Friendship

True, genuine friendships are such a treasure.  This type of friendship is one that can stand the test of time, where the other person accepts you for who you are…the good and the bad.

I have a few close friendships but I have one in particular that fits the title of ”My best friend”.

I met my best friend over 16 years ago.  We met in a higher secondary school .For several years we were a support system to each other in that realm but it went even deeper.  We had a lot of things in common and shared interests. 

 Busy schedules and family obligations can sometimes make connecting to each other a challenge but I am careful to make sure that we don’t lose touch.  I have seen first hand how two is better than one.  We are available for each other, that’s a silent relationship, it is taken for granted that we will be with each other during trying times.

We may not talk with each other on a daily basis but always have the time to remember each other every day on some pretext or the other.

He knows when I am ok to be approached and when to leave me alone, he can sense that mood and conducts accordingly and same is true for me too.

My happiness is his and my troubles are his. This kind of a relationship comes without any baggages,- no demands, no possessiveness, no mistrust ,no jealousies, no favours given or taken(its something that we do for each other happily) – its pure, transparent and without any expectations.

If you have a friend like this, treasure it.  Don’t let it go.  Hang onto it.  Be a good friend who can help another up.  And if you don’t have this kind of friendship, pray and ask God to bring one into your life.  I believe He can do that.  He knows the value in friendships.

Don’t try to go it alone in life.  After all, someone said (and I’m not sure who) but “A good friend is cheaper than therapy.”  

Who will BELL the CAT?

Indian tour Down Under this summer ,mildly put, has been a disaster.

Just some time back, we were the World’s No1 test team and we are now quickly slipping down the ladder- as I write – we are  4^th.Even this ranking seems to be quite over-rated.ICC needs to re-work its points system(apart from various issues on which it needs to work)

Now,the bigger issue in this blog for me , is – What is happening to Indian team?

To quickly analyse – our main batting stalwarts – Sachin,Dravid& Laxman , have done their chances no good by putting up batting displays that were far below the standards they have set for themselves and others to follow.

Our next-in-line batsmen – Virat,Rohit,Raina – have been touted as the next BIG three(I am excluding Pujara – poor fellow- has been injured – maybe that’s lucky for him)

These young guns have misfired in most of the occasions.We can spare a thought for Virat who was the only centurion in the whole tour so far(ODIs and tests included).

But does that mean we should not persist with the young guns??

So,where is the hope for Indian cricket?

Hope is in taking a hard look at our domestic set-up and also looking at IPL.It is a cash cow allright but what is more important? Survival of cricket or IPL?? BCCI has been bull dozing its way in all the ICC-related policies – be it the window for IPL or the referral system or the Sahara sponsorship fiasco…

Wish it could channelize some of its energies towards

1)     Preparing better pitches that will suit fast bowling

2)     Creating a strong bench-strength through ‘A” team touring various countries

3)     Drafting and implementing a proper succession plan for the batsmen and bowlers

4)     Not allowing IPL as the platform to select players for national duty

5)     Reducing the IPL window thus providing more time for the cricketers to recuperate and condition themselves for the sterner TESTS.

Now, another important issue is, who will tell Sachin that it is time he hangs up his boots and say a dignified goodbye to International cricket?

Ricky Ponting got dropped due to poor form in the current CBS triangular series.Indians can’t imagine Sachin getting the same treatment!! We are tolerant towards average performance and are highly skewed towards past reputation.

This has to stop .Nobody denies Sachin’s contributions and his stellar performances but time has come to take a step sideways and give way to young budding cricketers.That’s how he got into the team in the first place.Mohinder Amarnath,Sandip Patil were the guys who gave their places to him.The same is true for Dravid and Laxman as well…

Now, who will bell these big CATs? I think there is no other way  but  for the CATs to realise and bell themselves!!!

One day...

If God granted me one day to spend as I wish how would that be?

Since I will have 24 hours at my disposal, I would want to wake up early – seven am(haha, no way I would wake up at 4am)

I will NOT

1)      brush my teeth , not shave ,

2)      set the bed right ,

3)      water the plants,

4)      read the newspaper,

5)     watch any cricket match,

6)     eat healthy food

7)     go for my morning walks

But what I would want to DO

1)     play badminton till I exhaust myself(3hrs)

2)     go on a nature trip with family into the forest(5 hrs)

3)     go bird watching(3hrs)

4)     go to a place where there is a lot of fresh air and water – sleep ,eat and rest(10 hours)

5)     with the remaining time ,will go and spend with old people at old age home and young children at an orphanage(3 hrs)

Now, looking at God’s busy schedule , I don’t see HIM grating my wish. So, I believe I will end up with the list of doing all those things that were in the “I WILL NOT” list.

WAKE UP KRISH…Brush your teeth…

Passion - Smash and Drop

The topic for this blog of mine deals with flexibility,speed,feathers,net,nylon chords - Yes,I am talking of badminton

We Indians have all played this game...shuttle cork and racquets are all this game requires with some open spaces.This is a game where women,kids - all, have displayed their racquet skills some time or the other.

