The Seasoned novice

Hi Guys,

I am starting with the seasons greetings and wishes for prosperity, hope you all have a safe and happy Diwali.

I have had the pleasure of having an absolute rejuvenating experience of competing in a sporting event, now you might ask whats so very different to the ones I had earlier, since you ask , Ill tell you . This one was in another sport , not the one that I like to call myself an expert of.

The absolute thrill that has prompted me to write on it came by the way I was treated at the event, it was like I was a youngster just starting out on an exciting journey, where there were a lot of uncertainties.
I was advised almost told how to approach a certain match , against a certain highly rated player, cliqued statements like "you should play for the experience, not the result" and encouraging ones like, " You have it in you to come good , never mind today" all made up for an absolute super time. I was reminded when started out at cricket and the way my coaches and seniors had lead me. Being cared and nurtured  for was a feeling that I had lost, nearly forgotten and thought I am not going to be looked after like that again. I got here, what I do for my wards now and it felt good to be on the receiving end, where I once was, had travelled far, to be back .  The fear of failure, that had taken so many failures to gradually go away, came back like a lit smoke to one who had left it a while back, a known friend never the less. Having played one sport competitively does help in keeping your nerves in check for a little while but that is all but hey what else do you play for?

Here is a sport where you have to dress up for , like a tie and jacket event , it did feel that way. You can't size the guy up you are playing against by telling him, how sad he is if he gets a lucky break , you have to smile and nod , an experience. You play indoors and in the company of gentlemen who don't know you or your background , never mind what you do or how you do it on the field yet when the rub of the green does go against you and the guy smiles and you instinctively want to help wipe it of his face, someone in the audience reminds you where you are by just wincing their eyes and a gentle gesture of the palm, this experience is enriching for me and very rewarding for the guy at the other end as well , he has been lucky , I can assure you so, for just being able to walk away with just a hand shake at the end of it all as the only contact  being made. Lovely people all of them .

 The game I speak about is Snooker, a magnificent game , me thinks a bit of Chess and Carrom make up the concoction. It is an absolutely wonderful community that play , organise and indulge in it.
This experience overall has been one in which I felt conscious of the way onlookers thought about me, the way I played , performed , the insecurity of not being a' known '.... all things that make it or break it for a new comer . To me it was just a reminder of how I felt when I began in my discipline , the anxiety , the fear and the rush at the end, a truly realistic package.
I want to begin and travel again..........'Just Thoughts'.

Why the Prasad is 'Prasad'...

GANAPATI BAPPA morya,

This thought has come down as an enlightenment in this most auspicious of seasons, the thought of how an 'Ukdi cha Modak' can taste so good , so very good , with a healthy dollop of 'Toop'...........wait I have to concentrate to progress , nothing can get better or  gets even close.

'Prasad' in meaning, is the food that you get when the LORD is pleased with you and your efforts at leading life rightly , this leaves me in no suspense as why the 'Modak' tastes the way it does , it is exquisite .

Many thoughts come to mind, when I think of the' Modak'   or 'SATYANARAYAN' cha Prasad namely 'Shira' , these delicacies are rarely made when there aren't any religious festivities or prayers  and even if there are made , you would agree that they dont taste as good on the contrary they are far off in taste but come GANESH Chaturthi or SHRI SATYANARAYAN Puja , these foods make you feel blessed in every sense of the word .
I am not sure when as in how long ago these recipes came into being , eons ago I suppose but I am sure that these have come from the LORD himself as I can offer no other explanations for its class, or why they are heavenly and simply divine.................'just thoughts'.

He, is the man......!!!

Guys, roll back the years and try and remember did you ever think that your dad/father / baapu /papa was the strongest, smartest guy ever, certainly more than your best friend's dad? I am not going to get into those childish pointless and immature squabbles now, I am going to say, yeah he was, still is!!! Period. 

From a height just above his knee , I happened to look up to  the guy for more reasons than to just observe his next expression ,mannerism or just the next thing he did, all of which I could so easily follow , inculcate and call my own. 

