This is related to my earlier post or can be called as a prequel.
It is necessary to warm-up your body before you start with your exercises. But warm-ups are usually quite boring. The sight of a dumb-bell keeps me away from my warm-up exercises. Staying in Mumbai, or rather traveling in Mumbai, helps ensure that I don't miss out on this vital part of exercising.
The traffic, while coming back from office, is so dense that it is impossible (ok, not impossible, but extremely difficult) for even a bike to get through it. Powai's IIT area has a magnet placed secretly somewhere. No matter what hour of the day or night, the traffic just refuses to move an inch. You can well imagine the plight of the huge, king-sized red vehicle that I travel in. Who says that the stronger and the bigger you are, the mightier you get?
Having born with extremely low levels of patience, the only solution I can find to beat this traffic is getting down and walk! A quick 20 minute walk from Ajahara shopping center to IIT market is what I do, and then catch another bus to get home. However stupid it might sound, this saves loads of time and also warms-up my body for the exercises! Ah! Never mind the the various poisonous gases that I inhale during this period!
Mumbai's traffic helps me keep fit!
P.S. One particular line from the lead India movement by the Times of India comes to mind while on the subject of traffic. Had this SRK advertisement running on TV wherein he says, "You are never stuck in a traffic jam, YOU are the traffic jam!!!" So true! (Must compliment the writer of this line. But its just better to remember it as an SRK ad. Though, I feel sorry for the writer.)
Another thing comes to mind about the BEST buses as this post started off with the might of these very vehicles. To understand why I use the word 'mighty' for these bus, just try standing very close to the front of the bus. And look at it in the face! It is HUGE!! Especially, the old buses. And the job of manoeuvering these huge creatures on congested roads must be so damn difficult, and this certainly deserves a standing ovation. (Well, stand is what I do in the bus...who gets a place to sit?)
We should learn not to make an issue of the accidents that these buses sometimes cause. After all, how many accidents are caused by these buses? Certainly not as many as those caused by bikes and cars. And, to think of it that there are hundreds of these buses on roads everyday. I have never come across any situation where I could find fault with the driver or the conductor, who is generally assumed to be a rude person. What they do day in and day out is certainly not what a normal person can do. What the two of them in each bus do is something out of the ordinary. And to bear the irritating passengers! Wow! Hell of a job, for sure!
21 January, 2008
13 January, 2008
The joy of exercising!
Ok. I am not here to discuss the benefits of exercising. Everybody knows about them. But, how many of us actually try to go beyond the usual benefits and look at the not-so-apparent joys of exercising?
I am not a gym person. So, I exercise at home as and when time (and mood) permits. Not that I want the V-shape like Salman or abs like SRK (he used to look better when he was the no-pack-Khan, though). I exercise for the sheer joy of it. Its an hour for yourself. You in a locked room with no one to disturb, with your favourite music at the highest volume! Wow!! You can jump, kick-box, shout...do whatever you want! Become a child again! No one would know (or hear you shout, coz of the loud music) what you are up to inside the closed room.
And if anyone DARES disturb you during that hour, remember...you have the dumb-bell and he has nothing!!! :)
I am not a gym person. So, I exercise at home as and when time (and mood) permits. Not that I want the V-shape like Salman or abs like SRK (he used to look better when he was the no-pack-Khan, though). I exercise for the sheer joy of it. Its an hour for yourself. You in a locked room with no one to disturb, with your favourite music at the highest volume! Wow!! You can jump, kick-box, shout...do whatever you want! Become a child again! No one would know (or hear you shout, coz of the loud music) what you are up to inside the closed room.
And if anyone DARES disturb you during that hour, remember...you have the dumb-bell and he has nothing!!! :)
12 January, 2008
Look before you speak...
Well, literally.
1) I found myself in an awkward situation that day when I wanted to tell this friend of mine something that I didn't want anybody to hear. And, since we are always surrounded by people everywhere in the office, I presumed that an empty washroom would be the best place to send across the news. After telling him the 'news' inside the washroom, I kept on telling him not to tell that to anybody until it is officially declared.
10 minutes later: This friend of mine comes to my cubicle and says, "When you were telling me that stuff sometime back, Mr. ABC was there inside!" And, that ABC being a very senior person in the office, I was so terribly annoyed at my stupidity and having made a fool of myself in the presence of that person!
