Thailand - Phi Phi: A Conversation With A Tsunami-Surviving-English-Speaking Thai-Scuba-Dive-Master

Aeg.

He is only 26 years old.

He started scuba-diving at the age of 13, and is now a renowned Dive Master (the highest Scuba Distinction)

He survived the Tsunami. What could be worse is that he witnessed it.

He, along with his friends saved 3 lives, from the rubble. Here's the fascinating story...

It was a 26th December, the day after Christmas. Half of Phi Phi (which basically means all the foreigners, which means all the back-packers from the west) was hung over from what was probably a drunken, late, late "Celebrating Jesus" night. Aeg was one local included in that list.

Aeg worked as a Scuba Diving/Snorkeling Tour organiser, and was damn good at his work. He was so good, that the local people held mini-rebellions to stop him from doing well, and taking away all the 'business'. Business there is tourism. It is the only source of income, and Aeg was taking most of it away. So the Village Chairman called a special meeting comprising all the locals and they reached a conclusion - Aeg needed to cut down on his brilliance to allow others to reap at least some benefit. He followed orders, and won the respect of the town, and well everyone knew him.


However, 26th December, 2004 was a day off for Aeg, and God indeed blessed him with that.That day, at approximately 10 A.M. two monstrous waves, one 12 metres high, the other 4 metres high crashed, crushed and crunched the neck-like heart of Phi Phi. Imagine, these two beaches were like two boomerangs stuck together forming a holy-grail-like structure. Both the beach-sides were exposed to the ocean, and hence both sides were exposed to this monster. But the 12 metre wave got the lion's share of the spoil as all the rummage it caused was transferred towards the other end. Imagine, again, you are sitting on the beach, calm, observing the waves. Then, quite out of the blue, you see, this large unorthodox wave from a distance, and get amused. It then processes and this confusion turns to nervousness, 'What the hell is that wave doing?' and then sheer panic engulfs you, just as the wave is going to engulf you. You run, but there is no where to run. You cry for help. You start looking for help. You see the wave coming at you. You try to hide? Ha Ha. For 4 minutes this monster hunted its prey. Aeg was not on the beach, he was asleep, in his house, on the hill, away from this. Thank God.

But when something like shakes the hell out of your island, you don't sleep for much longer. This earth-shattering Tsunami opened Aeg's eyes in more than one way. He stepped out into the open, and what he observed shook him up just like the Tsunami had shaken the life out of the village. He saw dead people hanging from trees, lifeless, but with eyes wide open, with glaring death written all over them. There were piles and piles of wood, beneath which, lay people, with their hands, ears and feet sticking out. The wave sucked bodies back into the ocean, and it was no longer a salty blue ocean, but a bloody reddish one. People mourned the loss of their loved ones. Shrill cries that can tear your ear-lobes open not because of the sound, but because of the agony that comes in chorus, resonated in the air. Aeg saw destruction at its prime. Trauma, rage, anger, distress, sorrow, pain, hopelessness, helplessness, defeat and death buzzed in his mind. He couldn't take it. He rushed back home, one place that was safe. He needed to recollect himself, needed to find his friends - he needed to know what to do. After locating his friends, they started a mini-operation of their own. Pull out any damn thing that breathes or moves from the rubble! This was not easy. Aeg, along with his friend, saved two human lives. They gave two living, breathing souls another opportunity to live.

But he lost almost everything. 4 of his close family members were missing and still are. His shop, his work all taken away by the wave. As he was a Professional Dive Master, he had videos and pictures of his exploits. All of it was taken away in those 4 minutes. His laptop, his scuba-diving gear which is shit expensive - everything the wave took away. 3,000 people lost their lives that day in Phi Phi, and a major chunk of that number were foreigners.

From that day on, Phi Phi was almost deserted. There was no major help coming in from the Government. Yes, some World Aid did drift in, but that takes time, and Phi Phi wasn't the only place affected. Aeg, and his friends started a recovery mission. Everyday they went to Phuket, got some medical supplies from the hospital, mainly gloves and masks, and started the ‘cleaning’ process. What Aeg found most useful, was not the Government, but the international contacts he had made from his Scuba Diving clients. They came from all over the world, and donated large sums of money to help Aeg set up his business again, and to restore some order in the chaos that the Tsunami had left behind.

It took 6 months for Phi Phi to recover from this disaster. The problem Phi Phi was facing was that, due to this catastrophe, none of the locals wanted to do business there. So Aeg and his friends, started building shops from scrap, to forcefully welcome these locals back on to the island. This recovery was a done collectively by all the people of the islands. It was a time of mourning, but also a time of unity and fraternity among the people there.

For Aeg, it was one of those major events that occur in our lives, that changes us completely. The Tsunami changed him, for the better. Before the Tsunami, yes he was married, but he had this youthful exuberant arrogance, which he admitted openly. But the Tsunami taught him responsibility. It taught him to look beyond materialism and money, and into the people around him, to care, to love. It made him, in his words, a 'man'. That, to me, says a lot. Experiences like the Tsunami can be devastating, but the education through something as colossal as that cannot be taught in school. Also, it's how much we suck or draw out of these experiences that shape our entirety. Aeg is still some what recovering from trauma. At times when he thinks about it, he can't sleep for days. After the Tsunami, Aeg could not sleep for 2 days, not because he did not want to, but because he couldn't. Could you have?

Aeg was our Phi Phi Island Sunset Tour guide/organiser/leader/boat-owner. He is a lovely guy, my mum fell in love with him, and wanted him as her second son. The service he and his crew gave us was excellent and genuine.

Thailand was great because of people like Aeg. The people I met, taught me so much, and fascinated me and opened my eyes to different aspects of life. It made me realise that I live in this bubble, this bubble in which I have a bunch of good friends, but that's not all. Those are not the only people. There is so much out there, so much to do, so many people to meet, almost 7 billion. The back-packers I met were all young, between 18 and 25 years of age, and not one was Indian. All of them were fascinating and had so much to offer. It exposed me to this other side, which I had never been properly exposed too, which I knew existed, which I yearned for, but never really got. It's true isn't it; most of us Indians don't do things like back-packing. Most of us end up with paunches to be proud off, if we don't already have one. Yes, there are numerous complications and parent/permission issues, but it's high time I burst out of this bubble. I don't know about you.

Thailand - Phi Phi Islands

Phi Phi Islands are these 2 small islands constituting the southern part of Thailand. They are only reachable by a ferry. Secluded – yes, totally. Only two years ago, the devastating Tsunami knocked the life out of this little town, but today it is back on track, buzzing with an outrageous number of tourists. Back-packers, largely from the west (actually all, I could find not one Indian backpacker there) flock to this island like sheep, to perceive the breath-taking marine life that the ocean around the islands has to offer.

It sounds pretty laid back, well it's not. There is an 'ADSL High Speed Internet Service' connection every 2 metres, yes every 2 metres. Fake Movie DVDS/Music DVDS/Music CDS are rampant, with availability of movies which have not even been released in Thailand. 'The Devil Wears Prada' was available on the streets before country-wide release, for 10 Dhs, or 3 Dollars only. INSANE!



Apart from all that, and considering the fact that I, nor my parents, were seasoned scuba-divers, or snorkeling enthusiasts, we felt that we had almost wasted our time at the islands. But no, one evening made all the difference. We took the 'Sunset Tour' which allowed us to explore almost all of the Phi Phi Islands. It just happened to be, that in the tour, we were the only non-back-packers there, and my parents the only people over the age of 35, and I, only below the age of 20. That however did not matter, as our Phi Phi Island trip burst into life. The tour was hard core. We canoed and snorkeled in the open sea. Hell, I am proud to say that I swam in the rough sea in the middle of nowhere. After the canoeing and the snorkeling, we had to swim from our boat to a near-by cave. Then followed, a little bit of trekking against the sea, which was not surprisingly, rough, that evening (the whole full moon thing). This cave that we entered opened up into a pretty lagoon, and I felt I had entered into this new world, this world that had formed within a blink of an eye. The joy of seclusion and beauty did not stop there, this lagoon further opened up into the whitest of beaches. Clear, pure, but salty, the water gushed onto the purest of beaches, with a valley-like view of the setting sun. A spectacle of its own, an almost coliseum-like experience, it was truly...truly...wow. We soaked in every inch of the beauty, and cursed all that we could when we found out that our darned camera batteries were dead.

We laboured back, swimming back to our boat in the open sea (don’t worry, the amateur swimmers were given life jackets), where a slip of the toe could result in skull-cracking action against the hard but slippery stone. Yeah it sounds dangerous, and yes, to a particular extent it was, but that danger itself made it even more fun. Along with that, the tour organisers, a bunch of young 'lads' (as the Brit back-packers called them) were such hard-working and genuine people, and the made the evening even sweeter. They helped the poor swimmers, and the old, which only consisted of my parents (sorry mum, sorry dad) and were really really sweet, and with great bodies (that's for you girls :P).

All in all, that one evening made Phi Phi - WOW. I want togo again, and when I do go again I will learn Scuba Diving, get my license and enjoy the islands even more. Romit, remember our promise - if not Thailand, some place similar, definitely!

