Thank You Sachin!!

Somewhere between “Sachin ne kitne banaye” and your retirement speech, we all grew up. Your speech today was as good as the desert storm in Sharjah.

Your first match as an opener against NZ, Your 100 in Perth in 1992, your final over in Hero Cup, Your masterclass in 1996 WC, you getting out in the semifinal against SriLanka, Your 169 against SA in Centurion, Desert Storm and Tormenting Olonga in Sharjah in 1998, The total destruction of Warne & Company in 1998, The effect your father’s death had on the nation during 1999 WC, Your 140 against Kenya when you returned, 136 against Pakistan in Chennai when you played with sore back, That pull off Caddick and 98 against Pakistan in 2003, Country’s emotions when McGrath got the better of you in the final, Your gritty 241 against Australia in Sydney where you did not play a single cover drive, Your 200 against SA in ODI, Your determination to win the WC 2011, The victory lap in Wankhede, Your final innings yesterday, the square cuts, the cover drives standing on your toes, the pulls and hooks, the flicks, the paddle sweep and that god of a straight drive are itched in my mind forever. 

We had our Dravids & Gangulys and we will have our Kohlis, but nobody made the little boy inside me dance like you did. You were much more than a great batsman to Indian cricket.

All good things in life must come to an end but the cricket romantic in me just wants to sing “Abhi na jao chod ke, ki dil abhi bazar nahi”

I will tell my children I have watched the god bat!! Adios.

Festival of lights!!

Festival of lights!!, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Dedicated to my fav festival :)

one night in an oilfield

one night in an oilfield, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Few of my clicks while on work. This was clicked somewhere in Saudi Arabia

Schlumberger

Schlumberger, a set on Flickr.

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar

Just in a random mood of Hindi poetry. Just reminded of these awesome lines by Dinkar. How truthful they are considering the current chaotic politics in this country!!

रे रोक युधिष्ठर को न यहां
जाने दे उसको स्वर्ग धीर
पर फ़िरा हमें गांडीव गदा
लौटा दे अर्जुन भीम वीर
कह दे शंकर से आज करें
वे पृलय नृत्य फ़िर एक बार
सारे भारत में गूंज उठे
हर हर बम का फ़िर महोच्चार।

humayun darwaza, old fort

humayun darwaza, old fort, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

few pictures of old fort. check out my flickr photostream for more pictures of old fort :)

Cannaught place with baoli

Cannaught place with baoli, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Agrasen ki baoli. For more pictures check out my flickr photostream

Qutub landscape

Qutub landscape, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

up above the clouds!!

up above the clouds!!, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

View from the base of Qutub Minar. I am in love with this pic :)

India gate

India gate, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Countless times I have tried to capture India gate. Guess after all the hard work finally I am able to do justice with this picture :)

Via Flickr:
The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. It is composed of red sand stone and granite.

Stuck in Dubai

I am back after exactly 7 weeks completing one complete hitch in Kuwait. I was introspecting now why I tool so many days to write the next blog .. may be because I was too busy or may be too tired n lazy to do anything after coming back from work. Whatever be the reason, these 7 weeks have been quite happening .. lets have a look ..
- have faced numerous sand storms .. I guess now they dont matter anymore
- 7 complete weeks without alcohol .. I guess the longest time since I started drinking
- Loved driving Land Cruiser .. although it sucks to maintain the speed below 50
- ...

While way back to India .. lost my mobile phone on the flight. Still waiting for official confirmation from emirates that I have lost it. I guess red wine after 7 long weeks did the trick. Still waiting .. will update!!

Kuwait

After nearly 4 months I am finally back to work and assgned to Kuwait crew 3302. Had a happening incident already when was not allowed to board the flight due to some "OK to Board" status. However finally I have made it to the crew.

I would state am utterly disappointed with the desert. Was expecting big sand dunes but its gravel plain!! Was greeted by dust storm in the morning and once a few moments back as well. I cant feel any part of my body not covered with sand :)

The work starts tomorrow. Hopefully will be fun!!

Viva Ronaldo !!

Rome .. here we come .. I am writing this blog while match still in progress. If their is no astonishing turnaround Manchetser United are heading to Rome with Barcelona or Chelsea expected. 

Cristiano Ronaldo again proved today why he is the best player on the planet. After this scorching volley at porto, he once again sent home a bullet of a free kick and of a swift counter attack with Rooney. This season has been uneventful by his standards this season, still he is EPL top scorer and 25 goals to his name!! wow!!

In between, Darren Fletcher has received a red card, for a brilliant tackle, the referee has been disappointing. He has been one of the top performer this season and now he will miss the dream CL final at hime, What a pity!! Can we appeal a CL red card? Dunno!!

Will wait for the final outcome to post this .. 2 mins + injury time to go!!

Wooooha .. Gunners gunned down!!

Bhooka Naan ...

Came across this link on Times of India website. I guess now with KKR performing so bad seems buchanan bashing wont stop either. Please read this 

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Addictions/entry/why-kkr-coach-john-boka

God bats for India

Truly said Cricket is the religion and Sachin is god. They way Sachin batted yesterday against Kolkata Knightriders, I guess all the speculations about he is past his prime have subsided. Media, Fans, Bloggers and everyone else even having slightest of interest in the game have been showering praises on him. 

