The special effects are so dazzling and the digital world of Pandora is so bewitching that one postpones the niggling feeling that this is a story that reeks of Judaeo-Christian simplification of a heathen world. Poor, simple-minded, artless children of nature, tramelled under the foot of a superior race of humans (all Americans, mostly white).
Whilst the innocents talk environmental cliches, the one neat trick all Pandorans have is the tassled synaptic ends that act as USB connectors to a massive Central Consciousness Centre (Oh! Sri Sri, we missed your gabble!), which later reveals itself as a large tree built with Faerie Lights. This idea is a cool one and would have been plausible had the contrast between the simple-mindedness of the ten-foooters and the sophistication of the inter-synaptic connections not been too great. Imagine! The Pandoran Pterodactyls, the 6-footed horses (more like Threstals, really), all were instantly docile the moment the mutual tassles connected; imagine the transformation of the 'soul' from a human - an alien race - to an ten-footer (though Sigourney Weaver does not make it): breath-takingly advanced. (One curious aside: I don't remember any Na'vi eating in the film. There is only a brief shot of the gurrl drinking off a Pandoran lily and that was more to show her limpid eyes and trembling lips than victualising)
To then imagine the same people to go into that chanting trance like the chak-chak dancers of Bali and to seek a messiah to emerge from the enemy race. Of course it had to be the Human who would tame the red Pandoran pterodactyl! (How could we have doubted that!). Ah! finally a person who shows the poor natives what the real stuff is about. Poor duds, what did they know! Well. dunno about you, but I found it a tad too similar to the telling of the history of the heathen world from the eyes of Roman Catholic conquistadores. A history that still helps the West stereotype just about everything that is Eastern, and hence by default, Dionysian.
Look also, at the other actors: the military commander of evil intent - he seemed to have not a single redeeming bone in his body - the glowing facsimile of Lucifer. Along with Ribisi (Phoebe's kid-bro from Friends) they were more the Judy and Punch from the neighbourhood Pantomime. There is a moment where Ribisi is shown to be in two minds, he seems unsure. Hopefully it is meant to portray an inner turmoil. We have no way of getting any deeper for this nano-second of insight has not been developed further. The commander suffers from no such pussy-footedness. He is of the brawny Republican mein - perhaps a Cheney in one dimension?
What boggles the mind is that such majesty of technical sophistication in the film was matched with the characterization that only a Jellyfish would consider nuanced (hang on! perhaps that's insulting to the Cniderians, maybe the amoebas then?). The story could still have been a simple one (well, there's only so much one can absorb after being bedazzled with such digital artistry), but surely some realistic layers could have been introduced in the Humans and the Na'vis? Some controlled nuances of the heroes and villians? (did you see a baaaaad Na'vi? No, only one who is jealous and blinded-by-love). It would then have been a memorable movie.
In the end, all one remembers is the awesome spactacle of Pandora seen through 3-D glasses. Nothing more.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Rajkot Drama
825 runs scored in under 8 hours. 15 wickets given scoring them.
One team lost by 3 runs.
A remarkable match. Because in the end it was not the 414 that India scored that won them the match. A huge score by any reckoning. Yet, one cannot say that it was the scoring of 400 that led us to win.
Nor was it the 411 that SL scored chasing. Under any circumstances one would have thought that a team scoring 400 would have won. Well, they didn't.
India won because it held its collective nerve in the last two overs. So it didn't really matter to all of us who were watching if the score was 400 or 200. The important thing in the 50th over was was that Ashish Nehra should not give a 4 and should preferably take a wicket every ball. I did not think of 414. And I bet you didn't either. It was all about Nehra bowling those yorkers and SL not being able to score of the last 6 balls. The actual score was inconsequential; it could have been anything!
However the match will always be remembered, not for its close verdict, but for the two teams that scored 400 apiece. In a way it is fair - after all, we have seen so many close matches with all kinds of scores. But nail-biters with 400 runs apiece? well, just 2! This and the one that SA and Oz played in 2006.
The cynic would say that there now is no need for the bowler. They anyway get carted for boundaries. They might as well have bowling machines instead. Yet while watching this match, it is impossible to imagine India winning had Zaheer and Ashish N. not bowled those yorkers in the last two overs.
However, the credit, 100% credit, to make this match a nail-biter goes to the SL team. As Sanga said, they did not, 'roll over and die' (haha, Oh! the wit of a budding lawyer) thinking of chasing 414. They matched India blow for blow and held a slight advantage at the 35 over mark.