Thailand - Foreward

What will precede (and not follow, due to the publishing-policy of blogspot) is basically to serve as a collection of memories, which will be near dear to me for a long time to come.

Thailand - I didn't know what to expect from this country. Some said it was like a well, "cleaner" India, others framed Bangkok as Bombay-ish, but all of that is rot. Thailand cannot be compared to India, in fact it puts my country, and retrospectively me, to shame. It is simply beautiful. The white sandy beaches and the coral islands of the south, littered with the most colourful of aquatic creatures, along with green outback and the beautiful "trek-able" forests of the north, and a brilliant mix of modern and ethnic cultures, with the friendliest of people, with the greatest of kings, plus a 'Keane' concert - Thailand rocked, and I need to/want to go there again.

'Angels With Broken Wings'

This summer, thanks to my great mum, I got an opportunity to volunteer for this extremely special summer camp organized by SFS (Special Families Support), a support organization for the less fortunate special children and their families. Before I get started, let me list out a few 'characters' that are vital for this post. Gulshan Kavarana - the founder of SFS, who to me is Gulshan aunty - the coolest aunty ever, with the biggest possible heart & Deepa - the organiser of the summer camp – who is very sweet and really hard-working.

My first day of the camp itself, was very enlightening. Gulshan aunty asked us, the volunteers, "Why are you here?" My confidence self, confidently uttered "We are here to help these special kids." "What rubbish!", was the reply, "These kids don't need your help, they can handle themselves." She told us that we were here to merely accompany them and to a certain extent, support them. We were there to be their friends, and to see them as our friends, and to bring smiles to their faces, and provide them and their parents an escape from the difficult world they live in. As it turns out, I love doing exactly that, so my enthusiasm levels have been very high for the past month, especially when I am with them. And quite obviously, I thoroughly enjoyed everyday of the summer camp, and am still enjoying every day - as the camp is still not over.

As days went by at the camp, Gulshan aunty found out (I think through me) that I could make 'stupid IT presentations'. So she asked me come over to her place and make a special presentation for her younger daughter, Zaara, her 'angel with broken wings'. I agreed to do it because I wanted to do it. I reached her place at noon and immediately got to work. I asked her, "Aunty, what's the objective of this video?" She said that, thorugh this video, she wanted to portray the beauty of her daughter, Zaara, and go beyond what most people saw in her - her disability. She wanted to delineate the fact that Zaara was a miracle, a gift from heaven, that she was their love. After that, the video almost sidetracked. I was keener on knowing what aunty and her family had been through and how Zaara had changed their lives, for the better. Gulshan aunty told me that Zaara taught them 'unconditional love'. She had taught them to see people for what they are, and not merely as they appear. Gulshan aunty said that Zaara helped her burst out of the cocoon that most of us are still enclosed in, the cocoon that family is everything. Zaara helped aunty to reach out to other people and other special families that were going through similar ups and downs. Thus, she instigated SFS - Special Families Support, an organization to bring together and support those familes that were a little less fortunate. 7 years of functioning, this organization has definitely changed and affected many people's life. Gulshan aunty continued that now, she is addicted to this organization. She just has to be around these kids, for they sustain her, and teach her values and lessons that no one else can. She told me that she loved being around the kids because they saw you for what you are, and not as what you appear (tall, thin, fat and so on) and told me that it's a pity that we can't see them like they see us. It's a pity that some of us cannot see them for what they are, humans with heart, soul, and love, love that oozes out because they have so much of it.

The video I eventually made was decent, but the experience I had with Gulshan aunty and her family overshadowed the video. It shattered my previously narrow-minded approach. It opened new horizons, and gateways of thought that I needed to dive into. As I absorbed every word that aunty told me, I actually learnt acceptance.

This summer camp has made my summer complete in its own way. Previously, I had never done anything like this, so I did not know what to expect. This camp took me by storm, for what I have learnt from this experience is boundless. It has opened my narrow mind to dimensions of thought that I would have never had. Adding to that, the pure satisfaction that I get from seeing smiles on their faces, and the joy that small things can bring them, is priceless. However idealistic and fake this sounds, I get satisfaction from their satisfaction, and that is the satisfaction and the joy that is priceless. This camp has made me realize that social work is necessary not only for the 'hours' that are required for your University Application, but for the learning experience that no other service can cater. I want to stay affiliated to SFS because the work done here is genuine and heartfelt. Nothing is forced, and we (as I can proudly say as now I am a part of this group) do things, because we want to do them. Thanks to Gulshan aunty for starting this organization and to Deepa for wonderfully organising this summer camp.

P.S. - This is not a corporate article typed to uphold and/or advertise SFS.

No Way Zidane, No Way!

How? How can a two-time world player of the year do something like that? How can this well-revered man, this calm-collected magician do that? 15 years of reputation-building hard work has crumbled away, in one moment of sheer stupidity and arrogance. Zizu, no sorry, Zidane (I cannot call him by his nickname anymore - he is no longer affable) was the least likely player to do something like that. Okay fine, if a hot-head like Rooney went and did something like that, it's understandable, but a man of such stature and repute to go and head butt an opponent- it's literally unbelievable. It highlights how one moment of sheer frustration and arrogance can almost destroy a career. It's shocking, and for me, extremely disappointing. It saddened me to see the Les Bleus' maestro walk off into the tunnel after that farcical and unnecessary action. I have no sympathy for him, but the sheer shock of such an act as eluded me, eluded everything, even the Italian victory (no offence to any Italian supporter).

Apart from that, the final of the World Cup finals was decent, better than the finals of the recent past. There was enough controversy and a penalty shoot-out always promises an exciting night. The French penalty was, according to me (and most others) not a penalty. The ex-great Zidane executed the penalty with a tinge of over-confidence and haughtiness, and then what saved him was well, luck. Otherwise the contest was pretty even. Italy some what dominated the first half, which was exceptional. The French kind off dominated the second half of the second half, and a bit of the extra time. Much of the latter part of the match was stale, apart from some head butting incidences. Anyway, Italy seems to deserve this victory, at least definitely over France. Italy have played good football. All credit to them for this historic win.

We have come to the end of another world cup. The 64 matches have just flown by, and I can't believe that this mega event has actually concluded. Apart from the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony and the Brazil disappointment, Germany 2006 has been fantastic. Some of the greatest world cup goals ever, created in some of the best stadiums in the world, in a tournament that highlighted globalization, the fraternity of men (at least off the field) and the rise of female football-lovers, this world cup has met, and in some cases exceeded all expectations. And that is always good. Isn't it?

Brazil Out. Deservedly.

July 1st, 2006 - World Cup Quarterfinals: Brazil crash out, against a decent, Zizu-fuelled, France.

Frankly, Brazil played quite crap. Why? Because well 'it wasn't their day' - as most would say it, but no, it’s not that, it is because they just did not gel, and have not been really gelling through out the World Cup. Right from the start, Brazil weren't really tested with a strong opposition, an opposition that had a mighty midfield, or a classy defense. Mediocre teams like Australia, Croatia, Ghana and Japan, cannot really be called tests. France was the first real test for the Brazilians, and they stumbled, because, according to me, of social pressure. No, no, don't jump to conclusions; the loss wasn't because of social pressure on the players, but rather on their un-inspiring coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.

Now this is my theory. Read carefully. The wing backs are the most crucial players in building an attack, because they give width and pace to the side. Observe any great team of the recent ages, as in teams that play breath-taking football, at breath-taking pace, like Barcelona and Arsenal, the Champions League finalists for the season 2005-06. For Barcelona, the likes of Van Bronkhorst, Belleti and Oleguer, and for Arsenal, Ashley Cole, Lauren and Eboue have successfully taken on the wing-back positions. They offered pace, and most importantly vital options for the holding, and creative midfielders. With the ability to run at their opponents and float in dangerous balls, these wingers were responsible for most of the major attacks of their teams. Take for instance; during Arsenal's prime era (the unbeaten 49 game streak) Lauren and Ashley Cole made devastating over-lapping runs to crack open the opponents’ defense. Beautiful combination play involving Henry, Pires and Ashley Cole on the left flank is considered one of the most devastating and successful partnerships in the history of the English game. So, regarding flank play, did you see Brazil? Cafu was simply pathetic and uninspired. Roberto Carlos showed ineffective passion. Cafu spoiled the game numerous times with his slow, old feet and lethargic touches. Roberto Carlos blasted the ball aimlessly all over the pitch. No pace, no overlapping, no real support was provided by these wing-backs to the rest of the team.The other mistake that Mr. Parreira made was the inclusion of Juninho. Yes he is a good free-kick taker, but what you needed, Parreira, is an attacker, someone like Adriano. All Parreira-favourite Adriano needed was some patience from his coach. Also it took the Brazilian coach almost 80 minutes to get on the electric and youthful Robinho.

