Wednesday, September 30, 2009

We are the champions??

Rameez Raja gloated that the whole of India will be praying for a Pakistan win (for a change - sic) today. Agreed. But I really didn't get what the rest of his statement meant.. How the hell is this supposed to bring the nations closer ?

Forget his naive idiotic theory. I'm sure a lot of our politicians would have been proud of that statement if he were Indian. I too prayed really hard that Aussies would lose today..But the difference is that I also hoped that India would go on and lose to the West Indies..

Eeeps...
Now, please put those torches and rakes and forks and sharp-things away.. Isn't it time we stopped praying for other teams to lose so that we can qualify to the next round? If Pakistan won, but India still managed to lose, perhaps that would jolt them into improving themselves (yeah, just perhaps)

Alas, today was a bad day for me. None of my prayers were answered. By the time I posted this, Australia had won, knocking India out of the tournament, without them suffering the major humiliation I had hoped for them; playing as if this innings of theirs would earn them a place in the Test squad, and guiding (yawn) India to their only victory of the tournament were Kohli and Karthik..

So welcome back Indian cricket team, public memory is short and we'll forget all this in a few days and repeat it all over again.. We'll stoutly defend you even when you ridiculously refuse to agree to the WADA clause.. We'll buy all the products you endorse, religiously name our kids after you and even build temples in your name.. Welcome back..

Champions trophy is indeed for the champions..

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Pre-Sabbath(s), Sabbath and post-Sabbath

Ok.. I admit..
I'm going to have a very loooooong weekend. Longer than most of you are going to have [wicked-maniacal-Joker-laugh] Because I've extended it beyond whatever legal holiday-policies my company permits..
If you think you are going report to my manager about my so called conniving scheme of weekend extension , then I will have to regretfully inform you that I have neither purposefully plotted this nor have enjoyed the extra day off..
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I discovered that getting drenched in the rain, whilst having mild cold can aggrevate it leading to your nasal siphons working overtime. I always thought I was immune to that particular effect of rain. Not to mention the headache that accompanies it. As a result I spent a boring day at home yesterday..

I'm not writing this to generate some pity for myself from the readers. I'm feeling much better now (though in case you were thinking of sending a "get-well-soon" card, thanks for your concern - I'm touched - seriously - but do send the card all the same)
Within a week of it's existence, it gives me great pleasure to inform that my blog turns up as on the very first result page on a very famous search engine (type my name there!!) Advantages of having such a unique surname...
However the title does not appear to be so unique after all.. I have to share it with a creepy Hong-Kong TV series, some relatively unknown book amongst others..
I placed myself completely under house-(ar)rest yesterday. My self incarceration continues today- with TV previleges - but am not sure if I can watch todays cricket match to the end(I feel drowsy after [surprise,surprise] taking a dose of cold/cough medicine) Have no idea what I'll do tomorrow and end the very long weekend by being present at my cousins wedding on Monday..
Oh well, weekends are for people who have something interesting to do.

As Odgen Nash remarked:
Your hair may be brushed, but your mind's untidy
You've had about seven hours of sleep since Friday.
No wonder you feel that lost sensation;
You're sunk from a riot of relaxation.

I rest my case...

Monday, September 21, 2009

Please refrain from Smoking

My second post also starts off on a bus (I'm not a bustromaniac - and no that word does not exist) I happened to visit Mysore over the weekend and my appearance there during the inauguration of Dussera was only coincidental (trust me). It happens to be an inside joke of a friend/colleague of mine(he's the non-mallu guy referred there) that I visit Mysore every other weekend. That's not true either..

It was a long time since I'd traveled to Mysore on a bus and my first time from the not-so-new Satellite bus terminal, Mysore road..

Me and dad bought tickets and got onto to the bus. And that was when I noticed strange alien people camouflaged amidst rest of us.. Yep, hard to tell them apart, but if you are observant enough you can always tell a Mysorean from a non-Mysorean.. It's probably the sense of relief at leaving Bangalore evident on their faces (who doesn't feel relieved to leave this city ??)

