The beginning of an end

I was completing my sandwich at Grillz. All seemed fine and as things should be. I finished things and started on the usual course to the hostel. The campus road was as it always is - quiet and leafy. Then I turned onto the road leading into the campus from the security post. It was almost time for sunset. The sun was sinking fast to my right illuminating the path in twilight gold. The breeze was pleasant. Things were normal. Or were they? Not a soul in sight from the check-post to the hostel except the guys in TRIG uniform. The hostel lift was already there at the ground floor as if expecting me. Or maybe it spotted someone at last. I decided to take a detour via the 6th floor to my room. Rooms 616 and 617 were lifeless. The next few rooms wore similar resemblances. They have been like that for some time now. At last I sight someone. One sleeping and the other staring at the laptop. A subdued conversation follows. Little jokes. Few laughs. Unusual. I then head to the staircase at the fair end. The campus sports a desolate look in the shadow. I then headed down to my room. Two more guys in sight. One on the phone and other on his laptop. I leave them at it and go to my room. The cupboards have been ransacked and things lie strewn haphazardly in the open suitcase. I step over the mess and start my favourite playlist on my laptop. The IP messenger shows 15 people as connected. The LTT station visible from my window is twinkling in the early darkness. A locomotive horn disturbs the unearthly calm. The railway station looked inviting. A call for one more journey. I refresh my inbox. No new mails. Everything seemed strange. An altogether new experience. And then it struck me. I was realizing change and not for the first time in my life. I knew it was time to leave. It is the beginning of an end.

Pitch Report IV

So there has been no real cricketing action as such recently. All we have is the Indian Punter's League (IPL) and I am doubtful if it can be classified as cricketing action. Elsewhere the English are welcoming the summer with County cricket. The schedule, teams, grounds would not be out of place for Ranji and WG Grace if they were to descend from heaven. So much for tradition and change.

The IPL has thrown up many new players recently. And no one knows to play cricket. The mess that is the IPL has got Bollywood pretty excited. Directors are working out the best plot to roll out a blockbuster. But one man has beaten them to it. With so many names and characters and sub-plots only one man can bring them on one stage. Yeah, I am talking about Karan Johar. Karan has conceptualized this song where all the characters meet in a big bungalow with SRK (acting as SRK in the movie) in the center, hands midway in the air, head turned upwards.

As the IPL comes to an end, its poor cousin the World T20 is to start soon. The commercialization of T20 is at its height even in a World Cup. Some matches start as early as 9 AM. Everything worked out to cater to the primetime in India. Maybe T20 will have time slots in the future. And companies have invested in a different sort of R&D this time round. Millions have been invested to make the Caribbean pitches inept for short bowling. They dont want 9 AM starts to go waste.

And best wishes to the Little Master on his birthday.

Hitting the road

So back to doing what I like best. Travelling! Road travel has never been my favourite and will never be; unless it is a bike. And I don't mind travelling long distances by bike. But I would always prefer a train to a car. that maybe because I am used to rail journeys. KKR may miss an opportunity to lose a match and squeeze some victories but I never miss an opportunity to travel!

So there I go again. Goa!! Third time in two years and I don't think I would get bored even if I go there as many times as Messi scores in a season. Same with train travel. I like beaches better than the mountains. That may be because beach is my home and mountains away. And there is no place like home!

It's always a pleasure to get away and be part of a sparse crowd rather than in the thick of it like in Bombay or Madras. It is a sea of strangeness outside of home. But not forever. No. It is all exciting to get your bag packed up for a trip. It is all fabulous enjoying a train ride. It is all fantastic to appreciate a beautiful landscape from a lonely road. It is all thrilling to be in the lap of Mother Nature. It is all fun to be together and have a whale of a time. But this is not a road that goes ever on. It winds back to that small island amidst the sea of strangeness. Sad though one maybe on the last lap of a journey home, ultimately it is to realise that there is no place like home.

667 Day Vacation

To Whomsoever it May Concern

Hello everyone. It has been a nice journey. It all started with a quest for knowledge and excellence. Innocuously what has been gained more and adds value more than the other two has been experience. It is a thing which is never expected of and always lies in the back of the mind. And it is equally helpful.

There have been good moments. And some better moments. Never a bitter moment, am too optimistic to brand anything as bitter. Exceptions abound but none encountered in these 667 days. A new thing to unearth, be it the beginning or the end. A friend, an event, a problem, a decision, a party, a night-out, a fight, a thought, an exam, an emergency, a drink, a language, a place, a hide-out, a secret, a crush, a game, a movie, a song, a lesson, a teacher...The list can go on.

