#89: F1 Drivers' Parade

Time: 9:30 am, 30th October 2011

Location: Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

For the huge F1 junkie in me, being present at the inaugural Indian GP is a moment awesome enough to make it to the list of "Top 100 Moments" by itself. As the five red lights go out, the roar of 24, 2.4Liter V8 engines hits you from miles away and way before you first see your favorite speed demons thunder down the back straight at over 320 kmph!!!(God bless DRS and KERS for the added thrills) The race in itself, is 90 minutes of non-stop, high-speed, adrenaline-pumping action leaving you spell bound and craving for more, thinking "Man, I'm coming back next year for sure." (AND get my non-F1-fan friends here too)

The chequered flag is waved, bringing us to the conclusion of 3 days of sheer motorsport delights (A typical F1 weekend has many smaller championship races too). Many memories are collected in the space of those 3 days, but one memory does stand out above all.

For me, the most memorable moment was an hour prior to the big race, and that was the traditional F1 Drivers' Parade. For once, the pace on the track slows to a crawl as the racers are driven around in vintage convertibles. Above everything else, its the sheer joy and pride of the moment when one sees their heroes up close for the 1st time ever. I can go on and on for pages but I'll save you the trouble. Check out the fans and marshals going absolutely crazy, especially as Michael Schumacher passes by!! Awesome!!

Sort of reminds me of my first IPL match when I say my favorite team win LIVE

In the end, its quite simple, and as Mastercard would say it:

Tickets to the F1 Race: $140

Food and Drinks: $20

Seeing Michael Schumacher in person: Priceless

If you like this post, pl comment in the "add a comment" section below. Thanks.

#90: 1000th blog view

I know the first 10-12 people reading this will probably say "What a lie!! Those are not a 1000 hits you cheat!!" But hey, I have to admit, it was getting pretty exciting waiting for the number to turn up and then I thought of speeding things up a bit. Alebit, a bit unethically.

For the others, well all I have to say is that whether you write or have friends who do, this is surely a "Top 100 moment" in life. This is the one milestone (and hopefully 1st of many more 10K, 100K....) that really shows that people do appreciate your effort and actually took the effort of visiting (and hopefully actually reading) this blog.

Thank you dear readers for helping me get here and please be back here for more.

#91: Peek-a-boo! I see you

          Now, I know this may seem a little girly coming from a guy, but what the hell! This is one of my most fond memories of playing with my baby nephews and nieces.
       
          You see, the most awesome thing about this age-old favorite game is its versatility. There's no one fixed way to play and usually everyone can develop their own favorite technique. Also, you don't need to be a millionaire to buy fancy toys or expensive gadgets. And like me, you don't need to be really great fun or great with kids either. Mom-tested-and-certified across the globe as being fail-proof, it also avoids you the embarrassment of being the one who can't even get a kid to laugh.

          The formula too is fairly simple:

Ingredients: 1 large piece of cloth and 1 grumpy baby

Process: Hide yourself from the baby with the cloth, utter your favorite magical "re-appearance" phrase and drop the cloth for one of the cutest "Top 100 Moments"of your life.

This post is dedicated to my youngest niece..Kanika. Congrats Vipul bhaiya and Priya bhabi

P.S. Just found out that this works on some adults too via Skype....even more awseome

#92: "You were thinking of that too, were'nt you?...;)"

         The reason this instant makes it to the list of "Top 100 Moments" is due to its sheer improbability coupled with its spontaneity and the uncontrollable excitement when it does occur. It strikes when you least expect (and usually around the most unexpected of people); in the midst of some random conversation, some intellectual/scientific discussion or just plain lazing around with buddies.
       

           Remember that awkward pause ("Hey wait a minute..."), the exchange of curious stares ("are you thinking?....), bursting into a smile ( what im thinking?....") and the awesome high-fives that follow ("Hell yes you were!!").
       



 Also, here's the creme de la creme of all  "You-Were-Thinking-Of-That-Too,-Were'nt-You?" moments definitely is "Telepathic Friends". You see, this is a very rare and elite group of friends who happen to know you inside out. For whom your life is an open book. No need for need for over-the-top emotions, just a look at each others faces, a wide grin and you continue as though nothing happened, but silently content at this legen-wait for it-dary "Telepathic Conversation".

P.S. : Remember Ted and Barney's telepathic conversation from How I Met Your Mother??

#93: "Chai aur Biscut"

Before starting, I want you to pause for a second and think of your favorite "Tea + Biscuits" moment. Also, I bet that if all readers post their favorite "Chai-Time" memories in the comments below, we can have a unique list of "Top 100 Chai n Biscuit Moments" altogether. Lemme begin by sharing a few of mine:

1. At a roadside stall, drenched in rain:

As is the case with Mumbai rains every year, this particular year too, I ended up without an umbrella on the day of the 1st downpour.
Looking for shelter, I landed up at a roadside tea stall. Drenched in the rain, shivering in the cold, ruined phone and with Rs 15 in my pocket, this sure doesnt feel like a "Top 100 Moment" does it?

Quite the contrary, this turned out to be the ultimate refuge from the deluge. Coz you see, at this little haven, the rates of little treats read:

                                     

1 "Full Masala-Chai" : Rs 6
1 "Chhota" Parle-G : Rs 4
Dunking biscuits in a steaming cup of tea during rains: Priceless!

Speaking of dunking biscuits, remember "The 1 that fell in the cup"? We all hate it, but with patience, it can turn out to be one of the "Top 100 Moments" indeed. Surprised? Well here's how:


2. Avenging "The 1 that fell in the cup":

It isn't rocket science really. The trick is to not tilt your cup too much and manage to (somehow) finish your tea. Now, thats easier said than done, but with luck (or enough practice) you'll finish the tea only to find that little piece sitting there at the bottom, soaked but almost intact. Well what are you waiting for?

Grab that cup, look to the skies and tilt it towards you waiting mouth. Close your eyes as that little piece slides in slowly for an amazingly sweet and squishy end to a truly awesome beverage.                                                                                                                  

#94: PAIN!!

Agreed, that in keeping with the theme of this blog, at first sight "PAIN" being one of the "Top 100 Moments" looks counter-intuitive. The fact however is, pain is not always a bad thing. You see, the way mother nature has designed it, pain is not only necessary, but also GOOD for you.

Just to be clear (for all those of you who post long depressing posts on Facebook and expect people to read and "like" them) I'm talking about the REAL physical pain here and not the emotional type (I really don't give a damn about your heartbreak, just keep it off my "wall" please). Anyways, I digress.


You see, pain is really your body playing good cop and saying "Hold on there buddy, looks like something's wrong here. Better go to the doc and get it checked out." For no matter how much we curse it, pain is still the body's first line of defense.

Pain reminds us of preventing further harm to ourselves. (For example, would you have gone to the doctor and got your troublesome knee checked, only to discover a sprain there, if not for the excruciating pain?) What a wonderful phenomenon of nature indeed!


So remember, the next time you feel those weird niggles anywhere in your body, you know its your body's call to you to take good care of it, coz unlike machines, you only get 1 of it for your entire life.

#95: The 1 pefect dish at an (otherwise) crappy buffet

If gluttony is your passion as is mine, you know what I'm talking about here. With a buffet dinner planned for the evening, you starve your way through the "4-pm-hunger" (and lunch too if you are me). The meal costs a bomb, but you willingly pay through your nose for a few moments of "I'm-gonna-hog-every-penny's-worth-of-food" indulgence.

But alas, the party-pooper. How often is it that the spread well and truly sucks? (Well it may not necessarily be bad, just that it's a rip-off if you could've had all that stuff at home too). Everywhere you look, just the plain old regular stuff, nothing new or as my sis puts it "exciting" enough to tantallise your taste buds.

As you turn your back and head back to your table disappointed, you spot it!! Yes, sitting surreptitiously at the far end of the table, that 1 dish, looking exquisitely delicious, the 1 dish it appears nobody can get enough of. Be it the pasta, biryani, noodles, paneer tikkas , tandoori chicken, heck maybe even the desert, but you know thats its there and that's probably saved the day for you. 

Target acquired, you attack with full ferocity as the mini-mountains of food on your plate and are gobbled down almost instantaneously with people wondering about the cause of the sudden and disproportionately large disappearance of food from your side of the table. (Remember the classic scene from "Satte pe Satta"?)

Sure, trying out all the different stuff at a buffet is great, but "selective gluttony" (a term I've just coined) is one phenomena to cherish (should you ever be in the situation), making it truly one of the "Top 100 moments" of life. Buuuuuurrrrrrrrrppppp!!!

#96: Watching your favorite team win....LIVE!!

Love sports? Well you're surely gonna love this...

Now imagine, its game day, you're at home, in a sports bar or anywhere else watching the match on a giant screen with your best buddies. Your favorite team's winning, the drinks are flowing and the celebrations have just begun. Hey, is there anything that matches the adrenaline/testosterone powered rage as the ball strikes the back of the net or the uprooting of the middle stump?? Think that makes it to the list of "Top 100 moments", right?

Wrong..

You see, when i say LIVE!, I mean "In The Stadium" kind of live. Screaming at the top of your voice with thousands of cheering fans, celebrating with a few craziest friends, the camaraderie of Mexican waves with total strangers. Imagine a world with no commercial breaks and no useless statistics thrown in your face by bored commentators. This, my friend is where you need to be to really enjoy the raw passion in sports.

#97: First workout after a long break

If you are as unfit as I am (and this can be quite a challenge), love junk food and have no workout regime whatsoever, you probably know what the 1st workout after a long time feels like.

After hours of coaxing you finally get your lazy bum off the couch, put on some running shoes and get out there with a vengence on last night's double cheese burst pizza. Alas! Within minutes every single aching muscle (some you never knew existed) curses the glutton in you. But it sure does feels good to get back on your feet after a long time and running (literally!).




Now, what makes this one of the truly "Top 100 Moments" is not the workout in itself. Yeah, sure that exercise is good for your heart and all, but remember that weird feeling of accomplishment while nursing your thoroughly sore body?





 Remember rising that extra inch in self esteem? (But dont you head out to McDonald's just yet to celebrate) Remember looking in the mirror, and seeing a more desirable version of yourself? Endorphins can be such a high. So yes, treasure that little pain buddies, wear it for a day as a proud medallion for the day's heroics (and hopefully come back for more tomorrow).

After all, all that matters is how you look at yourself, doesnt it?

P.S. Now that exams are finally over, I thinks its time to for me to experience this one again.

#98: Slamming the door shut after an argument

Lets face it, no matter how devoted  peace-loving Gandhians we may believe ourselves to be, we've all been in arguments at some point of time. I for one hate arguments, and not for the the fight itself, but the little dilemma afterwards. Win or lose, there's a little residual anger that lingers on. You know, the kind that makes you wish to break something (or someone), but common sense (usually and fortunately) prevails, prevents you from doing so....

You know those moments, where stomping off is just not enough, when a loud "Fine!!" just doesn't make it, when those fists just remain clenched and teeth gritting. Damn it, I feel pissed off just writing this.

Fear not fellow mortals, for enter the savior.....drumroll.... the humble door. Just grab that doorknob, pull with all your strength, and with the BANG!!, instant gratification. God bless those poor hinges for taking the punishment, the door lives on to fight another day and you know you got the last word and one of the "Top 100 Moments" ever.

On 2nd thoughts, THIS is surely a better way of slamming the door...check out these 2 boneheads:

P.S. For my most avid reader: Rajnikanth is the only person who can slam a screen door..:P

#99: 1st Call on Your Birthday

We all simply love our birthdays, don't we?? the one day where you're the person in the highest demand, the man of the hour. 200 facebook posts wishing you on your special day, 100s of text messages and infinite phone calls from distant family members you barely recall.

Although all that attention and all the parties and cakes feel really nice, what really makes it to the list of "Top 100 moments", is that one special friend sitting by the phone, waiting to be the first one to call you just as the clock strikes 12. What better way could there be, to start off a truly awesome day?

Also, come to think of it, isn't it better for just 1 person to be truly hppy to share your  remember the day, than 200 people who do just coz of some "notification"?

#100 The Last Exam

Its the end of a long arduous semester and everyone just wants to finish off this last one with a big bang.

Pens move in an intense fury, the finish line approaches and the vacations (yes, the very same ones you were dreaming of the night before) appear on the horizon. Nothing describes the relief as that last answer sheet is snatched away and then comes....FREEDOM!!

Time to head home, stash away all those books and party like there's no tomorrow (or till your parents find out your results).

As for all engineering students, you know the mantra. "Koi nahin yaar, agle sem mein dekh lenge"

The Dentist

This is a poem I wrote way back in 7th standard...was running out of time to submit an assignment and came up with this gem in just 10-15 minutes in the middle of a class. Its based on a true experience and I hope u enjoy it. To all my dentist friends who are reading this, no offence meant yaar, but here it goes:


There is a creature called a dentist,
I must say, the greatest sadist.


Looking hideous in gloves and mask,
doesn't care to answer what you ask.


Sit on his chair and open your mouth,
and there's no worse place from north to south.


Probing your mouth with a tiny mirror,
your head is full of movies of horror.


Come what might, he takes a drill,
the moment gives him the ultimate thrill.


He says, "All your cavities I have to fill",
and acts as a soldier ready to kill.


During the surgery he takes a recess,
and leaves your mouth - a bloody mess.


Then the assistant, who's rather stout,
tells you to spit the whole thing out.


Just when you think the nightmare is over,
comes back, the reckless rover.


Wroom, Wroom, Wroooom,
Crash, Bang and Boom.


Finished, is his terrible job,
you cannot help but let out a sob.


At that point, he hands the bait,
Oh look, its a bar of chocolate.


Why wait till tomorrow,
today was the ultimate sorrow.


OH!! And by the way,
start new cavities today.

All Grown Up

          If you happen to know me well enough, you'd probably know how I absolutely hate visiting temples. However, this was not always the case. As a kid I did in fact love visiting the temple. It wasn't for the tasty prasadam, it wasn't to pray to the deities (I had no clue who they were) and it certainly wasn't to hear the chanting of hymms (most of which i don't know or understand even today). I went there for myself, to see if I was "all grown up". My criteria - To see if I could ring the biggest and highest bell at the entrance of the temple.


           Yes, that was the prized catch. The highest bell, just hanging there, tall and proud, far above my little reach, mocking me like a perennial nemesis. Well, accept the challenge I did. Starting by stretching my arms out as far as they'd go, then jumping up and down like crazy, to finally running starts, I tried everything. Ultimately, tired and dejected, I'd head up to my dad who'd promptly lift me up and with the clang of that bell....Mission Accomplished!! The childish joy in me knew no bounds but also a resolve set in, to do so on my own one day.


          
          Well eventually (and inevitably), I was able to ring that bell on my own. At this point, the realization struck (little) me:"Well, I'm surely "all grown up" now", (You have to admit, in his little shoes, probably you'd think so too). However, an incident that occurred about an year back showed me how misconceived this notion was.


          Accompanying my cousins to the temple one day, I saw my little nephew trying to reach for that same bell the same way I did many years ago. Jumping like crazy, running starts, he tried everything. Tired and dejected, he looked for his dad (you'd probably guess why by now). But with his dad not in sight, his youngest "chachu" (me) decided to step in..:). Lifting that little brat high above the ground, I felt a strong sense of deja vu. Once again I thought,"Well NOW, I certainly am "All Grown Up" for sure".


        
  But such is the beauty of life, you can think you are "All Grown Up", but it has its ways of proving you wrong always. Twice, I've thought so, and twice been proven wrong. So until next time, remember, you ARE "All Grown Up". For now at least.....

Writer's block and our Education System

          I've been thinking for the last 7 days about what to write for my next blog entry. Every time I'd sit in front of my laptop and wonder - "What should I write about next?" Analysing my state of mind this morning my situation appeared to be a case of mild "writer's block" and thus, after a lot of "soch-vichar", the reason was clear. 

          I'd been thinking too much about what people want to read rather than what I want to write about. To hell if its not interesting enough. After all, if you are reading this, it means that there has to be something interesting about a guy ranting on and on about his problems and not getting to the point. So finally, after 7 days and a spark of insight I found something truly worth writing about, which gets me to the crux of this story.

          And the point, I realize, is this:

          Consider your average school classroom. Now imagine a 12 year old in it. Its the day of the dreaded English exam and the task at hand is to write an essay on some absurd topic (at least for a 12 year old) like "Global Warming" and given the time constraints, must be finished in 30 minutes flat.

          Some may argue that this is a fair test of one's writing abilities. After all, in the words of Bill Gates - "Life is not fair. Get used to it." After all testing should be all about taking a person out of their comfort zone and putting them in a high pressure atmosphere. In today's highly competitive world, it seems like a fair assertion.

          However, I beg to differ. As any professional writer (and amateur blogger like myself) would tell you, there's more to writing than just putting together a string of words together in a grammatically correct manner to constitute a sentence. It is a passion that comes from within us, a spark, an idea, an emotion, words being but a medium for the same.

          Now consider another scenario. Imagine a world where today's slaves to textbooks (read: students) are given the freedom to write about anything that interests them. Not surprisingly, we may end up with a whole lot of essays about the exploits of Superman, Hot Wheels cars or whatever the latest fad may be. But remember, this is the kids expressing themselves in the way they like to be seen in. And isn't that the very purpose why yesterday's cavemen came up with language in the first place?

          
          The process doesn't have to end there either. Let's take it a step further. There is a saying that "Small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas." The internet gives these kids a fabulous medium to share these diverse thoughts and interests with the rest of the world and most importantly, with their own peers. This will give kids a way of transforming into great minds (like this guy on the right) and rise beyond the ordinary.

          With that I rest my case . Educators, the ball is in your court now... 

Mumbai Meri Jaan

         Ahh...Mumbai!!...a.k.a the Mayanagari, the City of Dreams. Where the phrase "Time is Money" takes on a whole new dimension. The city that never sleeps, the city in a perpetual rush. Punctuality is key to success in this fast-paced life and keeps life in this city ticking with the precision of a Rolex timepiece.

          If you are a Mumbaikar and travel daily by its its perpetual network of trains, buses, auto-rickshaws, etc, you definitely know what I'm talking about. Its an OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder) of sorts. A place where single minute's delay means the difference between catching your beloved "7:42 Panvel" or "4:27 Virar Fast" (and meeting a group of friends unique to Mumbai - "Train buddies").

          I'd say that Mumbai is one giant organism where everything (you have no clue how) just works. But behind this beehive of activity is a vast army of people, essential cogs in keeping the life-lines of this city running non-stop, 24/7, 365 days a year.

          Mumbai is home to it's fair share of legends. From the nightingale Lata Mangeshkar, to the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar, to Bollywood superstars of the past, present and future and billionaire businessmen. But hey, I'm talking about those of us here with more mundane existances. So here it is, a little tribute to those countless people without whom this city would just grind to a halt, for whose efforts we can proudly say "Mee Mumbaikar Aahe".

!st blog entry....:)

          You know, Gandhiji has aptly said that a person’s worth is determined not by his attitude to his peers, but by the way he behaves with people who are below him in the social order. Now, I know that’s not the way he said it, but yes, that’s the way I interpret it. Only today did I realize how true this maxim really is. 

          

          This incident occurred at my GRE class today. The unlikely protagonist of this story is a young boy by the name Ram Kushal. Now, I probably will never know anything about Ram Kushal except his name. But I do know this, that day in and day out, he has just 1 job. Sit in the elevator, and operate the doors so that the likes of me don’t need to waste our energies doing such “menial” work. Sounds like a boring job, doesn’t it? I’m sure it is.

          

The elevator is a weird place. Stuck in that claustrophobic space with another person, even if it is for just a few seconds, feels weird to me. Especially, if all that person ever does is to look down at his feet with one hand on the door handle, (Yeah! As if you I'm not capable of opening that door myself) things do get a little awkward. One notices small things that would have otherwise been looked over in the normal course of the day. For instance, have you ever noticed how bored that poor chap is with his job. No new challenges, nothing new at all. Just repeating the same mind-numbing chore over and over again to earn his bread and butter.

          

          This day, I decided to bring a little joy into this boy’s life (not much by the way, for that’s all you can do in a 20 second elevator ride). all I did was this – I asked him his name. At first, I don’t know whether he was shy, or just too shocked to respond, but as the elevator reached the 5^th floor (which is where I alight) he managed to squeak in the words “Ram Kusal”. And thus with a small smile and a pat to the back I left the world of the elevator and back into the world of cutthroat competition. 2 hours later, I returned to head back down the same way I got up, via the elevator. This time however, the boy was a different one altogether. A shadow of the listless boy I left there 2 hours back. This boy was more cheerful, almost invigorated. He opened those gates with the speed and agility of an Olympian and closed them with equal fervor, almost making the crude actions look graceful. There was a disarming alacrity in his actions that day, even as he went about the same boring ritual he goes through a hundreds of times a day. And to think of it, all by the power of a polite smile, a casual nod and a pat to the back.

          

          It made me wonder thus: Are we so busy today in our lives that we have no time for others? Are we so self-obsessed that we do not see the army of faceless people behind us (mind you, most of them can’t even read this, so consider yourself among the lucky ones) that help us go about our day? So this is my request to you today, that whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you go, just wait for a minute and appreciate the little efforts that this army of faceless people puts in to keep you going and lets you be the self-important, self-obsessed creature that characterises us today. Spread the smile