Which is why I would have given my MoM to the 160 by Dilshan. Maybe the adjudicators could have been cheesy and given it jointly to Viru and Dilshan? This SL team is a proud team and Sanga is the most gracious of leaders. Perhaps is is better to not rub in the salt and give this the flavour of a 'consolation' by going joint or giving it to Dilshan. You know what? I think, it's fine that SL walk away with the head held high and without people throwing scraps at them.
It is amusing to see Mahi do the deliberate nonchalant act after we win. He does this after every match of consequence. It looks cool. Suits Mahi.
One last thing. I don't want to make a big deal out of this. But I can't help mentioning that the last two Test matches and this ODI were far more riveting and satisfying than the two 2020s. I'm just saying...thats all.
:-)
Well, in the end we won. Good for us.
One team lost by 3 runs.
A remarkable match. Because in the end it was not the 414 that India scored that won them the match. A huge score by any reckoning. Yet, one cannot say that it was the scoring of 400 that led us to win.
Nor was it the 411 that SL scored chasing. Under any circumstances one would have thought that a team scoring 400 would have won. Well, they didn't.
India won because it held its collective nerve in the last two overs. So it didn't really matter to all of us who were watching if the score was 400 or 200. The important thing in the 50th over was was that Ashish Nehra should not give a 4 and should preferably take a wicket every ball. I did not think of 414. And I bet you didn't either. It was all about Nehra bowling those yorkers and SL not being able to score of the last 6 balls. The actual score was inconsequential; it could have been anything!
However the match will always be remembered, not for its close verdict, but for the two teams that scored 400 apiece. In a way it is fair - after all, we have seen so many close matches with all kinds of scores. But nail-biters with 400 runs apiece? well, just 2! This and the one that SA and Oz played in 2006.
The cynic would say that there now is no need for the bowler. They anyway get carted for boundaries. They might as well have bowling machines instead. Yet while watching this match, it is impossible to imagine India winning had Zaheer and Ashish N. not bowled those yorkers in the last two overs.
However, the credit, 100% credit, to make this match a nail-biter goes to the SL team. As Sanga said, they did not, 'roll over and die' (haha, Oh! the wit of a budding lawyer) thinking of chasing 414. They matched India blow for blow and held a slight advantage at the 35 over mark.
Which is why I would have given my MoM to the 160 by Dilshan. Maybe the adjudicators could have been cheesy and given it jointly to Viru and Dilshan? This SL team is a proud team and Sanga is the most gracious of leaders. Perhaps is is better to not rub in the salt and give this the flavour of a 'consolation' by going joint or giving it to Dilshan. You know what? I think, it's fine that SL walk away with the head held high and without people throwing scraps at them.
It is amusing to see Mahi do the deliberate nonchalant act after we win. He does this after every match of consequence. It looks cool. Suits Mahi.
One last thing. I don't want to make a big deal out of this. But I can't help mentioning that the last two Test matches and this ODI were far more riveting and satisfying than the two 2020s. I'm just saying...thats all.
:-)
Well, in the end we won. Good for us.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Generosity of companies
On the Thursday before Diwali night, I was given a box of chocolates. This brought back a flood of memories. My first 'meaningful' employer was Reliance and I joined the Patalganga factory as a trainee some 15 years ago. Within 2 months of joining, during Ganesh Chaturthi I received a bonus of 6000 rupees and a small box of sweets. During Diwali I received a bonus of 30,000, free coupons worth 7000 rupees (to 'buy' clothes, food, goods, et al) and a kilo of kesar kaju katli. We would also get regular supplies of Godrej towels (large ones), Cinthol soaps so that we could shower and clean up after getting our hands dirty in the plant. (I just took them home. Officers were not supposed to bathe in the factory like the 'common' technicians). Besides, we always got all the safety equipment that we ever wanted and uniforms (along with stitching charges). Plus we were fed every 2 hours, all 24 hours. late work meant getting dropped home in a car all by myself. This happened in all the four years that I was with them. The bonus amount kept mounting each year. I was a rich little bugger.
Since then I have been with 5 other employers, two of them for decent periods. Never have I seen that level of generosity. In fact, it embarrasses me to say that the other two places have been piteous, not just by Reliance standards, but by any reasonable standards of generosity. It left a hollow feeling of being seen as a burden. Such bitter aftertaste! It seems that generosity is now only shown to the top layer of leaders in the organization, who, by the way, are extraordinarily well paid and perked and who, seem to need the generosity least. I have always wondered how a 16 hour flight is more harrowing to the CEO who needs to travel first class. Must be some Vishnu-induced metaphysics where for the hoi polloi, it's merely a 2 hour jaunt across the Atlantic.
