The demigod of cricket!

Image courtesy: ESPN CricInfo

A long time ago, I had heard one of the greatest cricket commentators that legand has it that WG Grace could hit leg stump yorkers for sixes, I am quite certain that it was merely legend and no fact, I wonder what will be said of the little master Sachin Tendulkar 50 maybe hundred years from now.

We have idolized him, we have turned him into a demigod, hell we turned him into a god...

I have done that too -- used to hear that Sachin uses a really heavy bat, so I remember the bat I had bought when I was 14 was really heavy. I would always try to stand on my toes and punch that ball through cover, alas the pitch never had that much of bounce and I was a few inches taller than him...

I can still jump with joy seeing the way he had leg-befored Saqlain at Sharjah and then gave him the finger, I can still beat the air with my fist the way he lifted Tom Moody out of the stadium over long on...

The passion that lives in the likes of me towards cricket is due to people like Sachin Tendulkar. Maybe he is a demigod, no one else could do what he did, I just wish that all generations of cricket fans have demigods like him to emulate and idolize.

And just so you remember, if any demigod does come after Sachin, here's my finger to him -- you're not even a 10th of what Sachin was!!!

I stand up and applaud Sachin Tenduklar! And the Gods of cricket, you should do the same.

Image courtesy ESPN CricInfo, http://www.espncricinfo.com/nzvind2009/content/story/395943.html

Kathmandu Traffic Police's campaign against drunk driving: Nipping a problem in the bud

I was recently visiting Kathmandu, it was the height of the festive season (the time of Deepawali). One evening, I met old friends from school, the clock was getting closer to half past 8 and slowly the restaurant started to empty out, I guess it was a mix of the outdoor venue, the cold weather, and the famous "Ma Pa Se" that had this effect.

*Ma Pa Se stands for Madak Padartha Sewan, or consuming intoxicating substance. 

I had heard a lot of "Ma Pa Se" and read about it on myriad news websites, blogs and the morning radio stream from Nepal that I listened to.

Anyway, the clock ticked to 9 PM and instead of our customary "daaru" we decided to head back to our respective homes, I think it was a mix of the 6 years of wisdom (read getting old) since we had last had our "daaru" together, families and children waiting back home and the fact that it was getting cold, I don't know for my friends, but for me, traveling from 35 deg C to 5 deg C was surely making me feel cold.

While we were wrapping up, there wasn't even a mention of "Ma Pa Se" between us.

I dropped one of my friends at Koteshwor, and another at Lazimpat, and by the time I was heading back to my own abode, clock had ticked past 9:30 and the "Ma Pa Se (checking)" was in full swing. At a traffic police picket I could clearly see more than a dozen motor bikes stopped, with no riders on board, on the pavement sat 2 blokes, most likely in their late teens with their heads in the hand and another one p***ing behind them, I also saw a young lady, about the same age, or maybe a couple of years older arguing with the traffic police sergeant there. 

As I got closer, I was flagged to slow down and stop, I complied (remember I had drank no "daaru" at all), rolled down my window. The traffic cop looked at me, and respectfully asked me, "Sir kata bata aundai hununcha? [Sir - where are you coming from]" my response was I am heading back home after dropping off a few friends to their homes, what he asked me was, I suppose the routine question, "Sir le drink garnu bha ko ho? [Sir - have you had any drink?]" my response, with a simple smile was "No", he looked at me (I was thinking to my self, any cop who asks have you drank (alcohol) is bound to get 'No' for an answer), I guess he was satisfied with my response and also the fact that I had not drank any alcohol, he just flagged me on.

I had not even driven 10 meters ahead that another cop asked me to stop, I did so. And a senior official from the group came up to me, said he wanted to have a word with me, he looked into the car and asked me where was I headed, I told him New Baneshwor, and
then asked me something that just bewildered me "Could you drop this young lady (term used - sister) on your way, she lives in Tripureshwor" I was amazed at his request.

I asked him why, and he said that her boyfriend was completely drunk and has been puking for the past 15 minutes (the guy with his face in the drain I saw earlier), I couldn't help but ask him, why me? His response was I looked like a decent person, and that there were no taxis available. I said, OK...

She got into the car and I drove on, I could get a whiff of alcohol from her, in the empty streets, it took me less than 5 minutes to arrive in Tripureshwor and I asked here where does she stay, she said behind the Dashrath stadium I went that way and she asked me to stop at a dark blue gate, I stopped at the gate, she said "Thank you (still trying to act sober) and no sooner that she got out, the gate opened and perhaps it was her mother who came to receive her, at first her mother looked relieved, then looked at me with a very strange look, and I guess by then realized that her daughter was drunk I suppose she asked her if she was.

