Euro 2008

A lacklustre beginning notwithstanding the tournament has garnered excellent TRP ratings with the quaterfinals providing great twists like a mystery movie. Germany defeated Portugal, to qualify with Turkey the darkhorses of the tournament, Russia and Spain.

Germany defeated Turkey in the first semi final today. The match was exciting as Turkey drew first blood, but Germany equalised immediately and scored another goal in the last quarter of the second half. Comeback champs Turkey scored another to equalise and just when we thought that the match would go into extra time; Philip Lahm scored a goal in the 90th minute to seal Germany's place in the finals.

Russia vs Spain should be interesting and either side can self destruct or destroy its opponent.

Let us wait and watch.

Inspite of Germany winning, Turkey deserves an applause as they fielded a second rung team as most of their key players were out because of injury and suspension. Turkey is sure to become a powerful force to reckon with in the coming years.

Maybe by the time I am 50 years old India might atleast make it to the World Cup.

The Pink Slip

No folks no one gave me the Pink Slip, I am thinking of saying farewell!

14 months with my current employer, one team trip to Ooty, one annual appraisal, thousands of pages of editing, lots of errors, lots of new friends, learning lots of new things, missing double offs, working night shifts; after going through all these varied emotions, I think it is time to bid adieu. I am losing my love for writing, have no time to meet my friends, more importantly it is nearly four months since I went to the local ground and enjoyed a game of football or cricket. I need to relax, focus and get back to what I do best-"write."

It is time to move ahead.

Keep reading the blog for further developments and updates.

Kochi Kronicles:)

It was raining in the morning when I left Thrissur. I took a bus to Ernakulam. The journey took about 2 and a half hours. I had breakfast at Arya Bhavan and took a bus to Chottannikkara. I reached the temple at 11:30. There was a small crowd of devotees, waiting patiently for their darshan of Goddess Bhagavathy. I completed the darshan in the Melkaavu at 12:00 P.M. Then I proceeded to the Keezhkaavu, completed the darshan there and boarded a bus to Ernakulam at 12:45 P.M.

The bus was caught in traffic and by the time I got down at the Menaka busstop it was almost 2 P.M. It had begun to rain and the intensity of the downpour increased as I jostled for space on the crowded pavement. Finally I reached Bimbi's and proceeded to their A/C restaurant on the first floor. I was famished and ate a well deserved sumptuous North Indian combo meal. The rain and the travel had made me ravenously hungry and I really enjoyed my lunch.

I left the hotel premises at about 3:30 P.M. and crossed the road to enter the Baypride Mall. The mall never ceases to amaze me. It is artistically constructed and the view of the sea from the glass windows is awesome. Window-shopped for a while and then walked to the GCDA Shopping Complex on Marine Drive. The used mobile phone business here is extremely popular, evident from the college crowd checking out the fancy sets available in a row of small shops. I bought some music CDs and proceeded to walk along Marine Drive. The rain started pouring once again and my hopes of getting some pictures of Marine Drive were dashed.

It was beginning to pour heavily and I decided to leave, I took a bus to Kodungallur and from there took a bus to Thrissur. I reached Thrissur at about 7 P.M.

So that is the Kochi Kronicle:) from my Kerala Trip Diary.

Monsoon in Kerala

Rain has always fascinated me. The dark clouds, flashes of lightning and the rumbling of thunder, splashing in the puddles, making paperboats and letting them float in the running water. Fond memories of Calcutta; it was not Kolkatta then! Playing football in the pouring rain getting my clothes dirty, coming home and getting scolded by everyone, taking a bath in steaming hot water. Eating piping hot 'khichuri' and listening to songs on the old radio, a childhood that I cherish and that only lives in my memories and a few photographs.

On my recent pilgrimage to Kerala, I experienced the joy of the monsoon, rain in all its beauty, pouring non-stop, camouflaging everything in a shiny haze. It would rain for three hours in the early hours of the morning from 2:30 A.M. to 5:30 A.M. Then the sun would shine in all its glory till 10 A.M. then another shower till 1 P.M., a cat and mouse game that would bring water everywhere.

The people continue to travel unmindful of the rain, children rushing to school, the naughty ones putting paperboats in the drains. The harried officegoer rushing to work, the devotees in all their faith going protected with an umbrella to the temples.

Life goes on as the rain gods shower their bounty onto the earth.

The next entry will be about my visit to Kochi.

Musings....

Some questions on love.....

In a relationship is it imperative for the man to take an initiative and say-"I love you" "Will you marry me?"

Will a woman never understand the feelings that a man has for her, unless he asks her the "question?"

Can a good friendship turn into a good relationship of love and culminate in marriage?

Will such a marriage stand the ravages of time and egos?

Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

Will she ever understand, that she is the only one in my mind, and I want to hold her hand?

