Make an appointment with yourself!

For the past few weeks that I became a morning person, I never seemed to enjoy the freshness that the morning used to hold, until last week, when I went for a solitude walk and boy!!! it was fun. Ya! I know we need to enjoy company of others and try to stay away as much as possible from/being a social outcast, but after such a long time I have felt peace within myself. I sensed calmness and serenity within myself which got me thinking about how in whole of my graduation life, I was never alone. One of the most prominent feature of college life is that you always have company. You don't often get the peaceful time with yourself that you deserve.

Though time spent with company, and I mean it in the sweetest of tones, is one that we cherish all our life and one mustn't miss those opportunities, but here we are going to talk about the prospects that being solitude brings to the table. It’s sort of like a wisdom walk of ‘How I met your mother’ fame  and as Ted Mosby would say “I want you to go outside and simply put your hands on stuff that you interact daily, observe the beautiful rustling of leaves, feel the trees’ pulse, listen to the stories the streets are telling you.” I want you to do to the same, but with less dramatics and even less creepiness.

I have even started to look forward to such quality time with myself. The time gives me the chance to reflect upon my previous actions, think hard about a problem and take them down with well-thought out measures.

You can think of this as a modern day sibling of meditation. Meditation has long been known as a method to concentrate your mind and make it more focussed. And, since finding time specifically for meditation is a big impossibility; taking a solitude walk maybe a way to go.  I know that when I started doing this more often, it brought a remarkable positive changes to my whole attitude towards the materialistic world and its devised components.

Biggest perks:
* No risk of running out of topics.
* You can be 100% yourself.
* No one can judge you or your opinions.
* Hassle-free thought process.

The interesting part of this article is that I wrote most of the drafts whilst on the walks. Mornings are actually perfect time to have these conversations with yourself.  So if you ever need to talk about your problems, dig deep into them and actually need a solution, make an appointment with yourself.

It’s now Bale vs Neymar

4 years ago, when Ronaldo joined Real Madrid and confronted Lionel Messi, we thought nothing can top this. I mean seeing Ronaldo and Messi head to head in the same league was exhilarating enough, but now arrival of two best promising youths into the team has doubled the excitement, and tripled the anticipations. Neymar, already dubbed as the next Messi arrived in Barcelona earlier in the transfer window, while Bale was brought at the last moments to fill up the void created by the departure of Ozil and Kaka. The ‘transfer market enthusiasts’ were behind Bale from quite some time; well he’s a good catch and will prove that in no time.
It’s pretty safe to predict Bale to be a successor of Ronaldo (if he ever caved in to the homesickness he has for Old Trafford). Madrid seems to be one fully balanced team. Though fans aren't very thrilled by the selling of Ozil to Arsenal, but with Isco and Di Maria performing well, they might not even miss him once the season's on the way.
Tottenham have really dealt well with Madrid's negotiators to have extracted 85.3 M£. With that price tag, Bale has crossed Ronaldo's amount of 80M£ (paid in 2009), not accounting for inflation.
The Champions League has a solid chance to be in possession of one of these teams at the end of this year.

La-liga has never been so awesome and the rivalry between the two giants was never so fierce. The expectations have even superseded EPL limelight and it would be a treat watching how everything pans out.

As a matter of fact, both have started the season well, with wins without fault. In fact, Bale scored on his debut, promulgating his arrival and making a solid mark to commence another rivalry that will go long way.

A brand named India!

Its year 2030…and I just came across an e-article about Uttarakhand floods. Man! That was a real disaster. While researching around this article, I also realized that 2012-13 was a year filled with utter humiliation for Indian chauvinists. Newspapers crowded with news that could easily force your smiling curves inverted.

The dilapidating state of country was perspicuous in economic, social and humanitarian sense. My memory is fading and so it’s hard to remember how the shaking boat survived the drowning, but one thing’s I can bet on, we sure were close to reaching a deadlock where the scenario could have been described by even bad and ominous adjectives.

The political setup of India, both centre and state administration was seeing the lowest that it can be. I don’t know how we got through that horrendous phase where hopelessness, lawlessness and scrutiny of sincerity prevailed. Inconsiderate governance, apathetic politicians, slackly decisions, foraying into personal lives were just some gifts presented to citizens by our so-called ‘public servants’. The prevailing conditions were far cry from the promises of the incumbents.