Now if I was the coach of Brazil:

1. I would never start with Cafu as the right-back. 36 years old, and worn out, Cafu was, according to me, not the ideal choice for the most stamina-requiring position. It took Parreira 340 minutes of football time to realize this, and then he brought in Cicinho for the last twenty minutes of what would be Brazil's final match in their 2006 World Cup Campaign. I would have started with Cicinho.
2. I would have given Roberto Carlos 2 games to prove his worth. But after seeing the potential in the substitute left-back Gilberto, I would have put him in instead. What these wing-back positions require is not experience, but youthful exuberance and hard-core pace. A 36 year-old right-back and a 33 year-old left-back definitely don't meet those parameters. Experience is required in positions like centre-back and the defensive-midfield, which was provided through the likes of Giberto Silva, Ze Roberto, Lucio and the brilliant Juan. In addition to that, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho provided enough 'experience' and skill in attack.
3. Emerson would have been my Captain.
4. Ronalidinho would have been made to play a little deeper and would have been allowed to be selfish with the ball. He is by far the best dribbler in the world, so why the hell do you want to prevent him from doing what he is best at - dribbling. In this World Cup, he looked more desperate to weave chipped-through balls and roam around aimlessly. I say, let him do what he is best at, and what he has proved with Barcelona all season long. I would have put him on the left-flank and let him dominate it completely and let the likes of Kaka, Ronaldo and Adriano drift in midfield and attack.

Anyway all these ‘would haves’ would hold some reverence only if I was coach of Brazil, which I am not, and I will probably never be in the course of my entire life. The Brazil loss was more frustrating than depressing. Lack-lustre, totally unBrazilian-like Brazil failed to even have one threatening shot on target. Parreira played his cards wrong. To be fair to him, how could he remove a household name like Cafu from the team? But then that's what separates ex-Brazilian Coach Scolari from him. Scolari refused to include the oldie Romario in the 2002 Brazilian World Cup squad despite huge public requests. If Parreira had been a little discerning, he would have observed that Cafu by no means had a good season with AC Milan and was growing terribly old. Also Parreira could have been a little more thorough in picking his starting 11 for the World Cup. The match against Japan, was clearly Brazil's best performance. Cicinho and Juan took centre stage then and provided another dimension to the Brazilian attack, through the wings. Didn't Parreira get that?

On the other hand, Zidane put on a master-class performance in frankly, quite a dull game. Apart from his 3 goals in the World Cup, Henry continued to struggle in a totally uncharacteristic performance by him. Defensively the game was beautiful, but then defense is not Joga Bonito, is it?

All in all, there are no excuses for Brazil's loss. They are to blame. I am a Brazilian fan and I feel that Brazil did not deserve to proceed, but hell, I wanted them too. I am heart-broken, and this heart-ache won’t allow me to support any other team for the remaining portion of the World Cup. So, good luck to France, Portugal (who could only scrape past England on penalties), Italy and Germany. Let's hope that the semi-finals and finals of this World Cup will be more exciting than the quarters.

The Referee From Hell - How Valentin Ivanov Screwed Up.

Portugal v/s Netherlands, World Cup 2006 Second Round Match. Referee: Valentin Ivanov, of Russia, taking place at Nurnberg.

The game started off decently. The first half was goal filled, well because it had the only goal of the game, a good strike from Maniche. But it ended with an ominous sign - the sending off of Costinha, by the Russian referee, for a second yellow card. It was a fair decision to a particular extent, but could have gone the other way too. Apart from the goal and the sending off, the other point of note was the piece of magic conjured by Arsenal's Van Persie on the right flank, but he spoilt it with a careless miss. All in all, I did not know what to expect in the second half.

Before I move to the 2nd half details, let me get this clear. I am a Brazilian supporter, but for this match I was supporting Netherlands because of Arsenal’s Van Persie and because well Portugal would pose a greater threat to Brazil if they went through. So, anyway the point is I was supporting Holland.

The score line was definitely frustrating. 1-0 at half time, damn! The second half though looked more promising for the Dutch. With an extra man, they were dominating possession. Then, Cocu agonizingly struck the bar. Kuyt missed a few more chances, and some dismal shooting from Van Bommel got me even more infuriated. Then, enter Ref. Ivanov. This Ivanov dude has some mental problem definitely. He seemed to be drawing pure sadistic pleasure from yellow and red cards. He seemed to be refereeing without the slightest implementation of logic and common sense. All in all, Mr Ivanov ended up giving a modest total of 20 cards, 16 yellow and 4 red. Freak. All through the game it seemed as though he wanted to steal the limelight, and it seemed as though he felt self-righteous for every single booking he made. Quite frankly it was insane. Some were deserved, but many were not. By issuing so many bookings, this clearly stupid referee fuelled the adrenalin of the players, leading to many silly tussles. This led to more bookings, and well more pleasure for our Russian referee. Injuries, bookings and fights constituted most of the second half in addition to the almost rare fast-paced football of the two teams. Netherlands came close many a time, but remained unable to unlock the Portuguese defense. Anyway, despite the wastage of so much time, the referee felt that only 6 minutes needed to be added on. It should have clearly been at least 8 or 9.

It was an extremely frustrating and enjoyable evening for me, and for many other football lovers. A bad referee, coupled with lovely football and a flurry of bookings, it kept me glued to every single piece of action. It had everything, but maybe a few more goals would have made it better. Any how, these ambivalent emotions depict the unpredictability and well, the beauty of football. You just don't know what is going to happen next. Yes it was entertaining, thanks to the referee, but hell it was damaging for both the sides.

This world cup has been a very controversial when it comes to referees. The reputed Graham Poll surprisingly gave 3 yellow cards to a Serbia & Montenegro player, which was pretty hilarious, but totally unbelievable, coming from such a revered English referee. Also, the referee of England's first game against Paraguay was a pain in the ass. Marco Rodriguez, the Mexican referee spoiled the game, according to me, by giving unnecessary free-kicks, interrupting the flow of the game. On the other hand, some referees have been exceptional. They have stayed low key, and allowed free-flowing football. That's how it should be.

All in all, the 2006 World Cup is turning out to be a truly entertaining spectacle; living up to it's expectations and enthralling millions of people worldwide, with some of the most unbelievable goals. Let's hope the rest of the matches live up to their billing too, and let us all hope that Brazil lift the crown for a record 6th time, and let us all also hope that stupid referees don't spoil any of the remaining games.

24

24 took me by storm. It was during my examinations, I think it was the Math weekend, when I was feeling quite bored and was quite fed up of academics. So, well, I thought of watching the 1st episode of this award-wining series, and find out what all the fuss was about. It took me precisely 5 minutes to know that I am going to be addicted to 24. I watched 4 episodes that night, and only stopped because; well I had only 4 episodes.

Anyone who has not seen 24 is a fool. I was one too, until recently. You don't know what you are missing. 24 has everything from a twisted, mind-boggling plot, accompanied by realistic acting, to the most creative concepts ever.

"The following takes place between 12:00am and 1:00am on the day of the California Election Primary. Events occur in real time" - that’s how each episode starts. Each season has 24 episodes, one hour each, which trace the events occurring in Jack Bower's life as a CTU agent. Convoluted, and filled with a million twists, with breath-taking shots, and highly realistic occurrences, 24 will blow you away and quite honestly, I have not see any video production better than this, and guess what I am not even through seeing the first season yet. Even though it has a very improbable story line, it is very realistically made and it has the ability to transfer you into the eyes of the protagonist, and you, the observer, are the only one who knows everything that's happening.

It's fascinating and a must see. I just had to rave about it. It's so good, that there will probably be a Bollywood take on it, and as usual they will screw it up. Let me make it clear, 24 outclass every single Bollywood & Indian Television production, and highlights the superiority of Western entertainment as opposed to the inferiority of the Indian television industry. Hats off to Paul Gadd (producer), Robin Chamberlin, Richard Rosser and Nicole Burke (directors) on a truly marvelous production.

Bored At School 2

Remember Ms Ohri, well she is here right now. Wailing, crying, and hitting the innocent me. Apparently it's all for her sister - "What would I do without her?" Well it kind off reminded me of my sister. She's in Spain, living a fruitful life, and exploring the beauty of simplicity, with the aim to be a part of the elite few Indians who are well versed in Spanish, which is probably the fastest growing language in the world. The maker of 'Griddskipper' - one of the most popular travel websites in the world - has approached her to write for his website, and her 1st post is already up. Her blog is now Latino flavoured, with constant updates on the Spanish and salsa. Worth a visit! Hats off and good luck to her.

Coming back to the School IT center, the Head Boy and the Head Girl have now entered the IT center. Hmm...interesting. A few wonder couple sparks seem to have been flying. ;-)

We are going to meet the school alumuni, and get a little bored. I am really tired. Haven't really got any sleep for the past 24 hours.

Yes recently, my blog posts have been a little random with less substance and more well, 'masti', or non-sense. But do expect something a little more exciting in the future.

P.S. - This post was started in the school IT center. I was not able to finish and publish it then. That is the reason why I am publishing it now.

Exams & Prize Day

Exams around the corner, and as my recent trend has been - I can't really get myself to study for them. Here's the problem - too many things are happening, and believe me, that's hell for an idealist.

