Before writing more, this is not another feel good blog to boost my self confidence, as one of my close confidantes succinctly told me after reading the previous blog. No mate, all we need is a weekly Man Utd victory for that :P
There are many things in life that you can't explain with a voice of reason. Not all thoughts and actions from us are the outcome of a reasoned thought. We develop many likes and dislikes in life without knowing why. It has happened to me many times, and I guess it will happen many times in the future as well.
One such thing, is little Aditi. All of two years old,(I hope I'm right lol) she looks like an adorable angel. I've never met Aditi, most possibly I may never meet her. She is not one of my blood relations. She isn't a family friend. I never went to college with her mum or dad. She is not my relative. She's not the pretty little girl with blue eyes on the Walmart counter near my house. In fact, I know so little about Aditi and her family that I don't know why I like her so much.
I know Aditi's mom, Michelle. The fun part is, I'm not Michelle's soul mate either. I know Michelle to an extent, I have argued and shared conversations with her on a football forum. She doesn't support Man Utd either, she supports Arsenal. I haven't met Michelle in person too. I know her only through Orkut and Facebook. I'm sure she's a nice lady, but I'm not that close with her either. I'm sure I can call her my friend, but not really aclose friend.
So, Why do I like Aditi? I don't know. But I like her much. Whenever I see a new picture of her uploaded in Orkut or Facebook, I get so proud as if she's my little niece. I can never explain why I'm so proud as if she's my own relative, but I am.
Aditi, wherever you are, you may know that you have a well wisher who occasionally prays for you :) Maybe I'm your long lost uncle from the pre historic times.
This week, I made my peace with a long lost friend.
I haven't been in touch with that person for a long, long time. In the calendar of fairy tales, this used to be 'Long, long ago in Faraway land', I used to be friends with the person in question. If my recollection is correct, we weren't friends for long.
Although our friendship was short and curtailed by petty fights, I actually was thrilled to have such a good friend. Like many good things, which come to a premature end, we ended up fighting and throwing it away. For goodness sake, we didn't kill each others cat. It's even funny to look back and reminisce about the past. I can't believe I had thrown away a good friend because I wanted to be cool.
However long story short, after so many days, and after a couple of failed attempts to patch up, I managed to get in touch with that friend again. One thing's for certain, we are never going to be bosom buddies once more, and I don't expect a shoulder to cry on, as any true friend would offer. But it's good to still be in touch and know that there's no bad blood between the two of us.
I was pleased with myself that I could try and patch up with a friend. Even if it amounts to nothing, it's at least a sign of my continuing maturity. I was also very happy for my long lost friend. Although we aren't going to be thicker than water, I'm happy that we made our peace. This will be one less of my regrets in life so far.
Not playing for Manchester United, remains the first.
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika. Malaika, nakupenda Malaika. Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio, Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika. Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika.
Kidege, hukuwaza kidege. Kidege, hukuwaza kidege. Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio, Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika. Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika.
So we had decided to form a cricket team at the work place. Not only that, we chose a corny name for it too. 'Willow Wizards' sounds like a name right out of a Harry Potter book of kid's dreams. But what the hell, we went for it.
Our overbearing captain Bala, is the heart of the team. He makes sure people wake up and turn up at the ground at 8 AM, and cajole people into turning up at training matches. So far, we've had wretched luck, stage fear, poor form, bad umpiring decisions and average players costing us matches. Last week for instance, we had bowled well, restricted the opposition to 80 runs, started off well and had to knock off 28 odd runs in 6 overs and we failed as our batting colllapsed.
Hermann Road, Piscataway
That's a short history of our Willow Wizards so far. This week, however, we were up against Mazda CC, and we were playing for the freedom of mankind. We told ourselves that the fate of every free man lies in our hands and if we lose against Mazda CC, machines will take over the world and we will be in slavery and bondage forever.
This ground has been a good one for us. Coz even though we lost the match last weekend, it was a heartening performance, compared to previous ones. We set off early morning and in my car, I had Abhishek, Mahesh (my room mate), and Ganesh with me. We had a good feeling about this match. Something felt just right.
Setting the target
Mazda CC won the toss, elected to field first, and our brilliant openers Sandeep and Abhishek took the field. Sandeep has been our most consistent batsman in the series, and Abhishek had proved his worth in the previous match with a brilliant knock. After a good couple of overs, Sandeep was tempted by a good ball and was bowled. Abhishek (Man of the match) however, was showing the Mazda guys who's the daddy. He hit some astounding shots on the offside, pick of the lot being a brilliant cut over point for six, the ball ending up in the parking lot.
