The Coorg Tree Blog

Huge bamboo clusters on the Coorg-Mysore highway... the early morning sunlight filtering from behind

Vines curling up, forming bonds, holding firm..

Dense forest lines the path to Abby Falls

Lovely blue skies frame these beautiful trees

Hold me tight, says the tree to the vine, and the vine obliges...

Dark and serene, peaceful forests against the late evening sky

These beautiful trees have interesting triangular, wedged trunks

Pecked by the woodpeckers!

Reaching for the blue skies, this thin tall tree is one of the beautiful millions dotting the Kodagu forests

Meeting the King Khan

Shweta and Siddha actually met the King Khan yesterday, in the backdrop of the IFFI at Goa. Not only did they talk to him and shake his hands, the King Khan actually forgot to return Shweta's pen - she's going wild just thinking about it


SRK is truly the King of Bollywood and Indian Cinema lovers all over the world... from the cute kid in Fauji that we all loved to wait a whole week to see next (we were in 9th-10th then, I guess), to Circus, and then in movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Duplicate (my last movie as a bachelor - saw it alone at Mangala the day before I left for Goa to get married :)), SRK portrayed the perfect romantic hero in the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenges and the Kuch Kuch Hota Hais of the early 90s. He inspired a whole generation of us with the Kal Ho Na Hos, and movies like Chalte Chalte continue to bring tears to my eye with his special brand of "I am not afraid to say I shamelessly love you" love. In the recent past, SRK has dished out one special movie treat after another - Kabhi Alvida Na Kehena, Swades, Don, Chak De and now, Om Shanti Om. Movies that will make us smile, cry, make us proud, inspire us, entertain us, and make us proud to be Indian. For ever and ever.


A true entertainer, and a very big inspiration for me in so many ways, SRK, here's a salute to you! We love you!

Movie Review: Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal

DDDG is the story of a poor desi football club, Southall in London, struggling to win the league to retain ownership of their stadium. A "disgraced" coach (Boman Irani) tries to mould a bunch of rag-a-tag "players" into a team that can compete with the best. The problem is they need a good striker - the coach approaches their old foe Sunny (John Abraham), who turns down the offer. However, Sunny is the victim of racial discrimination, and is left out of his Aston club team, and finally joins Southall. Southall goes on a winning spree, inspite of cropping differences between the captain Shaan (Arshad Warsi in a role that wastes his comic talent) and Sunny.

Someone then plays dirty, offering Sunny an attractive contract - with one condition - he should immediately stop playing for Southall. Being the ruthless professional that he is, Sunny agrees. Southall lose their penultimate match, and desperately need to win the final to win the league.

Then there's a bit of drama - Sunny realises that his father has been Southall's biggest fan, that he always wanted his son to realise his dream of winning the league. He rushes to the stadium, and in the face of grave risk to his life (yes, life), he plays for Southall, hits the winning goal a few seconds from the whistle, and the dream comes true.

A few months earlier, one might have appreciated the movie for its story. Coming after Chak De, the movie is nothing but a huge disappointment. The only saving grace - John Abraham. Watch it only for his dimples and his smile. Else, just stay away! Or, watch OSO instead!

Bangalore Impressions

Bangalore comes across as a mega city, struggling with traffic problems. In a city getting stretched beyond limits, frustrated drivers flout rules left, right and center, jostling for right of away with the thousands of autos.

The awesome flyover on airport road is a sign however, that the city is willing to take it's problems head on, and succeed! Automated parking meters and high police presence (again, with the upturned hats), and great road signage give a unique feel to Bengaluru.

The autos don't go by the meter, but continuing with the "be good" image of their rural counterparts, Karnataka's autowallahs are almost endearing in the way they plead with you to give them those extra 10 bucks. And yes, you usually give in!

Some great shopping, great eat-outs, and a bustling, young populace make Bangalore an exciting, young city. But would I trade Pune-Mumbai for it? Naah, yenna rascala, I have toh Mumbai-se-pyaar.

Karnataka Trip Diary

11-Nov-07

At 10.30 pm, we left by taxi for Margaon station, the beginning of our tour down South. We picked Siddha-Shweta from Panaji, and reached the station at 12.00. The train was delayed by almost 3 hours, and we spent the time waiting in the lounge. We didn't have confirmed tickets, and spent some anxious moments standing between carriages in the non AC sleeper sections, before the TTE helped us get 4 berths in our 3 tier AC compartment. Finally, at around 4, we crashed to sleep.


Lesson: Never get into a train without confirmed reservations, especially when you have a kid with you.
Corollary: You can always get into a train without confirmations - you are sure to get a seat as long as you can befriend the TTE.

12-Nov-07

We reached Mangalore at 9 am. Our driver had come to pick us at the station with the Innova that will stay with us for the duration of the tour.


We started off with some excellent breakfast at a near by Taj (cakes and pastries, bread and butter-jam, idlis and wadas, dosas and uthappas, omlettes, juices, tea and coffee, and fruit plates - yes, we actually had ALL of that!) and then left for Coorg.

Lesson: Never get into a loo at a Taj, before checking to see if they have water, or rely only on paper.


The journey, just 150 km or so, took us nearly 5 hours :( The roads were terrible, and our driver was slow too.





We checked into Misty Woods, had some snacks on the lawn, then a campfire, and dinner, and went off to sleep, dead tired by the day's journey!





The campfire was awesome, the logs burned for over an hour, collapsing inwards as the top burned off, till finally all that was left was a heap of smouldering coals. I remember a campfire we made during our Konkan trip - took us 15 mins to set up, and it burned for exactly 2 min and 14 seconds.


Misty Woods is beautiful, but we aren't really the type that would love to curl up in bed after dinner at 1030.

Lesson: Unless you are on a honeymoon, or like crawling in bed with all kinds of winged creatures, avoid a "nature resort".



13-Nov-07

In the morning, we visited the Tibetan Monastery at Kushalnagar, a beautiful refuge for Tibetans nestled in the coffee plantations and forests of Karnataka!

The monastery hosts the Golden Temple, an awe-inspiring place with it's huge idols and player hall.



We had lunch at Filaa, and then went to see the elephant training center at Dubbare. It also involved a lovely boat ride.


From there, we visited Orange County resort, and then came back to the hotel. At a min of 10K per night, we weren't really tempted to stay :)





Did a lot of travelling today - and that's a main problem with Coorg. Everything is so far away, and the roads are terrible, that most of the time goes in travelling. Thankfully, we had an Innova and a driver all along!

14-Nov-07







Visited Talcauvery in the morning, the origin of the Cauvery river. Also climbed the nearby hill (some 350 steps) for a magnificant view. Had lunch at East End hotel in Madikeri, then visited the beautiful Abby Falls nearby. The walk through the jungles to reach the base of the waterfall is simply awe-inspiring, tall, majestic trees line up on either side of the marrow pathway, and birds screech in delight as you climb down the steps...