2) There was this meeting scheduled in the office sometime in the morning in the first week of January. But, it kept getting postponed coz some senior member (not the one mentioned in the earlier episode...so, lets name him Mr. XYZ) had yet not arrived. After several such "scheduled-for" times, it was finally confirmed that Mr. XYZ has arrived and the meeting would be held at 2:30 pm.
At around 2:15 pm, I met this team-mate of mine just outside the canteen where I asked her, "Kitni baar meeting postpone karta hai yeh? I hope abhi nahi karega..." And the very next second, I saw a person coming out of the canteen, who must have obviously heard me saying that. Needless to say, that person was Mr. XYZ.
Why do I always open my bloody mouth at the wrong time?
Well, I can laugh at it now...but yea, one should LOOK before before one speaks...
1) I found myself in an awkward situation that day when I wanted to tell this friend of mine something that I didn't want anybody to hear. And, since we are always surrounded by people everywhere in the office, I presumed that an empty washroom would be the best place to send across the news. After telling him the 'news' inside the washroom, I kept on telling him not to tell that to anybody until it is officially declared.
10 minutes later: This friend of mine comes to my cubicle and says, "When you were telling me that stuff sometime back, Mr. ABC was there inside!" And, that ABC being a very senior person in the office, I was so terribly annoyed at my stupidity and having made a fool of myself in the presence of that person!
2) There was this meeting scheduled in the office sometime in the morning in the first week of January. But, it kept getting postponed coz some senior member (not the one mentioned in the earlier episode...so, lets name him Mr. XYZ) had yet not arrived. After several such "scheduled-for" times, it was finally confirmed that Mr. XYZ has arrived and the meeting would be held at 2:30 pm.
At around 2:15 pm, I met this team-mate of mine just outside the canteen where I asked her, "Kitni baar meeting postpone karta hai yeh? I hope abhi nahi karega..." And the very next second, I saw a person coming out of the canteen, who must have obviously heard me saying that. Needless to say, that person was Mr. XYZ.
Why do I always open my bloody mouth at the wrong time?
Well, I can laugh at it now...but yea, one should LOOK before before one speaks...
07 January, 2008
Defeat of the winners
How does a kid who has cheated in an exam, but has yet topped, feel about the result? I am not in the know. Though I cannot claim to have never cheated, I have never topped!
Well, the Aussies would be your best bet to answer that question. Everybody saw what happened at the SCG against India. 7 decisions went against India (were they really 7? Or more than that? I have actually lost count). Oh yea, one can claim that 1 decision went against the Aussies too. But, 7:1 is a poor ratio at any given time. Not only were the umpires at fault, but there is no doubt in any body's mind that the cheating Aussie side had an equally important role to play.
More importantly, it were the players who were given not out (when they were actually out), and those given out (when they were actually not out) that cost India the match.
To add to that, Harbhajan was belted with a 3 test ban for allegedly making racist comments on Symonds. I would not have believed had Harbhajan claimed to have done no wrong. Coz, he is known to be notorious. But when Tendulkar, who was with Harbhajan during the incident, claims that nothing wrong was said, one cannot but just believe his word. Sachin, after all, is the Gandhi of the game of cricket. But when his testimony was not paid heed to during the hearing, it triggered an un-Sachin like call from him, asking the team to back out from the tour (well, thats the news on TV right now). And, when Sachin does that, one just cannot say that it was not Bhajji, but Symonds who was playing foolish and had lied during the hearing.
Ponting has gone on record saying that no one should question is integrity. Well, his integrity is for everyone to see. And Clarke too, who grassed Ganguly's catch, said that he was 100% convinced that he had cleanly completed the catch. (Yea, the videos lied, didn't they?). But he must seriously be joking when he said that both the parties suffered coz of the wrong umpiring decisions. Which two parties is he talking about? Perhaps, the Indian Batting Party and the Indian Bowling Party. If he means India and Australia, he could be sent as a next candidate for the Great Indian Laughter Challenge.
Fortunately for India, every bit of the proceedings was captured on camera and presented to the world. The Aussie media and the Aussies in general are said to be blaming the Australian team for not playing with the spirit of the game. Therein lies the DEFEAT OF THE WINNERS. They are known to do all that it takes to win matches, but to do ANYTHING to win it...its not what a champion side should be made of.
