I love travelogues. And the latest one I have read is right there amongst the very best.
Eat, pray, love written by Elizabeth Gilbert is about a 34 year old writer who realizes she is in an unhappy marriage- she decides to go for a divorce and do what she has always secretly dreamed off- take off for a year and live for four months in three different countries- Italy, India and Indonesia. The choice of countries is dictated by her yearning for learning Italian (for no reason whatsover), a deeper understanding of spirituality and God, and her desire to understand more about romance and relationships unemcumbered by materialistic shenanigans.
What follows is a riveting journey through the countries that is as insightful about the countries themselves as it is about her own self as she challenges herself emotionally and spiritually.
She asks herself some fundamental questions- questions we have all asked ourselves at some point in our lives but are afraid to seek the answer- she does not- she ventures forth and her ability to relate those experiences with authenticity, charm and uncanny wit is what makes this book a must read.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Setbacks lend perspective to the view!
It has been 10 days since my last post. I havent felt like writing- as a cricket enthusiast, following this World Cup has been anything but joyful. First, India and Pakistan's ignominous exit from the first round and then the shocking news of the murder of Pakistan coach, Bob Woolmer, have left me in a bit of a daze.
Frankly, the wounds are too raw to be thinking straight but one thing is for sure. The reputation of cricket as a gentleman's game has taken a setback. And maybe, just maybe, fans are just as much to blame for the current crisis as players, administration and sponsors. Nowhere is the game more commercial than the Indian sub-continent. Nowhere are cricketers treated as demi-Gods but the Indian sub-continent. No Board is as powerful as the Indian Board. And why is that? Because nowhere is the fan base as widespread as in the sub-continent. There is a difference between following the game with passion and following the game with fanaticism. The commercialism, the match-fixing, the bookies (the needle of suspicion in Woolmer's murder seems to be pointing to the bookies) are all a result of the incredible, sometimes senseless following and I admit I have been guilty of this myself. Just a couple of weeks back, I wrote how I wished India would win the Cup. Nothing in their performance warranted my belief- it was just patriotism over cold logic and while that is understandable, to be hugely upset at the team's debacle is actually unwarranted.
Sometimes, setbacks do lend perspective to the view. Even as I canceled my ticket to the Caribbean, I realized I was getting ahead of myself in following the game. The game is about skill, mental fortitude and the ability to rise to the occasion in pressure situations. It is not about deceit, cowardice and meek submission- traits exemplified by both India and Pakistan in this World Cup. We do need a "cleansing" of the system in the sub-continent and only a setback provides that. It is time to reassess, look afresh and not get lost in the bubble of hollow victories against meek teams on meek wickets.
I did not go to the Caribbean not only because India did not make it. More importantly, I do not want to support a game that has led to the ghastly death of one of the genius minds of the game. His memory deserves respect, and carrying on without apprehending the killers is an affront to his memory.
Setbacks sure lend perspective and even though I will remain a true follower of the game, the events of the last ten days have sobered me down and given me food for thought about how passionately I have supported a bunch of complete non-performers. More importantly, any hero worshipping would only accentuate the pressure on players and coaches that could have fatal consequences. It is a costly lesson, but a timely one.
The cruise to the Caribbean will have to wait for better, sunnier times!
Frankly, the wounds are too raw to be thinking straight but one thing is for sure. The reputation of cricket as a gentleman's game has taken a setback. And maybe, just maybe, fans are just as much to blame for the current crisis as players, administration and sponsors. Nowhere is the game more commercial than the Indian sub-continent. Nowhere are cricketers treated as demi-Gods but the Indian sub-continent. No Board is as powerful as the Indian Board. And why is that? Because nowhere is the fan base as widespread as in the sub-continent. There is a difference between following the game with passion and following the game with fanaticism. The commercialism, the match-fixing, the bookies (the needle of suspicion in Woolmer's murder seems to be pointing to the bookies) are all a result of the incredible, sometimes senseless following and I admit I have been guilty of this myself. Just a couple of weeks back, I wrote how I wished India would win the Cup. Nothing in their performance warranted my belief- it was just patriotism over cold logic and while that is understandable, to be hugely upset at the team's debacle is actually unwarranted.
Sometimes, setbacks do lend perspective to the view. Even as I canceled my ticket to the Caribbean, I realized I was getting ahead of myself in following the game. The game is about skill, mental fortitude and the ability to rise to the occasion in pressure situations. It is not about deceit, cowardice and meek submission- traits exemplified by both India and Pakistan in this World Cup. We do need a "cleansing" of the system in the sub-continent and only a setback provides that. It is time to reassess, look afresh and not get lost in the bubble of hollow victories against meek teams on meek wickets.
I did not go to the Caribbean not only because India did not make it. More importantly, I do not want to support a game that has led to the ghastly death of one of the genius minds of the game. His memory deserves respect, and carrying on without apprehending the killers is an affront to his memory.
