It is sports time!

I love it when my brother comes home. This is the IPL season, so for now, cricket's the name of the game. It's that time when one-man & one-woman teams (depending of how many of us cousins,  which ones are playing) vie for the title (to be decided on the spot!). There was a recent triangular series between the one-man teams of MI,DC &KKR. Unfortunately, that series ended early owing to the disappearance of the ball into a flower pot on one of the top floors of the neighbouring flat!

Talking of cricket brings back memories of my trysts with cricket. Legend has it that my brother scored a record 48 runs in a single ball while playing as a kid. Having hit the ball into a thorny bush, he continued in his role as a batsman, running between the wickets. Whether it was the finding and final extraction of the ball from the bush, or shortness of breath which led him to stop just short of a half-century remains unclear to me. (Since then, everyone seems to have adopted standard cricketing rules - the fact that the ground is actually the middle of the street or the parking lot of an apartment seems to be accounted for in the rule that the wicket is lost in case of broken windows & complaining neighbours, & the match is considered (temporarily)abandoned in the case of ball lost into the balconies of unsympathetic neighbours). (Unfortunately for me, and for the rest of the world, the cricketing prodigy that was my brother now plays cricket with the standard rules, and watches the same!)

And now, while the rest of the world (read my family & immediate circle of friends) is lost in the cricket craze, I'm trying to stay awake to catch up with football matches (though I end up sleeping despite my best intentions and efforts, and the match reception is terrible the day I finally manage to be up at match-time).

It's only of late that I'm getting back to my fano'footie-hood. I used to be quite regular and uptodate with football, cricket, F1 & even WWE! Then came a period where less access (& the need to access) the TV remote putting me out of touch with the developments in the sporting world. So many new faces (& bodies :P) had come on the world stage during my hiatus. It now feels good to be back to being a spectator (at least) of sports.(believe me!;))

When the talk is about sports, it makes sense to include indoor ones as well. The carroms matches played at home amidst camaraderie and laughter are something I absolutely adore. Sometimes, I wonder when I grew out of trying to jinx the striker at the others' turns, and trying to negotiate a partnership when there were only two of us playing.

Chess is another game that I 'excelled in' as a kid - it wasn't my fault that my King was bestowed with superhuman powers & the preying instinct of a lion (he's royalty, after all!!!). My King (I chose white usually, and hence my turn came first!) usually did not let the ranks of mere soldiers (both his & the opponent's) stop him. He'd just fly across the board and go for the enemy King's throat and knock him down. But as noone was willing to play my version of the game where I always chose white and my King slew the enemy, the games of chess in my life came to a stop.

The next match is already being played, and it's time for me to end this post.

"That's all for now, folks"

Looking forward to my brother's next visit home...

A tale of two matches

Last night, I went to the IPL match at the stadium here.

How different it was from the Chepauk stadium experience a week earlier!

For one thing, the crowd here... There I found the crowd energetic, and even though most of us had written CSK off, there was still an air of excitement and energy. The last ball win was quite an experience. (The opening ceremony earlier was something of a damp squib). Here, somehow, the energy was lacking. If the DC innings had the crowd cheering somewhat actively, the KXIP innings had the crowd mostly passive, with only pockets of their fans cheering here and there.

Then, the edibles... There we had to go and buy snacks and drinks, here we could get them from our seats itself. As the only thing to do here while waiting for the match to start was eat, I had plenty to eat and drink while watching the players exercise. And had tried almost every drink that was on sale there - coke,limca,fanta and even maaza - by the time the first innings started.

(I wanted to go and collect the pitch report, but was restrained by my brother - otherwise I'd have been on the field, not in the gallery. I was offered the alternative of being present on the field, if I had some equipment with me - in the form of a broom-stick and a dustpan... Owing to the lack of the above-mentioned equipment, I did not get to go on the field... Alas....)

The match proved to be a lesson on cricketing field positions and nuances for my cousins (one of whom was trying to follow Duminy's actions, and the other was trying to follow a delivery guy - from Dominoes, not some bowler (bad joke!!!!)), though I doubt they were ready for it. And with an umpire-cum-expert-commentator with us, there wasn't even a need to look into the field or the screen to know what was happening...

