Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Salman Shahid, Linda Arsenio
The scene is post US invasion Afghanistan where the dreaded Taliban are on the run. Many have been captured and scores have been killed. It is under such a scenario that John Abraham and Arshad Warsi, two rookie mediamen decide to interview the Taliban and make a name for themselves back home. They hire an Afghan driver, who promises them a meet with some captured Talib fighters in exchange for some hard cash, only to find out that they have fled after a gun fight with the Afghans guarding them!
Our bumbling protagonists then run into a Reuters photographer (Linda), who is at her skeptical best at the overall state of affairs in post-war Afghanistan. Their wish of meeting a Talib is granted as one (Salman) lands up in their car and demands to be taken to the Pakistan border. Thus begins a string of adventures and misadventures as our duo
along with the driver try to get rid of the Talib fighter, who also happens to carry an AK-56 along as insurance! One one occasion, they almost manage to get rid of him, only to realize that he still posseses their passports. And so, the Talib tags along with them again. It is now that they learn that he is on the payroll of the Pakistan Army, although the Pakistanis vehemently deny the presence of any of their personnel in Afghanistan. The story takes a series of twists and turns giving our duo an extended opportunity to know the Talib's story.
Although the movie lacks a plot and a flowing storyline, it makes up for it with the beautiful visuals and subtle humour. Arshad Warsi is at his best, coming up with one witty oneliner after another. Salman Shahid also comes out as a good actor, playing the role of a Talib. One of the highlights of the movie is the debate between Salman and Arshad on who is the greatest cricketing allrounder. John Abraham is his usual self, acting clueless and trying his best to fit in to the role. The director has done a sensible thing by not having any songs in the movie, because of which the storyline flows nicely.
All in all, its a nice little movie, easy on the brain with some good humour thrown in at regular intervals. It doesn't promise much but delivers what it promises!
Rating: 3
(1: Trash, 2: Bearable, 3: Average, 4: Good, 5: Excellent)
Friday, December 29, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Crazy Kiya Re! - A Review of Dhoom-2
Director: Sanjay Gadhvi
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu, Uday Chopra
Yes, this is exactly was I was thinking (no not the song from the movie!) as I walked out of a half-empty theatre on Monday evening after watching the much-hyped sequel to Dhoom!
This was one eagerly awaited movie with stars such as Hrithik, Aishwarya and Bipasha joining Abhishek and Uday on a speed trip. It held a lot of promise especially since the first one was a runaway success. However, as is the case with most sequels, it turned out to be a damp squib. Read on for more details on one of the most wasted movies of 2006!
The opening sequence shows a sleek four coach train rumbling through the deserts of Namibia. In a brilliant scene, Hrithik sky-dives from a helicopter and intercepts the train with the intent of stealing a precious crown (!) which is being carried on board. What follows is absolute mayhem with gravity defying stunts, which would put even Mithun & Rajni to shame! This sets the tone for the rest of the movie as the characters pull off one unbelievable stunt after another; stunts which would have made Newton redefine the principle of gravity!! And bikes! One gets to see bikes only towards the end of the movie, whereas they were the main theme in the first episode. The locales used are quite spectacular, especially Rio and I would have liked a stunt or two at the Cristo Redentor!
Uday Chopra does what he is good at! Play stupid. Period. And that silly hairband is an ingenious way he's devised to conceal his receding hairline :-) Abhishek has acted decently, however he has taken that serious, grumpy look in the film a bit too far. Aishwarya looks genuinely good; till she keeps her mouth shut. Once she starts speaking, however, her giggly, girlish voice comes through quite clearly. Bipasha Basu, I feel has been wasted in this movie. She is a fine actress, and looks quite hot as well, but the story and the plot just do not do justice to her. I mean - what the hell was her part as the Brazilian chick all about?? Was the director trying to get even with her for a past dispute? I would have personally loved to see Bipasha play Ash's character. Hrithik shines out as the best of the lot. He has done perfect justice to his character as a master of disguise, stealing artifacts from supposedly impenetrable fortresses, and leaving behind his insignia at the scene of the crime.
A special mention must be made about the gadgets in the movie, which I thought were absolutely laughable. Bipasha and Abhishek roam around with Bluetooth mobile headsets passing off as radio transceivers. The height is Bipasha pulling out her cellphone to talk to Uday Chopra while still wearing the Bluetooth headset!! C'mon now, how difficult is it to find realistic (if not real) gadgets in this age? And the scene with the undetectable (atleast to the security personnel posted at the museum) remote controlled vehicle stealing the diamond from its well guarded mount is only surpassed in sheer preposterousness by the scene in which Hrithik replaces it with a holographic image!!!
The music is a real let down too. If the first part had some catchy and well placed numbers, this one had some rank bad numbers, which looked as if they were crudely inserted into the storyline. Some innovation should have been shown here as there is not a single song in the entire soundtrack, which is noteworthy. Hrithik too needs to learn some new dance moves as he is seen grooving to the six year old dance moves from Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai!
To be fair to the movie, it is a one time watch! Go see it only if you want to see Bipasha in a bikini or Hrithik changing appearances a la The Jackal. Forget it if you expect anything close to the original Dhoom...
Rating: 2
(1: Trash, 2: Bearable, 3: Average, 4: Good, 5: Excellent)
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu, Uday Chopra
Yes, this is exactly was I was thinking (no not the song from the movie!) as I walked out of a half-empty theatre on Monday evening after watching the much-hyped sequel to Dhoom!
This was one eagerly awaited movie with stars such as Hrithik, Aishwarya and Bipasha joining Abhishek and Uday on a speed trip. It held a lot of promise especially since the first one was a runaway success. However, as is the case with most sequels, it turned out to be a damp squib. Read on for more details on one of the most wasted movies of 2006!
The opening sequence shows a sleek four coach train rumbling through the deserts of Namibia. In a brilliant scene, Hrithik sky-dives from a helicopter and intercepts the train with the intent of stealing a precious crown (!) which is being carried on board. What follows is absolute mayhem with gravity defying stunts, which would put even Mithun & Rajni to shame! This sets the tone for the rest of the movie as the characters pull off one unbelievable stunt after another; stunts which would have made Newton redefine the principle of gravity!! And bikes! One gets to see bikes only towards the end of the movie, whereas they were the main theme in the first episode. The locales used are quite spectacular, especially Rio and I would have liked a stunt or two at the Cristo Redentor!
Uday Chopra does what he is good at! Play stupid. Period. And that silly hairband is an ingenious way he's devised to conceal his receding hairline :-) Abhishek has acted decently, however he has taken that serious, grumpy look in the film a bit too far. Aishwarya looks genuinely good; till she keeps her mouth shut. Once she starts speaking, however, her giggly, girlish voice comes through quite clearly. Bipasha Basu, I feel has been wasted in this movie. She is a fine actress, and looks quite hot as well, but the story and the plot just do not do justice to her. I mean - what the hell was her part as the Brazilian chick all about?? Was the director trying to get even with her for a past dispute? I would have personally loved to see Bipasha play Ash's character. Hrithik shines out as the best of the lot. He has done perfect justice to his character as a master of disguise, stealing artifacts from supposedly impenetrable fortresses, and leaving behind his insignia at the scene of the crime.
A special mention must be made about the gadgets in the movie, which I thought were absolutely laughable. Bipasha and Abhishek roam around with Bluetooth mobile headsets passing off as radio transceivers. The height is Bipasha pulling out her cellphone to talk to Uday Chopra while still wearing the Bluetooth headset!! C'mon now, how difficult is it to find realistic (if not real) gadgets in this age? And the scene with the undetectable (atleast to the security personnel posted at the museum) remote controlled vehicle stealing the diamond from its well guarded mount is only surpassed in sheer preposterousness by the scene in which Hrithik replaces it with a holographic image!!!
The music is a real let down too. If the first part had some catchy and well placed numbers, this one had some rank bad numbers, which looked as if they were crudely inserted into the storyline. Some innovation should have been shown here as there is not a single song in the entire soundtrack, which is noteworthy. Hrithik too needs to learn some new dance moves as he is seen grooving to the six year old dance moves from Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai!
To be fair to the movie, it is a one time watch! Go see it only if you want to see Bipasha in a bikini or Hrithik changing appearances a la The Jackal. Forget it if you expect anything close to the original Dhoom...
Rating: 2
(1: Trash, 2: Bearable, 3: Average, 4: Good, 5: Excellent)
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Casino Royale - A Review!
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench
Pragmatic, rational, earthy, unfantastic, authentic! That's how I would define 007 in his latest adventure - Casino Royale! Daniel Craig, who was once a dark horse for the role of the sauve British spy has done more than justice to the oft abused character. And Director Martin Campbell has done an excellent job in keeping the story and the plot believable.
The film opens with a superb sequence showing how Bond gets his "00" status which leads into the famous gun barrel shot and the opening credits. Then there is the slightly stretched (in all senses of the word) chase through a construction site and a neatly executed killing at an embassy.
The film has some superb visuals from the jungles of Madagascar to the beaches of the Bahamas but none of the outrageous and unrealistic special effects that we have seen in the past few Bond movies. The film is also light on the usual Bond gadgets but this is understandable considering the absence of the inventor of these gadgets - Q. Also missing is Miss Moneypenny whose absence Bond reminds us when he meets Vesper Lynd, an accountant (& his love interest) tasked by the government to look after the $10 million given to him to play poker against the evil Le Chiffre - an banker who handles accounts for terrorists. However, M is definitely present in the movie and has a neat role. The story is a combination of fast paced action & stunts on one hand and slow, deliberate drama on the other and the director has managed to seamlessly merge both!
The movie also portrays Bond as a sensitive, caring and a somewhat vulnerable human being rather than the robotic, unbreakable, indestructible engine that we have seen in the Pierce Brosnan series. How many times have you seen James Bond recuperating in a hospital? As I said earlier, the director has made the storyline really believable.