One thing that has now been pushed out of the way, is Prize Day 2005-06. A less complicated build-up leading to a glitch-filled, but fun day, this years Prize Day had it's ups and downs. One 'up' was that atleast it was better than last years. However, certain misnomers, and certain exaggerations were made. From an abnormally large 'Grade 1B' student, to blatant ignorance of "Manity Fair", the day did leave a few unsatisfied. Anger at certain accalades, mixed with pure joy for the well deserved 'Best Teachers', it was an ambivalent day, only promising a very entertaining tomorrow - hopefully. BTW, Shri - you are free to vent here. On the whole, it was a good day. With live entertainment for the choir boys in the classrooms, the re-arrival of a 'rocking' ex-student, we, or rather most of us, did get our share of the laughs. But most importantly, I was especially happy for the due recognition that was given to a certain few, namely the Best Sportsman, and the Sherley-Varkey-Award winner. Also hearty congratulations to all you 'prize' winners - great job with your academics. For all those ex-students who could have been there today, you have certainly missed a good opportunity to meet all the teachers, and join the school in an eventful and fun evening.

However, today was a prime example of how academics rules Indian schools, and don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong about that. But I don't want to argue too much now. All I have to say is that, maybe a little more emphasis could be given to extra-curriculars. But then again who am I to say so? - Maybe enough recognition is already given.

A Day For Geniuses

In this post, my definition of a 'genius' might be totally wrong. So for this post's sake, envision a 'genius' as a person who just blows you away with a moment of pure brilliance. You can see it - his soul is in what he is doing, and the energy and passion is oozing out. He is at his best. To me this is refreshing and fascinating, and it is something that my permeable self takes in with sincere pleasure and appreciation. Today a certain selected group of random people left me smiling and well, quite honestly, spellbound. Hats off to them.

My favourite guitarist, Ali (yeah I know my belief is to prevent revelation of real names, but this is for true appreciation) was the first one to cast his magic on me. Our school hosted an internal, low scale "Battle Of The Bands", which should have been called "Battle Between The Bands", because there were only two bands, both comprising what one would call 'amateurs' or 'juniors'. Both of them were, quite frankly, lousy. No 'brilliance' there, but potential - yeah, loads. Anyway this not-so-fascinating show got over quickly, leaving me quite bemused, especially because of one farsical cover of a famous Queen song. So, where does "Ali" come in? After this average performance, Rohan, 'the-you're-fat-you-suck' sayer, begged the 'School Band' to perform. Enter Ali. Unaware of what to play, with no real preparation, the 'School Band' decided to show-off with a 'jam' session. Almost shocked by this sudden compulsion, Ali, stepped in. The rythem, as in the easy part, began, and Ali asked Rohan, the bassist, "Which key you playing on?"
"A," was the reply. And then lead guitarist, Ali, unleashed an improvised solo, feeling every note he played, putting on no fake show, but releasing a natural flow of energy and music which only comes when someone 'good' is perforiming, a real performer. Yes, you may argue, there are many people in the world who can do that, but to me that moment was one of pure joy. The wonderous feeling you get when some one good does something classic and leaves behind 'oohs' and 'aahs', is rare. To me it was genius, he was, atleast for that moment (for all you debating freaks) a genius. He was a genius accompanied beautifully by an able drummer Udai, a confident rhythem guitarist Jitin and an enthusiastic and apt bassist, Rohan. Truly, bravo. I really enjoyed it.

Adding to add to this remarkable performance, was Harry, my very close friend. He hosted the "Battle Of The Bands", and it was a last-minute decision to make him the host. But his composure and delivery, mixed with this homely confidence thrilled me, and made me think - there we have it, the next great TV Host/News Reporter/Actor or definitely something in that field. A genius, not because he had done something amazing, but because of his confidence and because he gave off the feeling - I am in control of this, and I am good at what I do. It was just his presence, genuine and loving - oh I hope this potenital and talent is not wasted, and I hope that everything gets sorted out for him now and in the future.

This next instance is a more, well, maybe something you won't be able to relate to entirely. 1st session, in school, we were having our singing/music practice. The group song we were singing, 'Eagles' by Abba, went off decently. The 4 piece harmony, blended delightfully, and the literally 'rocking' track brought out a very decent sound. After that, the necessary people practised the 'Prayer Song', a more intricately composed song, with harmonies that blended even more beautifully. They put on a fairly pleasurable performance. But that nor the earlier song falls into my definition of 'genius'. In fact, this is where my definition of a 'genius' goes wrong. During those songs, there were two people working energetically at perfecting every single note. One was Mr Axel (no not 'Rose'). An extremely hard-working, maybe a little exploited, genius, whose love for music is like of no one else's I have seen. Once he loses himself in the music, he is transformed into this radioactive element that is constantly emitting energy in all directions. An amazing pianist who has a mastered the art of track-making, and the only person I know who totally understands music, he often leaves me awestruck. Today, what made me realize his 'genius' abilities was not his skill, but his passion and his joy of teaching and transferring music. That sir, is truly revered by me. The second of the two people is our very own Sharen ma'am. A principled woman, whose attitude is positive and right, mixed with a tinge of fun, she has a lovely voice. But what makes her different to me from all the other people who have lovely voices, is her passion and her love for what she does. This accompanied by her truly loving and caring nature makes her a 'genius' in her own way. Today, while practising the 'Prayer Song', she just let her self go, and her voice, boosted by her passion and skill, resonated in my ear, and once again left me smiling. Yes the day did involve a lot of smiling - which is my expression of 'wow', and well done.

I don't know what it is that's so amazing. No actually I do. Beyond just the skill, it's the passion, yes, it's the passion. That's the word that separates the 'geniuses' from the rest. That's what I want to appreciate today, because that is what most of us fail to do. We lack passion, and what's even worse is that we lack the ability to express our appreciation. We envy them instead of lauding them. Yes, it's natural to envy, every single person does, but it's how you raise yourself beyond that, and learn to appreciate things that deserved to be appreciated. It is then, that this envy automatically turns into honest appreciation for someone other than YOURSELF. And then follows, joy and satisfaction for you.
I have experienced this, and that's why I am saying it. That's my point, and this is how I felt it would come across best.

World Cup Fever

It grips everyone. Even if you hate 'the beautiful game', you will still follow the Football World Cup. It's magical how this unifying force, that is football, entrances the world with a spell that sinks right into the heart, and then the passion, the excitement, the energy, the devotion, all come out like gushing water bursting out from a shattered dam. The sheer emotion and euphoria when your team scores, and pure pain when your team loses is something that's priceless. To me football is purely sublime. Do you feel the same?

My team, - Arsenal all the way. Their fast-paced attacking football and thrilling one touch play has won my love. But as this is a World Cup post, let me not dwell too much on them - but just one thing - hell today will be one of my most memorable days yet, if they lift the coveted Champions League, and kick some Barca butt.

I got converted into a football fan after the 1998 World Cup. Brazil's samba made me a Brazilian Indian, atleast in the sphere of football. Well not really a glory supported, I have supported Brazil ever since 1998. 2002 was truly majestic. Even though Brazil were a little lack-lustre that year, they pulled through remarkably and captured their 5th crown. I love them. This year, unlike 2002, Brazil are the favourites. With pace, flair and 'attack' written all over, they will only lose in the World Cup because they are too darn good. I hope not, but thats the tendency. The favourites have too much pressure and that pulls them down. Ronaldinho and Adriano are going to be the stars of this World Cup, and its evident that no team can match Brazil's brilliance. But the World Cup is known for its twist, and I just hope that Brazil won't be a part of it.

Here are my predictions:- (well, also 'hopes')

WINNERS - BRAZIL
(Yeah the clear favourites, both on paper and gamewise, so don't argue. Whatever you could argue about, I have already put in my earlier synopsis)

BEST PLAYER - RONALDINHO
(Don't even argue about this one, ok maybe Henry might give him a little competition, but the Arsenal Maestro doesn't seem to know how to perform for his country)

GOLDEN BOOT - ADRIANO
(Yeah ok, fight on, this award is always a surprise)

SILVER BOOT - MICHAEL OWEN
(Yeah I know he is out of form and all, but I won't be surprised if he comes back with a bang - he is quality and one of the only players I like from England)

BEST COACH - LUIS FILLEPE SCOLARI
(I have a lot of respect for this man, especially for his great exploits with Brazil in 2002. Portugal are lucky to have him as their manager. But the all time best manager ever, according to me, still is Arsene Wenger)

BIGGEST SURPRISE - THEO WALCOTT
(If this guy shows his true potential of a wonder kid in this year's World Cup, I won't be happy for England, but boy I would be counting my beloved Arsenal's blessings.)

MOST PROMISING TEAM - IVORY COAST
(Eboue, Toure and Drogba might produce some magic, and there's a high possibility of them emulating 2002's South Korea)

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT - GERMANY
(I know this sounds harsh, but I feel they don't have the props to make it big in this tournament, despite the home support. I therefore feel they will be the biggest disappointment of this World Cup)

THE TEAM I HATE THE MOST - ENGLAND
(Call me hypocritical, but I feel they are over-rated. They have never really 'performed', and their captain, Mr Becks, is especially frustrating)

MOST OVER-RATED PLAYER - RUUD VAN NISTELROOY
(Most of his goals are tap-ins. He is known for his silly, malicious attitude, and this World Cup he is going to be as frustrating. According to me, he's a born loser. Yeah he will score some dull goals this World Cup, but he will also prove how boring a footballer he is. Posh's Becks placed a close second for this award, by the way. Please feel free to differ)

You know what you need to do, you need to get gripped in this football frenzy. What do you feel? Who do you support? You can do the following to be heard:
1. Copy-paste the 'predictions' bit onto your comments, and give your predictions, with suitable reasons.
2. If that's too long and boring, just comment about your favourite team, or against anything you don't bloody with agree with on this post.
3. This you have to do. Create your own Fantasy World Cup team at http://fpli.premierleague.com/ and join this private league whose code is 14426-3932. Let your football wisdom unfold.