The driver came in and announced that everyone had to get tickets before getting onto the bus. Strangely he never asked anyone to show their tickets (a trusting Mysorean perhaps??) Instead he proceeded to every passenger, palm stretched outward in a way a guru blesses his disciples, muttering perhaps a prayer (something like -Forgive them for they know not what they do when they beshrew me for my driving) It was a few seconds later that I realised he was actually counting passengers!!

The bus finally started and what a start it was!! I've never been on a bus that crawled like that. Whining, wheezing it struggled to keep up with even the slowest vehicle on the road.. (My cousin told me later that was due to speed limiters - apparently some drivers haven't got used to it yet)

Nothing interesting happened for another 3 and half hours(except sleep, tea at Maddur, sleep, sighting of a large congregation of foreign tourists - yeah - Sri Sri's disciples – I knew about them long long before newspapers announced their presence at Dussera, and some more sleep)

We reached Mysore at about ten a.m and checked into the Dasprakash's.. We dumped our luggage in our room and came down for breakfast.. That was where I saw the strangest of signs - "Please refrain from Smoking"

I've seen a lot of "No Smoking", "Smoking Prohibited", "Smoking here is punishable by law" signs over the years, but never something like that.. Refrain?? Why not prohibit? With that puzzling thought I left the hotel as we took an auto to my aunt's place..

I witnessed yet another unprecedented event on my way.. A traffic jam in Mysore!! Nope that's not the event I'm talking about, it's how Mysoreans react to such traffic jams.. There was literally no honking at all.. Damn intelligent Mysoreans, they seem to have realised that honking is no solution to traffic jams!! Wish we could learn a lesson here :(

Now, I have an explanation for such Mysorean behavior. I call it the "Aristocratic theory of Mysoreans" (for the lack of a better name) Here goes:

  • The Dasprakash's has been a host to many members of royal families and their ilk.. Now when a Dewan or a king's kin arrived at your hotel, you naturally could not ask them to "Stop Smoking", right? If they had right sense they would refrain from smoking.. This is what I believe is the cause for such a polite sign to be put up instead of the usual - No Smoking
  • Mysoreans are perhaps used to traffic jams caused by some king happening to be passing along the same route.. You do not honk at the king, do you? This seems to be the same sense of non-honking even the modern Mysoreans have inherited from their ancestors..
Perhaps some kindred soul would further my theory and earn a PhD in the same (from Mysore University ;) ).. Until then I shall spin some more of my theories..

(Note: To the wisecrack who remarked that the title of my first post sounded like a high school essay - my minions are well on their way to your place, hope you're prepared to meet their fury)

Friday, September 18, 2009

Private vehicle vs Public transport

Hmmm...

My purpose is not to trigger the age old debate here..

I avoided taking my bike to office yet again(Yep. I call it a bike.. sounds respectable) Instead decided to take a bus. Stood for fifteen minutes at a bus stop where I've stood most of my mornings for the last 5 years of my life.

I surely had missed a direct to my office (7D, for curious readers - rest of you just imagine your favourite bus) One majestic bus came and went.. Followed by 2 market buses.. 2 more majestic buses followed(including a nearly empty one). An autowala standing nearby lifted his eyes thrice from a newspaper in which he was engrossed. That strange look as though I was from another planet, and I finally made up my mind to get into the next majestic bus that came by.. So I did and got down at corporation..

I crossed to the other side of corporation and repeated my exercise sans autowala, curious or not. And I reached my office by 9:35..

So what was going on in my mind when I avoided buses I could have easily boarded?? Well, in no particular order, I think I avoid:

  • Crowded buses (a no brainer - very popular reason)
  • Buses with no conductors (Driver: Here's you ticket sir - Whoa! where'd that road divider come from?!? )
  • Buses with air-cooling contraptions (I'm not averse to cool atmosphere - I am to lighter purses)

I repeated this ritual of mine on my way back home.. Only little change was I had to walk a little further as buses along that particular route decided a detour was in order for today..

Buses are killing a lot of my time. Maybe I should start taking my bike regularly (why I don’t is beyond the scope of this syll (ahem) post - perhaps another time..) That is of course, till such time my mind convinces me that the advantages of going by bus far outweighs its negatives...

Oh and yeah... Welcome to my blog :)