Breaking the deadlock!

It's good enough we're not losing but it's bad enough we're not winning either! There can't be a better opportunity to make a come back for us than tomorrow! Here are five talking points about Mumbai City FC's chances!

1. Lack of goalscorers & finesse

Miscued chances is what has cost Mumbai City to drop points in a drab fashion in the last 3 games. Moritz blitz in the Pune game had us all in an awe and our expectations went sky high but he has been goalless ever since. With towering defenders in the squad, there would be nothing wrong in expecting a goal or two from the set pieces!

2. The great wall of Mumbai

The defense looked lost at the start of the season. Like Coach Peter Reid remarked, MCFC wasn't playing like a team. They have come a long way to shield the Mumbai goal for five consecutive games. And they will have the job to contain the ghost-like runs of Jeje/Mendoza who managed to bamboozle the Mumbai defenders on more than one occasion in the sides' previous meeting (Also resist their urge to take them down every now and then!). 

3. The Anelka factor

On one hand, as much as we were disappointed to see Freddie play only for a handful minutes in the entire tournament, Anelka has lived up to his stature and given the fans what they wanted. He will be pivotal to Mumbai's chances in the tournament. He will have to be the better player against Elano to give the Mumbai City fans the win they are so craving right now.

4. Indian Starlets

Subhash Singh and Nadong Bhutia are the raw Indian diamonds being polished by Peter Reid and it's about time they start making an impact in the game on their own. Subhash in particular has been spectacular in finding space in the opposition half, making those little runs with his pace but he has made unfortunate contributions to missing sitters. Nadong has been creative on the right flank with his crosses.

5. The dish best served cold.

Yes that's right. Revenge time. No shooting blanks tomorrow. It's not a derby. More importantly it is the question of how we reply to the five goal thrashing we received at their mercy in their backyard. Time to buckle up. Not give away penalties and free kicks especially in the Elano region! 

Go MCFC!

Join me

Are you one of them?

True story

No matter what your age is, people will ask you which class you're in.

The artist within.

Look out for kids running towards you too.

Futa kya?

The Law was passed recently.

I wish we could grow down actually.

Reminds you of anyone?

Will you pass?

It's a conundrum.

God forgives me when I eat non-veg on other days.

To, All The Drivers. (Issued In Public Interest)

If your parents are not Android friendly, you're responsible.

A wise man once said.

Flipkart, TheBigBillionDay special.

Amen

This is a request.

8 Football Fans You Know!

1. The Complete Fanatic.

They are really really loyal to their favorite team. Their team's win is a mood maker for them. They'll pray during a penalty shootout, wear their lucky jersey (which is latest!), watch important matches at their lucky places,  put up statuses pre and post the games and they'll argue with the strangest stranger if he raises a finger on his team. 

 2. The Know it all.
 

 

The man is updated about football around the world. Be it a 3rd Division team player's transfer or a Turkish youth player's goal. When he is talking, you're wondering how does he know all of that. He even knows the playing XI of the Indian Football team.

3. The Sore loser.

Everybody makes fun of a sore loser. They are ones who just can't take it! Simply cannot fathom their team losing. They are embarrassed. They blame the opposite team, the referee, their luck, the home advantage and they will go missing to avoid facing anybody who know their team lost.

4. The "Football" fan.

There is this one guy in every football circle who doesn't care who wins or loses! He will applaud the winning team and the losing team for the positives and even point out the negatives elegantly. He doesn't care for the Galacticos or the Catalans, all he is looking for is an exciting El Classico!

5. The Glory Hunter

Who doesn't hate a glory hunter? They are gold-diggers of the sporting world. They chase the trophy where it goes. It is United one season and the next it is City. It is Italy, then it is Spain. If it is Brazil till the semi finals, then there is pure denial. 

6. The Pretender.

"Whaat? The l in Villa is silent!? Courtois is not pronounced like tortoise?!"

This is a guy who doesn't like football, doesn't understand the intricate rules, the league system or even why there is no Argentina in the Euro but he tries hard to gel in. He pretends. He doesn't like being the left out guy. The only Ronaldo he knows is Cristiano! He tries to pronounce the names correctly too! He is generally confused.

7. The Cricket fan.

"Can we watch KKR vs ... ummm.. nevermind.."