Perhaps the month of July, shall hold the key to this confused chain of emotions.........

India has to wake up from its self-confident slumber and realize that it can be attacked by China at any moment. Time and again the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army has been making incursions into Indian territory, starting with Arunachal Pradesh and now Sikkim. China's claim over the area referred to as the "Finger Area," is giving the Ministry of Defence and the External Affairs sleepless nights.

We have fought three major wars; two against Pakistan that we won and the 1961 war against China that we lost. If China were to launch a full scale war against India today; what would be India's chances of winning the war? Intelligence briefs state that China has fifty nuclear missile launch sites in the Mergui Archipelago. They have also built docking and refuelling sites for their nuclear submarines. In the event of a nuclear attack; we do not stand a chance. Even if the watchdog of global democracy-Big Brother Uncle Sam decides to help India by the time the American forces arrive from their naval bases in the Middle East, the damage would have been done.

Defence chiefs giving interviews to the media and creating noises about startegic air defence and space attack programs may sound great, but how well equipped are we to face the enemy; any enemy for that matter!

The presence and strength of the Indian Navy should be stronger, we need to monitor the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal carefully, the Arabian Sea has always been secure with the constant Coastguard and Customs patrol boats. It is the Indian Ocean with its umpteen islands and atolls that is a cause of concern and worry.

The actions of the Chinese in the coming weeks and at the end of the Bejing Olympics will bring out a clearer picture.

Let us wait and watch.

Musically Yours

Well folks I bought a guitar today.

Lots of plans:)

Let us see what happens.....

Musings....

Like Hamlet I continue to delay.......

Three years since I met her, three years since she ignited a spark in my heart.

Three years-I have been wanting to tell her-"I Love You."

Three years-I have not had the courage to do that.

I hope I am able to tell her soon.....

Will I ever be able to tell her-"I want to hold your hand..."

I am frightened that she will consider me to be a hypocrite and all this while all my acts were with a hidden intent. I can't bear to think of losing her friendship.

Lord give me strength to confess my feelings to her....and the courage to bear any disappointment that may be caused if she chooses to say-"No" and reject my love.

SEVEN DAYS IN GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

I also visited the Kaimathu Bhagavathy Temple in Mannur, the family deity from my father's side. The evening was spent at Malampuzha dam.

Malampuzha dam

The place was beautiful and the coll evening breeze coupled with the spectacular view of the reservoir and the well maintained park made the trip worthwhile.

To be continued......

SEVEN DAYS IN GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

The trip was essentially a pilgrimage. After seeking the blessings of Lord Vilvadrinathan in Thiruvilvamala, my native village, I went to my ancestral house. The house was sold long ago, but an uncle who lives in the same area still has his house there. The house brings fond memories; imagined memories would be a better term as I have never lived there. I wonder how life would have been in the huge old house; my uncles and aunts going about their daily chores, my mother and my uncle fighting over a book, my grandmother having a hard time keeping them quiet. Transferred thoughts and memories of a house; a lifetime that has gone with a generation that migrated to the city.

My uncle has sold some of his agricultural land to fund the higher education of his daughters, one is pursuing her M.Tech and another has joined college. The house holds an old world charm, simple yet inspiring. The garden at the front with its hibiscus and jasmine plants the mandatory 'thulasi madom,' the coconut and arecanut trees, the mango and papaya trees in the backyard. I have missed a lot, maybe one day in the future, once I am done with this struggle for survival in the corporate world and earned enough money to last another lifetime, I will buy a house like this, near the seaside or in a valley, and lead a life in content retirement. With the grace of God I would have married the woman I admire and love, have kids, and would be free of worries[too many assumptions:)]. Let us hope for the best and come back to the topic......

I stayed for a couple of hours at my uncle's place and then went to Kotayyi to visit the musical genius Chembai's birth place. On the way I clicked some photographs of elephants, farmers singing while working in the paddy fields, and school children playing in the mud.

Seven Days in God's Own Country

I left for Palakkad on May 31, 2008. I boarded the Alleppey Express at Chennai Central. it promptly left Chennai at 21:15. An uneventful night's journey and I landed at Palakkad at 6:15 A.M. on June 1, 2008. I stayed at an uncle's place. He has renovated his ancestral property and the house is built in the proper Kerala architectural style.

That evening I visited Palakkad town and the temples in the region. There is an old fort called Sultan Battery. It is connected with Tipu Sultan, the fort reminded me of the Vellore Fort.

The next day-June 2, 2008 was devoted to visiting my ancestral village-Thiruvilvamala. I visited the Vilvadrinathan Temple, Mannur Kaimathu Bhagavathy Temple, Parakottu Kaavu Bhagavathy Temple and the Sai Baba Temple.

To be continued......