December 07, 2009
December 05, 2009
I walked that evening across that bend
Past each known bush and where we first met.
Past the old house of my old friend
Past paths that lead to the church’s exit.
No one passed me as I strolled.
Hand in sleeve, and my hands grew cold.
I was easy company, at our sad ease
No chivalry, no curtsies
The lights glow on, who lives here now
Neglects the garden.
I take the turn and you are gone
Is aloneness a sign
Of greater wisdom in design
The torque of me and mine
Some talk of failing and some of love
That terms are reckoned from above
Past each known bush and where we first met.
Past the old house of my old friend
Past paths that lead to the church’s exit.
No one passed me as I strolled.
Hand in sleeve, and my hands grew cold.
I was easy company, at our sad ease
No chivalry, no curtsies
The lights glow on, who lives here now
Neglects the garden.
I take the turn and you are gone
Is aloneness a sign
Of greater wisdom in design
The torque of me and mine
Some talk of failing and some of love
That terms are reckoned from above
December 04, 2009
Looking into Sehwag's mind
Virender Sehwag is an exceptional man. Yes, we all know he is very talented, has excellent hand-eye co-ordination, great balance, can time the ball really well and hit it with immense power when he feels like. But you could say most of that about Suresh Raina as well. Sehwag is exceptional because he has an unusual brain. On a pitch where the ball was swinging in the air at one wet end and spinning furiously at the other cracked end, where Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly managed less than ten runs between them, where Muralitharan was at his sublime best and Mendis in the midst of one of the most sensational debuts for a spinner ever, he just batted through the innings for his 201 not out at an astonishing rate and rarely looked in trouble. The thing about Sehwag is that he comes across as an untutored, raw talent. He is pristine for he is largely untouched by any regard for history, conditions, coaching manuals or even conventional wisdom. Over the years, I have marveled as much as at Sehwag's batting as his approach to it seen through his comments, anecdotes and legends surrounding him.
In his book on Top 100 cricketers he ever played with/against, Shane Warne tells a very interesting story about Virender Sehwag (rank 35). During his county stint for Leicestershire, Sehwag was batting with Jeremy Snape. Abdur Razzaq, who troubled Sachin Tendulkar so often was getting the old ball to reverse swing a fair bit causing all sorts of problem for the batsmen. Sehwag discussed his strategy with Snape to counter this and says, "I have a plan." He promptly hits the ball for a huge six out of the stadium so that they have to now replace it with a new one.
In his Wisden article on Sehwag, Ganguly wrote that to find out how Sehwag approached batting, one needed to sit with in the pavilion and watch another batsman on-field. Most balls are punctuated with comments of "Chhakka gaya, Chowka gaya" (Six missed, four missed)ruing missed scoring opportunities.
Yesterday Sehwag said, "I missed a big one in the last Test, so I didn't want to miss out this time." For those who have forgotten, he scored 131 in the last Test. King cricket in his blog comes up with a new system to apply adjectives to him.
"We’ve a new system:
* 100 = okay
* 150 = good
* 200 = very good
* 300+ and feats of rapid scoring = special adjectives reserved solely for Virender Sehwag
To knacker up bowling figures and careers is one thing. To knacker up the English language is going some."
Maybe the key to understand the way he thinks is his most recent comment. "I play each ball on its merit and try to hit only the bad balls," he said. "That's the key to my batting."
But, I prefer the peek into his mind he offered earlier this year when asked how he stayed focussed on field. He said, "I try to hum songs, bhajans, Sai Baba bhajans, Kishore Kumar songs, especially those pictured on Amitabh Bachchan, till the bowler is about to deliver. I try to sing songs as perfectly as possible in order to keep my mind completely uncluttered."
In his book on Top 100 cricketers he ever played with/against, Shane Warne tells a very interesting story about Virender Sehwag (rank 35). During his county stint for Leicestershire, Sehwag was batting with Jeremy Snape. Abdur Razzaq, who troubled Sachin Tendulkar so often was getting the old ball to reverse swing a fair bit causing all sorts of problem for the batsmen. Sehwag discussed his strategy with Snape to counter this and says, "I have a plan." He promptly hits the ball for a huge six out of the stadium so that they have to now replace it with a new one.