Never in his career, spanning around 18 years, have I ever seen Anil Kumble so disturbed and angry. He has always taken all things - good and bad - in his stride. All the joys, sorrows, triumphs and disappointments with the same smiling face. But his anger was there to be seen. Not through words, but his eyes spoke it all. Perhaps the loudest cheers came during the press conference when he said, "I think only one team played with the spirit of the game." So right he was! He was not defeated. He was wronged.
P.S.: Would have loved to see how things would have shaped up had this episode occurred 4 years back when Ganguly was at his peak as a captain. Though I have high regard for Kumble for the way he has conducted himself during the aftermath of the test, it would have been really interesting to see how Ganguly would have reacted. Theres no doubt that there would have been a lot many swear words used. He was a captain who stood by his side through thick and thin. A particular incident that comes to mind is when Sachin Tendulkar was accused of ball-tampering against South Africa. Steve Waugh, the then-Aussie captain, had unnecessarily said that Tendulkar is at fault (when he actually wasn't). Ganguly had at that time, in a TV interview said, 'Steve Waugh should rather SHUT UP and concentrate on the conduct of his team'. A man who could dare shut the mouth of a legend named Steve Waugh...well, he can do anything then! Perhaps, the Aussies would not have dared to play such a shitty game had he been the captain...
Well, the Aussies would be your best bet to answer that question. Everybody saw what happened at the SCG against India. 7 decisions went against India (were they really 7? Or more than that? I have actually lost count). Oh yea, one can claim that 1 decision went against the Aussies too. But, 7:1 is a poor ratio at any given time. Not only were the umpires at fault, but there is no doubt in any body's mind that the cheating Aussie side had an equally important role to play.
More importantly, it were the players who were given not out (when they were actually out), and those given out (when they were actually not out) that cost India the match.
- Symonds was given not out thrice (worst being, by the third umpire who can use all the technology available, just to declare a batsman not out when he is actually in the otherwise).
- Ponting was given not out when everybody in the stadium heard the nick to the wicketkeeper. Yea, well he was given out finally on 55 when he wasn't, but that did do India a lot of damage as he was on 17 when he had nicked the ball, only to be given not out.
- Jaffer was bowled of a no-ball. But, the umpire decided to enjoy Lee's brilliant yorker and forget that he had actually bowled a no-ball. However, this is just a decision that umpires can get wrong even on a normal day and given Jaffer's batting form, it surely didn't affect the result of the game.
- Dravid, The Wall, who was finally playing nicely, was given out caught behind when he had his bat nowhere near the ball.
- Ganguly (my man!) was given out when Clarke had actually grassed his catch. The remorseful fact about this decision is that the umpire Mark Benson, decided to ask the fielder and his captain whether he had caught the ball cleanly. Did he forget that he actually had a partner in Steve Bucknor at square-leg and another one in Bruce Oxenford sitting in an AC room upstairs whom he could have consulted? Well, in a game where all three umpires faulted, I don't think either of the three would have given the correct decision.
To add to that, Harbhajan was belted with a 3 test ban for allegedly making racist comments on Symonds. I would not have believed had Harbhajan claimed to have done no wrong. Coz, he is known to be notorious. But when Tendulkar, who was with Harbhajan during the incident, claims that nothing wrong was said, one cannot but just believe his word. Sachin, after all, is the Gandhi of the game of cricket. But when his testimony was not paid heed to during the hearing, it triggered an un-Sachin like call from him, asking the team to back out from the tour (well, thats the news on TV right now). And, when Sachin does that, one just cannot say that it was not Bhajji, but Symonds who was playing foolish and had lied during the hearing.
Ponting has gone on record saying that no one should question is integrity. Well, his integrity is for everyone to see. And Clarke too, who grassed Ganguly's catch, said that he was 100% convinced that he had cleanly completed the catch. (Yea, the videos lied, didn't they?). But he must seriously be joking when he said that both the parties suffered coz of the wrong umpiring decisions. Which two parties is he talking about? Perhaps, the Indian Batting Party and the Indian Bowling Party. If he means India and Australia, he could be sent as a next candidate for the Great Indian Laughter Challenge.
Fortunately for India, every bit of the proceedings was captured on camera and presented to the world. The Aussie media and the Aussies in general are said to be blaming the Australian team for not playing with the spirit of the game. Therein lies the DEFEAT OF THE WINNERS. They are known to do all that it takes to win matches, but to do ANYTHING to win it...its not what a champion side should be made of.