I hope you do atleast one of the above. Till later - blog on.
Keep up the football spirit and Brazil - kick some ass.

Blocked!

Ok, this has got nothing to do with MSN Messenger and my status on the list of my MSN buddies. It's just about a phase. Recently, my posts have been philosophical and commemorative in nature, but this one is a little more personal.

Have you ever reached a 'phase' in your life when you suddenly don't understand anything? Weird things happen. People who are really dear to you start frustrating you, and the funny thing is that you actually get frustrated. Indolence starts creeping in, and how much ever you want to change yourself, it doesn't happen. Weird. You start worrying about your future, your past, your responsibilities, your reputation, or in a nutshell - yourself. You worry, but you don't do anything, and that's where things go out of hand - you get blocked and stuck.

Don't get me wrong, my life does not suck. I am no hedonist. I believe problems and shortcomings are all a part of life. And life only gets better when you start to understand and correct them. But right now I am drowned with too many woes, which in no way should be mine. A lot of these woes have been transmitted from others, and have been created from self-construed conclusions and emotions, which ideally should not affect me. A lot of people have affected me to an extent that I am thoroughly perplexed. My thoughts have gone haywire. I worry too much. And the funny thing is that I know what my problem is - I have no control over my mind. And I also know the solution - Vipassana Meditation.

Ok, yeah, an unexpected solution, but hear me out. I am no ascetic nor a believer in any of these religious practices. But Vipassana is not a religios practice, in fact, it's a science. It is a proved science that teaches you to get control over your mind. My parents are ardent meditators, who practice Vipassana religiously (no pun intended), and the effect it has had on them is unbelievable. My dad, known for his extra-worrying-attitude (like mine), has benefited so much from it, that mentally and emotinally he has reached a self satisfying balance, which, especially for a doctor, is priceless.

What does Vipassana do? It imparts in you the powers of concentration, memory and self control. It preaches no religion and forces nothing upon you, but allows self purfication in an extremely logical and scientific way. It helps you to think more rationally and chase away all your extraneous fears and worries. All it asks for is diligence, and that is not easy. You have to read about Vipassana - http://www.dhamma.org/

This 'solution' has been laid down on a platter for me. Still, I am not making the most of it. Why?
That is what's worrying. I need to start focusing and working, and start studying! I need meditation, I need a peace of mind. It's easy to say but let's see if I actually start utilizing this solution? Because that's where I'm failing myself.

P.S - Apologies for a truly boring and self centered post, but sometimes your blog is a good place to vent.

My Mother

She is a working-wife. She is a house wife. She is a homeopathic doctor. She does most of the chores at home. She feeds us. She stimulates us. She binds us all together in a way that we are the strings of her guitar. Without her, we would almost fall apart. She keeps us fine tuned, and allows us to freely march into our own ambitions with little regard for anything else. Such little regard, that at times I feel I have disappointed her with my adamant harshness. She imbibes all our frustrations of school, work and play, and gives us the most amount of care. She doesn't abide with the Newton's 3rd law. She cares, and however we are with her, she will always continue to care. Every evening, when I come home tired and dead at 6:00 pm, my food is ready on the table. Every morning, she gets up at 5:40 am to make sure I get my school tiffin and my morning breakfast.

After all the hardwork at home, she has many achievements to be proud of. She is an ardent meditator who has done 3 Vipassana courses and has also travelled to Burma for her meditation. She has been in many news publications for her homeopathy, and on the 3rd of May, 2006 she was on the radio, on 99.3 Dubai FM. She is one of the most caring and supportive mothers ever, and I know that she will always be there for me, and for her entire family, like she always has.

It's just that I don't appreciate her efforts enough. So this is how I want to redeem myself.
"Dr.(Mrs) Deena Malpani, Mum, Wife - I salute you. We salute you." - Abha, Anish, Kishore.

The Past Few Weeks - The Greatest Lesson

The 'Past Few Weeks' saga came to an abrupt end. You see, there is this problem, called time, so many of the things that I wanted to write about did not actually make it up here. Fine. But this one is a must.

There comes a certain time in everyone's life (I guess) when reality dawns, and when we finally realise something so..well...DUH. This was just one thing, which I feel is the cause of all disappointment, cause of all problems, cause of all fights, cause of all hatred and well, everything else. This 'cause', I feel, is that we expect too much from people. Atleast I do, and as a matter of fact, quite frankly and unhaughtily, I should rephrase that too some of us expect too much from people. How many times have we heard people complaining 'he should have done that' or 'why is he late?'. Okay, yes expectations are required, otherwise this world would not function. Everybody expects, but the people who really suffer are who 'expect too much'. And I am one of them. It's not bad, actaully the intentions are all good, but it is harmful. Because when someone doesn't meet your expectations, you get disappointed, irritated, stressed and depressed. There is no need for that.

Be it your best friends, your girlfriend, your peers, your elders - everyone disappoints. It is not like they mean to, but then we get so troubled and demanding about everything, it just happens. The worst scenario is even when you talk to these people - and they still don't get it. It's so frustrating. You start thinking and speculating and wondering, and then the worst bit - you start to blame yourself. You don't feel like talking, you don't feel like doing anything for anyone, but then again you care. So you get even more perplexed, you feel like hitting your head against the wall, and then you try to do something about it instead - so you try to pick up the phone and call - But then again, you check yourself. STOP. No. How much can you say? That's when it hits you - stop it. Stop expecting so much. Continue to do what you want to, continue to try to meet other people's expectations, (not that it always happens - but I have realised it so I need to practice it as much as I can) continue caring and for once, putting other people before you - but without too many expectations.

I have somewhat started doing that and the feeling is awesome. If you haven't already realised, the most amount of joy is felt by us when we don't expect something and we get it. WOW! Think about it, I really don't know what you think - but to me, this holds a lot of reverence. As my Elvis puts it, reflect.

The past few weeks have taught me just that. It has come to me like a plate of food comes onto a wife-betrayer's face. But then again we need to question: How much do we expect from ourselves? Because we cannot not expect anything from ourselves, then we would end up no where. Again, reflect.

Robbie Williams In Dubai - The Aftermath

I am NOT gay - so don't judge. But...

Have any of your dreams come true? If they have, you will understand the pure euphoria that comes along with it. I had one such experience. After watching Robbie Williams blow everyone away at Live 8 with his mesmerising performance, and then watching him entertain 400,000 people at Knebworth on DVD, I felt that Robbie Williams would never come to Dubai, or that I would never be lucky enough to see him perform in his prime days.

But thanks to Midas Promotions, and Mr. Williams himself, this one dream of mine has come to life. It started with a hiccup as I mentioned in my earlier post, and ended with orgasmic joy at 10:50 pm on 21st April 2006.

Due to my absurdity, Billy, My-Favourite-Guitarist, Elvis, My-Best-Bald Friend and I reached Nad Al Shebha at 10:00 am (Gulf News got it wrong) for a show that would eventually begin only at 9:00 pm. We were the first few to reach there, and the most foolish ones because we didn't have front pit tickets. It was all my fault, so I apologize for it. But please note, for Robbie William's earlier concert in Pretoria, people had started lining up from 5:00 am - but then again I forgot, we lived in Dubai - the land of the pampered and the lazy.

Football, SAT study, and more football kept us occupied in a truly boring build up to the concert. The initial organisation was pretty poor, with no proper queues, and limited food arrangements. The queue fiasco was especially frustrating because our early arrival paid hardly any dividend. People like Ms. Ohri and Ms. Hussain got in at the same time as we did, even though they arrived 6 hours later. Anyway, it's cool - they are good company - :P.

Behind us in the queque, were these 4 Robbie fanatics. It was their third Robbie concert, and one of them had also been to Knebworth to watch him there. And, that my friends, is truly insane. Anyway, the night before the show, Robbie Williams was at 'Trilogy' - a bar in Dubai, and these groupies had met him there. Surprisingly he was a little rude to them - and they blamed it on the negative effects of money. But all I wanted to tell them was - hey, it's Robbie Williams - he must be high on alcohol or something, and hell, he has millions of 'No.1' fans - and he can't possibly be nice to everyone, especially after a high dosage of good old beer. Apparently he left the bar quited unhappy, his supposed last 2 words being - 'F*** that!'

The gates opened at 5:30 pm. The 7 and a 1/2 hours of waiting, which included Elvis' visit to the ambulance nearby because of his high fever, extreme heat and sheer restlessness, seemed worthwhile eventhough it didn't give us any real advantage. However these bulky self-obsessed, know-it-all, 'too-cool' bouncers committed a stupid error. They tried letting only one person go at time, one of 25000 people. Freaks. Obviously it didn't work, and luckily enough nobody assaulted them - but just pushed them aside instead. 25000 are definitely stronger then 2 bulky men.

