The Cape of Good Hope

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58 years......
2008-01-26 10:14:00
India celebrates it's 58th Republic Day today. And in a parade that would have surely left French President and Guest of Honour for the event Nicholas Sarkozy stunned at India's military wealth and diversity of cultures, we witnessed another brilliant showcasing of India's assets and something that makes you proud.While most of the nation would be keenly eyeing India's 4th and final test match against Australia in Adelaide, we should not forget the national awards handed out to a select few who keep working hard to fly the tricolour as high as possible, if not higher.In a world where sport represents the lost national fervour more than wars or other uniting factors, let's hope that India complete their comeback in Australia and the duo of Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi win the Aussie Open's mixed doubles final.....
More About: Years

LIFE AT INFY: Incredible India?
2008-01-20 12:08:00
Today's a Sunday on Infosys' vast campus in Mysore. That means most people can relax and enjoy a day at the health club, play pool or watch a movie at Infy's own multiplex. But most prefer to hang out in the city or go to their homes, if they live nearby that is. I am bored, sitting in my office, blogging.A week into the corporate environment, you realise that you would only slow down at your own risk. I fell ill, thanks to Infy's Food Courts, but most people didn't and I realised that I had to speed up or I'd be left behind.Today a lot of outsiders came in to the campus to see it's sceneries and feel the serenity. Maybe, this campus should rank in the Incredible India campaign. If not as a tourist spot, then at least as one of the finest training centres in the world.....
More About: Life

LIFE AT INFY: The corporate environment......
2008-01-18 13:08:00
When you enter Infy's magnificent Mysore campus, you would believe that your in a different world altogether. It's a sparkling, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, technologically-advanced corporate forest with professionals cycling around in Ladybird cycles(you do get Hercules, but they are rare and even the men prefer the Ladybirds because they have a holder to put out your belongings) and the green campus shining up to a new day.The campus is brilliant, to say the least. No other software training centre would beat it. There are 3 food courts, a sparkling golf-ball like Multiplex, an excellent cricket ground and the Production centre is absolutely immense. They maintain the grass so well, that your fined if you step on it!You basically sit in your cabin, do your work and pack up by the evening. This is just the beginning......
More About: Life , Environment , Corporate

Opinion: SEZs - The Nandigram Massacre
2008-01-04 14:23:00
One of the headlining events of the Indian political scenario this year, I'd say. Nandigram was a burning example of how policies and concepts take indefinite time in a democracy like ours to fully see the light of the day.CPI(M) cadres kidnapped, killed, raped and did what not in order to ensure that the SEZ isn't deemed, well, a SEZ. It goes to show how much the Left has at stake in West Bengal. Beware BJP. Beware Congress.They already swept the government off it's hinges regarding the nuclear deal. Something that wasn't appreciated by the nation as such. The deal's for civilian good. With inflation on the rise, an alternative source is needed sooner rather than later.Happy New Year to readers.....
More About: Opinion , Massacre

Back from the slumber.....
2008-01-01 18:03:00
Hello ladies and gentlemen reading this blog. I am back from my post-CAT hibernation and also glad to announce that all my future posting will be done "exclusively" from the scenic beauty of Infosys' campus in Mysore, Karnataka, India. CAT was dull, to say the least. No expectations as such. Happy new year to all out there and may it bring the maximum happiness possible.Heary congratulations to Narendra Modi for regaining the Gujarat throne. No one even came close to the so-called merchant of death. He's a great personality, no doubt. Let's hope the people of Gujarat continue to progress under him. But they could be in for some bad news if the NDA win the general elections in 2009. Although LK Advani is currently the prime ministerial candidate, Modi could apparently stake claim.The world's largest democracy moves on, unstoppable as such. I'll write next on some of the axis-tilting events that we witnessed in 2007. Adios.
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Of CATs and dogs.....
2007-10-15 16:24:00
With the nation's sexiest exam coming up and with 2.5 lakh more human heads set to roll, I am awaiting my debut. The Common Admission Test, conducted by the IIMs, takes place on November 18th and the tension is building up.I don't know if I am a cent percent prepared to give the toughest exam in Asia, but I am looking and dreaming for the other side of this 2.5 hour odyssey - A life to cherish. It would be awesome to get in. But it is also one of the toughest things to do in our lives.Greatness awaits people who can put the pencil marks on the right circles and steer ahead of thousands of similar others. And this greatness brings in honour and admiration. Who doesn't like that, damn it.....PS: The dog in the headline meant that you have to study like a dog. Hey, what does that mean now?
More About: Dogs , Cats , Cats and Dogs