Never in his career, spanning around 18 years, have I ever seen Anil Kumble so disturbed and angry. He has always taken all things - good and bad - in his stride. All the joys, sorrows, triumphs and disappointments with the same smiling face. But his anger was there to be seen. Not through words, but his eyes spoke it all. Perhaps the loudest cheers came during the press conference when he said, "I think only one team played with the spirit of the game." So right he was! He was not defeated. He was wronged.
P.S.: Would have loved to see how things would have shaped up had this episode occurred 4 years back when Ganguly was at his peak as a captain. Though I have high regard for Kumble for the way he has conducted himself during the aftermath of the test, it would have been really interesting to see how Ganguly would have reacted. Theres no doubt that there would have been a lot many swear words used. He was a captain who stood by his side through thick and thin. A particular incident that comes to mind is when Sachin Tendulkar was accused of ball-tampering against South Africa. Steve Waugh, the then-Aussie captain, had unnecessarily said that Tendulkar is at fault (when he actually wasn't). Ganguly had at that time, in a TV interview said, 'Steve Waugh should rather SHUT UP and concentrate on the conduct of his team'. A man who could dare shut the mouth of a legend named Steve Waugh...well, he can do anything then! Perhaps, the Aussies would not have dared to play such a shitty game had he been the captain...
I am back...
Yea, I know this is my first post. But, I did have a blog some couple of years ago, and had then stopped coz of lack of motivation and enthusiasm. Now when I wished to come back, I found that I had forgotten the password for my earlier blog! Though I can still view it if I type in the URL, as if I am some outsider longing to read someone else's blog! Well, that reminded me of an article that I had posted in my earlier blog about passwords. Here goes...
Having the same password for all my email accounts and other subscriptions is not something that I do, so remembering which password is for which account is as difficult as solving a legal case in a quick time.
"Incorrect username or password" is the worst and the most offensive webpage on the internet. And most of the sites have those words written in red as if warning us that a crime as grievous as forgetting one's password will not be tolerated henceforth.
Can't they be a bit polite? "Hey dude/babe, we think you have made a mistake in your username and/or password. We would be glad if you could PLEASE correct it." This sounds so good !!! Hell ! But why would they care? Rude or polite, they know we are going to try again...
And what kind of a sentence is "Incorrect username OR password"? These websites put the load on our brains to find out whether our username is incorrect or our password. Can't they be a bit precise???
Anyways, I have logged into my blog now with my CORRECT username and password hoping never to see the most insulting page on the internet.
And as I conclude, Yahoo! Mail, where I am trying to sign in, has just reminded me that no matter how much I hate those rude words in red, they'll keep showing me that page & make a fool of myself...
Oh !!! These passwords..."
Well, why "adi-just like that"? Coz:
1) Didn't know what to name my blog. So, decided to name it, "Just like that"
2) "Just like that" was not available...so, adi-just like that!
Hope I am a bit more regular at this than I was 2 years ago...
"Oh ! These passwords.....
Its been a long time since my last post. So long, that I even forgot my password. Well, thats a problem with passwords. If you don't use them for some time, the 'words' of the password 'pass' your minds.
Having the same password for all my email accounts and other subscriptions is not something that I do, so remembering which password is for which account is as difficult as solving a legal case in a quick time.
"Incorrect username or password" is the worst and the most offensive webpage on the internet. And most of the sites have those words written in red as if warning us that a crime as grievous as forgetting one's password will not be tolerated henceforth.
Can't they be a bit polite? "Hey dude/babe, we think you have made a mistake in your username and/or password. We would be glad if you could PLEASE correct it." This sounds so good !!! Hell ! But why would they care? Rude or polite, they know we are going to try again...
And what kind of a sentence is "Incorrect username OR password"? These websites put the load on our brains to find out whether our username is incorrect or our password. Can't they be a bit precise???
Anyways, I have logged into my blog now with my CORRECT username and password hoping never to see the most insulting page on the internet.
And as I conclude, Yahoo! Mail, where I am trying to sign in, has just reminded me that no matter how much I hate those rude words in red, they'll keep showing me that page & make a fool of myself...
Oh !!! These passwords..."
Well, why "adi-just like that"? Coz:
1) Didn't know what to name my blog. So, decided to name it, "Just like that"
2) "Just like that" was not available...so, adi-just like that!
Hope I am a bit more regular at this than I was 2 years ago...
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