The highlights of those times included falling rupee, the division of telangana, the national surveillance program, uncountable mid-day meal laxities, the disastrous National Food Bill among another national issues. In the local section the violence related with reservations, the suspension of SDM Durga Shakti Nagpal made the news constantly. Do you know, in UP, around 50 IAS officers are transferred every month. And this trend has been followed up for more than a decade now.

                Anyways these weren’t the only issues of let-down…these were following a long list of scams namely Coalgate, Commonwealth games, 2G auction, Chopper gate scams were just some major ones.

                Those were the times when utter helplessness and frustration marked over any discussions regarding India’s scenario. Patriotism was seriously taking lot of hits. I had seen the real patriotic souls on the verge of giving up on the country. The spark that enthused them was slowly fading followed by more impuissance. The times were so dark that leaving India looked eminent and substantial to a quality living. But as you can observe things are better now. The frustrated sense is no more acting now. The inevitable phase that no democracy has ever dodged was handled efficiently by our now developed India (of 2030). A new India rose from near ashes, with the efforts from bureaucrats, politicians and common man. Perhaps finding the right tuning to work with each other was the key.

It’s legen-please don’t wait for it-dary

With HIMYM drawing to a close with the season 9 premiering very soon in every television near you (Oh sorry! Not everyone has a DTH connection), it got me thinking about how naturally it brings about the comparison with one of the best sitcom ever, FRIENDS. Certainly there are no comparisons, considering the timeline differences between the two. But we, audiences can’t live without comparing the two. It’s like comparing Messi and Maradona, but then again, we do that and isn’t it fun? As Barney says: ‘New is always better’, it is better when it is this awesome. Well, better or not, I leave it to your judgement, but NPH and Hannigan’s impersonation deserve the biggest of applauses.

                First of all, congratulations to the producers of the show, for completing 8 successful seasons (Of course they aren’t listening…..but…just….just….OK) with the same cast. Most importantly it was the holy-mother-of-all-that-is-good-in-heaven relief to finally not force to personalize the mom of the two kids (whom names we still don’t know off!) of Ted’s through his words. We have seen her buying ticket to Farhampton. And I hope directors aren’t smiling wicked while the audiences are having this thought. It’s already hard to digest all the twists, especially during binge watching, that it might seem uncanny. What?? Why are you looking at me like that?? How it is not uncanny you ask? Yes, Every day can be legendary, meeting at the bar every single night is possible, being friends even if you want to see your friend’s wife’s racks, hooking up with girls in the same bar over and over again (and the bartender or the manager doesn’t mind), hit by a bus outside a hospital (that never happens :P).  

                Being the most well framed sitcom ever (with timestamps in every story), it kind of makes sense that the anticipations are high for the final showdown. The team has given us great laughs, sumptuous jokes, hilarious one-liners and the aggregation of theories of which some of them really make sense. The ‘cheerleader effect’, ‘the hot v/s crazy scale’, ‘Platinum Rule’ are as charismatically true as Barney’s repertoire to make his audience laugh. Ted and Robin’s enthusiastic and simultaneous salute on every mention of military lingo viz captain, private etc. is exasperatedly sweet.

                And how can I forget the most important and sacred of all ‘The Playbook’ and ‘The bro code’, both written by Sir Barnaby Stinson. One is the notorious collection of plots and the other, the code of conduct to be followed by two bros. The two sacred books once safe in the havens of Barney’s ‘fortress of Barney-tude’ are now at large. Playbook achieved martyrdom and Bro code soon will be obsolete for them.  

 Kids have listened to his story once but the loyal fans have vicariously lived his stories for only God-knows like zillion times.  I would call you a ‘blitz’ if have missed any of ‘awesomness-packed’ 8 seasons of laugh-riot.  The show’s worth of all the attention it has got. It’s nice to know that this love story is going to be even better than the previous love interests of Ted, better than his 2 minute date with Stella…..well that’s the dream!

So now I leave you with the image that I got somewhere from internet that quite aptly compares some characters.

Nature's Wrath Yatra

11 days and more than thousand feared dead since the Uttarakhand disaster occurred and still rescue operations are at run. One cannot even begin to explain the trauma and suffering the people there have gone through. Showing its fury, nature struck to suddenly stamp out hundreds in the name of maintaining balance. There’s no fighting the nature’s wrath.

