Multi-cultural Enviroment

I have had 2 new guy move into my office today. And now it is a truly multi-cultural working environment. It is made up of one American, one Chinese, one Belgian, one Iranian and me the Indian. Interesting times ahead.

Beginning of the end

Sorry for another cricket post guys, but I really love this game.

So it has begun. The end which we all knew will come one day, but hoped never to happen. The sunset of the career of the famed Indian trio. Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly, the end looks near with Dravid giving up captaincy on 14th September 2007. The possibility of Sachin calling it a day for one-dayers at the end of the year. And Ganguly is defiantly not far behind. All we can hope now is we find talent at least half as good as these 3 guys. Also one small request to the BCCI, let these guys retire on their terms, they deserve it. Don’t insult this group by dropping them at any point. And to the trio “Adios Amigos”. Thanks a lot for entertaining us for so many years.

Akhtar Vs Asif

Well came in this morning to read a amazing story

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/akhtarasif-brawl-ahead-of-twenty20/26767-13.html

Easily one of the best in recent times. Looks like the time when we used to play cricket as kids at the local ground. I really would like to know what was going on Akhtar's mind during the incident. This is my interpretation of the state of mind:

"Man this dude bowls better then me and does not get injured as often as me. I tried to drug him to get him out of the team and still did not work. What do i do with this kind of talent. Wait Wait...... if he does not get injured i will injure him. Where is that club the call a bat. Ahhhhh there it is. hey Asif look here. Bam on his thigh. That must keep him down for a few months. HEHEHEHE."

* This is completely fictional. Not meant to be taken seriously.

Sadly one of the biggest loss to modern day cricket.

Paris here i come

Time: Fri the 17th of Aug 2007 10pm Belgian Standard Time
Place: 26/04 Izerenmolenstraat, Leuven - 3001 (Ashwin's Room)

Watching "That 70's Show". Then
Knock knock on the door.
Ashwin: who is it
Sandeep: Sandeep
Ashwin: just a min.
Sandeep: ok
Open the door
Ashwin: hey
Sandeep: hey. what plan for the weekend? free?
Ashwin: yea. why? nothing planned as of now.
Sandeep: want to come to Paris. One guy has dropped out. and very cheap tickets just 45 euros.
Ashwin: (thinking. WTF) Sure. for how many days.
Sandeep: 3 return on mon night
Ashwin: But i have not informed at office.
Sandeep: that is ok. just mail. we leave at morrow 530 in the morn. 730 is the train (thalys: one of the fastest Rail train in the world)
Ashwin: Ok i will do that.
Sandeep: ok chal i am going need to check certain details for the trip.
Ashwin: want to check the train timings to go to brussels from here.
We check the train timing.
Next day morning we leave to Paris.

Time: Sat the 18th of Aug 2007 10am France Standard Time
Place:Gard du Nord Paris

This is how my trip to Paris started. Still recovering from how quick it happened.

Details of the trip coming up in a short time along with photos.

India a good team, Oz a great team

Proof of that was seen on the 4th day of the 3rd test India Vs England at The Oval Aug 12th 2007. 319 runs ahead, i still don't understand why we did not go for the kill and enforce a follow-on. Dravid (a great fan of his batting) messed up the situation big time. This is where I am a huge fan of the Oz style of cricket. They would have gone for the kill. I read a report somewhere that the Indian bowlers were tired. Come on that is a total bull shit reason. You are going for a series win in style, what bigger motivation does one need. The Oz's would have put the pressure on its bowling after a batting display of that might. This is the difference between a great team and a good team. I think the Oz are so far ahead of the rest of the teams that it is no longer a competition for them with other teams, but among themselves, between their bowling and batting. I expected a similar output from India. Eden gardens does not happen everyday guys. We had a amazing bowling conditions, the form Zak and co. are in i would have expected a go for the kill attitude. Alas even as i write this blog it looks like the match is heading for a draw and the series India. But to me it is a good series victory where as it could have been a great series victory coming on a special week when India celebrates its 60th Independence day.

Back to where it began

Dravid and Ganguly will be back at Lords morrow. They started there test cricket life there. The go back to that place for one last time in the Indian whites. One a 90 the other a century. Must be a great feeling. That got me thinking. How would i or you feel if u went back to ur school or undergrad coll as teachers. mmmmmmmmmm. Will be really cool. Aint it? Drop in ur comments.

Sivaji

Well it has been some time. Been busy enough not to write something over here. It has been a great couple of week here. I have not been at home more than 2hrs awake time over the last 2 weeks. Here is how the whole busy period started:
Couple of weeks back there was a screening of Sivaji at a place called Herentals (hope got the spelling right). It was about one week after the release in India and considering the huge Tamil population in Leuven we all decided to make a trip of it. It was just one screening of the movie, so for the first time in my life i saw a Rajini movie "FIRST DAY FIRST SHOW" but sadly enough it was the last day and last show also. We all gathered at a place just outside the town and went for the movie in about 5 cars. This trip reminded me of stories which my dad and relatives used to talk about, of how they all "mattu vandi katindu" go to the nearest "town" to watch a movie. Very similar experience. Must say it was brilliant. The place was about 1 hr drive from where i stay and over all a great experience.
Regarding the movie, personal opinion only, ordinary for a Rajini/Shakar movie. Good compared to most of the other movies dished out by the Tamil industry. It was like neither a pure Rajini movie nor a pure Shankar movie. It was in between. But that is will happen since u got 2 great ppl of the industry together. But what i enjoyed more was the whole experience and must say Vivek hats off. And yea of course saw the movie way before most of the guys in India could have seen it coz of the crazy rush for tickets.



Well the cinema hall was a small one. But all the people in the hall were only the Leuven crowd so was great fun to watch the movie with people. There were a few outside ppl in the hall before it started, but they were showing the movie on another screen next door, so looking at the "looty" we guys were creating they moved out [:D].



All in all a great fun day. And really must thank Ganesh and Vinodh for organizing this event.

Photos sent by Sandeep.