In his Wisden article on Sehwag, Ganguly wrote that to find out how Sehwag approached batting, one needed to sit with in the pavilion and watch another batsman on-field. Most balls are punctuated with comments of "Chhakka gaya, Chowka gaya" (Six missed, four missed)ruing missed scoring opportunities.
Yesterday Sehwag said, "I missed a big one in the last Test, so I didn't want to miss out this time." For those who have forgotten, he scored 131 in the last Test. King cricket in his blog comes up with a new system to apply adjectives to him.
"We’ve a new system:
* 100 = okay
* 150 = good
* 200 = very good
* 300+ and feats of rapid scoring = special adjectives reserved solely for Virender Sehwag
To knacker up bowling figures and careers is one thing. To knacker up the English language is going some."
Maybe the key to understand the way he thinks is his most recent comment. "I play each ball on its merit and try to hit only the bad balls," he said. "That's the key to my batting."
But, I prefer the peek into his mind he offered earlier this year when asked how he stayed focussed on field. He said, "I try to hum songs, bhajans, Sai Baba bhajans, Kishore Kumar songs, especially those pictured on Amitabh Bachchan, till the bowler is about to deliver. I try to sing songs as perfectly as possible in order to keep my mind completely uncluttered."
December 02, 2009
The time of your life
For what it's worth,
it was worth all the while.
It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
One of my friends made me listen to that song by Green Day and made me wonder about the idea of having the time of one’s life. Music has always had an intrinsic association with anything barely romantic in my life. Hence, it was perhaps fitting that I reflect on this idea while listening to this song over and over again.
it was worth all the while.
It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
One of my friends made me listen to that song by Green Day and made me wonder about the idea of having the time of one’s life. Music has always had an intrinsic association with anything barely romantic in my life. Hence, it was perhaps fitting that I reflect on this idea while listening to this song over and over again.
November 24, 2009
Family
"There is nothing more important to a man than his family."
-Vito Corleone
I am very fond of an occasional drink. I have grown to enjoy the taste of most kinds of alcohol, I love trying out new drinks and I love the feeling of a slight high when you have just had the right amount of alcohol that is so conducive to brilliant conversations without you really toppling over or losing control. Yet, sometimes I get smashed, maybe puke and lose control over myself and worst of all, someone has to take care of me. Sometimes, one gets silly and it is fun for people around you until they have o take care of you and it is certainly no fun for yourself. Every time one of these bouts of uncontrolled drinking occur, I get very bothered. No one likes not to be in control (I especially abhor it), I don't like being silly and I hate the idea of someone having to take care of me. Most of all, I feel very embarrassed at being a nuisance. For some strange reason, off late, these experiences are accompanied by me imagining my father's disapproving gaze.
For someone not really close to his family, I love to talk (and think) about mine. I often wonder about how my father would judge all my actions, what remark my siblings would have to make. It's actually funny because all my life, I have been something of a rebel. I have always tried to chart my own path, bristled under the weight of any filial expectations, however little of it there might have been, notions of family unity suffocate me, in fact sometimes just being around my own people for too long makes me uncomfortable. Yet, I could bore you with intricate details of my childhood and family. Hell, some day I even want to chronicle my family history in a book! The truth is that however further I move, images of where I came from remain around me. I have started resembling my father, my voice and the way I speak or get angry is a lot like my brother, my story-telling abilities are a throwback to my uncle, I am gradually becoming a person a lot like my sister and I am beginning to believe, I search for my mother's sense of equanimity in the women in my life.
There is a line in Before Sunrise where Ethan Hawke says, "Everybody's parents fuck them up. You know, rich kids' parents gave them too much, poor kids' not enough. Too much attention, not enough attention. They either left them, or you know, they stuck around and taught them the wrong things."
This is very true and I don't really mean in a bad way, necessarily. We are what we were brought up with, what our parents and siblings are, inane childhood incidents which left a stamp on us. We are in some ways defined by our neurosis, and mostly, it all goes back to the four letter word called home.
-Vito Corleone
I am very fond of an occasional drink. I have grown to enjoy the taste of most kinds of alcohol, I love trying out new drinks and I love the feeling of a slight high when you have just had the right amount of alcohol that is so conducive to brilliant conversations without you really toppling over or losing control. Yet, sometimes I get smashed, maybe puke and lose control over myself and worst of all, someone has to take care of me. Sometimes, one gets silly and it is fun for people around you until they have o take care of you and it is certainly no fun for yourself. Every time one of these bouts of uncontrolled drinking occur, I get very bothered. No one likes not to be in control (I especially abhor it), I don't like being silly and I hate the idea of someone having to take care of me. Most of all, I feel very embarrassed at being a nuisance. For some strange reason, off late, these experiences are accompanied by me imagining my father's disapproving gaze.