The usual Bond cars are on full display including a brand new Aston Martin DBS and an unreleased Ford Mondeo 2007. Also making an appearance is the classic 1964 Aston Martin. Sony Corporation seems to have paid a princely sum to the producers as Sony products including the Vaio notebook, a Sony digital camera and a Sony Ericsson K800i mobile phone can be seen at different times through the movie.
The closing sequence is also different as compared to the traditional Bond movies which show him rollicking around with one of the Bond Girls. Here, the director has chosen to keep the story running right till the last minute which is also when you get to hear the famed punchline "The name's Bond, James Bond!"
All in all it is a great movie with a brilliant cast. Daniel Craig really stands out as 007 in his maiden shot at the role of the spy with the license to kill!! Go watch it!
Rating: 4
(1: Trash, 2: Bearable, 3: Average, 4: Good, 5: Excellent)
Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench
Pragmatic, rational, earthy, unfantastic, authentic! That's how I would define 007 in his latest adventure - Casino Royale! Daniel Craig, who was once a dark horse for the role of the sauve British spy has done more than justice to the oft abused character. And Director Martin Campbell has done an excellent job in keeping the story and the plot believable.
The film opens with a superb sequence showing how Bond gets his "00" status which leads into the famous gun barrel shot and the opening credits. Then there is the slightly stretched (in all senses of the word) chase through a construction site and a neatly executed killing at an embassy.
The film has some superb visuals from the jungles of Madagascar to the beaches of the Bahamas but none of the outrageous and unrealistic special effects that we have seen in the past few Bond movies. The film is also light on the usual Bond gadgets but this is understandable considering the absence of the inventor of these gadgets - Q. Also missing is Miss Moneypenny whose absence Bond reminds us when he meets Vesper Lynd, an accountant (& his love interest) tasked by the government to look after the $10 million given to him to play poker against the evil Le Chiffre - an banker who handles accounts for terrorists. However, M is definitely present in the movie and has a neat role. The story is a combination of fast paced action & stunts on one hand and slow, deliberate drama on the other and the director has managed to seamlessly merge both!
The movie also portrays Bond as a sensitive, caring and a somewhat vulnerable human being rather than the robotic, unbreakable, indestructible engine that we have seen in the Pierce Brosnan series. How many times have you seen James Bond recuperating in a hospital? As I said earlier, the director has made the storyline really believable.
The usual Bond cars are on full display including a brand new Aston Martin DBS and an unreleased Ford Mondeo 2007. Also making an appearance is the classic 1964 Aston Martin. Sony Corporation seems to have paid a princely sum to the producers as Sony products including the Vaio notebook, a Sony digital camera and a Sony Ericsson K800i mobile phone can be seen at different times through the movie.
The closing sequence is also different as compared to the traditional Bond movies which show him rollicking around with one of the Bond Girls. Here, the director has chosen to keep the story running right till the last minute which is also when you get to hear the famed punchline "The name's Bond, James Bond!"
All in all it is a great movie with a brilliant cast. Daniel Craig really stands out as 007 in his maiden shot at the role of the spy with the license to kill!! Go watch it!
Rating: 4
(1: Trash, 2: Bearable, 3: Average, 4: Good, 5: Excellent)
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
I Rule the Road and the Law!!
No, that ain't a dialog out of the Wild West, but a stark reality on our roads.
Last Sunday, a few rich, drunk teenagers after a night of revelry, lost control of their car and mowed down six people sleeping on the pavement at Carter Road, Bandra. Fourteen others were injured in the accident
One of the kids who were in the car mentioned that they were just unlucky to be involved in that accident!! And what about the luck of the people who you killed?? It is not as simple as you think pal!!! Precious lives have been lost here....
How often has this happened on our roads? And how often have the culprits been punished for their crimes? Its the same old story all over again - they get arrested, there is a "trial" and eventually they go away scot free! Look at the Salman Khan case, which is lying in deep freeze since the past four years, while he continues to rake in his millions. What about the families of the people who were killed? How are they going to earn their daily bread? The ones who died were construction workers who used to live on a meagre daily income!
It is high time that those in power cut through all the bureaucracy and red tape and get straight to the judgement. We need to make sure that the verdict in such cases is delivered in quick time and adequate compensation is handed out to the victims! We need to make an example of this so that no one would dare commit such a heinous deed.
Will this ever happen or is it just a pipe dream??
Last Sunday, a few rich, drunk teenagers after a night of revelry, lost control of their car and mowed down six people sleeping on the pavement at Carter Road, Bandra. Fourteen others were injured in the accident
One of the kids who were in the car mentioned that they were just unlucky to be involved in that accident!! And what about the luck of the people who you killed?? It is not as simple as you think pal!!! Precious lives have been lost here....
How often has this happened on our roads? And how often have the culprits been punished for their crimes? Its the same old story all over again - they get arrested, there is a "trial" and eventually they go away scot free! Look at the Salman Khan case, which is lying in deep freeze since the past four years, while he continues to rake in his millions. What about the families of the people who were killed? How are they going to earn their daily bread? The ones who died were construction workers who used to live on a meagre daily income!
It is high time that those in power cut through all the bureaucracy and red tape and get straight to the judgement. We need to make sure that the verdict in such cases is delivered in quick time and adequate compensation is handed out to the victims! We need to make an example of this so that no one would dare commit such a heinous deed.
Will this ever happen or is it just a pipe dream??
Ten Shortest Books of All time!
Ever wondered what you should read when you're feeling down? Here is a comprehensive list of some of the best literature from around the world!
How to Stay Out of Controversy - by Rakhi Sawant
I Make My Own Destiny - by Saddam Hussein
Doing Business with North Korea - by George W Bush
Keeping it Clean - by Shoaib Akhtar & Mohd Asif
Nukes Are Passe - by Kim Jong Il (North Korean "President")
The Art of Making Successful Murder Mysteries - by Karan Johar
I Love Tigers - by Mahinda Rajapaksa (Sri Lankan President)
Life In the Limelight - by Osama Bin Laden
How To Take Decisions On Your Own - by Manmohan Singh
And the record breaking, chart busting, award winning -
How to win a Cricket Tournament - by Rahul Dravid, Greg Chappel & the BCCI wisemen.
How to Stay Out of Controversy - by Rakhi Sawant
I Make My Own Destiny - by Saddam Hussein
Doing Business with North Korea - by George W Bush
Keeping it Clean - by Shoaib Akhtar & Mohd Asif
Nukes Are Passe - by Kim Jong Il (North Korean "President")
The Art of Making Successful Murder Mysteries - by Karan Johar
I Love Tigers - by Mahinda Rajapaksa (Sri Lankan President)
Life In the Limelight - by Osama Bin Laden
How To Take Decisions On Your Own - by Manmohan Singh
And the record breaking, chart busting, award winning -
How to win a Cricket Tournament - by Rahul Dravid, Greg Chappel & the BCCI wisemen.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Another one joins the Club!
The elite but dubious club of nations possessing nuclear weapons just got another member last week when North Korea muscled its way in. It was a nightmare come true for the international community as North Korea conducted an underground nuclear explosion on October 9th. The country had been threatening to conduct the test over the last few weeks and it finally let the nuclear genie out of the bottle.
This incident has changed the geo-political equations in one sweep as North Korea has a fairly advanced ballistic missile program. It has missiles which are quite capable of reaching most cities in Asia and possibly the United States. This means that countries in the immediate vicinity; which are allies of the US, such as South Korea and Japan are under direct threat from the North Korean N-bomb. It now remains to be seen whether North Korea actually has the technology to miniaturise the weapon to be able to fit it on a ballistic missile.
The test was clearly aimed at unsettling the United States as the US had been increasingly upping the ante against the Communist State over the past few months. Initially the US did not openly confirm the test inspite of confirmations from neighbouring countries like Russia and South Korea. The condemnation was swift nevertheless with President Bush threatening widespread sanctions on North Korea. The official US confirmation came only today, a week after the test.
What happens now? Well, a nuclear North Korea has opened a can of worms. This will surely encourage other countries to speed up their quest to go nuclear. Another, more practical scare is the potential, clandestine export of nuclear technology from North Korea to other rogue nations. This trade will be quite tempting to the North Koreans considering the blockade on the import of almost every modern technology. This will also encourage otherwise peaceful countries like Japan and South Korea to aim for nuclear weapons if they feel threatened. Suddenly the largest continent in the world will become a ticking nuclear time bomb.
What can be done? The most obvious step that will be taken is imposing sanctions against North Korea. However, this will not achieve much except starve the already impoverished citizens of the country. Adapting a hawkish stand will only push the country further into a corner and force it to adopt an aggressive stand. The best bet would be to recognize the real dangers of a nuclear North Korea and allow it some breathing space. The need of the hour is to involve and engage the North Korean people and make them feel part of the world community. The South Koreans would have to play a major role here if this is to succeed. The US should stop its trigger happy stance and agree to sit across the discussion table. History has shown that military invasion has achieved very little. Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq are shining examples and these were not even close to possessing nuclear weapons(although Saddam Hussein did try his best). The US and the world community should work out a reasonable development package for North Korea in return for dismantling the nuclear program. The package should be comprehensive and aimed at improving the quality of life of the average North Korean. The idea should be to win over the hearts and minds of the people and not just a fancy gift meant for the elite. And the most important thing is - stay away from making threatening, rash and irresponsible comments in the media.
The last thing we want is a couple more nuclear states springing up and changing the world order forever!
This incident has changed the geo-political equations in one sweep as North Korea has a fairly advanced ballistic missile program. It has missiles which are quite capable of reaching most cities in Asia and possibly the United States. This means that countries in the immediate vicinity; which are allies of the US, such as South Korea and Japan are under direct threat from the North Korean N-bomb. It now remains to be seen whether North Korea actually has the technology to miniaturise the weapon to be able to fit it on a ballistic missile.
