Ideology through Society, Culture, Family and Sports

Blogging doesn't come automatically for someone as lazy as me. It normally is stimulated by someone's request and the request came from my Sister-in-law this time. A few days before she started to India in Feb, she told me on a call - "Your niece has grown so playful these days and you are certain to enjoy every movement of hers. I would be happy if you can write a blog on her to narrate the experience" I owe this to you, Anni - Though I have done it 3 months too late, I certainly have had it in my mind all the time. My Niece named Hridyaa - Born in India, but has lived more than half her three years in Calgary, Canada. Born on the 1st of Feb 2007, in these initial years she has spent on Mother Earth, she has already created enough positive impact on the happiness of everyone around. The girl with the widest of winks, freakiest of hair cuts, and owner of the craziest of expressions came on at precisely the right time to stamp her influence. She is nau...

I typed all the italicized text below, in the first week of Feb 2010...in an extremely crestfallen state of mind! Scene - 1: Approximately in the middle of the year 2005, Sachin Tendulkar suffered a career threatening injury named the "Tennis Elbow". By that time, the master had already played a massively monstrous 16 years, accumulated over 20,000 international runs, created/broken/smashed almost all the batting records - In spite of that, there was a frenetic fear within me that one of the greatest cricketers ever to have wielded the willow, has finally buckled down to injuries and a glorious career is over, a few years in advance. God's grace, I was proven wrong, my fears were cast aside and Sachin Tendulkar came out of that dark phase and is still glittering like gold - 5 years hence. Scene - 2: Rafael Nadal happens to be my second most admired sportsman ever, no prizes for guessing the first one. When Rafa had to limp off from his Quarterfinals...

"Behind the passion, hunger, success, ability, fame, riches, respect and love for the game, there lies a humble, level-headed and down-to-earth human being, so lovable to all" February 22, 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar reached the pinnacle of glory never achieved in Men's ODI Cricket. He notched up an astonishing double hundred against a worthwhile South African bowling attack, in what turned out to be a series-clincher. I was quiet occupied that day attending calls and reading messages - Only Sachin would have been busier that evening. A couple of my friends told me that I have got a very hot topic for my blog and I ought to write one on the Master's latest of many achievements. But what do I write? I very well knew that had I started to write on that day, I would have continued to write even till now, because, no words are enough to describe him. It's high time someone finds a new adjective that can be mapped to SRT alone. Therefore, I picked up a few in...

These days I have been eagerly waiting for the weekend, that allows me to play 2 days of tennis ball cricket - not a kid anymore, we play with the harder one. As I enter the field, I think of accomplishing only 2 things during the course of the day's play. 1. Do not drop a catch at any cost, pull of a brilliant catch if you get an opportunity. 2. Never misfield to concede an extra run, try saving as many as possible. Batting well, scoring these many runs, bowling well, taking these many wickets have never been in my mind, for the simple reason that I do believe if any of these happens, it is a bonus and I have just been lucky on that day. I know very well that I haven't had the best of techniques in these parameters of the game. So, fielding is something that I have always enjoyed and am confident of not doing too badly in that aspect, there are exceptions though. During one of those games on the Saturday that went by, I was fielding at deep square leg, slightly inside the boun...

Maybe I spoke too early and too much about my health (at the tail end of my previous blog) - The creator up there would have taken notice and said, "Now then, you are being too optimistic about your health being in good shape, time to get realistic - Take That". Ironical isn't it??! Yes, I have been down with an ailment for the past 3 days and still struggling to reach the 100% fitness mark, which I aspire to always. Let me speak about what I attained, instead of crying over what I possibly missed - for the simple reason, the former will be far lesser than the latter. I spent the entire weekend on bed, in front of the TV and the computer with bread and biscuits and of course tablets, surrounding me. Nice rest that, though I haven't done anything significant in recent times to demand one, but who cares. Secondly, I watched India pounding the hapless Lankans (somehow love seeing them lose) in the second T20 match, Yuvraj, Sehwag and Dhoni all at their brilliant best and...

December 07, 2009 - A day when I realized that I stay as I am, with a tooth that protrudes and hogs all the limelight, ahead of the other normal features that make up my face. Having said that, I have never been the one who lost sleep thinking about how to get my dental deficiencies right, I have lot of other things to pay attention to and worry about. But life is not only about how you think and feel about yourself, more often than not, you have to focus on how and what people perceive you as. On that note, there have been innumerable occasions when my friends and loved ones have advised me to consult a good dentist and find out a mechanism by which I can even out my teeth - to some extent at least. The reluctant me has successfully turned all those suggestions down, but for how long??!!! One fine day, a couple of my friends booked an appointment with a dentist for a consultation in the Ramakrishna Hospital, Coimbatore and the doctor I met there, promptly directed me to the Ramakrishn...

In March 1999, I witnessed one of the best fourth innings knocks ever played - and it was by Sachin Tendulkar, against arch-rivals Pakistan. Yes, I refer to the painstaking 136 that Sachin played on a terrible track against a brilliant bowling attack. Having to chase a tricky target of 271, India found themselves in a hole and in a precarious situation midway through the fifth day. In came Tendulkar to the rescue and he almost single-handedly took India to the verge of what would have been a fantastic win, but not to be. The moment he succumbed to the guile  of Saqlain, the late order crumbled like nine pins and handed over the match to Pakistan, gift-wrapped. The ill-fated across the line swipe from Nayan Mongia that initiated the collapse still hurts. Fast track to 2009, the present - At the age of 36 when many consider shifting their focus towards family and business, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is still going strong, as hungry as ever. Chasing a massive 351 to win and while...