After half an hour there clicking photographs, and desperately hoping to see a rainbow in the waterfall's sprays, we came back to Madikeri and saw the small fort and insignificant Raja's seat (though with a beautiful view). Also took a ride in the toy train - booked the entire train for ourselves, since there were no other passengers :) Came back early to the hotel, had a campfire, and then crashed to sleep.

Yes, we still hadn't figured out a way to keep ourselves awake longer.

15-Nov-07

We left Misty Woods for Mysore-Bangalore in the early morning, at 6.30 am. Reached Mysore by 9.30 am.





Visited Chamundi Hill and Bull temple first, the lovely back road up the hill making me want to throw the driver out of the vehicle and get my hands on the wheel.





Then we went on to the Wadiyar Palace - very, very beautiful and definitely worth a visit. The grandeur of the place, the intricate woodwork and marble engravings, and the interesting (but not very well maintained) "lifestyle" museum at the back of the palace were of high interest, not just to us, but to Sanam as well.



Then we had lunch, before proceeding to Bangalore. Reached by 5.00 pm, and checked into the Melange Service Apartment we had booked for the night.

Later in the evening, we went to MG, Brigade Road, and Commercial Street for some shopping, and much needed look at civilization as we know it, after being deprived of all that in Misty Woods :) The Coffee Days and the Malls and the Multiplexes and the Traffic! Aaah, to be back! Had dinner at the awesome Three Quarters Chinese restaurant, and then came back to our apartment.

Recommendation: Try the prawns roasted on charcoal and marinated in tulsi leaves. Awesome, awesome, awesome suff!

16-Nov-07

Left for Goa by Jet Airways in the afternoon, after some last minute shopping at Cauvery Emporium on MG Road. Reached Dabolim at 4.00, and came straight to Nerul.



Final Lesson: Avoid the cake on the flight, we are pretty sure that was what led to the food poisoning in the next 2-3 days. Although, frankly, we would all eat it again just to see the sweet Jet air-hostesses back in action :)

Coorg - A District, Not a Hill Station!

Oh, and by the way, for all ye travellers, remember, Coorg a pretty big, hilly district and not a hill station a la Ooty and Kodaikanal. So if you decide to go to Coorg, be prepared to spend lots of lots of time on the road - budget for 50-150 kms a day, on roads where anything above 30 kmph is a dream, even on a sturdy vehicle like the Innova. Madikeri is the district headquarters and the biggest town, but the nature resorts could easily end up being 20-30 kms away!

Karnataka - First Impressions of a Tourist

As the sun broke through the darkness of the night, and the first rays filtered out through the cocunut palms, our train hurtled through the beautiful unspoilt, unexploited farmlands and cocunut groves of north western Karnataka enroute from Goa to Mangalore. Looking out, you cannot help but notice that the villages and their people have a beautiful virgin innocence about them. There's no plastic clogging the drains along the road, you don't see ugly concrete structures and garishly painted signboards advertising the material needs of our civilizations. People have genuine smiles on their faces. When you thank them, their faces light up with a genuine happiness and gratefulness that warms your heart and makes you want to hug them.

The jungles are beautiful, the majestic trees framing themselves so elegantly against the blue skies, and dense undergrowth jostling for space with beautiful coffee plantations.

The roads are bad, and the traffic discipline, in the best of times, is pretty horrible. Buses zoom past you on the impossibly narrow lanes that pass off as national highways, the conductor frantically waving his hand out and expecting you to magically make way for the bus to squeeze back in front of you before the incoming traffic reaches you, narrowly missing the collision and leaving you gasping for breath. Unless, of course, everyone is waiting for the convoy of elephants to cross the road. And all the while, the traffic police with their upturned hats do their best to bring method in the madness...

Yenna Rascala, you Kannadiga, take a bow for your beautiful state, and your beautiful people...

Note: I have been to Karnataka dozens of times in the past, but this trip to Coorg was the first time I was in rural western Karnataka in over a decade.

I'm Back :)

Yes, back in Pune after a self-imposed exile of almost two weeks :) Visited Goa for Diwali, then Coorg for a vacation in the woods, then back to Goa... but tell you what, feels great to be back!

Catch you later.. have lots to write about, but first, I have to pop my 1600 pending mails!!! :)

Movie Review: Saawariya

After an awesome OSO, one could have been forgiven for expecting too much from Saawariya. I went with no such illusions, and even then, came back terribly disappointed at the complete waste of a beautiful Sunday evening in Goa.

I have never liked SLB's over-hyped movies - because I always found them unrealistic, too loud, in-your-face sentimental cry opuses. However, Saawariya really sets new landmarks in perfectly senseless, expensive cinema.

First the story. Boy (Ranbir Kapoor) meets girl (Sonam Kapoor), boy loves girl, girl has already met another boy (Salman), girl has already loved another boy, another boy has gone away for a year, girl waits for the other boy, boy wants girl, other boy comes late, boy almost gets girl, other boy comes, girl goes to other boy, boy carries on with life. The story makes a joke of love and romance. One dialogue will drive home the point - kiss her on her lips, and she will be yours for life!

The entire movie is shot in one hell-of-an-expensive set, where lotuses float in the river in the middle of the town square, and up from the clock tower, you see the entire town laid out below with smoking chimneys and fog, a la Harry Potter. And oh yes, SLB doesn't let go of his fetish for blue and black - everything is shaded in those colors, and juxtaposed with blinking signages, like some giant dance bar. To add to that, the town square is full of prostitutes in gaudy sarees, with faces beaten black and blue, prancing around with the hero in the opening song! Well, if SLB thought that would set the mood for the rest of the movie, he was damn right! By the time you get out of the movie, you do feel your senses and sensibilities have been pounded black and blue!

There are too many songs, and you wonder if SLB fitted in some story in the middle of his songs, or the other way around! The songs are wonderful to hear, and some of them make for good viewing - but the ones with black and blue prostitutes, well, if you enjoy them you need to get yourself checked for a twisted mind!

And a first in Indian cinema - Ranbir actually bares his butt. Yes, you read right. He actually drops his towel, and while I am sure the censors cut off the most digusting parts, there's still enough to give you the creeps - I mean, hello, do we really need men dropping their towels???

Coming to the cast... Ranbir would have made a great heroine, with his red lips, bare midriff (yes, he wears his shirts with the all but the collar buttons off), bare bum (now how can we forget the sight of that???) and his girlish mannerisms and behaviour. Come on, there's only so much cuteness one can tolerate in a grown up man! Sonam looks beautiful most of the times, especially in black. She has beautiful, large eyes, an amazing smile with upturned lip corners, beautiful dark locks of hair, and is the only reason I could actually sit through the torture dished out by SLB. She looks a lot like Sonali Bendre, by the way, and SB used to be one of my most favourite faces! But she really needs to start doing some serious cinema and some normal roles. Acting crazy in love, running around like your saree was on fire, and shaking head like only SLB's heroines and heroes can, is not going to add much to your resume, baby! And Rani - what were doing in the movie playing that silly prostitute and prancing around in garish make up and bared midriffs? Do you really need to do these movies at this stage in your career? And oh yes, Salman Khan with his silly headgear and "I am a devout man" act - we can forgive you for you probably knew not what you were getting into!