A first thing to notice on the very first arrival is how the hostel towers over the college. Over the two years it has been that way in a lot of things. And it has been a joy to discover fun in the college and knowledge in the hostel. Thanks to all teachers and lectures and long hours. Thanks to the staff, the support system and the canteen. Thanks to the security, the laundry and the gym. But the best finds I need not thank and I know you don't expect.

And some things I never need mention,  those with me even before SIMSR. Thanks for the vacation everyone!

Total Football v2.0

When Johann Cruyff last conjured the philosophy of Total Football, Ajax won three consecutive European titles from 1971 to 1973 and the Dutch team reached the 1974 World Cup finals. Yesterday Cruyff, a former Barcelona man himself would have felt proud. Barca's game though similar, does not exactly match with the philosophy. But what they do is elevate the game to an art form through exemplary passing and in a way breaking football to its simplest form. As Cruyff himself said, "Simple football is the most beautiful. But playing simple football is the hardest thing".

Total Football is all about creating ample space. Cruyff's team did it by moving around with no player occupying a fixed position. What Barca do is not far away. They create that space through passing, passing and passing. Its a lot of first touches and by trying to win the ball they send the opponents in circles. And the orchestrators of this spectacle, pulling the strings in the midfield are two of Spain's best. Xavi and his padawan learner Iniesta are the deadliest combination in world football today, for both club and country.

Talking of space and Total Football, this Barca team has a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD). This needs neither space nor assists. It seems to work on its own and when it explodes its wrath appears terrible. It's diminutive, but still can muscle past five bulky defenders, and runs faster with the ball than players running without the ball. The WMD's exhibition of football is more than an art form, it is divine to say the least. And it plays in the no. 10 jersey.

With such assets it is not surprising that Barca embarrasses even the best of opponents. But the team's main weakness is endurance as it displayed in the first leg against Arsenal recently. A 2-2 scoreline technically qualifies for even honours. But those who saw what transpired know that Arsenal were outplayed beyond anyone's imagination. Real Madrid await them for El Clasico. A second consecutive Champions League title beckons.  If anyone can stop them it is gonna be The Special One. Inter have their task cut out.

Pitch Report III

Hello and welcome to the....er...third edition (I think so) of Pitch Report (Its been such a looong break). Its cricketing action almost daily but its all in the domestic scene. They call it the IPL. Starting off with international news; the Aussies have just had a undeafeated test summer. Now they have requested Cricket Australia to schedule all their tests only during the summer, be it in the Northern or Southern hemisphere. They do like to turn on the heat on their opposition.

In other news, the IPL continues unabated in India. Oops!! Hope I am not pulled up by Lalit Modi for mentioning IPL as other news. The most scarce resource in the IPL has been superlatives with almost every one of them used. Maybe they will borrow from Spanish or French for the remaining of the tournament. Gautam Gambhir more than others sure needs a lesson in superlatives.

As the IPL has progressed, Kings XI Punjab have emerged as the most feared team. Opposition teams are terrified because losing to them means a setback to their semifinal efforts and also they have to face the ignominy of losing to the Kings XI. And who says you have to be a winner to be feared.

The IPL is being considered as a great innovator but that can be limited to commercial endorsements. Innovations are being talked of elsewhere. ECB has declared that ODI county championships will have two innings - a Tendulkar idea. And Steve Waugh has been latest to endorse pink-ball day-night test matches. The IPL continues to ponder about tactical breaks to go with strategic timeouts. Set Max is smiling.

The sinusoidal wave

y = sin x. The sine function and its graphical depiction provides an assortment of possible analogies. The first that comes to my mind in the current scenario is the business cycle. Market driven economies experience periods of growth (boom) and periods of not-so-expected growth (recession). In theory we accept recession as a by-product of capitalism, but do we question why it happens? Surging demand, surging prices and after touching the peak the bubble goes boom. It's a quick ride on the other side of the peak towards the crevasse, faster than what it took you to reach there. Need took you to the x = π/2, while greed took you to x = π. That little man in a loincloth summed it up as much long back "There is enough for man's need, not for man's greed".