The gate closed, I turned my car around and headed home...



OK, now why am I writing this right now? The reason is I just read this piece of news: In fight against drunk driving, traffic police emerge as victor http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/12/04/capital/in-fight-against-drunk-driving-traffic-police-emerge-as-victor/363582.html; and this story just came back to me...

My comment: It is my firm belief that the traffic police in Nepal have for once, nipped a problem in the bud, and they are continuing to nip the problem every day. By stopping and removing an intoxicated person from behind a wheel, they are making the Kathmandu roads safer.

Good work Kathmandu Traffic Police!

Want sparkling white teeth? Use the bandhar chhap kaala danta manjan

For the non-Hindi readers, the "Bandar Chhap Kaala Danta Manjan" translates into "Monkey Brand Black Teeth (rubbing) Powder"

I will take the liberty and conclude that the Black Teeth (rubbing) Powder is nothing but good old charcoal.

Read at your own risk, practice what you read at your own peril!!!

You've been warned ;-)

Teeth

Nothing brightens or whitens teeth like Carbon.

In order to use Carbon on your teeth, place a small amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush and dip it in some Carbon. Then just add just a little bit of water and begin to brush. Don't be frightened by the black messy substance in your mouth, this process will result in clean and bright teeth.

Carbon is an effective way to remove acidic plaque from the teeth. It will also remove stains, especially ones from drinking coffee.

Read more: http://dherbs.com/articles/carbon-activated-charcoal-177.html#ixzz2BgM0aZgX

Are you from NGC-5621 in the Cygnis III star system?

I like listening to old (or relatively old) songs when I drive, most of my drives are either to or from work. As I was driving to work today...

Before I bore you to death, this is not a post about driving, its about something much more interesting.

... three songs, one after the other played on the car deck, nor mind it that I play songs at the random setting and when I selected the songs to put on the disk, I followed no logical or illogical order these were just the songs I like, so there is my logic YIKES!

Anyway, the three songs, sung by different singers, written by different writers, coming from different times, and you might even say different sub-dialects of Nepali.

There was however, very curiously, one commonality between the three, the three songs talked about the beauty of the snow covered Himalayas and by some sheer conspiracy, the beauty in the eyes of a girl as she flutters her eyelashes...

That got a thought going in my head, the snow covered Himalayas are indeed beautiful and the eyelashes what can I say, who will dispute the fact that many a wars are fought over who gets to see them...

Coming back, three songs, three singers, three times, three languages, three writers all exalting the same "beauty"... I challenge you, you either agree or disagree, you cannot ignore Beauty is inherent, Beauty is timeless.

But then why is it said that Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder?

No matter where you come from, except NGC-5621 in the Cygnis III star system, the snow covered Himalayas will be beautiful, and so will the fluttering eyelashes... come to think of it, so will the moon, and also the waves as they hit the rocks... The bagpipe as it plays its own versions of our favorite songs will also be beautiful and so will the "undead" metal band as it blares at the top of their combined voices... The heartbeat of the 346cc engine as it goes one stroke after another driving along the city streets or through lush fields will also be beautiful and so will be the flap-flap sound of the printing machine as it churns out one printed sheet after another... The sparkle in the eye as you kneel down with a ring in your hand and propose to that one girl will score maybe at the top of the chart of beauty and the cry you hear of your one-year old child as he/she is frustrated at not being able to reach his/her favorite toy atop the table, will probably rival the eye sparkle by ring event...

There is immense and unexplainable beauty around us, as some wise person had said a long time ago, or didn't -- at times you need to slow down, kneel down and feel the ground under your feel, walk barefoot on the early morning dew-laden grass, just slow down and smell the flowers...

There is immense and unexplainable beauty around us, follow the wise person's advice...

Hardcoded

Like the geese that take flight every autumn and instinctively fly off in the right direction in their journey of thousands of kilometers. Like the salmon that continue swimming upstream, regardless of the strength of water pushing them down. Like the dog we often hear about who got lost when its family were at a picnic, returning back home, walking for weeks on end...

There is something inherently coded in us, something embedded and etched in our microprocessors that can never be erased, that makes us who we are and keeps us who we are...

I am reminded of my home, I am reminded of the cloudless azure skies, I am reminded of the cold water running through the taps, I am reminded of the gentle cool breeze, I am reminded of the bright mornings and the chilly evenings... I am far away from home, far away from my homeland... and yet sitting a stranger city, where I am myself a stranger to strangers, sitting a city which is so different... I look out the window and I see the traffic thinning down as it would in my home town around Phulpati... I look out the windows, and if I look hard enough I see the kites with the shiny tails fluttering in the skies

It is hard coded inside of us, it is hard coded inside of me... I don't need to close my eyes to see it, my home town, the streets I grew up on... I don't need to close my eyes to feel it, my home town, the streets I grew up on... 