Ok, I think I have now managed to get rid of most of the pent up feelings inside me - and can go back to living a normal non-SLB life now! As for you, if you still go and check out the movie, consider yourself to be one of the lucky few who can actually afford to pay to watch it, even when you know what it is going to be! And yes, enjoy the bum!

Digging into My Childhood

Have you ever digged into that long forgotten drawer in the attic and found something that meant the world to you years back? Those old photographs, those diaries, those scraps of paper that are worthless to everyone else in the world, but you?

I did a bit of that yesterday - and uncovered some really precious gems!

Like that birthday card I received on my first birthday! Like my coin collection - including some really precious coins from the 19th century that we found while digging the lawn in front of our house, as well as "samples" of coins worth 1 paise, 2 paise, 10 paise and so on from not so long ago! Like the accounts book I maintained as class monitor, noting carefully the 5 paise and 10 paise "fines" we collected for bad behaviour. Like the newspapers from the day Indira Gandhi was killed, or when the Mandovi Bridge collapsed (by the way, I narrowly escaped that collapse - didn't go to school that day because I had got a big broken bottle in my foot the previous day, and my "usual" bus would have been a victim of the crash if it had been just a few seconds early on that stretch of the bridge). Autographed photos of Kapil Dev, Amitabh and Remo, received by mail as response to my letters, autographs of Sudesh Bhosale, Shekhar Suman and Remo taken during meetings with them...

And I found some of my childhood photo albums. Yellowed and faded with age, but still, such an awesome memory bank! I am gonna digitize all those photos put them online soon... so don't go away, I'll take a short break and be right back with lots of exciting stuff! :)

Day 4 of My BIG Break...

So here's day 4 of my big break - and guess what I have managed to stay away from the big bad world of Internet and email! It works pretty easy actually, once you are in a village and the phone line's dead, and you make sure you do not carry your laptop into the city. You feel desperate at times, your fingers crave for the touch of the keyboard, the eyes scan the bottom left corner of every square shaped box for the new mail notifications - but hey, it works!

Hang on... I have some new mail...

X Sports for My Cell Phone

What happens when you cell, kept by mistake on the top of a car, falls off at high speed, crashing onto the road, and breaking off into components?

You trash it, of course, and buy a new one.

Unless it's a Nokia. In which case, you simply snap the parts on together, restart it, and carry on.

That's what happened to me and my cell yesterday - except that I lost my SIM on the road, and had to scramble to get a replacement. Which I did in the next 20 mins :) Coming less than a month after my cell took a bath in a bucket of water (or was it the loo bowl?), must say my 6300 is totally into adventure sports!

Nokia is great - now, if only their customer care centers could get their act together!

Diwali 2007

Diwali 2007 was less about lights and fireworks, than it was about torrential rains and lightning! Just before we left for Goa, Pune had a night of stormy weather - so much so that I had to pull off my car into a hotel parking for shelter while the rain died down. We reached Goa the next day, looking forward to a night in town on top of a hired Tata Mobile pickup truck - repeating our Diwali adventures from last year. However, nature had other plans in store - the heavens literally opened up, and booming thunder and lightning threatened to wash off all the Narkasurs. And we were driving around at Miramar when a huge bolt of lightning shot out from the skies, crashing with a huge boom close by, scaring the wits out of us, and sending us scurrying for cover. It was a really scary experience, and very definitely deserved an entry into AXNs "Worlds Most Amazing Videos" - except that, we didn't capture it on camera :)

Only late into the night, the rains eased a bit, and people gingerly started stepping out of their houses, Narkusars, wet and soggy stated peeping out of their tarpaulin covers, and a little semblance of normalcy returned to the streets...

And while we couldn't really enjoy the truck top ride that night, we made up for it the next day - driving around town screaming Happy Diwali to the passers by, and probably setting a new trend in the process :)

Movie Review: Om Shanti Om

Disclaimer: I am a HUGE, HUGE fan of the King Khan, and right now I am totally under the Khan Effect. If you agree with my review, join the gang. If you disagree, GO FISH!

OSO is a story about rebirths, reincarnations, and ghosts. It starts off with "Meri Umar ke Naujawaano" from Karz, a beautiful start to the movie that sends you right back into the seventies. Om is a junior artist, crazily in love with the beautiful superstar Shantipriya. They meet, and share a beautiful evening together. Until tragedy strikes. Shanti is murdered, and Om dies trying to save her.

Fast forward to present day. Om is now Om Kapoor, the son of a well known actor of the seventies. On a visit to the site of the tragedy, he gets flashes of his past life in front of his eyes. And sets off on a mission - get justice for Shanti. He finds Sandhya, Shanti's lookalike, and hatches a plan to punish her murderer. There's another Karz-like sequence - a song that replays the tragedy in front of the murderer's eyes. There's a twist, not too unexpected, and everything works out in the end.

Stupid story. Stupid movie? Let's put it this way. There are some movies I would walk out of - EXCEPT that this one has the King Khan in it. And SRK does not disappoint! And no, I am not just talking about his six packs, I am not just talking about his awesome wardrobe! He does a fantastic job, switching between intense passion, comedy, burning anger, hopeless love, tragedy and revenge effortlessly and proves once again why he is called the King Khan. No one, no one else could have pulled this off!

And if that wasn't enough, there's Deepika. Beautiful and sexy, if her long legs don't drive you crazy, her curls, her lips. her eyes and her smile definitely will. Watch out for this girl, she will go a long, long way!

Need any more reasons? Try the songs - beautifully picturized, each one blends so perfectly with the story line. And as you play them in your mind, they grow on you. Ajab Si is beautifully done and will probably bring a few tears in your eyes. Dard-e-Disco is high octane stuff, and the flashback song at the end is absolutely stunning - a throw back to Karz. And then the mother of all item songs - a tremendous effort with 31 stars (the last time someone counted) - it's a comment on the popularity of the human being inside the star. It would have been worth sitting through a movie just for this one song! The movie is a beautiful flash back to the seventies in the first half, and for all ye 18 and 20 year olds, hey, this is a beautiful decade you just missed :) There's also a lot of spoofs a la theHotshots movie. The scene with Akshaye Kumar in Return of Khiladi is hilarious - the South Indian hero sequence will have you in splits. It's amazing to see how SRK has managed to rope in some of the biggest names in the industry, from the Bacchans, to Sanjay Dutt, to Salman and Hrithik, to Juhi, Karishma and Rekha, from Dharmendra to Jitendra, and blended them so well to create a collage of some beautiful moments.

The technical art work in the movie is superb too. The fire scenes and the chandelier crash are brilliantly executed. And check the way Deepika blends with the heroes of the seventies in the song sequence - awesome. The screenplay and the art direction, the sets, the costumes - the film definitely owes a lot of it's brilliance to the hard work that's gone behind the scenes - or rather, into the scenes!