This is India specific. These are hardcore cricket fans who end up being attacked after asking IPL questions on a Champions League Finale night. They compare sixes to goals and wicket-keepers to goalkeepers. They have to watch football because they are in conundrum! Their favorite No.7 is Dhoni!

8. The Analyst. 

He is like the off-site manager of his favorite side. He will talk about what the on-site manager should've done tonight. The starting XI for the game, the right substitutions at the right time, the formation, whether it was a red or just a yellow- he is like a Shebby Singh! (Where is that guy anyway?) 
 

My First Dosa

An RC UPG inititative

This write up seemed easy to write about until I got down to actually write about it. I simply can’t recall when the last time I did something for the first time was! I’m simply going to blab about the first damn dosa I had tried to cook! A plain sada dosa. How hard could that be right? 

After a long day at college followed by office, I usually come back home with hopes of being cooked and served something delicious. The key words here are “cooked and “served”. I came home only to witness the absence of meri maa who was out running some errands whilst her big kid was hungry and tired. I was more hungry than tired so I gave in to the sounds of my stomach and ignored those in my head who kept screaming “Wait for mom, you’re not meant to cook. You, as in just you, not men in general, but only you”

The dosa batter was ready anyway. All I had to do was make a dosa out of it. Being a keen observer of things, I had seen the spreading of dosa batter on the pan plenty of times; notably roadside annas! Just like my observation, I pick out a small steel bowl to, you know, pour the batter on the pan and spread it using the bottom of the bowl.  So I do it. I didn’t manage to make the best shaped or circled dosa. It certainly looked edible. 

I wait out a few minutes doing nothing- because I don’t want to risk my first dosa getting burnt. I go to the kitchen to see if my masterpiece was ready. I fast forward and conclude that I plated a large south Indian laddoo. This is why:

1.  I forgot to pour oil so the entire dosa was stuck to the pan.
2. The layer was fat so when I scooped the dosa, I couldn’t. It ended up being rolled into one big half cooked laddoo.

My entire family came home soon. Some timing huh? 

I did eat what I cooked though. I just had to! To this day, when cooking and I are talked about- I’m not spared. 

P.S – I have learnt from my blunder!

12 Things Today's Kids Will Never Know

1. What a Floppy Disc is/does.

2. Collecting tazos, jenga cards, basically everything that came free with cheetos!

He is serious about paying 1.5k if you still got Tazos and Jenga Cards

 :D

Yes, I wish I hadn't thrown away mine!

 
3. Playing with marbles! No not the online game!

4. Spinning the top. And that, my friends, would also include Beyblades. Let it rip!

Shuru ho jaye :P Kai was my favorite though :|

5. Raining outside? Stay home, call your friends over. WWE, cricket trump cards.

Ever wondered why Brock Lesner was always at the top?!

6. Board games; business, ludo, snakes & ladders etc

 

 

I sort of don't remember how this was played :|

7. Outdoor games! That would include, pakda-pakdi, langdi and lots of made up games too!

Chor Police

Lagori :P

8. Video game - no not playstation or xbox!

Marioooo

Contra!

9. Being the only kid with a computer in the locality!

 

That was pretty much a passing phase :D

10. The first mobile phone in your family- that moment!

Nokia 1110 - first cell in my house!

11. When cartoons made sense.

 

They fazed out, didn't they? :(

 














12. Rushing home after playing cricket on a Saturday afternoon at 12 PM to not miss this. Ever!

I can't forget dressing up like him for a fancy dress competition!

I'm sure I've left out many things from our childhood that are sort of extinct now. Do you have any in mind?

Chocolate Sandwich

‘Have a bite no!!’ – said Sanyukta emphatically to Samarth, as the sandwich vendor continued to stare at her.

‘Aye kya dekhta hai be.. chup chaap sandwich bana.’ – said a not so amused Samarth as he opened his mouth to dig into the sandwich from her hand. No matter what mood Samarth was in, he couldn’t resist his all time favorite cheese and chocolate sandwich. He had discovered this delicacy at a road side stall called Mamaji’s. When he was about to try the sandwich for the first time, he was a little hesitant, the words chocolate and cheese didn’t mix too well in his head. But as soon as he had a bite, he had a foodgasm and instantly Samarth knew he had to share that experience with the love of his life, Sanyukta.

