They said IPL is the young cricketer's game! BAH!

When the Indian Premier League kick-started for 2010, one was accustomed to listen to the same old commentators, the same old people in India who think they know everything about cricket and that they are the final authority on the subject - that IPL is not for the 'old' cricketers - or those who are nearing their retirement.

And then..

Cometh the hour, 
Cometh the man.. 

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Not just the captain of the Mumbai Indians, which is sitting pretty at the top of the table, but also one of the highest run-grossers of the tournament! Sample this - 303 runs from 6 innings - a staggering average of 60.60 and now his kitty boasts of 7 IPL fifties.. whoa!

If just numbers make up the stuff that pleases the commentators and shuts up the critics, this man has it all! He proves again and yet again, that age is just a number.. a wizard can display his magic anywhere..

And certainly -

Old is gold

__________________


That does feel good. Being a staunch Sachin loyalist, just had to get this out of my system. Go Sachin! Rock and roll!

Things I love - Part 1

I love - // In no particular order
1) Creating my own style
2) Leaving a mark
3) Black and white
4) Fresh dew on grass
5) Multicolored sunsets
6) Calm oceans
7) Comfortable bermuda shorts
8) Baggy jeans
9) Soulful music
10) Guitar chords
11) Selfless love
12) High speed internet
13) Shows that make me laugh - Big Bang Theory, How I met your mother, Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai
14) Cousins
15) Friends
16) Spotless whites
17) Vanilla with hot chocolate
18) College fests
19) Penne and Fettucine
20) Ball room dancing
21) Deep brown eyes
22) Long black hair
23) A big wide smile
24) Resounding laughter

To be Continued..

=]

Some boxes should be turned upside down =]

No, this is not a sentimental post and nor is it philosophical.It is just about the random things in life that always make me happy. It was just yesterday, that my mom gifted me a pair of beautiful Nike shoes - and as always, the shoes were perfect. However, when the procedure of trying out the new shoes and walking/running around in them had been done with, something happened and the box that the shoes came in, was turned upside down. This box was going straight to the dustbin if not for my intervention because I am always on the lookout for such quirky things.

They say, inspiration can come from anywhere. And for me, somehow, the Nike sign has always been a sign of inspiration and more so it's famous tag line - "Just Do it!" Three simple words - but they mean so much..don't think, just do it. Don't look for reasons, just go ahead and do it. Don't crib around do nothing, get up and just do it. Don't let others bog you down, just do it. Three simple words, three magical words for me.. the simplistic logo and the minimalistic yet so universally appealing tag line really does something to me whenever I see it. That is why, the photograph above, that shows the bottom of the Nike shoe box is kind of special for me. Yeah, I know, you must think I am really weird.. but I'd like to maintain I am really random .. you never know what thing just pops up and grabs your attention!

As we are now talking about the brand, one more reason why I love it dates back to the time when Nike and Adidas were having this huge marketing war with each brand trying to outdo the other. Adidas went a little further and started twisting Nike's taglines to appear on it's clothing line.

When Nike said - Just Do It

Adidas printed - Why Do It?

When Nike said - There is no finish line

Adidas said - When there is no finish line, why bother?

I am no Adidas hater but the extent to which the brand went, vying to outdo Nike always had me glued to the action. Nevertheless, without resorting to such jabs, Nike stuck to it's clean avatar and in the end Nike proved another of it's tagline true-

No Games, Just Sports.

Gosh, that was REALLY random.. but hey - just wanted to share these little things with everyone.. if you are reading this, do let me know which one you prefer - Nike or Adidas? Till then, let inspiration come from all places!

Amen.

Education - Learning.. correction- ROTE-learning!

Day in and day out, for the last 20 years - the syllabus for Computer Science for my University had remained unchanged. NO, this is not a joke - for a stream like Computer Science where technologies become the toast of the town and then equally efficiently labelled as obsolete, students of Computer Science and Engineering have been reading the same books, answering the same questions in the answers, memorizing instead of learning and reproducing like a robot - their understanding nil and their brain functioning like some volatile memory..the moment the exams are over and done with, pooh! There goes your subject and there goes the understanding, if any, of it..

The photograph that I have inserted into this blog - is of a book explaining microprocessors and microcontrollers. This particular book, obtained from an old book market has passed through the hands of countless students - at times of sessionals, unit tests and ofcourse - the dreaded University Exams. Time and time again,I find me asking one question to myself - Is there really any use to studying like this? When I say studying, it's just for the namesake, because there is no understanding/conceptual basis involved in whatever I am learning, and the main prerogative at this period of time is to obtain good marks in the examination. However did things go so downhill? Learning and studying at the school where I studied till the Xth grade was so much fun.. it was delightful- with teachers doting over you, the homely atmosphere, the relevance of what we were learning deeply instilled within..

But not anymore..

Wont elaborate on the factors, they are too many.. they say a bad workman always blames his tools.. but here, the tools - the environment, the total mindset has to be blamed, and that does not exclude me and my viewpoint towards the local education system, fully aware that an Engineering degree from Nagpur University does not hold ANY value outside my city.. or for that matter, even inside it..

