Game, the value… Take Home #198

Win and loss are the two sides of a coin and game is the value of it.

Less for cricket, more for Sachin

“God Retires!”

It’s inevitable. Some day or the other, we all are bound to witness the above line in the news coverage. With the recent statement in which Sachin himself said that there was no much cricket left in him, he made it clear that the end is near. Before that happens, I thought of putting up few words about my all time favourite player.

I was very desperate to do this post as the end could come any day.

Cricket has got innumerable followers world-wide. At least half of them hold Sachin to their hearts. Out of all the contemporary cricketers of the world, at least three fourth would have grown up watching Sachin playing. After all these years, after all the come backs from career threatening injuries, after answering all the critics, the man has entered last and crucial phase of his cricketing career. With every the speculation doing rounds about his retirement, for him, it must have been far more difficult to perform compared to what he had faced earlier, before his hundredth international hundred.

Pressure is unavoidable. Especially on the big stages with every eye on you, though you have been doing it for two decades, doing it one more time or for some more time for your country has been proved very difficult for the little master in the very recent times. Many fans of him, although with heavy hearts, have ended up asking him to retire soon. Though needless to say, I’d say I’m one of them.

As of now, BCCI has given Sachin freedom to think about it. But Sachin, better than anyone else, knows it very well that the same opportunity wouldn’t continue for long without runs on board in the ongoing matches. Up to him now, either playing it his way or calling it a day.

Now, “Less for cricket, more for Sachin”, coming to this, it’s a fair and frank statement I’ve made. I’ve loved Sachin and then he is the reason behind my many sittings either before TV or before my laptop with ‘cricinfo’ opened. Before exam or after exam, the scene never changed. It has been less for cricket and more for Sachin that I’ve watched matches.

With the entry of remote control, it’s been far easier to switch the channel with the opposition getting Sachin’s wicket. The celebration in the opposite team shows it all.

After all the failures we have witnessed from his bat in the recent times, even after the last time he got out against England I closed the ‘cricinfo’ with jet speed. That’s the moment I realized I should start searching for new reason to watch cricket. If I do not get succeed in finding out the reason, once he retires, I’m sure I’m going to take a long break from watching it unless another magical boy pops on the screen with bat or ball. In the present scenario, it’s pretty clear that it’s going to take some time.

Yesterday when I was thinking about it, I thought, at least one fourth followers of cricket must be thinking same as that of me. At the same time somehow I was sure that my estimate was very accurate. May be, that’s what happen when you are addicted to a person for two years.

Before I conclude this post, I’d like to send a sincere message by air to all the recent-former players, who have been having pleasure making ‘statements’. Here it goes: Please do not use it as a chance to reduce the difference between you and Sachin. Every time you try, the difference only increases and never moves in the opposite direction even a bit. “If I were Sachin I would ---”, everyone knows how you were sent out.

I hope not but for one last time I’d like to wish Sachin all the best for another good innings for India.

Right composure!

When you are frustrated, you have every right to show the frustration straightaway. But it needs the right composure, of mind and thoughts, to keep it all to yourself and come out responding in the other way. It’s not that by doing this you are controlling your emotions. Rather, by doing this you are giving the situation or the other person a benefit of doubt. It shows a side of you where you have accumulated the due respect to others or circumstances. Certainly, it ensures the slight introspection edge you entertain for yourself, which has always been proved as a success mantra.

Frustration not shown is never a problem, neither for you nor for any other, but the frustration shown could be the start of a problem. Beware.

Moreover, you do not have time to think about all this the moment you are frustrated. Only an experience or a regular exercise or rather the practice to acquire right composure would help. Of course, a deep wish to do so can work wonderfully for you in doing so.

Opportunities… Take Home #197

Sometimes opportunities come to you. Some other times, opportunities have to be searched, created or grabbed. But every time, opportunity has to be utilized carefully and very properly.

Facts that cannot be changed! Take Home #196

Try to be aware of the fact that some facts cannot be changed or at least you cannot do anything against that. The moment you realize this, try to get accustomed with the respective fact. The sooner the better.