Setbacks sure lend perspective and even though I will remain a true follower of the game, the events of the last ten days have sobered me down and given me food for thought about how passionately I have supported a bunch of complete non-performers. More importantly, any hero worshipping would only accentuate the pressure on players and coaches that could have fatal consequences. It is a costly lesson, but a timely one.
The cruise to the Caribbean will have to wait for better, sunnier times!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Remember...its only a game after all
One of the first things I do when I switch on my computer is look at the Cricket site to know the latest scores around the world, who won, who lost and who the performers have been...
Clearly, nothing prepared me for what the headline was today. Bob Woolmer, the coach of the Pakistan cricket team, was found dead in his hotel room shortly after Pakistan's shock defeat to unfancied Ireland in the World Cup currently underway in the Carribean. Woolmer played for England in the 1970s but made his mark more as a coach for South Africa in the 1990s. He was drafted by Pakistan a couple of years to help a mercurial side reach the pinnacle of glory in a country where the game is followed by tremendous passion and intensity. The fact that Pakistan were eliminated early in the World Cup automatically meant drastic repurcussions, but some that went way beyond the normal course of civility. Reports coming out of Pakistan talked about possibly arresting the captain, Inzy, and the coach, Woolmer when they arrived back in Pakistan. While the exact cause of his death is still to be ascertained, clearly the pressure was way too much for both the coach and the players. The point is- fans can and should be passionate but that doesnt mean they need to be mad and violent.
The Indian sub-continent fans are cricket crazy and the performance of the teams is met with extreme adulation during victory and utter contempt in defeat. That, in my view, is a problem. A game is a game after all. There will always be winners and losers. Also, nobody intentionally wants to lose. Hence, while disappointment in defeat is natural, the reaction should be just that- disappointment which in my terminology means a quiet swig of my favorite Guinness. Victory, on the other hand, means a celebration, which to continue on the same path, means three Guinesses with friends at a favorite pub. Either way- when we lose sight of the fact that it is a game where victory and defeat are natural outcomes, we lose our sense of balance and passion can turn into fanaticism.
My heart goes out to Woolmer's family, and lets all remember three things-
a) Cricket is a game- nothing more, nothing less
b) If you as a fan are disappointed with a defeat, the players are likely to be kicking themselves thmselves too
c) Fans showing their disappointment in a violent manner never improved a team's performance.
May Woolmer's soul rest in peace.
Clearly, nothing prepared me for what the headline was today. Bob Woolmer, the coach of the Pakistan cricket team, was found dead in his hotel room shortly after Pakistan's shock defeat to unfancied Ireland in the World Cup currently underway in the Carribean. Woolmer played for England in the 1970s but made his mark more as a coach for South Africa in the 1990s. He was drafted by Pakistan a couple of years to help a mercurial side reach the pinnacle of glory in a country where the game is followed by tremendous passion and intensity. The fact that Pakistan were eliminated early in the World Cup automatically meant drastic repurcussions, but some that went way beyond the normal course of civility. Reports coming out of Pakistan talked about possibly arresting the captain, Inzy, and the coach, Woolmer when they arrived back in Pakistan. While the exact cause of his death is still to be ascertained, clearly the pressure was way too much for both the coach and the players. The point is- fans can and should be passionate but that doesnt mean they need to be mad and violent.
The Indian sub-continent fans are cricket crazy and the performance of the teams is met with extreme adulation during victory and utter contempt in defeat. That, in my view, is a problem. A game is a game after all. There will always be winners and losers. Also, nobody intentionally wants to lose. Hence, while disappointment in defeat is natural, the reaction should be just that- disappointment which in my terminology means a quiet swig of my favorite Guinness. Victory, on the other hand, means a celebration, which to continue on the same path, means three Guinesses with friends at a favorite pub. Either way- when we lose sight of the fact that it is a game where victory and defeat are natural outcomes, we lose our sense of balance and passion can turn into fanaticism.
My heart goes out to Woolmer's family, and lets all remember three things-
a) Cricket is a game- nothing more, nothing less
b) If you as a fan are disappointed with a defeat, the players are likely to be kicking themselves thmselves too
c) Fans showing their disappointment in a violent manner never improved a team's performance.
May Woolmer's soul rest in peace.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Off to the Carribean
Typically, people go to the Carribean to lie on the beach, to relax along the ocean side, take a cruise or just hang out and not have a planned agenda. I am going to the Carribean but I do have an agenda thats to watch the Cricket World Cup. Anyone I have told this to has reacted to the news with surprise- and I've received the entire range of emotions- astonishment that my wife would allow me to do this all by myself (which I am grateful to her for), grudging respect that I was able to plan for this despite a relatively "busy" executive life, envy from others who "planned" to watch the World Cup at some stage but never quite got around to doing it- but its been support all around. And frankly, even as India take on minnows Bangladesh, in their opening game, I am excited like a two year old trying his first candy!!