As the attitude of a person during glee and glum day tells a lot about his character; similarly a country’s character is quite aptly observed during calamities and certainly my opinion this time is towards the positive side. The way the pilgrims have been helped and comforted by various-not-less-than-God-like Indian army personal directly and by relief funds’ accumulators indirectly has been too overwhelming to describe, especially when the early monsoon has been a constant opposition to the rescue operations. It has foiled many such efforts and the short windows it has provided in its absence weren’t of much help either.  

It makes me think how it’s kind of ironic that people believe that God is taking care of them and is watching over them; but here people are at unease, to say the least, due to a ritual that is supposed to keep God contented. Then I heard about a village close to Kedarnath that is determined to help victims by offering them food and shelter till their reserves end. Such vicarious compassion shown by villagers is truly shows the high spirited and giving nature that Indians have been historically known for. Then there is heroic Indian army best illustrating this quality. They have been on a constant alert to ensure the relief operations do not lax. Around 19000 pilgrims have already been evacuated and Uttarakhand government has promised to complete the evacuation within 72 hours.

Believe it or not, I believe, Uttarakhand calamity had brought Indians a little closer; the stories sharing the grief and pain of losing or being separated by the loved ones, the apathy by some poor souls, the helplessness mixed with fear....thanks to media for acquainting us with the condition about the stranded pilgrims and Indian Army for their hospitality shown to the rescued in their camps after saving them from the stranded lands, thanks to all the individuals who contributed to relief funds(especially CRPF and BSF jawans for cutting in from their salary)....this disaster has taught us a genuine lesson about humanity......hope we all keep that flame of humanity burning!!!

And let’s pray for those stuck in inaccessible areas that Indian Army reaches them soon!

Jai Hind!!!

Fixers' future fixed!

Some days back while going through the newspaper, I was a little concerned about my nation when this piece of news relieved me of my concerns, ‘Spot-fixing in IPL-2013’.

While the monotonicity of ‘Comedy Circus’ kept on increasing, India desperately needed some new way of coping up with the pressures of daily chores. And as they nearly lost all hopes, IPL spot-fixing came to the rescue. Thanks to Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan’s party needs, we really found some entertainment. Also, Bollywood was feeling kind of left out, so Vindoo Dara Singh joined in for some ecstasy. Sreesanth was reported to have been searching for a heroin to cast her opposite to him-self. Now, his movie might be in jeopardy, but a movie based on him is definitely a thumbs-up. His journey has been one heck of a called-in, thrown-out kind of ride. Right from taking the decisive catch in the finals of T20 world cup or returning respect to Dale Steyn through a six or the controversy with Bhajji, he has never been shy of expressing emotions; perhaps a too ostentatious emotional show-off.

                Meanwhile Comedy Circus producers are surprised that how this controversy is collecting so much attention without much effort; while they have been up their asses working vehemently creating countless seasons after seasons, and still their major viewership is acquired by lazy teenagers who don’t want to get exhausted by working up their way to the remote. The producers are furious; even China’s little peek-a-boo at LOC gained better attention. The producers are now contemplating new dimensions for accretion of lost ratings even going as jejune as hiring Sunny Leone for the hosting or Navjot Sidhu for stand-ups.

                Dawood is also not happy on becoming a household name blamed for all illegal activity saying, “It’s not fair. Please cut me some slack. And for god’s sake can someone please explain to Mr. Kisu Kisaan that I had no hand in the robbery in his house.” This was a much awaited reply that was being anticipated from Dawood, after Kisu lodged an FIR last month against Dawood for kidnapping his two bulls.

                It really surprised and shocked everyone to the core, except for the general Indian viewers. Now you are surprised?? nSeriously, ask any paan-wala bhaiya in your locality and he will brief you about how he had a hunch that this IPL was fixed. Though he may not explain what spot-fixing exactly is….but neither can half the population of cricket crazy clique. Isn’t it true?

                The verdict is far from over; there are still names to be unfolded and more entertainment in line to be served freshly to the ever-cynic Indian-kind. Many startling revelations are just waiting to be unfolded….just wait for it!

        

HATS OFF to the MAESTRO

Sir Alex Ferguson retires. Citing health reasons, he said, “The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I gave done so. ”

Well, I am not a great fan of Red Manchester, but I do respect this man. I have always appreciated his composure, intensity on the pitch. The way his sheer presence inspires his team and the respect he incurs from adulating fans is one that only greats can achieve and he is no exception. 

