Olympics and India

Mell, one of the graduate students in my department walked up to me and asked me, "Hey how did your country do in the olympics?" Now to start with its a trick question; if I had said good then he would compare it with US and if I had said bad then that wasnt the complete truth anyways. So I thought over it for a second and answered in the most diplomatic way. I said, "We performed a hell lot better as compared to our past performances."
Take a moment, think about it, did we really perform better than what we had in the past. You might say well one gold and 2 bronze, thats not much to show off. But, looking at the sports we got the medals in, you might want to say we did do good. In the past we would look up to hockey for a medal, then came Paes-Bhupati who could potentially get us a medal and thats all. This has been the scenario for India for last 50 odd years.
This Olympics surely showed us a new face of sporting in India. We got medals in shooting and boxing. Neither of those sports are our forte but we have youngsters developing interest in these sports and thats the best part. Now, we have icons like Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijendra Kumar to look at and get the inspiration from.
This is not the complete story of inspiration. Look at the games a bit more closely and you will notice we had Saina Nehwal who was just in the reach of a semi-final spot. That speaks a lot about her potential (note that she is just 19 years old). I would be surprised not to see her on the podium in 2012 Olympics. We also have weightlifters who rank well within the top 20. Not to forget the bronze medal won by Karnam Malleswari in 2000 olympics.
Well we can still crib about the track and field events but again give it a little more time and I am sure we will crack these events too.
I think instead of criticizing the sporting politics and the performance of the athletes in the Olympics we should take positive notes about the increasing number of sports we are trying to leave our mark on.
I think Mell's question made me look at India's performance in Olympics in a positive manner.

A memorable weekend!

I am not quite sure how many of you know Urbana-Champaign as a place. Basically it is an university town and hence the most happening place in the world. We have like more than 100 food places to choose from, tourist spots run in thousands and yes, the city never sleeps. I just hope all that was true! It is a town with little more than 10 good food places to eat (rest of them are bars for "HOT" under-grads), there are just two tourist spots and you will never find a soul on the street after 9pm. Now, to top this all I stay alone in the house, not that I blame anyone to have made this choice but just to put forth the severity of loneliness.
All this was pretty much taken away last weekend by the "crazy girl". There is only one "crazy girl" in my life and that is Tejal. Exactly, after 6 months that I moved to this place finally she could make it here. She was trying to get here since a long time but unfortunately the plan never got off ground but, nonetheless finally she arrived in town and it was just awesome after that.
She came in on friday night after work and much to my expectations as soon as she met me said, "I am too tired and sleepy". With her there are 3 things that keep going on in circle. She is hungry, sleepy or bored. This pretty much takes up most of her wake time, yeah she does break the cycle on some occasions and brings out her 4th emotion i.e. Mania. But, she is at her best when she is this state. If you ever catch this animal while she is in her 4th emotional state then I must you are really lucky. Anyways at the time when I met her at the train station she was in the hungry and the sleepy state (dangerous combo). So, went to her favorite food place i.e. I-Hop ( yes dont be so surprised Champaign has I-Hop) and her tummy and mind both were at peace when we got out. We got home and decided to call it a day as she had worked for 8 hours and then made the 2 hour travel to U-C, but when both of us get together theres no full stop on the long talks (read gossip). Finally at 3am we called it day (or night)
The next morning was just amazing. We woke up made some nice tea and then a crazy idea just struck both of us. We decided to go for a nice canoe ride. It was so instantaneous that we didnt get time to pack any lunch but nonetheless the 8 mile canoe was purely amazing. Not only was the day beautiful but the river had just the perfect flow. The worst part was that we didnt carry anything to eat. If you have ever gone for a canoe trip you will know that what we did is a cardinal sin. It is advisable for health reasons to carry a lot of liquids and good amount of food but nonetheless it was an instant plan and hence even though we cribbed about lack of food we enjoyed every bit of the trip. The best part after the trip was food and the 2 hour power nap/sleep.
For the evening of that saturday we had alerady made plans (which wont be discussed here). But all I can say is that we celebrated 31st Dec. in the month of June.
Alas..came sunday. Late morning shopping and then lunch at my advisor's house and it was time for her to leave.
I can certainly state that this was the shortest weekend I ever had after I moved to Champaign. Also I am not sure if that was the first and the last time Tejal visited this house in Champaign. But I can surely say that it was the best weekend I had here. Thank you Minta. :-)

Coming Back to Life

Where were you when I was burned and broken
While the days slipped by from my window watching
Where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless
Because the things you say and the things you do surround me
While you were hanging yourself on someone elses words
Dying to believe in what you heard
I was staring straight into the shining sun

Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of live and the seeds of change were planted

Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but
I took a heavenly ride through one silence
I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life

