Yet again I am at the top of the world, yet again I feel unbeatable
I am the king, I am the best, I rule...
Yet again I promise myself I will make this feeling last
I will not doubt myself again...
lifes not reel, its real
there is more beyond "The End"
Even I was ecstatic like Will Smith was when he got the job in "The pursuit of happiness"
Then I joined office the next day and life continued. ;-)
I realise that its very important to celebrate "The Ends" in life.
Enjoy every bit of the HIGH...
drink, dance, play, hug, kiss, smoke...
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
This ones for the dreams.
The stage was set that day. Top 2 of the 18 league teams move on to division 1. Our last game of the season, was a must win to stay in contention for the 2nd spot. If we lost, the season was over for us. The target was 197 and my team on 126/7 when I walked out to bat. Abdullah bhai who was already on the crease then was the only hope to carry us through. When I walked in he said, "Lets try our best and leave the rest to Him".
It was just by chance that I was there. The main wicket keeper walked out of the club following an altercation. Yes, Paki teams follow similar patterns everywhere. ;-) Asif bhai turned to me. Having had a bad first half off the season I was in no mood for playing but I understood how important it was for the team so there I was. I kept decently well that morning and hoped my job was done there. I didnt want to bat and hoped the other batters would finish it.
I nodded to what Abdullah bhai had to say. "I will be there with you till the end" is what I told him. Also the comment passed by the older keeper (who many think had come to watch us loose and watch me keep and bat badly) when I went in to bat had disgusted (read woken me up) me. When I went in to bat he said "Ankoor 4-6 marna hawa mein marna" which I thought was a silly reverse strategy to try an bog me down. This got me even more determined to win.
As I faced the first over I told myself. Okay so 70 runs to win... 7 wickets down. This ones for the dreams. Abdullah bhai was batting beautifully. He and I gave a stand of 38 runs after which he played on and got bowled. He was completely dejected. Before leaving he told me, "Ankoor pressure mein na aana, Kamal bhai can also bat a bit. Try your best". 32 runs to get, 2 wickets in hand and the last man could not bat for peanuts. Kamal bhai and I decided to finish it. Amidst lots of pressure and sledging we showed a lot of determination to not only come close to the target but also achieve it. The whole team jumped and danced in joy. Like Asif bhai correctly pointed. When we sit on our couches at night today all of us will proudly smile for a positive end to a tough season.
Yes that one was really for the dreams! An amazing co-incidence is the stark similarity of this match to my older blog "Cricket to me" which starts with 70 runs to win... 7 wickets down. Do blogs come true? Well, I should write more often then!
It was just by chance that I was there. The main wicket keeper walked out of the club following an altercation. Yes, Paki teams follow similar patterns everywhere. ;-) Asif bhai turned to me. Having had a bad first half off the season I was in no mood for playing but I understood how important it was for the team so there I was. I kept decently well that morning and hoped my job was done there. I didnt want to bat and hoped the other batters would finish it.
I nodded to what Abdullah bhai had to say. "I will be there with you till the end" is what I told him. Also the comment passed by the older keeper (who many think had come to watch us loose and watch me keep and bat badly) when I went in to bat had disgusted (read woken me up) me. When I went in to bat he said "Ankoor 4-6 marna hawa mein marna" which I thought was a silly reverse strategy to try an bog me down. This got me even more determined to win.
As I faced the first over I told myself. Okay so 70 runs to win... 7 wickets down. This ones for the dreams. Abdullah bhai was batting beautifully. He and I gave a stand of 38 runs after which he played on and got bowled. He was completely dejected. Before leaving he told me, "Ankoor pressure mein na aana, Kamal bhai can also bat a bit. Try your best". 32 runs to get, 2 wickets in hand and the last man could not bat for peanuts. Kamal bhai and I decided to finish it. Amidst lots of pressure and sledging we showed a lot of determination to not only come close to the target but also achieve it. The whole team jumped and danced in joy. Like Asif bhai correctly pointed. When we sit on our couches at night today all of us will proudly smile for a positive end to a tough season.
Yes that one was really for the dreams! An amazing co-incidence is the stark similarity of this match to my older blog "Cricket to me" which starts with 70 runs to win... 7 wickets down. Do blogs come true? Well, I should write more often then!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Some day
One fine morning, while I am still lazying around in bed, the phone will ring and i will hate the sudden barging in on my privacy... but then when the ringer shows its you... my body will be ripped apart by a customary shiver... within the space of those few rings, the laziness will fade away and I will wake wide up due to the alertness it takes in going back and forth on whether I should pick your call right now or call back in the best of my moods. I will pick the call and say a grodgy "hello" to send across the message that I am sleepy and so might not be at my humorous best. But that will soon go into the background when you start to speak. Ankoor, the time that we spent in Bangalore does mean a lot to me, i treasure your friendship and miss you sometimes. And yess, it was perfectly ok to open up the way you did... it isnt foolish and and it doesnt hurt always...After I hang-up the ever so dried out tears will start flowing... I will be happy...