Bala and Dev, promoted up the batting order to provide acceleration failed to do much in this match. Bala top edging a pull to wicket keeper and Dev was unluckily bowled. Umpire judged him out after consistent pressure from the Mazda CC players. Vivek and Biplav though, steadied the ship. Vivek getting the first runs of the tournament was a point worth mentioning while Biplav provided a steady hand with crucial runs. Mahesh and Bathal carried on the good work, and we ended up with 108 off 16 overs. The first time we had crossed the hundred mark in this tournament.
Defending the target
Just to piss the Mazda guys, we did a team huddle just before they came out to bat. Ganesh (aka Manoj Prabhakar) and Bathal opened the bowling. Although Bathal was wayward in the first over, we were able to restrict the run flow to a decent rate.
However, the turning point of the match was the introduction of the spin duo of Dev and Mahesh. Dev (aka Warney) was bowling his leg spinners to good effect. His first over was a wicket maiden (he got rid of a particularly nasty and loud Mazda opening batsman, don't know the name) and his second over cost only a single run. Mahesh (Aka Sakki, Sabbash Sakki, or Mages) also turned the screws on the other end, restricted the run flow and he took 4 quick wickets)
So far, which had been a comfortable defence of a good score however turned bad, when Bala and Dev had a couple of bad overs. However we managed to hold on relatively comfortably, as Ganesh (Manoj Prabhakar) and Magesh (Sakki) and Dev (Warney) bowled out the end overs. We ended up winners, and the evil Mazda CC was defeated badly. Humanity survives and we live to fight for another day.
Word of note for the brilliant fielding of Sandeep Patra, as well as scorer Pulkit. I must congratulate myself for being the owner of the car of the match ( 3 of the 4 players in my car played starring roles in the victory) and taking brilliant pictures of the match. Click here for pictures
Further team updates
Our team now boasts of a relatively strong bench. We have Ajaaz, who bowls well, and kicks the pitch and throws a strop when he fails to score singles off easy deliveries, and Swayam, who can play cheeky singles and keep the score ticking if he is promoted up the order. We have Pranab (Aka Inzy) and a couple of other blokes who can play well. We are looking forward to the next match and the knock out stages.
Last week, I had a chance to Watchmen again, and I was able to appreciate the movie. It seems brilliant that everytime you see the movie, you see something new. It might be a smirk, a new weapon, a cigar, or Bob dylan, or Joker's now slobby belly.
But the most wonderful thing about the movie is it's soundtrack and the use of the songs in various parts of the movie.Especially, Leonard Cohen's hallelujah providing the background score for the 'union' of Nite Owl and Silk Sceptre. As I watched and enjoyed the sound tracks, I realised that I have heard the songs in the movie, yet somehow never appreciated them.
The Sound of Silence
Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach to you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
in the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls."
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
I've been listening to this song over and over again, and I can't believe I've never paid attention to the lyrics like I should have. The lyrics are so vivid and captivating. There are a thousand stories in the song, and it captures your imagination. Like almost every other artist, Simon has come out and said, there's no hidden meaning or ulterior agenda to this song, but that's the beauty of it. You can derive thousand meanings and yet it seems there's one more to explore.
One thing's for certain. That is, the song talks about a dream Simon had. About the things unravelled in the dream, two popular theories exist. That the song is about people who listen and submit to popular opinion without much forethought. This would explain the 'People talking without speaking and People talking without listening, and songs being never shared and Silence never broken'. About how reluctant people are, when it comes to talking against the popular opinion. And why the speaker's warnings are never heard. Because they are against the popular will of the word, and how they are unwilling to hear the speakers words and take heed of it.
The second theory is about how Simon is trying to talk to characters on a TV show. How he's unable to engage in a conversation with the characters in a TV show and counsel them. It could also be a sly dig at the fact that Television has become such an integral part of the western world that it was curtailing the imaginative and thinking mind.
The song ends with a brilliant ending that the truth is closer at hand. You don't have to look further than the graffiti on Brooklyn suburbs that predict the end of the world and the second coming, that's so nigh. Put it simply, Simon implies that prophets are never taken seriously in their own land and Tenement halls and subway walls are a source of wisdom hitherto unheeded.
