add to that, less physically active.  Not a bright prospect :(

Friday, June 18, 2010

Loving Tribute to my dad

I am usually critical to all these fundas of 'days', which is more western influence...Valentine day, father/mother day, etc.
But, in this fast-paced life, it is good to remember, with love and gratitude, our parents, teachers, at times... Of course, need to be Ssspiritually conscious of God, always!

I plan to write a book on my relationship with my dad. As a child, he was terror. As I grew up, he was more approachable. Once I hit teens, he became a friend. The respectful distance always remained between us, but we were close in a way we would not exhibit. Me as a youngster, and himself as a career-faugi!

I have learnt so many things from him...and try to emulate him.

  • family- first. He made it a point to be in contact with all relatives/siblings, friends,etc, but his family came first. 
  • compassion - for people around him, not just family, but beyond
  • discipline, time management, etc -being career-fauji, it came naturally to him. 
  • passion for fitness 
  • he inspired me to stay away from alcohol, as he was a tea-totaller, in spite of being in army & CSD...Seeing his addiction to smoking, I resolved to stay away from cigarettes. 
  • his style of parenting was not by preaching, but by practise and setting example ( something I 'try' with my son!)
  • reading habit -my passion for letters and blogging, is something rubbed off from him.

 He is no more...we miss him. But he lives in our lives....

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Now an e-magazine for Indian writing in English - Thiru'puram - City - The Times of India

This is very interesting.... finally, something that may be truly representative of Indian-writing.... beyond some of the more prominent, but not truly 'representative' and less flamboyant!

Now an e-magazine for Indian writing in English - Thiru'puram - City - The Times of India

Monday, June 07, 2010

Bhopal Gas Tragedy - Toooo little.... just toooooooo late

The verdict has made a mockery of our legal system. We just don't value human lives... :(   The system has failed not only those who were affected by the tragedy, but the world. The government got to wake up and do something at least now.

NDTV was right in asking.. if this had happened in America ??

Incidentally, America is struggling to come to grip with the another man-made disaster - the oil spill. It is said even natural disasters affect the popularity rating of leaders and governments. This spill and inaction thereof, is suicidal. But, you can count on the President of USA and others in his establishment failing to live up to this challenge.

Thomas L Friedman rightly commented, oil spill is a defining moment for the US ! 


Even the most powerful on earth can fool Nature... Nature invariably hits back - it is our choice to term it mere action-reaction or Malthusian effect or Doctrine of Karma.

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Kapil Dev in Riyadh

Annual day celebrations at a school reminds us of our own school days...esp if we were active in the extra-cultural activities like drama, music, et al. Similar is a feeling when annual day function is held at the school of our children, when they have to juggle between studies/tests and practice. ( At least our school days were less stressful). The excitement among all children and us, parents, hit a new high when the news of this year's chief guest was confirmed. Kapil Dev, one & only...! Memories took me to my school/college days..!
Kapil became a popular cricketer when he started playing for India. Those days, The Hindu, Sportstar, Sportsweek, etc were the source of all news and analysis. He became an icon when his brilliance, both as a player/all-rounder and captain, enabled India lift Prudential Cup. The brilliant match-winning knock against Zimbabwe ( ironically, we are out of tri-series courtesy them!)... The brilliant dismissal of Viv Richards in final...He is one great player, who has given as much back to the game... very few have made such a difference!

A caricature of him, with the cup, was the sole picture on my room-wall for a very long time, as I struggled with my maths, physics earlier and then commerce! He was not from a metro, did not speak fluent english, was not flamboyant... many of us could identify with him. He inspired a few generations of professionals and achievers,not few fast & medium pacers!

As I walked, or limped thanks to a sprain to the venue at school, I thought... Kapil was fit throughout his playing career.

We were seated,eagerly waiting for him. He walked in, to a roaring reception of a packed house...So many of us were overwhelmed by his sheer presence. The tall, dark and handsome, also fit even now, Kapil revived memories of our own school/college days, when we were TDH&Fit ( certainly not now, at least most of us parents in the audience!)

He sat through the program encouraging the students and staff. We were just happy to be in his inspiring company.Kapil gave a short, but a very inspiring speech:

Most of us (NRI's) would have gone through similar struggles in our early lives, just as Kapil did. But all differences end there. Kapil worked very, very hard and reached the pinnacle. We were not as focussed, committed! If Kapil could reach the top, each one of us could have reached, in our respective fields too... A little more goal-orientation, hard-work, sincerity, prayers.... would have helped!
One key difference was he could pursue his passion and many of us could not, as we did not have the financial security or our parents would not risk ( not to blame our folks, as we would have perhaps done same if we were in our parents' shoes)
But, our children are better off. Their parents have some amount of financial security. Many of them will be encouraged and supported to pursue their dreams. But, how many children will reach the top ? How many of them will identify a passion, work very hard, keep up the focus and will reach the top, maintaining impeccable value-system....!? Like a Kapil, Sachin, Vishy Anand, Dr Kalaam, Nrn Murthy, Pt Jasraj...real Indian icons...

