Congratulations to Indian team for saving the test match today.
Yesterday it was really ackward to see India in a state facing follow on, that too with the same team which they beat in the last test match.
I have even imagined an innings defeat at one point of time.
However India regained strength after super knocks from Gambhir, Lakshman and Dravid.
Just for the record- It was not the bowler who got Dravid out but it was the umpire.
All the best team India for the third and final test which will be played soon. I wish all the luck to break the drought of 3-4 decades and win a test series in New Zealand.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Some things should not change
It has been quite a while since I am away from my hometown Lucknow.
I usually visit here in every 5-6 months or so. Everytime I come back here, I always try to find out what has changed since my last visit.
Other than some new buildings here n there, I have never been able to point out anything specific. Specially in the area of old Lucknow where I live, nothing has really changed.
Same old buildings trying to tell the stories of there own, political discussions happening standing around a PAN shop, mouthwatering smell of kebabs and biryaanis from nearby hotel, same old narrow streets (galiyan).
Once you hear some typical words like 'amaa jaaiiyee, aap bhi na', 'maaf kijiyega' etc etc...you can bet you are in old Lucknow. 'Tehzeeb' and hospitality of Lucknow has always been a part of its very old nawabi culture and it is somehow still trying to carry on the same tradition. Where else you can hear people asking to a rickshaw waala with such politeness "aap khaali hain kya?"
There are variuos other reasons why I like this place, one is simply because my parents and other siblings are here, other is good non-veg food (ofcource ghar pe bana hua) and some memories that I always cherish to have with me.
I remember we (me and my friends) use to take a walk in the evening near 'residency' and 'shahid smarak' at the banks of river Gomti, discussing all the nonsense topics (example discussing the team which will play in the forthcoming 'mohalla cricket game')...those were really the good time. I miss my friends now when I come here because all of them are busy earning their livelyhood and most of them don't live in town anymore just like me.
I am in Lucknow on a vaction while I am writing this blog, which I know will end very soon but I am trying to make the most of it :).
I usually visit here in every 5-6 months or so. Everytime I come back here, I always try to find out what has changed since my last visit.
Other than some new buildings here n there, I have never been able to point out anything specific. Specially in the area of old Lucknow where I live, nothing has really changed.
Same old buildings trying to tell the stories of there own, political discussions happening standing around a PAN shop, mouthwatering smell of kebabs and biryaanis from nearby hotel, same old narrow streets (galiyan).
Once you hear some typical words like 'amaa jaaiiyee, aap bhi na', 'maaf kijiyega' etc etc...you can bet you are in old Lucknow. 'Tehzeeb' and hospitality of Lucknow has always been a part of its very old nawabi culture and it is somehow still trying to carry on the same tradition. Where else you can hear people asking to a rickshaw waala with such politeness "aap khaali hain kya?"
There are variuos other reasons why I like this place, one is simply because my parents and other siblings are here, other is good non-veg food (ofcource ghar pe bana hua) and some memories that I always cherish to have with me.
I remember we (me and my friends) use to take a walk in the evening near 'residency' and 'shahid smarak' at the banks of river Gomti, discussing all the nonsense topics (example discussing the team which will play in the forthcoming 'mohalla cricket game')...those were really the good time. I miss my friends now when I come here because all of them are busy earning their livelyhood and most of them don't live in town anymore just like me.
I am in Lucknow on a vaction while I am writing this blog, which I know will end very soon but I am trying to make the most of it :).
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Eventful jouney
Long distance journey in India is always eventful and almost everytime you will get a new experience all together. This time also was not an execption.
I had to catch a flight for Lucknow at 5 PM so I started from Thane at about 2:40 PM ; took an auto for Mulund Check Naka. From Check Naka I planned to catch another auto directly to Mumbai domestic airport.
From Thane to Mulund the journey went eventless as expected.
As soon as I got down at Mulund Check naka I was surrounded by other auto rickshaw drivers (they obviuosly found a potential customer in me looking at my bag), some beggers (two three kids) and a "two in One".
I payed out the auto fare, counted money the auto driver returned me, replied back to the questions of other auto drivers ("saab! kidhar chalna hai saab. Airport kya?? main leke jayega"..blah blah), gave some change to the begger kids (who had by the time started touching my feet in anticipation of some money) and most importantly I managed to get away from that irritating 2in1 without giving him any money. Haaaahhhhhh this is what is called multitasking :)
It was 3:20 PM now and somehow I got into an auto and took a deap breath thinking that I should be able to reach airport at the max by 4:30 PM even if I meet some traffic in between.
I felt that my auto was moving a little slow because other autos were overtaking. I thought of asking the driver to move a little quick but then I ignored my thought. My auto was moving slow and steady and suddenly I heard that wierd noise "wroom wroom" and the auto stopped. Auto driver was in panik because he was holding the traffic behind him. Somehow he managed to start his auto and again I was on my way.
