Cricket

"You can take an Indian away from cricket, but you can never take cricket away from an Indian." 

 - Munish Malik  

Useful v/S Useless

"The useful and the useless must, like good and evil generally, go on together, and man must make his choice."

          -- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

शाम

यह कैसा  समय है...

कैसा समां है

के शाम  है  पिघल रही...
यह सब कुछ हसीं है, 

सब कुछ जवान है...
है ज़िन्दगी मचल  रही...

जगमगाती...

झिलमिलाती...
पलक पलक पे ख्वाब है...
सुन... यह हवाएं... गुनगुनाये...
जो गीत लाजवाब है...
के बूम बूम बूम... परा... परा...
है खामोश दोनों
के बूम बूम बूम... परा... परा...
है मदहोश दोनों 

जो गुम्म्सुम गुम्म्सुम है यह फिजायें
जो कहती सुनती है यह निगाहें
गुम्म्सुम गुम्म्सुम है यह फिजायें... है ना...

-- जावेद अख्तर

Thanks Fred.

 A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. 

Happy Fred

Fred Smiling. My favorite photograph of Fred.

Wake up Fred!

Let me sleep

Dinosaur Sleep

Sleep walking 

Legs in the air sleep

Superman Sleep

Sleeping like a baby

A Pet's Ten Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Chewing his way to Glory!!

"chew chew chew..."

"I like to read books sometimes"

Superdog!

Good dog! Brushing his teeth.

Not the way to hold the brush Fred!

Yea... this is better but turn it now!

Way to go Fred!

"These are my flip flops"

"tired... time to sleep..."

Freddie

a red-headed woman

I was sitting in jail with my back to the wall,

And a red-head woman was the cause of it all.

What's your dream car?

I don't have a dream car per se, but I really want to buy an SUV sometime. God knows when that day will come but I love Lexus SUVs, Pajero and desi Safari. But the only one I can afford right now is a Suzuki Gypsy or Mahindra Jeep (that too a second hand one :P). I even had a test drive of 4*4 customized Mahindra Jeep last week which had a gear box of a truck. In fact I plan to blog on that experience very soon. Coz that was one heck of a machine.

Ask me anything

The Golden Journey to Samarkand

I'm not into any kind of poetry but somehow this one caught my eye and I really like it. I read these lines in the book: "Beyond the Last Blue Mountain".  It is the biography of JRD Tata.
The book starts with a couple of verses from the following poem by James E. Flecker. 


James Elroy Flecker

THE GOLDEN JOURNEY TO SAMARKAND

We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go
Always a little further: it may be
Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow,
Across that angry or that glimmering sea,


White on a throne or guarded in a cave
There lives a prophet who can understand
Why men were born: but surely we are brave,
Who take the Golden Road to Samarkand.


Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells
When shadows pass gigantic on the sand,
And softly through the silence beat the bells
Along the Golden Road to Samarkand.


We travel not for trafficking alone;
By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:
For lust of knowing what should not be known
We make the Golden Journey to Samarkand.




P.S.: Changing the topic. I really like the new look 'n' feel of my blog. Finally blogger.com has done what it should have done a couple of years back. But... as they say... Better late than never. 
And the photograph on the blog's header is the one I took during my previous visit to the city of dreams - Bombay. Cheerio...

Race 1 - Bahrain GP 2010

Just a few minutes left for the race to start, and I don't plan to write a lot so I'm kinda sure the blog would finish sooner than the race. By the way, I am at home today, wish I could have been at 'Toons', especially for this first one.

2010 Season looks thrilling to say the least.

1. "Schumi" is Back.

He got a chance to take the seat last year itself emptied by Massa's accident. But he wanted to make full-fledged come back with the 2010 season.

And I am extremely curious to see how it goes for him.

Schumi is 41. Albeit he said, "I feel like a child looking forward to Christmas". But then F1 at 41. Let's wait and watch.

Though he is at seventh position on the starting grid, which is much better than what I expected the qualifiers would go for him, considering he had such a long break.

2. Force India looks good.

The car has been further upgraded. It's called VJM03. It has earned some good press. And we all know what "VJM" stands for. And I'm really impressed with both Sutil n Luizzi. I am very excited for our team. I believe we actually stand a good chance this season even though all superstars are back on the circuit.

"VJM03"

3. Massa is back as well.

After his life-threatening accident last season, it feels great to see him once again at the circuit. And what more, he qualified second on the starting grid.

4. New rules are going to make the race even more exciting.

No re-fuelling. whoa! Cars will have a bigger fuel tank. But this is going to make the car heavier. Point system has changed amazingly. The winner takes 25, and the next racer 18 points. So the gap has really increased. There will be points to top ten instead of top eight. Tyre replacing rules have changed, qualifying rules have changed.