Hearing stories from his childhood , made me feel this guy could and can do anything and that I need to pull my socks up , doing a few things of the sort myself , so I could hold my own in the company of men , his friends , super men in their own rights and views of their kids. When asked by the guy about what needs to be done about getting the Television antennae sorted, I suddenly felt a foot taller getting to 4, by that measure, felt good, made me wanting to get taller, a lot taller. I also remember being really disappointed, while watching a cricket match on the Tele, being stunned by a fast bowler making the ball swing, naturally I turned to the man himself and asked him, “how did he do that?”, to which the guy said “I don’t know”, ‘what ‘He’ doesn’t know!/?’…..’naw he is just busy and probably has more meaningful things to do than to answer my stupid query’, was my defence of the man which was not just necessary at the time, it was mandatory.

 

 That incident did not leave me in peace, till later when I became aware of that over bearing question, ‘is it possible that he might not be able to do it?’ which was lingering somewhere in the background was now very much in the forefront. This made me conscious of the fact that he is human, there could be a few , very few things that he might not be able to do, it is here that the over rated process ‘growing up,’ started.  

I realised then that I need to do a few things by myself, firstly think on my own and find answers for all those questions. Yet the hero but he could mistakes , which made making mistakes so much more easier, if he could slip, fall and look silly, there was no shame in that, with that confidence I gave a new meaning to looking silly but I did what I did confidently with a lot more fun in it, it could have been worse. Question: did he do that on purpose?and for my benefit?.

Today, I have kids and a lot more greys(not cells just hair) than he did when he had me to contend with , today he wants my advice on almost everything , having said that ,I know, come to  taking decisions the real important ones, he still is the man , I needn’t worry . I am a couple of inches taller than  ‘Papa’, you will be surprised how often I still find myself looking up to him………again ‘Just Thoughts’

 

 

Unexplainable exclamations!!!

Hi People , Marathi being my mother tongue , I have on numerous occasions found explaining a few words and  phrases which I think are unique to this language , extremely tough to explain as in the meaning or even the contexts that they are used in. To Explain these to  my not so Marathi Indian friends or ones that belong to other nationalities , is equally difficult.

I am , however going to try again , today and now or forever let it go, deemed impossible.
The first  word that comes to mind, as it is very frequently used to describe or refer to yours truly is ' Khadoos 'or' Khadus', I am now surely out of my depth as it is kind of difficult to even spell right , well either one is good from now on, returning to the word itself  'Khadus': (not wanting to mention the long blank that I have just experienced it has been edited) 'uncompromising' is what comes to mind primarily , not necessarily in a negative way , in sports especially in cricket used to describe 'doggedness' ,' stubborness' in not accepting defeat , not necessarily the meaning meant for me , I think the first one is the most suitable definition for a ' Khadus' being thrown in my direction.

Having given 'Khadus' my best shot , I am trying another , now this could be disastrous , however , here it is ' Aatlya Gathicha' : literally speaking...it  means one who has knot in him or her / stomach or where ever inside actually  is , not visible from the outside . One who keeps his/her cards close to his/her chest at all times, manipulative in a sly way ,  let me finish by saying , 'Cunning'.

'Shistha' another one often used for this writer by close friends that too, this to me is one which has confused me right since I first encountered it. This one means a person who is always on the high horse , keeps aloof because of a certain superiority complex or a snob or all of these put together and a bit more , as far as I am concerned and if this justification is of any help, whenever I have been quiet in a discussion and that hasn't happened often at all, as my friends will vouch for , that could be due to absolute lack of knowledge about the topic at hand and there are a few such topics.

I have a few more like 'Chaila', 'Baghitlas' or 'Chengat'  but I don't have the strength of mind to put my already weakened senses through the rigours of explaining these words(a few more can be very easily added to this already enchanting list ), which cannot be defined in one or many words put together , I think these words need the strong essence of a Marathi tone to be used in a definitive way and most importantly, to get the message across.