Even if a few students reach such levels of Total Greatness, Kapil would be the happiest for his humble contribution( inspiration). Their alma mater will be proud. Their teachers will be happiest. Parents would have done their duty. May God bless and guide our beloved children...
A big thanks to DPS...
Thank you, Kapil Dev!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Music Room by Namita Devidayal - A beautiful experience

I always return from India with a small box of books –  personal choices of wife, son and myself. While son picks up the children's books, we try to thrust on him ‘better’ books on self-development, spirituality et al.

During our visit to friends @ Cairo, we had an interesting discussion. The hosts were reading books from the two opposite ends of the spectrum – lady of the house was reading ‘Shantharam’, he was reading a book on ‘halo’. He felt reading all such books/novels was sheer waste of time. The other two couples, including ourselves, had their own views. Interesting discussion, that was…!

Personally, I have been reading less of fiction-types, but more of other serious types. ( Though Shantaram is being planned, put off due to the sheer size of the book!)

Now, why all these…? I just finished reading a beautiful book – The Music Room, by Namita Devidayal. After finishing the book, I am unable to start another book. It had such a profound impact on me…

As a child, I wanted to become a singer, more like Yesudas. I started my classical music training at the age of 9, but could not continue as we shifted out of our village. I re-started with another master when I was 13. Again, we moved. Somewhere, I lost whatever little singing capability I had. I don’t know was it due to the serious typhoid or hitting adolescence. 

I had this fear, if I will be re-born just to fulfil the dream to become a singer! 

As my life took a fantastic twist and became Spiritual, bhajans stuck a chord. When I sang as part of a group, my cacophony would not stand out. My singing improved.Singing became one of the nine spiritual steps, ‘Keerthanam’. Thanks to repeated singing, cacophony became more ‘bearable’ ! From a follower, I became an occasional ‘lead-singer’. I was fulfilling a dream… to sing…’keerthanam’. 

May be, I don’t need to be re-born to become a singer, but to take care of other effects of Karma J

Against this background, I saw a book on music, in India. I saw the comments. On the cover, ‘Fantastic! A must for every musician and music lover – Pt Ravi Shankar’ and similar reviews on the back-cover. I picked up the book… The Music Room

Somewhere, my priority in life shifted to education, career, etc. Music was not a priority! Unlike the author, "Part of me is a mom and part of me is a singer and part of me is a writer and part of me is a party animal”.






So many of my friends are music-lovers. From film songs ( hindi/tamil/etc), classical (Hindustani/Carnatic), western, instrumental, devotional-singing, etc… But, for many of us, music is an integral part of our lives. For some of us, it is meditation/sadhana/spirituality…




"To play a raga, you must see it standing in front of you." – is the most inspiring thought in the book. 
The Prologue, Bhairavi, on the Vision is just Divine.

A big thanks to the author for sharing this wonderful musical-story… God Bless…

"….this kind of music is the closest one comes to spirituality. It's so meditative. It makes you forget the outside world. It's almost like going into a musical wonderland. "
"...The book is also about how someone from a contemporary, modern world interacts with someone from such a traditional world"…    http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/sep/20namita.htm

PS : A must read for all music lovers, who are from India, want to know about India, and want to understand what music means to Indians & beyond…

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Moving stories of two young professionals

We have been MANGALORED...

check this out...HATE GOODBYES ! We lost some great, common people too in the crash.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

we have been MANGALORED :(

Mangalore has always been a very special city for me. That is where I started my career, way back in early 90’s. It ‘looked’ similar to Kerala, perhaps greener. But, people were quite different. Having covered  into Hassan-road, Kanhangad in Kerala and Kundapura towards Konkan on the job, I got to meet a cross section of people of all three faiths, backgrounds, culture, etc. As a management trainee, professional life was at its best. Had three great bosses in quick succession, learnt some big lessons with them. (Professional life has never been so cool since then, having got in to the rat-race and ‘trying to climb’ the proverbial corporate ladder. )

Travelling into Kerala on work, I came across many people who had gulf connections. There would be several people slogging it out in Gulf and their family having a good life, blissfully unaware of the difficulties of their bread-winner in Middle East. (My childhood chum captured the essence of the suffering in his hugely successful movie, Arabi-Katha, in Malayalam). All of them invariably spent a fortune on their dream-homes ( thankfully, the lenders had not extended their tentacles by then, thus preventing the gulf-mallus from getting stuck in debt burden – that was even before the advent of ‘blade companies’, as the not-so-popular private money lenders are popularly known!).