Self-driven… Take Home #195

Organization shall allow people to be self-driven. Otherwise less shall be expected.

Post: 777

Respect everyone and fear no one.

And the 12th post on 12-12-12

So, this is it. This is the 12th post for this day with the historic date. Thought of doing something different on this 12-12-12 and wanted to post 12 posts on this special day. I’m happy that I could successfully do it.

12-12-12 will never be seen in our lives again, never. For that matter, 11-12-12 or any date cannot be seen again in our lives. But we celebrate some days, by paying them special attention. I see nothing wrong or crazy in it. Like that way we like Sachin for some of centuries he has made and not necessarily for all, we like and notice some of the dates for the way they appear specially.

11-11-11 brought lot of buzz about the Bachchan couple planning their baby due date on that day. Though it never happened, that definitely covered up bit of the time for the news channels. I don’t remember what I did special that day but today it’s been gone good.

I enjoy writing. As I wrote the marathon posts today, I realize that I can actually express on a lot of things every day. I mean, we all can express our views, opinions etc. There need not always the inhibitions that stop us from expressing ourselves, at times, we just go by the life the way it goes. It might be just that we do not feel the importance of expressing ourselves. Whether we realize it or not, it’s important for every one of us to communicate our views in a way or other. Years back I chose the blog way. I’ve always felt happy about it and will still be keep doing it.

Anyway, that’s all for the day, on this Wednesday. Incidentally, it happened on ‘a Wednesday’.

12-12-12... Thank you and Bye!

Team India: Now nothing remains to be undone!

It’s been not even a month that the England tour of India is started and all in a brisk the so named “Revenge series” is taking its toll on Team India. Except for few sessions, it’s been England’s day out all these days.

I really do not know how much a pitch can cause patches. But this time round, it’s been causing all the stains on the big names of Team India. While Jaheer and Bhajji got knocked out, Yuvi, who saw his way back to team after recovering from the life threatening disease got to see his way out too.

I do not have any praises to do in this post except very few. One, Pujara, who looks promising yet has to work hard on his consistency; two, Ashwin, whom I hope to see performing with ball and bat steadily throughout the coming matches too. And that’s it. There ends the praise list.

Now starts the introspection, a kind of.

I’ll speak about him towards the end.

(1) He has always been playing in his own style irrespective of his team’s needs. He might send the first ball out of the stadium or play it on to his own stumps. Such an unpredictable player and still gets changes just for the very same reason, his unpredictability. I will have him first on the retirement list.

(2) He has been trying to turn peanuts into big fruits but never could success in the recent times. A player known for his concentration and left hand technique, seeing him struggling these days disappoints every mere Indian cricket fan.

(3) Very recently, he appeared as an adult prodigy another one after the last child prodigy Indian cricket has seen. But surprisingly, he too has turned out as a seasonal player. I’m not sure if he lost his concentration amidst the honour-flow. But, still, he is promising one.

(4) Every position and person in team is important to run the team successfully. At the same time it is also important that the team shall be run with and without any of the team members. That’s the way the teams shall be run inspiringly. Selectors or who so ever, have failed in doing so. A player cannot just remain in the team just because he is after all the ‘one’.

(5) Having heard enough of himself and being written off for pages these days, this man in this team must be having the highest pressurized cooker in his head. What to do, to leave or to stay back for another chance! Well, as always, I will like to leave it to him, the best one to decide upon.

That’s all I think.

Team has been selected with few new bees for the last test. Let’s wait and see, what’s in store! 2-1 or 3-1 or 2-2!

As an obvious choice I would like to pick the 2-2. All the best, Team India!

PS: I write string of posts and I do not take cricket as one of the subjects! This can never happen!

Rajinikant: The Only Super Star!

It’s his birthday today and I take the privilege to wish him many more happy returns of the day. Hope, for his fans, he would ever continue as ‘The Super Star”.

With no required background or support if some people entered the Cinema field and could still manage to get the super star image, Rajinikant, as per me, tops the list in the contemporary times. As an actor, as a human being, he has always been his fans’ best choice.

