Postcards from Mexico & Russia

When i told you about my Turkish Summer, i had also mentioned that i never thought i would visit Istanbul. Likewise, there were some places i was pretty sure i wouldn’t ever travel to. Like Mexico & Russia. As it turned out, i did go there! (Now I am thinking i’'ll never go to London :P)

Not enough time or energy for full posts but  here are some snaps as teasers….. maybe the upcoming long weekend will see some travel posts!

Mexico

Mariachi Musicians plying their trade! (Mexico City)

Guadalajara

 

Russia

Around the Kremlin

 

St.Petersburg

   

Must say, Europe is a beautiful place when the sun is out!

Thank you, Sachin…

And so, finally the day has come when Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has retired. BCCI, for all its faults, did a lovely lovely job giving the great man a fitting farewell. Big photo memories by Star Sports, personalised digital snaps – they made it all very personal for the fan.

But, like with all things in the life of SRT, there are ample people who found reasons to crib about – he is hype, Dravid was match winner, VVS did not get due respect and so on…. Initially, i just wanted tell these guys “That’s how it  is, Live with it!” but then i thought a humble “Get well soon” would be better. SRT would approve. That’s about as nice i can be to people not respecting the joy, the privilege we have had because of these great cricketers!

Thankfully, the world is full of people far better at articulating things and putting it across to the whiners,in a nice and civil manner. And one of them is Shankar Khasnis , CEO, Feedback Consulting and a cricket aficionado. Reproduced below is a post by him – read on. Over the next few weeks, i plan to share/post a lot of SRT related posts, please bear with me

Shankar sir’s post :

The last 2-3 weeks that I have been traveling and meeting folks from all over the topic of discussion has been SRT . I hate comparisons between cricketers (if we are not driving home an intellectual point) but had to lump it because there were many who did just that. I possible could not explain to folks that I had a huge appetite for cricket and can appreciate more than one player in a single breath ! Meaningless comparison leads to disrespect of both comparables (if that is the case )! Last evening , I gave up explaining and came up with this standard template of my responses

1.Rahul is better than Sachin
Do you wish to establish Rahul’s greatness by comparing him with Sachin or for that matter anyone else. He deserves independent attention. Don’t devalue his greatness

2.Rahul & Laxman did not get their due
If there are any outstanding dues they must directly write to Mr. N. Srinivasan, Mr. Anil Kimble, Mr Arshad Ayub , Mr Rajiv Shukla, Mr. Kalanidhi Maran, Mr. Manoj Badale etc. They will get a response and the dues will be settled by wire transfer!

3.Rahul drives around in a Santro and Sachin drives a BMW
The day you saw Rahul, his BMW had gone to the garage for a service and the day you saw Sachin in a BMW his Nano was sent for its routine maintenance

4.Rahul is a better articulator than Sachin Which is why he was in a hurry to go and sit in the commentary box when we felt he was good for a return home series

5.Laxman won more matches in India
India stopped winning after he retired. I think we knew that right at the toss !

6.Vishwanathan Anand is a far greater sports personality than Sachin and deserves a Bharat Ratna
I did not know Vishy had started playing cricket ? Why does he always play against Norway, Russia etc. Sachin did not get to play them . So sad

7.Rahul is great because he was less talented than Sachin and yet made it this good.
Agree, Sachin never went to the nets. He only went there to get photographed for ad’s .

8.Sachin never got along with Laxman & Rahul
Exactly. That is the reason he said Rahul Dravid is irreplaceable when Rahul retired ! Laxman’s tears on the day of Sachin’s retirement were tears of joy – I heard him say good riddance to bad rubbish!!

9.Sachin will get his son to somehow play for India
Do you have partial amnesia ? Remember you forgot to get Rahul and Laxman into this point of yours . Actually you can bring in Samit and Sarvajit into this - Apple to Apple !

10. Sachin does not deserve Bharat Ratna
Please take it back and give it to Manmohan Singh for his constructive construction and deconstruction of the modern Indian economy

No offence meant to Rahul, Lax or Sachin .Lets all be happy that as cricket lovers god has sent us so many brilliant payers to satiate our appetite. There is so much one can like in every great player from around the world.

Think that settles the issue.

And finally, Thank you Sachin!

Piece Of Mind.......: London is a bad habit....

Piece Of Mind.......: London is a bad habit....: "London is a bad habit,one hates  to lose"...I came across this quote by  William Sansom just I was exiting The Shard in London,a...

Thank You Niku! (and people like him…)

I am worried.

A couple of days back, i was driving down the Eastern Express Highway, normal route. Know you all know how i react to a biker coming in sharply in front of my car, so when this uncle came in front of me near the Pestom Sagar flyover, i was about bark in the same manner – but for one thing, i didn't. The uncle was wearing a skull cap.

Secularism, classical definition be damned, has a interesting definition in India. Not wearing a skull cap gifted to you, for example, is a sign that i hate Muslims.

Propagated by secularists in the Indian political landscape, who claim to save India this way (no no, they have no personal ambitions). The majority Hindu population is supposed to bend over backwards to accommodate minorities, and one minority in particular, the others are not too important as vote banks. Even if they are wrong. And hence i did not bark at the guy.

So, i am secular now, you may note. I might attend an iftaar party or two, wear a skull cap if required. These are things, which will make me politically acceptable in my social circle and society at large. I may still tell my family members not to marry from this community or that, but thats fine, i have done all the token symbolism of being secular.

Its seems people are wiling to accept me based on my symbolic projections but not for i am actually being out there. And these people accepting me are not farmers, cobblers, drivers and others who are not too educated, these are business consultants. These are people expected to form judgments based on facts (and not on on other people’s judgements).

Lets just ignore policy, governance and issues like that. No one care about that, it is immaterial some states actually go out to provide for all irrespective of reigion, caste, creed etc. Look at Karnataka results. Secularism (and caste) are the most important things!

If this small sample is anything to go by, I think i have reasons to be worried about our country.

Work in progress blog post topics……

Mauritius travel

Weddings are fun, marriage is more fun!

Honeymoons are overhyped.

Secularism…..

Moving on……..

Twitter as a sample and universe….

Cricket…..part 1, part 2, part 3..

Sachin and Friends (this will be fun, i am going to trace all my friends throughout SRTs international career. The people with whom i shared the joy!)

Lets see by when i update these! in 2013, i have hardly posted anything. I tell you, marriage changes you life, you hardly think of anything else!