Monday, September 8, 2008
looking at earth from the window of an aeroplane
sachu says "look at the city from the window of an aeroplane and imagine it to be a PCB (Printed Circuit board), the roads being the conductive pathways and we being the electrons moving along these pathways. Think about it, electricity moves from point A to point B which is the essence of a PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Likewise we moving around forms the essence of LIFE. In other words the world is a large PCB we are the electrons. "
Sachu is an electronics engg and so this thought can be categorised as "he has lost it. his work is getting to him"
END OF BLOG.
JUST KIDDING. I liked this thought instantly. So this time when I was flying down from Boston I tried seeing the earth as a PCB. and then I started thinking: -
If I were a painter I could look at earth as a painting which came out so well that its life like
If I were a finance guy I could look at 2 cities as financial institutions and the people traveling from one place to another can be compared to the flow of money
If I were a writer I could look at earth as a book, all of us part of a big story.
i think i should have named this blog "professional poetry from the window of an aeroplane" ;-)
Sachu is an electronics engg and so this thought can be categorised as "he has lost it. his work is getting to him"
END OF BLOG.
JUST KIDDING. I liked this thought instantly. So this time when I was flying down from Boston I tried seeing the earth as a PCB. and then I started thinking: -
If I were a painter I could look at earth as a painting which came out so well that its life like
If I were a finance guy I could look at 2 cities as financial institutions and the people traveling from one place to another can be compared to the flow of money
If I were a writer I could look at earth as a book, all of us part of a big story.
i think i should have named this blog "professional poetry from the window of an aeroplane" ;-)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
a beautiful dialogue from 'never been kissed'
that thing...
that moment when you kiss someone and everything around you becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person...
and you realise that that person is the only person you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life...
and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you wanna laugh and you wanna cry coz you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that it will go away all at the same time...
that moment when you kiss someone and everything around you becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person...
and you realise that that person is the only person you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life...
and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you wanna laugh and you wanna cry coz you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that it will go away all at the same time...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Cricket to me
70 runs to win... 7 wickets down... Ankoor is the only recognised batsman on the pitch... Straight drive, punch through cover pull down squareleg... "Ankoorrrrrrrrrrrrrrryaaaa did you finish the page? you are on it since half an hour!!!" That was Mom... The rain interuption, or the should I say the thunderstorm interuption in my close finishing, heroic day dream.The human mind can never be blank, thoughts, dreams etc. always keep it busy. I have played a world record number of cricket matches in my day dreams, scored tonnes of runs and been a hero in each match. Thats how much I love the game.
One major regret I always carried is that I could never play competitive cricket. I am very aggressive by nature and as a kid always adored the way the pakis played their cricket and played it pretty much the same way, with aggression.
I remember a very funny incident as a kid in school when my senior house team was loosing badly and I was just a spectator. I went up to our captain who was fielding at the boundry with a vaseline bottle and asked him if he wanted to use it and that it could help win the game. He was stunned. When I played for my college team I was so chirpy behind the stumps, I used to get warnings from batsman, "match ke baad milte hain".
My day dreams finally got tired of being repeated and so they turned into a reality. I moved to Dallas and through this gentleman at work named Zia somehow got in touch with a Paki team which plays 2nd division league cricket in Dallas. Its a well recognised league and there is much more on offer than I had ever dreamt off. I play for them as a wicket keeper batsman. I am no hero player like the one in my dreams... in fact i have screwed it up in so many situations which I have won in my day dreams. so much so that in between I even quit it, totally. On retrospection I realised I was making the most common human error. Dream, dream dream and when you achieve it move on... take it for granted... leave it, coz its not exactly how the you had planned it, or maybe coz you had planned it wrong or may be too far.
So now I have started playing again and hope that this time around I will enjoy living this dream. That way I can make this a memory of a lifetime.
I meet some great individuals whenever I play a match. We call ourselves as Eagles. All of them have common traits. They are big at heart, very aggressive, hit the ball very hard, dont have a defensive bone, always think positive, bowl and bat their hearts out, never miss a chance to pull someones leg, are never short of a word. They are full of advice and will shower upon you any amount of trust and support if they think you are good, honest and have talent. Amir bhai, Asif bhai and Abdullah bhai are my favourites.
One major regret I always carried is that I could never play competitive cricket. I am very aggressive by nature and as a kid always adored the way the pakis played their cricket and played it pretty much the same way, with aggression.
I remember a very funny incident as a kid in school when my senior house team was loosing badly and I was just a spectator. I went up to our captain who was fielding at the boundry with a vaseline bottle and asked him if he wanted to use it and that it could help win the game. He was stunned. When I played for my college team I was so chirpy behind the stumps, I used to get warnings from batsman, "match ke baad milte hain".