The test was clearly aimed at unsettling the United States as the US had been increasingly upping the ante against the Communist State over the past few months. Initially the US did not openly confirm the test inspite of confirmations from neighbouring countries like Russia and South Korea. The condemnation was swift nevertheless with President Bush threatening widespread sanctions on North Korea. The official US confirmation came only today, a week after the test.
What happens now? Well, a nuclear North Korea has opened a can of worms. This will surely encourage other countries to speed up their quest to go nuclear. Another, more practical scare is the potential, clandestine export of nuclear technology from North Korea to other rogue nations. This trade will be quite tempting to the North Koreans considering the blockade on the import of almost every modern technology. This will also encourage otherwise peaceful countries like Japan and South Korea to aim for nuclear weapons if they feel threatened. Suddenly the largest continent in the world will become a ticking nuclear time bomb.
What can be done? The most obvious step that will be taken is imposing sanctions against North Korea. However, this will not achieve much except starve the already impoverished citizens of the country. Adapting a hawkish stand will only push the country further into a corner and force it to adopt an aggressive stand. The best bet would be to recognize the real dangers of a nuclear North Korea and allow it some breathing space. The need of the hour is to involve and engage the North Korean people and make them feel part of the world community. The South Koreans would have to play a major role here if this is to succeed. The US should stop its trigger happy stance and agree to sit across the discussion table. History has shown that military invasion has achieved very little. Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq are shining examples and these were not even close to possessing nuclear weapons(although Saddam Hussein did try his best). The US and the world community should work out a reasonable development package for North Korea in return for dismantling the nuclear program. The package should be comprehensive and aimed at improving the quality of life of the average North Korean. The idea should be to win over the hearts and minds of the people and not just a fancy gift meant for the elite. And the most important thing is - stay away from making threatening, rash and irresponsible comments in the media.
The last thing we want is a couple more nuclear states springing up and changing the world order forever!
Friday, October 06, 2006
To Hang or not to Hang?
This is the question that is on everyone's mind; from the President of India to the prison guard keeping vigil over Mohammad Afzal, one of the key conspirators involved in the suicide attack on the Parliament on December 13th, 2001.
Afzal's wife and his family have met the President today with a mercy petition for the terrorist. Her plea is that because Afzal has lost faith in the Indian Justice system. Yeah right, since when have terrorists started believing in Justice Systems? The attack on the Parliament was a daredevil stunt and was a slap for all that Indian democracy stands for. Adding weight to the voice of Afzal's wife were so called social activists who feel that hanging Afzal would be a stigma on Indian Democracy? One such voice was Arundhati Roy, who off late has come to oppose anything and everything under the sun! Why are these guys so obsessed with the human rights of only one individual? What about the scores of guards who died in that attack? Didn't these guys have human rights too? Didn't they deserve to live? Who had given people like Afzal the right to kill them? Is this the meaning of Democracy?
If we spare Afzal today, what will stop the terrorist outfits from hijacking another Indian aircraft and demand that he be released? Besides, why should one invest time, money and energy in keeping a hardened terrorist alive and well? These guys think that India is a "soft state" and it is high time the we set an example that some insane individuals cannot hold a nation of 1 billion people to ransom. A strong example that we dont want anything to do with terrorists and we wouln't shy away from eliminating them.
Afzal's wife and his family have met the President today with a mercy petition for the terrorist. Her plea is that because Afzal has lost faith in the Indian Justice system. Yeah right, since when have terrorists started believing in Justice Systems? The attack on the Parliament was a daredevil stunt and was a slap for all that Indian democracy stands for. Adding weight to the voice of Afzal's wife were so called social activists who feel that hanging Afzal would be a stigma on Indian Democracy? One such voice was Arundhati Roy, who off late has come to oppose anything and everything under the sun! Why are these guys so obsessed with the human rights of only one individual? What about the scores of guards who died in that attack? Didn't these guys have human rights too? Didn't they deserve to live? Who had given people like Afzal the right to kill them? Is this the meaning of Democracy?
If we spare Afzal today, what will stop the terrorist outfits from hijacking another Indian aircraft and demand that he be released? Besides, why should one invest time, money and energy in keeping a hardened terrorist alive and well? These guys think that India is a "soft state" and it is high time the we set an example that some insane individuals cannot hold a nation of 1 billion people to ransom. A strong example that we dont want anything to do with terrorists and we wouln't shy away from eliminating them.
Its Even!!
Two races left in the Championship and the score is tied at 116! Yes, both Alonso and Schumacher are at 116 points each with Schumi nosing slightly ahead on the basis of more race wins.
The Chinese Grand Prix was full of drama as wet conditions during qualifying gave the cars with Michelin tyres an advantage over their Bridgestone counterparts. The Renaults of Alonso and Fisichella qualified one-two with Schumacher qualifying in a lowly sixth position.
The start of the race was no better as the conditions were wet and windy. Both the Renaults made a quick start and Alonso pulled away from the rest of the pack in no time. Three laps down, it looked as if Alonso was in a different league altogether. Schumacher looked barely in form to challenge him anytime soon. However, the track began drying and Schumacher began putting in some stonking laps. The intermediate Bridgestones began to gain grip and Schumi's lap times went into a free-fall. He made up places and was soon in the third spot behind Alonso and Fischella.
Renault then started playing the team game with Alonso allowing a faster Fisichella to overtake him while he held back Schumacher. Alonso then "overtook" Fisichella to regain the top spot. Isn't this going against the spirit of Formula One, an accusation Renault has often leveled against Ferrari. Schumacher had nothing to do with it and managed to overtake both the Renaults to take the lead. Alonso looked like he was really struggling and the Renault pit crew messed things up further.
Finally, the German crossed the chequered flag to bring up the 91st Grand Prix victory of his career and drew level with Alonos in the Drivers' Championship. Alonso finished second whereas Fisichella finished third. Ferrari's second driver Felipe Massa failed to finish the race after a collision forced him to retire.
The Japanese Grand Prix is next with both Alonso and Schumacher tied at 116 points and Renault just one point ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship. Over to Suzuka for the penultimate race of the season and also of Schumacher's racing career.
The Chinese Grand Prix was full of drama as wet conditions during qualifying gave the cars with Michelin tyres an advantage over their Bridgestone counterparts. The Renaults of Alonso and Fisichella qualified one-two with Schumacher qualifying in a lowly sixth position.
The start of the race was no better as the conditions were wet and windy. Both the Renaults made a quick start and Alonso pulled away from the rest of the pack in no time. Three laps down, it looked as if Alonso was in a different league altogether. Schumacher looked barely in form to challenge him anytime soon. However, the track began drying and Schumacher began putting in some stonking laps. The intermediate Bridgestones began to gain grip and Schumi's lap times went into a free-fall. He made up places and was soon in the third spot behind Alonso and Fischella.
Renault then started playing the team game with Alonso allowing a faster Fisichella to overtake him while he held back Schumacher. Alonso then "overtook" Fisichella to regain the top spot. Isn't this going against the spirit of Formula One, an accusation Renault has often leveled against Ferrari. Schumacher had nothing to do with it and managed to overtake both the Renaults to take the lead. Alonso looked like he was really struggling and the Renault pit crew messed things up further.
Finally, the German crossed the chequered flag to bring up the 91st Grand Prix victory of his career and drew level with Alonos in the Drivers' Championship. Alonso finished second whereas Fisichella finished third. Ferrari's second driver Felipe Massa failed to finish the race after a collision forced him to retire.
The Japanese Grand Prix is next with both Alonso and Schumacher tied at 116 points and Renault just one point ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship. Over to Suzuka for the penultimate race of the season and also of Schumacher's racing career.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Massa on top
After a three week hiatus, the 22 car F1 caravan hit the circuit for the Turkish Grand Prix. With the hangover from the Hungarian Grand Prix still present, this race promised to be a keenly fought contest. The qualifying sessions on Saturday put a Ferrari on pole as usual. The only difference being, the guy in the driver's seat wasn't Schumacher but his team-mate - Felipe Massa. Schumacher qualified in the second place followed by his title rival Alonso.
There was entertainment right from the word go as Giancarlo Fisichella spun going into the first corner, causing a multi car pile up behind him. This took out a score of cars including Mc Laren's Kimi Raikkonen, who has almost equalled Super Aguri's record of retirements this season!! Lap 13 brought bad luck again as the safety car came out following the stalling of Vitantonio Liuzzi's Toro Rosso. Everyone tried to gain advantage of the situation by coming in to the pits. What could have been a gem of a move turned out to be a disaster for Ferrari, as Michael Schumacher had to literally wait behind his team mate while he refuelled. This gave Alonso the much needed opportunity to overtake Schumi and this set the tone for the laps to follow.
Schumacher drove at his spirited best to try and reduce the gap between Alonso and him and in the process ran wide of the track losing more time in the bargain. The last third of the race was a two-way battle between Alonso and Schumacher as they battled for the second spot and some valuable championship points. Meanwhile Massa drove a copybook race and kept out of trouble throughout. He crossed the chequered flag to win his first ever Grand Prix victory in Formula One. Alonso and Schumacher took the battle right down to the wire and Alonso finally won by half a car length to gain a two point advantage over his rival.
The gap between the two top drivers has now widened to 12 points with four races still to go. The next race at Monza - the home ground for Ferrari, will be a make or break one for Schumacher if he wants to keep his championship hopes alive.
There was entertainment right from the word go as Giancarlo Fisichella spun going into the first corner, causing a multi car pile up behind him. This took out a score of cars including Mc Laren's Kimi Raikkonen, who has almost equalled Super Aguri's record of retirements this season!! Lap 13 brought bad luck again as the safety car came out following the stalling of Vitantonio Liuzzi's Toro Rosso. Everyone tried to gain advantage of the situation by coming in to the pits. What could have been a gem of a move turned out to be a disaster for Ferrari, as Michael Schumacher had to literally wait behind his team mate while he refuelled. This gave Alonso the much needed opportunity to overtake Schumi and this set the tone for the laps to follow.