Its a little difficult to feel the cool gentle breeze on my face, but I can feel it alright...

There is something hardcoded inside of us... And in an instant can take you back...

;-)

There is something that is hardcoded inside of us... And in an instant can take you back... 

;-)

And if I want to be really sneaky, I can taste the plate of momo with the achaar poured over it, I can taste the fried sausages and fried potatoes on a stick, I can even feel the warmth of the glass of black tea in my hands and burn my tongues with it...

;-)

There is something really hardcoded inside me... And in an instant it takes me back...

Indian restaurants in Bangkok (trailer)

Today makes it exactly three months that we arrived in Bangkok. So still by no means, that makes me qualified to offer directions, but I think I've helped out three people by now, the reason I say "I think" is because, I offered them directions, or mentioned the place they were in. Now that doesn't mean that I gave them correct directions or the correct place they were at. I don't think I made a mistake in that.

One of the first questions that I was asked, I think it was less than 2 weeks after our arrival, was "Do you know a good Indian restaurant nearby?" My answer was "Sorry, I just got here"

But now, I know a few...

... keep watching this space for their reviews.

Sustainable environment

I challenge you to think!

If you are participating in a one day discussion on environment protection, how much paper would you use during the day?

Now if you are participating in a world event, attended by dignitaries and delegates, including Heads of States and Heads of Government from across the world, how much paper would you need there?

Now multiply this number by 40,000 -- yes -- forty thousand was the particpation of the recently concluded United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, better known as Rio+20.

I am sure, you can all imagine, from a Conference of this importance and magnitude, how important the Outcome Document will be. And if even a third of the participants wanted the Document, about 50 pages, in print with them, it would mean that more than 650,000 sheets of paper would have been needed.

Do you know how much was actually used in this process? It was 30,000 sheets of paper!

That is less than 1 sheet of paper per participant!

Now it is my humble request, keep this basic  statistic with you today. It's Friday, and if you can bring it with you next week when you come to work and try to use only one sheet of paper during the day. You will make a big difference and contribute a lot in saving our planet.

Thank you,

You run in and bowl, you run in and bowl with a big heart!

The sun is beating down, hardly any cloud or breeze, you come in first change, you run and bowl, hoping for the elusive swing or any help off the surface, there isn't any, the ball is too new and the pitch is rock solid. Ball after ball, you bowl a tight line and length, the batsman gets behind it and shows the full face as he defends it to short point...

You return to 2nd slip as the guy at the other end tries his heart out...

You are again standing at the end of your run up, look up, the sweat drips off your forehead, you run in, bowl the line and length, you keep hoping and hoping for that little help off the surface, or that tiniest of mistakes from the batsman, there isn't any, its only the first session of Day 1, pitch is a belter and the batsmen aren't novices...

Ball after ball, over after over, you run in and bowl, you run in and bowl with a big heart. This is not going to be over in the blink of an eye, this is the Test and it will test you, it will test your heart... and it will keep testing you every breath you take and every ball you bowl over the next five days...

This is Test Cricket and there is no test finer than this...

Guru Purnima, homage to our teachers

गुरुर्ब्रह्म गुरुर्विष्णु गुरुर्देवो महेश्‍वर: ।

गुरु: साक्षात् परब्रह्मा तस्मै श्री गुरुवे नम: ।।

Today is Guru Purnima, the full moon day of Shrawan. It is day for paying homage to out teachers.  I wrote a status update on Facebook a short time back,

standing to attention when a country's national anthem is being played is not only honoring the country you are in, but also honoring your own nation -- ten times more -- for having taught the values and the civics to respect and revere a country's pride and heritage...

And even though I saw a message earlier today from a friend from Nepal about today being Guru Purnima, it was only after writing the message (above),  scrolling down and seeing an update from another friend who's in the States also writing about Guru Purnima, it hit me, I am writing about being taught the civics and the values, and I forget the most important teachers who actually taught us this -- our Gurus, our teachers.

Today where I am, what I am, I owe to my teachers, starting with my parents, my wife, my family, my friends, who taught me the basics and I keep learning from them each second, all the teachers who taught me during my school and later college days -- my teachers from Modern Indian School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, my college in Delhi and then Kathmandu University. I bow down in reverence to you. 