I really am...which is thrilling in its own way because seldom does one feel like that. And it goes back to a childhood passion not just for the game but for travel, travel not for a purpose but travel for its own sake. I have often believed that travelling around the world has been the biggest teacher in my life- lessons on adaptability, appreciation of differences, ability to understand and comprehend nuances of culture, the different varieties of food and of course, the music!! Incidentally, this trip would also make me watch a game I have become increasingly passionate about ever since I have lived out of India. I sincerely believe that apart from Bollywood movies, cricket games bring not just the country together, but for everyone living outside, give them a feeling of "rootedness" that is so sorely missed by millions of us. The game with all its subtleties brings us together and despite the fact the Indian team is not the best in the world, a veritable combination of national pride and extreme jingoism makes you toss the past records aside and root for the team to take the trophy! Based on past record, that would be a surprise, but the inpredictability of games is what gives the World Cup its unique flavor and as long as India is at the favorable end of surprises, I dont care!!!
Even as Boston faces a winter storm ( I look out of the window and I reckon there is probably four inches of snow on the ground right now), the Carribean offers a fantastic prospect of warm weather, and of course, the fantastic spectacle of world cricket at its very best. Did I mention I am as excited as a two year old....
I really am...which is thrilling in its own way because seldom does one feel like that. And it goes back to a childhood passion not just for the game but for travel, travel not for a purpose but travel for its own sake. I have often believed that travelling around the world has been the biggest teacher in my life- lessons on adaptability, appreciation of differences, ability to understand and comprehend nuances of culture, the different varieties of food and of course, the music!! Incidentally, this trip would also make me watch a game I have become increasingly passionate about ever since I have lived out of India. I sincerely believe that apart from Bollywood movies, cricket games bring not just the country together, but for everyone living outside, give them a feeling of "rootedness" that is so sorely missed by millions of us. The game with all its subtleties brings us together and despite the fact the Indian team is not the best in the world, a veritable combination of national pride and extreme jingoism makes you toss the past records aside and root for the team to take the trophy! Based on past record, that would be a surprise, but the inpredictability of games is what gives the World Cup its unique flavor and as long as India is at the favorable end of surprises, I dont care!!!
Even as Boston faces a winter storm ( I look out of the window and I reckon there is probably four inches of snow on the ground right now), the Carribean offers a fantastic prospect of warm weather, and of course, the fantastic spectacle of world cricket at its very best. Did I mention I am as excited as a two year old....
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Newbury Street on a bright, sunny day
There are some places that define a city- a landmark, location, a streeet, a building- something that exemplifies what the city offers. Boston has many landmarks- Harvard, MIT, Beacon Hill, Bunker Hill. Boston Tea Party Monument amongst others- all that speak to the academic and historical significance of this city- but for me, the street that really brings Boston to life is Newbury Street. Especially on a bright, sunny day.
For the uninitiated, Newbury Street is located in the Back Bay area of Boston, running roughly east-to-west, from the Boston Public Garden to Brookline Avenue. It is lined with historic 19th-century brownstones that contain hundreds of shops and restaurants with stores generally at the basement and street level and residential apartments above giving it a quaint, sophisticated and absolutely unique feel.
Having driven through Newbury several times, my wife and I decided that we needed to explore it, and this Saturday offered us the perfect opportunity- a temperature of 60, a clear sky and a slight wind. Of course, all of Boston seemed to have the same idea as us- and we had a great time. Lunch in Kashmir was delicious but the walk around the street was what made our day. It was lively, plenty of people- some of them window shopping, some having lunch outside, some sipping wine, some walking their dog and others just soaking in the atmosphere. Even our seven month old son seemed to enjoy the atmosphere- he seemed to talk a lot to himself in his pram, and looked around the street admiring the incredible mix of people, cultures, residential complexes with commercial ones and just vibrancy of the place seemed to invigorate him.
As we got back to our car, both Rica and I knew why Newbury defined Boston in a lot of ways- multi-cultural, classy, stimulating, and above all, incredibly vibrant. If only, finding parking was easier...
For the uninitiated, Newbury Street is located in the Back Bay area of Boston, running roughly east-to-west, from the Boston Public Garden to Brookline Avenue. It is lined with historic 19th-century brownstones that contain hundreds of shops and restaurants with stores generally at the basement and street level and residential apartments above giving it a quaint, sophisticated and absolutely unique feel.
Having driven through Newbury several times, my wife and I decided that we needed to explore it, and this Saturday offered us the perfect opportunity- a temperature of 60, a clear sky and a slight wind. Of course, all of Boston seemed to have the same idea as us- and we had a great time. Lunch in Kashmir was delicious but the walk around the street was what made our day. It was lively, plenty of people- some of them window shopping, some having lunch outside, some sipping wine, some walking their dog and others just soaking in the atmosphere. Even our seven month old son seemed to enjoy the atmosphere- he seemed to talk a lot to himself in his pram, and looked around the street admiring the incredible mix of people, cultures, residential complexes with commercial ones and just vibrancy of the place seemed to invigorate him.
As we got back to our car, both Rica and I knew why Newbury defined Boston in a lot of ways- multi-cultural, classy, stimulating, and above all, incredibly vibrant. If only, finding parking was easier...
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