Just when I was praying that nothing more should happen, the auto broke down near Hiranandani Powai and auto driver told me that it can't go any further.
I asked him to bring another auto, he crossed the street and arranged for another auto.
This auto seemed to be new and good and I was cruising by the sides of Powai lake when driver asked me a question.."International airport jana hai na?". I said that the other driver might have told you that I have to go to domestic airport.
He said that he has to return back to some place in time and domestic airport will be too far for him and he will arrange "another" auto for me. !@#$&* that driver in my mind, I said OK.
Fortunately I got another auto very soon it was 4 O Clock already. Luckily I didn't get any traffic in between, however when I was about to reach airport I sensed that the meter is running unusually fast (actually adding a rupee after every 4/5 seconds). I told the driver, he replied in Marathi which I couldn't understand.
Ultimately I reached airport at about 4:30 PM. The meter was showing 55Rs, I handed over 30 Rs to driver, he started arguing about the fare. Looking at the time constraint I chose not to argue much, I handed him 5 rupees more.
I rushed in at the baggage scan counter for Kingfisher and then got my boarding pass. I cleared the security check at about 4:45 PM and reached at the mentioned gate just to find out that the flight is delayed due to xyz reasons for another half an hour and will now depart at 5:30 PM (the flight would further be delayed by 15 minutes later).
For another half an hour I sat at one of the seats close to a TV, watched news without any interest of some political drama, read news paper etc etc and also thought about all those auto drivers and people I encounted in the journey which has not yet completed.
Finally my flight was announced and I boarded the aircraft and sat relaxed thinking that the two hours journey within Mumbai is challenging in every sense as compared to the two hours journey from Mumbai to Lucknow.
I had to catch a flight for Lucknow at 5 PM so I started from Thane at about 2:40 PM ; took an auto for Mulund Check Naka. From Check Naka I planned to catch another auto directly to Mumbai domestic airport.
From Thane to Mulund the journey went eventless as expected.
As soon as I got down at Mulund Check naka I was surrounded by other auto rickshaw drivers (they obviuosly found a potential customer in me looking at my bag), some beggers (two three kids) and a "two in One".
I payed out the auto fare, counted money the auto driver returned me, replied back to the questions of other auto drivers ("saab! kidhar chalna hai saab. Airport kya?? main leke jayega"..blah blah), gave some change to the begger kids (who had by the time started touching my feet in anticipation of some money) and most importantly I managed to get away from that irritating 2in1 without giving him any money. Haaaahhhhhh this is what is called multitasking :)
It was 3:20 PM now and somehow I got into an auto and took a deap breath thinking that I should be able to reach airport at the max by 4:30 PM even if I meet some traffic in between.
I felt that my auto was moving a little slow because other autos were overtaking. I thought of asking the driver to move a little quick but then I ignored my thought. My auto was moving slow and steady and suddenly I heard that wierd noise "wroom wroom" and the auto stopped. Auto driver was in panik because he was holding the traffic behind him. Somehow he managed to start his auto and again I was on my way.
Just when I was praying that nothing more should happen, the auto broke down near Hiranandani Powai and auto driver told me that it can't go any further.
I asked him to bring another auto, he crossed the street and arranged for another auto.
This auto seemed to be new and good and I was cruising by the sides of Powai lake when driver asked me a question.."International airport jana hai na?". I said that the other driver might have told you that I have to go to domestic airport.
He said that he has to return back to some place in time and domestic airport will be too far for him and he will arrange "another" auto for me. !@#$&* that driver in my mind, I said OK.
Fortunately I got another auto very soon it was 4 O Clock already. Luckily I didn't get any traffic in between, however when I was about to reach airport I sensed that the meter is running unusually fast (actually adding a rupee after every 4/5 seconds). I told the driver, he replied in Marathi which I couldn't understand.
Ultimately I reached airport at about 4:30 PM. The meter was showing 55Rs, I handed over 30 Rs to driver, he started arguing about the fare. Looking at the time constraint I chose not to argue much, I handed him 5 rupees more.
I rushed in at the baggage scan counter for Kingfisher and then got my boarding pass. I cleared the security check at about 4:45 PM and reached at the mentioned gate just to find out that the flight is delayed due to xyz reasons for another half an hour and will now depart at 5:30 PM (the flight would further be delayed by 15 minutes later).
For another half an hour I sat at one of the seats close to a TV, watched news without any interest of some political drama, read news paper etc etc and also thought about all those auto drivers and people I encounted in the journey which has not yet completed.
Finally my flight was announced and I boarded the aircraft and sat relaxed thinking that the two hours journey within Mumbai is challenging in every sense as compared to the two hours journey from Mumbai to Lucknow.
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