Have we, I wonder, outgrown the era of generosity? Have we entered, some would say re-entered, an era of gracelessness? Of course, I'm sure it works both ways. Employees too are so mercenary nowadays. It is the norm to be so.
Well! there you are! I meant this to be the post for Diwali.
Happy Diwali anyway!
Since then I have been with 5 other employers, two of them for decent periods. Never have I seen that level of generosity. In fact, it embarrasses me to say that the other two places have been piteous, not just by Reliance standards, but by any reasonable standards of generosity. It left a hollow feeling of being seen as a burden. Such bitter aftertaste! It seems that generosity is now only shown to the top layer of leaders in the organization, who, by the way, are extraordinarily well paid and perked and who, seem to need the generosity least. I have always wondered how a 16 hour flight is more harrowing to the CEO who needs to travel first class. Must be some Vishnu-induced metaphysics where for the hoi polloi, it's merely a 2 hour jaunt across the Atlantic.
Have we, I wonder, outgrown the era of generosity? Have we entered, some would say re-entered, an era of gracelessness? Of course, I'm sure it works both ways. Employees too are so mercenary nowadays. It is the norm to be so.
Well! there you are! I meant this to be the post for Diwali.
Happy Diwali anyway!
Friday, 25 September 2009
Match schedule in Champions Trophy
Before India plays her first game, SA, SL and WI would have finished 2 of their 3 matches. India play Pakistan, for whom it will be the second match. Intriguingly, Pakistan then have to wait till the 30th for the last match with Australia; same as WI who will play us on the same day.
I wonder, why this lopsidedness?
Has it something to do with an early Indian departure? It's known that with the exit of the Indian team, the TV spectators too drop drastically. Some companies now release the new adverts only when assured of an Indian presence in the 'second week'. I cannot recall this kind of 'adjustments' being made in the itinerary for past world cups and major tournaments.
While it makes sense to ensure that everyone profits from cricket, it will be wise for the administrators to keep the interest of the game itself as the highest priority. For example, if a schedule is designed where a team goes off the boil (as Pak or WI might), it is not fair to them.
I'm not suggesting that the current schedule is inimical, but if the administrators are not vigilant, it will drift into that territory without them realising it.
I wonder, why this lopsidedness?
Has it something to do with an early Indian departure? It's known that with the exit of the Indian team, the TV spectators too drop drastically. Some companies now release the new adverts only when assured of an Indian presence in the 'second week'. I cannot recall this kind of 'adjustments' being made in the itinerary for past world cups and major tournaments.
While it makes sense to ensure that everyone profits from cricket, it will be wise for the administrators to keep the interest of the game itself as the highest priority. For example, if a schedule is designed where a team goes off the boil (as Pak or WI might), it is not fair to them.
I'm not suggesting that the current schedule is inimical, but if the administrators are not vigilant, it will drift into that territory without them realising it.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Case of Pot Calling the Cattle Black
The cattle controversy with Shashi Tharoor is another example that shows what big hypocrites we really are. To me the bigger tragedy was that it also showed how absolutely devoid of humour we are as a nation. Especially, the kind of witty, self-deprecating style that we see in the Brits and Aussies. They don't mind taking a piss at their beloved icons - be it the Queen, or the Prince of Wales, or Beckham or anybody at all! As Bill Bryson writes in his book, 'Notes From a Small Island', this humour comes from the affection that they have for the people that they choose.
The trouble with us Indians is that we love to laugh at people. Never with them. In the 70s and 80s, while growing up, the jokes were on Madrasis slurping sambhar, Bengalis eating rotten fish and Marathis licking kadi from the elbows upwards. Not exactly scintillating, as you might observe. Sardarji jokes continue unabated. Though, to be fair, in the interim we Indians have 'grown up' and hence these jokes on regional stereotypes have undergone a change - some of it is brilliant - case in point, Lola Kutty and her on-the-fly wit.
The laughter channel on TV still has most fare directed at someone and at someone's expense. Whereas, with a little bit of improvisation the whole thing can be presented such that we laugh with the people and not at the people.
In the meantime, will Rahul baba tell his amma to tell Jayanthi amma to just pipe down on the 'insensitive' use of language when talking of the 'common people' who travel in the said cattle class? This shrill hypocrisy that is on show for the last two weeks about solidarity to the poor is making me want to puke.
