Continuous learning - life's game!

Yesterday was perhaps not the best days for me - knocking at an uncalled-for door. I have knocked there several times, and got similar responses most of the times. But I take it that it is sometimes natural to be human... learning from mistakes, and yeah, what is saddening is learning from the same mistakes.. not a wise thing to do...

ok, let me hope this post pulls me back the next time I want to try anything like this.

Adding flavor to a well cooked food!

This article by Harsha made me wonder more on the quality of his writing than on the quality of Laxman's game. I am pasting the entire article, just in case it gets removed from that site for any reason whatsoever.

What an innings Laxman played against Aus (Border-Gavaskar trophy, Oct 2010) despite a back pain.. he couldn't play the second match though. The elegance with which Harsha describes this man's batting skills is simply superb, great gift of God for both of them in their own respective fields!

"Always the artist, never the superstar

VVS Laxman inhabits a world of his own, an era of old-time virtue that we are reminded of all too infrequently these days

In a wonderfully charming way the world sometimes pauses, holds back from its relentless march forward, to look at timelessness, at things that defy the situations it seeks to create: a beautiful love story, a travelogue lazily told, a ghazal, a VVS Laxmaninnings.

When Laxman bats, he is almost dated, sepia tends to tinge the bright, colourful, high-resolution pictures that show him batting. He doesn't steal the impossible single, doesn't come storming back for a second like his life depended on it, doesn't snarl at somebody because he has a couple of seconds and doesn't know what to do with them.

He lets the moment breathe, gently sniffs at the serenity that inevitably surrounds him and takes his stance; his world is dictated by his speed and no one else's. Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, he seems to search for a higher calm as the other seagulls scrap for anchovies around him.

Not that the scrapping is bad, not that the stolen second run is impure; it is just not him, not his world. When he was slogging in the IPL recently, his bat-speed awry, his body tilted at angles strange for strokeplay, the leg moving out of line to hit over midwicket rather than coming languidly towards the ball to stroke it past cover, he looked like a cheap imitation of the original. It didn't become him. It was an artist trying to enter the world of commerce; a world that pays millions to those who don't bat like him.

And he is understated - another disqualification from the world of commercial endorsements. When he uses the letter "i" it is only because it is in the middle of the word "win". He loves winning, he loves contributing to a win, but he is unlikely to be nudging someone to be in the first row of the photograph.

And so while the big cheques don't always appear, something else does: respect in his dressing room and in that of the opposition; like it does for Naseeruddin Shah, while the big cheques go to Salman Khan. But respect never goes out of fashion; it is something all performers crave, and he has it in abundance.

For a major part of his career he has batted at No. 6. It means the tail is a stone's throw away. It means the boundary riders are out for him, offering him the single to attack the rest. It means he stays not-out more often; once every sixth innings almost, compared to about one in 10 for Tendulkar and one in nine for Dravid. You might argue it boosts his average but the innings rarely go as far as they might have gone. Hence, only 16 centuries. Hence, too, the change in batting style; from a free-stroking player to someone who must guard his wicket and prolong the innings. Number six is a difficult position to bat in if you are a batsman who doesn't bowl because your numbers rarely look as good as those of the men who precede you.

That is why he has had to walk the selection tightrope far too often for a player of his ability. That is why many believe he has been underrated. Down in Australia they think we are daft, but we have never bestowed on him the stature we have on Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, and more lately Sehwag. And so, every time there was a new kid on the block, the attention shifted towards Laxman. And yet in the last two years (from January 1, 2009, to be precise), he has scored a century every four Tests and averages 80.

Remember, too, that he doesn't play any other form of cricket at this level. It means he has to lift his game enormously, for standards of first class-cricket in India are poor, and quite simply, he wouldn't have played enough. It is an assignment that can be daunting for most and something he will have to live with for the rest of his career. Nobody knows how long that is going to be. He might have the spine but his back is asking too many questions and his knees aren't his best friends.

Many years ago a young Jonty Rhodes was batting with the legendary but ageing Graeme Pollock. After Jonty had called him for one single too many, the great man called him mid-pitch and said: "Young man, the athletics stops now and the cricket begins!"

The athletics may have stopped for VVS Laxman but the cricket continues to be magical. His place in the pantheon is assured."

Source:

Bhogle, H., "Always the artist, never the superstar", ESPN Cricinfo, Available at http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/480388.html, Accessed in Oct., 2010.

Life's like that - am learning...

Learnings over the last 2 weekends..

1. There is no need to show my cards to others, especially to those whom I have seen multiple times to play their cards close to themselves. Will I ever learn?? [:X] Am a little disappointed with myself on this.

2. Am also learning to talk less, listen more, play personal things low.

3. Am trying to practice what I learnt from "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steven Covey.

This Summer and Me

It's been over a month since summer started. Last summer had it's own flavor - the hectic 8-5 research hours at office, tennis in the evenings, the VB classes after 5, the cookings, the late-night movies and much more. Well, this summer has been totally different for me so far. Vikram's week-long stay here at Binghamton included a Watkins Glen trip and a trip to Six Flags, NJ. Followed that by an exciting Las Vegas trip and back here. Apart from that and a little work till June 1st week, it's been more of a "lost-focus" effort from me to do anything. Lots staring at me for studying :(

This week's just turning better for me, and hope it gets better through this summer. Learnt an important thing that it is upto me to decide how each day turns out in my life. Yes.. I have decided a few things for the remaining summer. Let me see how things turn out. Expecting a few important turns soon this summer for my academic and professional career too. Fingers crossed! Keeping my blog short for now. More later.