My day dreams finally got tired of being repeated and so they turned into a reality. I moved to Dallas and through this gentleman at work named Zia somehow got in touch with a Paki team which plays 2nd division league cricket in Dallas. Its a well recognised league and there is much more on offer than I had ever dreamt off. I play for them as a wicket keeper batsman. I am no hero player like the one in my dreams... in fact i have screwed it up in so many situations which I have won in my day dreams. so much so that in between I even quit it, totally. On retrospection I realised I was making the most common human error. Dream, dream dream and when you achieve it move on... take it for granted... leave it, coz its not exactly how the you had planned it, or maybe coz you had planned it wrong or may be too far.
So now I have started playing again and hope that this time around I will enjoy living this dream. That way I can make this a memory of a lifetime.
I meet some great individuals whenever I play a match. We call ourselves as Eagles. All of them have common traits. They are big at heart, very aggressive, hit the ball very hard, dont have a defensive bone, always think positive, bowl and bat their hearts out, never miss a chance to pull someones leg, are never short of a word. They are full of advice and will shower upon you any amount of trust and support if they think you are good, honest and have talent. Amir bhai, Asif bhai and Abdullah bhai are my favourites.
You will always need something to fix.
You will always need something to fix.
When life gets very very tough, and it reaches a point from where you question the mere existence of God, good deeds, truth, infact the need to continue your own life... and You choose to stand up tall and fight hard and smart. Like a hero walking out of fire you emerge out of the troubles of life, to tell the tale of bravery and determination. This blog is not about the initial struggle and your bravery in emerging out of it. Its about the aftermath of it.
Let me start with a simple example. If you solve a good problem in math, it doesnt end there. You will always need something harder to solve. Likewise if you fix a hard time in life, you will always need something more to fix. You will savour the struggle to success more than the statisfaction of acheiveing it. And subconciuosly you will start looking for a new struggle. Because suddenly you discover thats the only way you have learnt to live.
Have you heard of kids mixing up all the sections of a jigsaw puzzle so that solving the puzzle becomes hard? Yes you yourself might actually end up creating the rest of the struggles in your life. Examples are falling in love with a person who is never going to reciprocate, getting hooked on to some addiction (like fag or booze), starting a silly business. You will do it with the same intensity with which you fought the battle of your life, and in the process this time around loose yourself and there starts a bigger battle.
You will do well at things in which you are an under dog or you're at the receiving end. Dont believe me? Try playing a duel game against an opponent equal or lesser that you. You will not do well untill you start losing. Thats when you will realise, that you always need something to fix:-)
One theory which runs through my mind always when I see India and Australia play is: The Indians wont do well until it gets stiff, afterall most of Indias men thrive in difficulty coz we are a developing nation. We do not thrive in a bed of roses coz we are still not used to it. And so we enjoy playing David always and not Goliath.
My advice to you is CHILL. After you emerge out from a tough battle, leave the airs of being a hero behind... get back to living the simplicity in life again. The enjoyment of waking up in the morning with nothing to worry about.Get used to being happy for longer periods. Enjoy life till life presents the next battle,if at all.
Please do not find something to fix.
When life gets very very tough, and it reaches a point from where you question the mere existence of God, good deeds, truth, infact the need to continue your own life... and You choose to stand up tall and fight hard and smart. Like a hero walking out of fire you emerge out of the troubles of life, to tell the tale of bravery and determination. This blog is not about the initial struggle and your bravery in emerging out of it. Its about the aftermath of it.
Let me start with a simple example. If you solve a good problem in math, it doesnt end there. You will always need something harder to solve. Likewise if you fix a hard time in life, you will always need something more to fix. You will savour the struggle to success more than the statisfaction of acheiveing it. And subconciuosly you will start looking for a new struggle. Because suddenly you discover thats the only way you have learnt to live.
Have you heard of kids mixing up all the sections of a jigsaw puzzle so that solving the puzzle becomes hard? Yes you yourself might actually end up creating the rest of the struggles in your life. Examples are falling in love with a person who is never going to reciprocate, getting hooked on to some addiction (like fag or booze), starting a silly business. You will do it with the same intensity with which you fought the battle of your life, and in the process this time around loose yourself and there starts a bigger battle.
You will do well at things in which you are an under dog or you're at the receiving end. Dont believe me? Try playing a duel game against an opponent equal or lesser that you. You will not do well untill you start losing. Thats when you will realise, that you always need something to fix:-)
One theory which runs through my mind always when I see India and Australia play is: The Indians wont do well until it gets stiff, afterall most of Indias men thrive in difficulty coz we are a developing nation. We do not thrive in a bed of roses coz we are still not used to it. And so we enjoy playing David always and not Goliath.
My advice to you is CHILL. After you emerge out from a tough battle, leave the airs of being a hero behind... get back to living the simplicity in life again. The enjoyment of waking up in the morning with nothing to worry about.Get used to being happy for longer periods. Enjoy life till life presents the next battle,if at all.
Please do not find something to fix.
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