The trouble with us Indians is that we love to laugh at people. Never with them. In the 70s and 80s, while growing up, the jokes were on Madrasis slurping sambhar, Bengalis eating rotten fish and Marathis licking kadi from the elbows upwards. Not exactly scintillating, as you might observe. Sardarji jokes continue unabated. Though, to be fair, in the interim we Indians have 'grown up' and hence these jokes on regional stereotypes have undergone a change - some of it is brilliant - case in point, Lola Kutty and her on-the-fly wit.
The laughter channel on TV still has most fare directed at someone and at someone's expense. Whereas, with a little bit of improvisation the whole thing can be presented such that we laugh with the people and not at the people.
In the meantime, will Rahul baba tell his amma to tell Jayanthi amma to just pipe down on the 'insensitive' use of language when talking of the 'common people' who travel in the said cattle class? This shrill hypocrisy that is on show for the last two weeks about solidarity to the poor is making me want to puke.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Holy Cow! They are proselytising!
While waiting for the train home at the Penn Station, I saw many red fliers being trampled underfoot and tucked at the back of the seats. I picked one up and saw that it was a message from a group called Jews For Jesus. I thought that the message was attractive, contemporary and brought a chuckle or two even from a confirmed agnostic like me. While I detest proselytising of any sort, I could only nod my head and grin at the cheekiness.
The larger question remains. Why do I react negatively to propaganda by religions? I'm not angry when bombarded with a zillion adverts on TV, merely irritated (Well, I do get angry when they cut away just before the last delivery in the over and start an advert in a cricket match).
So what is the difference? I think that religion works at the belief level, and as everything else that works at that level (like for instance honesty, patriotism and love), they are deeply, totally personal. A belief demands that the individual grapple and seek. And if in that seeking; she reaches out to a guru, or a church, or a book, or a sect, or a philosophy; it is all right. However, what is not on is to thrust ones religion on to individuals, to peddle belief. That, to me is disgusting and beggars belief (sorry, couldn't resist that pun!). Let the seeker approach; let the one who needs to believe ask for help. Don't dishonour anyone by assuming that she needs to to believe, that she better believe!
So what is the difference? I think that religion works at the belief level, and as everything else that works at that level (like for instance honesty, patriotism and love), they are deeply, totally personal. A belief demands that the individual grapple and seek. And if in that seeking; she reaches out to a guru, or a church, or a book, or a sect, or a philosophy; it is all right. However, what is not on is to thrust ones religion on to individuals, to peddle belief. That, to me is disgusting and beggars belief (sorry, couldn't resist that pun!). Let the seeker approach; let the one who needs to believe ask for help. Don't dishonour anyone by assuming that she needs to to believe, that she better believe!
I have heard the argument, 'But, what if they don't know that they need help? What if they are simple and innocent?' Well, all the more reason to leave them alone. If they have not yet found a reason to believe, then they don't need it in their lives. When they need it, the heart will seek.
Friday, 4 September 2009
'World Class Indian Cricketer'
Saw something hilarious today. Being a holiday, I'd gone to Nirmal Lifestyles, a mall in Mulund to pick a few bargains for the home. On my way out, my attention was drawn to this ugly stump-of-a-commemorative pillar with the following legend...
Good that we have been told about this Rahul Dravid. The one that I knew is really a banker who sells Amway on weekends. lolz
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Monsoon marches
It is September. And monsoon is still around. Can't remember the last time it rained this late. Maybe the cycle is shifting? Or maybe it is going to last longer this year. I hope it does - we need the rains. The lakes are half-full. We have water scarcity at my flat anyway; with empty lakes it will be unthinkable in the summer.
It would be to the advantage of us Mumbaikars to learn about urban rainwater harvesting. I'm sure there must be some simple things that one can do. A quick google revealed that there IS a special department of theMumbai Municipality that helps home-owners to harvest rainwater. Its called Division for Education for Water. IN case you want to start off right away and don't have a clue where to begin, start by looking at this youtube video from Bangalore. Its fab!
It's time we heeded.
It would be to the advantage of us Mumbaikars to learn about urban rainwater harvesting. I'm sure there must be some simple things that one can do. A quick google revealed that there IS a special department of theMumbai Municipality that helps home-owners to harvest rainwater. Its called Division for Education for Water. IN case you want to start off right away and don't have a clue where to begin, start by looking at this youtube video from Bangalore. Its fab!
It's time we heeded.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
US and them
I returned from the US on 8th August. The assignment is now complete and the report has been tabled. All is well. So now I have the time to reflect on my 5 weeks.
