thats my champion, my idol, my god, my everything in cricket

Congrats Sachin ...

"Lara's failures, and there were a few given his cavalier style, evoked some disappointment, but never the sort of viciousness that accompanied a Tendulkar setback. It makes you wonder how many more runs he might have made had he lived in a country that didn't specialise in headlines like Endulkar, and where every other TV debate chaired by some stiff didn't ask the profound question: Is he past his best? "

How true it is.. Read it here

"A rough calculation shows that he averages over 200 days in a year travelling for cricket, playing it at the highest level, or practising for it. Two-thirds of a year devoted to cricket, and not one bad day at work? Even Mozart was allowed an occasional off day. The future will treat Tendulkar much better than we have, although we were given the privilege of watching the boy grow into a man and live up to potential. Even that is a remarkable feat. Not every promising player accomplishes as much as he promises. Tendulkar has. Let us celebrate that. His record will be broken. But his impact will last. "

Bravo Sachin, Bravo ... Read it here

Pic Courtesy - Cricinfo

nostalgic memories of a broken soul...

The night has moved into its last yaama. Cool breeze flowed in through the window diagonally opposite my desk. The apartment complex has slept deep into their sweet dreams. Only thing that was disturbing the tranquility of night was the keyboard strokes of my laptop and Talat’s "Jalte Hain Jiske Liye", the only song in my Winamp Play List. I was on a Night Out, to complete the final report of my Dissertation Work. Rapid strokes on the MS Word Document, arrangement of the figures, copy paste of my own design documents were the order of night.

Then far across the table beyond the windows into the deep darkness of yesteryear's, I see a thin frame looking at me and smiling at me, with a tinge of mischief, in his usual style. He had finished the report long time back and now pulling my legs at me.. “Enthonnade.. Ithokke Nerathe Cheythu Theerkkande (What bugger.. Why don’t you finish it early?)”

The last minute rush on studies was always my trademark. I will think that I have covered a lot of pages, and then suddenly remember that I have missed out a few modules. But the “anonymous” thin frame, sitting across me on that noisy chair with his legs folded and both the hands on the chin, will be gulping the theoretical computer science or data structures, just by turning out the pages as if he is reading a Frederick Forsyth thriller. He always had charm of learning things quickly, something I always envied in him.

Then deep into the night another soul walks in, called PETTI, to finish of his final semester project. He advises me –“Da Dhanu, Ellam Samayathinokke Cheythoodeda..(Why don’t you do it in a timely fashion man)”? Petti was always a big time adviser, and still remains the same and the biker in me listens to that with attention. Petti Abhilash follows him into the room (he is Petti’s project mate and roommate and Trivandrum mate), and I am happy. My kind of man. Always on the edge, no fear for supplies, enjoy life to the fullest. I stop my reporting and start talking with him. Life, placements, cricket at Edgebaston*, love affairs, all unleashes hours before the exam.

Now the thin frame is upset. His concentration is lost. He quips – “Enthaade Ninakkoke Padikkanonnum ille (What? U guys don’t have anything to study?)” – and then he too joins the party. But bugger; only he knows that it is his break time. His marks at the end of semester never showed his displeasure in Petti and Petti Abhilash’s arrival. Then the thin frame walks into our opposite room, where a Padippist Sandeep and Omnipresent Shimmy will be toiling with their Strength of Materials and Drawings. He stands behind Shimmy, without his knowing, and tickles on his shirtless body. Shimmy gets a shock and jumps up.. “Enthu Maiii…..”. Once he disturbs their concentration he comes back and sits back on his chair and starts turning the pages of the Ullman** thriller.

Finally the last soul walks in, asks a lot of doubts about the questions that are coming in next day, asks what all he should cover, confirms if his preparation is enough, complaints about his illustrious absconding roommate and then joins our discussion about life, placements, love affairs, cricket and the end semester sentiments. When he leaves, I too join him for the night rounds. We first go to the first floor room of Maaman, Paappan and Thadiyan. If not playing computer games and analyzing sports, Maaman will be studying on the table on left side of the room. On the right side table I can see the outstretched legs of Thadiyan sitting on a chair nearby- an improperly placed lungi exposing his voluptuous thighs- studying with utmost tension. Pappan will be sitting on the side of the cot, resting his back on the wall, with a book on his left hand and a pen on his right hand whose trailing end is in his mouth. We disturb them; shouts follow, and move to the ground floor to disturb a studious TP – this attribute of him comes only on the eve of exams, otherwise he is a flamboyant character who once put our ever romantic Vikas in a soup – and his dear roommate Jimboli Kamsan. TP is reading through the pages as usual, trying to avoid a supply, while Kamsan is tackling the finite state automata with his usual sense of humour. "Mmmm Finite State Automata.. Avan Kore Ondaaakkumm… Eee Ullmaanonnum Veettil Oru Paniyumillenu karuthi enthumakamennanno… (Hmm Finite State Automata. It will be something. If Ullman doesn’t have any work, does that mean he can do anything..)”. Somewhere from the obscurity Baburaj joined and then our local boy Abhilash too. We talk about life, placements, cricket, love affairs and end semester sentiments and retire to our own rooms to continue the big struggle.