 I now am, ending my quest to find definitions, the right ones, for these wonderful words with the thought that these are in a much better place when not being explained but experienced, not being read in a dictionary but heard everywhere else , not one for the linguist or purist , whatever they are known as but them agreeing to the fact that the language of their authority would be so much more inexplicable without the use of these words or should I just say poorer , I should just let them be ,what they are.....'Just thoughts'

    

The 65th year and counting....

As we approach our 65th year of independence, I personally cant be more proud of a nation that has achieved so much and loses so little to its counterparts , sure we have our short comings and loads of problems much more than we all would like to care , sure still its a country that has its place on the world map and competing with super nations if you will. Being a nation of mostly tolerant people , by tolerant I mean in acceptance of all nationalities , religions , cultures and languages and I can assure you there are many. Considering this  prevalent trait in majority of the individuals , ambition however is not lost here , we , besides our economic issues, have managed to become powers in space programmes, nuclear power, medicine ,tourism not to mention a few world cups and championships in the world sport, all this being one of the youngest countries at 65 years. Our history does go further than that figure quite a bit more , to some time in the BCs .

Having put this note on a forum which would be read by my friends and well wishers , I am not sure what you have liked in this writer to have been associated as either a friend or well wisher but whatever it is, it has surely come out of living almost breathing the colourful exuberance and existence that we call and love, INDIA ......let me wish all those who would be reading this a very happy Independence Day, 65 years and counting , with many more magical and exciting moments, to come and as the law suggests a few not so but, hell of a lot to look forward to.......
 as a famous person has always said .....'Just Thoughts'.....

Can we really answer these questions???

Hi guys,

This time around I want to focus on an integral part of my life , the number of questions that are irrelevant or just plain stupid and are asked everyday , without the slightest consideration towards my mood , situation, time of the day or simply how stupid the question really is . I sometimes wonder whether it is done in earnest or with a certain purpose. The questions for example would be,  on a train from Pune to Mumbai ," Of to Mumbai then?''  or
Q:" Having you been watching the game ?"
 A:"Yes"
Q:"Do you know the score ?"
followed by
Q:"Why are you laughing?"
in this sequence would it be considered rude to say why I am?
surely its alright if the questions are !
Very recently I was amused once again when I got to see such an exchange on a social networking site where one friend , a keen photographer was asked by another friend, why she is not in the pictures?
so what do these questions really deserve? understanding ? sympathy ? a sense of very dry humour ? or a rap on the back of the head?
your choice is as good mine, well all of them at times , my favourite though is the last one , as I understand this to be a very conscious conspiracy towards causing a big swing in my mood and then I can get even , if not I am still doing what I enjoy most , laughing.....
One of these days , I want to have a small competition , like they do on Tele and invite people to post their most 'promising' questions or the ones that they have encountered,
get the top three and hand out trophies for the most remarkable ones yet.
We all ask these questions but now that I am aware of their potential , I try my best to refrain from providing entertainment and remain inconspicuous by being silent.
Having said this, I am fully aware of the fact that without these ' moments of brilliance' my life will be thoroughly and surely very mundane and boring and that without these questions 'my' answers mean absolutely nothing...........Just thoughts.


  

Let them be.......