On our way from Somerset, NJ to Moosic, PA, we saw 5 roadkills, all deer, large ones; ungainly in death, some bloated, others just plain pathetic. B said that deer are a menace - eat the best summer blooms and mess up the lawn. And when they crash against cars on the freeways people are not just injured (some are known to die, but that happens more with Moose than the smaller deer) but are left guilty and generally wretched having blown the car, killed a harmless but stupid animal and having to pay for the repair. Roadkill meat is not eaten. Just buried or incinerated.
But there are culling expeditions as well in many states, mostly for deer. And these are then given to the local butchers who sell the venison to the local populace.
Where we lived in Somerset, just beyond the lawns in the woods that line the property were numerous families of deer. I've seen them during breakfast - a family of three, one yearling, frisky and slim; the other two, more staid and perpetually hungry. Another family of three in the adjoining property - all large and energetic. They are completely unafraid of humans. I've also spotted rabbits and a stoat-like animal, something narrow, low and dark. It was well past 9 PM when I saw it, hence it was not too clear. Could have been a weasel. Had it been India, I would have said mongoose.
There is hunting season in all but three states in the US (Kentucky, Hawaii and Rhode Island). How different is the situation vis-a-vis India!! Hunting and gathering is allowed only for the tribes and villages inside the protected forestry zones in India. That too, of a few species.
What I find incredible is that much of the wilderness that we see in the US is really very recent: less than a 100 years old. Most of the arable land available used to be farmland - HUGE tracts of it, especially in the southern states. Cotton and tobacco. All that is gone, the farms abandoned. The forest has reclaimed all of the land. Apart from this, there are large areas in North America, especially in Canada, where the government has planted pine forests.
All this is possible because North America is still mostly wilderness. Human density is ridiculously low if you compare it to any other industrialised area. Europe is as dense as it gets, Japan too, and the densest amongst them all - UK. What NA needs are hordes of immigrants; twice as much, thrice....only then can we have a semblance of balance on the planet. It will also make Americans and Canadians more responsible environmentalists and less profligate. Well, Canadians are really quite OK. It's the American consumption that tips the scale.
Speaking of which, it was impossible sometimes to just watch at the breakfast table, the colossal wastage of food, even now, when the going is tough. It would take all of my good breeding (?) to not get up and slap the fat lady silly - one particularly noxious woman - who would pile her plate with two Waffles, then cut them quarter-wise, pour four 'cups' of syrup, and then leave three quarters on the plate and go for crisp bacon strips and cheese omelettes. Then she would grab a 'healthy' yogurt cup, some bagels and coffee leaving an untidy mess of omelettes behind. Last, a banana and more coffee. Jeezuz!!!! Not only gluttonous, but wasteful. Except for the coffee, nothing was really 'finished'.
But why just the noxious lady - almost all the folks up there seem to leave quite a bit on the plate. Call me old-fashioned, but it would set my teeth on the edge to see all of this around me. I've not even started yet on the amount of garbage that this eating frenzy would generate. The mousy little Mexican guy would come in twice in the time I breakfasted to clear the bins.
On the other hand, there are not many people who are as generous in spirit as the Americans. Even in these blighted times, the portions in restaurants is gargantuan, there still is free coffee and cookies, the peg measure while pouring out drinks is almost always ignored.
A word on the weather. Lovely!
On our way from Somerset, NJ to Moosic, PA, we saw 5 roadkills, all deer, large ones; ungainly in death, some bloated, others just plain pathetic. B said that deer are a menace - eat the best summer blooms and mess up the lawn. And when they crash against cars on the freeways people are not just injured (some are known to die, but that happens more with Moose than the smaller deer) but are left guilty and generally wretched having blown the car, killed a harmless but stupid animal and having to pay for the repair. Roadkill meat is not eaten. Just buried or incinerated.
But there are culling expeditions as well in many states, mostly for deer. And these are then given to the local butchers who sell the venison to the local populace.
Where we lived in Somerset, just beyond the lawns in the woods that line the property were numerous families of deer. I've seen them during breakfast - a family of three, one yearling, frisky and slim; the other two, more staid and perpetually hungry. Another family of three in the adjoining property - all large and energetic. They are completely unafraid of humans. I've also spotted rabbits and a stoat-like animal, something narrow, low and dark. It was well past 9 PM when I saw it, hence it was not too clear. Could have been a weasel. Had it been India, I would have said mongoose.
