Couldn’t help posting about it. But this is just so cool.. Even more interesting than this year’s IPL, I would say.
This guy claims he’s a member of the KKR team and he’s blogging about what happens before and after a match, during parties, breakfasts, team meetings. Also giving a sneak peek at each of their characters.
And everything without naming anyone. He just uses hilarious nicknames for each of them.
Here’s the blog : http://fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ु-ए-क़ातिल में है
वक़्त आने दे बता देंगे तुझे ऎ आसमाँ
हम अभी से क्या बताएँ क्या हमारे दिल में है |
ओ रे बिस्मिल काश आते आज तुम हिन्दोस्ताँ
देखते कि मुल्क़ सारा क्या टशन में, चिल में है
आज का लौंडा ये कहता हम तो बिस्मिल थक गए
अपनी आज़ादी तो भइया लौंडिया के दिल में है |
आज के जलसों में बिस्मिल एक गूँगा गा रहा
और बहरों का वो रेला नाचता महफ़िल में है
हाथ की खादी बनाने का ज़माना लद गया
आज तो चड्ढी भी सिलती इंग्लिसों की मिल में है |
“Have you seen Bhee for Bhendetta?”, a Bengali colleague asked me when he came to know of the vast movie resource which I owned.
“Sorry, I haven’t watched many Bangla movies, only Satyajit Ray ones…”, I replied.
And the very next moment, I realized what a grave mistake I had done. I immediately corrected myself, “….err….yeah…yeah…I think I have seen it. You were asking about V for Vendetta right ?”. He gave me a ‘Who’s this asshole?’ look and nodded his head slowly.
Well, that was a small and pretty harmless incident. But imagine what could have happened had it been my boss (if he was a Bengali) instead of my colleague. And this could happen to anybody. So for the benefit of all, here is a quick – reference guide on what to expect from a Kolkatan Bengali.
1. V=Bhee.
A long time ago, when the British came to Calcutta, an old English gentleman had developed some sort of a grudge against Bengalis. Maybe he didn’t like their preparation of fish. (or something else, who cares). So when he was given the enviable task of teaching them English, he taught them, ” …. Q, R, S, T, U, Bhee, W, X, Y, Z ..”
And indeed, great learners as we are, this knowledge was handed down from generation to generation, (like the Vedas). So today we see a Somnath Chatterjee, a Pranab Mukherjee, a Sourav(Bh) Ganguly, and my colleague Mr. X (name changed to preserve anonymity), exhibiting their knowledge.
2. Breeze = a game of cards, bridge= a gentle flow of air.
In my childhood, I took the above statement to be the truth. Anything learned as a child stays long, so it was indeed a rude shock for me to realize (in my IInd or IIIrd class, I don’t remember now) that it was actually the reverse which was true. Anyways, I corrected myself in time. So now I know that when someone refers to ‘Howrah Breeze’, he’s actually not referring to the gentle flow of air blowing over the railway station by that name.
3. WWW = Uaarld Uide Ueb
And similarly, Aishwarya Rai was Miss Uaarld, Sushmita Sen was Miss Eeunibhaars, and so on and so forth… Maybe the grudging English gentleman also taught us to over-stress the Ws and the Us.
4. S=Sh
“He’s shiting on his shit”, was the shocking reply which I got from one of the volunteers at an event at Jadavpur University, which I once went to attend during my college days. All I had asked of him was the whereabouts of the Convener of the event.
And he had said this so cheerfully, as if it were his favourite pastime.
5. अ = आ
Kolkatans cannot pronounce the अ sound. In English, they make it आ and in Hindi, they make it ओ.
Confused? Here are some examples:
cutting = kaatting; convention = kaanbhenshaan, bundle = baandle (or baandaal)
Sachin = Shochin. etc., etc., etc.
So I hope now whoever read this will be better prepared to avoid unwanted embarrassing moments, which might severely affect your good relations with your Kolkatan peers and bosses. 
PS:: This post has been written in good humour. No ill feelings. I am a Bengali, born and brought up in UP. And I am tired of hearing the ‘My language is purer than yours’ taunt from the Kolkatans. So this is a grudge post, intended to give some back in the same coin !! 
After India’s handsome loss to New Zealand in the T20 earlier today, here’s something to liven up the spirits.