“I” am back at my desk, with my report being full of mistakes, chapters not in order, and no proper summary and conclusion. The mind doesn’t stick and is still wandering on the corridors of C- Hostel, where during exam times our studies where incomplete without hours of volleyball games and corridor or common room cricket. Those late night outs and the frantic last minute preparations only made e complete. And in this MS course also, I couldn’t be myself without those. If the current university allowed an improvement exam at Rs 10 per paper, I would have happily wrote even those too. Thankfully a supply came in the way, but the cost I had to give for that was really huge. A semester down and close to 18,000 rupees extra.

Hail GEC, Hail University of Calicut, Hail C Hostel, and Hail Batch of 1997-2001.

Today we celebrate the completion of 11th year of our togetherness.

* - A local ground in our college which the Electronics Guys named as Edgebaston, remembering the English Ground
** - An author of a book on Theoretical Computer Science

happy 10th birthday, google !!!

Without you, my "IT" life would have been empty.

Without you, my "writings" would have been in trash.

Without you, I might not have got in touch with my oldest of the friends.

You Rock!!

to feel or not...

When it comes to the newspapers The Hindu is my favorite. I have started reading it at a very young age while I was in school, so I always associate that childhood aura around it. They say no, Chottayile Sheelam Chutala Vare. Something like that. And I am always eager to read the Sunday Magazine - the suppliment that comes on Sunday along with the main paper. There are columns by people like Ramchandra Guha, Harsh Mander, Sevanti Ninan, Usha Jesudasan, Mark Marquesee and till recently it used to carry column by Shashi Tharoor too. Nevertheless to say I always enjoyed reading the Sunday Magazine.

Usha Jesudasan writes a column - The Ahimsa Way - on every alternate Sunday. This weekend's magazine had an article from her about To feel compassionate or not. This is actually a reaction article to her earlier article, A heart that can feel. While 'A heart that can feel' explains about the need to reach out with compassion to help people who are suffering, 'To feel or not' ponders on the question whether we are just being used when we try to be kind and compassionate with others. She also gives the answer to it. She explains about the role models in her life and also gives out a great message in the story of holy man. When a scorpion, which he saved from drowning in the river, bites him he just says - "I did what I had to, according to my nature: rescue it from drowning and give it life. The scorpion did what it had to do according to its nature: sting me".

Most of the times, it is the heart that responds in such cases. But sometimes even when it responds, the head pokes out and asks "Are you getting cheated?", "Will they do something else with the money I give?", "Will these donations go to the correct hands?". We never know, and so most of us are skeptical and that is why we shoo away the people selling items at the Traffic Signals. I am not here to support the majority, but to mention a few things happened to me over all these years.

The first incident happened while I was working in NIT Calicut during 2002-03. One fine evening I was waiting at Calicut KSRTC Bus Stand for the bus to REC, Chathamangalam, and this old fellow approached me. He was dressed in a gray plain slack shirt and black trousers. He introduced himself as one George, who is a teacher or lecturer in some college in Wayanad. He told he came to Calicut to attend one conference and then went to meet his relative and while coming back he got pick-pocketed and now have no money to go back home. He asked me if I could give some money for his travel expense. He was of my father's age, but I was skeptical. When he insisted, I asked him how much he will need. He said an amount that was less than hundred. I was confused, to give or not. His age,and the manner in which he asked me; all persuaded my mind to give it. And I gave him two 50 rupees notes. He thanked me very much and promised me to return the money in the form of money order. For this he took my address. I wrote him down my office address in the diary he gave me. The moment I gave him back the diary, he thanked me again and walked away. I thought he was eager to catch the bus, but in a split second I couldn't spot him in the crowd. After a while I boarded my bus to NITC. Later that evening, when I explained this to my roommate he told me - "Da, there are more chances that he might have gone to the nearest BAR fro a drink or two, rather than catching a bus to Wayanad, but still I appreciate your act." The money order never came, nor did any letter.

Was I cheated here? I don't know. I hope he utilized those 100 rupees for this travel rather than for his spirits.

The second incident happened last year, when an NGO representative contacted me, through a friend of mine, asking to sponsor education for children, who were taken care by them. I agreed for that and asked him to come over to office. Initially I agreed to sponsor 1 child's education expense for a year which came around 2000 rupees an year, but then he persisted for 2 children's education and he explained me about the things they do, I got impressed and agreed for 2 children's education. Also when I contacted my friend earler he said that they are reliable and had approached him through the counter they had setup in his office. So I went ahead gave my credit card details and he gave me the acknowledgment slip and all those stuff. He also told me I will be getting a certificate and receipt for my contribution. After a few days, money was withdrawn from my credit card, in the name of the NGO. But the certificate and receipt never reached me. My friend on the other hand received the certificate and receipt.

Was I cheated here? I don't know. I hope the NGO has utilized the money for those two children.

What do I infer from these experiences? Usha Jesudasan tells us that Ahimsa people are not just people with hearts, but are those with hearts that ask for nothing in return. Karma Yoga, based on the teachings of Bhagavad Gita also says:

"Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme."

But is this all feasible in today's world? I do not know, rather I am unsure of having a heart that seek no return. I never seeked any returns from my earlier incidents, but the feeling that I might have got cheated still lingers in my mind. Only thing I can do when I act compassionate again, is to hope that it serves the purpose. Rest is not in my hands. And I hope things will be done just the way I think it would be done.

Courtesy:

1. The Hindu
2. Karma Yoga Wikipedia Link