Schumacher drove at his spirited best to try and reduce the gap between Alonso and him and in the process ran wide of the track losing more time in the bargain. The last third of the race was a two-way battle between Alonso and Schumacher as they battled for the second spot and some valuable championship points. Meanwhile Massa drove a copybook race and kept out of trouble throughout. He crossed the chequered flag to win his first ever Grand Prix victory in Formula One. Alonso and Schumacher took the battle right down to the wire and Alonso finally won by half a car length to gain a two point advantage over his rival.
The gap between the two top drivers has now widened to 12 points with four races still to go. The next race at Monza - the home ground for Ferrari, will be a make or break one for Schumacher if he wants to keep his championship hopes alive.
Snip Snip Snip
India is a democracy; this is what we proudly proclaim to the whole world. Democracy means "Rule of the people, By the people and For the People" was what I learnt from my Civics textbook back in high school. Sadly, this definition is hardly followed today if one takes a look at the unnecessary and senseless legislations being passed today. The situation is no different than what exists in China or Pakistan!
The court order banning showing of adult content on TV is one such case. The Mumbai police with nothing better to do on its hands raided a few cable operators showing such "adult" content and seized their equipment. The cable operators decided to block all satellite channels except Doordarshan(!!) in retaliation.
Cable operators block satellite channels.
This brings to my mind two things. The first & the most important one is: If we are indeed a democracy, shouldn't we have the freedom to decide what should we watch on TV? We are a nation of extremely diverse culture and sensibilities and what is offending to one culture may not be necessarily offending to another. So, should we just go ahead and block anything and everything? The court has apparently acted on a complaint filed by one such ultra stupid lady who was offended watching such content on her TV. Heck
woman, doesn't your TV come with a remote control? It takes just a flick of your thumb to switch to another "less offending" channel!! If the high court starts banning stuff based on such complaints, I have a whole list of things that I want to complain about? Are you ready??
The second thing is: Who decides on what is "adult" and what is not? This is the definition of adult as per Dictionary.com
Adult: Having attained full size and strength; grown up; mature: an adult person, animal, or plant.
It is quite obvious that the people sitting up there do not fit the definition of being an adult themselves! Content of an adult nature is meant for the consumption of adults, people who are mature and have the ability to discern between right and wrong. Blocking adult content on TV implies that the millions of grown ups across the country are zombies who do not possess the ability to think for themselves and therefore are not adults at all!!
Time and again it has been proved that the more you try to restrict someone's freedom, the more rebellious they become. Take the case of states which have enforced prohibition. Its common knowledge that almost anyone can obtain a bottle of liquor on the sly, if one wishes to. Similarly, banning adult content on TV will force people to look towards other avenues for entertainment.
Its high time the government gets rid of its old socialist (communist?) mindset and let people choose what is right and what is wrong. There are hundreds of other issues that need immediate priority attention.
The court order banning showing of adult content on TV is one such case. The Mumbai police with nothing better to do on its hands raided a few cable operators showing such "adult" content and seized their equipment. The cable operators decided to block all satellite channels except Doordarshan(!!) in retaliation.
Cable operators block satellite channels.
This brings to my mind two things. The first & the most important one is: If we are indeed a democracy, shouldn't we have the freedom to decide what should we watch on TV? We are a nation of extremely diverse culture and sensibilities and what is offending to one culture may not be necessarily offending to another. So, should we just go ahead and block anything and everything? The court has apparently acted on a complaint filed by one such ultra stupid lady who was offended watching such content on her TV. Heck
woman, doesn't your TV come with a remote control? It takes just a flick of your thumb to switch to another "less offending" channel!! If the high court starts banning stuff based on such complaints, I have a whole list of things that I want to complain about? Are you ready??
The second thing is: Who decides on what is "adult" and what is not? This is the definition of adult as per Dictionary.com
Adult: Having attained full size and strength; grown up; mature: an adult person, animal, or plant.
It is quite obvious that the people sitting up there do not fit the definition of being an adult themselves! Content of an adult nature is meant for the consumption of adults, people who are mature and have the ability to discern between right and wrong. Blocking adult content on TV implies that the millions of grown ups across the country are zombies who do not possess the ability to think for themselves and therefore are not adults at all!!
Time and again it has been proved that the more you try to restrict someone's freedom, the more rebellious they become. Take the case of states which have enforced prohibition. Its common knowledge that almost anyone can obtain a bottle of liquor on the sly, if one wishes to. Similarly, banning adult content on TV will force people to look towards other avenues for entertainment.
Its high time the government gets rid of its old socialist (communist?) mindset and let people choose what is right and what is wrong. There are hundreds of other issues that need immediate priority attention.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
What a race!!
Drama that began even before the race did and continued even after the chequered flag! This is how one would describe the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. This was one of the most keenly contested and unpredictable races in recent times. Only when the last 3-4 laps were remaining, could one predict the winner! How I wish all the remaining races of the season would turn out like this!
The Friday practice results threw up fastest times for the test drivers as usual. However, Saturday morning brought some shocking news. Both the title contenders, Schumacher and Alonso were penalised two seconds on each qualifying lap(!) due to some apparently dangerous overtaking maneuvers during the morning practice sessions. The race stewards have recently come up with some really strange penalties and our football referees can very well learn from them instead of just handing out yellow & red cards :-)
The stiff penalties would mean that no matter how fast Schumi and Alonso drove, they would be relegated to somewhere on the back of the grid. Qualifying on Saturday saw both the champions setting some fast times. However, inspite of a scorching qualifying lap, Schumacher qualified eleventh and Alonso fifteenth. Schumacher's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa looked almost set to start from the front till Kimi Raikonnen grabbed the pole position from him in the dying seconds of the third qualifying session.
This was just the beginning of all the drama as a strong morning spell of rain made the track wet & slippery. All the pre-calculated race strategies went for a toss as the cars switched to the wet treaded tires, conditions which promised a real humdinger of a race. The start of the race saw both Schumacher and Alonso gobble up the poor, unsuspecting drivers in the middle rows and make up a good 4-5 places. The track proved really slippery and the first one to crash out was Mark Webber in his Williams Cosworth. Schumacher known as the master in wet conditions was struggling in his Ferrari and it did not take Alonso too long to overtake him. Alonso looked in sublime form as he effortlessly negotiated the treacherous conditions and built up a huge lead over Schumacher, who had problems in keeping off the second Renault of Fisichella.
Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen drove superbly and one thought that the Flying Finn, as he is know might finally win this race. However, his extended bad luck continued as this time he was taken out of the race in a spectacular accident on Lap 25 by a slow moving Vitantonio Liuzzi. I think, Kimi Raikkonen must definitely be the driver with the most rotten luck in the history of Formula One. Kimi Raikkonen's retirement meant that Alonso was back in the front. Renault once again looked like the team that can do nothing wrong till the 51st lap when Alonso made a pit stop and put on dry weather tires. This looked like a master-stroke from Renault as the track had begun to dry out in a lot of areas and the dry weather tires would give Alonso some much needed speed. However, the car began slipping and sliding and it was evident that all was not right. Alonso finally crashed into the barriers, putting an end to hopes of gaining any points in the race.
One man's loss is another's gain - they say, and Schumacher proved this saying right as he put in some stonking laps to gain places and move into the second place behind race leader Jenson Button. He looked all set to gain some valuable championship points and cut down Alonso's lead to practically nothing. All seemed well till the 67th lap of the race when the Ferrari slowed down considerably and eventually returned to the pit-lane bringing the championship equation back to square one!! Jenson Button in his Honda finally won his maiden Grand Prix with Pedro De La Rosa in a McLaren coming in second and Nick Heidfeld of BMW-Sauber coming in third. It was good to see new faces on the podium for a change and this would be a real encouragement for the younger and newer F1 drivers.
If you thought this was enough drama for a day, you are mistaken! Coz, Robert Kubica, the first Polish driver to race in a Formula One was disqualified from his seventh place finish as his BMW-Sauber was found to be two kgs(!!) lighter at the finish. Because of this, Massa who finished eighth moved up one place to earn two points and surprise surprise - Michael Schumacher, who had been classified as ninth, was awarded eighth place and a priceless point, cutting down Alonso's overall lead to just 10 points!!
With five more races to go, just ten points separating the top two drivers and new drivers tasting victory, the Driver's Championship is heading for a fighting finish! Gone are the days of Ferrari or Renault domination! The Constructor's championship is also hotting up with Ferrari just seven points behind Renault. Also, with a few driver change announcements from the top teams in the pipeline for the next season, the next couple of months are really something to watch out for!
I am donning my Ferrari cap and keeping my fingers crossed! :-)
The Friday practice results threw up fastest times for the test drivers as usual. However, Saturday morning brought some shocking news. Both the title contenders, Schumacher and Alonso were penalised two seconds on each qualifying lap(!) due to some apparently dangerous overtaking maneuvers during the morning practice sessions. The race stewards have recently come up with some really strange penalties and our football referees can very well learn from them instead of just handing out yellow & red cards :-)
The stiff penalties would mean that no matter how fast Schumi and Alonso drove, they would be relegated to somewhere on the back of the grid. Qualifying on Saturday saw both the champions setting some fast times. However, inspite of a scorching qualifying lap, Schumacher qualified eleventh and Alonso fifteenth. Schumacher's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa looked almost set to start from the front till Kimi Raikonnen grabbed the pole position from him in the dying seconds of the third qualifying session.