Where is the love?
2007-09-29 16:21:00
If any caring human has heard the beautiful number "Where is the love?" from American band Black Eyed Peas, it's definite that his heart would warm up with emotion. The song's lyrics speak exactly of the situation on hand.Talking from an Indian perspective, I'd say that it is the highly irresponsible media that stands out in terms of brain corruption. They are like terrorists who let you live after corrupting your brain and thinking to such an extent that you will begin to doubt yourself at certain points.Everything in life comes down to how much you can believe in someone's clean-hearted efforts. If you'll notice, most people doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the system, doubt their heroes even. It's getting worse. People are not willing to believe. Where is the love?The media is like "civil war" in terms of battle. They love to generate stories and circulate terror. Remember, the morning newspaper you buy is actually a bomb ticking away.....
More About: Love

Sons of a step mother
2007-09-27 17:05:00
With a few hockey players threatening to go on a hunger strike, it does hurt the soul a lot. The Indian obsession with cricket makes sure that heroes of only a certain kind are loved and respected. It was a great triumph but the hockey team's Asian Cup triumph was no mean feat either. To score 57 goals, concede 5 goals and go unbeaten in a continental tournament is as good as winning the Twenty20 World Championship.The problem is that no one cares. It may be noted that the Indian national hockey team is the country's MOST successful sporting teams, but the least appreciated. Indian dribblers are hailed as great players by European nations but in India nobody cares. It is the step-motherly treatment dished out to them that hurts the most.Given the kind of extremism that cricket will touch in times to come, I suggest India abandon the rest of it's sports teams and allow players to play for other countries in which they can live and settle in. At least they will love them and give t...
More About: Mother , Sons , Step

So this is how it feels.....
2007-09-25 15:07:00
Let me complete the title of this blog first. So this is how it feels LIKE TO BE A WORLD CHAMPION. Finally. Of all the things you'd want in your lifetime. To feel like and be a world champion.Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh & the rest of the team emerge as India's newest cricketing greats after a power showing in South Africa. Is there anything to talk about after this stupendous Indian triumph? Apparently, yes.There is only one sensitive moment to think about. What will be going on in the minds of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid? No, I am not talking about retirement. But the win would have pleased and hurt them the most.Since our acquaintance with sports heroes is very short-lived, I am certain that Indians will be ready to put the trio into history. But this will hurt. Remember, that the combined contributions of the three greats over the last decade have been almost as good as this World Cup triumph. If not better. We all are winners. We all want to be...

Rise of the Feminist Man
2007-09-22 07:59:00
This is a very weird topic to blog. This writing is more observation, rather than a culmination of thoughts.Pink shirts, Red t-shirts, Sparkling tight pants, Weirdly-colored hair. This may be ordinary stuff for girls. Maybe it is meant for them. But wait. Look on. Guys have joined the bandwagon.The rise of the feminist man is currently inexplicable. I don't understand why males are resorting to such open expression of female characteristics. Is it attributed to an apparent lack of understanding of what differentiates men from women? Or maybe lack of quality resources?But this is definitely scary. Feminist men, apart from their dressing sense, are resorting to female behaviour too. Gone are the days when Men led from the front. Today, men are beginning to lose out on the virtues that held them so strong.Females will be delighted with this male tilt towards their lifestyle.....
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A big loss
2007-09-20 17:59:00
While most of the Indian sporting world is focussed on the World Twenty20 Championships(and is likely to remain more focussed, owing to Yuvraj Singh's histrionics), an interesting development in the way-more-global-than-cricket world of football has turned it upside down.The departure of "character manager" Jose Mourinho from Chelsea Football Club in England has been a big shocker to football followers. The Portuguese boss is rated as one of the best managers ever and his resignation asks more questions than the answers it gives.Mourinho was a classy, shrewd tactician with immense self-belief(IMMENSE) and turned Chelsea into a worldclass team. We have to wait and see what happens, but English football has lost a man who impacted football in a very unique way.Miss him.....
More About: Loss

Of B-Schools & Leadership
2007-09-15 18:11:00
Outlook's definitive survey-based rankings of India's top B-schools have come out and IIM, Ahmedabad leads the pack as usual. The founded-in-1961 premier B-school remains top in most categories of judgement, except in infrastructure & facilities. IIM, Bangalore & Calcutta finish 2nd and 3rd respectively while XLRI, Jamshedpur leads from the front for the private B-schools.In other stories, Rahul Dravid's resignation as the captain of India's most loved sports team was a shocker. No doubts. Dravid has essayed a great role since he took over, with the WC debacle being the only dark mark in a respectable reign from the worldclass batsman. It's a sad day for us, as is this is also an indication of the beginning of the end of his career.The pressures on sportspeople are immense. Expectations, both on personal and team-related fronts, from the huge fan base take up a lot of energy and thought.Let's hope the BCCI think tank can make a wise decision and appoint a successor cap...
More About: Schools , Leadership

