SEPTEMBER SPORTS

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If you are a SPORTs fan, You gotto Love September.
First of all, Cricket Season will be back this month. India will be playing in Sri Lanka and then Champions Trophy.
If Cricket is not cup of your tea, Dont Worry, the most exciting Sports in the entire World, Yes, The Real Football, is back. English Premier League is in action and this time, it wont be just Top 4 or Manchester United at top. Chelsea will give a tough fight and Tottenham Spurs are already spreading the winning virus. Spanish League will be exciting as ever as Barcelona and Real Madrid will gear up with their big stars.

As far as America is concerend, People will forget Obama and Healthcare for a while as College Football begin this week with NFL beginning next week. Patriots Tom Brady is back and Tebow's Gators are raring to go. I am picking Chicago bears from National League while McCoy's Texas will have undefeated season.

US Open (Tennis and not Golf) began today and Murray, Roddick and Nadal will try to stop Federer winning it all but no one is going to Stop Williams Sisters.

Last but not the least, Baseball season will have the most exciting finish of September it has ever watched. Watchout Yankees, Red Sox is healthy now and to their full strength. Even though, Red Sox may not win American League East, they will definately win against Angels and then Yankees and then the World Series.

VONAGE

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Vonage, one of the leading brand in Voice over IP phone has came up with the new package deal. This new deal gives ability for subscribers to give free unlimited call to India from USA. It also includes many other countries that you could give free calls to, for example, Canada.

It has a fixed Price menu with 25 bucks and few taxable junkies which makes the total bill goes upto 33$.

At start, It is a very lucrative offer as you can do unlimited calls anywhere in USA as well as India. However there are two minute catches.

Catch number 1 is that the plan can change anytime. That is if you have say, verizon or AT&T or Comcast as home phone provider and you change your services to Vonage. After 6 months or so, Vonage can start charging you as on per minute basis. Lets just say, Vonage will not change their rates, still their catch number 2 is very tricky.

One of their clausses says, there is a limit of 5000 Minutes on outgoing calls. Meaning, whether you gave a call to USA or India, maximum in a month you can call is 5000 minutes. At start, 5000 minutes seems like a huge number. However, that is not a case for people like me. I work from home many days (practically 20 days in a month). I have to be on phone for an average of 6 hours. 60 Minutes multiplied by 6 is 360 minutes per day. 360 minutes multiplied by 20 (days) is equal to 5200 Minutes.

This 5200 minutes is not calculating my international calling or weekend calls. Even then I would exceed for an about 200 minutes.

Then I checked my Reliance Calling card bills. It seems, I have been calling around worth of only 20$ per month. Plus, I am investing money on Reliance (Ambani Brothers, Gujju's, Mumbaites and an Indian) rather than Vonage Company.

So, Overall, even though the lucrative offer is very good, it is not good enough for me to cancel my Verizon Phone Number and use it for both USA as well as India calling.

Also, I am not the frequent caller to India so, to pay 33$ Per month only to call India and have another USA Number is not something, I am willing to take rightnow.

So, Bon Voyage to Vonage Offer.

Friday Golf

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Kaminey

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It is a risk. I saw Luck and did not saw "Love Aaj Kal" and was going for "Kaminey". Everyone knows that Love Aaj Kal is a hit movie. However, Love Aaj Kal is based on proven formula of "Love", bollywood's favorite theme.

Bollywood is making Love Stories ever since 1940's. Ofcourse, Every Love Story is different but then there is nothing novice about it. It is very difficult to convince myself to go to Theater to see a Love Story now.

Luck was different but I admit it was a bad decision to see that in theater. However, Kaminey is definately worth the effort. If I have to narrate the story, it is Bollywood's version of Slumdog.

Story of two brothers, living in the slum area of Mumbai, growing up differently. Salim and Javed wrote wonderful stories like this in 70's with Amitabh, with my favorite being Deewar.

However, what makes Kaminey different is Vishal Bhardwaj. Screenplay of the movie is very powerful. Movement of Camera to take different scenes are just fantastic.

Two stories moves completely parallely just like we have scene in Pulp Fiction or many Tarantino or Guy Ritchie style movies. If you are avid bollywood follower, you would be taken back by a huge surprise. At times you would have no clue in what is going on.

There are lot of things written about Shahid Kapoor but I was most impressed by Priyanka Chopra. Although her accent needs some improvement but still she was able to convince viewers of Marathi Mulgi. Actually her role is quiet small comparatively but it has all the shades, Comedy, Aggresiveness, Sensuality, Drama, Tragedy, Action as well. I wish this could have been made 10 years back and Madhuri Dixit would have been perfect for this role.

Story has different caste of people from Marathi to Afghani, and Africans to Bengali and ofcourse, Sharmaji from UP. There are well written, sarcastic dialogues of "We dont do unneeded war, we are not Americans" OR "If UP people disappear from Mumbai, Milk would be less sweet" etc.

Most Impressive part of Story Telling is, Telling a Story without a dialogue or song, For Example: The Chart written in Shahid's room defines his character that he is GOAL oriented individual or slogan of "Apna Hath Jaggannath" just outside bathroom.

When you need to show the climax with WAR kind of situation in slums , you need camera to be placed at distant while when there is a situation of sensuous kiss, you need camera with close-up. You dont need song to ruin the story telling and hence run the story with song of marriage. When Suresh Wadkar sings with Sunidhi, its like Class meets mass.

There are enough messages in the movie, with use of condom as well as how money and situation brings out "Kaminapan" from people. Or How much political our politics is or how corrupt our Law and Order situation is.

There is lot of Comedy (specially, between Priyanka and Shahid) as well as situational comedy due to "Haklapan" of second shahid.