SRK once said his biggest challenge is surpassing his own earlier movies. And with OSO, SRK once again sets new standards in entertainment, and raises the bar more than a few notches higher. After Swades, Don, KANH and Chak De, OSO is yet another landmark movie that will be talked about and enjoyed for decades to come!

I will definitely watch the movie a few more times - what are you waiting for? Go watch it - you cannot possibly find a better way to celebrate your Diwali! And hey, need company? Just call me - I am all for it, baby! Any time!!!

ps: He uses a Nokia 6300 in the movie - just like me! True style never shouts... now you know why I am so soft-spoken :) :)

Running Away?

I am leaving for a 12 day vacation tomorrow - 430 am is the proposed departure time - Reona is all set, bags are packed, and just 5 hours to catch up some sleep in the middle!

Am I going on a vacation, am I going for Diwali and fun, or am I just running away from life? I don't know. Maybe I do. Maybe I just don't want to admit it.

Either way, I hope to leave some ghosts of the past back in Coorg, and come back fresh and ready to take on more bullshit...

Shopping

I shop best when I am upset - ended up buying a whole new wardrobe today! I love Shoppers Stop - something about that place that makes me smile, makes me happy, and makes me lose my tensions and worries. If you want me to shop, make me upset. If you make me upset, and wanna meet up, come to Shoppers!

I am serious!

SRK turns 42

The King Khan turned 42 yesterday - and I have exactly 10 more years to develop those six packs if I have any chance of being mistaken for him 10 years later :)

Birthday Surprise

Today was my best friend's husband's birthday - and we decided to spring him a major surprise! So early in the morning (OK, OK, it was 11, but hey, on a weekend, what more do you expect from me? :)) I landed at her place, and while he slept (see, other people sleep on weekends too!), I stole his car - took it to Sunny's Car Boutique, got it fitted with a sexy new MP3/CD player, and got it back, all before he had even woken up and finished his breakfast.

I wish I had been there to see his reaction when he found out! :)

Had a great day till late evening - but hey, that's another story! :)

Rahul...

Tried out a cool, new restaurant in Aundh today - Rahul. Fantastic ambience, and great food. If you are there, do try the Tom Yom soup, and the Tawa Surmai. Absolutely delightful stuff. We had appams, neer dosa and chicken too. Topped it off with kulfi and casatta ice cream. Came home completely satisfied - what an awesome way to round off a day!

What's Worse?

Ever wondered what's worse... crying because you have no friend, or crying because you had one?

Ever wondered what's worse... losing a fight to save a friendship, or giving up the fight to save it?

Ever wondered what's worse... not knowing whether your loved one will come back to you, or knowing your love will never come back to you?

Movie Review: Jab We Met

Early 90s: Kajol, Shahrukh, a train in the Swiss Alps, Zurich, a village in Punjab, green fields, DDLJ.

2007: Kareena, Shahid, a train in India, Shimla-Manali, a village in Punjab, green fields, Jab Ee Met.

You get the point!

All said, it's an awesome movie. Yes, it is an out and out SRK script, and yes, Rani could have done a great job, but Kareena and Shahid have never been better on screen, and deliver a beautiful performance that actually makes you feel sad that they have broken off in real life. Shahid comes into his own, and looks pretty cool - and remind you so strongly of the SRK of the 90s. Kareena, for once, is amazing. Maybe all she needed was a good director! The script is amazing too, and is what makes the movie really so enjoyable. The dialogues, the screenplay, is the real charm of the movie. The songs are enjoyable, and the item song at the end of the movie is really worth every second spent waiting for it.

Definitely a must watch this weekend - especially with Om Shanti Om coming up next week! :)

It's Raining!

Yes, it's 1.42 am here, on the 2nd November 2007, and it's raining - the weather is just so beautiful - and I can even hear a few thunders...

But hey, in November???

Giving Up, or Going Up

On your life's mountain, you will face times when you have two choices - give up or go up. It's infinitely easier to give up and let the mountain consume you, but if you want to live, you need to fight and go up. You have no choice.

Once you realise this, it's much easier to go up than to give up.

Trust me.

Life Comes Full Circle for Ganguly and Dravid...

Dravid has been dropped from the Indian one day side for the initial matches against Pakistan, and is likely to stay out for the whole series. Life has come full circle for the two, after Dravid was part of the decision to leave Ganguly out more than a year back.

Dada fought and came back with a bang - will Dravid be able to do the same?

SENSEX?

If you ever wondered what the SENSEX really meant, how it was calculated, etc, here’s a great link that explains it

http://www.bseindia.com/about/abindices/bse30.asp

SENSEX is a basket of 30 constituent stocks representing a sample of large, liquid and representative companies. The base year of SENSEX is 1978-79 and the base value is 100. The Index was initially calculated based on the "Full Market Capitalization" methodology but was shifted to the free-float methodology with effect from September 1, 2003. As per this methodology, the level of index at any point of time reflects the Free-float market value of 30 component stocks relative to a base period. The market capitalization of a company is determined by multiplying the price of its stock by the number of shares issued by the company. This market capitalization is further multiplied by the free-float factor to determine the free-float market capitalization.

Free-float Methodology refers to an index construction methodology that takes into consideration only the free-float market capitalization of a company for the purpose of index calculation and assigning weight to stocks in Index. Free-float market capitalization is defined as that proportion of total shares issued by the company that are readily available for trading in the market. It generally excludes promoters' holding, government holding, strategic holding and other locked-in shares that will not come to the market for trading in the normal course. In other words, the market capitalization of each company in a Free-float index is reduced to the extent of its readily available shares in the market. A Free-float index reflects the market trends more rationally as it takes into consideration only those shares that are available for trading in the market.

Bobby Jindal..

Name rings a bell? Well, it should from now on.. Bobby Jondal, son of Indian immigrants, at 36, has become the Governor of Louisiana, and the youngest US Governor currently in office. Also, the first non-white Governor of Louisiana since 1870.

How long before an Indian becomes the Prime Minister or President of a foreign country? How long before a Tata or Reliance buys out a nation's primary industry? How long before India colonizes the world?

Stupid thinking? Maybe.. time will tell...

Names...

You know, I have this fixation with certain names - I do not know why, but they just arouse some feelings inside me, something strange I cannot put my finger on, but it's almost over powering...

Andheri, Marol, Chakala, Sakinaka, Lokhandwaala (yes, Mumbai..), Ranikhet, Almora.. and some more...

Are these linked to some special memories? Not really... Special people? Not really... Dreams? No, not at all! Then what is it about these names?

I do not know - I just know there's some connection, and I am trying to figure it out...

IPO

An IPO is like losing your virginity - you never know how it will be until you do it, and you can only do it once!

Movie Review: Bhool Bhulaiyya

Very few Hindi movies have a story that is the star of the movie. Bhool Bhulaiyya is one of that rare breed of Hindi movies where the story grips you from the beginning till the end, and doesn't disappoint at the end!

I will not give away the plot - I really want you to go and enjoy the movie - but here's a brief introduction...