With great power comes great responsibility. In a capitalistic economy, much power lies with the large corporates. Their misdeeds can derail many a thing. Lehmann Brothers collapsed and down went a lot of things not remotely one would associate with them. Down went many a things and along with it B-School recruitment.  There are many reasons to drown in one's own despair, to be ruined by an unexpected recession, and to not get what was expected from a B-School stint. Lots to curse about, think, regret and feel about.

But there are more reasons to accept, realise and move on. All those baggage of expectations that was brought was bundled with talent, energy, enthusiasm, and also a bit of greed. Its time to forget what you came for, and to think what you can become. Two years down the line, one's regret would not be to not get placed from B-School, or so I guess. Success in others eyes is what you are relative to others. But success in your perspective is an absolute measurement and reflected in your happiness.

The sinusoidal wave is relentless because we have made it one.

O Jogo Bonito

The game was so called by a certain Pele and how fitting!

The phrase means "The beautiful game".  What made Pele to make such a remark and for the millions of fans to stand by it? Is it the relative unpredictablity, the sheer adrenaline, the fierce competitiveness, or the mass appeal. Maybe one, maybe all but there are instances which clear the haze surrounding the game being called so.

Lionel Messi is one of the answers. It is for the sublime skill, touch mastery, breathtaking plays, and swift counters of players such as Messi that made Pele call the game beautiful. A thing of beauty is a joy to watch. And when sublime plays light up the pitch, the aura is palpable. Scorching shots and diving headers can do so far as to increase adrenaline. But dribbling and step-overs can give you goosebumps.

The game never ceases to amaze. Of all sport in the world, most people are most exposed to Football. Yet with every passing day, the beautiful game only becomes more beautiful. Of course it has its fair share of foul plays and controversies. But you sit down to watch one more time.

The game may not today boast of many proponents of the beautiful game. We hardly see a defender do a Franz Beckenbauer, dribbling the ball out of defense! But occasional bursts of magical play sure does do justice to the tag of it being called "O Jogo Bonito".

The significance of the dotted line.

It is ironic that Paradise on Earth is littered with trouble. By all accounts it is a joy to behold but it rots in despair. The sights still have the magnificence, like the music out of a santoor, but echoes of sadness. Of all the places to suffer from Partition, the Subcontinent lost its Paradise. It is where the bold line (the international border) is irrelevant, and only for official records. The dotted line (Line of Control (LOC)) is more significant amplified by the presence of the Border fence.

So whose folly is it that we lost the Paradise. Indians call the other side of LOC as Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. For us it is an intrusion into our land, non-negotiable, period. How many of us know that our Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is referred to as India-occupied-Kashmir? Kashmir and Jammu was one of the several princely states before partition given an option to accede to either India or Pakistan. At that time the region was Muslim majority. But the then Maharajah Hari Singh decided to remain independent. Then what followed was -> Pakistan attacked Kashmir, Hari Singh  asked India for help, India obliged but set conditions, acceded Kashmir to the Union of India.

Whom to blame? Public opinion in Kashmir at that point is still unclear. India cleverly used the opportunity to bag Kashmir but Pakistan was wrong in the first place to attack. Perhaps they felt cheated that a Muslim majority region was not rightfully theirs. The conflict continues. No side wants to give up their stand. It is a matter of pride rather than the lives of the people of Kashmir.

Then came the fcuk1ing terrorists. In their quest for power they hold conflicts such as Kashmir and Palestine central to their ideology. Fcuk them! Opportunistic scum just using the stage to lure innocent people to fight for their ends. As if they care for the people of Kashmir and Palestine. It is all power and pride. John Milton would have been sad to see in reality 'Paradise Lost'. We should only hope to compose 'Paradise Regained' as an epitaph to the martyrs of the Kashmir cause.

So the show begins!

Gideon Haigh told recently, "T20 is a TV property masquerading as cricket".

Once cricket becomes a TV product, it is sure to bend to viewers needs and show what they would want to see. So all the effort goes to make life hell for bowlers and the work light for batsmen. The boundary rope is brought in considerably increasing chances of hearing the now too plentiful "DLF maximum".  Then there is the mongoose bat to deal with any venom from the bowler's end. The broadcaster's are leaving no stone unturned to allocate more airtime to advertisers than the actual action. The latest move is to show the ads playing in the big screen between balls. Shrewd indeed!

Whatever maybe the promotion or the place, it all boils down to the quality of the product. IPL will continue to grow and build more muscle. Its star cast ensures quality cricket, and at the end of the day it is the competitiveness which is the main USP. I only hope that bowlers get to have more say in the scheme of things and not imagine that going under 10 RPO is decent.