5. Chandhok is finally a Formula One driver for HRT.

His car was still getting completed when the practice sessions started. The first time Chandhok in his HRT got onto the circuit was during the qualifiers. The team itself is new, so it wasn't surprising that Chandhok starts last on the grid.

There are 2 more new teams apart from HRT: Virgin Racing, and Lotus F1.

As I write this post, the race has already started.

Chandhok is already out of the race. I guess the car couldn't bear the Bahrain heat. :( I don't know the details as yet.

Sutil has been pushed over to the last position in the first lap itself. Thanks to Robert Kubica :( Once again his bad luck continues in this season as well.

And it's all happening there. There have been quite a few crashes as well for the other cars. Time for me to enjoy the race n stop writing. And drink some beer. Cheers!!

Is happiness simply a state of mind... ?

Happy Valentine's Day ?

Blasts occur. Some people die. Many others get injured. Rest move on...

"Why do we simply move on ?"

I asked this to my friends last night. As Pune once again welcomed Valentine's day with the color red. However, this time it is the red of blood, and not the red of roses. The answer: "What should we do ? And what can we do ? Sit ? Cry ? Sulk ? Find the terrorists ? What ? Vote ? Yea then what ? BJP ? Congress ? So we move on."

German Bakery. I can't count the number of times I have been to that place. And today. It's just gone. It was a hub of world culture, place to indulge in meaningless musings, lavish breakfast, sporadic conversations and for some a place to make new friends and meet interesting people. We didn't need a reason to land up in German Bakery. Breakfast, coffee or simply catching up. It was (can't believe I'm using the word "was") one of our favorite places. And it's no more... It's scary. Hope they rebuild it.

I don't want to write more, so let me try to finish this post with something cheerful on this otherwise ugly day.

Somebody sent 40 red roses to our apartment early morning. We don't know who are they from, and nobody is claiming it as well. Funny...

So my heart, my prayers, and the roses as well to Pune and to those who suffer.

Sleepless in Seattle. No. In Pune.

2.49 AM

I have been trying to sleep for more than an hour now, but without success. I guess this is the aftermath of spending most of your day on the bed. And while you try to sleep, the mind sways in all directions, in all corners, across geographies...

Unfortunately, my life is getting busier by the day. The more I want to make it simple, the more complicated it becomes.

And this reminds me of the status message Wansh had put on facebook the other day

"Every few months I think that life has stabilized, things have gone boring, no more screw ups no more weird happenings... maybe i've grown up now... God smiles at me, shows a middle finger and says NO"

ha ha... every time I read this, it brings a smile on my face, may be coz I can relate to it. I don't know. "The Pursuit of Happiness".

I am still not sleepy, not even close to it I should say. My 6-string Washburn is lying in front of me, or should I rather call it a 5-string leaning against the wall, hoping somebody would pick it up. The 6th string broke few weeks back, and I have made no efforts to get it replaced. May be coz it gives me a readymade excuse of not playing it.

I can't say that I am going to hit the sack now, coz I'm already inside the sack but it's not helping.

A Paulo Coelho book lies half-open on my table, but it's 3:07, and it's a big and busy day tomorrow and I need sleep. Though it is a wednesday, but it is giving me blues like a Monday morning thanks to the republic day holiday we had today.

P.S.: I didn't like the new "mile sur mera tumhara" video. So many film celebrities, and very few national icons. Wish they had made it better.

But as Wansh says, every time you wish for something, God comes, smiles, shows a middle-finger and says "No".

Good night...

Paranormal Activity

Saturday night... 2.17 AM... Just came back home after watching the movie "Paranormal Activity".

I have tried quite a few songs... since the mood is a bit serene, so we have everything from Chamba kee Rahein, to Death Cab for Cutie... :)

But surprisingly, forget the geeks, even girls want to talk about Hibernation... and how and why does a polar bear hibernate. Isn't that crazy. But I guess it is me who is the culprit. It all started when I asked these guys to switch off the fan since me, a warm blooded man is feeling cold... brrrrr... Evolution of discussion.

I have tried my bit, but somehow these people are too much into this "hot" topic. Gives me some time to devote to my blog. My brain is too messed up right now to discuss hibernation.

Btw the topic has changed to some Russian Assassinations. Unbelievable. May be this is the beer effect, or may be some Paranormal Activity at 2.27 AM

Talking about Paranormal Activity. What can I say... oh man... I want to meet me all those people who wrote those reviews on the internet and newspapers.