It happens rarely that a super star is not just known for his stardom but for his everlasting humbleness too. After all these years of glory, he still prefers to be his own helper in many aspects during the shoots. I’ve read it somewhere and thought about it for relatively long time after that.

Having been the contemporary of Kamal Hasan, another talented and most happening actor of same time, Rajinikant could still lay his way out to the super star spot. That’s something from which we all shall be learning a lot. With no known setbacks between the duo in their long and still running careers, both deserve equal complement.

I’ve seen some of my friends watching Rajinikant’s movies again and again and again just because it’s a Rajinikant’s starrer. I don’t call it too much. I see a certain unachievable thing in it; i.e. a man’s achievement of so many hearts of so many religions and of so many diversified lifestyles. He unites. His style, his action, his dance, every bit from him on the screen makes the audience go nuts in front of the screen.

How wonderful it is when so many people celebrate your birthday as if it’s their own! How touching it would be when many unknowns prefer you to their people! Certainly, that’s one in lakh lives.

A life lived once as Rajinikant is the life that’s lived hundred times… lol… Jokes apart, truly, I admire this man from the deepest of my heart.

May all his moves bring further glory to himself and to his fans.

Book: Saina Nehwal

Author: Saina Nehwal

Gopi sir was so emotional when I met him. He said, ‘Saina, you have given me what I have long dreamt of. Thank you.’

I’ve always worshiped the relationship of a coach and the player. This book, though not in elaboration, has given me further reason to love this relationship more than before. Coach seeks his dreams to come true through his player. Though the situation of Gopi Chand is nothing different from this, one incident which happened years ago makes me mention this specially.

In 2001, when he won the All England Championships, his felicitation function was arranged in our school ground. I incidentally happened to be at home same time on a vacation, probably it was the home sick vacation during my first year of Intermediate. My school teachers went on to stage to give bouquet to Gopi Chand and wish him and along with them my mom too, who is one of the staff members. She told me later that she had wished him on his success and told him “you must win an Olympic medal” for which he replied “I will try my best”.

Every player wishes and tried to win an Olympic medal but few win. That’s, sometimes, seems more than enough for a player and to his coach. Hope this coach-player due does not mind to try more and turn the bronze to gold.

Unlike any other auto biographies or biographies of players I read, this book resembles the simplicity of Saina and her brought-up. With absolutely no commercialization, it seemed a kind of blog-read showcasing Saina’s likes, choices, routines, opinions about other players and even her kit details.

She is still young. That’s probably the reason why she has no inhibitions in writing her heart out, about her early age, parents, their sacrifices, Mummy’s strong will and wishes etc. What she mentioned about her elder sister brought a certain respect towards her. It’s not just how to be dedicated about a chosen field, but being parents, how to encourage children to go achieve the heights is also can be learnt from this book. Hats off to Saina’s Papa and Mummy!

I’ve always mentioned my opinion that there is nothing wrong in players doing endorsements and gathering sponsorships. To my amusement, Saina is so sincere and frank in accepting the fact that she does all these for money. That’s needed to have better training, physique and of course a well deserved enjoyment.

Having been attached with the game for years now, Saina should start thinking about after-play-life after some more time from now. She has still got some golden years ahead to keep inspiring the Indian young generation to pick shuttle and rocket, not just as their time pass but a profession, career.

I wish her a very successful career ahead. Hope she continues her consistency.

Wish to get recognized… Take Home #193

Be careful with the wish to get recognized. Once recognized, you shall put every effort to recognize your true self out of all the self-like images of you that fly around people’s thoughts.

Gold purchase vs Grocery shopping

I’d been to a vendor of gold ornaments during the vacation along with mom. At the counter I saw people carrying heavy bags out of which the money is taken out and pain at the counters. In return they would get the gold that weight less than the empty bag does, same bag in which they brought the money that had been taken out from ATMs/banks etc.

On contrary, grocery shopping has still not reached that tremendous trauma stage. You can still manage to get huge, though only by weight.

