Friday, September 19, 2003

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| | Isabel!!

Nah - not the name of a good looking blonde, tis the hurricane everyone on the east coast is talking about.

It came (?) and it went..all that we got was a little rain..and a few fallen trees. All hype (atleast in DC), the whole of DC was closed, universties, offices etc. But am sure people in places like Norfolk (reejo n paul) and chorlotte (mangesh) will have a different story to tell.

All said and done, it was bad - most of the places nearby plunged into darkness without water and electricity, this is something americans are not used to. But for us this was an extended weekend, starting from thursday;no work no classes - nature has its way of getting back.

My last post, the saying thing was told to me by Hrishi T - an avid sachin fan himself, he wont mafo me unless i mention his name on here.

listening to Its gettin hot in here - Nelly.
JaI. | 1:13 PM

Monday, September 15, 2003

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| | As the old sayin goes in Australia...

Once there was this exhibition match in SCG, The batsman amongst a lot of hype took the crease.

The aussies bowled him a good length ball, he failed to connect, then came a full delivery he failed to drive, then the short one - he couldnt pull it either. They even tried the easy one on the pads - he failed to glance it.

A restless spectator asked - who is this guy afterall... "he is GOD - trying to be SACHIN" came the reply :):) (BTW he scored a well compiled 88 in India A's champions trophy victory, for those who think he doesnt play well in the finals)

On a different note - its AVIJEETH's birthday today, one of my best buddies - he now happens to be my roomie. Life in the last 6 months or so has been really happening and fun, all thanks to him.

Lemme get back to searching for the best place where we can go "luto" him tonite :)

listening to Aika Dajiba. JaI. | 4:29 PM

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

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| | Its been a real hectic last two weeks:(, school started last week, and it has been a rude awakening after the long, dull(?), lazy summer. Three really tough courses with lottsa coding and taskmasters of professors, what else do u expect. I can see blogging take a back seat for some time now.

Just came across this awesome article, i was thinking of writing bout this for a long time, sanjay jha couldnt have summed it up better than this. Its really long but if you have the patience it will make a good read.

10 REASONS WHY SACHIN SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE

Suddenly a country of a billion people, pre-occupied with the challenge of daily existence, suburban travel, battling cable operator woes and looking anxiously at the rain clouds is finding a new favorite obsession -- a Ferrari car. In one sweeping dramatic moment, the Indo-Pak cross-border terrorism, infrastructural growth, stock market dynamics and a no-confidence motion against the government are conveniently forgotten; it is the Ferrari which has captured the national imagination.

So much so, that even a daily cartoon has made repercussions in the highest echelons of our august judiciary -- and the Ferrari has usurped media headlines, as if it were the burning social issue which requires our immediate urgent attention. Funny, but in a country where hero-worshipping is the legendary past-time, hero-bashing is now assuming alarming proportions of popularity. This is the typical psyche of moribund thinking -- in humiliating others, we get a vicarious, sadistic satisfaction.

Move over Premier Padmini, it is the time of the Ferrari. Especially as it belongs to one nice, modest gentleman going by the name of Sachin Tendulkar.

I beg to differ with the current sentiment on the “cherry ferry”, with apologies to none.

1) Sachin received the coveted car as a special prize on crossing the magical landmark of 29 Test centuries held by none other than the great Sir Donald Bradman by his sponsoring brand, Fiat. It is an achievement (the record, not the car) every Indian applauded with immense satisfaction and glowing pride. A Ferrari is an expensive car even by international standards, and Fiat’s gesture in getting Michael Schumacher of Formula 1 fame to present the car keys to Sachin cannot be criticized as a purely commercial effort to bypass regulatory requirements. Let us not become so cynical that we see diabolical motives in every move, see premeditated designs in innocuous gestures of appreciation. I am relieved that at the time of writing, Fiat has voluntarily declared that it will pay the necessary taxes to avoid further embarrassment to Tendulkar.

2) Sachin is a unanimous choice as a national icon in a country drastically short on role-models, in a country where there are weird, desperate urban Page 3 types, who go to any lengths to get photographed, seen and written about. Sachin has always been media shy, conservative, soft spoken and taciturn. The Little Genius makes us believe in ourselves; every little boy at Shivaji Park with a brown willow believes he can one day walk the Long Room at the venerable Lord’s. For Heaven’s sake, can’t we respect individuals who inspire us all, especially the impressionable youngsters in the country? Is the Ferrari such a big deal, for God’s sake?