Okay, so here’s the situation:
- India need 7 runs off 2 balls to win the match.
- Sachin and Sehwag are at the crease, both batting on 94 not out. Sachin is on strike.
The papers next day read… “Sachin and Sehwag complete centuries, India win the match”.
Question: HOW ?
Think of a sequence of events which might have led to it.
Though this is a hypothetical situation, to give a touch of realism to it, please don’t consider the prospect of Sachin getting run out while attempting to take a seventh run.
Cheers.
Update :
Okay, another rule is : DON’T USE GOOGLE . 
BBC’s 6-part documentary on Indian history, ‘The Story of India’, is indeed a most awe-inspiring and uplifting account of India’s religious, linguistic, intellectual and cultural diversity. Presented by Michael Wood, it is a mostly unbiased re-telling of the 6000-year-old story of the Indian subcontinent. This was aired on BBC on account of the 60th year of independence of India and Pakistan.
This story is presented in the following 6 parts :
- Episode 1 – Beginnings : Indus Valley Civilization, Aryans, the Vedas, Caste system, the Mahabharata
- Episode 2 – The Power of Ideas : Alexander’s Invasion, Rise of Buddhism, Mauryan Dynasty, Ashoka’s empire
- Episode 3 – Spice Routes and Silk Roads : Trade routes, Kushan empire (Kanishka), the Lost Stupa, Mathura and Madurai
- Episode 4 – Ages of Gold : The Gupta kindom (Chandragupta Vikramaditya) in the North and the Cholas (Rajaraja) of the South
- Episode 5 – The Meeting of Two Oceans : Foreign Invaders, Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Akbar’s empire
- Episode 6 – Freedom and Liberation : Europeans in India, East India Company, First War of Independence, British Raj, Nationalist Movement, Partition
Revelations :
- The whole of Episode 3. This is an almost forgotten period of Indian history. Even the standard history books don’t say much about Kanishka and the Kushan empire. The fact that Mathura was their capital and such an important city during that era. And finally the Lost Stupa in Peshawar. Could have been a wonder of the world had it still existed there.
- Chandragupta Vikramaditya, another hazy figure in Indian history. It was actually in his period that India earned the title of the proverbial ‘Golden Bird’. Also the lesser-known Cholas and King Rajaraja, with their massive temple complex in Thanjavur. Also a fleeting mention of Ayodhya being ‘discovered’ by the Guptas, which poses scores of uneasy questions.
Inconsistencies/Controversies :
- The long-standing controversy of whether the Aryans came from Central Asia or were natives of India is as old as the Aryan theory itself. Apparently ‘Soma’ and horses are put forth as two reasons why Wood suggests that the Aryans were from outside India.
- The equating of Kanishka to Kansa – the maternal uncle of Krishna who was killed by Krishna and Balaram, seems almost funny at first glance. Even from a historical perspective, Krishna was from the Mahabharata period. And though the Mahabharata period still only exists as a legend, it was definitely nowhere near Kanishka’s period, the common capital city (Mathura) notwithstanding.
- Wood stops short of dismissing Ramayana as a piece of mythology. The Guptas ‘rediscovered’ the city of Ayodhya and renamed it. But it isn’t just Ayodhya that defines Ramayana. Several places all along the Indian peninsula and Sri Lanka all correspond to the places described in the Ramayana. But Wood prefers not to tread on a treacherous road.
One or two inconsistencies notwithstanding, ‘The Story of India’ has all the elements which make a great documentary: research, facts and presentation. And it has a moral message too, which Wood presents from time to time at various points during the course of his journey: That since the very ancient times, India has represented the equality of beings, the yearning for knowledge, and a readiness to adapt to change. And these very qualities have led to the assimilation of all cultures that exist even today.
Watching this documentary was like watching the secrets of the past unfold before my eyes. If you’re an Indian, it will certainly have that feel-good factor about it throughout, which Michael Wood takes care to maintain. I’m not a history freak, but it is important to know the past, so that we may learn from it. Being citizens of such a vast and diverse country, it is supremely important to respect other communities: religious, ethnic or linguistic. This respect will only come from knowing our roots : how we managed to preserve our culture through all these millenia, how India was really made.
A must-watch for every Indian.