I took a heavenly ride trough our silence
I knew the waiting had begin
And headed straight... into the shining sun

-Pink Floyd (Coming Back to Life)

Just felt like getting my blog Back to Life with these lyrics.. Coming Back to Life

Immortal

October 2005 Nagpur: A 5 feet 6 inches boy walks onto the ground and takes a glimpse at the sun just to adjust his eyes for the amount of brightness; that's the only adjustment this boy did in the whole day, rest of the adjustment was done by the opposing team trying to stop the Little Master from breaking loose. It was not just the opposing team who had to make adjustments but even some of his own countrymen who claimed this boy had passed his peak and was now ready to hang his boots. He scored a magnificent 93 off 97 deliveries to prove that the tennis elbow didn't bother him any more and he was perfectly fit.
Incase you haven't realized whom am I talking about then let me narrate a recent incident. September 2006 Kuala Lampur: On a very dodgy pitch this boy walks out again and walks back in only after the end of the 50 overs scoring 141 off 148 balls. This time not just to prove his fitness but also to affirmatively state that only Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar can decide Sachin Tendulkar's future and the exact time to hang the boots.
This time around there weren't hundred's but thousands who doubted his capability and every one of them would have said that Sachin should have played a county cricket or local matches to get in the mood. But, what does Sachin do? Instead goes onto play a friendly match for Lashing's. Why? Those who know how exactly the mind of a champion works will know why he played for Lashings and not for a County Club. Its very simple; Sachin knew his shoulder wasn't good enough yet, he knew that if he was playing a serious, competitive cricket match, he would get into the mood of it and let fly a ripper from 75 yards. He wanted to play himself in at a more relaxed pace.* Just one practise game before his match against West Indies and a lay off period of 6 months. How many people would have taken a bet he wouldn't even reach double figures? I would say most of them, including me! But, what does he do, instead of trying to get into the groove and play a cautious innings goes out to slam 5 sixes and 13 boundaries.
Mortals run in front of doctors to prove their fitness, Tendulkar piles runs in comeback games to show all's well with him.
Sachin would truly fit into the statement: Genius Alone Lives..All Else is Mortal

* inspired from articles in Indian Express by Harsha Bhogale.

FightClub

"No Fear, No Distractions" - Tyler Durden. Watched Fightclub for the 8th time last night. This movie is like the inspirational bank when you are in the deepest possible shit. The movie isnt just complex as film but when you start to relate it to actual practical life and take bits and parts from it, it grows all the more complex.
Ever thought of this, "Things that you own, end up owning you!" Its a simple statement and Tyler Durden played by Brad Pitt says this with all the more simplicity and just as a matter of fact but now just take a moment and think about all the things that you own..pick out your favourite one..and now just for a split second imagine I come to your place and burn that thing.. I can clearly see anger on your mind even with that thought. Its just a thing you own, but now it controls your emotions..IT OWNS YOU!
In life we always try to control every single thing around. Have you ever just let something voluntarily let go out of control? We can't do that; to do such a thing we need to be as crazy as Tyler is but after watching him let go the steering on the expressway you feel that we need to let go certain things. Mind you this is just a feeling because come what may we will try to control everything around.
Alright by now you have made a conclusion in your mind that I am truly insane. Maybe! But this is what the movie is supposed to do to you. Turn you crazy!!!!

Cup of Tea..

I can still remember getting up at 7am in the morning and even before opening my eyes would tell dad, "Baba Chaha.." (Dad get me tea).. and he would persistently without saying a single word would get it in the bed and then wake me up. I would enjoy that bed tea and then again doze off for 10 min nap before getting ready to go my care-taker's house.
Morning tea for my dad is like a thing full of pride because in last 25 years he has never allowed anyone to prepare the morning tea and also incredibly the beautiful taste doesn't change by a whisker ever. It was a pretty unnatural habit that he had inculcated in me; firstly, a 5 yr. old being given tea in the morning instead of milk and to top it all it was 'Bed Tea'. My aunt (Lata atya) would visit my house at times always would criticize baba over the fact that it was a bad habit but he never budged from that Bed Tea serving.
I still cannot recollect how and when I suddenly stopped the bed tea habit but what never stopped was baba serving the morning tea right in my hands even at the age of 23. I came to Chicago in July 2005 and since then never tasted the most beautiful cup of tea that my dad made nor got a cup of tea served it in my hands. Not a day has passed by when I get up in the morning and wish to utter the words, "Baba Chaha.."
I know that the day I get home and next day get up in the morning baba would be there with that Cup of Tea!

Out of Service..

I decided that not to update the blog till a great friend of mine and always the first person to read my blog is back from vacation. So next posting after June 20th.