And how do we make a bday special…

In Dubai, I met my soul sisters – A and the 2Ds. We four are a riot together and I cannot imagine how I would’ve survived this place without them! From these 3 ladies, I’ve learnt a lot – strength, courage, compassion, loyalty and love!

It was A’s birthday today and we decided to surprise her in our own way. (We missed junior D  as she is away in India). Another friend M too joined in and we ensured A would not forget this one.

‘A’ loves food – non-veg, especially if it is a little spicy and oily. Though we are getting tremendously calorie conscious, we let go on occasions like these. I may not sound modest here but the fact is that 4 of us are very good cooks and have our own specialities.

Senior D & I met up at her house and cooked the following:

• D’s speciality – mince kebabs,
• I cooked my mum’s speciality - prawns green masala and beetroot cutlets
• D & I came up with our spontaneous recipe for chicken curry – spicy and oily just as A loves it.

M managed to get the rotis and rice and we landed up at A’s place at 10.00 yesterday night – her hubby and daughter aware of our plans while she slept blissfully

She tried to convince us that she was aware of our surprise but we knew she was faking it. At the stroke of 12.00 her hubby landed with the cake, balloons and a lovely Longines watch, her daughter with a life-size greeting card and her expression was worth capturing and framing for a lifetime.

We all played our part, but as always the one who stole the show, was MDH with his awesome, spontaneous poetic skills. A lovely day began for A amidst her loved ones and the following poem summed up what she has meant to me , MDH and our entire gang in the years we have known her:

Maajhyaa baykochi ti maitrin aahe
Pan kharatar maagchyaa janmaachi bahin aahe

Thodishi impatient aahe
Pan energy cha atom bomb aahe

Minal and Ti bhetli ki gossipcha pur yeto
Majhyaa IQ madhey Achaanak mothaa jump hoto

Tine keleli Baangdaa curry and kori roti chicken khaun mi trupt hoto
Good manners mhanun ghari zaun dhekar deto

Kaahi vel tila job mule traas zhaalaa
Pan malaa tyaa kaalaat kharyaa maitricha aabhaas zhaalaa

Honesty and Integritycha ti ek zabardasta example aahe
Maajhyaa Mulaanaa mi tichi story nhemich saangnaar aahe

“P” aani tichaa jiv “N” madhye guntalelaa aahe
“N” pan talent cha ek solid package aahe

Tishichyaa var zari asla ticha vay
Panchvishitlyaa mulinaahi tichyaa beautycha prashna padtoy

Aaz hyaa special person laa vaadhdivsaachyaa shubhecha deuyaa
Tu ashich hasat rahaa ..we all love u..our dearest “A”

Wishing you a wonderful birthday girl and may you have millions more joyous one to celebrate.

The Impossible

Yeah I’m bored – bored of cricket! It has never happened in my 19 years of following this game that I’ve not followed a match – that too a match involving India and a test match!

I’ve always been glued in – to the radio, to the television, to the news, to the internet at any given time – office-home-school-college did not matter! If there was a match on, I was tuned in; especially if India was playing. But this time around, believe it or not – I’ve forgotten the days the matches begin, no idea what the schedule looks like and not opened the explorer in office to logon to the sites that provide me live score.

I was therefore, beginning to wonder if there was anything wrong with me – people even suggested I see a doctor. I almost did, until I diagnosed the cause – BCCI and Ind-Sri Lanka series.

I’m sick and tired of seeing these two battling against each other. If there is a single soul I know, who can come up with any memorable moments except the 293 by Sehwag at Brabourne last year between these teams, I’ll throw a party.

Like all Bollywood romantic films these series have the same script; well most romantic films have happy endings and here only one team has had happy ending and that is Sri Lanka.

SL bats first on their dead tracks, we play the weakest bowlers, get thrashed around for 550+. Then our batsmen cave in the first innings and put up some fight in the second but lose a game that could’ve been saved. Did anyone complain that Indian pitches are awful, my answer, please rush to Sri Lanka right now, at least our tracks offer some assistance to spinners – there you could replace bowlers with bowling machines and nothing would change the game!