This was just the beginning of all the drama as a strong morning spell of rain made the track wet & slippery. All the pre-calculated race strategies went for a toss as the cars switched to the wet treaded tires, conditions which promised a real humdinger of a race. The start of the race saw both Schumacher and Alonso gobble up the poor, unsuspecting drivers in the middle rows and make up a good 4-5 places. The track proved really slippery and the first one to crash out was Mark Webber in his Williams Cosworth. Schumacher known as the master in wet conditions was struggling in his Ferrari and it did not take Alonso too long to overtake him. Alonso looked in sublime form as he effortlessly negotiated the treacherous conditions and built up a huge lead over Schumacher, who had problems in keeping off the second Renault of Fisichella.
Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen drove superbly and one thought that the Flying Finn, as he is know might finally win this race. However, his extended bad luck continued as this time he was taken out of the race in a spectacular accident on Lap 25 by a slow moving Vitantonio Liuzzi. I think, Kimi Raikkonen must definitely be the driver with the most rotten luck in the history of Formula One. Kimi Raikkonen's retirement meant that Alonso was back in the front. Renault once again looked like the team that can do nothing wrong till the 51st lap when Alonso made a pit stop and put on dry weather tires. This looked like a master-stroke from Renault as the track had begun to dry out in a lot of areas and the dry weather tires would give Alonso some much needed speed. However, the car began slipping and sliding and it was evident that all was not right. Alonso finally crashed into the barriers, putting an end to hopes of gaining any points in the race.
One man's loss is another's gain - they say, and Schumacher proved this saying right as he put in some stonking laps to gain places and move into the second place behind race leader Jenson Button. He looked all set to gain some valuable championship points and cut down Alonso's lead to practically nothing. All seemed well till the 67th lap of the race when the Ferrari slowed down considerably and eventually returned to the pit-lane bringing the championship equation back to square one!! Jenson Button in his Honda finally won his maiden Grand Prix with Pedro De La Rosa in a McLaren coming in second and Nick Heidfeld of BMW-Sauber coming in third. It was good to see new faces on the podium for a change and this would be a real encouragement for the younger and newer F1 drivers.
If you thought this was enough drama for a day, you are mistaken! Coz, Robert Kubica, the first Polish driver to race in a Formula One was disqualified from his seventh place finish as his BMW-Sauber was found to be two kgs(!!) lighter at the finish. Because of this, Massa who finished eighth moved up one place to earn two points and surprise surprise - Michael Schumacher, who had been classified as ninth, was awarded eighth place and a priceless point, cutting down Alonso's overall lead to just 10 points!!
With five more races to go, just ten points separating the top two drivers and new drivers tasting victory, the Driver's Championship is heading for a fighting finish! Gone are the days of Ferrari or Renault domination! The Constructor's championship is also hotting up with Ferrari just seven points behind Renault. Also, with a few driver change announcements from the top teams in the pipeline for the next season, the next couple of months are really something to watch out for!
I am donning my Ferrari cap and keeping my fingers crossed! :-)
Monday, July 31, 2006
Un Dos Tres - Ferrari are back with a vengeance!
Three wins in three races - it almost looks like a repeat of the 2004 F1 season as Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa made it a Ferrari one-two at the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim on Sunday. It was a dream win for Schumacher at his home Grand Prix in front of thousands of Tifosi supporting the Scuderia Ferrari team. With this win, Schumi has further eroded Alonso's lead in the driver's championship this year and is now only 11 points shy of the world champion. Alonso suddenly does not look like the calm, invincible juggernaut he was at the start of the season. Ferrari have put a sudden stop to Renault's & Alonso's quest for a second successive world championship. The Ferrari 1-2 has brought back memories of the era when the two scarlet cars of Schumacher and Barrichello used to race alone, far ahead of the rest of the pack. The second place result for Massa has also robbed Renault of precious points in both the drivers' and constructors' championships.
The Renault team looked a pale shadow of itself with a fifth and a sixth place finish for Alonso and Fisichella. Alonso did not look comfortable in his blue-yellow machine and never looked like challenging Schumacher. Renault will have to do some serious brainstorming and out-of-the-box thinking to stop the momentum that Ferrari have built up over the past three races. Renault top-boss Flavio Briatore seemed to be doing just that as he was seen discussing animatedly with the Michelin guy after the end of the race. It will take them more than just sheer speed to topple Ferrari's combination of speed, strategy and skills.
Another outcome of the Hockenheim race was the return to form for Kimi Raikonnen. Although a two place drop after a pole position in qualifying, he atleast managed to appear on the podium after almost a month. Raikkonen, although a brilliant driver capable of beating the world's best on his day, seemed to have been blessed with rotten luck as his McLaren Mercedes failed him on more than one occasion. Now, the battle for the third place in the driver's championship would get hotter if Raikkonen continues to finish amongst the leaders. I just hope that McLaren gets their act together and allow Raikkonen to be competitive over the remainder of the season, so that it does not end up being only a Ferrari-Renault battle.
With three successive race wins under his belt and able support from Massa and the Ferrari team, Schumi has all the momentum on his side to win more races going ahead. The action now shifts to the Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lets see if Ferrari makes it four in a row and further dents Renault's chances or will Alonso rise from the ashes (or should I say the pitlane?) and stop Schumi in his tracks?
The Renault team looked a pale shadow of itself with a fifth and a sixth place finish for Alonso and Fisichella. Alonso did not look comfortable in his blue-yellow machine and never looked like challenging Schumacher. Renault will have to do some serious brainstorming and out-of-the-box thinking to stop the momentum that Ferrari have built up over the past three races. Renault top-boss Flavio Briatore seemed to be doing just that as he was seen discussing animatedly with the Michelin guy after the end of the race. It will take them more than just sheer speed to topple Ferrari's combination of speed, strategy and skills.
Another outcome of the Hockenheim race was the return to form for Kimi Raikonnen. Although a two place drop after a pole position in qualifying, he atleast managed to appear on the podium after almost a month. Raikkonen, although a brilliant driver capable of beating the world's best on his day, seemed to have been blessed with rotten luck as his McLaren Mercedes failed him on more than one occasion. Now, the battle for the third place in the driver's championship would get hotter if Raikkonen continues to finish amongst the leaders. I just hope that McLaren gets their act together and allow Raikkonen to be competitive over the remainder of the season, so that it does not end up being only a Ferrari-Renault battle.
With three successive race wins under his belt and able support from Massa and the Ferrari team, Schumi has all the momentum on his side to win more races going ahead. The action now shifts to the Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lets see if Ferrari makes it four in a row and further dents Renault's chances or will Alonso rise from the ashes (or should I say the pitlane?) and stop Schumi in his tracks?
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Blocking the Blog
State of the art! This is the response you would get if you asked any of the Indian ISPs about their technology & equipment. But this term surely does not apply to their management and employees. How else would you justify the blanket blockage of the blogspot, geocities and other domains?? The recent ban on the blogging sites show that they have gone totally overboard and blocked entire domains instead of specific blogs. How difficult is it to block a handful of URLs mentioned by the Government? It looks like the ISPs have employed worthless idiots who either do not know their job or are too lazy to take the effort and have taken the easy way out. I remember another incident more than a year ago when, acting on Government instructions, they blocked Yahoo Groups in India. The motive was to block a few offending mailing lists! No lessons seem to have been learnt from that episode, it seems!!
Of course, at this point I must also invove the honourable Government of India which is so much like the police in Bollywood movies - showing up after a fight is over, to pick up the pieces. If the Govt. was really serious about preventing inflammatory and communal messages from being spread around, the blockage of the offending sites should have been done long ago! What is the point in going into a paranoid mode now and banning things left, right and center? What would be blocked next? Email? Cellphones? the Internet?? It is really strange that even though we are in a democracy, we are beginning to see Government censorship and control on the lines of China and North Korea!
The need of the hour is to use these technologies to spread the word of peace around and not to ban things! Instilling confidence in the people in times like these would be more constructive rather than adopting a defensive posture and showing that we are running scared from a handful of madmen.
Of course, at this point I must also invove the honourable Government of India which is so much like the police in Bollywood movies - showing up after a fight is over, to pick up the pieces. If the Govt. was really serious about preventing inflammatory and communal messages from being spread around, the blockage of the offending sites should have been done long ago! What is the point in going into a paranoid mode now and banning things left, right and center? What would be blocked next? Email? Cellphones? the Internet?? It is really strange that even though we are in a democracy, we are beginning to see Government censorship and control on the lines of China and North Korea!
The need of the hour is to use these technologies to spread the word of peace around and not to ban things! Instilling confidence in the people in times like these would be more constructive rather than adopting a defensive posture and showing that we are running scared from a handful of madmen.
Insanity in the name of religion!
Place: Mumbai - 11th July 2006
Time: 6:24PM - 6:35PM
7 bombs explode on suburban trains during the evening rush hour.
Around 200 people are killed and hundreds more are injured.
Only people with absolutely no trace of emotion, compassion or humanity would think of doing something like this!
This ain't no jihad or religous war as claimed by some mindless terrorists but a cold blooded massacre. A war takes place between two armies - not between armed men and unarmed, innocent civilians. No religion would condone killing of innocent people in the name of religion. This is terrorism at its worst! Planned & executed to create the maximum impact on people both physically and psychologically.
It is time for us to forget our petty differences and disputes and unite against this insanity. Let us educate and enlighten people about the need for peaceful co-existence as this is the only way we as a nation can progress and re-claim our position as the most admired country on the planet.
Time: 6:24PM - 6:35PM
7 bombs explode on suburban trains during the evening rush hour.
Around 200 people are killed and hundreds more are injured.
Only people with absolutely no trace of emotion, compassion or humanity would think of doing something like this!
This ain't no jihad or religous war as claimed by some mindless terrorists but a cold blooded massacre. A war takes place between two armies - not between armed men and unarmed, innocent civilians. No religion would condone killing of innocent people in the name of religion. This is terrorism at its worst! Planned & executed to create the maximum impact on people both physically and psychologically.
It is time for us to forget our petty differences and disputes and unite against this insanity. Let us educate and enlighten people about the need for peaceful co-existence as this is the only way we as a nation can progress and re-claim our position as the most admired country on the planet.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
The clash of the Titans!!