बचपन में मैने मैथिलीशरण गुप्त की कविता पढ़ी थी – “नर हो, न निराश करो मन को, कुछ काम करो कुछ काम करो …” | अच्छा है कि इसके विपरीत विचारधारा के लोग भी हैं दुनिया में | उनमें से एक हैं गोपालप्रसाद व्यास | उन्होने मैथिलिशरण गुप्त के टक्कर की एक कविता की रचना कर डाली ! कुछ इस प्रकार है -
एक मित्र मिले, बोले, “लाला, तुम किस चक्की का खाते हो?
इस डेढ़ छटांक के राशन में भी तोंद बढ़ाए जाते हो।
क्या रक्खा माँस बढ़ाने में, मनहूस, अक्ल से काम करो।
संक्रान्ति-काल की बेला है, मर मिटो, जगत में नाम करो।”
हम बोले, “रहने दो लेक्चर, पुरुषों को मत बदनाम करो।
इस दौड़-धूप में क्या रक्खा, आराम करो, आराम करो।
आराम ज़िन्दगी की कुंजी, इससे न तपेदिक होती है।
आराम सुधा की एक बूंद, तन का दुबलापन खोती है।
आराम शब्द में ‘राम’ छिपा जो भव-बंधन को खोता है।
आराम शब्द का ज्ञाता तो विरला ही योगी होता है।
इसलिए तुम्हें समझाता हूँ, मेरे अनुभव से काम करो।
ये जीवन, यौवन क्षणभंगुर, आराम करो, आराम करो।
यदि करना ही कुछ पड़ जाए तो अधिक न तुम उत्पात करो।
अपने घर में बैठे-बैठे बस लंबी-लंबी बात करो।
करने-धरने में क्या रक्खा जो रक्खा बात बनाने में।
जो ओठ हिलाने में रस है, वह कभी न हाथ हिलाने में।
तुम मुझसे पूछो बतलाऊँ, है मज़ा मूर्ख कहलाने में।
जीवन-जागृति में क्या रक्खा जो रक्खा है सो जाने में।
मैं यही सोचकर पास अक्ल के, कम ही जाया करता हूँ।
जो बुद्धिमान जन होते हैं, उनसे कतराया करता हूँ।
दीए जलने के पहले ही घर में आ जाया करता हूँ।
जो मिलता है, खा लेता हूँ, चुपके सो जाया करता हूँ।
मेरी गीता में लिखा हुआ, सच्चे योगी जो होते हैं,
वे कम-से-कम बारह घंटे तो बेफ़िक्री से सोते हैं।
अदवायन खिंची खाट में जो पड़ते ही आनंद आता है।
वह सात स्वर्ग, अपवर्ग, मोक्ष से भी ऊँचा उठ जाता है।
जब ‘सुख की नींद’ कढ़ा तकिया, इस सर के नीचे आता है,
तो सच कहता हूँ इस सर में, इंजन जैसा लग जाता है।
मैं मेल ट्रेन हो जाता हूँ, बुद्धि भी फक-फक करती है।
भावों का रश हो जाता है, कविता सब उमड़ी पड़ती है।
मैं औरों की तो नहीं, बात पहले अपनी ही लेता हूँ।
मैं पड़ा खाट पर बूटों को ऊँटों की उपमा देता हूँ।
मैं खटरागी हूँ मुझको तो खटिया में गीत फूटते हैं।
छत की कड़ियाँ गिनते-गिनते छंदों के बंध टूटते हैं।
मैं इसीलिए तो कहता हूँ मेरे अनुभव से काम करो।
यह खाट बिछा लो आँगन में, लेटो, बैठो, आराम करो।
- गोपालप्रसाद व्यास
I finally have both Windows and Linux running on the same box. And it couldn’t be more flexible than this : through WUbi – the Windows Ubuntu installer. It “allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu as any other Windows application, in a simple and safe way.”
But this is different from VirtualBox. You have a REAL operating system loading everytime you go to Ubuntu through your boot menu. There’s nothing “virtual” about it. It uses the full system resources entirely. And if you want to boot into Windows, you’ll have to restart your machine.
I think there are 2 major benefits of Wubi :
1. You get to install a REAL operating system without having to worry about freeing windows partitions, allocating swap space etc. In fact, once you start the installation process, you don’t need to do anything. The installer takes care of itself. And, if you don’t like it much and don’t need it anymore, just uninstall it from Windows Add/Remove Programs.