By the time the first innings ended, what with all the drinks and the getting up to cheer every boundary, it was indeed time for a strategic time-out. But alas, when I came out of the gallery, it was almost pitch dark, with only a few stalls with some lighting, most of which was hidden by the crowds before them. It was impossible to even get some water, forget anything else.

The worst part for me were the unlit restrooms, without water. It was the most striking contrast from Chepauk with its big clean, restrooms with plenty of water, and all of it well-maintained.

Now, I have experienced cricket (if you can call it that, in this T20 format... Somehow this T20 thing doesn't strike me as cricket) live and in a stadium, from the gallery, and from the front rows...

And now, I hope to experience a Real Madrid match with its own flavour and experiences...

Slippers and shoes come in pairs!!!

Today's lesson :

While wearing slippers, it's good to pay attention to what's happening at ground level!!!

As I was wearing my slippers which I'd removed outside the lab, something felt different. While my left foot was comfortable and airy, my right foot felt stuffy. Only on looking down did I realize that I was wearing my slipper on one foot, and a friend's shoe on the other!

Thank God I had a sense to look down then!

A million thank you's

Thank you, my dear horn-happy drivers. As if it isn't hard enough trying to follow the lyrics of songs (what else  can one do on long journeys?), your constant honking makes my journeys so much more pleasant.

Thank you, owners of vehicles-with-emissions-clouding-the-air, I'm pretty sure the city (and all its citizens) appreciate and welcome your invaluable contribution to the already-polluted air everywhere. Keep up the good work!

And thank you, dear people who come on the wrong side of the way. We feel we're on cloud nine each time you look at us so lovingly because we're blocking your path.Your pleasantries when we block your path (unwittingly, as we continue to believe we're going the right way!) are like music to the ears. If you had been going the right way, we'd have given you the right of way for sure.

To those who think all the world's their spittoon, where would we be without you? What would happen to the Earth who's just waiting with a tar-lined bowl to receive your spit? How monochromatic the roads would be, without your red and yellow tobacco and mucus-filled spit adding colour to them... You deserve our heartfelt gratitude!

And before I forget, my sincerest thanks to all you wonderful selfless souls who wish to share your music with everyone in the bus (the one you are in, and the ones far behind)... If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have enjoyed high-pitched screaming at even higher volumes. We might not have even gotten those migraines and headaches... Thanks for saving us from such disaster.

Thanks to all these splendid people, for helping us live life to the maximum (a maximum reduced by thier consistent efforts). We are indeed eternally grateful to you (though eternity just got shorter, thanks to you!)

Current affairs!!! *

It's been so long since I last blogged.

Quite a lot has been happening. And quite a lot has not been happening!

A new year has dawned. And maybe this is the year I finally give one of my best friends a long-awaited treat. The treat which was supposed to have been given when I started working is still pending. I have quit my job, and moved on, promising more treats along the way :) My friend says he has lost hope in this matter. I offered to cook for him, but he told me he had a wish of staying alive. What faith he has in my culinary skills!

One thing I need to mention is the feedback and encouragement I received from a scientist. It was enlightening. I wanted to put off writing something I had in mind, as I felt that my characters were getting too one-dimensional. And as that person pointed out, when scientists write fiction, they tend to focus on ideas rather than on the people. True, in my case at least.  So, for now, fiction has to wait!

And we also managed a midnight birthday party for a friend. It was fun. And the lessons I learnt include :

- if there is a deadline for applying somewhere, finish it before the party. 1:30 A.M. on the morning following the deadline isn't the best time to think of a good SOP. Nor is it a good time to mail your guide asking for references.

- we are now "good actors", according to our friend, who went along with the drama we'd enacted.

- 11 p.m. is a good time to have ginger chai :)

- 2:30 a.m. isn't the best time to have a chat with your friend, especially if she has an early morning appointment to keep.

- and finally, it sometimes makes sense not to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock.

Talking of recent events, I just realized however much we grow up, we still can and do behave childishly. And  sometimes, it isn't the best way out of a situation. When I think about it, I find that there is as much diversity in the people in the department, as in their backgrounds. There's a fountain of knowledge, two of them in fact. Though I know they hate being called that. :) Then, there are people who pop in once in a while, claiming all kinds of rights and privileges. People who disappear when there's work to be done. And people who do all the work. People who know their stuff, and people who don't. Even crazy me somehow fits in in the department. It's sometimes fun, watching the clash of the titans!!!