The semi-finals are over and the battle-lines for the final are drawn!
After fighting through against lesser and on occasion better opponents, Italy and France have managed to enter the finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The way these sides played throughout the tournament has been contrasting - Italy playing good football consistently whereas France starting slow and picking up their game during the knockout stages. However, if their performances during the semi-finals is an indicator of things to come, the final promises to be one hell of a contest...
In their semi-final clash against Germany, Italy came across as a determined and focussed team. Their tackling was superb and passing was immaculate. The way they snatched the ball from the Germans showed that the side meant business and set the tone for the entire match. The Germans on the other hand were playing a safe and subdued game. It looked as if they had set their sights on a penalty shootout right from kick-off. All seemed to go well for the Germans when suddenly during the 119th minute during the second extra-time a brilliant goal by Grosso left the Germans shell-shocked. Before they could even recover from the goal and think about scoring an equaliser in the last couple of minutes of the match, Del Piero sent another one to the back of the net to hand Italy a 2-0 victory over Germany and a place in the finals. After dominating throughout the tournament it was sad to see a good side lose in the dying moments of a closely fought match. The German team and the fans however took it in their stride and showed that they weren't bad losers like Argentina!!
The second semi-final saw a resurgent France taking on a charged-up Portugal. Portugal having got the better of England during the quarter finals looked eager to take on the former world champions - a side filled with ageing players. Of course, a point to note was that France had Zenedine Zidane amongst their ranks, who showed that age does not matter in their previous encounter against Brazil. Zizou as he is popularly called played sublime football and his passes were as good as they come. The match was evenly contested till the 33rd minute, when Zidane scored through a penalty and put the Portugese on the back foot. France had drawn first blood and they held their nerve through the 90 minutes and put an end to the Portugal dream run. Les Bleus as they are called were on their way to Berlin for a clash against Italy on Sunday - August 9th.
Some snippets to chew on till August 9th
1) Italy have made the World Cup finals every 12 years from 1970 and are three time winners
2) France have won once - on home soil in 1998
3) Italy have Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Luca Toni in their ranks
4) France have Patrick Vieira, Thiery Henry and the grand old man - Zidane in their ranks.
5) Buffon looks like a better keeper than Barthez
6) Its almost time for Zidane to hang up his boots and he would love to make a mark in his final World Cup.
7) On current form, Italy look a better equipped side but on their day France can get rid of even the best sides - ask Brazil!!
I can hardly wait for the grand finale to begin; and with Germany eliminated I will root for both the sides :-) May the best team win!!!
After fighting through against lesser and on occasion better opponents, Italy and France have managed to enter the finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The way these sides played throughout the tournament has been contrasting - Italy playing good football consistently whereas France starting slow and picking up their game during the knockout stages. However, if their performances during the semi-finals is an indicator of things to come, the final promises to be one hell of a contest...
In their semi-final clash against Germany, Italy came across as a determined and focussed team. Their tackling was superb and passing was immaculate. The way they snatched the ball from the Germans showed that the side meant business and set the tone for the entire match. The Germans on the other hand were playing a safe and subdued game. It looked as if they had set their sights on a penalty shootout right from kick-off. All seemed to go well for the Germans when suddenly during the 119th minute during the second extra-time a brilliant goal by Grosso left the Germans shell-shocked. Before they could even recover from the goal and think about scoring an equaliser in the last couple of minutes of the match, Del Piero sent another one to the back of the net to hand Italy a 2-0 victory over Germany and a place in the finals. After dominating throughout the tournament it was sad to see a good side lose in the dying moments of a closely fought match. The German team and the fans however took it in their stride and showed that they weren't bad losers like Argentina!!
The second semi-final saw a resurgent France taking on a charged-up Portugal. Portugal having got the better of England during the quarter finals looked eager to take on the former world champions - a side filled with ageing players. Of course, a point to note was that France had Zenedine Zidane amongst their ranks, who showed that age does not matter in their previous encounter against Brazil. Zizou as he is popularly called played sublime football and his passes were as good as they come. The match was evenly contested till the 33rd minute, when Zidane scored through a penalty and put the Portugese on the back foot. France had drawn first blood and they held their nerve through the 90 minutes and put an end to the Portugal dream run. Les Bleus as they are called were on their way to Berlin for a clash against Italy on Sunday - August 9th.
Some snippets to chew on till August 9th
1) Italy have made the World Cup finals every 12 years from 1970 and are three time winners
2) France have won once - on home soil in 1998
3) Italy have Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Luca Toni in their ranks
4) France have Patrick Vieira, Thiery Henry and the grand old man - Zidane in their ranks.
5) Buffon looks like a better keeper than Barthez
6) Its almost time for Zidane to hang up his boots and he would love to make a mark in his final World Cup.
7) On current form, Italy look a better equipped side but on their day France can get rid of even the best sides - ask Brazil!!
I can hardly wait for the grand finale to begin; and with Germany eliminated I will root for both the sides :-) May the best team win!!!
Schumi wins again!!
It finally happened!! And I thought that the champion in red had forgotten how to win a race. And what better place to win than the scene of the biggest fiasco Formula 1 has seen in recent times - The U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis. And a Ferrari 1-2 finish was the icing on the cake!!
Prelude: After four wins on the trot by Fernando Alonso, Team Renault were looking as if they would run away with the drivers championship in a hurry. One race after another - Alonso drove like a man possessed and looked like he was in a world of his own right from the start of the race right till the chequered flag. It was common to see him open up a huge gap over his opponents in the first couple of laps itself. Schumacher's performance in comparison was mediocre to say the least! The best he could manage in the last four races was a second place in the Spanish, British and Canadian events. There was no way the 37-year old champion was going to take this lying down. At the start of the weekend, no one would have given Ferrari even an outside chance of winning. However, the qualifying results on Saturday proved everyone wrong. Schumacher and team mate Felipe Massa qualified 1-2 to put Ferrari on the front row for the race on Sunday. I couldn't have been happier and hoped Schumi would break the monotonous Renault bull-run that we have been seeing this year.
Raceday: Thankfully all eleven teams finished the warm up lap and lined up on the starting grid successfully unlike last year. The five lights illuminated and went off and the race started. Schumi made a slow start allowing Massa to take the lead. Alonso made a rapid start as well & challenged his team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. Meanwhile, at the back of the grid, there was utter chaos as cars rammed into each other at the first corner to create a pile-up that took atleast half a dozen cars out of the equation including the McLarens of Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya. The ensuing safety car period meant that Schumi had to be content driving zig-zag behind Massa. Once the safety car was in, Massa showed that he is no minnow and pulled away from the rest of the pack. It looked as if Schumacher would have to play second fiddle this time to his own team mate. However, a clever pit strategy and a flying lap after the pit-stop allowed him to regain the lead. From then on, it was vintage Schumacher as he set one fastest lap time after another. Never in the entire race did Alonso look dangerous enough to challenge the Ferrari ace. Both the Ferraris kept up their pace and finally after 73 laps, Michael Schumacher crossed the chequered flag to win the 2006 US Grand Prix. Felipe Massa came in second and Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella was third.
Thus broke Renault's four race domination which frankly was becoming really boring. I can now imagine how it must have been for the other teams and their supporters during Schumacher's continuous reign over Formula 1 before Alonso took over last year! I hope Ferrari remain competitive and give Renault a real run for their money. As far as Mc Laren, Honda and the other teams are concerned, it looks like they will have to watch to watch the battle from the side-lines or should I say the pit-lane??
Prelude: After four wins on the trot by Fernando Alonso, Team Renault were looking as if they would run away with the drivers championship in a hurry. One race after another - Alonso drove like a man possessed and looked like he was in a world of his own right from the start of the race right till the chequered flag. It was common to see him open up a huge gap over his opponents in the first couple of laps itself. Schumacher's performance in comparison was mediocre to say the least! The best he could manage in the last four races was a second place in the Spanish, British and Canadian events. There was no way the 37-year old champion was going to take this lying down. At the start of the weekend, no one would have given Ferrari even an outside chance of winning. However, the qualifying results on Saturday proved everyone wrong. Schumacher and team mate Felipe Massa qualified 1-2 to put Ferrari on the front row for the race on Sunday. I couldn't have been happier and hoped Schumi would break the monotonous Renault bull-run that we have been seeing this year.
Raceday: Thankfully all eleven teams finished the warm up lap and lined up on the starting grid successfully unlike last year. The five lights illuminated and went off and the race started. Schumi made a slow start allowing Massa to take the lead. Alonso made a rapid start as well & challenged his team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. Meanwhile, at the back of the grid, there was utter chaos as cars rammed into each other at the first corner to create a pile-up that took atleast half a dozen cars out of the equation including the McLarens of Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya. The ensuing safety car period meant that Schumi had to be content driving zig-zag behind Massa. Once the safety car was in, Massa showed that he is no minnow and pulled away from the rest of the pack. It looked as if Schumacher would have to play second fiddle this time to his own team mate. However, a clever pit strategy and a flying lap after the pit-stop allowed him to regain the lead. From then on, it was vintage Schumacher as he set one fastest lap time after another. Never in the entire race did Alonso look dangerous enough to challenge the Ferrari ace. Both the Ferraris kept up their pace and finally after 73 laps, Michael Schumacher crossed the chequered flag to win the 2006 US Grand Prix. Felipe Massa came in second and Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella was third.
Thus broke Renault's four race domination which frankly was becoming really boring. I can now imagine how it must have been for the other teams and their supporters during Schumacher's continuous reign over Formula 1 before Alonso took over last year! I hope Ferrari remain competitive and give Renault a real run for their money. As far as Mc Laren, Honda and the other teams are concerned, it looks like they will have to watch to watch the battle from the side-lines or should I say the pit-lane??