It was then time for 'The Big Race'. Everyone sprinted to get as close as possible to the stage. Here's where fitness helps. We got the best standing area possible with our dhs. 195 tickets, and quite unexpectedly, it was pretty close to the stage.

Contrary to the external organisation, the internal arrnagements were excellent. However I pity the people with dhs 495, dhs 595 & dhs 695 tickets, because according to me those were not worth it. They were seated behind us, the cheapest ticket holders. And who the hell wants to sit down and watch Robbie perform?

An average DJ kept us going for some time, and then 3 and a half hours later, at 9:00 pm sharp, we witnessed magic. The lights went off, and on came the presentation on the big screen on the rear part of the stage. Breathtaking images of Robbie (more cool that 'hot') accompanied by entrancing sound effects, and heated firebolts made everyone hyper and eager. Finally, from beneath the stage, with streams of white smoke, emerged Robbie Williams in his long buttoned coat, cravat, jeans and sun-glasses, and our ears resonated with shrill cries of the crowd and then the beats of his first song that day - Radio. The crowd went offcially bezerk. We went offically bezerk. We were witnessing one of the greatest perfomerers ever. Rock DJ followed and that really got us going. Robbie played most of his hits, and kept us screaming continuously. His humour, his passion, his style, his talent and his charm came out with such ferocity that it left us incredulous to everything. It was like this mighty wave that crashed upon us, but instead of pushing us down, lifted us to such heights of ectasy that these moments would never be forgotten.

From his sexy camel pose, to deriding J.Lo, Robbie was pretty hilarious. It was a dual show - an amazing musical performance and a side-by-side stand-up comedy act. He imitated 'Jacko' and the great '106-years-old' Mick Jagger. His 'portrayal' of I Can't Get No Satisfaction along with a mockery of Mick Jagger's dance and voice was stomach-splitting. His Jenny From The Block 'emulation' (uhm..uhm) followed by a marvelous delivery of his modern-Shakespeare-like soliloquy added to a truly memorable night.

Robbie did screw up once - he messed up 'Ghosts' completely and also admitted it later - 'I scuffed it'. But that didn't really matter - he was totally awesome. The only downside of the whole concert was, quite frankly, the audience. We 'Dubaites' don't realise how lucky we are to see such great performers with such ease. The crowd wasn't bad, but it wasn't as frenetic as Robbie's usual fans - that I can tell from the many Robbie concerts I have seen before on DVD. There were many people who were there just for the hype. Anyway, everything can't be perfect.

The best permformances of the day were Kids and Let Me Entertain You. Kids is just a really good song, and the awesome,'brilliant' lights - as My Fave Guitarist puts it - made the song even more dynamic. But the best was when he really 'entertained' us. After the cliched act of saying 'Goodnight' and coming back onto stage, Robbie hit us with Let Me Entertain You. This is by far his best performance song. The magnificent lights, and the steamy firebolts, with a great background, one that Rubin and Mr James would be proud of, and the brilliance of the song itself made it the most exhilarating performance that I would probably ever witness.

At 10:50 pm the gig ended. Robbie made us 'feel' all the 'angels' above us, and 'made us pure'. Hopefully, I enthralled 'Ish' by carrying her on my back for Robbie's last song - 'Angels'. She seemed to have enjoyed it. However in the process she almost lost her shoe, and I almost broke some other female's knee.

Beside me, was a hysteric Billy, my Robbie buddy. He also equally enjoyed the concert. Actually, maybe a little more. For me it was orgasmic, for him, in his own words, it made him 'lose his virginity' - now you decide what's better? However his desperate efforts to show Robbie his pretty poor poster went in vain, but then again that was just a little glitch.

Also, it was in it's own way a romantic night. Billy and Lem, Tejas and Ms. Ohri and the other couples who I don't know were together, and enjoying a great, moving performance by his highness, Mr Williams. How I wish she was here! But then again, that night left Lem thinking whether Billy loved her more or Robbie Williams? :P
No people Billy is not bi. And Lem, chill. :)

It hasn't sunk in yet. I am still incredulous towards the fact that I actually witnessed this magical performer live, right in front of my eyes. For all those people who didn't watch this concert, you have obviously missed a chance of a lifetime.

I would again like to highlight the sheer joy and memories a 1 hour 50 minute concert can give, so if any of you get any chance of seeing Robbie, or any other good performer for that matter, grab it with your hands, your feet, your stomach and everything else that is possible - because it is rare. You certainly missed this one, but I didn't. Now looking back, those 8 hours of waiting don't seem that boring.

In short - Robbie Williams rocked the hell outta Dubai.

The Past Few Weeks - Robbie Williams

It took him 3 hours to apparently sell out when his tickets first went on sale in Dubai. I did not get a ticket. I am not blaming any one or anything - it was my ignorance that did not give me a ticket. Robbie Williams holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest selling tickets. If only I had known that before.

Distraught, I stopped listening to his music, because everytime I did, I felt depressed. I thought I had missed my chance to see him.

But one day, bolt from the blue, when I really needed it the most, my sister SMSed me that there are 2500 Robbie tickets going on sale at The One. I informed only Billy Shakespeare, my Robbie buddy, and we lined up at 5:00 am to get the tickets. We got the tickets, but even when we went that early, we were like 100th in the queue. But the twist was that the second flurry of tickets did not get sold out. So queuing at 5:00 am was not really worth it. But it was an experience on its own. People had slept over in the queue, which strangely enough, included my 'Prime Sports' boss. Coffee mugs, books, crosswords, disc-mans, ipods, chairs, beds, lots of food, playing football - every possible way of being occupied was engaged. That was cool, and fun.

The reason I have included this post in my "The Past Few Weeks" saga is that getting a Robbie William ticket was one of the few positives in the past few weeks. Though many people classify him and his music 'gay' (not literally, but synonymously loserish), he is by far one of the greatest performers of today. And knowing that I would get to see him gave me something to look forward to and something to lift me up in a time I felt so pathetic about myself and about everything around me. So Robbie, thanks. But the fight I had with my parents to get front pit tickets was unsuccessful. Now I only hope I won't regret that too much.

The Past Few Weeks - Charity Fundraiser

The rollercoaster ride has ended, or rather will end today. A part of it ended yesterday, a part of it will end on the 27th of this month, but today it will end - for us. This rollercoaster is unlike the rollercoasters of Dubai, you actually feel satisfied and thrilled after the ride.

Just like any rollercoaster, the initial excitement of a new beginning filled us all with ambition and vision, we wanted this Charity Fundraiser to be the best - ever! Regular practises and religious devotion made it seem that we were certainly going to break barriers. But like every rollercoaster, there were points where the thrill itself was so scary, that momentarily we were hit with these sudden phases of tension and terror. And like every rollercoaster, this ride had had its ups and downs. Misunderstandings and miscommunication led to clashes and emotional 'fights'. Unrelated personal catastrophes intertwined with apathy and resignation made it almost seem to me that the fairy-tale finish that we dreamed of will certainly not be achieved. Drowned by other matters like family, personal relationships, school and studies, for me these few days were almost traumatic in their own way, disseminated with a few moments of joy.

However it all came together in the end - like it always does - with special thanks to people who make us so confident as to the fact that it will come together. This gratitude is not for the performers, but for the people behind the scenes who dealt with even more pressure and tension. Hats off on a great tuesday show.

The Past Few Weeks - Student Politics

We have reached 12th grade, and the prefects have already been declared. A couple of students have been disappointed, but on the whole I feel it has been taken well.

According to me, the teachers have reached a very fair and just decision regarding the choice of prefects. They haven't been to generous, nor too stingy. However, they certainly do know how to build the tension - do not declare the 'Head-Boy' and the 'House Captains'.

Discerningly, a few of the students who will not get a badge have changed the attitude completely. An indifferent and conceited attitude has swept over them which is precisely why they don't deserve the badge. However, I do feel sorry for the 'lights-handler or Dinesh's replacement', who has really taken it well, even after some extreme initial frustration. He is now trying to show why he deserves the badge - props to him.

Who is headboy? Eventhough I am considered to be in the running for that coveted honour by a few people, I would quite frankly count myself out of the competition. Whether I feel I deserve it, is only for me to ponder upon and only for me to conclude - or rather, it doesn't matter. To an extent, it's all about what impression you give because it's nearly impossible for a teacher to know every student inside out and extremely fairly come to a decision. Moreover, it is near impossible to be liked by every single teacher because for that we need to take into consideration both the teacher's and the student's attitude, not only the student's.

It's 'near' impossible, because 1 person has sort off pulled it off - and he is a part of the potential 'wonder couple' - if you know what I mean. It's not necessarily good - but hats off to him - because it is difficult. My money is on him - or rather I am pretty confident about it. Or you never know, the talented Mr Verbose from Orion House may be the surprise package.

I have to admit that the prospect of being head-boy did fill me up with a little hope and tension, but now I can almost say - the school-prefect-headboy tension is over. Sometimes irritation and frustration did make me unstable, for I felt I did give a lot to this school. But now, honestly, it doesn't matter. All that matters of my experiences in school is how much I have learnt from them, and unpomphously - that's a lot.

In true essence, it doesn't matter what I become (as in, in school), because it will not stop me from what I aspire to do in school. And for that matter, it shouldn't matter to anyone what they become - as long as they know who they are and what they want to do.

