I had gone to see the first IPL semi-final between Mumbai Indians. A day before the final I was told that my tickets were booked, all heads that were suppose to be heading towards DY Patil Stadium Vashi got together and all deliberations about how where what and why were done. The storm of excitement started to brew and it was all a huge wave of excitement and unaccountable hysteria that was practically the order of the day.
It was a guys day out, among many phones calls and utter confusion till the last moment add to the fun. The journey was from uptown Mumbai to DY Patil Stadium,Nerul. A set of two distant points on the local map. The hot wheels rolled and seven guys in two cars along with a bike and one more car headed towards DY Patil. I wondered if everyone along the way was headed to DY Patil Stadium. Since it was afternoon the drive was smooth and fast except for minor hiccups of an odd left or right turn. The afternoon heat got on to us. Oh! yes guys in cars have to have loud music played,a few songs were hummed and others were sung in the loudest glory possible. After almost two hours we had just the tip of the iceberg as parking slots were filling rapidly with every breath one drew. Then there was more swearing because you couldn’t take the cellphones. The great Indian juggad was the answer,the guy who got us tickets had already reached earlier and there was a minor panic attack as we didn’t have tickets and we were at the wrong gate. After many deliberations exact point of meeting (latitude and longitude) was decided after 15 minutes of convincing and sweetest swearing were exchanged on borrowed cellphones from cops, shopkeepers whoever.
The moment when we entered the stadium a sense of relief and achievement filled all of us. A few hi fives and pulling each other leg expressed the intense longing everyone had. The tickets were re-sorted and it was first come first served kinda arrangement. After changing bases for couple of times the seats were occupied and the party was just about to start.
We could see a few players warming up, bowling, just gearing up for the game. It was amazing that even Sachin’s practice shot were exclaimed with the loudest cheer. All of us were busy spotting players from the second tier. I did spot quiet a few from both the teams, among al the DJ thing, cacophony, jeering and whole ruckus it was announced Mumbai Indians were to bat first.
Sachin hit couple of boundaries and got out early, we though what a bumer, couple of more wickets and then after that every boundary was cheered and every six called for DJ to add to the heart beats. The coverage within the stadium ensured that everyone knew what was happening, the bowlers batsmen on strike, fours and sixes and in between whenever there was a break or something there was an attempt to set the Mexican wave going but there was hardly a ripple. DJ kept mixing songs, I had never ever heard Summer of 69, Byran Adams being played in a louder tone.
The last five overs u couldn’t keep a track of runs scored. Pollard is a colossus. I mean he looks huge even from 100 meters away. He has amazing reflexes and runs like a man possessed. It was great fun seeing Tiwary bat as well. We were discussing a score of like 150 odd for MI but Polard just changed the scoring rate and ensure RCB had a tough total to fetch.
RCB challenge was void of any partnerships,come of the flicks and cut and drives from Rahul Dravid was stamped with class all over. Uthappa blasted 18 runs of Bhajji over. But besides that it was all Mumbai Indians. Malinga was cheered and he would be surprised if he gets the same cheer anywhere he plays.
The drive after midnite was greeted with empty roads something people of this city can’t imagine in the day. It was fast again and somewhere in Andheri,bhurji,pav bhajji and pulav was the order for a buffet style dinner. It took me almost 12 hours to get back home. A late night early morning shower was the last the last thing I remember of that hysteric day.
6.4.10
Blog: The last yard
The last yard is always the hardest to cover.Often our failures or unsuccessful accomplishment happen are simply not because we traveled so far but not making it far enough. It’s amazing how an inch can make the difference between bitter of pain and agony of failure from sweet gentle taste of victory to savour. It might not always happen for a chance but should for a reason.
Perfection is surely not a destination but a journey, I wonder what happens if you achieve perfection very early in life. Is there any thing which is early in life? What makes it too late? The journey or the path and the courage, the motivation, the determination and the hope counts for more,for these will chose your destination. It’s amazing how the answers of the outside (read materialistic) world dwell inside the heart and mind. I think one has to have standards of perfection,one which is imbibing and add positivity to thoughts, words and actions.
I want to see myself shifting from idly speaking to ideally speaking. It is so tough to disengage yourself from your own thoughts. The process is so dissuading to ones ego. The heart and Mind understand and know. It may be ridiculous but I never fathom the idea of understanding. I prefer the novel idea of knowing.
I need to get a grip of what’s happening and focus on myself doing right things. At times the pain of mental suffocation is all too much to bear. It is further complicated with other factors, burden of expectations, dreams of self; nothing unjustified but, let time be the best judge. All of us need to find peace within ourselves. The other day I had a jerk in the foot and the routine function of walking down stairs and crossing the road became the task of the day. I wonder if the same thing happens if the mind gets a hiccup, I fear the worst of effects and imagine the burden of doing the task of the day will surely increase if the mind gets a little deflated for some reason. All of us should know it from our varied experiences we all might have had previously. I think sorting out the daily routine may help.
It’s not entirely sheepish to believe the success to road is hard and it gets harder with every success. Yet the last yard is the most challenging one and the last yard is hardest to cover.