That majestic pull against Ishant for six, reminding of something similar against Andy Caddick in WC 2003 and the towering six of Mendis which went outside the stadium, making the mystery spinner forget all this tweaks and turns were pure vintage tendulkar, class apart. 

Had read an article a few months back by Peter Rebouck on cricinfo, about how cricket will never be the same when he quits the game. Cricket is religion in India just because Tendulkar comes out to bat. There have been Dravids and Gangulys in Indian cricket but no one has been able to match the aura of the god. He is the man who unites this deeply divided country. When he is batting, no1 cares who is around, we are all Indians. At common places you can easily observe the difference in attendance when he is batting and he is out. 

If you are a cricket fan I bet your ultimate desire is India winning the world cup with Tendulkar playing a majestic inning. When he retires there will be Dhonis, Sehwags and Yuvrajs but I doubt I have seen someone in this younger generation who can fill his boots. For fans like me, for whom cricket matters because Tendulkar playes this game, cricket will never be the same once he quits. I agree people will move on but the little master padding up and coming out to bat will be missed by all. The cricketing world will be overwhelmed when he quits and world will see a

 farewell which no1 has ever seen. 

I came across a very interesting post on Facebook, a collection of comments people have made about Sachin Tendulkar. I have copied it here for you guys. 

PS: Offcourse this misses the legendary one form The Don himself "He bats like me"

@Hashim Amla:

"Nothing bad can happen to us if we're on a plane in India with Sachin
Tendulkar on it."
Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a
flight
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@yaseer hameed:
"Sometimes you get so engrossed in watching batsmen like Rahul Dravid
and Sachin Tendulkar that you lose focus on your job."
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
"To Sachin, the man we all want to be"
- What Andrew Symonds wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed
specially for Sachin
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium,
there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure.
Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us,
even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom.
When he goes out to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their
lives "
BBC on Sachin
------------------------------ ------------------------------ -----------------------------
But the finest compliment must be that bookmakers would not fix the odds
or a game - until Tendulkar was out.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ -----------------------------
"Tuzhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?" Wasim Akram to Abdul
Razzaq when the latter dropped Sachin's catch.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@Brian Charles Lara again
Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
"We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called
Sachin" -
Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@M. L. Jaisimha:
"The more I see of him the more confused I'm getting to which is his
best knock."
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@McGrath:
"The joy he brings to the millions of his countrymen, the grace with
which he handles all the adulation and the expectations and his innate
humility - all make for a one-in-a-billion individual,"
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@Wife Anjali:
"I can be hundred per cent sure that Sachin will not play for a minute
longer when he is not enjoying himself. He is still so eager to go out
there and play. He will play as long as he feels he can play,"
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@ HAYDEN - 
"I HAVE SEEN GOD, HE BATS AT NO.4 FOR INDIA"
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
"Even my father's name is Sachin Tendulkar."
Tendulkar's daughter, Sara, tells her class her father's name after the
teacher informs them of a restaurant of the same name in Mumbai
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
KUMBLE : I am fortunate that I've to bowl at him only in the nets!
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@ Shahrukh Khan -
quoting Shahrukh from an interview

Que: Who do you think as most important celebrity ?
Shahrukh: There was a big party where stars from bollywood and cricket
were invited. Suddenly, there was a big noise, all wanted to see approaching
Amitabh Bachhan.
Then Sachin entered the hall and Amitabh was leading the queue to get a
grab of the GENIUS!!
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@Navjot Singh Sidhu:
India me aap PrimeMinister ko ek Baar Katghare me khada kar sakte
hain..Par Sachin Tendulkar par Ungli nahi utha Sakte..
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@waqar younis:
He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also .
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
A banner once said-' I WILL SEE GOD WHEN I DIE BUT TILL THEN I WILL SEE
SACHIN ' that quiet defines Sachin-The greatest.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has
many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over
the world -- Allan Donald
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
And i remember reading in one of Allan Donald's interview. This
interview was in Cricket Talk and 7-8 yrs ago.

I was bowling to Sachin and he hit me for two fours in a row. One from
point and the other in between point and gully. That was the last two balls of the over and
the over after that we (SA) took a wicket and during the group meeting i told Jonty (Rhodes)
to be alert and i know a way to pin Sachin. And i delivered the first ball of my next over
and it was a fuller length delevery outside offstump. And i shouted catch. To my
astonishment the ball was hit to the cover boundary. Such was the brilliance of Sachin. His
reflex time is the best i have ever seen. Its like 1/20th of a sec. To get his wicket better not
prepare. Atleast u wont regret if he hits you for boundaries.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------
Peter Rebouck - aussie journalist:
On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the
stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual.
Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway
officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the
century.
This Genius can stop time in India!!
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ -----------------
Andy Flower:
There are 2 kinds of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all
the others.

