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!
Monday, January 16, 2006
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!
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