Hi guys,
 Today I want to put up an appeal to all sport followers, to let all the super stars of sport be.
I have come to a place in my sport watching stint where I have to take a call on this for my own benefit and say it out aloud or its going to ruin watching any competitive sporting event hereafter.
Enough said, let me start by bringing this question to you , why is it that a world class player say of Nadal or Djokovic's cadre can't express himself on court?
I hear the commentators say of such a player that his display of emotion was uncalled for , the same commentators also in the same breath say he is so much at home on the court.....a bit funny when you put it that way , well I for one would not like anyone to tell me how I should behave at home , my home , my place. These players work and sacrifice like no one else , they become role models for their ethics , skills and they way they manage to have such successful careers, so when they have an glorious moment on  the field of play and they show their appreciation of that through a pumped fist of a loud yell of 'hell yeah' why beat them to pulp for it? The guy has gone through a lot to achieve this result and his chances when he began this process were pretty slim , so whats wrong if he exults a little. The guy is on court , his court , his domain  well his everything, the guy practically lives there , we go to watch him. While watching a Lion in the wild, do we object to him letting out a snarl, he is what he is its us that have gone over see him and his instincts, similarly these are people who are blessed with such fierce competitive instincts and that is what brings out the spectacle that puts bums on seats, so why try and make them like us ?
Another example , it is common knowledge now that both Nadal and Djokovic target Federer's backhand and win such an exchange almost every time so when Federer does win an backhand exchange with either of these two players and shows a little emotion how does it make him a lesser player?
These players are people who struggled and worked impossibly hard , worn their hearts on their sleeves to excel at something , in turn inspiring millions like myself , to do things which are over and above the ordinary , they are still human and I would want my children to have a role model who has all these qualities of a human star  a phenomenal entity but one easy to relate to.......
This again is just a thought  or just thoughts..........    

Ban the entertainer?

The 'Ban'

Guys , this might ruffle a few feathers, but I for one, sincerely feel that we need to ban the 'match referee' if anyone at all, reason : We are watching a very natural game played in an unnatural way.
I have this memory of watching a certain Dennis Lillee charging in to bowl in a  test match to a certain Roy Fredricks , wearing the 'Maroon' baggy on a hard Waca/Gabba/Sabina park wicket ,He lets go a quick mid pitcher, Fredricks hooks over long leg for six ............Lillee almost kissing distance from Fredricks, frothing in the mouth letting go mouthfuls a plenty and Fredricks not valuing his life at all, or of the batsmen to follow, giving him the 'two finger salute' and such similar 'friendly gestures' all this after the first ball of a test match is bowled........game on. Consider the slippers then Ian and Greg Chappell, Doug Walters and of course the keeper Rodney Marsh not the quietest lot ever,have you started expecting the drama to follow,the trend that is being set here, just the excitement of a heated battle between two very talented,proud and competitive sides. The thing I do not like to do is compare eras but if you compare today's proceedings an equally quick bowler lets it rip ,a batsman cuts or pulls for a boundary and the fast bowler glares , smiles even occasionally taps him on the back or shoulder in appreciation just because someone is monitoring the class , give me a break guys and these magnificent players too, just let them be.

I, as a spectator, watch the game because of the massive entertainment factor it provides via the talent and temperament of the players and I would not want to subdue it one bit.I do not believe in the old cliche that its just a game , no one would tear a intercostal or something that sounds equally bad were it 'just a game'.
This is entertainment and so it should be , a no holds barred contest, complete freedom to win.
Then, in more ways than one ,we have a 'WINNER'. Just a  thought.

The way a leader is taught

The way a leader is taught

I , Have had the opportunity to captain /lead many a team in various formats and levels.
The experience I would like to share here is of leading a side which includes my friends,contemporaries and well wishers, but the description goes on as these people are also directors ,officers,clerks and workmen in their own professional lives. The Team , then has a very interesting mix of personalities for e.g here is a guy who works on the shop floor of a engine making multinational sharing the pitch with a director of a software company,now the challenge for me (as captain) is to keep them pursuing the same goal or we have a rudderless ship . The difference gets more evident as we field , here I want you to visualise the picture its usually sunny and hot so that is a factor we have to bear in mind,the shop floor guy is the wicket keeper and the director is say at third man or fine leg and I am the opening bowler so here is what i hear after i bowled the first ball ,WK: Ranjya , lai bhari ball ,tu ani me khelu ya bas (this is a response to a ball which pitched close to the stumps and swung away ,beating the batsman and ended in the keepers gloves ) this also is an encouragement for the bowler,on the other hand the Fine leg says remember Hadlee(in this case Richard or so I feel), I take this also as an compliment but he also means that,for the next ball I should plan and execute as Hadlee did.....what are the odds on that happening ?
The LESSON here is to understand where the two schools of thought are coming from, the WK is a shop floor guy has to do tough,physical work on his own and do a creative job (assembling an engine) while as the director has to do smart ,responsible work on his own while making his team do the complete job(whatever he does may GOD bless him and his team).
In between these two extremes, are nine more personalities , ideas and tactics in multiples of nine and players who all want the same result.......a win.
...................the reason for me not to dwell on it anymore is that I want to save some for my 'BOOK'....and the lord save you then...