Even for us, a credit card was a luxury, but we were aware of the values of living within means…Then, I had to make an official travel to Mumbai, by air. As I was dropped off at airport, the scenic beauty hit me. But, the location of the airport was a bit scary… I thought, this should have been a helipad !

Last year, I was back at Mangalore. I was back to spend my vacation, in typical NRI fashion. While all youngsters go to gulf and spend a fortune on their homes, I was in Gulf partly to fulfill my dream of financial independence and pay off my mortgage loans too!!! I was there with my mom, wife and son, on a pilgrimage. We covered Katil, Kollur, Murdeshwar, etc. We enjoyed the food, and also the liberal servings at Ideal Ice Cream, one of Mangalore’s pride! Mangalore was always a veggie’s delight.

Landing @ Mangalore airport, I was shocked to find the same airport, with little cosmetic changes. I thought again, this should have been a helipad. Now, I am no engineer/aeronautical expert. But, it was sheer common sense. We need no brilliance of Malcolm Gladwel ( as he explained in OUTLIERS), to make analysis of this disaster. The mountain-top airport should have been a helipad…perhaps !
A flight from Dubai…with many passengers belonging to DK & North Kerala have met the tragic end. Leaving behind hundreds of relatives, friends, colleagues and dependents. Many would have been bread winners for their families. 

In spite of our rich cultural & spiritual heritage, somehow we don't seem to value human life. So many deaths happen around us... have be become so insensitive. 

Most of them would have spent all their youth in the desert, to provide a comfortable life to their near & dear ones. All this because the establishment has failed to upgrade the infrastructure… We have been tragically  ‘MANGALORED’. :(

Friday, May 21, 2010

Turn veggie, prevent chronic diseases - Diet - Health & Fitness - Life - The Times of India

This is no great revelation. Most of us are aware. But one of the things we don't implement. We tend to postpone/ignore...

Right eating is a critical part of Spiritual Living...Hence blogging this link from ToI.

I feel, if we are on spiritual path, it helps to move from non-veggie to veggie. It would still help to move towards vegan.
Still better if we Go-Local & Organic. It would reduce the transportation impact on our planet ( 'Go Green') and also help local farming community. Positive impact of organic needs...we all know very well.

It is one of those elements of Spiritual Journey... worth trying to move, one small step at a time. But worth trying... trust me.

If you are not yet on spiritual journey, what are you waiting for ? A crisis, as someone shared with me recently ? ( Don't we have enough crisis around us already ?)

Happy Spiritual Journey!

Turn veggie, prevent chronic diseases - Diet - Health & Fitness - Life - The Times of India

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

T20 World Cup

Indian cricket hit a new low !

We put up a pathetic performance, individually and collectively.
IPL did not help our own players, but it helped someone else... KP attributes his success to IPL. Let us not miss out the fact he spent extra time at practice and working hard. Naturally, he was clear about his goal to hit form and make valuable contribution to his team's winning

If that was not enough, they are in news for wrong reasons...creating a scene at a pub !

Role Model

One of our fundamental responsibility as a parent to our children is to inculcate in them the right value system. A friend uses a more appropriate term, 'SANSKAR'! How true... !


This should be done by not preaching, but by practicing. But we forget this and try to preach than being a role model. Just practise !



Monday, May 17, 2010

Meditation

People have different opinions about 'meditation'. But still, many are yet to experience the beautiful experience of this simple activity! We don't find time for ourselves. We have time for everything else, many of it not very necessary to our personal life, happiness or spiritual growth.

I held on to the view we need at least 20 minutes of meditation to reach a higher level. This is based on the various readings, and a few popular techniques I have learnt.

But Master comes up with something out of world, as always. 11 seconds of true meditation enough, He says. He is obviously not trying to lower the bar. But actually raising it. If we can practice true meditation for 11 seconds, it may not be very difficult to practice for 20 minutes or beyond. But, in this Kaliyuga, where instant/fast food is more popular, we could reach higher levels of consciousness by reaching true meditation level for 11 seconds. Needless to add, rest depends on Grace of the Master, based on our sincere efforts.

Happy Meditating...

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Dubai Visit

A short visit. Enjoyed the weather, it was pleasant esp during early morning and after sunset. It was not sultry either.