An American-bred heir to the throne (the sexy Shiny Ahuja), and his young, beautiful wife (Vidya Balan), are on a long visit to India and insist on staying in their princely mansion, long neglected and avoided because of rumours of spirits who made it their abode decades back. The educated couple, of course, do not believe the rumours, and explore their mansion - but things suddenly take on a sinister twist. People are attacked, furniture goes crashing to the ground, voices are heard... is there truth in the rumour?

Akshaye Kumar, as Shiny's wierdo psychiatrist friend, makes an entry almost an hour into the film, and completely takes it over. Shiny is handsome, and a treat for his female friends. Vidya is beautiful as always, and along with her trademark love scene, proves that she can be an awesome actress, given the right role. She's good! The rest of the cast, the mansion, the cars - well, all I can say it's a beautiful setting that only adds to the aura and feel of the movie.

Not for the children, though - so keep your kiddies at home, and catch the movie - ideally, the late night show :)

Quote for the Day

There is no problem, however complex, which, upon careful consideration, cannot be made more complex!

Twenty 20 Again

India walloped the Aussies in a one-off Twenty 20 game at the Brabourne in Mumbai, proving the World Cup win in SA was not a fluke.

Australia started with a bang, Gilchrist hitting RP Singh for 3 consecutive boundaries before RP struck with a beautiful yorker uprooting his stumps. Ponting and Hayden steadied the innings, and then cranked up the tempo, and at one time, it looked like Australia would put up a score well over the 200 mark... but some awesome bowling by the spinners Harbhajan and in-form Murali Kartik ensure they managed only 166. Dhoni marshalled his resources beautifully, and some great strategizing ensured that India's plan of frustrating the Australians, especially Hayden, worked to a T - the Aussies could not capitalize on their start, and lost the initiative in the middle overs.

India lost Sehwag very early, but young guns Robin Utthappa and Gautam Gambhir (who later won the man of the match award - a sexy white Maruti SX4) took charge, and carted the Aussies all over the field, coming especially hard on Brett Lee. And as the game progressed and the Indians took charge, the Aussie captain looked completely at a loss for strategies and tricks - boundaries and singles came with equal ease, the Aussie gifted away runs by the dozen through wides and no balls, with the free hits being taken for some serious runs. And by the time UV (Youraj) showed his devastating form hitting 3 sixes, including a consecutive pair, the win was just a formality. Dhoni did not waste time - a final six cementing the victory and proving this young Indian side could really take on the best in the world, and win!

Quote for the Day

On a T-Shirt:
Whether you think you can do it, or you think you can't, you are right!

Patriotism?

I proudly flaunt two flags on my dashboard, and while many think I am just too lazy to get rid of the "independence day hangover", I really enjoy having them there... and the other day I decided to see how many others actually did the same. Can you believe it - in a 20 min drive, I passed not one, not two, but an unbelievable 13 cars with the Indian tri color on their dashboards!

Is this patriotism? Is this just a fad? I don't know, and frankly, I don't care - but I know one thing for sure - when Yogesh and I first started buying flags to put on our bikes on Independence Day, people almost seemed amused!

I get very upset when I used to see many Indians almost taking pride in criticizing us as a nation. They didn't feel upset about the poverty and corruption, and the state of politics here. They didn't feel sad when we lost a cricket match. They felt vindicated! It was almost as if they were glad that they could call us a wretched nation! Why? Is this the hangover of centuries of foreign rule, where we were told over and over again how we were meant to be ruled over? How we could never be a proud independent nation?

Things have changed now, for sure, led by a generation that is used to being proudly Indian! No wonder there are so many beautiful tri-colors flying high!

Cricket and More

India beat Australia in the last one dayer at Wankhede last night with a valiant 50 run partnership for the 9th wicket by Murali Karthick and Zaheer Zhan, after Murali had mesmerized the Australians with a 6 wicket haul to restrict them to just around 200. Australia walked away with the Future Cup though, with the score in the 7 match series 4-2.

Interestingly, Rahul Dravid was dropped from the playing eleven on performance grounds, and ended the series with a miserable 51 runs in 5 matches. And while Dada got a duck in this match, he and Sachin lit up the games with some excellent innings and good opening partnerships.

The world has come full circle...

World's Richest Man Anyone?

Any guesses? Bill Gates? Warren Buffet? Mexico's Slim?

Sorry guys, the world's richest man right now is probably none other than Mukesh Ambani, with a staggering 60 Billion USD in personal wealth!

The Sensex is poised to hit 19000, and Mukesh, Anil and DLF's KP Singh are all set to rocket into the world's richest league. So much for the Hindu Rate of Growth!

Two Worlds...

Read this nice piece in Goldratt's "The Goal", which I thought was so apt!

Isn't it strange to feel your own world is falling apart while those of the people who are close to you are rock steady? And you can't figure out why they are not affected the way you are. About 6.30, I slip away from the plant to run home and grab some dinner.

As I come through the door, Julie looks up from the television.

"Hi", she says. "Like my hair?"

How many times has it happened to you and me?

Bliss in Goa

There are picnics, and then there are picnics. And then, there are PICNICS. Our 4 day picnic to Goa was the third kind :)

Frankly, I did not want to blog about it. I have a tendency to write stuff in my diary, and in my blog, in order to get closure. It helps me "archive" my memories, freeing up my mind for the present and the future, knowing my past is secure in some book, and now, on some hard disk in Googleworld.


But I did not really want to do that with my Goa memories. For the first time in a decade, I could switch off my mind from work and tensions - really switch off. I could close out any thoughts of revenue targets and utilization ratios. I did not carry my laptop - no mails, no IMs. Even my cell tried to help - it fell in a bucket of water, died out completely for three days, and only started working once I was back in Pune (it was a different matter that I could borrow Shweta's cell for two days).

For me, the holiday meant forging relationships with team mates I barely knew before the trip, but who grew to be close friends by the end of the trip. It also meant losing some close friends - it was inevitable, really - apparently, misunderstandings have a gala time on picnics! It meant showing off my beautiful Goa - its food, its natural beauty, the warmth of its people, its hospitality. It meant sharing memories of my childhood, and showing where I grew up, my home, my school. It meant taking them to Nerul, for a walk to Miramar, for a dip in the sea at Reismagos, for a ride in the ferry. It meant making sure they tasted the best in food, from Crab Dry Fry, Chilli Chicken Goa Style and Prawns Masala Fry at Ritz, to Stuff Crabs and Cafreal at Sea Pebble.


We stayed at Bomfin, a beautiful villa hotel bang next to Tito's and Cafe Coffee Day in Baga. At 1400 per night, with 3 people in an AC room, I think it is a steal. And while we never really required it's swimming pool , the location of the hotel makes it just perfect for that perfect team outing.




Shweta had arranged for a minibus to pick us up early in the morning, as soon as the 12 of us got down from Amrutyog in Panaji after a fun-filled overnight journey from Pune.

After freshening up, we all came to Nerul, where we had a truly sumptious breakfast, even by Goan standards. The star of the table was some hot Bhaji Pav from Vishwanath's.


