Toast to life

Journey towards 2010 fall admits has formally started. Unlike 2006 one, this one will be very very well planned. Though those who know me have never associated word "planning" with me. I have always been "on the fly" , impulsive kind . But this journey will (i am not using "would" ) be unlike any other. As I know this will be my last shot and this one better be damn good. If i dissect this journey, it will have following phases - Phase 1 : January to May - GMAT, school selection, networking : GMAT - 720 is less. Till this morning I was not sure if I should take GMAT again. But again after discussing it with Mr ISB, all my doubts have come to rest. Yes GMAT journey begins again. Preamble of this journey is - "Leave no stoned unturned.". There can be a counter argument that 720 is good and i should invest my time on improving my resume and networking et al. But considering market situation and looking at scores that Indians are posting on various ...

When Ganguly hung his boots in Nagpur, we knew that we are in safe hands of MSD - the skipper.But race for his place in test side is fierce. It seems that selectors would enjoy problem of plenty this time. Though with his experience and his performance in shorter version of game makes Yuvraj, the first choice. But after 8 years of cricket and 6000 runs - he still remains a pauper of test cricket. Though with Laxman, Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly around, to break into Indian middle order was always a mean task. But in 20 odd tests that Yuvi has played, he never posed any sort of challenge to any of these stalwarts. Technicians attribute this ordinary run in longer version to chinks in his technique, but then are Laxman and Ganguly are are not exactly text book players. They were gifted, but then so is Yuvraj. Then what is it that Yuvraj is still competing against Rainas and Rohits. Hunger : - Does he lack what fab four of Indian middle order always possessed in abundance - Hunger to per...

Are you overworked? Are you working 15 hours a day? Are you regularly working on weekends? Has it been ages since you last indulged in any of your hobbies or long since you last spent quality time with your loved ones? If you heard “Aye” there times in last 15 seconds then beware you are flirting precariously with dangerous lifestyle. Stress and fatigue can no more be ridiculed as excuses underperformance, at least not since January 1994 when Dr Alan Massie, 27, dropped dead shortly after completing an 86-hour week. He had worked seven of the previous eight days and three nights, including unbroken spells of 27 hours and 24 hours. Most of us believe that we are indispensable at work place and the world would halt as soon as we stop. Similar notion was shared by a CEO of a Japanese firm before he suffered stroke due to overwork. To help him overcome his myth his doctor prescribed him spent seven days at city cemetery. CEO thought that this was a trick to keep him away from work, but he ...

We are finally on moon. So what it has taken some 40 years more than Mr Armstrong, its still an achievement par excellence. When I had sent out mail congratulating all my Indian acquaintances in US, many of them retorted back, questioning economic viability of the exorbitantly expansive adventure. Then there was a chain mail where there were jibes pointing at tonnes of moon rock in US museums and labs, other the other hand Indians are going gung -ho on planting tricolor on loose sand of moon. Some humanitarians reminded me of suffering of farmers from Bihar , who have lost there land to floods. Should we not spend our resources for alleviating the plight of men living on earth than for generations that would reside in lunar colonies. Several messages reminding me sorry state of infrastructure back home, when we are weaving dreams to build road to moon. For a moment all these criticisms and mockery would coerce even the most brilliant of visionaries to doubt significance of this feat. B...

The greatest ever!!!

A prince...A King.... A pauper...or A monk...for me these are four ways to describe cricketing life of one of the most entertaining character of Indian cricket - Saurav Chandidas Ganguly or simply "Dada". Prince - Lord's....Canada...Offside... For me his cricket started at Lord's, where his scintillating century not only won him approvals of pundits but also hearts of a billion fans. If that was not enough he came back with another one in the following test. Now we all knew, that we are for treat...a treat that lasted for 12 years. Saurav was on song from then on. Canada was like dream come true for him, what ever he touched turned gold. He became Boycotts and our "Prince of Calcutta". From that phase, what i remember most was one of ODI against Shri lanka, when Saurav was piercing Shri Lanka on offside at will. After conceding couple of boundaries through extra cover, Ranatunga packed offside with 7 fielders for Vaas. And if this sounds like an attacking ...

When I wrote "600 and more...", i had no clue that we would be bidding adios to Jumbo so soon. On hearing of his retirement, I was thrown back some 7 years back, when I witnessed his ripping his 400th wicket in Bangalore and you could hear chants of "Jumbo....Jumb0....Jumbo..." miles from Chinnaswami. I have never seen a player underplaying such an astounding achievement with such humility...but that was typically him. 18 years is helluava time in international cricket and 619 is a staggering figure. I am happy that he has so wisely chosen his time to bid good bye, it was so frustrating to see him groping for rythym on field. Though I would still not rate him as the best spinner of any era, he is nowhere close to magical Warney or mysterious Murli, his armory was very ordinary when compare to that of these to sorcerers. And i believe that I would not bet on any player, with such moderate talent, to knock off 619 timbers. And thats why Anil was so special, his perse...

Warne was gifted, Murli had a rubber wrist. One was a phenom other was magician. But I am not celebrating genius of either. Today cricket is celebrating 600th act of perseverance and 60oth fruit of shear hard work and 600th howaazat of determination. And man who is the reason for all these celebrations is our skipper Anil Radhakrishna Kumble.You may not count him as spinner, you may even call him a medium fast bowler or you may even mock when you read "Right arm leg spin" against his name but he has his name in all the history books right at the top. They say he is not aggressive, may be because he doesn’t sledge, he doesn’t make ugly gestures nor he strips on the balcony of lords. But ask any batsman who has faced him, he would tell u tales of his calm and quite aggression. Bowling one spell after another with such tremendous accuracy requires unbelievable aggression, unbelievable hunger for success, and unquenchable lust for victory. if aggression can be dressed a gentlema...