For someone not really close to his family, I love to talk (and think) about mine. I often wonder about how my father would judge all my actions, what remark my siblings would have to make. It's actually funny because all my life, I have been something of a rebel. I have always tried to chart my own path, bristled under the weight of any filial expectations, however little of it there might have been, notions of family unity suffocate me, in fact sometimes just being around my own people for too long makes me uncomfortable. Yet, I could bore you with intricate details of my childhood and family. Hell, some day I even want to chronicle my family history in a book! The truth is that however further I move, images of where I came from remain around me. I have started resembling my father, my voice and the way I speak or get angry is a lot like my brother, my story-telling abilities are a throwback to my uncle, I am gradually becoming a person a lot like my sister and I am beginning to believe, I search for my mother's sense of equanimity in the women in my life.
There is a line in Before Sunrise where Ethan Hawke says, "Everybody's parents fuck them up. You know, rich kids' parents gave them too much, poor kids' not enough. Too much attention, not enough attention. They either left them, or you know, they stuck around and taught them the wrong things."
This is very true and I don't really mean in a bad way, necessarily. We are what we were brought up with, what our parents and siblings are, inane childhood incidents which left a stamp on us. We are in some ways defined by our neurosis, and mostly, it all goes back to the four letter word called home.
October 29, 2009
Top 3 Underworld Movies
1. Goodfellas
The fact that it has topped Godfather alone tells you how good it is. Possibly my favorite Martin Scorsese(can't be certain between this and The King of Comedy), this movie is a fast-paced, almost comical portrayal of the world within which develops almost like a docu-drama. Great ensemble cast, freeze frames and long tracking shots and above all, an excellent narrative.
2. The Godfather
Given my obsession for this movie, I am not putting at No.1 with something of a heavy heart. The Godfather is one of the most thrilling cinematic experiences of all time. Perfectly chosen cast, brilliant screenplay taking out the best and the most pivotal parts of an extraordinary novel, excellent soundtrack and the period decor feel of the 1940s are what stand out.
3. Company
Everything about this movie works for me be it the tight screenplay, excellent narrative with some memorable voice overs and dialogues, inspired performances, one of the better soundtracks in an Indian movie and the way it is shot.
The fact that it has topped Godfather alone tells you how good it is. Possibly my favorite Martin Scorsese(can't be certain between this and The King of Comedy), this movie is a fast-paced, almost comical portrayal of the world within which develops almost like a docu-drama. Great ensemble cast, freeze frames and long tracking shots and above all, an excellent narrative.
2. The Godfather
Given my obsession for this movie, I am not putting at No.1 with something of a heavy heart. The Godfather is one of the most thrilling cinematic experiences of all time. Perfectly chosen cast, brilliant screenplay taking out the best and the most pivotal parts of an extraordinary novel, excellent soundtrack and the period decor feel of the 1940s are what stand out.
3. Company
Everything about this movie works for me be it the tight screenplay, excellent narrative with some memorable voice overs and dialogues, inspired performances, one of the better soundtracks in an Indian movie and the way it is shot.
August 07, 2009
Here Today
And if I say, I really knew you well
What would your answer be?
If you were here today
Well, knowing you
You'd probably laugh and say
That we were worlds apart
If you were here today
But as for me, I still
Remember how it was before
And I'm holding back the tears no more
What about the time we met
Well, I suppose that you could say
We were playing hard to get
Didn't understand a thing
But we could always sing
What about the night we cried
Because there wasn't any reason
Left to keep it all inside
Never understood a word
But you were always there with a smile
And if I say, I really loved you
And was glad you came along
What would your answer be?
If you were here today
Well, knowing you
You'd probably laugh and say
That we were worlds apart
If you were here today
But as for me, I still
Remember how it was before
And I'm holding back the tears no more
What about the time we met
Well, I suppose that you could say
We were playing hard to get
Didn't understand a thing
But we could always sing
What about the night we cried
Because there wasn't any reason
Left to keep it all inside
Never understood a word
But you were always there with a smile
And if I say, I really loved you
And was glad you came along
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