Sports Review :)

PFA Awards were declared yesterday and what a tribute to Ryan Giggs. The glittering career he has had, being the most successful player in English football, he truly deserves it. Although many people might argue that he should not have got that award for this seasons display, I think the impact he has had in important matches, most importantly completely outshining Lampard, Ballack and company at old trafford, he deserves it. If united win the two trophies this season to play for, I guess he will be in line to be awarded Knighthood. Sir Ryan Giggs .. sounds good !!

Had a look at the PFA team of the year as well and seems fine to me. Although I am bitterly disappointed with my favorite player "Wayne Rooney" missing out again in the list. Since last 3 years united have dominated the list, still rooney hasn't featured once. I agree Torres has been excellent and truly deserves it, while anelka was the leading goal scorer till last weekend, should be in the list for central strikers role. But rooney offers much more extra, a total team player which any coach in this world will like to have :)

Apart from it, I am religiously following FakeIPL blog and loving it. The guy is truly a genius and the nicknames are awesome. Still wondering who is Mangal Pandey thou in this latest post. Any clue about that?

IPL may not be generating the same TRP's as last year, still after a few rain interruptions and one sided affairs, the excitement is back. Recently almost every match has been close calls, down to last over of the second innings. Last year powerhouses like Rajasthan. Chandigarh and Chennai are struggling while Hyderabad and Delhi and rocking the table. I am betting on Chennai or Delhi, lets see how it goes!!

Last but not the last there is something amiss from this years formula 1. Traditional powerhouses like Ferrari, Mclaren and Renault are struggling badly and Brawn and RedBull are setting up the times. Common Ferrari, a win at Barcelona please!!

pain in the ass !!

• Facebook updates
• Liverpool & Rafa Benitez .. second to only facebook updates
• Ever increasing number of network invitations
• Tactical breaks, DLF Maximum, Citi moment of success :P
  
• My wait for the next assignment !!
• Daily routine .. refer to my previous post

Childhood memoirs

Just for fact, a saw a milkman feeding thums up to his pregnant cow give her relief. Can you imagine this thing happening say 15 years back? Not a chance !!

Was wondering how much the world has changed in last 24 years of my existence. There is a stark contrast between our childhood and one experienced by kids now a days. What people from our generation experienced, things that were integral part of our childhood are more or less left only in the back of our mind. I would like to list a few ...

1. Naagraj and Super Commando Dhruv .. am not sure they are as popular now a days!!
2. Watching "rukawat ke liye khed hai" on Doordarshan :)
3. Endless discussions on Tendulkar vs rest and who is the best !! Discussing that in every spare moment we got during school hours. I will be with Tendulkar any day!!
   
4. Byomkesh bakshi .. desi answer to Sherlock Holmes :P
5. Nirma jingle and "maan gaye deepika jee .. apki parkhi nazar n nirma super .. dono ko"
6. Collecting trump cards of wrestlers and cricketers from Big Fun / Boomer / Big Babool
7. Old telephone sets ... I dont remeber any specific term .. anyways U know what I am talking about .. and thinking cordless phones were so cool :)
8. Contessa on road used to make our day .. the coolest car ever :)
9. Street Hawk :) .. Wud miss anything to catch it on Sundays !!
10. Rangoli n Chitrahaar .. :D .. most awaited
11. Rotating those antennas to get proper signal for Doordarshan ... not in Patna, but for sure in Netarhat, in the jungles of Jharkhand
12. Lamberetta .. the scooter even we used to think antique :)

Still trying to remember a few more. Any more ideas?

democracy ka mahaparv :)

What a time to be in Bihar. The election fever is rising as the dates are coming closer. The fun part is what you get to read in the local news papers. Politicians trying to woo voters with taunts on rivals. i would list a few of my favourites:

नरेन्द्र मोदी: कांग्रेस 125 वर्ष पुरानी बुढ़िया पार्टी है, जवान भाजपा को वोट दें|
प्रियंका गाँधी: क्या मैं, राहुल और सोनिया बूढे लगते हैं?
नरेन्द्र मोदी: आज से बुढ़िया नही गुडिया पार्टी बोलूँगा|


लालू: नीतिश को जेरो पे आउट कर दूँगा चुनाव में|
नीतिश: लालू ख़ुद जीरो है इसलिए हीरो (संजय दत्त) को लेके चुनाव प्रचार करते हैं|

Will come up with a few more soon. The point is what spicy things you get to read in regional hindi newspapers, you will never get in elite Times of India / HT.
Guys subscribe for a month and grab your copy now. :)

Uphill task on the cards !!

I cant believe this is the same Manchester United defense which kept 11 consecutive clean sheets in the premier league. May be players were damn tired after the Aston Villa game. Whatever be the reasons but fact of the matter is we allowed Porto 2 away goals, so crucial in the champions league.
Sloppy defending and out of sorts midfield for major part of the match may cost us the trophy.

ManU now face an uphill task at Porto in a weeks time, and they have to do what no other teams has done before this season, beat Porto in Porto.

The ammunition at our disposal, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Giggs etc can turn the things around, but we will have to play like champions :)

We can do it, this is the philosophy of the club and fans believe in it.
Viva Ronaldo & Win at porto :)
cheers !!