Reviving Rivalry

Tennis needs great rivalry says Gaurav Sabnis in his post "Wanted -Great Tennis Rivalry". I couldnt agree more. I still remeber a time when my mom and dad used to cheer Boris Becker and my grandmother biting her nails in a tense Steffi-Seles match. Tennis has just lost that charm. A pity really for a game that has thrown up such drama over the years.

Chennai to Mumbai via Bangalore

At last my two year tryst with Chennai is coming to an end. For a generation in a hurry two year is hell of a longg time. (My freinds even teased me that i would stand for local elections). Now i am not claiming that i have tapped into the soul of this city. Apart from visting its beaches, multiplex theatres, shopping malls, and a number of restaurants i havent even tried to understand the city.

But two years is sufficient time to get a perspective, so let me lay out what i think of this city. Apart from bad weather, extremely ill behaved autowallahs, ubiquitous stinking smell that consumes the air, lack of night life and terrible shortage of basic necessities of life like water and good looking chics, i kinda liked the city. Now dont get me wrong i am one of the banglorenas to endure chennai for two years, most of my collegues and freinds couldnt stand this place for two months. So when i say i liked the city despite those flaws, i have my reasons.

I like cities which have a sense of tradition and history attached to them. Even an outsider can make that out about chennai. The place kind of vibrates with tradition, and its people both young and old respect its history. I havent been to Kolkatta to compare both cities, but being a banglorean i cherish this. Banaglore alas has completely lost it. In its all compassing embrace of cosmopoliton culture , Banaglore is going the Delhi way, to being a kind of bastard city. Younger generation care two hoots about this and is extremely worrying.

My next destination is Mumbai, of which i have heard and seen so much that i cant wait to expereince it. More will follow once i land there

Being Twenty Something is hard

I got this wonderful writeup courtesy Aarthi, boy do i miss those mails now. Anyways i think this piece captures the dilemna that everyone faces , so perfectly. Read on

Being Twenty-Something ...Its really hard .-------------------------------------------

They call it the "Quarter-Life Crisis." It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. Your start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.You start realizing that people are selfish and mean that scares you. Those friends that you thought were so close to you aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean, or insincere but that they are as confused as you are.You look at your job...and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing. Or maybe you are looking for a job and realize that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that really scares you.Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you need people who see your point of view. You worry about loans, money, and the future and making a life for yourself...and while winning the race would be great , right now you are looking for someone thirty something,more mature, to help you understand the rules of the game.Twenty somethings is the best of times and worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. My twenty somethings friends ..maybe this will help you feel like you are not alone in your state of confusion...

Left and Right

I avoid being overtly political in this blog just not comfortable with it. But couldnt help notice this wonderful quote from Clint Eastwood a couple of months back in defence of his movie "Million Dollar Baby" He says and i quote " If you go far enough to the right, you will meet the same idiots from the left shouting at you" Bang on Mr. Eastwood

Prakash Karat and Praveen Togadia anyone

Two single men and their misery

Met up with sweetheart Ganesh this weekend. One thing common between me and Ganesh is both are single and both r desperate... (i mean it).. So no matter how much both of us try to avoid it , our conversations boil down to women (or the lack of it in our lives)

A typical conversation in a restaurant between two of us would run like this

Ganesh: Man look at the babe there

Me: Man is she hot or what

Ganesh: Fuck look at the guy with her, looks like phateecher, no match to her

ME: But Ganesh , whatever his looks , he has the girl

Ganesh: Ya, man if he can have one even i can, will have to find one

ME: Ya man righto

So we end our conversation with charged batteries on a mission to find ourselves a girlfreind. But sigh we have been having this talk for the past two years. And to rub insult to our injuries more phateechers are pataving babes, while we look on.

Autos of Chennai

My bike has broken down, and i have to endure the most dreaded experience in Chennai, travelling by Auto. I have realized one thing about the Autorickshaw Industry in Chennai, they are the quickest to react to market forces. Picture this

Mani Shankar Aiyar: Petrol prices will be hiked by Rs 2 from midnight of 28th June 2005 across India

28th June 00.01 A.M

Me: Boss Central how much

Autorickshaw walla: 50 Rs sir

Me: Boss usually u take 40 Rs

Autorickshaw walla: Sir Petrol prices have gone up


Now Now i challenge u, find me any other industry which reacts to market forces so fast....Also this is probabaly the only industry which never passes on benefits to its consumers. Have u ever heard an auto guy say to u give me only 30 bugs instead of 40 because petrol prices have come down?? Never

More on Chennai Autos to follow

Whats this Ash thing

Came back from yet another weekend trip to Bangalore (My Second home), but unlike previous visits spent a lot of time with family this time (Thanks to mom and Dad's presence). Had a roaring time, gud thing is i have loads of cuzins ,with whom i can talk about things which i am abosuletly ignorant of and in the process gain some insight. To illustrate gai is a painter (Art which i hardly understand), Raji is a succesful HR women (A feild i thought till recently useless) and Avi who works for an NGO ( and has brilliant ideas for rural development, which is such a drastic change from montotnus work life). Met all these guys and improved my GK a lot.

Now coming to the main point of this post, Raji was immensely bugged with Oprah(why you wonder).. She says she asked all the wrong questions to Aishwarya during her (Apart from gaudily dressed) show, who according to her represented India..

Now now now when did a stupid and throughly mismanaged PR campaign to put herslef in the big league of Hollywood turn into national pride i wondered. But Raji is a huge Ash fan, so after arguing with her fruitlessely (As it is the case with fans) i gave up......

D...

Caught up with D yesterday, must say liked the movie. The settings, the lighting , the look and feel of the movie are just right. But one cant help the feeling of "been there done that". Ramgopal varma feels that he can tell the story of the underworld in thousand different ways, maybe, but as a viewer i watched D with a terrible Satya hangover. One word on Randeep Hooda, he is just right for the role, his brooding intensity is what makes Deshu click. But like Vivek Oberoi, i dont think he can be versatile and has the risk of being typecast. Also couldnt help noticing the non repenting climax of the movie, shows the changing face of Indian cinema. Now Cant wait for Sarkar

My First Post

This is my first post and as the name of this blog suggest i have no clue what to write... So will post on something very soon