Gentle Whispers

I have exactly 10 days left for my exams. 10 days in which I have to study 6 subjects and which I am absolutely clueless about. And to top it all, they're my board exams. University of Mumbai exams where my answer papers go out to people who dont know me and therefore no pity marks either. Damn. There is so much to do. Just looking at the notes are scaring the hell out of me. And now I'm too confused and too overwhelmed to even do anything except look at all the notes spread out all over my study table in disbelief and let the shock wear off very very slowly. Though by the time it wears off it'll probably be one day before my exam and I won't have time to do anything. I can't rely on holidays either because the ever so wise examination people over at the University have decided to have 6 exams in 6 days. From the 8th to the 13th. Now, this does have its benefits in that the exams will end much much faster. But come on, ONE measly holiday would have made everything ...

Well, it's my obsession with the Twenty20 but this time its something much more serious and something I think needs to be looked at. One of them was Shoaib Malik's statement at the presentation ceremony at the finals. Where he thanked Pakistan and ' Muslims' all over the world for their support. And that struck me as a really weird statement to make especially at an international level. Where millions of people are watching. And I'm sure a lot of non-Muslims too were supporting Pakistan and even if Pakistan had won, I'm sure a lot of non-Muslims would have again supported them and said they deserved to win. But I'm willing to give Shoaib the benefit of the doubt. He very obviously wasn't comfortable in English and maybe what he was actually trying to say was lost in transalation. I think that he should have spoken in Hindi if that's what he was comfortable in and the presenters and commentators need to get that and allow them to talk in languages th...

As any regular reader to my blog will know( and there are damn few of those) I'm currently obsessed with all things to do with the Indian Twenty20 team. And when I heard about the victory parade or rather the Vijay Rath I simply had to go. And I'm so so glad I did. It was an experience unto itself and I guess I may have to wait another 24 years to see something like this again and by then I'll probably be too old to appreciate it. The crowds that lined the road was humongous and the mood was very happy and excited. Passing on information on where the open-air bus was, cheering every time bikes passed by waving the Indian flag. Yelling ' Ganpati Bappa Morya'. Teasing milkmen and delivery boys whenever they took a turn they weren't supposed to. Wildly waving, every time a camera so much as moved in their direction. It was so so much fun. And then finally the Indian Team arrived and thats when things started to get out of hand. The arrived after about 10-15 police ...

ICC Twenty20 World Champions- India Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? India! India! What an absolutely fantastic performance. I'm still not over it. God, I'm so so happy. I can't stop jumping up and down and my voice is now all hoarse from screaming out loud. But what a win. It's something I'll remember forever and ever. A memory to carry with me and it must be so much more exciting for those guys who actually went out there and won it for us. The balance would keep shifting and so would my emotions. I would go from absolute joy to wild hope to the depths of despair. And all in the space of a couple of overs. My only regret is that India won by a mistake and not by a burst of brilliance as such. However on the other hand, India deserved to win. Simply because they hung in there and didn't lost their nerve. They just refused to lose. The bowling performance by India especially RP Singh and Irfan Pathan!! They bowled their hearts out. And the fielding was sup...

Well, India just got done batting and it wasn't their greatest performance ever. Wickets kept falling at a regular interval and nobody really managed to get going especially the people most of us were relying on Yuvraj and Dhoni. Sehwag was injured and so couldn't play and I think his loss definitely affected us. Umar Gul and Mohammed Asif bowled really well and managed to keep the pressure on the Indians. 157 as a total isn't too bad though. Something like 180-190 would have been much much better though. Hope our bowlers manage to come out firing though. A couple of early wickets and we'll be back in action. It should just happen for us. Pray!!!!

The day I've been longing for is here finally. India takes on Pakistan in the finals of the Twenty20 World Cup. And I'm a bundle of nerves. Multiply that by about a billion and that's how much pressure there is on India to win today. But i would like to reiterate again that whether they win or lose. They're still champions cause they managed to reach so far and they did all it without anybody giving them even 100 to 1 odds. All this was regarded as was an opportunity for the youngesters to gain some " experience". And these youngsters managed to knock out some of their best teams on their way here. England , South Africa & Australia . I do think India will win today cause they have the psychological advantage after beating Pakistan last time around. And Dhoni's boys always bring it when the pressure is on them. And these are the people I think Pakistan needs to watch out for :- 1) Sh ree santh :- He p layed beautifully for India in the last mat...

