India on Top :)

It is a great feeling to know my country is on top of the world in Test cricket today. India beat SL by an innings and 24 runs, and also won the test series 2-0. It is not a mean achievement, 10 years back, we can never think of winning a Test match away from India, from there to reach the no. 1 spot is something great. Thanks to each and everyone who had contributed to achieve this over the past decade.

I want to mention 2 players here, not taking away any credit from others (including greats) who are not mentioned here. Dravid and Laxman for being selfless and contributing to the team by batting at any position the team requires. Also both of them have taken so many catches (most of them good reflex catches) between them - in test cricket, taking sharp catches and converting those half chances is very much important to win.

Best of Luck Team India to hold on to this position.

Eeram (Wetness)

Watched Eeram (Tamil movie) today afternoon. It turned out to be a top movie, very different one from what I have experienced so far. It feels very good to have watched a good movie.

Everytime I see a pathetic movie, I decide to myself that I should not watch any such movie from then on at least in theatres, but unfortunately I get into movies like Masilamani (hopeless).

Win in the morning

A powerful thought I read in an article, and wanted to share here. We normally set a target to wake up at a particular time in the morning and set the alarm accordingly, but due to laziness/ aspiration to sleep a bit more time, we dont follow that. If we can set a realistic target, and stick to it, we can start with a win every morning. It is indeed encourgaing to know that a day is started with a win, and with that mental satisfaction, we can go about our tasks throughout the day with the same emotion and succeed.

I have a habbit of snoozing the alarm usually, it is indeed a tough task for me to follow this, but after this blog, I am confident that I'll start the day with a win! I'll definitely add a note whether I have achieved this in my next blog.

Dravid is back!!!

Long time since I wrote a blog, I decided to write a new one but the topic? I was thinking of what to write - many recent incidents stuck me and finally decided to write on one of my favorite player's come back to ODI side.

When Dravid was taken out of the side in 2007, I thought it was more of a ego clash from the then selection panel chief Vengsarkar. Had Dravid not quit his captaincy, would he have been thrown out in such a way? Probably not.

But I applaud the selection (kudos to the new selection committee) of Dravid into the side at this crucial moment, it was made very clear in T20 world cup that Indian youngsters are weak towards the rising ball, and they were not confident at all. Going with the same side will not help them by any means, having Sachin and Dravid back into the side will definitely help the team and now the team looks much stronger and balanced. It is time for the younger players to realise the reality and work on the bouncers so that when Sachin, Dravid, Laxman retires, they do not leave a big gap to fill upon.

Though we need to wait and watch the team's performance in the coming events, I am hoping (also confident) that Dravid does his job with class. He is a true servant of Indian cricket and the next time he goes out of the team, it should be after a better farewell.

All the Best Dravid!!!

Nano Maniac!!!

This blog is on the Nano launch by Tata. Ratan Tata has said that this is his dream come true. I will say that it has made common man's dream to become true. 1 lakh people will be selected randomly by a computer application and the cars will be allocated to them. Wow!!! I just pinched myself to realize that this is not given free of cost.

In an interview with a cobler, he has said I have saved my every penny to get this car. Surely Nano has brought a thought among everyone that he/ she can also own a car. Forget about the cons that is being talked about - it will bring chaos in the traffic, it will cause pollution - a joy that brings in people that they can afford a car now is uncomparable to any cons.

If there is pollution, traffic issues, then its the appropriate department's problem to solve it by prompt planning and putting into action the necessary rules. Rarely people are without a car in a developed nation, and hardly there is any pollution.

Thanks to the Tatas on behalf of the common man, and I am also eyeing a Nano (only after learning to drive ;)) - but after seeing the crush for it, looks like I cannot get it soon.

Disparity???

This is about my opinion on the disparity in pay across the jobs in India. I read advertisements in UK like learn bus driving, and you could earn upto 500 pounds per week, a plumber charges 120 pounds for an hour's work, whatever the occupation may be everyone leads a good life (atleast in earnings), and most importantly all are treated at par. Noone sees and act differently for a barber, street sweeper or a doctor.

But in India, there is a complete U turn on this, a bus driver or a plumber or a security person (unless otherwise working in a big organization) does not get the salary not even close to a doctor, MBA grad or an engineer's pay. Life is not at par in India, there are many cafe coffee days, pizza huts, IMAX/ INOX cinemas and others, but not all can afford that. Its not that they work less hard, their work is if not more it is as difficult as other high pay jobs. They do undergo tremendous stress in their workplace, why should they get salary with complete disparity compared to others? Why should they not afford to go to a quality restaurant or a world class theatre?