2. You can install it anywhere you want. I’ve installed it right into my C: drive. You don’t need to create separate partitions for this installation.
On the downside,
i. The Hibernate feature is not available in the Wubi installation.
ii. You’ve to protect the Wubi installation from Hard Reboot (power off or improper shutdown). Not a problem for me ‘coz I have a lappy and pretty much keep enough battery backup everytime.
However, you need a working (and reasonably fast) internet connection if you want to make real use of it. There’s no doubt that Ubuntu is the coolest distro of Linux currently available. You can choose to download and install among thousands of packages available in the repository.
I go to Windows now only to play games. (though some would suggest why not try it in Ubuntu itself). There’s hardly anything that works on Windows and doesn’t work on Ubuntu. I’ve found just one till now : recording sounds. That too can be made to work using some tweaks. Its worth the miss for me…
And the Ubuntu forums just rock. There’s nothing that you can’t get help on. Any kind of functionality, any kind of package installation related info, bugs, tweaks, … its all there.
I recommend Wubi to anyone who is interested in Linux but hesitates to install it because of the hassles involved in maintaining it alongside a Windows installation.
After all, you’ve got to experience the true meaning of the word “FREE” : both “free as in beer” and “free as in freedom”.
Mirza Ghalib’s Ghazals (part-VI) : कोई उम्मीद बर नहीं आती (Koi Ummeed Bar Nahin Aati)
कोई उम्मीद बर नहीं आती
कोई सूरत नज़र नहीं आती
मौत का एक दिन मु’अय्यन है
नींद क्यों रात भर नहीं आती ?
मु’अय्यन = definite
आगे आती थी हाल-ए-दिल पे हँसी
अब किसी बात पर नहीं आती
जानता हूँ सवाब-ए-ता’अत-ओ-ज़हद
पर तबीयत इधर नहीं आती
सवाब = reward of good deeds in next life, ता’अत = devotion, ज़हद = religious deeds or duties
है कुछ ’ऐसी ही बात जो चुप हूँ
वर्ना क्या बात कर नहीं आती ?
क्यों न चीखूँ कि याद करते हैं
मेरी आवाज़ गर नहीं आती
दाग़-ए-दिल गर नज़र नहीं आता
बू भी ’ए चारागर ! नहीं आती
चारागर = healer/doctor
हम वहाँ हैं जहाँ से हमको भी
कुछ हमारी ख़बर नहीं आती
मरते हैं आरज़ू में मरने की
मौत आती है पर नहीं आती
काब’आ किस मुँह से जाओगे “ग़ालिब
शर्म तुमको मगर नहीं आती
He is the greatest of them all. Ganguly, Kumble, Dravid, Laxman are all but mortals. But Sachin is different. He is the reason
why I watch cricket. When he bats, one-sixth of the world watches on. Hard-pressed employees of software cos sneak into their cafeteria to watch him bat. Young boys returning from schools stop by a TV store to watch him bat. Housewives oscillate between the drawing room and the kitchen to watch him bat. The world stands still.
People talk about the Big Four in the Indian line-up. For me, there was never a Big Four. It was always the Big Three and the Great One. Sachin is different. He is not just a cricketer. He is the representation of a billion dreams. When he crosses 50, people start praying for him to reach a hundred. And when he gets there, the whole of India gasps as one. A billion gasps. Smiles on a billion faces. Even if its for a second. It helps them keep faith that prayers are still heard. Sachin is not just a cricketer.
Sachin is one of the few Indians of my generation whom one can look up to. He is the pride of modern India, somewhat like the Taj Mahal. Sachin is different. When he hits away Glenn McGrath or Brett Lee with disdain, it inspires people. It fills them with self belief. That India can take on the best in the world. That India will not be intimidated or overwhelmed by anyone. That it will strive towards perfection, and one day lead the world.
Cricket fans have divided loyalties. At various points in their career, each one of the Big Three and Kumble have seen people calling for their heads. But no one can touch Sachin. He is untouchable. Why ? He is the poster boy of Indian cricket. He defines Indian cricket. He unifies all that is Indian. Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata…. wherever he plays, people want to see him get a hundred. And he’s got them time and time again. Each hundred a sense of truimph for the people who cheer for him. Sachin is different.