Plans for the Tomorrow
I will sing and I'll be merry. For I've just read the Silmarillion and I know the doom of the middle earth has come to pass with the slaying of Sauron. But I also have to work :(
First up, My prayers rests with the victims and the survivors of the Haiti earthquake. Some of the images on TV this week has moved me to tears many times. They don't have a proper burial place or the time to bury the dead. Bulldozers are used to collect the bodies of the dead and they are burnt immediately for safety's sake. That's your exit right there.
All the world's a stage. And all men and women are merely players.They have their exits and entrances.
But these didn't get a proper send off. The cruelness of the entire picture hits you right across the face. Please donate as much as you can to Haiti relief fund.
Good, Bad and the Ugly
What is it with us humans? How do we manage to inspire ourselves, feel exasperated with ourselves, hate and loathe ourselves and sometimes even give up our extra-ordinarily gifted life of ours? How do we manage to surprise ourselves in almost every step of the way?
I was watching this remarkable story of Janette, a woman trapped in roubles of the devastating Haiti earthquake for more than 6 days. Her husband never gave up and apparently hung around the collapsed building for the 6 days trying to gather up some support for her rescue.
On the 6th day after the earthquake, finally some help arrived and after a big struggle, fire fighters managed to rescue the poor lady Janette from the rubbles. 6 Days of no sleep, water or food and fighting for her life, anybody could have excused her for fainting or not smiling at the cameras pointed at her.
Remarkably, the lady started praising the Good Lord and started singing a song in a great and joyful voice in her native language. In English it translated to 'Don't be Afraid of death'. It was a moment that moved me. Amid all the devastation of the earthquake, here's a woman who had fought death in it's face and survived for 6 days. Here's a woman who hasn't lost her verve to fight and wasn't prepared to give up the right to live her life. Here she is, signing in the face of adversity.
This is a moment for inspiration. For everybody. As a Christian, I can't thank God enough for saving her. I believe in Divine intervention and I believe that God hasn't let her down here. I don't know why, but I can only trust something I believe in. You see the video and you are inspired by what you see, and then you go and read the comments in the video link expecting something thankful.
But what do you see? Bitching, moaning, threats and accusations of racism and what not. It almost kills the optimism within your heart. There are people who are thanking the Good Lord, and there are some folk who teach the religious not to be so religious and thank only the fire fighters. And for good measure, liberal abuse for the big man up there for letting the earthquake happen in the first place. There are whites who wish black people are dead, and there are black people who accuse the racist white don't do enough.
For Pity's sake, Stop the hate. Atheist or Christian, Church of scientology or Jehovah's witness, it doesn't matter. We all need to take a break. This is your moment of inspiration. It doesn't matter what the truth is. It depends on how you interpret it. Religious folks call it Divine intervention. Atheists call it Human Courage. Whether it is the Grace of God, Awesome resilience of humans, Sheer Good luck of the woman, or Santa Claus, It all depends on how you see it. Grab the moment of joy and feel optimistic. Be inspired. You don't have to drive your point by pinning down the other person on the floor by proving your ideology. Let them live in their own bubble. You live in yours.
But be inspired. Think of Janette. Think of the bloody blessed life you have. Think of the whining you make for not getting the promotion and the pay hike. Be inspired by life. Glory to God.
Plans for tomorrow
Be inspired. Thank God. Finish work.
Youtube link of the day
How much you dislike America and it being the policeman of the world, you have to stand up and admire them for their charity work. Recession or no recession, Country down economically, no jobs left, markets eroded, bleak stock markets. We don't give a damn. A nation is in trouble, we'll help them. Staggeringly, an average American spends almost more than 25% of their annual salary on charitable activities. America, I salute you.
There's nothing like a good, long, relaxing sleep. More wonderful if it's dreamless. Nothing to be feel elated about and wake up and realise it's a dream and no bad dreams either. Just Sleep. Long, uninterrupted, peaceful sleep.
This entire week has been hectic. Things to do, Fixes to test, Projects to boot, SoW's to write, even blogging daily and my beautiful mistress Ms. Sleep has been given lower priority. And it was such a pleasure to make love to her yesterday. It was slow, beautiful and romantic. I and Sleep went to bed and woke up together in the morning. I didn't want to let her go, but we held on to each other closely as long as we could.
