World cup sans India....

Days before the world cup all of us were discussing which indian batsman would top the highest scorer's list. All sachin bashers were saying that now he has two chances to add to his centuries list (other one wud have been against Bermuda). Gangu bhakts were going gaga over his stupendous comeback. Dravid fans were hoping for atleast semi-final bearth if not the cup. All of these groups were busy in one upmanship for/against their targets but all were certain of one thing. India in super eights. India can definitely cover up for week bowling and fielding aspects. That was sure event just waiting for execution. To watch India play in octagonal tourney was such a delightful prospect that we took sky sports package for it.

They say world cup kicks off with Brazil's and India first match. obviously, one is soccer's and other cricket's. Windies played Pakis in official inaugral match but it was India vs Bangladesh match which started the world cup in true sense. 17th March 2007. It was saturday. India were playing Bangladesh. Another day another match. Though I could have watched this match but I was not interested in watching one-side affair. So confident was I that didnt even check the score whole day. "Whats the point?" I told my friend "India wud score 350 and bangladesh wud score 254 and we will win". I was roaming around London with Manu and Keshto. We reached home at 10 in the night and Dravid was finished with his interview with Arun Lal. I thought that I heard Arun wishing Dravid best of luck for the next game. I dismissed it but I was shocked to hear Arun Lal inviting Habibul Bashar after Dravid. "What the f***" I shouted "we lost!!!!!!" While Bashar gibbering about his youngsters, I was waiting for cricinfo to open. It was all written all over. India shocked by bangla tigers. Unthinkable had happened. Oh...god scored just 7. Gangu played a painfully slow inning, yuvi cudnt carry on, dhoni flopped, sehwag was as expected, bowlers throwed rubbish, we were worse than UAE in fielding.
From there on, India were playing catching up. They trampled over Bermuda, Lankans helped us by defeating Banglas but India were again found wanting against Lankans, the masters of choking death. Dilhara cartwheeling Sachin was the most painful sight of all. That was it. It was all over. We were out of the cup. The feeling started sinking slowly after Bermuda were beaten by bangladesh.
Ireland gave us the only happy moment of the cup (though it was short lived with woolmer's demise showing the reality mirror to fans). After that 8 teams played on for another 1.5 months. South Africa, my next favourite, after having a blow hot blow cool cup were dumped by Aussies and finally Aussies, in true Mike Tyson style, knocked hell out of srilankans.

Another world cup over and we slumped to another lows.......just too bad. This world cup was so boring, that I got bored while writing this post. I started writing this one while super eights had started and finished it one week after the cup. so much for boredom and laziness yawaaaannn......

V-Day - Good day for heart (for a change).

They say that everybody learns from its past mistakes. People try to improve on those so that they dont fall prey same schemes again. We, as normal people, always try to learn for all of our pitfalls but one. It was expecting St. Valentine's miracles.

Flashback

Day 14th Feb, Year 2000 to 2005, Place - Chandigarh.

Most of the times,V-day used to come on working day or should I say studying day. Newspapers, TV, internet always used to remind us of it. Chd newsline used to come up with weird kind of surveys on love-meter with hearts or roses printed in paper back ground. everything used to be gripped in virtual fever. Atleast, in chandigarh, I always felt that it should be declared national (?) festival. There are only two festivals which can qualify for this. (Other one is Holi) Roadsides would be full of gladula vendors, heart shaped balloons (DCH style) and few of teady bear guys. One could see all kind of weird characters on road right from morning. If one group is one trolley, other would come out in truck. Open jeeps, gypseys, bikes without silencers. Everybody trying to impress fairer sex. One would be excused to imagine himself being in the middle of jungle where all the males are trying to show off their assets to impress the girls. It was darling-I am-working-over-time-today day for thullas. They also never missed a chance of playing devils in the cupid's day out. Gheri route always used to first casualty in curfew, other one used to be Punjab Univ. In the nutshell, whole city used to be seiged by lovers and spoilers alike.

Far away from all these colours, we use to spend our days in the balcony of SUSCET. Always trying to speculate which girl is going around with which guy. I must admit that although we were pretty in finding out smokey fires but could never figure out some real ones. After spending first half of the day in winter sun and lunch break in canteen, our harmones used to instigate us in going some where, in search of true love and our destination always used to be Lake. Oh boss, wat a place it was. Girls, girls, girls everywhere. Only problem were the villians sitting with them. Bloody spoilsports, jerks and wat not. After 1-2 hours, our heart used to refuse to pump blood. Too much burn can cause this situation and forced by heart, we used to come back home empty handed ;))) Another v-day gone. May be next time which never came.

Flashback over

Day: Any day of the feb before/on V-day, Place: London

There was no imperative excitement of the up-coming festival. No major news in TV, paper et all. No enthu for it. Such was the indifference here that I never remembered it and today, when the day came, my friend told me that it v-day today. I was surprised. Anyody wud be especially A person like me coming from chd or for that matter bnglr to a place which started it all. Life was normal. Trains, as usual, were full. Offices were working. Schools had kids. No body seemed to be bothered. Morning shock slowly transformed into pleasant evening. After hard day at work, I could see couples were kissing like normal on my way back to home. Nothing new. It is regular affair. No big deal. I went for shopping, did some cooking, now I am blogging and wud go to bed in another 15 min. Mundane end to mundane day. This time st. valentine moved on without giving any heart attacks to me . My dil goes zooooooom zooooooom.