Gold is among the best that’s being talked about in the market. Especially in the recent times it’s on its peak. Marriages, especially south Indian ones, cannot be expected without purchase of gold. Also, during the same, the showcasing of gold happens in a most glittering way. This season has been one of the best for marriages. I say this based on the news that’s scrolled under that in a day, in Hyderabad, there have happened thirty thousand marriages. Marriage season brings seasonal business to the gold vendors and I think that’s the best business as well.

I heard from mom that the sales men in the gold shops are paid at least twenty thousand per month. That’s nothing less. I met a sales person in the shop when I went along with mom. He said that it’s his part time job and he is a student pursuing his MBA. Not a bad idea at all.

Nothing left than hopping that rupee do well in the months to come and the prices come back on track.

Not everyone can love!

When you think you love someone,

be proud of it.

Not everyone can love.

When you think you are loved by someone,

be sure of it,

Not everyone can love.

Book: A shot at history – My obsessive journey to Olympic Gold

Author: Abhinav Bindra with Rohit Brijnath

“Now I had won India’s first individual Olympic gold with the highest score ever in an Olympic final”

This is probably the line that I read repeatedly and yet could manage to get goosebumps in every read. Now as I write this, it’s needless to say how much exhilarating it is. Behind this one line, there have been years of efforts, gallons of bullets, loads of concentration and indefinable dedication. Wonderful!

I’ve always watched out for the Indian shooters in all the international championships/competitions. May be, it all started when I first heard about the Olympic silver medal that he had won in the Athens Olympics in 2004. Since then India has been continuously seeing one or the other Indian on the podium, be it world championships, Olympics, Asian games or Commonwealth games.

Though I’ve been a follower of major events I could never get a chance to watch the live telecast from the shooting arena. Thanks to the ‘flipkart’ search list which brought this book to my sight and with that the shooting ‘engineering’ to my knowledge. I called it ‘engineering’ because the shooting engineer, Mr. Bindra, has not failed to mention any point on how to shoot for the best.

Especially, every care that Abhinav and his team have taken to perform the world’s best on the world’s biggest stage, as narrated in this book, has mesmerized me. I literally told myself “this is called the obsession dude”!

Having no problem economically, Abhinav has been lucky in many ways. But ironically, money cannot make you wish for an Olympic medal; money cannot bring discipline to you; money can neither make you strive for perfection nor can it save you from having sleepless nights before the tournaments. All that an obsession can do to you is, after all, all the above.

Rivalry with the contemporaries is the lowest costing fuel that ignites a deep wish to be the best. That’s enough to march on to the podium as well. It’s nice to have. Rivalry is not a negativity to have provide you ensure it’s positive outcome with your gesture. Abhinav Bindra has been successful in doing so.

A loss can easily bring down you deep into the misery. To get back on track you need a team that teams up with you against the loss. The team could consists of your trainers, parents, friends etc but at the same time not too many too. That’s a real bliss for any sportsperson, for that matter, for any person too.

You stand to shoot your last 10 shots in the Olympic final, your gun shoots a sighting shot of 4, which you have never shot since that year you have become a teenager, and you must shot your best to win a medal in your next shots, what would you go through? I’m sure not everyone can handle this. And I’m damn sure not even few can control their heart beat. By doing all this, and still could manage to win an Olympic gold for his country shows the nerves of the toughest metal on earth.

“I won, she ordered two Kilograms of ladoos. The media poured in, eventually she needed 60 Kilograms”

A typical scene seen in our country! Even before you realize that your son/daughter/brother/sister has won it, you would be demanded to distribute the Mithaiee.

Obsession is good and bad. Good for all good reasons and bad for an only reason that it might cost you the wish to do it once again. This is what happened, as it seemed to me after reading this book, probably to Abhinav after the historic gold. I would not like to explain more on this as I do not feel it deserves many lines in this post.

Well, it’s always heartening to congratulate someone, and I once again congratulate him here. I wish him and other shooters all the very best in the years to come.

One more thing before closing on this, if you ever want to know what does an “obsession to win” mean, read “A Shot at History”.

Right and the wrong! Take Home #192

When there is no difference shown between the right and the wrong, the wrong might not get affected but the way the right might infer from it and might get changed can prove very costly.

Book: Can love happen twice?