But , in the end, only a few excel at this game because it is their passion and not just a mode of evening entertainment/time pass.

I have always loved to play this game from my childhood,I believe the genes of this racquet game were passed on to me by my father - who was himself a national level ball badminton player.He has won many a tournament.I was a witness to a few of the tournaments myself.

My father used to go every Sunday for practice in Pune(thats where we studied,played ,enjoyed the most).I use to tag along with him and used to watch the matches played from the sidelines.I even doubled up as a ball boy incase the ball used to land far away from the court(Ball badminton is an outdoor sport - can be played as doubles and fives).

I used to enjoy this Sunday ritual as it helped me to understand team work and the skills required in this fast paced game.

I then took up badminton(my student days - must have been 12 or 13 years) by playing at our estate club,I used my Dad's wooden racquet to play.This racquet was very different from a normal badminton racquet.It was heavy,wooden and had strings that were quite tough.

The only trouble at our estate club was that there was no coach who could give that strong foundation of basics.Formal coaching is what I still miss and feel about.

I played occasionally therafter because cricket ,football and hockey were the games that the kids of my neighbourhood preferred(maybe because they lacked skills in badminton)

I completely lost touch with badminton when I started my professional work.It was only about 2 years back when one of my friends goaded me to join him and his friends to play at a nearby club.I was again re-united with my long lost love.I was back in the groove.

I focussed on honing and sharpening my skills (age doesnt matter - if you want to learn) and my bigger goal was to play in a tournament and find out where I stand.

For one year,I practiced with my new found friends whose common passion was BADMINTON.In the second year, we then participated(40+ age group) in a tournament organised by Mahrashtra Badminton Association.My partner and me won the first round and then lost to worthy opponents in the second.That was my first taste of a badminton tournament.

The next stop was a corporate tournament where I was representing my company,Reliance Industries.We won Men's doubles in 40+ category.

My success in this tournamaent has encouraged me to practice harder and improve my skills further.

Now,badminton has become my biggest passion...Want to continue with it till I can...

Our daddy strongest

HAIRY tales

I have a cool hairstyle (see my pic on this page – yes, thats me:) ). But not all are as lucky, like for example YOU. Ever seen yourself in the mirror? It will tell horror stories of enduring you..

Hairstyles are of many types. Some can be changed, some you have to live with. Laloo`s hairstyle for example

I have another friend who is my badminton doubles partner – his hair doesn’t tire standing all year long , defying gravity!!

For some people (especially ladies), having waist-length, thick straight hair and an oval face is not enough. They want to know if curling their hair (and some exactly the opposite – straightening the curly hair) would suit their oval face! Try changing the shape of the face once, dear ladies…

For some people, change is automatic. Their hairstyles change automatically…simple - they start losing their hair.

There was this friend of mine who would ask me: “I have started losing hair in the front. It’s not receding, but thinning. You know anything I can do?”

“Big deal,” I said.

But he would not buy my argument….he insisted that it was a major concern and was even affecting his professional life. When asked how, he would say: “Earlier, when I would make a point, my lady boss used to listen attentively, now she just dismisses my view point as OUTDATED ”.

Another automatic change is from dry hair-to-oily hair. A neighbor once asked my mother: “When I shampoo, my hair become dry.”

“Obviously,” said my mom.

The neighbor would not let go…”But after four days time, my hair becomes oily again. I don`t apply oil at all.”

I wanted to barge in and suggest that she probably had an oil well in her head(tell this to Reliance – and they will drill a hole into her head and extract the oil) – something she could exploit for commercial gains, but I held myself back.

My mother replied: “Change your shampoo. Maybe it takes away all the oil your scalp produces. Start using a conditioner to keep your hair moist.” It was quite a profound answer.

The surprising thing is…the older you get the more concerned you are about your hair. And we thought…it was being Indian to give up all worldly possessions as you age. How many times, we have seen people whom we know are all grey…decked up as Dev Anands, thanks to Godrej hair dye?

There are some who completely transform from NO hair to ALL hair. Rajnikant is one great exponent of this art. He does look GOOD in his wigs and actually makes him the superstar that he is.He also has the guts to come out open in the public with a bald plate,that talks of his unassuming nature.

Talking of wigs, I dearly wish to see how the great Amitabh would actually look without his trademark wig(some people still don’t believe he wears one – poor souls).

Hair raising tales of different nature next time – hair on the ears..ugghhh…

My Sona's birthday - poem dedicated...

To my dearest wife SONA

This is my way of thanking YOU,

A woman who I think I always KNEW,

What a big difference you have made to my LIFE

I am proud to say that you are my WIFE

You take care of everything without feeling any PAIN

I feel so happy to see you make others happy and dance in RAIN

What more can I ask from GOD

To give you as my wife,I can only thank the LORD

Today is my Sona’s BIRTHDAY

“I love you” are the only three words I can SAY

                                                                        Your Loving Husband

                                                                                    Krishna/Kittu