When Sachin retires, I will no more watch cricket. Yes, I may keep an eye on the scores, but not the cricket. Why ? Dhoni and his boys are doing well, and they may continue to do so. But you don’t watch cricket to see the team playing well. Or do you? Surely that cannot keep you hooked on for 7 hours a day. Only Sachin can do that. And when he goes away, there’ll be no one left to look for. No one to keep praying for, no one to keep the smiles coming. No one to fill you with pride and self belief. Because only Sachin could do that. Sachin is different. He is the greatest of them all.
Better late than never, I would say. In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how I kept looking for Windows alternatives to open source software, without quite understanding why. Five months later, I am a confirmed Believer in the open source ideology. I’ve mended my ways. And all that is thanks to mainly 2 things:
-
My company switching to local Linux-based development (Which resulted in me getting an additional Linux box with 22” monitor)
-
Dominic James Humphries, my saviour, for writing this article which changed my thinking for the better.
And the transformation couldn’t have been more complete… I hardly ever open my Windows box now. Only if absolutely necessary, I connect to it throught VNC. And I’ve started to hate IE…and I’ve started to love Pidgin. I use thunderbird now, even if I can’t connect to my company’s calendar through it. (which I could do through Outlook). I open word docs in OpenOffice. And I open PDFs on Evince… had never heard of it before. I’ve started to believe there isn’t anything in this world as cool as Firefox.
I’ve downloaded a host of open source software for my personal lappy which runs Vista. From TrueCrypt to Gimp, from Celestia to Audacity, from VLC Player to GNU Chess : I have it all on my lappy. Whats more… I’ve set up KDE through Cygwin on Vista !! So much for Vista’s user-friendliness…
Speaking of user-friendliness, try going through a section called ‘The myth of user-friendly’ in the article by Humphries I’ve mentioned above (under point 2). Its bound to open your eyes. (assuming, of course, that they are not already open)
ये न थी हमारी क़िस्मत के विसाल-ए-यार होता
अगर और जीते रहते यही इन्तेज़ार होता
विसाल-ए-यार = meeting with lover
तेरे वादे पर जिये हम तो ये जान झूट जाना
के ख़ुशी से मर न जाते अगर ’ऐतबार होता
’ऐतबार = trust/confidence
तेरी नाज़ुकी से जाना कि बन्धा था ’एहेद-बूदा
कभी तू न तोड़ सकता अगर ऊस्तुवार होता
’एहेद = oath, ऊस्तुवार = firm/determined
कोई मेरे दिल से पूछे तेरे तीर-ए-नीमकश को
ये ख़लिश कहाँ से होती जो जिगर के पार होता
तीर-ए-नीमकश = half drawn arrow, ख़लिश = pain
ये कहाँ कि दोस्ती है के बने हैं दोस्त नासेह
कोई चारसाज़ होता, कोई ग़मगुसार होता
नासेह = councellor, चारसाज़ = healer, ग़मगुसार = sympathizer
कहूँ किससे मैं के क्या है, शब-ए-ग़म बुरी बला है
मुझे क्या बुरा था मरना ? अगर एक बार होता
हुए मर के हम जो रुस्वा, हुए क्यों न ग़र्क़-ए-दरिया
न कभी जनाज़ा उठता, न कहीं मज़ार होता
ग़र्क़ = drown/sink
ये मसाइल-ए-तसव्वुफ़, ये तेरा बयाँ “ग़ालिब” !
तुझे हम वली समझते, जो न बादा-ख़्वार होता
मसाइल = topics, तसव्वुफ़ = mysticism, वली = prince/friend, बादा-ख़्वार = boozer
Ok, so lets take a different approach for this. No mud-slinging, no cursing. What follows are the originals of some recent musical hits in Bollywood. Listen to them and shock yourselves !! Hints are provided for some difficult-to-pick ones.
Prithibi – a Bengali song sung by Gautam Chatterjee in ‘Mohiner Ghoraguli’… Easy one to start with.
Ya ghaly – by Arabic band ‘Guitara’ from the album Qisati (2002). Another easy one.
Kal shab dekha – sung by Waris Baig. Ok, all easy stuff here.. the next one is a little bit tough.