Often, as we perform our daily routine -- work, eat, spend time with the family, travel -- we forget the basics, we forget that we are breathing, our hearts are beating, we are thinking, it is not that these are any less important than what we "do", it is at our core, we are nothing, absolutely nothing (I am reminded of the "null" set, as my maths teacher from 6th Class put it "example of null set is the number of fishes swimming in the tree") we are nothing without this core. Our teachers are simply the core of our lives, they are at the core of what we are.

Thank you

Report about the 100-day campaign website on CNN

It is not often that a drop in the ocean feels like much, infact I will still call an action I took few months back as a mere drop in the ocean, but I am proud that I was atleast able to to make this one drop contribution.

I developed the website for the 100-day campaign against caste-based discrimination and untouchability, http://www.100daysagainstcastediscrimination.com. At the end of its 100-day activism, the website proudly received pledges from more than 1600 people who committed themselves to end caste-based discrimination and untouchability practices.

I was especially gratified to see the website being featured on the CNN iReport website, http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-676684. Rikke Nöhrlind, Coordinator of International Dalit Solidarity Network noted, “The campaign is a fantastic initiative and we would like to encourage everyone to go to the website and register their commitment to help end one of the biggest human rights issues the world is facing today.”

Read the complete CNN iReport at http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-676684

UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions concludes official visit to India

Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on Friday concluded his 12-day long official visit to India. Prior to concluding his visit, he called upon the Government to continue to take measures to fight impunity in cases of extrajudicial, communal and traditional killings.

The SR has praised the high level of commitment by the Government to human rights and most importantly, the right to life. He also recognized the size, complexity, security worries and diversity of India, but also expressed some concerns that the challenges with respect to the protection of the right to life were still considerable.

Other areas of concern relate to the prevalence of communal violence, and, in some areas, the killing of so-called witches, as well as dowry and so-called “honour” killings, and the plight of dalits (‘untouchables’) and adivasis (‘tribal people’).

The UN Special Rapporteur’s final conclusions and recommendations will be submitted as a comprehensive report to the Human Rights Council at a future session in 2013.

----

The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns (South Africa), is a director of the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa and Professor of Human Rights Law at the University of Pretoria, where he has also directed the Centre for Human Rights, and has engaged in wide-reaching initiatives on human rights in Africa. He has advised a number of international, regional and national entities on human rights issues. Mr. Heyns’ research interests include international human rights law and human rights law in Africa. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Executions/Pages/SRExecutionsIndex.aspx

Looking back down the 22 yards...

The three sticks of wood behind and the three sticks of wood in front, standing in the middle one, quite far from me and much closer to the three sticks down lane, a white clad gentleman with a odd shaped wooden club and attired in an armor of cloth that has inside it, a myriad of interesting stuffing...

Not that I look back, when I am at the edge, it was not in-fact 22 yards, more about 21 I would say.

... 22 yards ... or about 21 yards ... the green field around me, the strip of soil in the middle, pounded down and rolled over and over ...

I need to look back or maybe I don't ...

It has been some time

Often you don't realize, but when you look into the mirror it sort of hits you... my favorite pony tail is gone so has that blue-red-yellow-gree t-shirt and also that black cap with skulls and crossbones... Looking down at the feet, you see that it is no longer the black steel toed boots... Looking closely, no more phone numbers scribbled on the palms of the hand...

Its odd how one stops noticing these things... very odd... looking into the mirror again, I see myself, with a new friend on my face - my spectacles... and an earlier friend no longer there (actually he was never on my face, he was in my hands and at times, in my fist -- my friend Jack...)

He does pay a visit once in a while though, its good seeing him...

Anyway, while there is still some sanity left, it has been some time... :-)

It has been some time...

The Indian Cricket Team

After the debacle in Australia, if your's truly has to write, his friend Mr. Daniels have to be sitting beside him and at times on his head but always in his heart, that is, if your's truly was to write...

If Jack was with your's truly, your's truly would be writing something like "what happened in Australia was unfortunate" or something like "***** ***** ****** **** ***** *** ***** * ** **** * **** ***".

But, 31 January, 10:00 AM, Mr. Daniels is not with your's truly, my friend Jack is not with me.

For once I am not missing him, for I have something else on my mind...