After a tour of the house and the grounds, we visited Reismagos and Kegdevelim, and then on to Panaji for lunch at Ritz. We had good fun at the beach - here on the left, you see Urvish, Anjali, Harsha, Prajakta, Darshana and Rakesh doing what we call the Amruta jig :)




In the evening, it was Dona Paula and Miramar - bhutta and coconut water, walking on the beach, coffee in the rains at Coffee Day, and some bhel puri. The sea had receded far out, and the sand bars made it possible for us to walk right out into the sea, completely inaccessible in normal times! Met Yogesh and Jai there, too.





Dinner that night was at Nerul - from masala crabs to fried fish and prawns, followed by some delicious fruit salad. Siddha, Shweta, Yogesh, Deepa and Jai, with Puchan Kaki, Sudha Kaki and Sunanda Atya also added to the experience of dinner with a Goan family :)

We came back to the hotel by 11, and played cards into the late night.








Sunday morning, day two, was dedicated to masti on the beach, and the team got a chance to experience the amazing water scooters - most going for two helpings :) Interestingly, once back in Pune, I used one of the videos I took of Amruta on the water scooter, as an example of what life at Persistent is about - more on that on my other blog - do check it out! Afternoon meant two hours in a lovely shack on the beach, resting in the breeze, and we enjoyed some awesome Cafreal and Prawns along with the music.


In the evening, we visited the Aguada Fort, and then the Taj, waiting for the sun to set. Some of the team went to see fishermen in action, others walked on the seashore, exploring the rock formations.

Once it was dark, we came to Panaji. Siddha-Shweta hosted us for high tea (prawns pattice and pastries with soup and juice), and then we all enjoyed the amazing ambience of Sea Pebble, out in the sand on the shores of the sea, at the foot of the majestic Dona Paula rock.



And the fun had just begun. On day three, Monday, we took off for Cabo De Rama, in the far South. I had never been there myself, so I was as much a tourist as everyone else. The area is far too beautiful to enjoy from inside a bus, and we all got down a couple of Kms before the destination, clicking dozens of pics and enjoying the flora and fauna of the place.



The fort itself is pretty ordinary, but the vistas are worth the trouble! After exploring a bit, we discovered this most beautiful and isolated beach close by, and climbed down the cliff to it. Didn't ever want to leave after that!



But we had to, we had not even had lunch - which we finally did at 7 pm at Nanutel, where Salil made sure we got the best :) Then it was off to Persistent's office at Verna, then to Old Goa, and finally, back to Panaji. We were still all in an adventurous mood, so we ditched the bus and took the ferry instead - Urvish even managed to take a short stint in the cabin!

Some of us visited Mambos at night, then came back to the hotel for cards and chats - the rest stayed the night on the beach, coming back only at sunrise! Rakesh was chased by a not-so-welcome breed :) while I had to fend off a drunkard who insisted we should come and help him bash up a shack owner!





Day 4 was our last day in Goa, and we decided to make it even more special - so we hopped onto some bikes, and took off, the MTP Roadies, visiting Pilerne, then Old Goa. I had a Pulsar, and I was riding after a long, long time - and I still managed to take a 2 km stretch of slope handsfree, with Amruta as my pillion rider, who was such a darling and trusted me enough to take the S curves too! Finally, dusty and hot, but happy and excited, we reached Panaji, and had a delicious lunch at Goenchin.








Before long, it was 4 pm. We had to come back, and with a heavy heart, we packed our bags, took the bus for Panaji, and crawled into our berths for Pune. Siddha and Shweta had come to see us off, and while I am used to these departures, I could sense more than one of us had tears in our eyes at what had been the end of a most beautiful Goan experience.

We played some games, we sat and talked about the fun we had had, we played Uno, and we joked about the dinner place. But our hearts were not in it - they had been left behind in Goa.

At the end of the day, there was only one way to console ourselves - a promise that we would all come back soon!

For more pics, visit my photo albums on Flickr. You might get some idea of the fun we had - you just might!

Muslims for Pakistan...?

Must say it was pretty frustrating and upsetting to hear Shoaib Malik thanking all Muslims for their support to Pakistan after the match - this really is ridiculous! I guess Shoaib forgot that the man of the match was a Muslim, his brother was there too, and another prominent Muslim was out in the stands - and none of them were supporting Pakistan! When will the Pakistanis learn to distinguish between religion and nation, between fundamentalism and patriotism

Horse Riding 201

Last Saturday, twenty one of us from my team landed at Japaloupe for a workshop on "Understanding Self" by Advait Dikshit - I had arranged for it because I wanted my team to benefit from him, and also because, at some level, I wanted to go through the experience again!

After the workshop, we did horse riding - and since I had already had two sessions earlier, I was taken separately and enjoyed the attention of a dedicated trainer. From walking and steering the horse on my own, to making it trot, I went through a gruelling but enjoyable 45 min, before wrapping up by stretching on the horse - turning around in the saddle, and then, finally, standing up on the saddle :)

I spent the next two days nursing my extremely sore back!

Movie Review: Dhamaal

Returning from a 15 hour trip to Mumbai, including 6 hours at InOrbit and HyperCity, we decided we had not had enough excitement for the day - which explains why we spent exactly 2.5 mins at home before rushing to Esquare for the 1045 show of Dhamaal. A friend came to our rescue and managed to get us the 5 magic tickets from the management quota - and all our rushing and running paid off as we made it to the theatre right in time for the opening item song.. (bear in mind, even at 1020, we were still on the expressway!)

The movie itself is a complete remake of "It's a Mad Mad Mad World", except the last scene from the English version - which had already been lifted by Bhaagam Bhaag.

Ritesh and Arshad are good, as usual. Javed Jaffrey is good too. Sanjay Dutt looks great. There are no women in the film. Lots of kids, though. The jokes feel recycled, the humour tends to be loud - overall, Dhamaal entertains as long as you keep your expectations at home.

We Are The World!

In a scintillating performance at Johannesburg last night, India beat Pakistan by 5 runs in the inaugural World Twenty20 Cup, creating history and propelling the nation into ecstatic celebrations...

India won the toss, and as expected, decided to bat first. First ball - Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan (Irfan's brother) scamper for a single, Yusuf dives into the crease, and survives the direct throw. The battle has begun. Fourth ball - Yusuf heaves the bowler over long on for a six, and the Indian juggernaut has started rolling.


Gambhir top scores with 75, and Rohit Sharma playes a cameo innings, ensuring that India managed a fairly decent 157/5. However, Yuvraj and Dhoni fail with the bat, which mean that India have not really managed to get the 180+ they were looking to set.

RP Singh starts with a good over, before Sreesanth gives off 21 in the next. Indian hearts start sinking... however the bowlers stick to the guns. RP is devastating, and so is Irfan. Both scalp 3 wickets each, leaving the Pakistanis tottering, with an asking rate of around 11 and very few wickets in hand.

Harbhajan is then carted for 3 sixes, and another one follows in the next over. Pakistan are now 17 runs away, in 8 balls, with 2 wickets to go. RP castles the batsman in the next ball - 17 more, just one wicket to go! And then it's a 4 - 13 to go off the next over.