Sacral Nirvana – by Oliver Shanti and friends. Wasn’t that tough was it? Hint : All 4 upto now are from the same movie.( the copied ones, of course )
Tak bisakah – by Indonesian band ‘PeterPan’. And you thought that was original ?
Tu jo nahin – sung by a popular Pakistani singer Sunny Benjamin John in a 1950s movie. Shocked are you? Here is some more info : the newer version is sung by his own son – Glenn John !!
A world of our own – a 1965 track by the band, ‘The Seekers’, composed by Tom Springfield. Now this is a bit tough. Hint: Same movie as the previous two above. The (original and copied) songs are thematically similar to each other, ie, similar theme in the lyrics.
Mera naam hai mohobbat – sung by another Pak singer Waqar Ali. Concentrate on one line and you’ll have your catch…
Ah Reum Dah Oon Sa Ram – a Korean song by Seo Yu Seok. Amazed? flummoxed? shocked? How shameful !
Ba’ed el Layali – by Amr Diab, a famous singer from the middle east. Confused? Need another hint? Hint: Same movie as the previous two above. Don’t look for the main catch… It’s not there.. Just look for the first 4 lines.
Di Belakangku – another one from Indonesian band ‘PeterPan’, and from the same album as ‘Tak bisakah’. Someone’s a big fan of ‘PeterPan’, no doubt… Shouldn’t be difficult to catch. A hugely popular song from a movie in which the leading man and lady have had a break-up in real life. ( Come on… I’m being too lenient ! )
Être Une Femme – a French song by Paris-based Indonesian singer Anggun. Actually, this is easy to guess, but to be frank, its not as blatant as some of the others in this list are. Give the poor copycat some credit, guys !!! (Hint for the dumbos : same movie as the previous one above)
Had enough? Here’s a last blow :
Sarang hae yo – a Korean song, by Kim Hyung-sub. Its as shameless as it could be, a blatant lift – tunes, background score, all. Still, a hint for you TV-starved people : The movie is yet to release !!!! (see the date of the post) And this track is the most talked-about from this movie.
OK, I think you ppl have had enough for today. I’ll be back with more some other day. And here’s my knock-out punch : all the above originals have been shamelessly ‘duplicated’ by the SAME music director !
( Info and tracks sourced at : itwofs.com ) Lest I be caught for plagiarism .
दो जवाँ दिलों का ग़म दूरियाँ समझतीं हैं
कौन याद करता है हिचकियाँ समझतीं हैं
तुम तो ख़ुद ही क़ातिल हो, तुम ये बात क्या जानो
क्यूँ हुआ मैं दीवाना बेड़ियाँ समझतीं हैं
बाम से उतरती है जब हसीन दोशीज़ा
जिस्म की नज़ाक़त को सीढ़ियाँ समझतीं हैं
बाम = terrace; दोशीज़ा = virgin
यूँ तो सैर-ए-ग़ुलशन को कितने लोग आते हैं
फूल कौन तोड़ेगा डालियाँ समझतीं हैं
जिसने कर लिया दिल में पहली बार घर “दानिश”
उसको मेरी आँखों की पुतलियाँ समझतीं हैं
The ghazal on eSnips:
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उनके देखे से जो आ जाती है मुँह पर रौनक़
वो समझते हैं के बीमार का हाल अच्छा है
देखिये पाते हैं उश्शाक़ बुतों से क्या फ़ैज़ ?
इक बिराहमण ने कहा है, के ये साल अच्छा है
उश्शाक़ = lovers , फ़ैज़ = profit
और बाज़ार से ले आये अगर टूट गया
साग़र-ए-जम से मेरा जाम-ए-सिफ़ाल अच्छा है
साग़र-ए-जम = Badshah Jamshed’s cup, जाम-ए-सिफ़ाल = clay cup
क़तरा दरिया में मिल जाये तो दरिया हो जाये
काम अच्छा है वोह, जिसका म’आल अच्छा है
म’आल = result
हमको मालूम है जन्नत की हक़ीक़त लेकिन
दिल के ख़ुश रखने को, “ग़ालिब” ये ख़याल अच्छा है
Hats off to the Indian cricket team. After all that happened in Sydney, to come from behind and beat Australia in Perth, considered to be the graveyard for all visiting teams, subcontinental or otherwise, is truly a marvellous feat. As I had mentioned in the previous post, things were about to change, but I would not have expected for them to change this quickly.