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
As the rains hit Mumbai
Its that time of the year again when the rains hit Mumbai. What happens? Read on to find out:
As the rains hit Mumbai,
Everything around turns green, including the building walls from algae ;-)
Roads resemble the surface of the moon, ISRO, are you interested?
Tracks get flooded inspite of best efforts from the Railways....you feel like you're in a boat rather than a train!
Traffic jams become longer...One can walk on top of the stationary cars from Bandra right upto Andheri!
Flights get delayed....And you wait endlessly to "Simplifly" :-)
Half of Mumbai can be found at Lonavla on any given weekend!!
Chai & Bhajiyas become everyone's favourite snack....Mc Donald's & Pizza Hut be damned!!
Snails and earthworms become regular visitors; mom-in-law stays away. (hah!)
Roger Federer wins another match at Wimbledon; and Sania Mirza loses another.......
As the rains hit Mumbai,
Everything around turns green, including the building walls from algae ;-)
Roads resemble the surface of the moon, ISRO, are you interested?
Tracks get flooded inspite of best efforts from the Railways....you feel like you're in a boat rather than a train!
Traffic jams become longer...One can walk on top of the stationary cars from Bandra right upto Andheri!
Flights get delayed....And you wait endlessly to "Simplifly" :-)
Half of Mumbai can be found at Lonavla on any given weekend!!
Chai & Bhajiyas become everyone's favourite snack....Mc Donald's & Pizza Hut be damned!!
Snails and earthworms become regular visitors; mom-in-law stays away. (hah!)
Roger Federer wins another match at Wimbledon; and Sania Mirza loses another.......
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
MRF Rainday
Every year, the tyre manufacturing company - MRF publishes its predicition in the Times Of India for the start of the monsoon in Mumbai. This is popularly known as "MRF Rainday". Their idea is that people should change to MRF tyres before the MRF Rainday to ensure that their vehicles are geared for the monsoon. Great idea, except for the fact that the MRF Rainday prediction falls flat on its face every single year! :-) If the rain does not arrive even on the MRF Rainday, their ad slyly changes to announce, "You still have time to change to MRF tyres!!" Very clever ain't it?
This year too, MRF has been predicting "Rainday" in the TOI. The Rainday this year is June 4th. And as their luck would have had it, rains have hit Mumbai much before that!! Its funny because MRF has taken this in their stride and termed the rains as "passing showers". MRF Rainday still remains at June 4th, their advertisement screams!
However, proper monsoon has hit Mumbai as early as May 30th. And who better than Times of India to announce the arrival of monsoon. Hehe....
Monsoon sets over Mumbai; heavy rains predicted
So, as is the tradition, MRF Rainday has failed again! I think its best that MRF stick to what they do best - maufacture tyres rather than playing weatherman! C'mon, the Weather Bureau has been in the weather predicting business for decades now and they still haven't got it right ;-)
This year too, MRF has been predicting "Rainday" in the TOI. The Rainday this year is June 4th. And as their luck would have had it, rains have hit Mumbai much before that!! Its funny because MRF has taken this in their stride and termed the rains as "passing showers". MRF Rainday still remains at June 4th, their advertisement screams!
However, proper monsoon has hit Mumbai as early as May 30th. And who better than Times of India to announce the arrival of monsoon. Hehe....
Monsoon sets over Mumbai; heavy rains predicted
So, as is the tradition, MRF Rainday has failed again! I think its best that MRF stick to what they do best - maufacture tyres rather than playing weatherman! C'mon, the Weather Bureau has been in the weather predicting business for decades now and they still haven't got it right ;-)
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
Nothing Else Matters
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters.
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
and nothing else matters.
Trust I seek and I find in you
Everyday for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters.
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know.
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters.
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know.
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
and nothing else matters.
Trust I seek and I find in you
Everyday for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters.
Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
and I know.....Yeah!
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters.
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters.
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
and nothing else matters.
Trust I seek and I find in you
Everyday for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters.
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know.
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters.
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know.
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
and nothing else matters.
Trust I seek and I find in you
Everyday for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters.
Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
and I know.....Yeah!
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Quotas everywhere
What will happen if the quota system proposed by the UPA goverment is applied everywhere?
Here are a few examples:
We will have reservations for public toilets. 50% of all Sulabh Shauchalayas will be reserved for the backward classes. You better not pee in a reserved toilet or else.....
50% of coaches in local trains will be reserved too! This means 4.5 coaches in a 9 coach local and 6 coaches in a 12 coach local.
Ladies coaches will be reserved too! So, quarter of a coach will be reserved for ladies first class for backward classes. Hehe....
50% of all autorickshaws and taxis will be reserved too! These will be differently coloured for easy identification. The colour "blue" will be used to differentiate them! Rings a bell??
50% flats in a housing society will be alloted only to a person from a backward caste! And these can only be rented out to a backward caste person.
50% of rooms in all 5-star hotels will be reserved for backward classes. After all the poor people from the backward classes are also entitled to five-star luxury aren't they?
50% of all shares in an IPO will be alloted to people from the backward classes. So, companies like Reliance, ONGC, Jet Airways, etc will be half owned by the backward classes.
50% of road-space will also belong to the backward classes. You will face a stiff penalty if you dare to drive in a reserved lane!! Lol......
50% seats in all future Indian manned space missions will be reserved for people from the backward classes
With so much at stake, your caste certificate will become more important than your ration card or even passport! Speaking of which, 50% of all Indian passports granted each year will only be given to people from the backward classes!!!
Hail Arjun Singh....
Here are a few examples:
We will have reservations for public toilets. 50% of all Sulabh Shauchalayas will be reserved for the backward classes. You better not pee in a reserved toilet or else.....
50% of coaches in local trains will be reserved too! This means 4.5 coaches in a 9 coach local and 6 coaches in a 12 coach local.
Ladies coaches will be reserved too! So, quarter of a coach will be reserved for ladies first class for backward classes. Hehe....
50% of all autorickshaws and taxis will be reserved too! These will be differently coloured for easy identification. The colour "blue" will be used to differentiate them! Rings a bell??
50% flats in a housing society will be alloted only to a person from a backward caste! And these can only be rented out to a backward caste person.
50% of rooms in all 5-star hotels will be reserved for backward classes. After all the poor people from the backward classes are also entitled to five-star luxury aren't they?
50% of all shares in an IPO will be alloted to people from the backward classes. So, companies like Reliance, ONGC, Jet Airways, etc will be half owned by the backward classes.
50% of road-space will also belong to the backward classes. You will face a stiff penalty if you dare to drive in a reserved lane!! Lol......
50% seats in all future Indian manned space missions will be reserved for people from the backward classes
With so much at stake, your caste certificate will become more important than your ration card or even passport! Speaking of which, 50% of all Indian passports granted each year will only be given to people from the backward classes!!!
Hail Arjun Singh....
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Famous Bollywood one liners!
Over the years, we must have seen hundreds of Hindi blockbusters. Comedy, action, drama, tragedy, these movies have left an impact on us. Here are some of Bollywood's best known one-liners.
The Big B - Amitabh Bacchan in Shahenshah: "Rishte me to hum tumhare baap hote hain, naam hai Shahenshah!"
Amrish Puri in Mr. India: "Mogambo khush hua!"
A classic from Ajit" "Saara shehar mujhe LOIN ke naame se jaanta hain!"
A classic one from a scorned heroine that can send a shiver down a hero's spine: "main tumhaare bachche ki maa banne waali hoon!"
Big B again in Sholay: "Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti?"
Amjad Khan as Gabbar in Sholay: "Jo dar gaya samjho mar gaya!"
Dharam paaji in a fit of rage: "Kutte, main tera khoon pee jaaonga!"
Doctor after emerging from an operation theater: " Ab Sab oopar waale key haath mein hai"
Gabbar again: "So ja bete, so ja, nahin to Gabbar aa jaaega!"
Police inspector to villain and his henchmen: " Apne aap ko police ke hawaale kar do. Police ne chaaron taraf se tumhe gher liya hai!"
Big B in Don: "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, naamumkin hai!"
Asrani in Sholay: "Hum Angrezon ke zamaane ke jailor hain!"
"Aadhe idhar jaao, aadhe udhar jaao, baaki hamare saath aao!"
One more from the Big B in Mard: "Jo mard hota hai, use dard nahi hota!"
Another classic one from a heroine: " Khabardaar jo mujhe haath bhi lagayaa .."
Shakti Kapoor in Andaz Apna Apna: "Mera naam hai Crime Master Gogo, aankhen nikaal ke gotiyan khelta hoon!"
Utpal Dutt to his daughter in Golmaal" Tumhari shaadi usse nahin hogi jisse tum pyaar karti ho, balki usse hogi jisse main pyaar karta hoon."
Dharam paaji again before all hell breaks loose: " Chun Chun ke maaroonga, ek-ek ko chun chun ke maroonga "
This one's hilarious and my personal favourite:
Villain Ajit to one of his henchmen: Ise liquid oxygen me daal do. Liquid ise jeene nahi dega aur oxygen ise marne nahi dega!
Hail Bollywood!!
The Big B - Amitabh Bacchan in Shahenshah: "Rishte me to hum tumhare baap hote hain, naam hai Shahenshah!"
Amrish Puri in Mr. India: "Mogambo khush hua!"
A classic from Ajit" "Saara shehar mujhe LOIN ke naame se jaanta hain!"
A classic one from a scorned heroine that can send a shiver down a hero's spine: "main tumhaare bachche ki maa banne waali hoon!"
Big B again in Sholay: "Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti?"
Amjad Khan as Gabbar in Sholay: "Jo dar gaya samjho mar gaya!"
Dharam paaji in a fit of rage: "Kutte, main tera khoon pee jaaonga!"
Doctor after emerging from an operation theater: " Ab Sab oopar waale key haath mein hai"
Gabbar again: "So ja bete, so ja, nahin to Gabbar aa jaaega!"