Perfection is surely not a destination but a journey, I wonder what happens if you achieve perfection very early in life. Is there any thing which is early in life? What makes it too late? The journey or the path and the courage, the motivation, the determination and the hope counts for more,for these will chose your destination. It’s amazing how the answers of the outside (read materialistic) world dwell inside the heart and mind. I think one has to have standards of perfection,one which is imbibing and add positivity to thoughts, words and actions.
I want to see myself shifting from idly speaking to ideally speaking. It is so tough to disengage yourself from your own thoughts. The process is so dissuading to ones ego. The heart and Mind understand and know. It may be ridiculous but I never fathom the idea of understanding. I prefer the novel idea of knowing.
I need to get a grip of what’s happening and focus on myself doing right things. At times the pain of mental suffocation is all too much to bear. It is further complicated with other factors, burden of expectations, dreams of self; nothing unjustified but, let time be the best judge. All of us need to find peace within ourselves. The other day I had a jerk in the foot and the routine function of walking down stairs and crossing the road became the task of the day. I wonder if the same thing happens if the mind gets a hiccup, I fear the worst of effects and imagine the burden of doing the task of the day will surely increase if the mind gets a little deflated for some reason. All of us should know it from our varied experiences we all might have had previously. I think sorting out the daily routine may help.
It’s not entirely sheepish to believe the success to road is hard and it gets harder with every success. Yet the last yard is the most challenging one and the last yard is hardest to cover.
1.4.10
Blog: March went marching by
Listening to songs of Teesri Manzil, one of the many yesteryears with some awesome songs,some of the songs are still called for when dance parties happen. No party is completed Aaaajaaaa… Aaaajaaa and O’Haseena zulfowaali. I loved all Shammir kapoor movies, I always sound his movies with great verve and he one of the finest leading comedians of his time. Before there were fairness cream for men was even thought off, he was one of the more dashin leading man of his time.
India Hckey team lost in worl cup,I think for this fiasco everyone besides the team members and coaching staff are responsible. I wonder if Gvernment servants involved with sports reaped there laurels and helped themselves to a great career on the cost of Countrys pride and performance would ever give up hunger. KPS Gills single handedly pulverised the confidence of players fans and pride of the nation which once Hockey really was. There is no dearth of talent from what the novice eye saw. There is also no dearth of red tape. I mean why cant we have Rs 1000 Crores spent on sports. I watched Hockey couple of times in school. I was blessed to go to a school which had these huge grounds and great incentive to play hockey and football. I didn’t play any,perhaps always been attached to cricket. I clearly remember my school doing well regularly in hockey and football. The Indian bureaucracy one of the most entrenched horror of our horrid and unjust colonial past. The other is our Police Laws which were formed more than 150 years back that seems to be so long ago that code of Hammurabi seems belonging to a close era. Why isn’t it be redone is one of the most intriguing puzzle of the Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty first centuries!!! I don’t know of anymore contemporary mysteries that have spilled across three centuries and has a direct impact on people of this country.
Talking of Rs 1000 crores. In a recent auction of teams for IPL,couple of franchises bought team for a combined figure of more than 3200 crores. It is a stagerring amout considering it is only for right to own a team. Everyone cries hoarse saying that Cricket gets unwanted and exclusive media attention and no one even cares to know how other sports are doing. Cricket in India is doing well simply because it is no under direct control of Government. Yes there are politicians and others who are somehow associated with cricket administration. Indian Cricket board has come a long way in terms of money. It was in loss just a few days back. But for now lets just say it is doing well.
As a long weekend is around, hoping to post a long blog post after a long time,so long ….
India Hckey team lost in worl cup,I think for this fiasco everyone besides the team members and coaching staff are responsible. I wonder if Gvernment servants involved with sports reaped there laurels and helped themselves to a great career on the cost of Countrys pride and performance would ever give up hunger. KPS Gills single handedly pulverised the confidence of players fans and pride of the nation which once Hockey really was. There is no dearth of talent from what the novice eye saw. There is also no dearth of red tape. I mean why cant we have Rs 1000 Crores spent on sports. I watched Hockey couple of times in school. I was blessed to go to a school which had these huge grounds and great incentive to play hockey and football. I didn’t play any,perhaps always been attached to cricket. I clearly remember my school doing well regularly in hockey and football. The Indian bureaucracy one of the most entrenched horror of our horrid and unjust colonial past. The other is our Police Laws which were formed more than 150 years back that seems to be so long ago that code of Hammurabi seems belonging to a close era. Why isn’t it be redone is one of the most intriguing puzzle of the Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty first centuries!!! I don’t know of anymore contemporary mysteries that have spilled across three centuries and has a direct impact on people of this country.
Talking of Rs 1000 crores. In a recent auction of teams for IPL,couple of franchises bought team for a combined figure of more than 3200 crores. It is a stagerring amout considering it is only for right to own a team. Everyone cries hoarse saying that Cricket gets unwanted and exclusive media attention and no one even cares to know how other sports are doing. Cricket in India is doing well simply because it is no under direct control of Government. Yes there are politicians and others who are somehow associated with cricket administration. Indian Cricket board has come a long way in terms of money. It was in loss just a few days back. But for now lets just say it is doing well.
As a long weekend is around, hoping to post a long blog post after a long time,so long ….
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