Please feel to comment or confront me with your views.

The Past Few Weeks - Romance :P

However cliched and lame 'Romance' sounds, the past few weeks have had the scent of love, or to put it more prematurely - new bonds, which hopefully will mature into something more enduring.

• "You're-fat-you-suck" sayer and the gorgeous singer.
• Shyaaaat-up and nickcy.
• My best bald friend and 'my-miss-Bengali'-name-sounds-like person.
• The potential wonder couple - 'potential' because of the fact that they are not yet together, but it's coming soon...hopefully.

Read between the lines. Most of you won't get every connotation, but let's see how many you do get.

I wanted to start up with something positive - so I chose 'romance' because there is nothing like seeing my friends really happy. Now, it's my favourite guitarist's turn. :)

I am truly happy for every single couple mentioned above and let's hope that your relationships are prosperous, enjoyable and passionate - not constrained.

Read On - and Comment On - Let's see your almost-riddle-solving capacity.

The Past Few Weeks...

Am I blogstipated? No. It's just that the past few weeks have been so eventful and ambivalent, that they have occupied most of my time. Any spare time I had went in prudent thinking and character analysis. Yeah, that does sound weird, but still. Anyway 'being busy' should never be an excuse.

Politics, misconceptions, brilliance, carelessness, emotional breakdowns, new apparent 'love' or 'going-to-be love' bonds, fights, smashed hopes, new discoveries and life's biggest lesson - the past few weeks have had everything. From school to family, my life (however self cenetered it sounds) has had highs and lows, more of the latter, in these past tension filled days. It's not over yet, but boy I can't wait!

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa! sponsored by LULU Hypermarket

24th March, 2006 - the day when I got 2 free tickets for the live recording of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, the Indian singing competition show played on Zee TV, the day where the true colours of typical Indians once again flashed on my face and also the day when I ate KFC for the first time in over a year. I took Romit along with me, because he was my closest friend who knew atleast something about Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

Okay - you know how much I despise Indian Television, so I need to clearify why I went - I went because I was curious to know what happened behind the scenes. As in the 'Talias', the outakes and the ever prominent mistakes. Basically I took it as a learning curve, but it was more of farce, quite honestly.

Poor organisation, poor performances and extremely extremely irritating audience which, unfortunately Romit and I were a part of, but please note that we were not even close to the major contributors of irritation.

Firstly, inspite of having Very Very Important Person (VVIP) tickets, we were seated in the row furthest away from the stage, an area which didn't even come close to making the television frame. Later, when we did make it to the front, we were not too surprised to see people with the passes for the wrong day in the front row, after all it was an event organised by us Indians.

After every imaginary commercial break, Shaan started the program with a rather animated 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa- Middle East Ka Mukabla, sponsered by Lulu Hypermarket' - as if we, and the eventual television viewers, were retarded. You know what, maybe we were, because our retard-ness was emphasized when a few of us joined him in a truly 'wonderful' chorus. However this intro had more energy than all the participants combined - so that's good in way, isn't it?

I completely agree with Romit who said that the eventual dull and uninteresting winner will only end up as a back-up singer, for some sidey melodramatic hindi soap opera. All of them lacked, completely lacked star quality. They were like boiled eggs who couldn't move and who didn't even know the words to the songs they sung. One of the participants sung one of his songs twice because 'he forgot the words'. And guess what, this 'forgot-the-song-words' guy was the evetual winner. Uptill now, it was all a drag. After the intial fascination, all that followed was sheer boredom and apathy. Only one of the performers, Paresh, was decent. He was the crowd favourite. But, guess what, he did not win. The words-forgetter won. It was at this moment that things got exciting. The crowd was up in rebellion. The uncles, and aunties and Ali's Bhainji's all stood up and started screaming and taunting the TV producers - 'give this man chance one more!' And instead of ignorance, Ismailji, the gangster looking, bearded, long haired 'music' director, added coal to the fire and confronted the audience. At this point it got hilarious. Only after Paresh played the good boy and accepted his defeat did the crowd quieten. That was the end of the semi-finals.

The producers tried to get some order in the auditorium, and asked all the NON VVIP people to vacate the front row seats. Obviously this didn't happen. The co-ordinator then announced that saving seats was not allowed. But, he forgot that he was speaking to Indians. So instead of the stopage of this practise, the ambivalent public thought that this obviously meant that more seats needed to be saved. That was the explanation to the scattered empty seats in a supposed full auditorium.

From the last row, we tried to get into the first few rows. This was a difficult process, as more and more people were trying to get into the already front Sheikh Rashid auditorium. We, well we wanted to be on TV, and we were considerably large so we made into the first section. There were 4 empty seats next to us, so a man innocently came and sat there. A couple of minutes later, uncleji and auntyji came and told him to get up from their seats. They were like these are our seats, we were sitting on them earlier. The young man didn't know what to say. Then uncleji was like, 'Leave these people alone, they don't understand manners'. Hello, freak! Uncleji, don't you get it! Saving seats is not allowed, hell you had not even saved them. Don't you dare go on about morals and manners - people - ahh!

The supposed 15 minute break between the semi-finals and the finals strected to about 3 hours, which is not that bad, considering Indian standards. We obviously didn't wait. But my parents, who had also come along, were also there and they waited.

The canteen had its own story. It had some food, so there has to be some chaos. And there was, people were fighting for food, which did not look too good, as if they had never seen anything like it. Pushing, throwing and yelling for a useless burger and a Pepsi gave me a picture of savages fighting for food to survive.

We exited, and advised a few people outside, that it was not worth it. We then walked to KFC in Khao Gully, and I relished my first scrumptious leg piece. The genius combination of deliciously fried skin and well marinated meat, provided saliva for my mouth, that made me consume every bite like it was the last.

A profoundly deep and interesting conversation with Romit and his company was the only useful thing that illustrious day. My belief of the deficiency and discrepancy of Indian Television was further amplified. It was a memorable and learning experience - how not to be and how not to produce a television show.

Kishanji, Namaste

The above tiny man, with the mike in his hand and the camera next to him, certainly seems out of place. But guess what, they will soon say that he is the 'Speilberg' of Bollywood. This new director, has so much potential, it's unbelievable. Well, after all he is only 10 years old.

Yes, Kishan Shrikanth is only ten years old and his first film is due to be released this April. Though it looks ridiculous, this kid is a supposed 'genius'. Having acted in 1000 Kannada Soap Opera episode, and 24 regional films, this experienced kid does indeed show a lot of promise.

Kishan's first venture is going to be a Kannada film, C/O Footpath, and guess what, he has co-written it too.

But, as usual I am going to be critical. 10 years old, he has made a career in acting, why the hell does he want to start directing? And who in the right mind would invest 8 million rupees on him? According to me it's a publicity stunt. It has everything that media wants, youth, weirdness and intrigue. The only thing it doesn't have is sex-appeal. Hey but wait, Hollywood might be inspired by this and Paris Hilton might be paid to direct. And hell she does have it all.

Anyway, even BBC has been seduced by this stunt. It is definitely smart, but how long is it going to last. This BBC article about Kishanji is worth reading. I bet the producers, and the master-minds behind this are praying that their 8 million rupees is worth.

Dubai Desert Rock 06 Rocked!

Friday, 16th March, 2006. We lined up at 11:30 am, four and a half hours before the actual start of this 'mega' event. And deservingly got to be in the first row, yes the first damn row! As we were not real hardcore heavy metal rockers, we did frustrate a lot of long-haired men, who especially attacked Ali because he sported a 'Metallica' t-shirt in a 'Megadeth' concert, and that is quite daring, because Metallica and Megadeth don't really get along. Actually they kinda hate each other. Anyway that's Ali for you.

The first few minutes made us feel like we were in Hollywood - hundreds (ok not really, maybe like 5 or 6) of cameras flashed upon our faces, and we all gave poses and 'horn-fingers' and 'rocker-like' expressions (please see above). We were probably the gayest rockers there - but we bloody well enjoyed. As Ali says (who wore a 'Metallica' t-shirt, shorts, socks and floaters), 'It's all about the music, you need to feel it...' and bla. Anyway, our gay apparel was not so bad as we made it into quite a few papers such as the Emirates Evening Post, and City Times.

After the 'red-carpet' experience, the extravaganza finally started with 'Mannikind' - a local band. They weren't bad, but the lead singer was hilarious. He was considerably stout, and was jumping and head-banging like a freak, not to say he was only 17. For those 'Modernite's' who cannot imagine, picture Manish (no offense dude, you rock), with longish braided hair, jumping all over, and moving his head in an up-down motion, and screaming into the microphone. Scary, huh?

Then came 'Testament'. They were ordinary, not that good. We did not know their music, and maybe that's why they were not so exciting. But from experience (as in watching Sepultura last year), I can say that they were quite dry, but we were in the first row, so it was still fun! This concert was characterized, by this Iranian dude's white nose hair and constant stabbing motions. In his pursuit to push us away, and get into the first row, he gave us both entertainment and pain. He desperately tried to get between Ali and me, and guess what, he did eventually succeed, but that was only after giving us outrageous laughter and a view of his white nose hair. As expected, Ali was first to notice this. Anyway, this dude did not know proper english and did the following things:
1. He screamed(literally - those horse screams, like the one's of Brad Pitt in Troy when he's killing someone) for no apparent reason.
2. He showed the finger to everyone around for no apparent reason.
3. He shook his head so vigorously, that we thought it might come out.
4. He tried to hit on some school girl, by constantly giving her his hand and trying to let her come next to him in the first row, but I obviously didnot allow that.
5. He was not that bad though, because he made friends with security people in front of us and gave us free water.