First, let me make it clear that this post is not about the movie Home Alone 1, 2, 3 or 4. Not about how much I love it or how much I hate it. Though Macaulay Culkin doesn't look very nice now. It's about how much I hate being at home alone in the night. It makes me feel extremely lonely and weird- kinda depressed, kinda sad and kinda lonely. And then I need to talk to people. I call people. I chat with them online. I buzz them until they reply and I cant live without talking to someone right then. Even if I'm watching the most fascinating television ever. I will still call someone and talk to them while watching TV. I have improved my multi-tasking skills though. So something good has come out of it. And this from someone, who wants to live all alone someday. Pathetic I know. How do I come out of it though? No idea. Any suggestions?

* Just found this letter a friend of mine, Mynie had written after our trip to Kashmir where we interacted with teachers and students at the Kashmir University. Where they spoke of their angst and demanded a separate state from India and Pakistan. Mynie wrote this in response to all that we heard that and I think its one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I've ever come across. And something that absolutely needs to be shared. * To, The people of Kashmir , All these years I have lived in illusion. An illusion that Kashmir , the Valley of my dreams, is very much a part of my country. I took great pride in it, and I believed you did too. But, a few days ago, I had raw exposure to your lives, much troubled lives. I might never be able to think by, what they say, stepping into your shoes. I might never be able to empathize entirely with your tears. I will never be able to comprehend the torture you face, the wars you wage every day and night - to rise and to sleep, to ste...

Well, I just watched the match. Start to finish. And it was totally brilliant. I enjoyed it totally. I oscillated between extreme joy and despair throughout it all. And at the end, I am just simply in awe. The intensity, the passion and a dazzling exhibition of cricket Yuvaraj, Dhoni and Uthappa were simply amazing. They all batted their hearts out. It was indeed raining sixes. And from 48 for 2 to 188 for 4 was something I never ever excepted. It was just too too good. And from then on, I knew we were in with a very very good chance. And then Australia came out and India showed them that he who laughs last laughs best indeed. RP Singh & Shreesanth!!! What bowling!!! Spot on!! They kept the batsmen guessing and put them under a lot of pressure. Shreesanth especially!! I love that attitude on the field and it was good to see somebody give it back to Australia for once. I must admit though, I thought our cause was lost when the score read 100-2 and Matthew Hayden batting like a man...

India's won the toss and is batting first in the semi-finals of the Twenty20. Hope they're able to capitalise on what is their strength and win it. And not just win it, but thrash Australia so badly and give us something to cheer ourselves hoarse about. Pray.. Pray.. Pray... I haven't bitten my nails this much in a while. No pressure at all.

I've been watching the Twenty20 World Cup with a lot of interest. Much more interest than I watched the 50 overs World Cup with at least. And I'm impressed. I think if nothing else, it's the Twenty20 that will give cricket a new lease of life and make it much more popular. Though I'm sure all the purists out there will disagree with me. Don't get me wrong, I love cricket in all its forms, Test, ODI's, gully cricket. Every single way. Except maybe when India is losing. Then I hate cricket from the depths of my being and I resolve to give up on cricket and just watch football!! India's performance at the World Cup however has me absolutely jumping for joy. This is what I and I'm sure a lot of Indian cricket fans like to watch. Close, nail-biting matches and a team of young players that's hungry and determined to prove themselves. A team that comes through when the chips are down. A team that doesn't depend on a Sachin or Saurav or Dravid. Again, ...

I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann" When I was a kid, all Teacher's Day was for me was a holiday or a half-day where we got to dress up, eat snacks in schools and then go home. It held no real significance except for the odd teacher who came along once or then who made you sit up and think. Of 10 years in school, there are just two teachers who really mean something to me. Who made an impression on me, whom I still have immense respect for and who bring back pleasant memories of school. They were the one who pushed me to my limits, who challenged me, who taught me how to think for myself. Whom I absolutely love and adore. My next two years in Xaviers were pretty uninspiring. No Professor who stood out or whom I vividly remember and recall. And then Wilson's came along. And Professor Sudhakar Solomonraj. And my entire definition of teachers changed. He pushed me out of my comfort zone. ...