That Australia may come back hard and beat India in Adelaide may be another matter altogether. Especially after two of India’s batting mainstays have been demoralized after being omitted from the one-day squad. Poor timing of the decision, I would say more than anything else. Future is future, and present is present. “Learn from the past, keep an eye on the future, but work in the present.” : I believe in this philosophy. It would really be a show of the strength of character from these two veterans if they do manage to perform well in the Adelaide test after this.
For that, we’ll have to wait for another week. But whatever happens, this Indian team has truly shown its mettle and no one can take that away from them.
The recent Sydney Test match between India and Australia is possibly the most remarkable Test match to have been played in recent times. For reasons both good and bad. But it will also come to be marked as a watershed in the history of cricket.
Firstly the cricket. Truly a most amazing Test match which saw fortunes dwindling between the 3 hypothetically possible results in Test cricket throughout the 5 days, and they kept dwindling till the very end. Memorable performances by Hayden, Symonds, Sachin, Laxman, Ganguly with the bat and Kumble, Lee, Symonds (again) with the ball.
But that is hardly what the world will remember this Test match for. This was arguably one of the most controversial Test matches ever played. The competitive spirit which the players showed on the field was negated by the rank incompetence of the umpires involved. Not that this has happened for the first time in cricket, but the fact that the match ultimately ended up being so close, right down to the wire, coupled with the fact that India lost, resulted in the extreme reaction to the umpiring decisions.
On hindsight, if India had lost the match in a hurry after Dravid’s wicket fell, things would have been different and maybe there wouldn’t have been this much hype and controversy. Also, if India had somehow managed to save the match, I don’t think the Indian team would have shied away from giving umpire Bucknor another chance. As things stand now, Bucknor is on his way home after being removed from the Perth Test by the ICC. A decision which has attracted widespread criticism of the ICC for “bowing down” to the BCCI. But I would call ICC’s decision wise… atleast they have shown more wisdom in this case than Harbhajan and Symonds had shown in the game. Though it is open to debate whether they could have been wiser by letting Bucknor retire after World Cup 2007.
The second point is about the so-called “spirit-of-the-game” debate. Again, I think, if India would have managed to save the game, Kumble wouldn’t have come up with those damning comments about the Aussies not playing in the spirit of the game at the post-match press conference. Well, to tell the truth, umpires tend to favour the Aussies in 50-50 decisions, and especially in Australia. Aussies know it, and hence they tend to appeal vociferously. But the disturbing thing is that it used to happen only in case of LBW decisions. In this Test, particularly on the final day, Aussies were going for victory, and so appealed in situations even where the batsman was obviously not out, as in Dravid’s case. And I’m not ready to buy Gilchrist’s “you’re not sure, so you got to ask” comment. The point simply doesn’t hold in Dravid’s case.
I think the Aussies have gotten into such a habit of winning that when a team comes to the point of denying them that, they just go all-out. Also significant is the fact that this was a record-equalling win of 16, and the Perth Test is supposedly a foregone conclusion, so the Aussies knew that if they get 16, they’ll get 17 too. That probably explains their attitude.
The Harbhajan-Symonds fiasco is one which the teams could have done without. After the so-called “ugly series” of one-dayers in India, something of this nature was bound to happen. The surprising thing is that Ponting actually reported the matter to the referee. Whether Harbhajan actually called Symonds a ‘monkey’ or not maybe an entirely different matter. But I think this will turn out to be ‘hit-the-axe-on-you-own-foot’ scenario for Australia, who themselves are renowned for on-field abuse. The Indian board has threatened to pull out of the series in case his name is not cleared. It may be viewed as an extreme reaction but IF Harbhajan ACTUALLY didn’t say the word, or was misunderstood by Symonds, it will crash the team’s morale if he’s finally convicted. So returning home would be a better scenario for them. As things stand, it may not happen before atleast the Test series ends.
Coming to the ramifications, I think from now on, there will be a distinct change in the way the game is played. Talk is already around about the “appeals” system to challenge umpire’s decisions. I can’t believe people saying that “technology is not upto the mark” to introduce officially in the game. I think I saw hawk-eye being used in tennis games for line-ball decisions. If it can be a part of tennis, why not cricket?