So the next one month is packed with intense action. All the more reason for every Tom, Dick and Harry to gossip, write, comment, criticize, blog, discuss, and what not. So the show begins, and only time will if the IPL will get bigger than the EPL or the NBA!

The Rise and Fall of........

It is sad to see things that you have grown up with and got used to, go down. There is this sense of inevitability and helplessness. I have been through three educational institutions and seen them all rise and fall.

Sir M. Venkata Subba Rao Matriculation Higher Secondary School (VSR as we called it) in T.Nagar, Chennai was a reputed school in the locality. It is my alma-mater and will never forget its role in shaping what I am today. At its peak it boasted of a strength of about 2000 students, from kinder-garden to higher-secondary. The beginning of the end started in 2000. Teachers revolted in form of a strike and it never was the same again. The students strength reduced in half.

College of Engineering, Guindy is Asia's oldest technical institute started in 1794 and one of the top engineering colleges in the country. It is known popularly by the name of the university it is affiliated to - Anna University. A conservative Vice-chancellor followed by a populist move to curb entrance examinations saw the college's fall in rankings. Its recovering now but an institute of such stature should never have fallen in the first place.

KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research is as popular an institute as any in Mumbai. The Institute reached its zenith riding a wave of economic prosperity but is failing to hold its own in a downturn. A lack of leadership and vision is today seeing the fall of one of India's top B-Schools. Again inevitable and helpless.

It's sad to see these things happen. And in all cases it has been a leadership problem. Educational institutes are the only organizations where the biggest stakeholder (the students) has the least say its management. The leadership has to understand the enormous responsibility considering what they are shaping - careers and lives. They have fallen no doubt, but let us not forget that in the past they have also risen.

Bharat Ratna for SRT?

Sachin Tendulkar recently scored a double century in a ODI. In the twilight of his career, the little big man of Indian cricket's sustained success has seen him being compared with the Don. He is one of the greatest sportsman produced by India and the most popular ever. Riding on his popularity wave people from many walks of life have demanded that SRT be honoured with the Bharat Ratna.

SRT's stature in Indian sports is unquestionable, but does it mean a Bharat Ratna so soon. I am sure down the years he will pick one. But such has been the standard of Indian sport including cricket. We have wallowed in mediocrity over the years and a legend like Sachin Tendulkar seems to tower above the rest.

There is no questioning the man's greatness but awarding him the Bharat Ratna would be demeaning of others contribution to India. Politicians and sportsmen alike are just jumping the populist bandwagon. Let us remember that Dhyan Chand got no more than the Padma Bhushan. And surely Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh have done more for the country.

The Red Army

It is the year 2031. The Indian Army is on high alert following a series of surprise attacks on the twin cities of Hyderababd and Secunderabad. This is the last bastion of the Government controlled region in the Red Belt. The press speculate that the Army is highly vulnerable and it is only a matter of time before the first Metro falls to the Red Army to go along with much of Central and South Central India.

I am not talking about the Soviet Union but India's very own Red Army - the Naxals. The situation maybe much exaggerated and contrary to the fact that the Indian Government is not so weak so as to let the Naxals take over a portion of India. But we only have to study the past to and assess the present. The Naxals have grown into a menacing presence and strike with clockwork precision, are highly trained, motivated and armed. Was any such thing expected to develop in the first place?

The Home Secretary recently revealed the Naxals plan to overthrow the Indian Government by 2050. Was it just a statement to taint the image of the Naxals? Within 24 hrs a Naxal Leader snubs the Home Secretary and says they would overthrow the Indian Government long before 2050. Talk about confidence and motivation, and where we find it in our country and for what needs! Forget the threat of Pakistan and China, when we can let internal matters get so out of hand.

We need not look far to see who spawned this revolution. Inequality always breeds resistance. But the extent to which it is happening in the case of the Naxals is purely because of the ignorance of the Government to address problems of vast sections of the Society. As highlighted in my earlier blog we allowed absolute poverty numbers to increase. Ignorance is bliss, maybe in the short-run. But in the long-run? The Red Army is answering it!

Pitch Report II

Welcome to the second edition of Pitch Report. On paper the English team has whitewashed Bangladesh 3-0 in the ODIs. But a closer analysis reveals more. More often than not the English found themselves in a soup, which is expected when being led by a Cook (a not so good one). This led to them clutching at straws (they missed Andy) and depended on the Irish and the Saffers to see them through.

