at the end of 4 day weekend

Well here it goes. Feeling bored on a sunday eve at the end of a long 4 day weekend. Did everything to keep my self occupied over the period. Went to the town, did shopping, went to friends place for dinner, went to aunts place for lunch, had friends over and yea partied a bit also. No towards the end i am bored. Tired of watching movies and relaxing. Want to get back to work on monday. When did i become like this. Life has changed a lot, hope it is for the better.

One year and counting

Well it has been one year in Belgium, and another 4 to go. This is the longest I have been away from home. Enjoying my time here. Lots happening here. Been a very busy year. And the list goes something like this:

• Passed my exams and got my confirmation as a PhD student.
• Understood a lot as part of my PhD what i need to achieve over the next 4 years and also rialised i need to learn a looooooot more.
  
• Been to Paris (twice), Amsterdam(twice), Brussels (even if it is just a 20 min from Leuven went there only 10 months after i landed), Gent, Brugge, Antwerp, Namur, Spa, Ostende, Liege (all fly visits), Prague (one of my bestest holidays).
• Became a volunteer of an NGO Rose. We support the basic education of students in the developing world. Organised a dinner as a part of the fund rising for 100 people for the organisation. A very cool experience.
  
• Well planned and set for a hike to the Alps (France-Italy border). Also did a couple of small hikes.
• Tried to learn Dutch but failed big time at it (hope to get better at it this year).
  
• Had my first winter and snow fall.
• Took up a new sport floorball, but highly irregular at going for it.
• Got a place for myself. Even though just a small studio it is my own place.

So yea it has been an interesting year. Looking forward to the next. Want to publish at least one conference paper this year. Lets hope for the best. Move into a bigger place. A lot more traveling.

Are we Racist?

This is a topic which has been eating my head for the last 1 month since the Harbhajan - Symonds incident. Are we Indians racist by nature without being aware of it. There are lot of things which i can think of which could be termed as racist. Terms like "goora" or "vellai karan" for a white skinned man, "golti" for the telugu ppl, "tam bram" for the tamil brahmin, "bong" for the bengali, "madhrasi" for any one south of the vindhyas, "northi" for anyone not belonging to the 4 southern states and so on. There are many terms like this which can be listed endlessly here which we Indians use on a regular day to day basis. I am not sure if these are racist terms, and if yes or no, why for both the cases will be an interesting argument. I would like an answer to this if i can get one. Blog readers kindly answer me.....

Gilly adicha gilly parakum

The Adelaide was the last test of one the greatest all-rounder of the game of cricket: Adam Craig Gilchrist. Thanks for entertaining us for 9 years Mr. Gilchrist. You truly stood correct to the song of "Gilly adicha gilly parakum".

Sydney test 2007-2008

This is a blog born out of the utter disgust I feel at the end of the Sydney test in 2007-08. I had (that is right I “HAD”) respected and loved the Oz style of cricket, which was in your face all the time. But after this game have lost it all.

It started in day one, a team which prides itself on walking when the edge a ball, why didn’t Ponting walk for the caught behind on the leg side? Neither did Symonds, matters made worse when he agreed to being out to Ishant and went on to make a big 100. A wicket at that point would have put India in the driver’s seat and anything could have happened from there on. I think this is a trick employed by them, where they walk when their team is not in trouble, and stay for a verdict when they are in trouble so the umpire thinks that ‘ok this guy did not walk so he must be not out’. The cheapest trick in the book period. The worse was yet to come when Clarke was out of an absolute clear edge to the slips and he stands for a verdict from the umpire. Cheap I say absolutely cheap.

Next, was to bring up an issue as sensitive as racism, in the middle of a test match, to one of our leading bowlers. Even if he had said anything I think the right thing would have been to wait for the end of the test match and the put it down in the captain’s report to the match referee. This kind of thing really messes up a person’s brain, and he starts doubting himself. So another under the belt shoot from the “GREAT AUSTRALIAN SIDE”. A bit if a talk back and they go into needless allegation. Be prepared to receive what you give. Else don’t do it.

Finally, a crucial catch of Ganguly, who is a form of his life, to the slips and Ponting says that accept a fielder’s (Clarke) verdict on the catch, and the umpire agrees. When he could have given it to the 3rd umpire just as well and a result would have come down immediately that the catch was grassed. How can anyone accept the verdict of a fielder who did not walk for what was one of the thickest edges he ever produced in life. If Ganguly had stayed India might have saved the match.

I must also mention that the umpires are equally at fault in the whole system because, they should have done a better job, and must have taken better calls. That is why I did not mention the Dravid dismissal in the 2nd innings here. Also people can argue what about Ponting’s wicket in the 1st innings, I give the same reason as above and umpire mistake. India lost this match due to largely bad umpiring and not because they played bad.

Bottom line I am disappointed that India still lost at the end of a close finish where they should have actually saved the match, but not disgusted with them as in Melbourne where they gave a spineless performance. I am truly disgusted with the Oz style of cricket and they are off my books of favorite cricket team.

Leuven by night: Christmas

This link will take you to some photos of the city of Leuven, the one in which I stay. This was taken a couple of days after Christmas 2007 in the town center.
http://picasaweb.google.com/msashwin/LeuvenByNightChristmas

Double Role

Was going thru the list of releases this deepavali in both Tamil and Hindi movies. And to my surprise for some strange reason a lot of the movies released has the protagonist playing double role in the same movie, either because of rebirth or twin or just 2 individuals who look the same. These movies are Om Shanthi Om, Azagiye Tamil Magan and Vel. It looks like we are going back to the 70's and 80's when we had a lot releases based on this concept.

P.S. My blog is based on what i have read and not watching the movie. So incase it does not have hero playing a double role kindly excuse maddi.