3) Sachin has the fundamental right as a citizen of India to request the Government of India for a special waiver, as the Ferrari was not part of his shopping bag; it was a unique gift on a memorable occasion. In a democratic process, just as we have the rights to public interest litigation, so we have the rights to request for concessions in special circumstances. It is preposterous to criticize Sachin for requesting the GOI for an extraordinary waiver; don’t various sections of industry lobby hard for governmental concessions to the Finance Ministry come budget-time? And by the way, their financial stakes and profiteering motives run into embarrassingly humongous numbers (often at the cost of their customers); compare that with a once-in–a-lifetime prize given to a superstar individual and sports hero for his incredible achievements. What farcical diatribes do we indulge in to fool ourselves, and make a great sportsman feel small.

4) Kapil Dev and Mohammed Azharuddin have received Mercedes Benz cars as prizes too and received similar concessions, so why the big hullabaloo about Sachin, please? Just because there are certain circles who are wearing the garb of being sanctimonious socialists and grabbing as much cheap publicity as possible in running down the batting supremo?

5) I think this argument that just because Sachin can “afford to pay” the customs duty he should, is like saying that just because one can afford to pay more income tax then one should just volunteer to make a charitable donation on behalf of others as well. So Bill Gates should just pay twice the First Class fares when he flies British Airways because he “can afford it.” Or Warren Buffet should pay three times the listed menu price in a Manhattan upmarket restaurant, because of his Wall Street returns. This is the kind of ludicrous thinking that makes us behave like pseudo-socialists and fake crusaders, even when the Russians themselves are confused today as to whether Karl Marx was a philosophical genius or a failed gymnast.

6) Does anybody even contemplate how infuriatingly difficult it must be for a man to be so ridiculed after his several contributions have made India become such a force in international cricket? Do we need to hurt Sachin’s impeccable reputation and untarnished image just because he has made a genuine, legitimate request to the GOI, and the latter has acquiesced to that request? If the laws permit special considerations, don’t we all queue up to avail of them? Is it a crime to request for a review of one’s case? Is self-interest and preservation of resources not our personal prerogative?

7) This simple, middle class Maharashtrian boy has made it to fame and fortunes on his ability and performance -- not on luck, lottery and larceny; the GOI does not bat for him. And he has brought us untold joys almost lifting the country to a euphoric unprecedented high on innumerable occasions, more noticeably his brilliant breathtaking 98 against Pakistan at the Centurion Park in the World Cup in March this year. Is this what he deserves? All because of a car. Aren’t we a materialistic nation under the deceptive façade of being spiritually enlightened?

8) Is it a crime to be rich, famous and successful when you have earned the fortunes through hard work, solid determination and remarkable accomplishments, and are considered to be amongst the greatest players to have ever played the game? Graeme Smith, the young South African captain, who has hit two back to back double centuries states he would like to one day aim for the greatness of a Sachin Tendulkar. And what do we do as a country? We crucify the very man from our own land who is inspiring a complete generation world-wide. All because of a car.

9) Is it Sachin’s fault if cricket has become a commercial bonanza and other Indian sports have languished? Is this financial inequity his personal creation? If the government has a flip-flop policy on granting concessions (ref Zubin Mehta’s piano case, for instance) are we going to blame and castigate the Little Master for it? Can we get so pathologically demented as to blame Sachin because customs authorities frisk brusquely and treat shabbily our poor hapless hockey champions such as Dhanraj Pillay?

10) In a country that is renowned as much for its historical character, cultural legacy and natural richness as it is for periodic scams, fraudulent business deals and political corruption, Sachin personifies gritty courage, unparalleled determination and an outstanding image; these have been his infallible attributes in difficult times. He will pull out of this sordid drama, in high gear and rapid acceleration, overcoming the surmountable roadblocks with the same effortless ease with which he hit Shoaib Akhtar for a huge six over deep point. Remember?

Press on the pedal, champion.

JaI. | 12:22 AM