Yes, you are not mistaken - this IS an exam post.. and this is the same question that comes to my mind every semester of the last 3 years of my Engineering course.. with just 1 more year left with me, I just hope I can make things right and really do something worthy so that I can justify the 'Er.' in front of my name as and when I can get it..

New Theme/ Thanks Karthik!

This AWESOME new theme is all thanks to my friend, Karthik.

Thanks a lot, dude..

This is sheer awesomeness!

=D

'Up' wins 2 Oscars!

In reference to my earlier post about awesome animated movies, I am VERY glad to share this news with you - at Hollywood's grandest celebration of cinema and talent, 'Up' won 2 Oscars!

The first for the Best Animated Feature Film and the second for the Best Original Sound Track..

=D

More reasons for you to go watch

Ciao!

SACH is life =D

Though it's a little late for this.. but yes.. the celebration for this man is never going to die. For me, he has transcended into something even bigger than the game - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Now, the fact that I am sharing this piece of art with you is because I had made it 2 years ago.. and using it now seems to be the best thing to do

=D

No more 'cartoons' ..

The recent releases from the animation industry - full length animation movies have literally made us change our view and perception towards an industry which was, for long, thought to be meant to cater only to a target audience of kids and teens. For the last 3 years, the animation industry, spearheaded by Pixar and Disney, have rolled out not one, not two but three masterpieces which, in this humble writer's opinion - everyone MUST watch. Two of the three movies that I am going to mention have won the Oscar in 2007 and 2009. The third on the list has been nominated for the 'Best Picture' category for the 2010 Oscars and there are a lot of reasons why it might just end up, as the winner..without much ado, let us kick-start the glorious list -

1) Ratatouille (2007)

Does the name ring a bell? Do you recall Remy? Remy, the rat who dreamt of becoming a chef? Yes, the plot of the movie may really seem amateur but the handling of the movie and the sheer emotional texture of the movie sets everything right. Made three years ago by Pixar, Ratatouille opened to amazing critical and popular reviews and in days to come, was a runaway hit and among many other honors, was awarded the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2007. A simple, unbelievable at first, story of a rat who is so passionate about cooking and a lively tale in which he befriends the untalented heir to a restaurant owner to make a team and realize his dream. The rat controls the boy by yanking his 'hair' which is connected to his hands and so, the rat cooks and brews magic - bringing back the lost glory to the restaurant started by his idol - Auguste Gusteau. Don't let the story lead you to thinking that it is a childish movie, far from it, Ratatouille is about passion, spirit, love and determination. It is about the joy of friendship, the art of cooking and the spirit that keeps us all going. Watch it, and feel your sense s being tingled by the sheer variety of emotions that it manages to touch :)

2) Wall-E (2008)

Another super hit Pixar-Disney collaboration, Wall-E was a story about a robot named Wall-E set in the future when all of humankind has abandoned earth to continue life aboard huge spaceships especially built for their survival after planet Earth becomes unsuitable for living. The story is about Wall-E and another robot Eve and how their love story changes the course of humankind. Wall-E is all about how little things can make a huge difference - how things you think don't matter - how they play that all important part in shaping your destiny. A sheer treat from the word go, Wall-E has excellent graphics and the most humane theme ever taken up by another animation feature film. If someone ever doubted Pixar's standing as numero uno in the field of animation, this movie is enough to convince them that Pixar and Disney rule! A must MUST watch..give it a try!

3) Up (2009) Up, made again as a Disney-Pixar project is a very special movie in many,many ways. Did you know that ever since the inception of the Academy Awards, the only animated feature film to be ever nominated for the Best Film Award was "Beauty and the Beast". So, for only the second time in the 80 years of the Oscars, Up is THAT animated movie to make it to the list of movies nominated for the award of the Best Film inspite of having a separate category for the Best Animated Feature Film. Speaks a lot! Up is a simple movie about an old man and how he fulfills a promise made to his late wife, his inspiration and a chaotic and very enjoyable trip along with a boy and a dog in a, believe-it-or-not, house lifted by gas balloons! Up is made on the theme that dreamers can move mountains, that love can prep us on to do things that we could never think of even trying. Up is breathless perfection from the word go.. with such emotional depth and clarity that most of you who read this would cry like a child when the movie ends. A heart moving tale of genuine warmth and poignancy, go catch this flick and feel the joy.

If any of you do and watch any one of these movies or have already watched them, do share your experiences with me, because these movies are masterpieces - classic works of arts which are right up there in my list of all-time favorites. Until later, ciao!

:)

When life throws stones..

Some people say

"When life throws stones, turn them into milestones"

and then there are some who say

"When life throws lemons, make lemonade"

Such simple thoughts and yet both of them just want to tell you the same thing - don't take your failures too seriously.. just the lessons learnt from them should be kept close to your heart and never forgotten. Life and failure share a much deeper relationship than life and success can ever aim to.. because failure shows you the utmost bottom of the pit, it introduces you to stark reality and it reveals your truest friends and your well-wishers. Success, on the other hand, brings along many "friends" and admirers, who conveniently disappear when they as much as smell failure.. well, life's like that :)

Cheers to success and cheers to failure, cheers to "friends" and friends.. and cheers to the lessons learnt and never forgotten..

Fool me once, shame on you

Fool me twice, shame on me.