Author: Ravinder Singh

It’s especially when I read novels, especially love stories, the book does not appear to have been read at all. I read the novel that’s quick and with no patches even here and there. I completed the author’s debut novel “I too had a love story” on a Saturday night amidst tears. I’ve completed his second book, much-awaited one as the cover page says, “Can love happen twice?” on a Sunday afternoon while having my almost cleaned lunch plate in front of me and flipping through the pages with my left hand fingers.

The story interested me only to clear off my fear thinking ‘not again!’

Ravin is an emotional writer and that’s need not be said after his first novel. But the second one, again proves that he is an emotional writer, considering which he can write the emotions he has experienced! I’m not sure if he has gone through the other story in his life again but to me it appears to be a commercial trick. Or as he mentioned in the foreword, it could be a good mixture of incidents from many lives and a twist that’s generated to end the tale not sad, again.

Coming to the title, I liked it. It doesn’t unravel the last few lines of this novel in which all the ending lies. At the same time it keeps you on your toes thinking if it can happen! Credit goes to the one who chose this.

I feel and believe love happens once. Either you were not in love or you are not in love when you say you love two. First love, can it happen twice? With no doubts, knowing the minimum mathematics of 1st standard, one can say that it does not happen twice. Having said that love happens once, I will also have to say that ‘first love’, again going by logics, does not exist; all it exists is only ‘love’.

A sole kind has been missing in the whole read of this book; a sole, that loves a girl deep to its core; a sole that probes one to do anything, crazy or serious, for its girl.

There is a certain disadvantage of success. Your next encounter will be undergone a post-mortem only to throw all the bad shoes at you to make you realize that you are not up to the mark, which you have set for yourself and for many.

Otherwise, seeing the novel by isolating it from its sister novel, it appeared as a practical love story in which two different mind sets, brought ups, wishes, aspirations of a love pair are involved. But what I didn’t like or could not get satisfied with this story is its one-sided narration from a boy’s point of view. Though he mentions that he has discussed about his future plans with the girl many times but without mentioning about it even once in the whole plot, it seemed very odd for me accept it as it is.

On the whole, it’s a good read, just to read and not to think much about it later on. If you do otherwise, you will anyway realize later that it’s too much to think too much about love happening for the second time. Forgetting the first love is impossible. One may overcome the pain it caused but the memories always revolve around.

My talle of 'Hide and Seek'

My stomach has been playing a game called ‘hungry’ in which Hide and Seek have been playing the lead roles.

Funny! But this is the reality of my snack-story. “Hide & Seek” is probably the most bought biscuits by me in the recent years. This revelation does not appear strange to those who sit or sat very next to me in office. I like the taste of Cadbury and when I get to eat the hard Cadbury types, I jump on it. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, late-night catch up etc and etc.

With that, should I mention again that I do not like to share it much, be it with any? Not that I’m giving indication to all, especially to those who sit next to me. Just, I’m scribbling my way.

Recently, there has been another release of H&S, i.e. H&S Fab. I didn’t like it when I first ate it. I’m yet to try them for the second time hence I do not have much to say about them.

That’s all about it.

Falling in love, again! Take Home #191

Falling in love again and again with the same person makes love everlasting and even more beautiful.

Movie: Talaash: The answer lies within

Going by its gesture and not by its concept, Aamir Khan’s recent bash, Talaash, kept me timeless for anything else, except for breathing, for two hours on the Sunday morning.

In short this movie is a perfect one-time watch.

Somehow I’ve started liking the morning shows on Sundays. One, they cost less. Two, they give exciting Saturday night. And three, they don’t pain even though the movie is not good, obviously due to the less ticket cost.

Coming back, Talaash is well composed of suspense, thrill, pain and myths. With no doubt, credit goes to the director. Aamir khan, one of the finest artists Indian Cinema possesses, has done enough once again. Kareena Kapoor Khan looked stunningly beautiful. Raani Mukharjee, in a housewife character, perfectly glued to the emotions.

Nothing major to write about this movie, as you know, its suspense type does not allow much. I have waited a whole week to pen down this post such that by now, I felt, I could hope that many of you would have watched the movie already. If not yet, don’t proceed reading this post any further. Please consider this as a sincere disclaimer.