Cheers,

Ashish

P.S. I cant really say that I didnt missed chd today but this change (or lack of it)

was definitely a refreshing.

Memoirs of SUSCET - Stella

'May I come in mam?' I asked with unique innocence that I sometimes feel i can genuinely fake but most of the times it is genuine. It was third day in the row we were late to the lecture which no body in the whole class wanted to miss. In the mind I was cursing everybody I could think of. 'God damn Keshto, aaj bhi late karwa diya', 'God damn HoD. who asked him to keep this as first lecture' but knew that as usual it was me who was culprit.
She looked at her watch and before she cud ask me get out, in came the excuse 'mam, scooter puncture ho gaya tha'. 'Ashish, aaj bhi same excuse. Please go out of the class and close the door behind you' She said in bit higher tone. aye hye, she doesn't even know how to get angry. Like I cudnt always fake my innocence she cud never get herself be really angry. she used to fake it. 'Mam, please' I was embarrassed. I was supposed to be one of her favorites (at least i thought so) 'Please don't waste the time of the class'. class was laughing now. 'Jerks. wats there to laugh' I thought. 'Mam, only one last time' said keshto, who had just barged in after parking his scooter. 'Both of you wait till 10 to enter the class and please leave now'. Both of us knew it was useless to argue and we left for canteen. On the way or in the canteen, we were not calling her names as one wud if you r thrown out of class. We just couldn't.
She was our teacher in final year. We used to call her stella. She got her name from teacher's character in third class Hindi movie (I don't remember movie's name) courtesy one of us ( u know it probably). I think the similarities between her and stella were just teacher's post. Thats it. Ok ok her hairstyle too. but thats it. Our stella had grace, poise, intelligence and she was very sweet. All of us really admired her a lot. She had something, that x factor, which always enabled her to keep the unruly bunch quite. Always. Something, of which other teachers used to be jealous of. We used to put in extra effort to be attentive in her class. I cant imagine that we used to attend tutorials too. Although we hardly studied in those tutes but it was fun. Everyday some different thing. Once I gave a lecture on Yoga in one of those tutes u know. Pats did a lot of paki bashing in those. Those were really good times.
I never understood what was that x factor. Probably, we were impressed that she attempted her hands at UPSC and if I am not wrong, she almost cleared. Probably, because she knew her subjects. Probably, because all of us were of same age group. Probably, she had those naive, innocent and gullible looks. I really don't know and I don't want to know either. We never used to listen any criticisms for her. She was one of few teachers we never cribbed about.Never ever any negative feelings crossed to our minds for her. We just admired her. Though, I must say that she wasn't the best teacher I had studied under no way near that. But she was good. Now, I don't know what she is doing. if she is still teaching thats something she will not need any trainings. She will always have our best wishes.

Nostalgic,
Ashish

P.S. I don't know why I wrote about her that too after such a long time (psst...it took some real brain exercise to recollect her real name. its been so long i have thought of her) but then one doesn't always needs answers to all their questions. do we?

UK phone companies suck.....

Its been 8 months since I first went to buy a new K800i. I was ready to take a contract with O2 as thats the only way to get a new handset in UK. These suckers dont have a concept of you buying a fone alone like in india(first of all u will not get a latest model if it is available, it will be costlier than gold). U have to buy a contract or else forget abt it.

I was getting a really cool deal at phones4u before O2 sales people muddled up my credit card number and told me that I am not eligible to buy this fone for next 6 months.

I wanted a new handset really badly but I wanted K800i only. So, I waited till 6 months pass by or somebody gifts me this cool gadget. Off course I would have paid for my gift.

I wasnt lucky with my gift part. I went back to india thinking I will k790i there. It was 18000 odd there. I thought that could be option but then somebody told me that this model is poor cousin of k800i and as usual with my nature I was taken in to the talks. so I waited for 6 months ban to get over and trip back to UK. I came back to Uk last week and yesterday was the day when I went on my "buy the fone or dont come back home" trip.

Now the prices had come down and I was getting this one on 199 GBP. I was happy and was ready to shell out the money before phones4u decided to play the spoil sport again.

They told me that though this fone is available on 'pay as u go' offer but it is locked to O2 and if somebody tries to meddle up with lock, fone will crank down. They told me that this fone is available on contract and is unlocked in that. I can opt for that which I didnt. Issue was that I am in Uk only for two months and not 12. So, this contract will be overhead for me as this would cost me a cool 360 pounds for my fone. As usual, confusion took over mind and I caved into her. Decision was to postpone the decision for next week.

So, now I am back to old partner 2100 which has given me company since i joined my first job. Now, its difficult for somebody like me do-away with my "Firsts". I still remember first crush. (ye story fir kabhi), first t-shirt which I bought with my first salary, my first love....hold on when did that happen. ya...it hasnt happened yet and there are no hopes as well.


Moral is that I dont have K800i. I have my 2100 which I am going to recharge tomorrow.

C ya,
Ashish

P.s. ppl will laugh...wat a topic for a FIRST blog but cudnt help it mate.