There is hunting season in all but three states in the US (Kentucky, Hawaii and Rhode Island). How different is the situation vis-a-vis India!! Hunting and gathering is allowed only for the tribes and villages inside the protected forestry zones in India. That too, of a few species.
What I find incredible is that much of the wilderness that we see in the US is really very recent: less than a 100 years old. Most of the arable land available used to be farmland - HUGE tracts of it, especially in the southern states. Cotton and tobacco. All that is gone, the farms abandoned. The forest has reclaimed all of the land. Apart from this, there are large areas in North America, especially in Canada, where the government has planted pine forests.
All this is possible because North America is still mostly wilderness. Human density is ridiculously low if you compare it to any other industrialised area. Europe is as dense as it gets, Japan too, and the densest amongst them all - UK. What NA needs are hordes of immigrants; twice as much, thrice....only then can we have a semblance of balance on the planet. It will also make Americans and Canadians more responsible environmentalists and less profligate. Well, Canadians are really quite OK. It's the American consumption that tips the scale.
Speaking of which, it was impossible sometimes to just watch at the breakfast table, the colossal wastage of food, even now, when the going is tough. It would take all of my good breeding (?) to not get up and slap the fat lady silly - one particularly noxious woman - who would pile her plate with two Waffles, then cut them quarter-wise, pour four 'cups' of syrup, and then leave three quarters on the plate and go for crisp bacon strips and cheese omelettes. Then she would grab a 'healthy' yogurt cup, some bagels and coffee leaving an untidy mess of omelettes behind. Last, a banana and more coffee. Jeezuz!!!! Not only gluttonous, but wasteful. Except for the coffee, nothing was really 'finished'.
But why just the noxious lady - almost all the folks up there seem to leave quite a bit on the plate. Call me old-fashioned, but it would set my teeth on the edge to see all of this around me. I've not even started yet on the amount of garbage that this eating frenzy would generate. The mousy little Mexican guy would come in twice in the time I breakfasted to clear the bins.
On the other hand, there are not many people who are as generous in spirit as the Americans. Even in these blighted times, the portions in restaurants is gargantuan, there still is free coffee and cookies, the peg measure while pouring out drinks is almost always ignored.
A word on the weather. Lovely!
Monday, 15 June 2009
Exit T20
So we have been kicked out by England. This should have brought my world crashing down a few years back (umm, maybe quite a few years back!) and I would have been fuming at the incompetence of Dhoni, the lethargy of Ishant, the arrogance of Yuvi, the block-headedness of Yusuf, and so on. Instead I found myself applauding Broad for his resilience, the English spectators for their goodnatured mirth....even Pietersen for his focus. True, it is disappointing to go out in this fashion, but somewhere one also realised that the team was not the best in the tournament, it was not working as well as it did the last time; somewhere one can see that Team India was underdone. And it is all right! The team is human, after all. In Mahi we have a potential great; let us give him the time and space to carve out a splendid team that does not get blown away by het or wet, rain or snow.For me the best sight was the Windies winning and showing the joy that only they can show on the cricket field. I for one would be glad to see this Windies team claim its rightful place in world cricket. For too long have they been mismanaged. Those of us who have seen Lloyd's and Viv's and even Richie Richardson's team, they will know what the succeeding generations of fans have missed - the grace shown by a generation of unconquered champions in victory and defeat, in the field and off it.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
IPL
I have to write about IPL - cannot help it.
All the drama before a ball was bowled - that sapped some of my interest, instead of whetting it. To be honest, I did not think Modi san would carry it off - he did! Wow! As a pure management exercise, his was sublime. If CEOs can do what he did, the recession should be short work.
Heh!
Now that it is on, I watch it when I can. The few matches that have been close - especially the three in the last 5 days, were riveting stuff. Now that I have experienced it, I also know that last year was different. Last year had energy, it had raw passion. Yes, it had more than its share of silliness, yet the people in the stands made a palpable difference. The screen used to throb. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
This year, we have had even more silliness, even more blatant commercial crassness, the commentary has been pathetic and the crowds have been dull. I don't mind the silliness or the crassness or the commentary because I can do mute, or simply flick to Natgeo and come back exactly to rejoin the play. But the energy? It is missing. The crowds are thin, there is bonhomie maybe, but no partisanship, no heart-thumping electricity. Its boring.
I might as well be watching Essex bat against Notts - don't really give a rat's ass. Clearly, IPL can only work in India. That is a learning that Lalit Modi must have got by now. Knowing him, we can be sure that the next year it will be in India, come het or wet, rain or snow; and we also know that the brazen strategy break will be gone as well. Thank the Lord for small mercies!!