Morning walk was cool. Thought would not see many people on road on a Friday morning. But was pleasant to see few morning walkers and also a fairly big group of joggers, perhaps preparing/running marathon/half marathon. We, residents in GCC, needs to take care of our health better.

Dinner at Saravanabhavan was just great - great food, fantastic service and nice Indian-middle class ambiance ! A veggie's delight! Curry-leaves soup was a revelation.

Love the sheer energy of Dubai. Reminds more of amchi-Mumbai. People are always on the move.. in a hurry. Healthy too...

But the economy is yet to recover. People fear the property market may hit a new low soon. The fear is still there. A correction was definitely due.The dubai-story defied all economic to philosophical logic. But, at individual level, it has affected several people and their families... dreams gone sour. Feel bad for them.

In all, great experience @ Dubai, except at airport... was a big disappointment, on return.At check in,  immigration counter, food court, book-stall...etc. Not in sync with the energy & courtesy of Dubai! Wonder why I don't 'command' respect, not even basic courtesy. In spite of being decently dressed and putting up a confident, sincere smile. Food for thought.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Vishy Anand is World Champ yet again

Indian cricket team plays their do-or-die match at T20 world cup... they also need to pray for a favourable result at Aus Vs WI...

No such confusion elsewhere in Hungary. Champion of Champs, Vishy, won his fourth title. He proves he is one of the greatest sportsman from India. That too in a game which is all brains, and no brawn :)  The cricket crazy public back home will be too busy talking & intellectualizing about the fate of MSD & team...

Vishy's mother wants him to be a champion and also a good human being... Great lesson on parenting

In this era when sport and sportsman hitting a new low at individual and collective level, we have Vishy and Sachin. Proud of them !

Sunday, May 09, 2010

A Short Trip Westwards, officially

A trip westwards… along the setting sun, late afternoon.


Reached airport very early, partly because of my recent preference to try & avoid last minute rush, and also an error from my side on the flight timings, fortunately I presumed ahead of ETA and not later ! Got boarding pass and sat down to kill some time… ( no delight @ check-in process!)
Finished off the last part of the beautiful book I have been reading! More on that later, in detail, to try to do justice.


Cleared my gmail, did some twitter and did not touch facebook, listened to some music, … all on the new IPhone.  Now, some of my friends have been asking about IPhone. After checking out various options, the toss was between IPhone and Blackberry. Apart from features and feedback from friends, the fact that unfortunately BB is being seen as a typical teenager phone (!) did not help. Having evolved from Nokia to  Sony Ericson to  Samsung, I have no doubt: IPhone 3GS is the cellphone.  Nothing else matches the versatility & convenience of IPhone 3GS. It is user-friendly. Camera is quite good. And, I am yet to explore the programs available at cost/free downloadable. To summarise, phone/music/camera/basic surfing are the features you are looking at on your phone, need not look beyond IPhone. I am yet to come across a techie who utilizes features beyond these.  One drawback I observed was the battery life. For all the fantastic features, the battery life is a disappointment.


Steve Jobs is considered to be the best of CEO’s, especially in tough market conditions prevailing now. He has redefined personal technology, thru Mac, IPod, IPad…. People have been lining up for IPad, having succumbed to the temptation…!!


A colleague, fellow-traveller, joined just in time. We boarded and took off… I took a short nap, as always. Somehow, I always got good sleep flying… though while travelling with family, my son has been quite critical about it.


Driving to hotel, the fellow traveler raised the question of customer service. When, two senior bankers are travelling together, service standards becomes one of the easy topics to pick up. While -he was unhappy about the check-in-to-boarding experience at departure terminus, he still seemed to be carrying the thoughts…we were sitting at separate rows, despite our efforts to get adjacent seats. I shared with him one of my favourite brands in all categories was Jet Airways and how their service standards have not only been good to experience, but also to emulate. I wonder, why so many other air carriers just fail to give minimum customer-experience (if not, delight) while flying. We were flying business class ( remembered Shashi Tharoor’s comment, ‘cattle class!)  I was also trying to cheer him saying we are going to another good brand, our hotel which we have specifically chosen based on our earlier experiences.  As the taxi hit the last stretch, the road by the sea, the hotel  stood tall, as though waiting for two demanding customers….

Sunday, May 02, 2010

7Years in Tibet

Based on reco by a local friend, checked out this movie... Great movie. Characterization of young Dalai Lama was brilliant ! 

A sudden urge to visit Dharmashala...Pls do check out!