For the 27 years that he served the club, not once did the United administration must have thought about installing a new manager. He has been calm, unruffled and dedicated in making a team that is balanced in every sense, be it age-wise, or position-wise and stardom-wise as well.

He has been a solid inspiration to the young crops of managers that take cues from him in managing their respective clubs. The large numbers of good-bye messages on Twitter reflects so.

He joined Old Trafford in 1986 from Aberdeen and never looked back as the Red Devils have dominated not only the English but European scene as well. His tally includes 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 2 Champions League titles. The 71-year Scotsman will join the team’s board members and will serve as ‘Ambassador’ in the upcoming season. Till now, United have two games left and one of them is a home game against Swansea where we may expect some emotions from the not-so-much expressive coach.

                Well, talking about replacing him is a contentious issue. United never had to think about the position of manager, it was already in very capable hands. It’s always hard to replace a veteran; plus the void left for the first time in 27 years, is a thought that United administration would always have dreaded. But it’s time to answer that. Rumour has it that Everton boss David Moyes may be stepping in his shoes, but before the confirmation from the official website; it’s going to be a matter of fierce debate. Former Chelsea and current in-charge of Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho is also a sought-after name by the grim fans. The administration is also in pressure to declare the new name, as Manchester United are listed on New York stock exchange, so any change in administration will have to be reported back to its shareholders. So, the secret can’t and won’t be held long.

                Whoever is chosen as a manager, he will have a tough time handling the pressure but it would not be so gruesome on the pitch considering Sir Alex has left his team in the strong possible shape.

#RESPECT and good luck on your future endeavours Sir Alex!

LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’

We are social animals, we tend to form groups, everyone has a group of friends where he’s comfortable and can hurl as much abuses as he is capable of. Also, no matter how much creepy the teasing gets, one has to imbibe every bit of it. Groups can’t be completed without that person who gets teased the most, the guy with the best relationship advices (but oddly he’s still single), the guy who gets virtually-raped every year at holi…

                The sort of person that I am going to talk about is the mix with shades of a sycophant and a person with a clean image. This person is not bad per se; has a decent level of self-respect, may connect with you with ease, and may be the most talented…..but one thing’s for sure; he’ll be sanguine and charming as hell in his conduct.  I am sure you all have one or two acquaintances possessing these traits. As common as this trait is, as such, it is also not tough to demarcate such qualities in a person.

                When given a task, this person takes on the responsibility with utmost sincerity even if the task is not his cup of tea. Saying ‘NO’ to something wouldn’t cost him anything, but for him, saying no is the only one thing he can’t do. He may fail the task, but renouncing the task is the last thing on his to-do list. I believe that quitting the task and honestly accepting the truth is much better than having to give explanation later. That’s why I look upon such persons with a little caution. There is no shame in relinquishing a little control.

Another scenario where presence of such individuals hurt most is when the person is at some higher position and one seeks help from him. Instead of just clearing his stand, he would give a false impression of trying to help; but instead, in reality, he’s just making you visit him over and over again. It seems as if their motto is “Promise today, equivocation tomorrow”. In India, the babus are infamously popular for such acts. Be it the kutcheris, banks or any ‘Sarkari Suvidha Kendra’, wherever you go, you are queued to be victimised. Indian governance system isn’t un-swayed by this.

                Then there are individuals who can’t deny a favour to a friend on face but try to gain sympathy of randoms by talking behind his back. C’mon yaar, Be a MAN (or Be a wise woman), I strongly suggest you to talk about why you can’t grant him the favour, or why you can’t do his work,; may be he’s a better person than you and he might understand your situation. It’s better to be strong first and say no than having to make efforts to placate the lost friendship and be off the hook later.

                I have seen some girls who don’t quite enjoy the company of certain individuals around her, but she can’t get rid of them, because she can’t have ‘the conversation’, or in simpler terms can’t say NO to them.

Thereby, I am running a collective request to such individuals to please understand what I am trying to say and think about how easier your life can be after you work on the advice. 

Kai Po Che- Movie Review

First of all, let me clear out the meaning of this phrase most of us heard for the first time; it's a Gujarati phrase for 'I have cut' used when one cuts the kite of someone. The title couldn't be 3 mistakes because there is no 3rd mistake committed by the protagonist to reminisce about.