Actually, I would like to see this movie second time to perhaps better understand it.

Mumbai Meri Jaan

Story Taken from an email Forwarded to me:
Last Sunday, my wife, kid and I had to travel to Andheri from Bandra. When I waved at a passing auto rickshaw, little did I expect that this ride would be any different.


As we set off, my eyes fell on a few magazines (kept in an aircraft style pouch) behind the driver’s back rest. I looked in front and there was a small TV. The driver had put on the Doordarshan channel. My wife and I looked at each other with disbelief and amusement. In front of me was a small first-aid box with cotton, dettol and some medicines. This was enough for me to realise that I was in a special vehicle. Then I looked around again, and discovered more -there was a radio, fire extinguisher, wall clock, calendar, and pictures and symbols of all faiths – from Islam and Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. There were also pictures of the heroes of 26/11- Kamte, Salaskar, Karkare and Unnikrishnan. I realised that not only my vehicle, but also my driver was special.


I started chatting with him and the initial sense of ridicule and disbelief gradually diminished. I gathered that he had been driving an auto rickshaw for the past 8-9 years; he had lost his job when his employer’s plastic company was shut down. He had two school-going children, and he drove from 8 in the morning till 10 at night. No break unless he was unwell. “Sahab, ghar mein baith ke TV dekh kar kya faida? Do paisa income karega toh future mein kaam aayega.” (Sir, what’s the use of simply sitting at home and watching TV? If I earn some income, then it will be useful in the future.)


We realised that we had come across a man who represents Mumbai – the spirit of work, the spirit of travel and the spirit of excelling in life. I asked him whether he does anything else as I figured that he did not have too much spare time. He said that he goes to an old age home for women in Andheri once a week or whenever he has some extra income, where he donates tooth brushes, toothpastes, soap, hair oil, and other items of daily use. He pointed out to a painted message below the meter that read: “25 per cent discount on metered fare for the handicapped. Free rides for blind passengers up to Rs50″. He also said that his auto was mentioned on Radio Mirchi twice by the station RJs. The Marathi press in Mumbai know about him and have written a few pieces on him and his vehicle.


My wife and I were struck with awe. The man was a HERO! A hero who deserves all our respect. I know that my son, once he grows up, will realise that we have met a genuine hero. He has put questions to me such as why should we help other people? I will try to keep this incident alive in his memory.


Our journey came to an end; 45 minutes of a lesson in humility, selflessness and of a hero-worshipping Mumbai – my temporary home. We disembarked, and all I could do was to pay him a tip that would hardly cover a free ride for a blind man.


Some Pictures:



He has got a first aid box on the left and a newspaper box on right (which had all hindi-english- marathi-gujrati and economic times)




He has got a tv on the top with cable (I was watching colors channel) and below tat is the tissue box. on the left is the mandir types and dont miss the "Only gandhigiri" written there , below tat is the calender and a notepad and pen along with a blue fan (which is blowing towards the customer who sits)

25% discount for handicapped !! who on this earth can expect somethin like this from an rickshawala yaar!!

Novel Writing

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A very shy, tall looking chap walks to an elderly old gentleman. Young kid ecstatically passes a piece of paper. There is a lot of joy and victory on bright young face of Nikhil. There is even a style of statement while giving the piece of paper.

This is not an ordinary piece of paper; it is a blend of hard-work, dedication & million of lines of mugging. It is our sixth semester result. Nikhil has topped the exam and even got First Class. It requires more than dedication and “Vidyalankar Classes” Crash Courses to achieve over all First Class Result in Computer Engineering Sixth Semester.

Nikhil accomplish that feat with flying colors and felt very euphoric while presenting that piece of paper to Mr.Raikar.

Mr.Raikar knew how important this piece of paper is to him and Nikhil but Mr.Raikar is also smart. He knew what is coming and cooking in Nikhil’s head. Mr.Raikar kept looking at the mark-sheet and appears to behave such that he is reading a normal newspaper.

After a while, Nikhil reminds his father, “I got First Class”.

Mr. Raikar kept one hand on Mark-Sheet while other one over his head. This was sort of Amitabh Bachhan look which strike a chord at Nikhil that one way or another; His father is going to crack a joke on him. Actually, this is where it gets tricky. Like all fathers, they have a way of reminding their sons that “Hum tumhare baap hai!”

Nikhil was expecting a reply from his father which never came. So, like “Beggars are not choosers”, Nikhil responds to his achievement by asking “I was wondering, if I can get a Bike”. That’s it, Nikhil said it. Not here or there, straight what he wanted to tell. It’s like “I got first class and now I deserve a bike”, perhaps rightly so.

Mr.Raikar stands up now. It’s almost imperative that, when a person stands up from sitting down position, he is going to speak truth and that too with higher volume. However, Mr.Raikar has class of his own. He asks, very quietly to Nikhil, “tujha nav kay?” (What is your name?)

Nikhil’s brain cells are moving like million miles per hour now. What exactly old man has in his mind? Why he is asking my name while he only kept it some 20 years ago. But after couple of second of silence, Nikhil says “Nikhil”.

Mr.Raikar responds this time with more authority “pura nav” (Full name, my son)

Nikhil says “Nikhil Raikar”.

Mr.Raikar replies with punch line”Ho, Tujha Nav, Nikhil Raikar aahe. Nikhil Tata va Nikhil Birla nahi”. (Your name is Nikhil Raikar, and not Nikhil Tata or Nikhil Birla).

Nikhil is hushed. Nikhil does not know how to react. Shall he laugh on a punch line of the day which has knocked him and his wish down completely? Or Shall He try another way to put his argument forward. He understood the seriousness in the humorous response of his father that they can not afford Bike and walk away from scene.

PYAASA

'A picture speaks a thousand words'

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