Seven Years in Tibet


Friday, April 23, 2010

A Short Trip to Dubai

I had travelled to Dubai... some thoughts!
  • a short flight is always welcome. As the connectivity among the gulf countries are restricted to air travel or by road, I had to opt for air travel ( unlike the British leaders who prefer to go around in trains for their election canvassing ! Courtesy,  BBC telecast of a debate, last evening )
  • a travel always enriches me with experiences. More so, when you have friends, former colleagues, relatives and other categories of contacts such as fellow-alumni... I got to touch-base with a cross section of 'contacts' and interact. 
  • a book to accompany is always a critical part of a trip. I checked my recent purchases from India.    

  • Then picked up BLIND FAITH by Sagarika Ghose, over the two books I am currently reading - PG Wodehouse & Richard Branson titles. I wanted someting 'unputtable' ..
  • I picked up as the cover spoke about pilgrimage/ganges/mahakumbh, etc. (had bought it based on good preview)
  • 'Blind faith' is about four characters on a pilgrimage. ( aren't we all on a pilgrimage ourselves? ). She's sketched out an India using her dichotomy of Western and Indian values magnanimously to further a powerful story. ( Source DNA)
  • I even had a dream ( !!!) I was going blind ! 
  • Now I feel stronger to go to Mubh Mela... also, go back to Haridwar. 
  • It was quite unputtable...liked the flow. But was quite confusing ! At the end of it....a mixed feeling of like & dislike :)


Friends have been suggesting this is as the best time to travel and explore Dubai, thanks to the down turn and reduced crowd. Friends confirm the economy is yet to show 'real signs' of recovery, which may be a long and painful journey. ( things are a lot better at other GCC economies though!). Yet to explore Dubai, as I want to do it with family. 

Earth Hour 2010 to EarthYear 2011

Vice President of GM talks of future of Auto Industry : He said '96 percent of the transportation industry depends on this non-renewable resource'.  GM VP on future of auto industry


Elsewhere, on a Sky TV debate, the three British leaders were specifically asked what they did personally at their respective homes to tackle the risk of climate change.... Interesting response, but not convincing though.

It is raining in parts of Middle East. It is hottest period in history in parts of India. Beautiful Sprint @ parts of US, confirms a friend there...

I still maintain the political leaders can not get us out of this threat. It is responsibility of every member of world population, whether we like it or not !


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Amchi Mumbai Indians in IPL3 Finals... finally !!!

3rd edition of IPL, No.3 is proving to be lucky ( consistent with numerology ?!) for MumInds. Finally, they are in the finals... Though Sachin did not come up with a big knock, valuable contribution from several players ensured a good score. Pollard was great in finishing off in style, along with Tiwari. Malinga was very good. Perhaps a good toss to win, as Bangaloreans were under pressure all along. Ground support would have helped too.

Common man/Mumbaikar deserve this too... With IPL Gate getting murkier by the hour, the sport is at its best !

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

IPL Gossip to IPL Gate

The thought that not everything related to IPL was 'cricket', prompted me to categorise my thoughts on IPL3 as IPL Gossip. But, this has hit a new low... IPL Gate ! 

Thanks to the new-age platform, Twitter and the tweet by Lalit Modi... it has resulted in a series of cascading events... still 'falling' ! A smart minister ( young, suave, well-qualified and a man of letters and also, tweets), has lost his job.  While the urban youth is firmly behind Tharoor, the political parties, including his own congress, did not support him. Was it the Pushkar-connection that proved to be the last nail in coffin ? Perhaps, yes... While many may feel he did not hide anything and was quite transparent, the Indian politics and the public opinion is still not ready to accept this new political-kid off the block. The govt lost an efficient minister. Mallus, especially in Middle East, may feel let down, as he was their only hope...

But, the case still at the allegation stage - no definite culprits caught. Despite the assurance of FM, Pranabda, it is unlikely the real culprits will be booked. Lalit Modi, poster-boy of international cricket, may still lose his job. What about the source of his recent wealth, in spite of his Midas-touch ? Who are the real people behind the IPL ? FM, PM and the entire administration owe an explanation to Indian public. We can not allow blatant violation of business ethics on the sporting arena...

The demand to nationalise IPL was quite funny, to put it mildly ! To ban IPL was insensitive ! To track the sources of funds and clean up was the correct demand. A massive clean up is overdue and a herculean task. Is the central govt, in spite of their majority and a strong public opinion, willing to take up the responsibility ? Unlikely... With Sharad Pawar part of the cricket admin, the Chanakya of Indian politics will most likely pull off a compromise...at the cost of Truth and the Sport. 