When I joined my organization, in the first day induction programme, a HR person told minimum salary in this company is 5000 Rs per month (this is almost 5 years back), so even when he/ she is a house keeping person, facilities, security person, it would not be less than 5000 Rs. I dream our government also comes up with a plan something like this...during election times, politicians offer so many freebies, spend so much money in unnecessary things, if they can save all this, and make all public sector companies profitable (its very much possible as Lallu showed the way), they can definitely bring a rule for minimum salary which is above or at decent level (for both public and private sectors). This will bring more energy among our people, and this can also lead to a more peaceful, crimeless India.

Courtesy

Couple of weeks back..I was travelling in the tube as usual to goto office..Two other people also boarded the train along with me, one was less able to stand among them.. It was bit crowded in the train, and I think none noticed this person as noone offered him a seat. After the train started moving, a girl (would not be more than 12 years of age), sitting 4-5 seats away from where we are standing came to this person and asked 'Do you want to sit?', for which the person who was less able to stand politely refused, and asked the girl to be seated. That was a happy moment for me to see a small kid behave in such a courteous manner.

We learn lessons any where and at any time, it need not come from a scholar, it can come from a kid also. I always try to be courteous, but some times due to my habbit of thinking too many (both necessary and unnecessary) things, I forget what is happening around me and behave a bit odd - I remember once in a similar train journey, I did not leave way for the passengers to get out and was blocking their way.

Being couteous is a very good habbit, when I expect others to be courteous to me, I should also reciprocate the same and I'll work for it. At the same time, it is best to avoid/ keep distance of people who we know are non courteous.

Oscar Rahman :)

Feb 22nd - AR Rahman got 2 oscar awards for his work in a movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

I have already seen this film, I liked the film when I saw first. What makes this film very different to achieve so many milestones? Truth is apart from being very real, the reach of this movie.

There has been a debate that there are even better movies than this one made in Indian cinema, ARR has scored even better music than this before, this is being reaching heights only because this is a British film, even I think sometimes the same. But immediately, then next questions comes in my mind, yes this has gathered attention because of a British director, if it can get attention to the truly deserving people, what is wrong in that?

We are thinking AR Rahman has composed better music before, this might be because we are now used to this master piece. I read in one of my friend's orkut status, West is experiencing for the first time what we have been doing for so long. Thats the way to sum it up.

Congrats ARR, and let this be just the start of a long journey. And also thanks to have brought the sense of proudness among the Indians to make every one tell my fellow country men have won an oscar.

Hi!!!

Hi!!! - This is the most used subject heading in an email - atleast for me. But this blog is not regarding the selection of subjects in an email. Lol..

This blog is my thought on a statement/ saying I came across recently. In this world, all who we do not know are our un-introduced friends...I went to a restaurant alone last week, there I met one person whom I have seen in my office, but I never have interacted with him. He was sitting near me, then he told, 'Hi, inga dhaan unga veedu irukka??' (Hi, ur house is in this area only is it?)...then I said Yes...and we started conversing like his name, his project, where he is from, which place he is working at offshore...within no time we know each other now or to whom I can say Hi/How are you/Bye whenever I see him...

Then I was just correlating with this incident to the statement I had mentioned earlier in this blog, then I thought it might be true. Yes, for that, we cannot go to a total stranger and say Hi in a road...but whenever possible, if we can make an introduction with the people we see in office, staying near to us, or to people with whom we are travelling over a long distance...It is indeed good knowing people, after all good people can give more happiness than any other material things.

New Year Resolution

I am writing this exactly one month in delay, but 2009 is still a new year.

Frankly, there is no time if we need to take a resolution seriously, but taking at only new year is just an excuse so that we can delay whatever we are doing/ not doing till that time. If that is the case, then resolution taken at new year will not last for long.

However new year gives an opportunity to take a new resolution, to take a new path and to take a new beginning. I am sure it gives immense joy if we can achieve that. But it may not be easy, I am taking me as an example, when I am going back by memory, I remember every new year I have taken a resolution, but I dont remember not even a single one which I achieved it completely, that tells how easy is to take a resolution, and how difficult it is to fulfill it.

But if you want to take a resolution, and serious about it, dont wait for the next year to come, take it on the same day that you think. There are more chances of you sticking to it if you take it at that time than you wait for any other particular time. Once I read in an article author quoting 'I wont lie and lose my self respect when found lying', that line stuck me, why to even lie for fun, I decided that day, and I would say the only resolution that I had achieved so far is this one.

Villu vs Padikadhavan

These are the 2 films which were released for pongal and with expectations. I saw Padikadhavan, I felt the film was worse, I saw Villu, then I felt the former one was better. It is a pity that still the heroes/ director/ producer think 5 fast songs and 5 fights, and few comedy scenes will make the film. It ofcourse makes the film only in quantity, and not with quality.

Hightime film makers think and make a film.