Respect the woman in your life

This is from a forward a friend sent me. I felt it worth posting because with the fast world today there has been too much that any married couple expect from the other person. And to have a good understanding, it's always good to realize certain things.

About the girl you will be marrying –

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;

Who is earning almost as much as you do;

One, who has dreams and aspirations just as

you have because she is as human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your

sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system

that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as

much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen

One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook

food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more,

and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother,

a wife, even if she doesn't want to; and is learning just like you are as

to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply

Because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;

One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important,

relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some

and trust her;

One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

Please appreciate "HER"

Cricket’s God

24^th Feb 2010 will be etched in the pages of history of world cricket, deeply, strongly and eternally. That’s the day Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar made a double hundred in ODIs, scoring the first one of its kind since the 16^th century when cricket was documented to have been first played (The record Scorecard!). 442 matches and 20 years is as long as it took, a time period when anything could have happened –from being wiped off the face of cricket to be adored as THE BEST. And Sachin chose the latter. Yes, it was surely his choice that has seen him all this far. It was on this same day in 1988 that he and Vinod Kambli made a 664 run partnership that stunned and silenced the nation. Today, 22 years later, he has stunned the world.

He dictated terms in Gwalior on Feb 24^th, treating the bowlers with disdain. Carried his bat through the innings to earn his 200 – take special note that he had no by-runners. I would have preferred to be in India at my hometown amidst family and friends watching this match.. the shouts, the screams, the cheerings, oh my God, I certainly missed the fun. Nevertheless I did see a huge uproar – in the form of Facebook and Orkut updates.. each person raising to the occasion with innumerous posts for the master blaster, for the GOD of Indian cricket, for the epic writer of World Cricket.

A full length dive by a man nearing his 37 at the first ODI to save a boundary sent India one up in the 3 match series. Two days later he scripted another wonder. Only this man can do it, the little master, the master blaster.

Could anyone who has lost his father come back immediately and play for the team? This man did it for India in the '99 world cup, scored a century and dedicated it to his father. Any cricket fan's eyes would have had a drop of tear that moment then.

Could anyone be more humble than him? Loads of talent, abysmal passion and commitment. If someone said "Failures keep you humble", time to rethink on changing the phrase!

Awards are now just secondary to him - Any podium that acknowledges him with an accolade will only be too small for this great man.

"I don't get tired, If you practise every day, you get used to it" - Sachin [Ref: Cricinfo]. Truly inspiring statement. Take a bow master.

Sozzial Networking Sites - Likes it or Not?

I put together some thoughts that just came to me after the Google Buzz came in, it's one thing that takes away all my privacy... I am not liking it at all.

The pre-‘2000’ era -

This was probably how people who met each other in the late 90s or even before and communicated to get to know each other–

Mr.X: Hello! What do you do for a living?

Mr. Y: I am working with company ABC. What do you do for a living?

Mr.X: I work for company XYZ.

For the purpose of future communications, they exchange Business cards

The post-‘2000’ era -

This is how people communicate these days to get to know each other –

Mr.X: Hey bro, ssup?? What’s you gtalk ID? Do you Buzzzzzzzz?

Mr. Y: Yo man, I am on Facebook most of the time.. ping me there and you can get a response soon.

For the purpose of future communications, they exchange profiles in Orkut, FB, twitter, linkedin.. phew... did I get it all, or miss any?

We are all practically glued to the computer, especially the social networking sites. To be frank, I am addicted too, but for sure it’s not the best thing.

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FB and the “likes this” mania

I genuinely appreciate if someone “liked” a post or link that, in their perspective, is worth liking.. That’s individual rights.. But I sincerely don’t understand why for certain posts that do not carry a ‘likes it’ value or intended for a different purpose, people click on the option and say ‘likes it’. Here are some instances I got during the recent past.. real time ones from my FB page!

Post: ‘Happy Diwali’ AND ‘Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!’ (on different occasions, of course!)

Venki's response: Now, that was wishing people. You should either wish back or keep quite!!

Post: 16 Google wave invites...anyone need one?

Venki's response: Does this make sense?? And how many 'Likes this' do you think it got!!

Post: Hurray Tuesday!!!!!!!!!

Venki's response: Okay, so what?? How does a Tuesday in one person’s life affect the other person?????

Post: Mr. M. found some Premium White Mystery Eggs to share with their friends!

Venki's response: Wonderful and hilarious!! What else is required in life!!

Post: Mr. P. threw the mummy at 438 meters !

Venki's response: No comments ;-)

Post: It's not tht I can't it's just that I won't

Venki's response: Here’s someone who’s becoming lazy, and someone else now joins the party :P

Post: 2 more days

Venki's response: hmmm, errr.… and after that??

Post: Watched the toss. Now I can switch off teh tv

Venki's response: Very good. In the first case, an update on that was essential for sustaining the world economy :P And secondly someone liked this person not watching rest of the match, excellent! :D

I think now I have also got to ‘like’ everyone’s post, whatever it be… Next day if you post “Fell down and broke my hand”, I will “LIKE IT”!! After all, that is what is "Facebook Dharma" :-)