ICC has chosen to keep off, conveniently. They don't want to rub BCCI on the wrong side. That defeats the very purpose of their existence - to protect the game. Cricket is no longer a gentleman's game... And for God's sake, majority of cricket lovers want the sport to be CLEAN. 

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

today's matches

MumbInds marches on.... this time with more valuable contributions from Pollards, et al. Other teams watch out, Pollard may be peaking just in time ! Now they should test their bench strength, rest for some, give one more opp to 'MP' Jayasurya (SL urgenly needs some sporty-politicians, just as in India), ... so that all are ready for action in Semis. Delhi was not able to handle the pressure. Would still like to see Viru, Gambhir, in Semis.

KKR crumbled. Due to pressure, loss of confidence....? Chennai had a comfortable outing. While KKR found the pressure too hot to handle, Chennai's Raina & Vijay ( IPL3's 'find'?) were playing without any pressure and the flow was evident. Of course, it was one of those days, when everything went wrong for KKR! Feel sad for Dada and all his passionate fans. Prince of Kolkotta and his men will be missed in Semis.


PS : Sadly, the franchise ownership, real/benaami, are in news. We would like to see more transparency here. 

Modi Vs Tharoor

I have been trying to reduce the 'gossip' content of my posts. But, now Lalit Modi-Tharoor episode on Kochi-ownership has prompted me to write this one... but, no gossip here. It is serious stuff...( Thanks to Twitter!)

As I posted earlier, there is lot of 'gossip' about the ownership of Kochi and many other franchisee. We care for the game...the way it is evolving...With politicians+bollywood+big business house+cricket  = IPL, transparency is more critical. Perhaps, a professional club would have been less evil...'perhaps' !

In that context, I am glad this controversy has come out in the open. All cricket-fans and common people want to know what is happening behind the curtains and who are involved.

Somebody will step in and try to sort out this controversy, to minimise the impact on IPL. But sportsministry and finance ministry should step in to clear the matter, for the overall benefit of the game and ethics respectively.

PS : Till such time, let us not give our coloured verdict on Tharoor. Indian politics need few Tharoors!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Saudi hopes 'magician' will fight traffic crime - Government - News & Features - ITP.net

Every effort is worth it...We, drivers on the road, need to be more responsible.

Saudi hopes 'magician' will fight traffic crime - Government - News & Features - ITP.net

Orange Cap to Sachin

The Little Master has a habit of reaching milestones with unfailing regularity. The 'IPL-movement' has been lucky to have some masters of the game taking the game and the event to a new 'league'.

In my previous post, I had shared the 'opportunity for the Orange Cap' to be on Sachin... The collective expectation of fans of MumInds ....The Orange Cap looks better on Sachin.
Once again, Sachin shoulders the responsibility of guiding the team to a challenging total, a score the opposition unable to unable to 'challenge royally'!

With Pathan out, MumInds have tightened the grip. It is only matter of time now.

To beat the Rajasthan team at their home-ground is an icing on cake. Shane Warne must be disappointed.

Great performance, MumbInds...

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Messi- the greatest ?

We have been lucky to be part of a generation which had Maradona, Borg, Sunny Gavaskar, Jehangir Khan, Geet Sethi,  Padukone ( a personal favourite!)... earlier. Then, Tiger Woods, Federer, Messi, Sachin, et al. And no 'generation gap' here... We have been very fortunate.

The latest debate : Is Messi the greatest of all times ?
It is human weakness to make comparisons - at office ( hence the rat-race), at school/college and in the social circle. We are never satisfied the way we are... or the way others are. We make comparisons, which are usually unfair, as we do with our children.

Messi, is definitely going up the curve, for sure. He has all the ingredients of a Genius Blossoming. Ardiles think so. He says, Messi, unlike my favourite Maradona, ' is more focussed & much calmer...well protected by his family'. He also adds, 'you would never find him at a night club...a perfect boy'.


Tiger Woods is back in action. I love the golfer and happy he is back with a bang!
Nike has release a new ad ( though shot sometime back) featuring Tiger.  Not happy about it!

IPL Gossip - TVC, captaincy,

RCB pulls off a fantastic win. Happy for Kumble, Dravid, Uthappa, Taylor ( what a fantastic piece of fielding!), Kallis ( though would like to see Sachin pick up yellow cap:) !) and team... Bangalore supporter. NOT, the franchise owners, who did not treat the players well earlier on....

Robin Uthappa continues to make scintillating contributions.... Dravid was at his best in this version. I agree with Prof Dineo (on NDTV), he should 'unshackle himself'. There are many like us who follow cricket because of players like dravids, sachins, sehwags, and also kumble/dada, though they have retired. There is plenty of cricket left in all these cricket-greats. Some of them are loved because of the combination of  their game and their character, on & off the field. Hence, Dravid should unshackle himself...