This could also mark the end of Australia’s dominence in cricket. Or maybe the ‘beginning’ of the ‘end’. Teams now know how to counter Australia’s “hard-and-fair” brand of cricket. And all those talking on the field will be seriously looked into.
This should also be an eye-opener to the Indian fan. Don’t take cricket too seriously. Its just a game. And certainly nowhere near the best game in the world.
Really want to know why? Read on.
You can call me an eternal pessimist, a hypocrite, a nerd or whatever you like, but the truth is that I always keep looking for “Microsoft” alternatives for open-source software. (Which is actually the exact opposite of how normal people would go about it). Call it over-curiosity or plain pig-headedness.
After starting to blog on ScribeFire, I started looking for some cooler Blog Editors, and my search made me come across a list of top 10 free desktop blog editors for Windows. Interestingly enough, the article has rated Windows Live Writer as the number 1 desktop blog editor for Windows, while ScribeFire was relegated to a 2nd place. So I decided to give it a try. In fact, I’m writing this post on WLW.
On first impression, WLW seems to be a much more rich and complete blog editor. When you look at editing options, there are a hell lot of formatting and insertion options, including video, map, table, picture etc. Then there’s this exciting “Web Preview” mode, wherein the editor picks up the fonts and themes from the blog and applies them to your editing window. So it becomes a cool WYSIWYG editor, so there’s no need to check a post as to “how it looks” on the blog. This is a major advantage over ScribeFire, as it ruins the uniformity of the blog, especially in the case of line spacings and alignment. There’s also this thing about the “familiar, office-style interface” of the editor.
Another major area where WLW scores over ScribeFire is while blogging in Indic languages, simply because of a buggy FireFox, as I have outlined in an earlier post.
Now coming to the downside. WLW doesn’t pick up posts which are already there on the blog, and which haven’t been made using WLW. Not that it’s a major drawback. Even ScribeFire shows only the last 10 posts. But it may be a problem if you make a post/draft using something other than WLW and want to edit or update it using WLW.
Secondly, while ScribeFire is a FireFox plugin, WLW is a separate piece of software. It certainly uses more system resources and makes you feel burdened with the need to run an extra software. So it may be out of favour with bloggers who believe in slash-burn blogging. And, it is noticeably slower than ScribeFire in performing actions like publishing and retrieving posts.
To sum up, I think WLW is perfect for people who love an aesthetically pleasing blog and like to devote time to things like alignment, justification, spacings etc. While ScribeFire is the thing for bloggers who like to write short-n-sweet posts, without much care about formatting.
रंजिश ही सही दिल ही दुखाने के लिए आ
आ फिर से मुझे छोड़ के जाने के लिए आ ।
रंजिश=enmity
पहले से मरासिम न सही फिर भी कभी तो
रस्म-ओ-रह-ए-दुनिया ही निभाने के लिए आ ।
मरासिम=agreements/relationships, रस्म-ओ-रह-ए-दुनिया=customs and traditions of the society
किस किस को बताएँगे जुदाई का सबब हम
तू मुझ से ख़फ़ा है तो ज़माने के लिए आ ।
सबब=reason, ख़फ़ा=angry
कुछ तो मेरे पिन्दार-ए-मुहब्बत का भरम रख
तू भी तो कभी मुझ को मनाने के लिए आ ।
पिन्दार=pride
एक उम्र से हूँ लज़्ज़त-ए-गिरिया से भी महरूम
ऐ राहत-ए-जाँ मुझ को रुलाने के लिए आ ।
लज़्ज़त-ए-गिरिया=taste of sadness/tears, महरूम=devoid of, राहत-ए-जाँ=peace of life
अब तक दिल-ए-ख़ुश’फ़हम को तुझ से हैं उम्मीदें
ये आख़िरी शम्में भी बुझाने के लिए आ ।
दिल-ए-ख़ुश’फ़हम=optimistic heart, शम्में=candles
That’s great poetry ! Magnificient expression of melancholy ! And Runa Laila’s silken voice just weaves magic…This was also sung by Mehdi Hasan but was immortalized by Runa Laila.
Here’s the Ghazal at eSnips:
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