• Navjot Singh Siddhu's argument with Aamir Sohail, Sharjah.
• India having to bat in virtual darkness chasing a total from Pakistan, Sharjah.
• Sachin Tendulkar trapping Saqlain Mushtaq LBW and Saqlain fell down, Sharjah.
• Anil Kumble, in front of a packed crowd at Eden Gardens, Hero Cup Final.
• Sachil Tendulkar, England, World Cup, scoring a ton, looking up at the heavens (a day after his father passed away).
• Ajay Jadeja, walloping Waquar and Wasim for sixes and fours, World Cup 1996 Quarter Finals, Bangalore.
• Anil Kumble, 10 wickets in an innings, against Pakistan, Delhi.
• Javagal Srinath, bowling wide bouncers so batsmen could not even touch it with two bats lenght, just to ensure a wicket didn't fall when Kumble had taken 9 wickets (above).
• Mohammad Azharuddin returning to bat after having retired hurt and smashing a breathtaking hundred against South Africa (after being injured in the 1st innings).
• Robin Singh, flat batting a six over cow corner against Zimbabwe at Harare (the game that was tied)
• Rajesh Chauhan, the last man in, hitting a six off Saqlain Mushtaq when 8 were required off the last over.
• Hrishikesh Kanitkar taking a blinder of a catch at deep midwicket in England.
• Rahul Dravid, the wall, standing firmly behind 95miles per hour deliveries from Alan Donald, ball after ball, over after over.
• VVS Laxman, standing tall and wristing balls to the boundaries as he brought India back from a first innings follow on to defeat Australia at Eden Gardens Calcutta.
• Sachin Tendulkar's onslaught against the Australian Team, and in particular against Warne in 1998.
• Sachin Tendulkar hitting Tom Moody for straight six that landed on the roof at Sharjah, 1998
• Vikram Rathore running back from leg slip to take a fabulous catch at fine leg.
• Venkatesh Prasad, saying F*CK OFF to Aamir Sohail after uprooting his off-stump.
• Abbey Kuruvilla called in to replace injured Prasad and Srinath, taking 5-wickets at Jamaica, his first match.
• 5-foot something David Johnson bowling bouncers off his very unusual runup against the English, 1997, India.
• Sunil Joshi, slugging it out and scoring a 50.
• Syed Saba Karim, the wicketkeeper batting against all odds, scoring 50 on debut.
• Nayan Mongia's Aai Go! as he took the balls from Kumble.
• Navjot Singh Siddhu, batting on all five days, scoring 201, West Indies.
  
• Navjot Singh Siddhu, the Sheru and later Rhodes, diving at covers and mid off and making excellent saves.
• Vinod Kambli, tears in his eyes after India lost to Sri Lanka, WC 1996 Semi Finals, Eden Gardens and in the background throwing missiles onto the field.
• Good old Bhajji, taking that Hatrick.
• Ishant Sharma, hitting 140+ consistently.
• JP Yadav bowling against Pakistan, final over, ICC World T20 Championship finals.
• Virat Kholi, recording the only century against Australia, 2011-12 series.
• Zaheer Khan, back from injury, leaner and meaner, uprooting middle stumps after the ball pitched outside off!
• Mohammad Kaif, as lively as the lightening at point!
• Ajit Agarkar, being smacked for boundaries but coming back to pickup wickets.
• The wily off-spinner Ashish Kapoor.
• Medium Pacers Debashish Mohanty, Harvinder Singh and Dodha Ganesh, who came and went but still remembered.
• Raman Lamba, the opener, sadly died after being hit by a ball, fielding up close in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Sanjay Manjrekar, perhaps one of the nicest cricketers ever.
• Navjot Singh Siddu, dancing down the track and lofting balls for six over long on.
• Saurav Ganguly, apty said, on the off side, first there is God and then there is Ganguly.
• Venkatpati Raju, the tall left arm finger spinner.
• And so much more! memories associated with each and every Cricketer from India that I had the honor to see...
  

To end this post - "He reminds me a lot of how I would have been" - 'the Don' Sir Donald Bradman on Sachin Tendulkar...

Landing a C-130 on board an aircraft carrier

"Landing a C-130 on board an aircraft carrier"

Has a nice ring to it, but you have to have your ears ringing to understand this. For those of you little initiated in matters of various aircrafts and their carriers, following few paragraphs are for you (ahhh here comes Jack my friend, just let me attend to him)...

... now that Jack is well settled in the warmth of my tummy with some remnants still in the goblet sitting firm at my desk, looking at me from the corners of his eye, landing this C-130 is going to be even more fun!

The C-130 is 30 meters long, has a wing span of about 41 meters, she is relatively light on an empty tank, weighing in at about 35 tonnes and has a payload of about 19 tonnes. She is nicely tall standing about 40 feet and can easily travel three thousand kilometers.

That is big plane... no wonder folks beyond the seas have christened her "Hercules", not a very apt name for a woman. Baah! what do I care, I never call her Hercules anyway, for me she is the C-130...

Now back to landing her ;-)

to be continued... Jack is feeling lonely, he needs some company