Part of the reason may be because of the earlier experiences with the franchise-owners. While someone like Yuvi is alleged to be put off, players  like Dravid will retain the exemplary poise and make his bat do the talk. At least in future, players should have the option to opt out of couple of franchisee, if they chose to ( like the job-sites gives the opportunity to exclude current employer!) Hope Lalit Modi is listening.

Now Dada is upset his players did not handle the second 10 overs well. Dada is considered to be one of the best captains. Why is he blaming his team ? Prof Dino picking up on Dada? ( We all know, Dada is quite unpopular among aussies! )

NDTV got off with their post-match analysis even before the host was ready. The analysis are usually very interesting. But, we miss Ajay Jadeja! The breaks are too 'commercially long....' But the RAK bank TVC on Pehla is unbearable. Pls do not put us through the torture. But the Ford Fusion ad rocks...

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

IPL Gossip : MumInds finally lose

It was clash of VADA PAAV VS VADA-SAMBHAR. MSD won the toss, chose to bat, team put up a decent score, fielded well, restricted in form Sachin and walked away with a comfortable victory. Happy for MSD, one of cricket's coolest captains !

MumInds are still the best! Mind it..., 'rascallaaaaaaaaaaa' !

But the players looked exhausted. They may deny the length of the IPL is taxing. Partly because they want to be politically right, or because of money/exposure. But, it is quite visible. Though it is shorter version, the travel adds to their woes, as Sunil Gavaskar highlighted. The sheer intensity of the contest is tough on the players too. I personally feel, players like Sachin should retire from IPL and focus on India's games. There may not be many takers for this, but he is too precious to be playing in IPL-circus!

Talking of circus, Jaipur has approved the matches, with strings-"attached". They will have no cheer-leaders. I feel the concept is quite out of place. Also, no beer. Players like RajRoyal captain will not be able to take a refreshing sip @ stadium.

Lalit Modi was busy this evening, signing away autographs @ Chennai. He has become quite a celebrity ! He deserves all the accolades, surely. But, hope he considers such valuable feedback....!!!

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Bucket List Movie

I watch very few films. I never experiment with films. Would even attempt to to watch only based on feedback/review/recommendation from very reliable sources, such as close friends, media, etc.

I came across one such recommendation and the title stuck... BUCKET LIST. Fever, sore-throat got me out of action over the week-end. I decided to watch Finally got to watch it...at home, with family. Saw it on the original, (yes, not pirated-proud of it !) Warner Bros Home Video.

We loved every moment of it... Fantastic performance by Nicholon, Freeman and others. Great script, good flow and some inspiring takeaways...

Some special moments

  • Virginia rightly reprimands Chambers for not avoiding 'cancer' .... (readers, pls QUIT smoking!)
  • A devoted family man is ''happier''! This is more relevant when more celebrities are joining the ranks of fallen heroes
  • Laugh until I cry - that was a great item to be on the list. In our hustle & bustle, we forget to laugh. Master says, just as sweetness is the nature of sugar, happiness is our natural state 
  • Find Your Joy ... that should be our constant search.. true happiness... spiritual happiness ( Sat-Chit-Ananda, according to Indian Philosophy)

Watch the movie... Make your bucket list... It is never too late to do so. Don't wait to get old !

IPL Gossip

Mumbai Indians pulled off yet another win, a convincing one at that. Sachin did not fire, still the Rayudus, Tiwaris and Pollards stood up & ensured the option to bat first was not a bad decision by the team, management and captain.

Sachin was never rated as a great captain. I agreed. A great player, great team guy , but not a great captain. But this time it has been different. Reason....
  • You are as good as your team - the team has some great players, who have stood up, when necessary
  • Leader has to lead from the front, Sachin has done that
  • The support system has been good, surely. TA Sekhar, Robin Singh are some of the best
Talking of captaincy, top 5 teams as of date, are captained by Indians. Last 3 have foreigners as captains.

Is Preity listening? Last year, her bollywood-colleague's team made a similar mistake by not giving Dada the reigns. Intelligent people are those who learn from other mistakes.
Preity was at Mataji... May Mother bless her. Still, let the better team win tomorrow and therafter !

IPL is getting just too long. Too loooooooooooong... and next year, two more games. I will give it a miss, at least till semis!

Even now, I am not hooked 100%. Few minutes on treadmill, at prayer and family dinner are as important.