As a person having no belief in the spirit world, I didn’t much enjoy the concept of the movie. In fact, the end or rather the concept of the climax disappointed me. I’m not sure if it was because I had been expecting more practicality or because I had not expected such climax. But for sure, I was wordless with the way the suspense got cleared towards the end of the movie. It seemed like a conventional Bollywood movie finish, as towards the end we come to know that the key point of the story revolves around something that does not seem to be so practical and usual!

But as a person having belief in the humanity, the reason behind the concept seemed ok, not perfect though. It seemed ok because they left her wounded all alone on the road at mid of the night but seemed not perfect because they had called a man for her help by taking the responsibility as they had to save themselves from the endanger, being celebrity dudes.

However, the way the incidents have been connected throughout the movie is good. Credit goes to the brilliant direction and the intelligent script. I’m proud that both the director and the dialogue writer are women.

If I have to choose one between Kahaani and Talaash, I would choose Kahaani for its twist at the end which seemed more human and practical. With that, it goes without saying, I’m awaiting Kahaani-2.

On the whole, as I said earlier, Talaash is a perfect one-time watch.

One more, to be frank, I could not completely correlate to the tag line of this movie! ‘Within’, how to understand this w.r.t. the story? Let me know if you get it.

Beauty within!

The best thing a woman can learn about herself is the beauty lies within.

Movie: English Vinglish

On the lunch table at office, one of the senior colleagues mentioned an interesting thing.

“If you watch two movies a year, watch “English Vinglish” twice”

A woman does everything for her husband and family, in the sense, arranging the daily needs, maintaining the harmony of the family, kids, household things, etc and etc. In return all she gets or rather, can get is the love of her family. She binds everyone and expected to get bonded well, and nothing wrong in the expectation. Apart from this, a woman, like any other human being, though a house-wife, expects a little respect and caring too; respect that makes her do more what she regularly does and care that she feels the completeness.

What happens when her feelings get deeply hurt? Especially when her own children and husband do not care for her, and humiliate her for her weaknesses every now and then without eyeing on her efforts that she put for them, with whom will she share or how will she a territory for herself in the hearts of her family members?

The answer lies within and that’s depicted in the movie very interestingly and naturally by the lady director and the ever beautiful and talented actress, Sridevi.

Sometimes you get deep into trouble and humiliation, no one helps you, and that’s when you have to help yourself.

It’s been long I’ve seen this movie and hence I’m not sure how much correctly I reproduced the above dialogue but I loved the way both Sridevi and the director said it in the movie. That’s very correct with no further analysis needed. Help yourself to stand as one in hundred.

Lot patience is needed to run a family and to be giving encouraging life to the naughty kids especially when they are at their earlier ages. I learnt this from one of the scenes from the movie.

Come back films have been many and “English Vinglish” stands one in hundred too. Sridevi, who never needed to add her husband’s name to hers to be aware in the crowd, is looked amazingly homely and beautiful in the movie. The screen play is one of the intelligent and attractive ones of these days’ movies.

I don’t remember noticing people standing and not able to go out of the theater while supporting staff’s names getting scrolled on the screen at the end. Of course, some of the scenes from the shooting time were getting played too but that’s when you cannot stop yourself from appreciating the director’s thinking. And not just that, as the Indian film world’s most cherished actress comes back to silver screen after a long gap, people could not miss her acting even though it was for the last couple minutes after “The End”.

Marriage and its bonding have been unquestionably portrayed in the speech that the lady in the lead role gives at the end.

Really, a must watch movie for every member of a family. I enjoyed every bit of entertainment in it.

Try to be aware… Take Home #190

Before estimating how much has the other person changed, give it a try to be aware of how much you have changed.

Just Similar! … Take Home #189

Don’t try to control people, try to control things/events/activities to get the control. Respect the fact that no one likes to get controlled, just similar to what you often do not like.

Introspect… Take Home #188

Not when you lose but when you fail to convert the loss into your advantage, that’s when you must introspect more.