I will always remember the following couple of lines:

"After watching the movie, you will not be able to sleep"

Another said, "Forget about you will not be able to sleep. You will NOT SLEEP".

And the icing on the cake: "Be prepared to be Scared. Very. Very Scared".

Scared?? Scared my foot!! Oh man... After all that I heard and read, this movie has turned out to be a big disappointment. It is a nice movie, no doubt. And definitely makes the chill go down your spine. The movie being shot with a handy-cam gave that "Cloverfield" kind of effect, and it had some so called "dhappa" moments. But I would say "Ring" was definitely a scarier movie. The concept here is somewhat more real with the couple experiencing paranormal activities in their bedroom. But doesn't give justice to the hullaballoo going around with this movie.

But if want to get a scared, don't go to the theatre to watch this one. With so many people aound, you might end up having a big laugh, like me, forget the "getting scared" part. Watching this on a dvd when you are alone at home might make you slightly more scared than a zee horror show.

Anyways... time for me to join the discussion. Some paranormal behavior happening right now. :)

Current topic: "Next weekend getaway plans". Hopefully... paranormal activities no more...

Welcoming 2010 in Goa

Couple of weeks before the New Years I read an article titled "New Year Blues". It was an

interesting read where basically the writer wanted to point out an interesting fact:
- Why do you "Have To" "Have To" celebrate the New Year's Eve?
And basically he didn't care much about what did he end up doing on the New Year.

Well no doubt it's an interesting thought, but Goa has its own meaning of new year celebration. And would that gentleman had still written that article had he visited Goa... whoa whoa!! I highly doubt that...

This was my 3rd trip to Goa, and Goa has undoubtedly become my ultimate holiday destination!!

Celebrating the new year in Goa is surely one of the best ways to usher in a brand new year.
Sun, Sand, Sea, Booze, Food, Parties and People... yea "People"!!
Take all the beautiful and hot people in the world and put them in a place to celebrate "Life". That is "Goa" during New Years'.
So I would be crazy if I don't want to hang out here during this time of the year where the parties reach a crescendo as the new year approaches. Of course I had some great friends along with me during this trip, which made it even more fun...

We stayed next to the Fisherman Cove at Candolim, and there was a party at any restaurant outside our place. And the king of all parties : "The Sunburn" fest as well... We were sharing our roof with a jazz restaurant so you guys can imagine the ushering ambience.

My blog is titled "Let's Live For Today" and if you have been reading my recent posts, I am romancing "idleness" whenever I get any time to that. Idle time has been a scarcity of late, and Goa gave me that idleness and celebration to add onto it.

Breakfast has never been such a sumptuous meal till Goa. Then go to the beach... choose our beach chair. Sun. Sand. Take the occasional dip in the sea. Drink beer. The only place where we could drink Kings'. And as they say drinking water is a sin in Goa. Food somehow always tastes amazing at the beach shacks. Sunscreen lotions. Massage Oils. Our favorite books. Beautiful women all around. Pleasant climes of the beach breeze. Great friends.

aaaah... "Heaven".

And then there are a few who say don't go to Goa during this time of the year coz of the rush. And no solitude. But as I realized in this trip thanks to Rahul n Jo ;) , Goa is beyond solitude and it is about happiness. In fact lying down all day at the beach, relaxing and experiencing heaven. Isn't that inner peace some solitude in itself...

Picture: "That is the 31st December's Moonrise. It was a full moon day"

We spent almost all our days at the Claudia Shack at Candolim. We didn't want to move around much and spend time just relaxing. And everyday we had the same people around our beach chairs, so basically nobody prefers to move around a lot and just chill. You develop some sort of liking to one place so naturally you want to stick to it. Even these guys at the shacks service you in a much better way once they see that you are sticking to them.

For our driving charm, we rode to one of my favorites beaches- Cavelossim one day, and as always ate at the Fat Willy's Shack.

As dusk falls, Goa was another paradise. We had beach parties at the shacks, of course parties at the discs, and there's one or the other kind of party at any restaurant. Mostly we stuck to the beach, and enjoyed almost all our meals at the Mango Grove, at Candolim.
We had so much fun every night so it is tough to single out one. There was a fantastic fireworks display as the clock struck 12 on the new years' which was another bit to remember by.

As Rahul says, the best part about Goa is that everyone is happy. You don't see a sad face in Goa, and in fact people come to Goa to experience that happiness.
It has been a great start to 2010. A break like this refreshes and rejuvenates your mind, body, heart and soul...
I hope and pray that 2010 brings a lot of happiness for everyone. And brings at least one more trip to Goa...