All the drama before a ball was bowled - that sapped some of my interest, instead of whetting it. To be honest, I did not think Modi san would carry it off - he did! Wow! As a pure management exercise, his was sublime. If CEOs can do what he did, the recession should be short work.
Heh!
Now that it is on, I watch it when I can. The few matches that have been close - especially the three in the last 5 days, were riveting stuff. Now that I have experienced it, I also know that last year was different. Last year had energy, it had raw passion. Yes, it had more than its share of silliness, yet the people in the stands made a palpable difference. The screen used to throb. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
This year, we have had even more silliness, even more blatant commercial crassness, the commentary has been pathetic and the crowds have been dull. I don't mind the silliness or the crassness or the commentary because I can do mute, or simply flick to Natgeo and come back exactly to rejoin the play. But the energy? It is missing. The crowds are thin, there is bonhomie maybe, but no partisanship, no heart-thumping electricity. Its boring.
I might as well be watching Essex bat against Notts - don't really give a rat's ass. Clearly, IPL can only work in India. That is a learning that Lalit Modi must have got by now. Knowing him, we can be sure that the next year it will be in India, come het or wet, rain or snow; and we also know that the brazen strategy break will be gone as well. Thank the Lord for small mercies!!
Friday, 1 May 2009
Beating the Heat
It's been some time since I blogged. Not that one has something momentous to say now. The summer has been tough - with the whole of May to go yet. Talking of which, I must tell you about the chaas.
The canteen has been supplying a chaas at lunch-time that has chopped coriander and just a little bit of pudina and a touch of rock-salt. The buttermilk is nice and thin and sour. Just the right mix of tastes that makes the summer mellow. That and the zero need to step out in the open from the delicious, cool interiors makes it easy to withstand. Bit la-di-da, nonetheless, lucky! Wouldn't have relished travelling under such circumstances.
The other thing that I look forward to is the pani-puri on my way back. This guy has a stall at Parey's, Sher-e-Punjab; and he has ice-cold pani that has mint and green mangoes and is fairly sour. Mumbai pani is usually bland. This guy also makes a nice aalu mix (no ragda for me, thank you!).
The first thing to do on reaching home is to make a tall glass of fresh-lime soda. Ah! Bliss!
I'm waiting for the rains. Taking a page off Alexander Frater, a-la the Indians Spices Board members, I promise to soak myself in the first shower, no matter what the situation.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Change in Gates
From today, the SEEPZ main-gate is off limits. It is being repaired / renovated for monsoons, and methink, also to handle 24/11 like emergencies better. Well, that's good news. This means, from now till the time the gates are back, one will need to use Gate #5.
I saw it today, open, and entered. All these years it has only been shut whenever I would pass it. What a surprise it is to see a ruined building right in the front - it seems like an imposing edifice. The official notice about the gate change talks about a 'church', maybe this is it? It does look ancient. I never knew it existed. Worse, it seems uncared for, for centuries! That is a shame.
That whole area near 'Gate # 5' is so lovely and old-world. It should be a good place for walks after lunch. Or even a stroll on a free afternoon. Let's see if we can take a shot at it with the camera - I'll post them here.
Apparently there is a lake behind the church and once upon a time there used to be a walk circling the lake for exactly the reasons above. Who says we are progressing?
I saw it today, open, and entered. All these years it has only been shut whenever I would pass it. What a surprise it is to see a ruined building right in the front - it seems like an imposing edifice. The official notice about the gate change talks about a 'church', maybe this is it? It does look ancient. I never knew it existed. Worse, it seems uncared for, for centuries! That is a shame.
That whole area near 'Gate # 5' is so lovely and old-world. It should be a good place for walks after lunch. Or even a stroll on a free afternoon. Let's see if we can take a shot at it with the camera - I'll post them here.
Apparently there is a lake behind the church and once upon a time there used to be a walk circling the lake for exactly the reasons above. Who says we are progressing?
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Dogged if I can!
I wish I had a dog. A Labrador, maybe; or even a German Shepherd again.
I wish it was possible to convince oneself that it is a workable idea. At 1,100 sqft, the flat is large enough for me, but small for a tiny bundle of restlessness. The bigger problem - who will look after the chap when I'm away at work? One does not mind giving up vacations for the pet, but work! And one can't really depend on keepers and servants - they will mistreat the li'il guy; I've seen it happen too often. Indians as a people, are not as attuned to animal happiness as, say, the English. The countless times I've caught a keeper angrily belting the dog with the leash while on a pee-break, all because the dog had woken him up during the noon siesta, or is tugging in a particular direction, or simply to practise some whacks.