India runs riot!!!
2007-09-06 15:38:00
Has Chak De India actually cast a spell on Indian sports? Considering the performances of various Indian sports teams, I was forced to think over the above stated question. Suddenly, India is seeing a host of positive results in various sports.Starting with the world's most important sport, India clinched a classic Nehru Cup title. This is definitely the stand-out achievement in football so far. Nehru Cup winners include prestigious teams like Uruguay and the Soviet Union and India's addition to that list definitely brightens up the footballing stratosphere.The Indian hockey team, both men and women, have conjured up results in double figures in their respective Asia Cups. The men have won 1-0, 20-0, 3-2 and 6-0, making it a remarkable 30 goals scored in 4 games!! The women notched up wins of 16-0!Sania Mirza has broken into the world top 30, while the cricket team is in it's best form ever, except that the opposition currently seem equally capable.Revolution, indeed.....
More About: Runs

Terror again? Hehe, nothing new.....
2007-08-29 09:44:00
I chose this particular title for my 50th post on this blog because it reflects the attitude of the Indian government and people towards what is fast becoming an ignored sector in people protection and security.Terror , with it's wings wide open, stuck yet again. Another attack. Another city in crisis. More people dead. Does it matter? I seriously doubt it.The irony remains that the UPA is well aware yet again that dreaded PoK outfits LET & JEM are behind the attacks. India's policy of handling terror, which is becoming increasingly annoying and irritating, comes under the scrutiny yet again.Being aware of terror and thwarting it is as smart as the country can get now. Because once terror is in action, we are embarassingly powerless to handle it.Despite being a military powerhouse, our political system and approach towards sensitive situations just don't make us capable of handling terror by the struff of it's neck.In the end, all one can do is look up to God and hold hands toget...

Chak De stands out.....
2007-08-20 18:09:00
I repent something. I regret something. I only spent Rs. 50 on Chak De India. Damn.Going for an early showing of what close associates and friends were describing as a stand-up-and-salute movie, I put aside my anti-Bollywood feelings and must admit that it was worth it. It wasn't a movie that I saw. I saw a dream. A dream to see India become a world leader in sports and bring unlimited ecstacy to the people.Arguably, sports remains the most mystically unattached art that India is yet to fully associate with. Or rather, an art that is forgotten despite past glories. Chak De India showed exactly what is to be done.Even with the worst facilities and training(although these should be bettered of course), people can emerge winners. Adversity breeds team spirit and a will to perform outside expectations. It takes more than just talent to create winning teams.A special thanks to Shah Rukh Khan, who is fast emerging as an icon with a difference.....

60 years, but the past still hurts.....
2007-08-16 17:51:00
On the eve of the 60th Independence day of the country, I read a totally heart-warming piece in the The Week. Actually, it was the national magazine's cover story. It was on 25 battles/wars/controversies/events that still hurt and haunt us. These included everything from the Kargil War to the Emergency, the Babri Masjid Demolition to Godhra, the Mumbai blasts of 1993 to the Chinese Invasion of 1962.The magazine printed an excellent image on the opening page of the cover story. An India drawn up in blood. I have never felt more emotion over something sensitive before. But it is evident that the events of the past do relate with us today. Communalism remains at the top of the pile. It has single-handedly disunited the country and led to so much bloodshed, that most of us would prefer a war over the riots that communalism causes.Terrorism would come second. Government bureaucracy third and so on. I spent upto 2 hours imagining how life could have been without these 25 "wars". And I sa...
More About: Past , Years

Return of football
2007-08-11 18:02:00
The English Premier League, one of the world's finest and most marketed sporting events, kicks off amid as-usual hype and expectations. The football event is said to attract a huge global audience and a new seasons kicks off tonight, with fans returning to support their respective teams.The football leagues of various countries will start in the upcoming few weeks and the mother of them all - UEFA's Champions League - would start in early September. And we will return to enjoying the spectacle of a sport that is no longer just a sport.I'll get back to supporting my favourite team - Spanish club Barcelona, once La Liga kicks off. The team has been enforced by some sparkling new players, with French forward Thierry Henry standing out.Not for nothing is it called the Beautiful Game, eh?
More About: Football , Return

Dutt's the way
2007-08-02 17:22:00
So finally Sanjay Dutt is handed a 6-year RI by the 1993 Mumbai blasts verdict. And people have reacted in the weirdest of ways possible. Just one question to the masses of the sovereign, socialist, democratic people's republic of India - whose side are you on?I agree the guy has changed since the events of 93. But that doesn't mean the actions have changed. And that definitely doesn't mean that the wounds have healed and the scars have faded. It is ridiculous that he's getting so much support.In a country like ours, opinions can exist on such a large scale that even morality is questioned. Who the hell in the world would side with a person who was indirectly involved in a state of attacks that have left such a dark mark on the nation's history?It begs the question that we place our own cause for being entertained by our so-called heroes than to offer justice to the deserving and the suffering. It's not what we want, do we?