The ' Essential ' joy

The 'Essential' joy

Hi Guys,

This is my first blog of sorts after being convinced by a friend that I could write one , so here goes.....

The most basic of 'joys', as the name goes the 'joy' of cricket to me is more a passive one,

Don't get me wrong when I say this, having played the game at different levels and in different environments, conditions its given me enormous pleasure and enjoyment but I consider myself extremely fortunate to have played the game but there are a lot more people who could not play it due to various reasons ,My point: joys of cricket are not limited only players, certainly not the most basic and as I like to call it the 'Essential' joy , The sheer enjoyment of a heated discussion or a potent mixture of extreme views of how the last match could have been won or handled better by the captain or even better if their personal favourite was the captain or included in the XI is what the most common 'joy' of cricket is and it is this passion and cauldron of extremes that make it the game that it is .

To me, if there weren't people at every nook and corner talking about cricket,how it could be bettered and how they themselves could serve the purpose better in the 'being discussed capacity' people who run the Paanachi tapri,Chai /Amrutulya stalls and Wada Pav stalls, would be out of business in a jiffy.So people , in these most recessed of times and of cautious spending please understand the need to keep the 'Essentials' going. Just a old thought....

Getting acquainted with old friends

Hi guys,
Its been a long time since I was here , doing what I am doing , this time around no one asked me why I am not writing or some did but not as frequently anyway.....

Well here is something that came to mind, have you ever had the feeling or sensed that you know a person well , really well for a considerable length of time? and once you got comfortable with that you started getting thoughts doubting that very feeling?

I have , for instance I have friend , a childhood friend , nothing to do with my profession just an old friend , haven't been in touch for sometime a very long time and wondered what is going on in his life ? thought : 'call him today' , did not, some time passes, again " call and see whats happening there" , never happened, this sequence happens many times over, suddenly I get a message from a common friend,who lives in another city, saying the guy has  had an accident and is in some distress, gulp, I struggle to find a way to contact him as I don't have his address , have two or three numbers listed under his name in my phone list. I do get in touch ultimately, fearing what the reactions are going to be having known that he is in hospital ,undergone major surgery , this could get really nasty for me and its well deserved, I start by speaking to him on the phone and he is as cheerful as ever and as I remember him , I then muster and some strange courage and real misplaced confidence and say , " what the hell is wrong with you man ? I don't hear from you all these years and when I do , its news like this...." he says " Sorry for that " and continues in his own very friendly way , the way I remember .....

A couple, very near dear friends  , with whom we could share news good or bad and maybe even gossip about a few friends, common ones,  good friends period.
 They had issues as it happens for almost everybody , we tried to help , in a jiffy we were made aware of our places in their lives , we practically are neighbours , we never meet , never have calls returned , we never receive any calls, come to think of it they never really called us , we called them .......

A friend , who I thought was really different and kept my distance , he did too , we were friends nonetheless, he has had some experiences that has changed his outlook towards me and his change has been a very warm and welcoming , I have  come to know him as a reliable and loyal friend........

A friend , who I had a lot of fun with being in the same profession, who I thought the world of , who I thought was a very close and good friend , a fight broke between some common friends and I found myself on the other end of the stick , we have not been ' friends' since......

all these are really, really old friends...........

point being made , do we know our friends ? are they friends or acquaintances?  well experiences teach us what we need to do and how we need to behave , at least socially ,
having said this.......here is a question that comes to mind , will I be able to make a new friend?........
Just thoughts......................