Dhoni hands the ball to Joginder, the weak link (he later explained that Harbhajan was not sure he'd be able to bowl the required yorkers) in our bowling line up. Misbah on strike - and the first ball goes for a six. Indian flags sink, our hearts sink with them. Joginder loses his nerve - the next ball is a wide. One dot ball. Now it's just 6 in 4. Joginder takes his run up, Misbah moves out towards the off, and scoops the bowl over his head towards the fine leg boundary - however, his smart move turns to be fatal - Joginder doesn't have the required pace - the ball goes up, wobbles, and then comes down, straight into the waiting hands of Sreesanth! India have bowled out Pakistan with 5 runs to spare - India have won! India are World Twenty20 Champions!


India have so much to take from this tournament, and so much to be proud of! Coming in after a tiring tour of England, without the big 3 (Sachin-Saurav-Rahul), an inexperienced young captain in Mahendra Singh Dhoni, without a coach, and with only one T20 match before the tournament, India were not even expected to reach the semis. However, this Indian team was too young to fear failure, and too dangerous to take for granted. After defeating Pakistan in a bowl out, India lost to New Zealand, but then bounced back beating England and South Africa to top the group, and then convincingly demolished the Australian batting in the semis to set up the dream final.


And as SRK watched from the stands, and Chak De played in the stadiums, Rohit Sharma, RP Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Sreesanth, Jogindar Singh, Robin Uthappa - the boys - proved that youthful exuberance could take on, and defeat, experience. MS Dhoni impressed one and all with his cool head, his attitude, his clever field placements and bowling changes - and when he took off his shirt at the end of the match, he was perhaps only making one statement, a new Dada had arrived! And as the Times of India aptly put it, the boys in blue had turned into men before our adoring eyes...

Back in Pune, I watched the match with Siddha and Shweta, and erupted into riotous screaming and shouting as the wickets tumbled - as soon as the last ball had been bowled, we all left to join the thousands of fans celebrating in Pune's streets - FC, JM, MG - all roads and gullies were chock-a-block with cars blaring horns, hundreds of proud Indian flags fluttering and waving in the wind, our Lisa blared out "Chak De India" - this song has virtually become a war cry for young Indians in the last couple of months - a PMT bus passed by with a dozen fans and flags perched on it's roof - a group of youngsters ran down FC with a huge flag spread out flat, blessing the countless cars and bikes as they passed underneath. Everyone was shouting and screaming Bharat Mata ki Jai, and as the police did an awesome job of keeping the roads open and traffic moving, impromptu dance floors sprung up every now and then, and occupants jumped out of their cars to join the party, before another police bike arrived to make them move on... people hugged and shook hands and smiled at everyone - it was just such an awesome awesome night none of us are likely to forget for decades to come!

Lonely Tree

Clicked this tree at Marcel - something about it makes me want to keep staring at it... it's scary, and yet, it's so attractive!!!

India beats SA

Another Twenty20 match, another awesome win for India. Put in to bat in difficult conditions, India managed a fighting 153 backed by an amazing 50 from the young Rohit Sharma, who got his 50 off a last ball six. And then the bowlers took over, restricting SA to 116 for 9 (including 25 extras!), not only winning the match and moving into the semis, but also kicking SA out of the tournament in real style! Harbhajan and RP Singh (4 for 13) came in with devastating spells, Dhoni switched roles from wicket keeper to mid off fielder in the middle of the game to back his bowlers (I love this guy - I love his spunk - I love his attitude), and Dinesh Karthick came up with a spell-binding catch in second slips to make sure we didn't miss the 6-in-6 Yuvraj, who had to sit out today with an injury.

This is a young, live wire Indian team hungry for victory - backed by millions and millions of proud Indians screaming Chak De India. The Indian juggernaut is rolling - watch out and get out of the way!

Ganapatis from Marcel

Marcel is a nice sleepy Goan village-town with a lot of temples, but it really comes alive during the Ganesh festival when the village hosts some of the best Ganapati pandals in the state. Here's a sampling from Ganesh Chaturthi 2007 in Marcel, Goa...

This one rides on the back of a moving Peacock

This one's in the middle of a river...

Ganapati from Ganapatis!

Six in Six

And while I have been blogging, Yuvraj has just hit Chris Broad for 6 sixes in an over, got 50 in 12 balls, and then gone ahead and hit another one in the next over, before getting out on the second last ball, with 58 in 16 against his name. India finish at 218 for 4.

Update: for the record, we won the match by 18 runs

I Need Some Attention - Poor Me!

Self-Glorification

In the midst of the Twenty20 overs, you will frequently see a package of 2 ads - one for the Nokia 6300 (true style never shouts) and the other for the Ford Fiesta (go Fida in 5 mins)!

Did anyone say I have good taste? :)

Quote for the Day

True style never shouts. Nokia 6300 Ad.

ps: I own one :)

Twenty20 World Cup

Last Friday, I was on a bus to Goa. Last Friday, India beat Pakistan in an absolute thriller in the first Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. And while I did not get to see it live, I enjoyed every ball - thanks to my friends who cared to send me ball by ball analysis and commentary on SMS for the last 30 mins of the match!

India batted first and managed a not-too-impressive 140 odd runs. Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals, giving us a good shot at victory, until an Ajit Agarkar over that cost over 20 runs, and brought defeat in sight! The last over still needed around 10 runs, and then it was 1 off the last two balls! Then a dot ball by Sreesanth, and guess what, the last ball was a dot too! Scores tied - and on to the bowl out!

So what's a bowl out? Each team selects 5 bowlers, to take a go each at the stumps. The team scoring more hits wins the encounter.

Sehwag goes first, and gets the hit! Pak misses. India 1-0. Harbhajan goes next, and hits! Pak misses again! India 2-0. Robin Uthappa then goes up, gets the hit, and does a little jog, taking his hat off to the crowd! Afridi takes the bowl, and misses! India win 3-0! (and maintains it's spotless record against Pakistan in the World Cups). And to add to the fun, the Pakistani captain later makes a statement that the team was not aware of the bowl out rules! Lol...

Interestingly, my bus was about to get out of cell phone coverage area beyond Kolhapur - but through some divine intervention, the range stayed on till the last ball of the bowl out!

When I first saw Twenty20, I was not too impressed - it seemed like slam bang all the way. However, this world cup has seen the game mature, and teams coping better with it. The matches have all been exciting, the differences between the super powers and the newbies gradually becoming smaller and smaller and matches more equally balanced, new strategies and new ploys bringing a lot more to the game, and of course, it's all over in just around 3 hours! Interesting times ahead...

Oh, and by the way, last Friday, Dravid resigned as India's captain :)

Riding on India?

Have you noticed how more and more ads today are riding on the concept of the new India and appealing to the new Indian? From Hero Honda's "bike for the new Indian" who refuses his dream American job to stay back and contribute to the new India, to the Frooti ad, which focuses on how a lot of things have changed in India - the key visual being the new "cool" Indian picking up someone else's trash and dumping it in the garbage bin - but not the favourite drink, and on to the the BA ad - the world waits for India with folded hands, the focus today is definitely on the new, proud India like never before.