T20 is all about fancy stuff with the clubs also sporting fancy names. So why leave the World T20 alone. A list of fancy names have been suggested for the different countries.

1. Aussie Pups (They are led by one)


2. India Bouncers (To either bounce back or to get bounced out)


3. SA Chokers (Rhymes well with LA Lakers and the chokers tag is all too famous)


4. Paki Missiles (Suicide missiles)


5. WI Chillers (As chill as their captain)


6. English Expats (More expats than English in the team)


7. SL Bamboozlers (Perform tangential to expectations)


8. NZ Dark Horses (They are given this tag in every ICC tournament)

Now concluding with some IPL news. It is becoming increasingly unclear as to whether the IPL is a sports event or a security drill. There is more in the news about security than cricket. The latest rumours read something like this. John Howard, the former Australian Prime Minister and ICC Presidential nominee who will succeed Sharad Pawar in 2012, released a statement saying that a terrorist attack on the IPL is as likely as spotting a kangaroo on Indian streets. His intentions are clearly to please the BCCI, of which the ICC is a part. Now Lalit Modi is sweating over the news of  an escaped kangaroo from Vandalur Zoo, Chennai.

Lobotomy

According to wiki lobotomy is "is a neurosurgical procedure, a form of psychosurgery, also known as a leukotomy or leucotomy". It was widely popular in the 50s to diagnose psychiatric conditions. Considering the risks and side-effects associated and development of better techniques, use of lobotomy gradually declined from the 60s.

Lobotomy is just one among many medical innovations. It is pathbreaking in the sense that it seeks to cure psychiatric conditions, people who have been otherwise condemned and deemed not curable. So what is the purpose of all medication? Increase our life span, of course. But we need not look far why that life span has shortened in the first place. Medical inventions and innovations have not drastically increased our life span. Instead in the first place they battle many diseases brought about by our own indulgence.

This is not to belittle significant inventions and innovations, as medical science works hard to improve our quality of life. It is just that in our path of development we have lost our way, and disturbed nature's balance, which comes back to affect us in many ways. We have accepted that the way ahead is to live with it. It's innovations like lobotomy that challenge the imbalances of nature in our quest for a better life.

PS: I just asked a friend what to write about and he told lobotomy. I hadn't even heard the word then. If you do have any such abstract suggestions do mail me :)

Holi as a source of business opportunity!

Fresh signboards had appeared outside a textile shop in Mumbai. "Special offer on T-shirts after Holi". On further investigation, the shop run by a former SIMSR student has decided to give 50% off on T-shirts during the weekend after Holi.

Says the proprietor, "On detailed market analysis by the esteemed agency PC Thomson, we are seeing a surge in demand for T-shirts just after Holi. It has been technically termed the tear-and-wear effect".

Not surprising considering how Holi celebrations have evolved over the years. Until recently Holi meant spraying colours on one another. But the more adventurous and other people in their path have culminated celebrations in new ways.

As people run out of colour but still full of adrenalin, they go for what we call the tear-and-wear effect. T-shirts are torn apart to the extent that they are not even fit to scrub tables. These torn pieces serve the purpose only as souvenirs of the celebration.

This explains the surge in demand for t-shirts as people unexpectedly lose them. But what with experience curve effects, the demand may surge before Holi next time as people shop for cheap t-shirts to wear on the day of the festival. One more reason for guys to develop six-packs!

A Subcontinental Feast!

India won the hockey gold in Olympics uninterrupted from 1928 to 1956, six in a row and a total record of 8 golds. India's cause was helped by Dhyan Chand and 10 other players. Pakistan has won the same honours only three times, but the World Cup four times. (India only once)

Strange that Pakistan have won fewer golds than India in Olympics. But India seems to keep its record, whatever may be the context. The Indian team in 1928, 32 and 36 was also fairly represented from Lahore and Karachi.

The strength of the subcontinent in hockey has been phenomenal over the years, and so has been the popularity of the game. As the skills waned, so did success in recent times. Neither country can boast of being favourites in the World Cup. As they meet again today, amidst all the rivalries, and misunderstandings, and prejudices, and terror threats, and security; a brand of hockey specific to a region will be unleashed.

Har santh kahe, sadhu kahe, sach aur sahas hai jiske mann mein, anth mein jeet useeki rahe!