Vijay played a spectacular knock. Some of these players are going up the learning curve, quickly. RR almost chased. A great game, though I missed the match. ( was contributing to the economy of my karmabhoomi !)

Thursday, April 01, 2010

IPL Gossip

As IPL3 enters the decisive phase, I am starting this new series...deliberately chirstined 'gossip' for the informal content and to get some extra-readership.

  • KKR playing the defending champs. The defending champs are in the second half of the table, as of now, so not 'defending' very well.
  • All three batsmen of KKR started off with a boundary each. Though Chris Gayle offered a simple catch to his team-mate ( Nothing 'kamaal' about it though!)
  • Hyderabad team is playing. Sania Mirza, the Hyd girl, is in news for her marriage plans to a cricketer from 'not so friendly neighbourhood'! An unsolicited advise to Deccan Chronicle, owners of Deccan Chargers... 'Re-charge' Hyd team by including Sania's would-be in DC team. The franchisee can get the necessary go ahead, afterall they are part of the Fourth Estate !
  • Though, Hyderabad is very close to heart, I want Dada's team to win (I am no fan of SRK. )
  • Bollywood is having a bad time, as of now @ IPL. PunjabXI and RajRoyals are just not playing to their potential. 
  • Gossip is things are not very good @ PunjabXI. Quite evident going by the body-language of the players. 

"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude." Ralph Marston 

Monday, March 29, 2010

Earth Hour 2010 to Earth Year 2010

After the lip-service to Earth Hour 2010, I am going to try and live the year in the 'Earth Hour Mode'.

Part of the resolution to live life frugal, Green and thus, Spiritual. 

A long term push is required to make a genuine impact

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Mumbai Indians .... emphatic win

I always feared, what if Sachin does not come good in a match. Will the others stand up and make a difference ? Afterall Gilly getting out early seem to be making a big difference to the end-result.

Today, Harbhajan made a fantastic difference! Sachin held the innings together, pretty well. All the main bowlers, Zaheer, Bhajji and Malinga made a great attack. Sachin's catch was cool !

Bhajji is back in form, at his aggressive self. He made a pre-match announcement he wanted MI to win and become the first team to move into Semis!! That is some aggression...

Some big names such as Packard, Bravo, etc are yet to fire big-time.

The team is going great as a unit. The seniors seem to be ensuring the team is held together very well.

My worry still remains... what if Sachin gets out quickly. Will someone else hold the innings together...

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Earth Hour 2010 I did lip service too....

Last year, I did observe Earth Hour, with limited enthu. But I had decided 2010 will be different and surely, better.

Couple of weeks back, saw 'Earth Hour pop-up' on my gmail. I clicked, enrolled... then I realized I was on their Canada-sector :) Neverthless, I continued to receive email from them. That enabled me to make pleas on my Twitter, Facebook and blog... I tried word of mouth too... This morning, I sent a quick reminder to most of my email contacts... None responded...yet ! Makes me wonder, is it all worth it ?? Perhaps on a Sat evening, people are busy with their week-end plans !!! How many of us really care for our environment ?!!!

As I stepped out of office, I remembered to switch off the light. I made it a point to remind the cleaning team, to switch off the lights after they finish. 

When I walked back home (yes, 'walk'!) I saw the lights were already on. Again, made me wonder... living almost in the middle of desert, urbanised surely, we have too much of 'light pollution'. Same is the case with most urbanised landscape...The lights in corridors of our buildings are always on. I never miss an opportunity to switch off the lights during day time, only to find them 'on' almost immediately ! The awareness is low or may be we don't care...

Dada and KKR made a come back, finally at IPL3. I wonder, why the sole match was not scheduled at 4 PM IST, instead of 8 PM. There was no way to switch off lights at 830 PM, during the match. And IPL3 has been prominently paying lip-service to GO GREEN too... ! 

A friend here has opted out of the whole things saying 'earth has a natural mechanism to correct, by natural disasters, etc. Why bother?'... Interesting !


Another friend laments... 'we have switched off most of it, except A/c and TV. Family wants to watch a bollywood flick'! He was helpless...


As the clock hit 830 PM, I was out on an 'important' work - to take my son to get his xbox repaired, a long pending promise. I found the shops were no way near the 'earth hour'. ON way back, asked the laundry guy, 'why not switch off couple of lights'. He says there was a common switch for all the three lights! And why bother, the malls and other big buildings are switching off and saving a lot of power...he feels his participation was insignificant. Tragedy, a lot others think same too... !


All I could do was to get back, switch off as much possible and get into the evening prayer-mode. Escapist ? May be... The world does not seem to care and when you are helpless, prayer & meditation are the best options. 


Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu...