For followers of Indian cricket, 2006 ended the way it began- with a tragic loss to a team that was just more determined to win. A loss to South Africa on the bouncy track of Durban would not be unexpected but the manner of the loss is what rankles me the most. And we are not talking talent. If there is one thing that separates the good from the great, it is mental toughness- ability to persist, rise to the challenge, have the belief that the impossible can be done, and be able to inspire everyone around you.
And the greats of Indian batting just dont cut it any more. And it starts with Tendulkar. Blasphemous for sure given all his lofty achievments but on pure merit and form over 2006 alone, he would struggle to get into any side in the world barring Bangladesh or am I missing Zimbabwe here, the two minnows of world cricket. And of course, people will turn around and say- remember his assault against Australia in Sharjah, remember his 98 against Pakistan in the World Cup...remember....., but wait- aren't we almost at the next World cup now- my memory is getting strained here.
What makes Australia a great team is that the team is above any individual. It is able to recognize when players need to leave the scene. Steve Waugh was gently nudged out even when he was arguably at his best. And he ended with 32 centuries, just behind the then world record of 34 centuries. Had he been playing for India, we would surely have given him a good chance to make the 34 centuries. Of course, he has done so much for the country- lets please allow him to do it- reach his personal milestone- please, please.... That is not an argument that works where performance is king. Australia are world champions because individuals are not above the team. In India, they are! And thats the big issue.
I am sure people will turn around and say- why blame Tendulkar alone. He got out to a good ball. What about Sehwag? Everyone wants Sehwag axed. Well, Sehwag has had a bad run but his average in test cricket in 2006 is almost 40, not great but what about Tendulkar? A glorious 24!! At least Sehwag scored a memorable 254. Tendular's highest. One half century- 63!!
All I want to say is- when people talk performance, lets not use double standards. And great teams aren't built on reputations, they are built on great performance, day in and day out- that builds your toughness, your resolve, your ability to fight the odds all the time and to produce consistent results.
Tendulkar is a shadow of his great self, especially in Test cricket. We waited forever for him to break Gavaskar's record of 34 centuries. What are we waiting for now? Till his average falls below 10.... or till we tour Bangladesh again!! Lets just hope he comes good in the World Cup! Otherwise, I might have to rethink my planned visit to the Carribean.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
My person of the year
A couple of years back, research by Laura Nash from Harvard Business School on what it means to succeed pointed to four aspects- happiness, achievement, significance and legacy. Happiness is doing what you love to do, achievement is attaining a standard of excellence in what you do, significance is having a larger purpose to what you do and legacy refers to what you leave behind. Research pointed out that the people who have the ability to balance these four perspectives lead contended, fruitful lives and can be called successful. For me, the idea of balancing the four aspects is the crucial element- too often, one overweighs the other three- these are not totally distinct categories- the idea is to lead ones life in a manner that aligns all four. And that is easier said than done!
One person who seems to have done a stellar job on this front, one who is an unquestioned leader in his field (achievement), one who derives incredible joy at what he does (happiness), one who has disseminated his wisdom to thousands if not millions to make them reach their dreams (significance), and lastly, one who decided to make a significant contribution to society when he leaves (legacy) is Warren Buffet and for all of those but especially the last reason- he is my person of the year.
For a man who is the second richest man in the world, he leads a simple life (no chauffer, no security, no cellphone!!), has simple, enduring rules for investing- looks for integrity in management and a stable business to invest in, has returned incredbile returns year over year over the past four decades, freely discusses his mistakes, his philosophy, his rationale at his legendary meetings at Omaha with his long time friend and partner, Charles Munger, but what he did this year was particularly remarkable and in a way, not surprising with how he has lived all along- having accumulated enormous wealth over decades of sound investing, he decided to give it all away (or most of it) to the Gates Foundation that is working tirelessly in the areas of health and education to make our world not only heathier but to raise the level of literacy around the world- the only way out of widespread poverty and hunger. Buffet has never believed in leaving money for kids- bring them up well, give them a good education, a sound set of values and they will take care of themselves- a great philosophy to have.
For leading a simple life with extraordinary achievements in his field of interest (he started investing at the age of 11!), for his earthy wisdom, but most importantly, his enormous contribution in giving back to society, Warren Buffet is my person of year.
One person who seems to have done a stellar job on this front, one who is an unquestioned leader in his field (achievement), one who derives incredible joy at what he does (happiness), one who has disseminated his wisdom to thousands if not millions to make them reach their dreams (significance), and lastly, one who decided to make a significant contribution to society when he leaves (legacy) is Warren Buffet and for all of those but especially the last reason- he is my person of the year.
For a man who is the second richest man in the world, he leads a simple life (no chauffer, no security, no cellphone!!), has simple, enduring rules for investing- looks for integrity in management and a stable business to invest in, has returned incredbile returns year over year over the past four decades, freely discusses his mistakes, his philosophy, his rationale at his legendary meetings at Omaha with his long time friend and partner, Charles Munger, but what he did this year was particularly remarkable and in a way, not surprising with how he has lived all along- having accumulated enormous wealth over decades of sound investing, he decided to give it all away (or most of it) to the Gates Foundation that is working tirelessly in the areas of health and education to make our world not only heathier but to raise the level of literacy around the world- the only way out of widespread poverty and hunger. Buffet has never believed in leaving money for kids- bring them up well, give them a good education, a sound set of values and they will take care of themselves- a great philosophy to have.
For leading a simple life with extraordinary achievements in his field of interest (he started investing at the age of 11!), for his earthy wisdom, but most importantly, his enormous contribution in giving back to society, Warren Buffet is my person of year.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Sportsperson of 2006- An article by Sajith Sivanandan
Even as the year comes to a close, there are plenty of articles floating around about person of the year, moment of the year, sportperson of the year, personality of the year etc. Frankly, I find a lot of these articles lacking imagination. They tend to define things too narrowly and when they do take the odd risk, like Time did this year, you somehow feel that the surprise value of the nomination overtook the actual significance of the choice. I am publishing here an article that is different- different not in its choice of the sportsperson of the year (that is what it is about and got recently published in Today newspaper in Singapore), but different in its take for what it takes to be the person of the year. The writer, Sajith Sivanandan, apart from being a dear friend of mine, is an accomplished opening batsmen but I didn't realize that his prowess with the pen was as good as that with his bat! Read on!!
George Frederick Will, a Pulitzer winning author, once said, “Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.”
When sport serves society in this manner, it rises above being just a game; it rises above the mere commercial; it takes on a hitherto unknown hue. It uplifts the spirits of man and all those privileged to view and be part of that vivid moment of excellence. So who in sports defined excellence in 2006? Was it an athlete? A team? A moment?
Let us start then by defining excellence. It is after all a much bandied about word. Should excellence be judged by achievement alone? Would Italy winning the World Cup qualify as a moment or tournament of excellence? On the other hand should excellence by defined by a memorable moment alone? Such as a silken drive through the covers with a caress of the willow by Mohammed Yousuf, scorer of most Test runs in a calendar year in the history of cricket?
True excellence defies description. It defines the moments we keep going back to, it becomes the backbone of trends we follow and adopt eagerly, and it assumes significance in our lives and that of society. In 2006 Roger Federer re-defined the meaning of excellence. For that he is the Sports Person of the Year for 2006.
I hear the groans already. Isn’t Roger too obvious a choice you may well ask? Wasn’t he Sports Person of the Year a previous year? Why him again – make a controversial choice I hear in the background. Yes he may well be an obvious choice but there is nothing obvious nor commonplace about his excellence. Given his achievements and how he handles himself on and off the court, we may well ask – is he Sports Person of the Year or is he States Person of the Year?
Statistics are but mere numbers. 90 won and 5 lost do not capture the genius of Federer though they indicate a level of untouched excellence in a sport that has depth. Just a few points away from winning a historic Grand Slam, Federer is Sports Person of the Year for having done much more than just winning consistently, though that is table-stakes for being considered for this prize.
But what or who exactly is Roger Federer? Is he just a very good athlete? Is he only a Sportsperson – competing as all sportspeople do, striving to win titles at the expense of fellow competitors? Does he just hoard his fame and wealth? Federer is more than just an athlete. In an age where footballers are coached to dive and then do it, where drugs and substances in athletics and other sports refuse to disappear, where brawls on basketball courts set vitriolic examples for youngsters, where conspicuous consumption by elite athletes is rampant, Federer stands apart. In doing so Federer is actually more States-Person of the Year than just a sportsperson.
Nobody is respected more by his peers. Opponents grumble about losing to him but remain fulsome in praise of his game. Opponents seldom cite injury, bad line calls and lack of fitness as reasons for losing to Federer. More often than not it is always about how much better he was on that day.
There are no risqué locker room stories about the player. He has a small entourage, which includes his partner of long time and now fiancé, Mirka Vavrinec. Almost as if enveloped in the slip-stream of the champion’s elegance, they behave themselves exceedingly well. There are no stories of high-handedness, of celebrations running coarse and the like.
The champion also touches the lives of many by his actions off the court. Federer is a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador and what’s more takes that role seriously. In December of this year he will be in India on the second anniversary of the Tsunami tragedy that affected thousands. Few know that in the disaster's aftermath, Roger led several fundraising initiatives including the ATP All-Star Rally for Relief, a unique exhibition tournament with proceeds benefiting UNICEF's tsunami-relief programmes. He set up the Roger Federer Foundation as far back as December 2003 to help disadvantaged children in South Africa. His impact, as is evident, far outweighs what he has achieved on the court.
Above all he has married beauty and dignity to excellence and achievement in the field of sports such as no other. Winning is a happy by-product of this fantastic confluence. Federer could win for the next ten years as he has been for the past three years and his opponents will continue to marvel at his artistry without malice. Every match he plays today resembles a song full of the most exotic instruments that uplifts anyone watching it. And when he wins (which is often), he does it with unparalleled dignity. He strides the court like a statesman, commanding respect accorded to those who are 75 and not just 25.
I can’t say it better than Grantland Rice, an early 20th century American sportswriter:
For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks-not that you won or lost-
But how you played the game.
For all of the above and much left unsaid, Roger Federer is indeed States-Person and Sportsperson of the Year.
George Frederick Will, a Pulitzer winning author, once said, “Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.”
When sport serves society in this manner, it rises above being just a game; it rises above the mere commercial; it takes on a hitherto unknown hue. It uplifts the spirits of man and all those privileged to view and be part of that vivid moment of excellence. So who in sports defined excellence in 2006? Was it an athlete? A team? A moment?
Let us start then by defining excellence. It is after all a much bandied about word. Should excellence be judged by achievement alone? Would Italy winning the World Cup qualify as a moment or tournament of excellence? On the other hand should excellence by defined by a memorable moment alone? Such as a silken drive through the covers with a caress of the willow by Mohammed Yousuf, scorer of most Test runs in a calendar year in the history of cricket?
True excellence defies description. It defines the moments we keep going back to, it becomes the backbone of trends we follow and adopt eagerly, and it assumes significance in our lives and that of society. In 2006 Roger Federer re-defined the meaning of excellence. For that he is the Sports Person of the Year for 2006.
I hear the groans already. Isn’t Roger too obvious a choice you may well ask? Wasn’t he Sports Person of the Year a previous year? Why him again – make a controversial choice I hear in the background. Yes he may well be an obvious choice but there is nothing obvious nor commonplace about his excellence. Given his achievements and how he handles himself on and off the court, we may well ask – is he Sports Person of the Year or is he States Person of the Year?
Statistics are but mere numbers. 90 won and 5 lost do not capture the genius of Federer though they indicate a level of untouched excellence in a sport that has depth. Just a few points away from winning a historic Grand Slam, Federer is Sports Person of the Year for having done much more than just winning consistently, though that is table-stakes for being considered for this prize.
But what or who exactly is Roger Federer? Is he just a very good athlete? Is he only a Sportsperson – competing as all sportspeople do, striving to win titles at the expense of fellow competitors? Does he just hoard his fame and wealth? Federer is more than just an athlete. In an age where footballers are coached to dive and then do it, where drugs and substances in athletics and other sports refuse to disappear, where brawls on basketball courts set vitriolic examples for youngsters, where conspicuous consumption by elite athletes is rampant, Federer stands apart. In doing so Federer is actually more States-Person of the Year than just a sportsperson.
Nobody is respected more by his peers. Opponents grumble about losing to him but remain fulsome in praise of his game. Opponents seldom cite injury, bad line calls and lack of fitness as reasons for losing to Federer. More often than not it is always about how much better he was on that day.
There are no risqué locker room stories about the player. He has a small entourage, which includes his partner of long time and now fiancé, Mirka Vavrinec. Almost as if enveloped in the slip-stream of the champion’s elegance, they behave themselves exceedingly well. There are no stories of high-handedness, of celebrations running coarse and the like.
The champion also touches the lives of many by his actions off the court. Federer is a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador and what’s more takes that role seriously. In December of this year he will be in India on the second anniversary of the Tsunami tragedy that affected thousands. Few know that in the disaster's aftermath, Roger led several fundraising initiatives including the ATP All-Star Rally for Relief, a unique exhibition tournament with proceeds benefiting UNICEF's tsunami-relief programmes. He set up the Roger Federer Foundation as far back as December 2003 to help disadvantaged children in South Africa. His impact, as is evident, far outweighs what he has achieved on the court.
Above all he has married beauty and dignity to excellence and achievement in the field of sports such as no other. Winning is a happy by-product of this fantastic confluence. Federer could win for the next ten years as he has been for the past three years and his opponents will continue to marvel at his artistry without malice. Every match he plays today resembles a song full of the most exotic instruments that uplifts anyone watching it. And when he wins (which is often), he does it with unparalleled dignity. He strides the court like a statesman, commanding respect accorded to those who are 75 and not just 25.
I can’t say it better than Grantland Rice, an early 20th century American sportswriter:
For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks-not that you won or lost-
But how you played the game.
For all of the above and much left unsaid, Roger Federer is indeed States-Person and Sportsperson of the Year.
Dreamgirls
There are three reasons why Dreamgirls is a must watch movie-
a) The pace is superb, the script is tight, the music fabulous, and unlike other musicals, this movie is very real- it exposes the underbelly of the music industry in the sixties and seventies and what making "big" is all about
b) The casting is terrific- you would never have seen Eddie Murphy in a role like this, Jamie Foxx carries on from where he left off in Ray, Beyonce is understated, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson and Danny Glover excel in their characterizations to make for compelling viewing; and
c) Jennifer Hudson's astounding performance- she is vocally brilliant and seems to be unfazed by the incredible acting talent around her- in fact, they seem to inspire her- she portrays the different shades of Effie White- the supremely confident, the jealous, the insecure, the moody, the indifferent, the humbled and yet ambitious nature- with such grace and passion that it is difficult to fathom that this is her very first movie. A Golden Globe nomination well deserved and I am sure many more awards on the way.
If you don't like musicals and wouldnt go to see it for that reason, it is a huge loss for you. The movie is as much a commentary on the meaning of success in life, the 'sacrifices' to get there, the deep question of values and quest for money as it is about the Supremes' incredible rise to fame and fortune.
A bigger recommendation is not needed I suppose!!
a) The pace is superb, the script is tight, the music fabulous, and unlike other musicals, this movie is very real- it exposes the underbelly of the music industry in the sixties and seventies and what making "big" is all about
b) The casting is terrific- you would never have seen Eddie Murphy in a role like this, Jamie Foxx carries on from where he left off in Ray, Beyonce is understated, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson and Danny Glover excel in their characterizations to make for compelling viewing; and
c) Jennifer Hudson's astounding performance- she is vocally brilliant and seems to be unfazed by the incredible acting talent around her- in fact, they seem to inspire her- she portrays the different shades of Effie White- the supremely confident, the jealous, the insecure, the moody, the indifferent, the humbled and yet ambitious nature- with such grace and passion that it is difficult to fathom that this is her very first movie. A Golden Globe nomination well deserved and I am sure many more awards on the way.
If you don't like musicals and wouldnt go to see it for that reason, it is a huge loss for you. The movie is as much a commentary on the meaning of success in life, the 'sacrifices' to get there, the deep question of values and quest for money as it is about the Supremes' incredible rise to fame and fortune.
A bigger recommendation is not needed I suppose!!
Friday, December 22, 2006
Travelling internationally with a three month old!
When we indicated that we were going to Singapore and India to meet friends and family with our three month old, everyone told us we were crazy to be traveling with such a young child!! Barring a colleague of mine at the Bank- he indicated that between three months and a year is probably the best time to be travelling- the kid isn't mobile, he typically doesn't have demands beyond basic food and hasn't quite figured out his love for the video games! As long as the child remains fed and you are oblivious to fellow passengers' stares at the occasional cry at the oddest time- you will be in good shape.
The journey itself can be tiring under the best of circumstances. A 19 hour flight to Singapore, another five hours to Delhi and then a five hour drive to Jaipur where my parents live- that is a lot! I managed to read The World is Flat, watched two senseless Hindi movies on the plane, watched A Beautiful Mind for the umpteempth time, and discovered incredibly novel ways to amuse the baby. The wife didnt have that great a time though. Her plans were foiled time and again by our son who would choose to start squirming just as she would get settled to do something- either eat or read or watch a movie or just take a walk around the plane. This is where I think the men and women are wired very differently. While I would get a little impatient with our son's timing or lack of it, my wife was unfailingly patient with all his needs. She ate when he slept, watched a movie when he slept and fed him when he was awake. It was much tougher on her than me but we did some learn some golden rules of travelling internationally with an infant and here are the 10!
First- travel Singapore Airlines. Not for nothing is this the best airline in the world. Very prompt, very polite and very infant friendly- diapers, toys, wipes- you name it and they have it. Best of all, they do it all with a smile!!
Second- be thick skinned about fellow passengers who've never had babies. What you learn with infants is flexibility and anyone who gives you a stare for his occasional cry, just ignore it.
Third- carry his favorite toy. A lighted head with some music is an unbelievable toy at 30,000 feet when nothing else seems to work.
Fourth- whenever he cries, feed, feed feed. Over-eating is better than hunger pangs or possible dehydration.
Fifth- when taking off or landing, have him suck something so that his ears dont 'pop'.
Sixth- forget traveling light as you have a million contingencies to plan for.
Seven- be prepared that he will fall a little ill. Nothing alarming- big timezone shifts and climatic changes get to the best of us. He needs time to adjust, and he will. Do not panic.
Eight- Carry the medical kit for both you and him, you might need a few tylenols yourself.
Nine- Be patient and flexible with everything. Have an hour's cushion with everything you do.
And ten- maintain your sense of humor. Its the one remedy for all unplanned emergencies.
We had a wonderful trip and right through Christmas and New Year, I hope to keep posting my observations from my Asian sojourn. It was relaxing, instructive and as always, a lot of fun!
The journey itself can be tiring under the best of circumstances. A 19 hour flight to Singapore, another five hours to Delhi and then a five hour drive to Jaipur where my parents live- that is a lot! I managed to read The World is Flat, watched two senseless Hindi movies on the plane, watched A Beautiful Mind for the umpteempth time, and discovered incredibly novel ways to amuse the baby. The wife didnt have that great a time though. Her plans were foiled time and again by our son who would choose to start squirming just as she would get settled to do something- either eat or read or watch a movie or just take a walk around the plane. This is where I think the men and women are wired very differently. While I would get a little impatient with our son's timing or lack of it, my wife was unfailingly patient with all his needs. She ate when he slept, watched a movie when he slept and fed him when he was awake. It was much tougher on her than me but we did some learn some golden rules of travelling internationally with an infant and here are the 10!
First- travel Singapore Airlines. Not for nothing is this the best airline in the world. Very prompt, very polite and very infant friendly- diapers, toys, wipes- you name it and they have it. Best of all, they do it all with a smile!!
Second- be thick skinned about fellow passengers who've never had babies. What you learn with infants is flexibility and anyone who gives you a stare for his occasional cry, just ignore it.
Third- carry his favorite toy. A lighted head with some music is an unbelievable toy at 30,000 feet when nothing else seems to work.
Fourth- whenever he cries, feed, feed feed. Over-eating is better than hunger pangs or possible dehydration.
Fifth- when taking off or landing, have him suck something so that his ears dont 'pop'.
Sixth- forget traveling light as you have a million contingencies to plan for.
Seven- be prepared that he will fall a little ill. Nothing alarming- big timezone shifts and climatic changes get to the best of us. He needs time to adjust, and he will. Do not panic.
Eight- Carry the medical kit for both you and him, you might need a few tylenols yourself.
Nine- Be patient and flexible with everything. Have an hour's cushion with everything you do.
And ten- maintain your sense of humor. Its the one remedy for all unplanned emergencies.
We had a wonderful trip and right through Christmas and New Year, I hope to keep posting my observations from my Asian sojourn. It was relaxing, instructive and as always, a lot of fun!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
The Audacity of Hope
In general, I dislike politicians. I find them self serving, insincere and shallow. I dont like spending time either listening to them let alone reading what they have written. Their books are mostly ghost written, full of platitudes and explanations about what they did was the right thing for the country and how everyone else misunderstood them.
Barack Obama's book- The Audacity of Hope, is different. The title itself is inspiring and reflects the aspirational quality of the American dream as exemplified by Obama's own life- born in 1961 to a white American woman and a black Kenyan student, he was raised in Hawaii by his mother and her parents, his father having left for further study and a return home to Africa- he worked his way to Columbia and Harvard Law before settling down in Chicago and becoming a Senator from Illinois.
He writes with a sincerity and a candor that is unique- weaves in personal stories with appropriate history to give us a glimpse of his thoughts on as wide ranging topics as the supposed Blue-red states divide to Iraq to faith and spirituality. His key message is that this country is not as divided as Washington politicians make it out to be. The key values of honest hard work, respect for each other, commitment to community, to excellence, to creating a better life for ourselves, to protecting the country- are common across the board. What plays out in the media is more of the extreme positions on "touchy" topics as that is what makes news, that is what catches attention, that is what eventually derails national agenda as the real issues- of poverty, health and education- never quite get discussed. Obama argues articulately for the middle ground- to get the key issues back up for discussion as that is what will make the biggest difference in the long run for competitiveness of the country. On a personal note, he also lays out his views on race, faith and family and shows a certain vulnerability in terms of balancing work and family life- he readily acknowledges the challenges and admits his struggles, something that adds an authenticity to his personality that is a refreshing change from the run of the mill politician.
I have no idea whether he will run in 2008, but reading this book, he seems to have brought a sincerity and authenticity to the political landscape that has at least made me think there is still some hope- and just for that, this book is worth a read.
Barack Obama's book- The Audacity of Hope, is different. The title itself is inspiring and reflects the aspirational quality of the American dream as exemplified by Obama's own life- born in 1961 to a white American woman and a black Kenyan student, he was raised in Hawaii by his mother and her parents, his father having left for further study and a return home to Africa- he worked his way to Columbia and Harvard Law before settling down in Chicago and becoming a Senator from Illinois.
He writes with a sincerity and a candor that is unique- weaves in personal stories with appropriate history to give us a glimpse of his thoughts on as wide ranging topics as the supposed Blue-red states divide to Iraq to faith and spirituality. His key message is that this country is not as divided as Washington politicians make it out to be. The key values of honest hard work, respect for each other, commitment to community, to excellence, to creating a better life for ourselves, to protecting the country- are common across the board. What plays out in the media is more of the extreme positions on "touchy" topics as that is what makes news, that is what catches attention, that is what eventually derails national agenda as the real issues- of poverty, health and education- never quite get discussed. Obama argues articulately for the middle ground- to get the key issues back up for discussion as that is what will make the biggest difference in the long run for competitiveness of the country. On a personal note, he also lays out his views on race, faith and family and shows a certain vulnerability in terms of balancing work and family life- he readily acknowledges the challenges and admits his struggles, something that adds an authenticity to his personality that is a refreshing change from the run of the mill politician.
I have no idea whether he will run in 2008, but reading this book, he seems to have brought a sincerity and authenticity to the political landscape that has at least made me think there is still some hope- and just for that, this book is worth a read.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Into Fall 2006
The Labor Day weekend typically marks the end of summer and what a way to do it here in Boston- gusty winds and the after effects of Hurricane Ernesto have been felt all day- the holiday spirit has literally been dampened! The fact that the Red Sox lost (again) today didn'd make for any better news in Boston. We really have to look for something to cheer us up- and Fall it is going to be!!
This is the time when New England is at its charming best- great warm days, cool nights, the natural beauty of the leaves changing color- it all signals the most heart-warming change of season that I have experienced living here. You await winter with dread, you look forward to the spring as a relief from winter only to be hit by incessant rain, and then some summer days can be really warm. The New England Fall that way is a great balance and has inspired poets, writers and artists for centuries. If only it could inspire the Red Sox to improve on their horrible record, that would be wonderful.
This also signals completion of a couple of years of living in the US- it was at Labor Day two years back that we had landed in Boston, and how time flies- I've graduated from university, Rica's diligently chipping away in her profession but most significantly, we have a baby and a family that we've begun here. In that sense, Boston will remain an integral part of wherever we go and eventually land up. I am looking forward to the Fall here as I would love to do the drives along the highways where we would be able to see and better appreciate the changing seasons that you see here more starkly than anywhere else in the world.
We are moving into the Fall of 2006 and as you can probably make out, I'm really looking forward to it, despite the damp start to it. It is bound to get better!!
This is the time when New England is at its charming best- great warm days, cool nights, the natural beauty of the leaves changing color- it all signals the most heart-warming change of season that I have experienced living here. You await winter with dread, you look forward to the spring as a relief from winter only to be hit by incessant rain, and then some summer days can be really warm. The New England Fall that way is a great balance and has inspired poets, writers and artists for centuries. If only it could inspire the Red Sox to improve on their horrible record, that would be wonderful.
This also signals completion of a couple of years of living in the US- it was at Labor Day two years back that we had landed in Boston, and how time flies- I've graduated from university, Rica's diligently chipping away in her profession but most significantly, we have a baby and a family that we've begun here. In that sense, Boston will remain an integral part of wherever we go and eventually land up. I am looking forward to the Fall here as I would love to do the drives along the highways where we would be able to see and better appreciate the changing seasons that you see here more starkly than anywhere else in the world.
We are moving into the Fall of 2006 and as you can probably make out, I'm really looking forward to it, despite the damp start to it. It is bound to get better!!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
The gentleman's game under scrutiny
The events in world cricket this past week have been bizarre to say the least. The game has been known to be a gentleman's game, with rules being followed scrupulously, the game generally played in good spirit and intense rivalry between nations on the field is matched with almost equal camaraderie and bonhomie off the pitch, which is always gratifying. No wonder, during the Cold War, an Australian MP said: "it is a pity US and USSR dont play cricket- if they did, there would be no need for summit talks." From those lofty standards of ethics, neutrality and friendship, the game has sunk into depths of despair, intrigue and acrimony thanks to obstinacy of one single man- Darrell Hair.
This umpire, of Australian origin, currently living in England, has been time and again accused of bad decisions, and worse, bas decisions based on race- typically tends to rule against the teams from the Indian sub-continent. This has gone on for at least ten decades with the game's governing body not willing to listen to any of the complaints. Matters came to a head when, last Sunday, in an England- Pakistan game where Pakistan clearly had the upper hand for the first time in the series, ruled that the Pakistani bowlered had illegally tampered with the ball and awarded penalty runs to England. Mind you, this was the fourth test, Pakistan had comprehensively been outplayed in the first three, and the ball apparently has not been tampered. This time, in the second innings that too, with Pakistan closing in on victory, Darrell Hair played his 'racist' card under the cloak of neutral umpiring. The pakistani team walked off in utter disgust, the crowd was perplexed, Pakistan eventually returned but Darrell Hair refused to umpire and then, in a bizarre twist, awarded the game to England- the first time in the history of 129 years of international cricket that such an event has ever happened.
Even as the game's governing body, ICC, sought to punish Pakistan for walking off the field, a letter was leaked to the press that revealed that given his incredibly bad record in the past and his credibility under serious doubt, Hair was willing to step off the umpiring panel as long as the ICC paid him half a million dollars to compensate for his potential earnings in the future. The umpire is not just racist, it turns out he is also a mercenary. How a man of such questionable integrity can ever umpire a gentleman's game beats me.
What the ICC needs to do is quickly address the issue- remove Hair from the international umpiring panel, fine Pakistan a small sum for leaving the field and ensure that the future umpires are chosen with integrity and care. This absolutely disgusting incident soils the reputation of one of the finest, and fairest games in the world. People like Hair are a blot on the game and the sooner they are removed from the cricketing, the better it will be for all of us- cricket followers around the world deserve integrity and transparency around officiating, not to be at the mercy of a racist, prejudiced mercenary, who is clearly a relic of the colonial past.
God save the game- and quick!
This umpire, of Australian origin, currently living in England, has been time and again accused of bad decisions, and worse, bas decisions based on race- typically tends to rule against the teams from the Indian sub-continent. This has gone on for at least ten decades with the game's governing body not willing to listen to any of the complaints. Matters came to a head when, last Sunday, in an England- Pakistan game where Pakistan clearly had the upper hand for the first time in the series, ruled that the Pakistani bowlered had illegally tampered with the ball and awarded penalty runs to England. Mind you, this was the fourth test, Pakistan had comprehensively been outplayed in the first three, and the ball apparently has not been tampered. This time, in the second innings that too, with Pakistan closing in on victory, Darrell Hair played his 'racist' card under the cloak of neutral umpiring. The pakistani team walked off in utter disgust, the crowd was perplexed, Pakistan eventually returned but Darrell Hair refused to umpire and then, in a bizarre twist, awarded the game to England- the first time in the history of 129 years of international cricket that such an event has ever happened.
Even as the game's governing body, ICC, sought to punish Pakistan for walking off the field, a letter was leaked to the press that revealed that given his incredibly bad record in the past and his credibility under serious doubt, Hair was willing to step off the umpiring panel as long as the ICC paid him half a million dollars to compensate for his potential earnings in the future. The umpire is not just racist, it turns out he is also a mercenary. How a man of such questionable integrity can ever umpire a gentleman's game beats me.
What the ICC needs to do is quickly address the issue- remove Hair from the international umpiring panel, fine Pakistan a small sum for leaving the field and ensure that the future umpires are chosen with integrity and care. This absolutely disgusting incident soils the reputation of one of the finest, and fairest games in the world. People like Hair are a blot on the game and the sooner they are removed from the cricketing, the better it will be for all of us- cricket followers around the world deserve integrity and transparency around officiating, not to be at the mercy of a racist, prejudiced mercenary, who is clearly a relic of the colonial past.
God save the game- and quick!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
The Boston Brahmin
As I mentioned in my last post, the birth of our son has turned our life topsy-topsy, in a good way and just the other day, it occured to me that he would be a brahmin who was born in Boston, so would it qualify him to called a Boston brahmin? That made me think about where exactly did the term originate.
Apparently, the term was coined by physician and writer Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (father of the famous Supreme Court justice). Dr. Holmes used it both in a novel and in an 1860 Atlantic Monthly article called "The Brahmin Caste of New England" to describe the region's upper crust. The words caste and Brahmin indicate where Holmes got the idea. Of course, the origin of the term comes from India where Brahmins made up the highest caste that prided itself in priestly duties and high educational standards. By applying the term to his native Boston, Holmes was describing a more secular but equally powerful group—the city's entrenched WASP elite, or what he called its "harmless, inoffensive, untitled aristocracy."
Holmes counted himself a Boston Brahmin. In large part, he used the term to refer to families who produced generation after generation of scholars at institutions like Harvard. (He contrasted this "race of scholars," whose aptitude for learning was "congenital and hereditary," with what he called "the common country boy, whose race has been bred to bodily labor." However, Holmes also thought there was room in elite circles for hearty country boys who had gained an education—their better health could be useful in certain cases: "A man's breathing and digestive apparatus [one is tempted to add muscular] are just as important to him on the floor of the Senate as his thinking organs.")
The term Boston Brahmin quickly came to connote great wealth, political influence, old New England roots, and often all of the above. These Brahmins frequently intermarried, founded and patronized Boston cultural institutions, and had some connection with nearby Harvard. Dr. Holmes himself was dean of the Harvard Medical School.
"A Boston Toast," the famous poem by John Collins Bossidy, neatly sums up the Brahmin culture:
And this is good old Boston,
The home of the bean and the cod,
Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots
And the Cabots talk only to God.
Personally, I was born a Brahmin, married a non-brahmin, have seldom indulged in traditional priestly class activities, but have prided myself in a strong work ethic, strong commitment to values, excellence in academics and that is what I would interpret the secular notion of the term brahmin to mean. The traditional brahmin has a certain social exclusivity that is neither desired nor wanted in the modern inclusive world.
Being in Boston has indeed made me revisit the notion of being a brahmin and I am sure the views will continue to evolve over time. The birth of our son has indeed made me think a little differently!!
Apparently, the term was coined by physician and writer Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (father of the famous Supreme Court justice). Dr. Holmes used it both in a novel and in an 1860 Atlantic Monthly article called "The Brahmin Caste of New England" to describe the region's upper crust. The words caste and Brahmin indicate where Holmes got the idea. Of course, the origin of the term comes from India where Brahmins made up the highest caste that prided itself in priestly duties and high educational standards. By applying the term to his native Boston, Holmes was describing a more secular but equally powerful group—the city's entrenched WASP elite, or what he called its "harmless, inoffensive, untitled aristocracy."
Holmes counted himself a Boston Brahmin. In large part, he used the term to refer to families who produced generation after generation of scholars at institutions like Harvard. (He contrasted this "race of scholars," whose aptitude for learning was "congenital and hereditary," with what he called "the common country boy, whose race has been bred to bodily labor." However, Holmes also thought there was room in elite circles for hearty country boys who had gained an education—their better health could be useful in certain cases: "A man's breathing and digestive apparatus [one is tempted to add muscular] are just as important to him on the floor of the Senate as his thinking organs.")
The term Boston Brahmin quickly came to connote great wealth, political influence, old New England roots, and often all of the above. These Brahmins frequently intermarried, founded and patronized Boston cultural institutions, and had some connection with nearby Harvard. Dr. Holmes himself was dean of the Harvard Medical School.
"A Boston Toast," the famous poem by John Collins Bossidy, neatly sums up the Brahmin culture:
And this is good old Boston,
The home of the bean and the cod,
Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots
And the Cabots talk only to God.
Personally, I was born a Brahmin, married a non-brahmin, have seldom indulged in traditional priestly class activities, but have prided myself in a strong work ethic, strong commitment to values, excellence in academics and that is what I would interpret the secular notion of the term brahmin to mean. The traditional brahmin has a certain social exclusivity that is neither desired nor wanted in the modern inclusive world.
Being in Boston has indeed made me revisit the notion of being a brahmin and I am sure the views will continue to evolve over time. The birth of our son has indeed made me think a little differently!!
Sunday, August 06, 2006
A new life-Sanjay Misra
Some weekends are to be cherished. The weekend of July 28 was one such for me and Rica.
We became parents!!!!!
Sanjay, our son, was born on Friday evening at 7:38pm in Boston. The nine months of pregnancy, the 12 hours of labor- all seemed worth it in a single instant as we looked at our son. The realization that we brought a new life into the world was overwhelming. It has been a week since, and we haven't slept much, but we are already beginning to see why people consider becoming parents as one of the most defining moments of their lives. Nothing, absolutely nothing is the same- how we plan our day, where we go, what we shop, even the way we drive- has changed! I have visited babycenter.com much more than either cnn or google. I have read two father-to-be books. Am half way through "What to Expect in the First Year". Our most exciting outing was not the first show of the latest movie in town but the first visit to the pediatrician!
There is a heightened sensitivity to simple pleasures- of seeing him just look at us and what we think is either a yawn or a smile gives us reason to smile. Rica has never felt so tired, yet so incredibly joyful. I cook new dishes to feed the mom, who in turn feeds the baby. Am loving this tripartite partnership.
I realize that though we've been anxiously awaiting his arrival, nothing could have prepared us for the event. It just feels different and we are reacting differently. We feel tired, we feel unsure, we feel ecstatic but above all, we feel blessed. Its the one time I can say that sleep deprivation is worth it!
Hopefully, it will be a great ride!!
We became parents!!!!!
Sanjay, our son, was born on Friday evening at 7:38pm in Boston. The nine months of pregnancy, the 12 hours of labor- all seemed worth it in a single instant as we looked at our son. The realization that we brought a new life into the world was overwhelming. It has been a week since, and we haven't slept much, but we are already beginning to see why people consider becoming parents as one of the most defining moments of their lives. Nothing, absolutely nothing is the same- how we plan our day, where we go, what we shop, even the way we drive- has changed! I have visited babycenter.com much more than either cnn or google. I have read two father-to-be books. Am half way through "What to Expect in the First Year". Our most exciting outing was not the first show of the latest movie in town but the first visit to the pediatrician!
There is a heightened sensitivity to simple pleasures- of seeing him just look at us and what we think is either a yawn or a smile gives us reason to smile. Rica has never felt so tired, yet so incredibly joyful. I cook new dishes to feed the mom, who in turn feeds the baby. Am loving this tripartite partnership.
I realize that though we've been anxiously awaiting his arrival, nothing could have prepared us for the event. It just feels different and we are reacting differently. We feel tired, we feel unsure, we feel ecstatic but above all, we feel blessed. Its the one time I can say that sleep deprivation is worth it!
Hopefully, it will be a great ride!!
Monday, May 29, 2006
American Idol Season 5
Im addicted to this show and am wondering how I will spend my Tuesdays and Wednesdays from now on till January when the next instalment will come around. The success of the show is predicated on a few things-
a) Its the story of ordinary talented people trying to make it big
b) Voting gives the viewers control over who they want as their next Idol- that generates following and competition
c) Simon Cowell is acerbic, almost brutal and almost always right in his assessments.
And this season was quite a roller coaster. The initial favorites seemed to be Paris and Lisa Tucker, then Chris, the rocker emerged as the strong contender only to be booted out of the top 3. The eventual winner- a prematurely greying 29 year old southerner with a Joe Cocker type vibe- was for me a surprise. He has a terrific voice, a strange mannerism and is a great story- was a singer at weddings trying to make ends meet before the show happened.
My personal favorite was Katherine Mcphee, the runner up. She has a pure voice, great looks and if she just sticks to "Somewhere Over the rainbow" type songs, she will sell millions of albums. She was so erratic throughout the show- from the brilliant to the very ordinary, it was difficult for her to win eventually. Her choice of songs left a lot to be desired.
As for the Finale, I was blown away by the artists who performed, from Dione Warwick to Prince, it was a cast par excellence.
This show is clearly here to stay and it only gets better with time.
Kudos!
a) Its the story of ordinary talented people trying to make it big
b) Voting gives the viewers control over who they want as their next Idol- that generates following and competition
c) Simon Cowell is acerbic, almost brutal and almost always right in his assessments.
And this season was quite a roller coaster. The initial favorites seemed to be Paris and Lisa Tucker, then Chris, the rocker emerged as the strong contender only to be booted out of the top 3. The eventual winner- a prematurely greying 29 year old southerner with a Joe Cocker type vibe- was for me a surprise. He has a terrific voice, a strange mannerism and is a great story- was a singer at weddings trying to make ends meet before the show happened.
My personal favorite was Katherine Mcphee, the runner up. She has a pure voice, great looks and if she just sticks to "Somewhere Over the rainbow" type songs, she will sell millions of albums. She was so erratic throughout the show- from the brilliant to the very ordinary, it was difficult for her to win eventually. Her choice of songs left a lot to be desired.
As for the Finale, I was blown away by the artists who performed, from Dione Warwick to Prince, it was a cast par excellence.
This show is clearly here to stay and it only gets better with time.
Kudos!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
The discipline of writing
It has been over a month since my last post.
I have only five entries this year.
I have not looked at my blog this month.
Clearly, this needs to change, and it will!!
One of the reasons I started writing a blog was to get into the discipline of writing.
Writing is therapeutic, it is an activity whereby you reflect on yuour actions, verbalize them, make observations of the world around, articulate a spoint of view and share it with your friends and all your readers. It is also an activity that maintains my life in balance and the very fact I have been inconsistent means that there is pressure from the one area( particularly work) that is obviously spilling over some other aspects of my life.
Balance is tricky but the key to balance is ability to lay out all the potential things that one does and then outline some priorities for them so that given the 24 hours in a day, one can keep in mind the competing priorities and make appropriate trade-offs. The consistent trade off I seem to have made in the past few months is writing a post on the blog. If I had done that deliberately, that would have been fine- meaning it lined up well with my priority list and I made the conscious decision knowing I was sacrificing this for something more important. However, the decision has not been conscious- it is something that just happened. And that is what I or I guess, most of us need to avoid.
The corporate sector gets us into a certain rhythm, a certain consistency, a certain pattern of doing things that grows exponentially over time. While that has its important uses, we must never forget that life isnt just about making money and pleasing our boss and climbing the corporate ladder. I know I need to constantly step back, and think about where Im going. The discipline of writing regularly helps me do that.
I am sure you have the same conundrum. You dont have to write- do anything that suits you, a long walk, listening to your favortie music, meditation- anything that would help put things in perspective. Remember, there is a reason why life in the corporate sector is often referred to as the rat race. We and our lives are meant for bigger and better things. The corporate life is means to that, and so are so many others things that we shouldnt miss out on.
Though I have been recalcitrant on the blog, I shall hope to correct this in the future, not with such admonitions, but something lighter, hopefully more amusing, and infinitely more interesting about the world and life around us.
I have only five entries this year.
I have not looked at my blog this month.
Clearly, this needs to change, and it will!!
One of the reasons I started writing a blog was to get into the discipline of writing.
Writing is therapeutic, it is an activity whereby you reflect on yuour actions, verbalize them, make observations of the world around, articulate a spoint of view and share it with your friends and all your readers. It is also an activity that maintains my life in balance and the very fact I have been inconsistent means that there is pressure from the one area( particularly work) that is obviously spilling over some other aspects of my life.
Balance is tricky but the key to balance is ability to lay out all the potential things that one does and then outline some priorities for them so that given the 24 hours in a day, one can keep in mind the competing priorities and make appropriate trade-offs. The consistent trade off I seem to have made in the past few months is writing a post on the blog. If I had done that deliberately, that would have been fine- meaning it lined up well with my priority list and I made the conscious decision knowing I was sacrificing this for something more important. However, the decision has not been conscious- it is something that just happened. And that is what I or I guess, most of us need to avoid.
The corporate sector gets us into a certain rhythm, a certain consistency, a certain pattern of doing things that grows exponentially over time. While that has its important uses, we must never forget that life isnt just about making money and pleasing our boss and climbing the corporate ladder. I know I need to constantly step back, and think about where Im going. The discipline of writing regularly helps me do that.
I am sure you have the same conundrum. You dont have to write- do anything that suits you, a long walk, listening to your favortie music, meditation- anything that would help put things in perspective. Remember, there is a reason why life in the corporate sector is often referred to as the rat race. We and our lives are meant for bigger and better things. The corporate life is means to that, and so are so many others things that we shouldnt miss out on.
Though I have been recalcitrant on the blog, I shall hope to correct this in the future, not with such admonitions, but something lighter, hopefully more amusing, and infinitely more interesting about the world and life around us.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Harvard and Larry Summers
Last week was a sad day- Larry Summers stepped down as President of Harvard. A man with extremely good and innovative ideas ran up against a brilliant, yet inflexible Faculty and it was a no brainer that the President would lose! He fought and fought hard, for four years and decided it was best not to continue.
The key questions are two- Does Harvard, with all its success need to change at all? And if so, did the direction in which Larry Summers wanted to take it made any sense?
Again- the answers to the first question is an unequivocal yes. Any institution needs to continuously reinvent itself to stay at the top of the game and you need to be either a Harvard student or faculty member to know that. But to be told what to do in a manner that may appear non participative and even draconian is not acceptable, particularly to people who consider themselves the very best in the business and this is where I think Larry Summers lost the plot. People will resist any change but changes one after the other, in a manner that does not take into the account the view of the key stakeholders, particularly, in this case, the Faculty can the situation unteneble for any chief executive and the President should have known that. His ideas for an Allston expansion of the campus, of reworking the undergrad curriculum made sense but it needed to be more than a top down approach for it to succeed at any given level and unfortunately it crumbled at the very top. Once that trust is eroded at the top, your every action is scrutinized and every word you utter that is slightly out of the norm makes the realm of controversy- the women in science controversy early last year being a case in point.
I am thinking whether this should be a Harvard case study on change management and leadership. It has all the right ingredients- a great institution needing to reinvent itself, a president who has bright ideas, a faculty that is brilliant, yet intransigent in its ways and powerful stakeholders from students to alumni who have their own million ideas on where to take the institution. The good news out of all this- Harvard is an incredibly resilient institution where very bright people ensure that the standards are consistently highest in the world and the quality of research produces path breaking work that makes us all proud of the motto- Veritas- or the pursuit of truth and excellence in everything we do!
The key questions are two- Does Harvard, with all its success need to change at all? And if so, did the direction in which Larry Summers wanted to take it made any sense?
Again- the answers to the first question is an unequivocal yes. Any institution needs to continuously reinvent itself to stay at the top of the game and you need to be either a Harvard student or faculty member to know that. But to be told what to do in a manner that may appear non participative and even draconian is not acceptable, particularly to people who consider themselves the very best in the business and this is where I think Larry Summers lost the plot. People will resist any change but changes one after the other, in a manner that does not take into the account the view of the key stakeholders, particularly, in this case, the Faculty can the situation unteneble for any chief executive and the President should have known that. His ideas for an Allston expansion of the campus, of reworking the undergrad curriculum made sense but it needed to be more than a top down approach for it to succeed at any given level and unfortunately it crumbled at the very top. Once that trust is eroded at the top, your every action is scrutinized and every word you utter that is slightly out of the norm makes the realm of controversy- the women in science controversy early last year being a case in point.
I am thinking whether this should be a Harvard case study on change management and leadership. It has all the right ingredients- a great institution needing to reinvent itself, a president who has bright ideas, a faculty that is brilliant, yet intransigent in its ways and powerful stakeholders from students to alumni who have their own million ideas on where to take the institution. The good news out of all this- Harvard is an incredibly resilient institution where very bright people ensure that the standards are consistently highest in the world and the quality of research produces path breaking work that makes us all proud of the motto- Veritas- or the pursuit of truth and excellence in everything we do!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
The mild winter!
It has been close to four weeks since my last post. That means that my work has been busy- incredibly so as business plans are finalized and rolled out for the year. Work has been exciting and rewarding, but the reason for starting a blog is to be able to reflect on what one is doing and not get so caught up in work that it takes over everything one does. Hence, it is just good to connect back here and talk about anything under the sun- especially the unusually mild winter so far in Boston.
By this time last year, we had mountains of snow. This time, apart from the stray inch or two of accumulation, there have only been flurries, not snow storms! Very unlike the New England winter. Some really strange and unusual about it. Which is why when there was prediction of a snow storm this weekend, New Englanders actually welcomed the news. When my wife and I went to do our groceries last night, there was a certain excitement about stocking up for the weekend- with a few drinks, plenty of food to eat and movies to watch. I must confess that both of us are looking forward to this snow as well. I know a couple of weeks from now, when it will be difficult ot tread through all the snow, I will hate myself for saying that, but today- welcoming the storm is really the sentiment.
Just to make the point that despite hailing from the tropics, we are coming to terms with living in New England and whats a winter here without a few of the trademark snow storms!! We know what we are doing- reading a couple of good novels, catching up on old National Geographics and seeing the snow fall from the safe environs of our home!!
By this time last year, we had mountains of snow. This time, apart from the stray inch or two of accumulation, there have only been flurries, not snow storms! Very unlike the New England winter. Some really strange and unusual about it. Which is why when there was prediction of a snow storm this weekend, New Englanders actually welcomed the news. When my wife and I went to do our groceries last night, there was a certain excitement about stocking up for the weekend- with a few drinks, plenty of food to eat and movies to watch. I must confess that both of us are looking forward to this snow as well. I know a couple of weeks from now, when it will be difficult ot tread through all the snow, I will hate myself for saying that, but today- welcoming the storm is really the sentiment.
Just to make the point that despite hailing from the tropics, we are coming to terms with living in New England and whats a winter here without a few of the trademark snow storms!! We know what we are doing- reading a couple of good novels, catching up on old National Geographics and seeing the snow fall from the safe environs of our home!!
Monday, January 16, 2006
American football
I have always been a big sports fan- from cricket to soccer to hockey. Following sports in a country normally is a good way of getting to know about the country itself- what it is crazy about, what arouses passions and what lengths people will go to, to really watch their stars perform. In the US, there are three big games- baseball, football (the American football, not soccer that is played worldwide) and basketball. Before I came ot the US, I knew something about the last but very little of the first two games. Then, the Boston Red Sox became the World Champions in 2004. Living in Boston, it was a little difficult not to get caught into the legend of the curse of the Bambino or watching Ortiz hit the ball out of the park or feeling for Curt Schilling as he pitched with a tore ligament in a crucial game. I went to Fenway Park and started following baseball.
One game I never quite followed was football.
Neither the brilliance of Tom Brady nor the Patriots 3 titles in four years could get me interested.
I never thought I would get into the game.
Till today that is!
And it happened almost by chance. I came back home after a drive, switched the television on and thought I would go to sleep in front of the couch and the channel I switched to first was showing the playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburg Steelers. From conversations in office, I knew that the colts were favorites. A 21-8 scoreline in favor of the Steelers got me interested in the first place. I love underdogs! Only 8 minutes left in the last quarter. I decided to continue watching- and as the pressure mounted, touchdowns were made, mistakes were committed and clock wound down, I was totally and completely hooked! It was one of the most pulsating games ending at 21-18 with the Steelers escaping by the skin of their teeth and beating the highly rated Colts at their own home turf.
I am glad I watched it. My respect for the game has grown. It is not just about brawn as I had originally thought. Strategy, tactics, the ability to stay calm under pressure, speed, agility and a razor sharp focus on the task at hand under intense time pressure are all key ingredients to win. I love to see all that in a game.
Maybe, I got to see one of the best close finishes in recent times. And the fact that the underdog eventually won made it all the more exciting for me.
American football is now on my list to watch, and coming as it does at the very end of season, that would mean only a couple of more Sundays to watch!
One game I never quite followed was football.
Neither the brilliance of Tom Brady nor the Patriots 3 titles in four years could get me interested.
I never thought I would get into the game.
Till today that is!
And it happened almost by chance. I came back home after a drive, switched the television on and thought I would go to sleep in front of the couch and the channel I switched to first was showing the playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburg Steelers. From conversations in office, I knew that the colts were favorites. A 21-8 scoreline in favor of the Steelers got me interested in the first place. I love underdogs! Only 8 minutes left in the last quarter. I decided to continue watching- and as the pressure mounted, touchdowns were made, mistakes were committed and clock wound down, I was totally and completely hooked! It was one of the most pulsating games ending at 21-18 with the Steelers escaping by the skin of their teeth and beating the highly rated Colts at their own home turf.
I am glad I watched it. My respect for the game has grown. It is not just about brawn as I had originally thought. Strategy, tactics, the ability to stay calm under pressure, speed, agility and a razor sharp focus on the task at hand under intense time pressure are all key ingredients to win. I love to see all that in a game.
Maybe, I got to see one of the best close finishes in recent times. And the fact that the underdog eventually won made it all the more exciting for me.
American football is now on my list to watch, and coming as it does at the very end of season, that would mean only a couple of more Sundays to watch!
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Luck, fate, hard work and Woody Allen!
Growing up, one of the things we did in school was learn some key quotations that we could use in debating competitions and in our essays. Teachers told us that great quotes reflect the essence of wisdom that is gleaned from great lives lived before us. It would be a pity not to learn from them. One of the many quotes that has stuck for me has been-
"Shallow men believe in luck, strong men believe in cause and effect." Ironically, I no longer remember who said, but just reflecting on my own my life and those of my key friends, I am not sure I entirely agree with this statement any longer.
Of course, hard work is needed. Of course, you have got to have the requisite qualifications to succeed. But oftentimes, you find yourself at the right place at the right time and the big break happens. What do you attribute that to? I have changed two careers in my professional and though both were carefully thought out decisions, the exact areas where I landed up were- well, a lot of luck and good fortune, not that I didnt make my effort, but surely, good fortune played a sizeable part.
The role of luck and chance are really the central theme of Woody Allen's latest venture- Match Point. The question is set against a story of infidelity, intrigue and seen through the life of an upper class British family that is struggling to find the right balance between tradition and modernity. The movie is heavy going and Scarelett Johansson is absolutely lovely, but the plot is little too convoluted for me.
I like the question being raised and do think that luck is an important element of success and I am sure there are better ways to get that message across than a fairly morbid story of unfaithfulness, murder and intrigue. Life is complicated as it is and a convoluted plot to convey a simple message isnt my idea of fun!
"Shallow men believe in luck, strong men believe in cause and effect." Ironically, I no longer remember who said, but just reflecting on my own my life and those of my key friends, I am not sure I entirely agree with this statement any longer.
Of course, hard work is needed. Of course, you have got to have the requisite qualifications to succeed. But oftentimes, you find yourself at the right place at the right time and the big break happens. What do you attribute that to? I have changed two careers in my professional and though both were carefully thought out decisions, the exact areas where I landed up were- well, a lot of luck and good fortune, not that I didnt make my effort, but surely, good fortune played a sizeable part.
The role of luck and chance are really the central theme of Woody Allen's latest venture- Match Point. The question is set against a story of infidelity, intrigue and seen through the life of an upper class British family that is struggling to find the right balance between tradition and modernity. The movie is heavy going and Scarelett Johansson is absolutely lovely, but the plot is little too convoluted for me.
I like the question being raised and do think that luck is an important element of success and I am sure there are better ways to get that message across than a fairly morbid story of unfaithfulness, murder and intrigue. Life is complicated as it is and a convoluted plot to convey a simple message isnt my idea of fun!
Monday, January 02, 2006
New Year in New England
It is only over the last two days when there have been a few flurries that we have felt like we are in New England. For large parts of November and December, the day temperatures have been well in their fifties making for an uncharacteristic winter in New England so far. There has been some bad news- the Patriots form for example and the shocking loss of Johny Damon to the New York Yankees. But the fact that the Boston spirit is very much alive for evident in the New Year celeberations.
Whether it was the ice sculptures on the Boston Common, or the famed parade or the fireworks display, it amazes me how optimisitc people are despite everything that is going around them and it is with great optimism that this New Year has been greeted. As it began to snow around the afternoon, we headed home and watched the fireworks from home- praying that the relatively mind winter might continue and it doesnt snow as heavily as it did last year. But then, what is winter in New England without a few feet of snow. Given the forecast over the next few days, we may just get that.
I also noticed that this weather forces you to stay warm indoors and also allows for some quiet reflective time. No wonder some of the best writers of several generations come from here from Robert Frost to Dan Brown, two writers of very different ilk. As I gaze out of my window, see the snow covered grounds that hide the tennis lawns under them and the ocean just beyond, I really marvel at the dramatic transformation this place takes over the several seasons. It seems only yesterday that I saw of group of young enthusiastic tennis players playing where some young kids are just learning the beginning steps of ice skating. It is this marvellous mix of seasons that makes New England so special I guess.
Having grown up in tropical climates, this might just take a little getting used to but I am trying to write as much as I can, hoping some of the writing bug might actually rub off on me!
Heres wishing everyone a very Happy and Prosperous 2006!
Whether it was the ice sculptures on the Boston Common, or the famed parade or the fireworks display, it amazes me how optimisitc people are despite everything that is going around them and it is with great optimism that this New Year has been greeted. As it began to snow around the afternoon, we headed home and watched the fireworks from home- praying that the relatively mind winter might continue and it doesnt snow as heavily as it did last year. But then, what is winter in New England without a few feet of snow. Given the forecast over the next few days, we may just get that.
I also noticed that this weather forces you to stay warm indoors and also allows for some quiet reflective time. No wonder some of the best writers of several generations come from here from Robert Frost to Dan Brown, two writers of very different ilk. As I gaze out of my window, see the snow covered grounds that hide the tennis lawns under them and the ocean just beyond, I really marvel at the dramatic transformation this place takes over the several seasons. It seems only yesterday that I saw of group of young enthusiastic tennis players playing where some young kids are just learning the beginning steps of ice skating. It is this marvellous mix of seasons that makes New England so special I guess.
Having grown up in tropical climates, this might just take a little getting used to but I am trying to write as much as I can, hoping some of the writing bug might actually rub off on me!
Heres wishing everyone a very Happy and Prosperous 2006!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)