Wonder what's been happening to me of late, though. I congratulated a friend on his new bike, only to be told he's had it for a very long time. I then told him it'd been either too dark or too bright when I'd seen his bike earlier, and I finally noticed it as the lighting was just right. (Wonder why he was laughing at that !) I asked another friend when he'd changed his bike, and he told me he's had the same bike for 7 long years!!!

And finally, I came to know my worth - my friend (call her A) asked me to accompany her and help her in some work. Another friend (call him B, in Wodehouse style!!) asked her to pay him for taking away his T.A. ( I din't know until then that that was who I was!!!), and very seriously she brought out her purse and handed him a few coins. I thought she was handing over the change for something else, until friend B told her that she could now take me with her. I lamented the fact that I seemed to be worth so little. At once, friend B returned the change to A. I protested that I thought I had been worth at least a few coins, and was told "You are priceless". Priceless, indeed? Why do I still smell a rat? Why were they both laughing? Something fishy! Wonder what the mystery was... (And another mystery now arises - do I smell a rat? or a fish???) (This is a pathetic joke!)

I thought I'd use this blog only for ranting, but looks like I've changed my mind.

And looks like I found a reader for my blog! Am I flattered! :)

K, Thank you!

And G, "Don't give up". There's hope yet. Of getting your treat. And surviving my cooking. :)

To some people : Grow up!!! (This applies to me too!)

R, S : Thanks for letting me know my true worth (or lack of it!)

T, it was fun and we had a great time planning how to get you out of your warm bed at night, and make you come all the way!

M : get the earphones. ASAP! That's an order!

MB : thank you for the feedback and the time you spared for me.

Guess that's enough for the time being. So, signing off for now.

* - :) too much on my mind, what with the forthcoming exam on current affairs. Maybe this post (or at least its title) will remind me that I have an exam for which I must study. A little at least!

P.S. - this post seems to live up to the blog's description - rambling and more rambling!

No comments, please!

Just wanted to rant :

While waiting for my bus, I saw my friend walking with his wife. They were sharing an umbrella, and talking to each other. And then,zip!!! some guy on a cycle commented "Just because you've had a love marriage doesn't mean you have to flaunt it!!!"

What a totally uncalled for comment! To the guy who said it : I don't know who you are. But will you kindly refrain from commenting on what is not your business. What does it matter to you who goes out with whom? And why does it affect you so much? There's so much hatred in the world, that love seems a really precious thing. Please don't go about sullying such a beautiful thing. Maybe you are frustrated or jealous because you are single. But that doesn't give you the right to speak about someone else's happiness. Don't grudge people the little pleasures that make Life truly worth living...

Mind(full) of memories!!!

An year... Time has flown... It's been slightly more than an year since I joined the university. I pause to reflect on what I've got in this year, and what I have learnt :

I met some truly wonderful people, a couple of whom have become really good friends -whom I could trust my life with (maybe they'll know what to do with it, I don't!!! ). Initially I was hesitant. They seemed so knowledgeable and confident, I felt like a stranger. But with the passage of time, I discovered that they were indeed knowleadgeable and confident, but also friendly and genuine people. I'm grateful for the discussions we had (subject-related and otherwise!), the chai and snacks (especially when sponsored by you ;) ), for your valuable insights, for the entertainment you provided... The list is quite long... May we make many more good memories !

Over the past year, I also discovered many places on the campus. And since I have to rely on my own two feet for moving about, I have ; by trial and error; discovered the shortest paths between two points on campus. And again, the distance is relative. If you are in the midst of an engrossing discussion, the longer path would be the obvious one to take. But if you someone you know (but wouldn't want to ;) ) would be taking that path, then you take another one :)

I shouldn't be saying this, but I also discovered that the restrooms of DCIS & SOP are the best-maintained. Maybe SSS and LHC2 deserve a mention too. But not the others. :P

In terms of academics, I made some mistakes, but am working towards doing much better. And what with people around me who know their stuff, am sure it will work out, and I'll manage to work hard enough to do justice to my course :)

There are many more things to mention, many more memories and special moments. But I'll end this now.

(P.S. Couldn't think of a better title :( )