Based on Chetan Bhagat's third novel '3 mistakes of my life', which I rate worst of all Bhagat's work owing to its uncanny climax, where Ali and Ishaan make the riot and irate environment into their cricket field.
Although the novel was a bestseller, and did receive some polite reviews in some department, and I did learn about the so-called and implicitly understood 'Bro code' from this story for the first time, when Omi warns Govind of his ill-adventures with Ishaan's sister Vidya; Chetan is currently on 1-1(Hello: a flop, no one said hello & 3 idiots: currently an epitome of bro-hood) and will be hoping to have the odds to himself. And it will not be a surprise if the trio of Sushant, Amit Sadh and Raj Kumar Yadav steal the limelight from upcoming releases. They inhabit the characters wholly and have done full justice to their roles.
The portrayals, especially by Sushant and Raj Kumar really make you glue to the screen. While this chemistry does wonders for the movie, Raj Kumar also succeed in making the awkward chemistry between Govi and Vidya look believable and at times gives the only string to hold on for the romantic.
The story, as expected imbibes beautifully, the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, the Godhra Kand, and the communal riots between Hindus and Muslims, while relating their after-effects on the three protagonists' lives.

The ending does gives the audience a surprise, but it doesn't seem inept considering the history of our bollywood movies. Abhishek Kapoor deserves his part of credit, especially after he was initially snubbed by the big names of Bollywood.

In all fairness, a one-time watch, a pure entertainer and another portrayal exemplifying friendship....I watched it with friends and I hope you do too. 

Ronaldo vs. Messi battle- My take

 A common debate encountered between football fans is: Who is better??

Ronaldo or Messi

When it comes to hardcore fans, opinions don’t concord. Messi sure has the lead with his 4^th Ballon d’Or but it isn’t enough when he has a fierce competitor like Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 made them stand head to head and pit against each other. The rivalry between their clubs fuelled up the comparison talks between them. While Messi was product of a brilliant product of Barcelona academy that they exhibit ostentatiously, Ronaldo was brought at Bernabeu on popular fan appeal.

Although both have different roles, different positions, different methods at their respective clubs, but the comparison between them is inevitable owing to the fact that they have shared last 5 Ballon’dor amongst them. Both give 100% to their clubs.

Ronaldo has an unflinching pace that takes defenders with surprise; his sharp acceleration helps the cause.  Messi likes to take defenders one-on-one while inching closer to the opponents’ goal-line.

                Well, I am not taking any sides, but every individual has a right to have an opinion, so in order to facilitate that I have garnered some points that can ease you into making your judgment.

1. Pace and acceleration: Ronaldo has a pace like a leopard, out-beating his markers is a walk in the park for him. Messi has sufficient pace to do the out-pacing and he puts his dab body in good use by making low profile supporting runs.
2. Ball control and Dribbling: Dribbling is the Magnus opus of Messi. Infact most of his goals are the result of his gifted supremacy in dribbling. On the other hand, Ronaldo though has a supremacy in the step-overs (or the scissors), but he has been seen a little shy of perfectly executing at times.
3. Assists: I consider both players selfless, though Ronaldo is often touted as a selfish player, but having played at winging position myself, I know that wingers don’t get many chances to prove their selflessness.  
4. Strategy: Both players are good at crafting clear-cut opportunities for their teams. They are not only great cool finishers but are equally expert in engineering opportunities that literally beg for finish.   
5. Shooting: Shooting from a distance is what has made Ronaldo a priceless treasure. His thunderous shots are a scary sight for even best of the goalkeepers. Messi hasn’t been seen much with the long shots but he can’t be underestimated for that.
6. Acrobatics and weak foot ability: Messi has been termed weak in this particular department, and it is quite true owing to his meager 5’7” height, but in recent seasons, he has been making constant progress to subdue such allegations. Statistically speaking, he scores a fair amount of goals with headers. Ronaldo leaps over jumping defenders is a constant sight in Real’s game and its quite clear that there’s no dearth in his aerial abilities. Weak foot ability is a thing, though isn’t a necessary quality but is a great quality to have when bailing out from a compromising situation. Both wizards have excellent weak foot ability, which helps them to gain extra points and fan appreciation.

Another quite impressive quality to consider is free kick taking ability. But I believe when you are in a 5-star team, it isn’t a much needed one. Generally such teams already possess a free kick genius, for example Barcelona has Xavi while Madrid had the services of Beckham and Roberto Carlos.

The discussion will not end, and may never end, but one thing’s for sure that the duo will keep us entertained in the years to come.