Three cheers for India and Pakistan!

Pitch Report

On to some stuff from the cricketing world. Kevin Pietersen is quite worried. Andrew Strauss has been "rested" according to sources. But English captains have been removed for other reasons recently. So KP is rightly worried that Strauss has not done a Terry. So will they shake hands when they meet again (Considering that Terry and Wayne Bridge hardly exchanged looks)

Pakistan have hit rock bottom. To give their team a better record in the current season, ISI is organising the anonymously sponsored "Four Nation Stan Cup" featuring PakiSTAN, AfghaniSTAN, TurkmeniSTAN and UzbekiSTAN. By the way Afghanistan are favourites considering they chased 494 to win a first class game against Canada.

New Zealand are researching hard to clone Daniel Vettori. Who would not considering the batting-bowling-fielding-captaincy options provided by a single player. But Sourav Ganguly says the move will not work since it will mean having multiple captains in the same team.

The latest security demands have come from the umpires. They have asked Lalit Modi to provide them with helmets during the IPL considering the belters Indian curators are so famous for. And people new to cricket are asking how come the World 2020 is happening in 2010!

Corporate farms?

Recently I attended an interaction session arranged for our class with the Executive Director of Tata International. We were asked to make a presentation to him on sectors that Tata International would find interesting. As with all B-Schools the guys concentrated on those so called "sexy industries", IT, Telecom, etc. The first response from the ED was, "I expected to see something about the agri sector."

Of all sectors, the maximum scope is in agriculture because our farm productivity is so poor that it can only improve. The Tatas have in the past thought about corporate farms. Large tracts of land owned and operated corporate style. A few such farms in different parts of the country can go a long way in increasing agri productivity. But the biggest barrier to agriculture is not economic, but social and political in nature.

This is exemplified by the fact that this idea has still remained a "thought". The rural society is highly divided on many bases, caste being not the least. And our politicians hardly want their vote bank to start thinking and be more independent. Just read Samajwadi Party's election manifesto for last year's parliamentary elections and you will know why.

The budget has just concluded. I just noticed the tax sops and do not know whats in store for agriculture. Contrary to popular agenda, the poor in India has been worse off over the years. The poverty rate may have come down, but what about the absolute numbers? From 162 million in the 50s to 400 million currently! And most of them rely on agriculture. And people talk about poverty alleviation!

Chugging along at its own pace

50 years ago, The Grand Trunk Express made its journey from Delhi to Madras, a distance of 2186 km in 44 hrs. The same train makes the same journey today in about 36 hrs. Indian Railways sure has come a long way, but at snail's pace. We are in the 21st century and boast of becoming a superpower in the near future. But when it comes travel infrastructure, we are still in the 20th century. Just 200 kms of access controlled expressways! And forget high speed trains, none of our trains average 100 km/h.

At this pace where will we find ourselves in the next 10 years? Mamata Didi has proposed a National High Speed Rail Authority. Proposals come day in day out, it does not guarantee execution. People may question the need for high speed rail, with that need served by the airlines. But such infrastructure projects go a long way in creating employment opportunities fuelling growth.

Also just imagine the prospects of travelling from Mumbai to Chennai overnight. (This just requires the trains to average 120 km/h...certainly not high speed) Such access will only seek to increase traffic. Students like me can be home for the weekend and back! Also I would be attending my friend's wedding and not give it up like now because of the time taken.

I just hope that Mamata and whichever Bihari or Bengali who succeed her to not lose focus. IR has been chugging along at its own pace. Its time it broke the sound barrier!

PS: Everyone is writing about Sachin that they forgot the railway budget! He is omnipresent!!

Here we go again!!

This is my third attempt at blogging. Considering the previous two did not go beyond three posts, I would consider those failed attempts. Just hoping the law of averages works in my favour this time round. Success just means to continue posting day in and day out.

The reasons for not continuing blogging earlier, includes, but is not restricted to my attempts to focus on either cricket or travel. Considering that risk can be mitigated if diversified, I will attempt to explore many avenues including cricket, travel and even academics.

I have wandered and I have been lost. And I have wandered till I reached The West Coast Road in India. This blog is like that road. It has everything (except this self coined name). Winding roads, mountains, beaches, heavy rains, big cities, nightlife, quaint villages, delicious food and the list goes on ;). This blog is just a leaf of any of the innumerable trees on that beautiful road.

Enough for starters. Expect the next post soon (I hope so.)