From the Hindu rate of growth to today's 9%, as the world's most robust democracy and a responsible nucelar power, India is certainly taking center-stage, and we should all feel privileged and proud to be part of this new India!

Achievements

Was watching Mega Structures on Nat Geo today, in which they featured the world's tallest viaduct - the Millau bridge in France. At 2.5 km long, and over 250 m high in the middle, the construction involved challenges which can only be described as fool-hardy! Stuid. Preposterous. Almost blasphemous.

And yet, here it is - the most awesome, the most beautiful bridge in the world! (Pic courtesy: samizdata.net)



The challenges were many - from pouring out concrete into the super complicated shaped pylons (an Architect's dream may be an Engineer's worst nightmare!), which required reshaping and reinstalling the multi-tonne casts every 4 m, and over 250 times in all, to figuring out how to push out the steel decks over the slim and slender pylons. Here's how they did it (from Wikipedia):

The bridge deck was constructed on land at the ends of the viaduct and rolled lengthwise from one pylon to the next, with eight temporary towers providing additional support. The movement was accomplished by a computer-controlled system of pairs of wedges under the deck; the upper and lower wedges of each pair pointing in opposite directions. These were hydraulically operated, and moved repeatedly in the following sequence:


1) The lower wedge slides under the upper wedge, raising it to the roadway above and then forcing the upper wedge still higher to lift the roadway.
2) Both wedges move forward together, advancing the roadway a short distance.
3) The lower wedge retracts from under the upper wedge, lowering the roadway and allowing the upper wedge to drop away from the roadway; the lower wedge then moves back all the way to its starting position. There is now a linear distance between the two wedges equal to the distance forward the roadway has just moved.
4) The upper wedge moves backward, placing it further back along the roadway, adjacent to the front tip of the lower wedge and ready to repeat the cycle and advance the roadway by another increment.

When I see these programs, I realise how we tend to over-glorify ourselves at the smallest achievements!

Hockey Updates

Defending Champions India beat Asian Games Champions Korea 7-2 in the final of the BSNL seventh men's Asia Cup hockey tournament in Chennai today. Earlier, India marched to the final with an authoritative 4-1 victory over a fighting Japan in the second semi-final on Saturday.

The women's team didn't do too bad either, but lost out to Korea 2-5 in the semi-finals.

Chak De, India!

Movie Review: Heyy Baby

No, it is not a remake of Baby's Day Out. It's a very original script - and although it's a little similar to Three Men and a Baby, they didn't have Vidya Balan in the English version, remember?

Actually, come to think of it, it really isn't a full fledged copy of the original, and is a pretty good weekend option. Akshay, Ritesh and Fardeen are three sex-crazy bachelors who suddenly find themselves forced to take care of a baby left on their doorstep. The first half is hilarious, as it follows the travails of the forced baby sitters and their adventures with baby food and diapers. Things turn serious when they try to get rid of the kid, which falls terribly sick - although the baby recovers, the three bachelors see a whole new meaning to life and become devoted fathers. Post intermission, there is a big turn in the story - away from the kid, and into the history of it's conception - yes, the baby belongs to Vidya and Akshay. The rest of the movie alternates between some serious drama and some hilarious moments, and ultimately ends with a nice, happy, big family.

The movie starts with the Maa of all items songs - parading all the beauties of the screen you would ever wish to see, with little more than kerchiefs around their waists - and you thought it was a movie for the kids??? Set in Sydney, it has the typical high gloss and rich colors of movies shot in Austraaailia. Akshay repeats his now common "flirt-acting dumb-turning good" performance. Ritesh is at his dumb-but-funny best - his fight with the kids, invoking the Maratha warrior, might well get him in trouble with the Saniks one day :) I think Fardeen is a highly under-rated actor - and pretty handsome and lovable too! Vidya looks beautiful and fat, and of course, continues her welcome tradition of at least one intimate scene per movie. And the surprise package - well, none other than the King himself, in an energetic cameo appearance as the Raj from DDLJ - which earns him a "Love you, SRK" credit at the end!

Overall, the movie gets a thumbs up from me...

What were you Thinking, Mr Captain?

India lost miserably to England in the last and final game of the Natwest tournament, losing the series 4-3.

The only question that has been tormenting is - why would a team that is so good at chasing, go into a final match with 4 bowlers and a stunning batting line up, and then choose to bat first under heavy overcast conditions??? What were you thinking, Mr Captain?

Cricket Updates

India won an amazing match in the Natwest series today, chasing 317, and squaring the series 3-3 after being down 1-3. India had done well to hold England till Mascarenhas hit 5 sixes in the last 5 balls off Yuvraj. Dada continued from his man of the match performance in the last game (his 300th) along with Sachin, who scored yet another 90, to give India a solid start, and then Uthappa finished the match in style hitting two beautiful boundaries in the last and final over.

As Uthappa hit the winning runs, the stadium erupted with thousands of tricolors as the stadium blared the mantra of the new, confident, shining India - Chak de, India!

Such an awesome feeling....

An Evening at Japaloupe with the Horses

With Siddha and Sweta in town, we decided to do something different this weekend - and ended up at Japaloupe Farms for an awesome evening with the dogs, the horses, the geese, and the goats.








We took our first formal horse riding lessons, and it was just awesome! Starting with how to climb into the saddle, to how to hold the reigns, we learnt and practiced walking the horse around, and then moved on to the canter, learning to feel the horse's rhythm and moving with it in complete sync...

An hour and half later, we practiced swinging our legs around and turning full circle on the horse, did some wind down exercises, and finally swung off the horse and gingerly took our first steps back on terra firma.






Then it was time for some hot tea and bhajis, while watching Sarah (check the jump in the pic below!), Rohan (the owner of Japaloupe) and his boys play a real exciting version of polo - one person with a kerchief tucked in his side, and the rest of the riders chasing him trying to snatch the kerchief away!






Here you see Sarah taking a beautifully executed jump. An accomplished rider, Sarah was a treat to watch as she put her horse through the motions...

This is Siddha with the kill - oops, I forgot to add the tiger in the shot!

And while we spent the rest of the weekend nursing our sore backs and thighs, we promised ourselves we would come back again, and again...

India Wins the Asia Cup - Football

In the midst of the India-England series, and Chak De's success leading to the resurgence of an interest in hockey, one interesting event almost went by unnoticed - a young, excited, talented Indian football team had a dream run in the Asia Cup, piping Syria 1-0 in the finals to lift the cup, for the first time after 12 unsuccessful tries.

I am not a football fan really, and I do not watch too much action in the sport, but I did see some snippets from various matches on Doordarshan, and I was pretty impressed.

Driven by new coach Bob Houghton, and inspired by the ever-youthful Baichung Bhutia, youngsters like goalie Subrato Paul, Sunil Chhetri and NP Pradeep, are definitely giving football crazy fans in Kerela,, Bengal, and Goa, a lot to look forward to in the coming months...