We have played 14 test matches since 2001 of which 8 were in SL. The last 3 series have been played in consecutive years 2008-2010. Of the 8 test matches in SL – we have lost 5, won 2 and 1 is currently underway which we look likely to lose.

The closest margin in these losses was 7 wickets in 2001. The rest we have lost either by an innings or 10 wickets!

The same Indian team has played Australia in consecutive years and every series has been memorable – some fantastic cricket and gritting display. Often it is your opponents that bring out the best in you and SL only does the opposite. I’m not finding excuses for India’s performance; but I think maybe even Sachin and Dravid are so dead bored by now, that they are not finding the will to give their best to what has become a monotonous routine year after year.

Sigh, if BCCI does not put an end to this immediately, cricket will land up losing a lot of fans along with India losing it’s No 1 ranking in the tests.

As for me – my sickness was partly cured by the fascinating test between Aus and Pak. 88 all out? How often do we get to see that score against an Aus line-up? And now I’ve some more medicine coming my way through Eng-Pak series, where a species called bowlers (which SL and India have completely buried ) will come alive on pitches that support some good swing bowling. India should not disappoint me in Oct-Nov Vs NZ and Aus, and even if they do, the Ashes will get me back on track.

For someone who is already having a terrible time at work and seeks solace in the one thing she loves; how can BCCI be so cruel and poison me with an overdose of India-Sri Lanka series in SL!

I was on the verge of my first serious break-up with my first love. It would’ve been unfair cause it is not entirely cricket’s fault; but we know many a times relationships break due to 3rd party involvements. Fortunately, the future is still looking relatively positive and cricket is pursuing me to continue the relationship. So I’m giving it another chance, cause if I don’t, I think I’ll hurt the most!

Gender Bias?:-)

As much I want to write a post a day I am not able to find the time:-( When your mind is blank and wondering what to write on, I come across little saviours - Tags! As the brains are not working, these interesting bits zooming past in the blog world help you get out of your hibernation and stagnation!

Saw this interesting tag on IHM, Starry and Suranga’s blogs and had to take it up!

So here are the 10 things I have done which my gender is not supposed to.

1. The first one I guess is obvious – my first love - CRICKET! ‘Hell you do know the game, so you understand what a square cut is, you can actually identify the fielding positions, you can differentiate between spin and swing?’ And on this blog many a times - “Did not know a girl /lady was writing on cricket!” I can challenge, argue and beat most guys when it comes to the knowledge of this game. Yeah modesty on this front is not exactly my forte;-)

The one person who has benefitted the most – MDH. There is never an argument on what to watch on TV when a match is on!

2. I can fix electronic items well – I was an expert at mending VCRs as a kid. I can also change fuse bulbs and tubelights – did that often at home:-)

3. I can be a complete couch potato. I can watch TV for hours lying on my couch without feeling guilty or ashamed of having wasted my time.

4. I’ve rolled down the window of my car and hurled abuses at idiots who tried to act smart on the road – I landed up scaring my friends instead!

5. I can be extremely mean and sarcastic and always have a practical/logical view point to all things :-)

6. I love going shopping ALONE.

7. I love superhero movies, cartoons and comics. X-Men, Batman, Superman, Star Trek , Heroes, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Transformers – all of them – love them all!

8. I love bikes, I love two-wheelers. I could never own one thanks to being in Mumbai. My parents were petrified of the traffic and I was not allowed to drive one! I made full use of my vacations in Pune – I loved going out on bike-rides!

9. I don’t blush easily – or rather not at all. My first kathak teacher once told my mom – she is a lovely dancer, very graceful but please teach her to blush or feel shy! How will she do the Radha-Krishna dance if she cannot express shyness. My Vahini( sis-in-law) on my engagement and wedding day, “Minu atleast now we need to see how you look when you blush”

10. My best friends from my engineering days are guys! They know me too well. We can talk nonsense – utter nonsense with each other – even today. When I need serious advice or solace I know I can trouble them at any time of the day.  Post heart-breaks, post marriages, post kids - It amazes me how pure, simple, fun and honest our friendship remains till date.

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Honestly I’m just feeling lazy to tag individuals, so will keep the tag open for everyone who reads this – do take it up!