I loved her, i adored her, i worshipped her. I had devoted countless hours towards her, i had spent sleepless nights admiring her. I can never forget those chilly early morning dates in picturesque New Zealand , her charm reached another altitude altogether in those icy winds. Her tanned body, in white Lenin swinging to the beats of ragge’ gave rainbow to Caribbean beaches. Though she is English by blood but look at her closely you would find her skin tone to be very sub continental. Our love has seen many ups and downs....we had abysmal low when they alleged that she has been tainted by greedy "PUNTERS". Priests of high temples were found to guilty of lowest sins, glamour, glitz and glitter had replaced her calm and serene beauty, she had now become more of "theirs's " and less of "our's".But our love weathered all those storms without a trace of withering. I didn’t have audacity to question her virginity when Messiahs of our world still swore by ...

Sunday morning....As it was third Sunday of the week so i had to be at National College, bandra. Of course for TOASTMASTERS. Though I had slept only for 90 minutes the last night i was all set for meet at 7.30 AM. Grabbed my fave kachori at Bikaneri and caught 8.30 AM bus to Bandra. I don’t know why it always pours when i am on my way to TM, as if someone is trying to scare me ... i guess its a reminder for me ... God wants me to say a little prayer for another successful meet. Again i was at the gate at 9.35 Am sharp, called A to enquire if he was through with his breakfast. Well A is all set to tie knot this November so is on a diet, atleast he claims so. A would have high protein low carb breakfast at Crap station, but A - that jeetu "samosa" that u have by dozons everyweek is not "made at VLCC". K is also back from UK, and surprise surprise, K brought his fiancé' this time, which he was too shy to introduce to us. All through the meeting our area guv(MR K...

"Failure is stepping stone to success" This quote seems to be taken very literally by many of us. We believe that each failure in every scenario acts as a step to success. Life has been more then kind to provide me the stepping stones but has always eluded the pedestal. distinctly remember that in one of the interviews i said " I am not afraid of failure" I never knew that life would ask me exemplify this so many times. ok lets count what all i have lost in all these years: i have failed to crack CAT twice i have been in a miserable crush on a female. But could not convince her of my love. ruined my engineering oh i forgot to mention that i tried my luck at IIT JEE as well and missed out on that as well The list is endless and to be honest I have seldom learned anything from these setbacks. After each of the setback I have either blamed my luck or someone else for my failure. I have vented out the frustration either by screaming, abusing or weeping. I am not alone o...

Reservation, no reservation, Supreme court, Education Minister, OBC, SC/ST - so much hue and cry for what? Is Indian education system worthy of such high drama? Is Indian education system such a big achiever? I belong to IT industry and take great pride in the success of Bangalore and Hyderabad. I completely agree that besides able leadership, the education system has played an equally pivotal role in the success of IT carnival. Our education system is churning out thousand of engineers every year to meet the demand of the industry. But is that the only role education system is supposed to play in a society? Isn't the role of education system far more then competent workers? Education metamorphoses homosapiens into Humans. It evolves to evolve the society. But has our education system brought in any change in last 60 years. Has it been successful in breaking down the shackles of old ill practices of Indian society? My concern is not those remote locales of our country where educati...

Last week's biggest disappointment - Manmohan singh ji 's speech appealing the Industries to cut down on salaries. Not you Mr PM. If this had come from CPI(M), we would have taken it in stride. But when it comes from the person who laid the foundation of incredible India - it comes as a shock. We dont have the audacity to explain economic silliness of the appeal to the economist of his cadre, but my appeal is to Manmohan - the politician - "Dont currupt our PM, Please ". If you are really looking forward to save money to invest in the market, then the best stretegy would be to reduce governments non economice expanditure - reduce the perks that MP and Ministers are enjoying. This would allow the government to reduce taxes on industries - the money saved there can be used by the industires to reinvest. But that would not please "RED " friends of our PM.

when the eyes r bleeding of time angels were craving for crimes when the love gasping for air and humanity lost last of heir scavengers r feasting on my flesh and sanctum has receded to ash when blood has turned oceans red and the earth smells of fouling dead when death is making life to plead touch of flower makes souls to bleed when light had lost to din into tht euphoria of sin come hold my hand and take me across the lake of death b4 i hav lost the hope of breath

life in a Metro - thank you Anurag. In last two years Indian Cinema has grown in all dimensions and movie buffs like me own this to Anurag and likes. I have always believed that we have been producing lot of black and white stories, there are heroes with all the virtues and there are Villains - with all the vices. Metro has no heroes and no villains there are people like you and me - each with colors of rainbow and little bit of grey here and there. They all have desires, ambitions and dreams for which they can kill. There are no pseudo value system for which the sacrifice themselves to be martyrsIf movies are in anyways reflection of the society we live in then it seems that we are, finally and thankfully, giving up our "OSTIRCH's" attitude and have accepted the reality with open arms. I was really disappointed the way Karan Johar handled "INFIDILITY". For KJ reasons for infidelity are "LOVE" and "EMOTIONS".....aaaaaaaaah.. how could he mis...