Police inspector to villain and his henchmen: " Apne aap ko police ke hawaale kar do. Police ne chaaron taraf se tumhe gher liya hai!"
Big B in Don: "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, naamumkin hai!"
Asrani in Sholay: "Hum Angrezon ke zamaane ke jailor hain!"
"Aadhe idhar jaao, aadhe udhar jaao, baaki hamare saath aao!"
One more from the Big B in Mard: "Jo mard hota hai, use dard nahi hota!"
Another classic one from a heroine: " Khabardaar jo mujhe haath bhi lagayaa .."
Shakti Kapoor in Andaz Apna Apna: "Mera naam hai Crime Master Gogo, aankhen nikaal ke gotiyan khelta hoon!"
Utpal Dutt to his daughter in Golmaal" Tumhari shaadi usse nahin hogi jisse tum pyaar karti ho, balki usse hogi jisse main pyaar karta hoon."
Dharam paaji again before all hell breaks loose: " Chun Chun ke maaroonga, ek-ek ko chun chun ke maroonga "
This one's hilarious and my personal favourite:
Villain Ajit to one of his henchmen: Ise liquid oxygen me daal do. Liquid ise jeene nahi dega aur oxygen ise marne nahi dega!
Hail Bollywood!!
Hindi phrases and their literal translations!
Hindi phrases when literally translated into English turn out to be quite funny. I am sure you must have heard of the phrase - we're like this only literally translated from hum aaise hi hain. Here are some more. Enjoy!
chori chori chupke chupke - robbery robbery secretly secretly
subah subah dimaag mat ghumaa - morning morning dont turn head
Mujhe maaloom hi nahi hai - I'm not knowing only
kuch kuch hota hai - something something happens
Mere peeche peeche mat aao - Dont come behind behind me
Tum isme apna dimaag mat daalo - Don't put your brains into this
This one's my favourite!
bhaagte bhoot ki langot pakadna - catching the underwear of the running ghost
chori chori chupke chupke - robbery robbery secretly secretly
subah subah dimaag mat ghumaa - morning morning dont turn head
Mujhe maaloom hi nahi hai - I'm not knowing only
kuch kuch hota hai - something something happens
Mere peeche peeche mat aao - Dont come behind behind me
Tum isme apna dimaag mat daalo - Don't put your brains into this
This one's my favourite!
bhaagte bhoot ki langot pakadna - catching the underwear of the running ghost
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Golden rules of Mumbai local trains!
I have been travelling on Mumbai's local trains (or EMUs as they are called technically) ever since I was 12yrs old. Those days, the travel time (to school) was limited to just 5 minutes. Later as I joined junior college, the travel time (and time of travel) increased to around 20min. When I joined engineering college, the travel time (one way!) went up to a whopping hour and a half!! These days, the travel time to work is about 30-40 min.
Anyway, the purpose behind these statistics is to give you an idea that I have done some fair amount of travelling on the Mumbai local trains and have experienced and learnt the five golden rules or truths of travelling in a Mumbai local:
1) Always allow passengers to board the train first (especially during peak hours although the instructions outside say exactly the opposite) :-)
2) Never travel in a Virar fast local to Borivali during the evening peak hours even though it stops there! You will end up getting a free unsolicited ride upto Dahisar - the next halt.
3) Board a slow train if you want to get down at a halt. Board a fast train if you want to get down between halts.
4) The popularity of roof-top travel has eliminated the need for air-conditioning!
5) The value of a First Class season pass is around four times that of a Second Class pass. The snob value of a First Class traveller however is ten times higher!! :-))
Anyway, the purpose behind these statistics is to give you an idea that I have done some fair amount of travelling on the Mumbai local trains and have experienced and learnt the five golden rules or truths of travelling in a Mumbai local:
1) Always allow passengers to board the train first (especially during peak hours although the instructions outside say exactly the opposite) :-)
2) Never travel in a Virar fast local to Borivali during the evening peak hours even though it stops there! You will end up getting a free unsolicited ride upto Dahisar - the next halt.
3) Board a slow train if you want to get down at a halt. Board a fast train if you want to get down between halts.
4) The popularity of roof-top travel has eliminated the need for air-conditioning!
5) The value of a First Class season pass is around four times that of a Second Class pass. The snob value of a First Class traveller however is ten times higher!! :-))
Friday, April 21, 2006
Indianisms
The word – “Indianism” is heard & discussed quite frequently at our office. I don’t know how many of us have heard of this term but it means the literal translation of what we speak in our regional languages into English. Although, most of us do it unknowingly, it creates quite a funny situation when speaking to Westerners. Here are some examples of what I mean.
What is your good name? (Aap ka shubh naam kya hai?)
*** Yeah like my parents gave me a good and a bad name!!
Morning morning I came here (Main subah subah yahaan aaya)
*** How many mornings were there today?
You want to install the software no? (Aap ko software install karna hai na?)
*** Do I say yes or no to that?
Can u tell me what is the exact issue you are facing today?
*** The only thing I am facing right now is this damn computer!!
My head is turned because of this (mera sar phira hua hai!!)
*** WHAT???
I am liking it very much
*** Are you still liking it??
This is the best one. One day, a tech support agent in a reputed multinational company was helping a customer connect a printer to his computer. Imagine the customer’s consternation when the agent told him,
“Please put the plug in your backside!”
What is your good name? (Aap ka shubh naam kya hai?)
*** Yeah like my parents gave me a good and a bad name!!
Morning morning I came here (Main subah subah yahaan aaya)
*** How many mornings were there today?
You want to install the software no? (Aap ko software install karna hai na?)
*** Do I say yes or no to that?
Can u tell me what is the exact issue you are facing today?
*** The only thing I am facing right now is this damn computer!!
My head is turned because of this (mera sar phira hua hai!!)
*** WHAT???
I am liking it very much
*** Are you still liking it??
This is the best one. One day, a tech support agent in a reputed multinational company was helping a customer connect a printer to his computer. Imagine the customer’s consternation when the agent told him,
“Please put the plug in your backside!”
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Pepsi TV
A few weeks ago, I saw this ad on TV about - Pepsi TV. Now, I have had my share of the "bubbly" as SRK calls it but an all new channel dedicated to the dark fizzy? What would it air? Documentaries on how cola is made? Benefits of drinking cola? Cola-Operas? Cola wrestling?
This mystery was solved today as I was sipping a bottle of what else? Pepsi.....Pepsi TV is any TV Channel you watch while sipping Pepsi!! How exciting!!! Imagine your wife watching those boring soap operas and you pop open a bottle of Pepsi and voila..........your saas bahus turn into Kareena & Priyanka and you have.....Pepsi TV!
Now just imagine the whole new range of channels you will start getting! Dukes Lemonade TV, Frooti TV, Limca TV and what not.........Damn, I won't mind watching the humble Nimbu Paani TV sometimes ;-)
Now who on earth thought of this ad campaign? Have the employees at the ad agency all gone one strike? Or is it a covert attempt by Sprite at espionage to create havoc in its competitor's camp? How soon before the "Clear Hai" drink comes up with another one-upping take on this one?
Yeh dil surely doesn't maange more!!
This mystery was solved today as I was sipping a bottle of what else? Pepsi.....Pepsi TV is any TV Channel you watch while sipping Pepsi!! How exciting!!! Imagine your wife watching those boring soap operas and you pop open a bottle of Pepsi and voila..........your saas bahus turn into Kareena & Priyanka and you have.....Pepsi TV!
Now just imagine the whole new range of channels you will start getting! Dukes Lemonade TV, Frooti TV, Limca TV and what not.........Damn, I won't mind watching the humble Nimbu Paani TV sometimes ;-)
Now who on earth thought of this ad campaign? Have the employees at the ad agency all gone one strike? Or is it a covert attempt by Sprite at espionage to create havoc in its competitor's camp? How soon before the "Clear Hai" drink comes up with another one-upping take on this one?
Yeh dil surely doesn't maange more!!
The Start
Hey All,
I finally decided to create my own blog and this is my first post. Bouquets and brickbats are welcome.........Bouquets, I'll keep but beware of the brickbats because I am gonna throw them back at you :-)
So here I am sitting at the office on a Wednesday night and penning err.. keying my thoughts. I actually spent twenty minutes thinking about what I would name this blog. All my bright ideas were already taken by someone else and for a moment I thought that I would name it as "No Name" but sadly - that was taken as well :-(
Was in the cafeteria sometime back and India has just won the second ODI against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi. The 2 match series ended at a score of 1-1. Is it just me or was this scoreline decided in advance?? Inzamam was run-out for probably the trillionth time in his career. . . . Has someone ever thought of awarding the poor guy a Guiness or atleast a Limca record for the highest number of run outs??
So, coming back to this blog, whats it gonna be about? Well stray words (& sentences & paragraphs) from my imagination, memory and basically anything that I come across. So if you don't have something better to do with your time, drop in........it won't hurt......much!!!
I finally decided to create my own blog and this is my first post. Bouquets and brickbats are welcome.........Bouquets, I'll keep but beware of the brickbats because I am gonna throw them back at you :-)
So here I am sitting at the office on a Wednesday night and penning err.. keying my thoughts. I actually spent twenty minutes thinking about what I would name this blog. All my bright ideas were already taken by someone else and for a moment I thought that I would name it as "No Name" but sadly - that was taken as well :-(
Was in the cafeteria sometime back and India has just won the second ODI against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi. The 2 match series ended at a score of 1-1. Is it just me or was this scoreline decided in advance?? Inzamam was run-out for probably the trillionth time in his career. . . . Has someone ever thought of awarding the poor guy a Guiness or atleast a Limca record for the highest number of run outs??
So, coming back to this blog, whats it gonna be about? Well stray words (& sentences & paragraphs) from my imagination, memory and basically anything that I come across. So if you don't have something better to do with your time, drop in........it won't hurt......much!!!
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