Then there is the problem of walks and exercising - where are the empty spaces in Mumbai? Where I live it is impossible to see a large enough park where one can exercise a young dog. They require vigorous physical activity, else they become moody, unfit and cantankerous. Nails grow to become talons and you can know that your dog is around at the way the nails tap against the floor. The 'parks' around my place are dust bowls fringed with debris. And they are full of kids - who, no doubt, face similar dilemma - where to play? A doggie-walk in Mumbai is a visit to the neighbourhood lamp-posts and garbage dumps accompanied by frenzied barking of the galli ka alpha male or the over-friendliness of tail-in-the-legs non-alphas.
I wish it was possible to have a dog at home now. While I was growing, I can't remember a time when we did not have a dog - maybe only those short months of despair at the passing away of the pet when we would promise ourselves to never, never again, keep pets - they die. But, once hooked, it is impossible to completely forget the joy a dog can bring in the life of a person, especially a growing child. So a few months later, another puppy would be yapping to welcome us home from school, peeing over the carpet at the sheer joy of seeing us. It would start, a familiar routine by now - and a very welcome one. Preparing the food would always be 'Mum's Department', the weekly baths would be shared, and romping in the garden would be a joint affair. Yes - we had gardens then. Not Mumbai.
Coming back to this maximum city, a dog ought to be the ideal companion of the single guy - me! A metrop ought to have the facility for its citizens to keep pets. I feel envious to see people in cities like New York and Chicago, Melbourne and Brisbane, everywhere, I would see dogs of all shapes and sizes being taken out for a run at all hours of a weekend.
Maybe I should stop moaning and just go ahead and get my Labrador puppy; after all, it is not as if mumbaikars have no pets. And maybe the pets don't mind the lamp-posts and the strays. Maybe I can get a keeper who is genuinely fond of animals - after all I have really not looked hard enough for one.
This time, it will be a tan Labrador.
I wish it was possible to convince oneself that it is a workable idea. At 1,100 sqft, the flat is large enough for me, but small for a tiny bundle of restlessness. The bigger problem - who will look after the chap when I'm away at work? One does not mind giving up vacations for the pet, but work! And one can't really depend on keepers and servants - they will mistreat the li'il guy; I've seen it happen too often. Indians as a people, are not as attuned to animal happiness as, say, the English. The countless times I've caught a keeper angrily belting the dog with the leash while on a pee-break, all because the dog had woken him up during the noon siesta, or is tugging in a particular direction, or simply to practise some whacks.
Then there is the problem of walks and exercising - where are the empty spaces in Mumbai? Where I live it is impossible to see a large enough park where one can exercise a young dog. They require vigorous physical activity, else they become moody, unfit and cantankerous. Nails grow to become talons and you can know that your dog is around at the way the nails tap against the floor. The 'parks' around my place are dust bowls fringed with debris. And they are full of kids - who, no doubt, face similar dilemma - where to play? A doggie-walk in Mumbai is a visit to the neighbourhood lamp-posts and garbage dumps accompanied by frenzied barking of the galli ka alpha male or the over-friendliness of tail-in-the-legs non-alphas.
I wish it was possible to have a dog at home now. While I was growing, I can't remember a time when we did not have a dog - maybe only those short months of despair at the passing away of the pet when we would promise ourselves to never, never again, keep pets - they die. But, once hooked, it is impossible to completely forget the joy a dog can bring in the life of a person, especially a growing child. So a few months later, another puppy would be yapping to welcome us home from school, peeing over the carpet at the sheer joy of seeing us. It would start, a familiar routine by now - and a very welcome one. Preparing the food would always be 'Mum's Department', the weekly baths would be shared, and romping in the garden would be a joint affair. Yes - we had gardens then. Not Mumbai.
Coming back to this maximum city, a dog ought to be the ideal companion of the single guy - me! A metrop ought to have the facility for its citizens to keep pets. I feel envious to see people in cities like New York and Chicago, Melbourne and Brisbane, everywhere, I would see dogs of all shapes and sizes being taken out for a run at all hours of a weekend.
Maybe I should stop moaning and just go ahead and get my Labrador puppy; after all, it is not as if mumbaikars have no pets. And maybe the pets don't mind the lamp-posts and the strays. Maybe I can get a keeper who is genuinely fond of animals - after all I have really not looked hard enough for one.
This time, it will be a tan Labrador.
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