The next band was Reel Big Fish. They played ska-rock. They were funky and hilarious. Great performers, who won the love of Harry. The band was basically a mix of hard rock, and trumpets and trampones. So it was quite different and fun.

Enter Tejas' 3 Doors Down. The most 'poppy' of the bands, they were the one's we wanted to watch the most, but they were the one's that nun of the heavy metal hard core rockers wanted to watch, who couldn't wait for Megadeth. They behaved like such losers, because they kept booing them and constantly chanted 'Megadeth'. They compared them to the 'Backstreet Boys' - and that was weird. And when the lead singer came into the crowd, these same rockers were like, 'I love you' and felt him up. Such hypocrites, and as Romit would say, 'Losers, man'. Anyway, Tejas knew every single word of every song they played, and as we were all in the front row, the lead singer Brad Arnolds obviously noticed, and thus began the great love story. Tejas' Brad almost came into the crowd and almost jumped on Tejas - literally. He shook his hand and then made continuous eye contact. At one point he also gave him the fingers, as in the horn fingers. It was then the turn of Tejas to go insane. Love must be reciprocated, so his constant 'Oh-My-God's and groans and wows must have made Brad proud. Anyway, Brad certainly made Tejas' day, and he certainly made ****** jealous (I don't think I am allowed to mention the name). Personally I enjoyed 3 Doors Down the most, because I knew some of their music, and generally prefer their sort of music to heavy, heavy-metal.

Then the main event - Megadeth - were okay. We took a step back to save ourselves, and save Tejas who would have definitely been squashed by the 'metal-hungry' rockers, who were basically drunk and insane. Ali enjoyed, and more importantly survived Megadeth because he fought like a brave soul and stayed in front. Where as the rest of us found them to be average, I actually fell asleep at one point. But that was maybe because I was too tired.

All in all, it was an extremely memorable day, and a day I will not easily forget... (add all other cliches please)

I feel concerts are the epitomes of entertainment. The amount of joy and pure energy that a good band can give off is amazing. This only refers to popular good bands, and not any other side show. So what I basically want to say is, see as many concerts as you can - because they are loads of fun and great memories.

Rock on!

We Are The Arsenal!

The historic victory against Madrid loomed over Highbury as the Gunners took on the 'Champions of Europe' in their second premier league meeting. And well, Arsenal lived up to their billing and pulled off a 2-1 victory with two goals from Henry, but what should be highlighted is the Gerrard howler. Gerrard was caught unaware, and a careless back pass let lose the gallant Henry - and there was only one result.

Liverpool have been pushed aside. But what I want to highlight is the sheer determination and youthful exuberance with which Arsenal are playing at present. More than the Liverpool game, the 2nd-leg home fixture againt Madrid was a showpiece of the grit and passion of the Arsenal team. A young team, missing the likes of Cole and Lauren, battled it out as if their lives were on the line. Tackles flying in, unbelievable blocks, and non-stop running propelled the Arsenal to the quarterfinals of Europe's premier tournament.

Besides Henry, players worthy of a mention are Hleb, Fabregas, Reyes, Ljunberg, Eboue and Toure. The energy with which they played against Madrid was not only laudable, but was also a moment of pride for the Arsenal fans. The hearts of the Arsenal faithful were thumping with joy as they heard the final whistle at Highbury on that memorable Wednesday night.

Arsenal have progressed, but only to stumble upon the Italian Chmapions, Juventus. Viera is coming back to Highbury, but this time in a black and white shirt. The fixture is mouth-watering. Don't count Arsenal out yet. With able leadership and an Arsenal team brimming with confidence and dedication, the Turin team will definitely be asked questions, afterall it was only an unbelievable, last-minute goalkeeping blunder that put them into the next round.

My previous Arsenal posts have almost been bad-luck charms, as the highs mentioned by me have been followed by terrible lows. But I don't believe in such kind off luck, let's just wait and see if I should.

Widening The Blogosphere

Ok, I am going to be a very good blogger and do a bit of advertising. As our exams have ended, most of the people I know, will probably be sitting and doing nothing - so here is just something intriguing + funny.

Let me give you a few blogs to visit, and believe me each one is special. All are not good, but are still special.

1. Newley Purnell - This guy inspired my sister to blog, who in turn inspired me, and the chain has continued. His blog is quite interesting - worth a read! A voracious blogger, he expresses the strangest of happenings in the world, and himself is an ardent traveller.

2. New York Hack - This female is a New York Cab driver by day, and blogger by night. Her gifted writing has won her more than 140,000 hits a week, and she has been covered in 'The Times' and in 'Gulf News'. She writes about her experiences with her passengers and is quite frank and outspoken - is a fascinating read.

3. 'My Dirty Little Secrets' - Ok, this is a funny stupid one. I was using the 'visit random blog' option at 'www.blogger.com' and I came across this site. A 16 year old CRAZY female who writes aboslute shit on her blog. It's quite funny, and she is quite conceited - thinks she's damn good looking. Dream on, girl! :P - Its quite funny - go check it out. However crap it is, it's won my attention - so hell it can't be that bad.

4. Vinita Bharadwaj - Does the name sound familiar? Well it won't but just check out the Gulf News tabloid. She is one of the journalists, and a good friend of my sister. It's a decent blog, and it's interesting for us because we can relate to it - as in the fact that she's in Dubai.

5. Elite Football Talk - All those people who think they have decent football knowledge, do visit this site and express yourselves - they are very good at replying and host very healthy football discussions and analysis.

Enjoy - all are worth visiting.

A Blog Chain (:-P)

Believe me, there has developed some sort off a chain blog post, that I am forced to follow. My maha sister has passed the 'tag' to me.

But before I do so, let me first express my dogmatic approach to chain mails - absolutely pathetic. Death threats (if you don't forward this, then u will die), stupid jokes, name lists (:S), friend threats (I find this one particularly bemusing - 'oh, you will be come friendless, if you don't forward this'),love stories, personality tests (this I despise,especially when people try to judge you with your favourite choice of colour) and what not! I don't even read half of them, it's called 'untouched disposal' - straight into the trash can. Yes there are some exceptions, such as when the twins and Gomezzz hit it off about elephants and trumpets. Those are quite entertaining, even the miss velocity one was quite hilarious - and it also gave us an 'MI' period from you know who.

So my message to these 'forwarders' is that please avoid forwarding void stuff to people because of superstious beliefs or plain boredom, believe you me, there is a lot more to life. (:P)

Ok, now I am going to be a hypocrite. But wait blog chains don't count - they are not that annoying, and I am almost forced to do this because my sister is the one who has 'tagged' me. So...

Four jobs that I’ve had:-
Student
Student
Student
2-week-voluntary work at Ten Sports/Prime Sports as an 'Assistan Producer'. (:P - honest!)

Four movies that I could watch over and over:-
Identity
Gladiator
The Matrix
Rang De Besanti

Four places I’ve lived in:-
Amravati, India - well I was born there, just that, but it's important.
Aurangabad, India
Dubai, UAE
Dubai, UAE

Four TV shows that I like:-
Friends
American Idol
Everwood - call me 'gay' if you want - but that show rocks!
Does an Arsenal Premiership match count?

Four places where I’ve vacationed:-
Australia - Darwin was the best, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast
England - Manchester United Soccer Schools, Yarm, London
Turkey - Istanbul
Bhandaradhara - A semi-hill station town in Maharashtra, India

Four of my favorite dishes:-
Chinese all the way! - Chicken Lollipops - yeah I know it's a common favourite
Pav Bhaji (:P)
Thai green curry
Pooran Poli - a Maharashtrian sweet chapatish roti.

Four sites that I visit daily:-
www.soccernet.com
www.youtube.com
www.arsenal.com
www.elitefootballtalk.blogspot.com

Four Bloggers that I’m going to tag with this:
The 'Serious' Thinker
The Verbose tall-person
The 'Twins' Irritator
Mathew

Once again I apologize for the hypocrisy.
Blog On!

Best Of The Best Of Bush

Respected President of the United States Of America, World 'Leader', Mr George Bush,

We bow at your stupidity, and the fact that you are one proud jackass. Forgive me for the profanity but the truth is the truth.

Every single one of you has to watch both these videos:

This one's called "George W Bush's Best Hits'



And this one is called "George Bush's Top Ten Moments".



His own country ridicules him. The President of the most powerful country does have a, uhm 'funny' side.

I wonder how Bush handles the pressure, actually I know how he handles it, he just doesn't seem to care. He doesn't care about his image, says the stupidest things, and takes the worst decisions. How the hell is he still President? It's unbelievable. He is, as the twins would say, 'deplorable, and goes against everything that modern stands/holds for'.

Let's hope America doesn't get it wrong again, as in after the Bush era. Comment on.