I'm still reminiscing my moments with her right now, which means that I'm not yet in full working mode, but I'm getting there. And I bet this day will be more happy and productive than any other day in the week.
It's so much refreshing to wake up and see the same things more brighter after some satisfying sleep. I have big plans for the weekend. 3 Days of solid work to catch up on all lagging things and hoping to have a satisfying week ahead.
Plans for tomorrow
The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep. And Miles to go before I sleep. And Miles to go before I sleep.
I've got another follower in my blog, and I welcome Jim, my QA Manager at work to my blog. Hi Jim.
I've mulled this announcement over for quiet sometime, and I think it's time to do it. One of the principal reasons I've started blogging this year is to do something worthwhile and that's not just writing about football or my state of mind which most people don't give a toss about. So I had decided to enable Adsense and Amazon widgets in my blog so that I can get some money out of it.
This is how this works. Google Adsense and Amazon widget functionalities in my blog could potentially generate revenue for me if you click on the ads by the sponsors in this page (Google Ad's) or if you search for a product in the Amazon widget and proceed to Amazon and buy it. For every sell in Amazon, I get a 4% referral fee and every ad you click that is placed by Google, I get 40 cents per click. On every successful sell in Google, I get another referral fee commission. This is what Google and Amazon pay me for driving traffic to sellers. (Don't go overboard with Google Ad's by clicking more than once in this page, as Google has a sound page ranking system and although I might get 40 cents for every click, if you go clicking on this page more than once or twice a day, Google will smell some foul play and suspend my Google Adsense account)
So I only ask my regular readers to click on the ads and buy something from sponsors if you like and if at all you need any shopping done at Amazon, please search from here and proceed to buy it.
Why do I need the money?
Everybody uses the Dollar-Rupee conversion rate to their own good use. I'm trying to see if this can be a good thing for me. My referral fee is typically 4% and my target for this year is 500 Dollars in terms of Referral fee's. That is roughly 15000 Dollars of sales in Amazon through my blog. When converted to Rupees, this roughly translates to 25,000 Rupees.
This is serious money in India. I've made some preliminary checks with Orphanages in India and I hear that 5000 to 8000 Rupees will take care of one child's food, shelter and education for an year, depending on the child's age group. I'm planning to adopt 3 to 5 kids for an entire year through this generated money.
Hey, I'm not doing something great. I like to blog. I blog here. You like to shop. You shop here. We both do what we like and maybe 5 kids in India will say thanks to you when he or she goes to sleep peacefully.
What I need from you?
I need you to suggest some Orphanages. Hopefully smaller ones who are not in great demand of money from us. Big ones affiliated to Amnesty Internationals guarantee us that our is money well spent, but they might not actually need it all that bad. From my personal experience, there are a lot of small orphanages locally in India, which do a splendid job in saving the kids on the street. I need some suggestions from you of these deserving orphanages.
And I need you to remember to use my blog if you decide to shop on Amazon.
Bunking school was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. The thrill of showing off to chics that you are cutting class, and the suspense that hinges on till you meet your friends in bus stop if you got caught by the teacher and the looming fear that you experience as you approach your house and take your shoes off, thinking what will happen if your folks did find out about the bunk, and the relief that follows during dinner that you have successfully negotiated a bunk. There's no bigger joy than that, anywhere.
Things don't usually end there. There's normally an unexpected third party player, the enemy of the movies, like the long lost sister of the heroine who arrives in the climax of a tamil movie. This guy is either your father's friend or your mom's colleague's husband or some Tom, Dick or Harry. This guy usually knows what he's upto. He knows that he's going to put you in trouble by asking difficult questions before your father.
But that will not stop him. He'll quietly slip in the fact that he accidentally saw you before Kaveri theater 3 days before when you are with your father. If you notice carefully, you can even catch the smug half smile on his face and a glean in his eyes which twinkle with the expectation of you getting caught and thrashed by your father.
Which you eventually will. There will be a full two day period when your old man walks around in a huff knowing his son is wasting his hard earned money in theaters. There's a period when you even resolve never to go to theaters (or at least never go to a theater where the enemies of the movies may pop up)
All that resolve stays strong for the next 2 weeks before the next English movie gets screened in Sippi theater on the Thursday evening. When the temptation again resurfaces, and you decide all the trouble is worth going to the movie again, First show.