It had almost been two years since they were together! Samarth’s heart had never desired something as much as it desired Sanyukta as soon as he saw her. He had always been a shy person and mustering the courage to express his feelings to her took a lot of time but when it happened, there was nothing that could stop them. Sanyukta didn’t realize the storm of feelings that Samarth had for her upfront. She got hints at times, but she didn’t want to be one of those that misunderstand the other’s feelings. With time, she got the clarity she needed, and her joy knew no bounds.
They were an incredibly "made-for-each-other" kind of a couple, the compatibility they had was fascinating.  Samarth loved every little thing about Sanyukta. Even though a considerable amount of time had passed since they were in a relationship, there were times when he would look at her and he would not be able to believe the fact that he was in a relationship with Sanyukta! She was so so gorgeous! He would naturally come up with new words to describe her amazing aura, like, Cutieful! He loved playing T.T with her and most of all he loved to make her laugh!  What attracted Sanyukta to Samarth was his amazing sense of humor. He wasn’t the forward sending kind, but he was a natural at coming up with witty statements spontaneously out of nowhere! Sanyukta found this quality really endearing. She loved how he made her feel even when they would just be around each other doing absolutely nothing. Such things would keep reminding her how true and pure their bond was.
Love is an incurable disease they say, but if it is so, Sanyukta and Samarth were glad that they were infected. They had come to that sandwich stall after quite some months and Sanyukta loved every bite of it. But the last bite that she had, felt a little salty, which was just strange.
Samarth loved her with all his heart and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Though his wish was fulfilled, he didn’t know his life wouldn’t last too long. That night, Samarth was returning home after an excruciatingly long day at work. He was listening to his favourite playlist when he sud denly felt a piercing pain in his ears, a speeding SUV had rammed into his cab, the cab hit an electric pole and the impact was such that Samarth passed away- on the spot.
Sanyukta got a call from Samarth’s mobile; a passerby broke out the news to her. She couldn’t believe her ears! She thought this was one of Samarth’s pranks and she wanted to beat the hell out of him for scaring her like this. Sanyukta wished she could meet him to hit him, she wished he could feel that pain.
She rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. She somehow mustered the courage to see his body, she felt an immense pain in her heart as she saw his face. Her heart couldn't believe the fact that he was no more. The love that Sanyukta’s heart contained for him was so strong that her brain couldn’t help but agree with her heart.
The sandwich vendor stared at Sanyukta, he saw her holding the sandwich up in the air and mouthing the words, ‘Have a bite no!!’.
If Schizophrenia is a disease, Sanyukta was glad she was infected. 

  
Credits - Sir Sagar Vilas Kulkarni

Whyyy Soo Curiouss?

An RCUPG initiative: What makes you curious?

Curiosity is the mother of all inventions - I don't think I got that phrase right but it fits well somehow! If it wasn't for "how..?", "Why..?", "What..?" there would've been no inventions. Everybody has their own chunk of interests drawing their curiosity. Me? ahh well, there are so many things that I ponder about and have got no reliable explanations for the same.

How on earth did the initial inhabitants start talking? Who invented words? How did that "hu hu aa aa" escalate into words? We can create our own language today but only by using a language that already exists and we already know very well! You would imagine the scientists have probably got this figured out. But because of lack of any direct evidence to the origins of the first language ever spoken, the scholars have dubbed this topic "unsuitable" for serious study and therefore there exists no consensus for the same!        

The "How-Why-What" is really a source for interesting facts. Why a certain place is called by that name or a certain recipe being named after the Chef who prepared it or the story behind rock band names! The band Marilyn Manson was named after the beautiful “Marilyn Monroe” and America’s chilling murderer musician “Charles Manson”.

Turning to some lighter curiosities; who cleans up after Spiderman's webby mess all over the city? How does Bane eat? Seriously how does he eat!? Can we really dream within a dream? Or are we already doing that and just don’t know about it? If time travel was possible, there would really be no end of time right? Who is the whistler in the Samsung notification tone? Does he get any royalty for that one whistle? Doesn't Ekta Kapoor know her serials suck?!

Champagne is produced worldwide, including India. The surprising thing here is that there is no drink called "Champagne" produced outside of Champagne, a wine region in France. So even if there is production of sparkling wine inside France and yet outside Champagne, you can't call it "Champagne"! I got all this only from "Why is Indian Champagne so much cheaper than imported one?" – Because there is nothing called “Indian Champagne”!

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Is that just a phrase or is it scientifically possible? Google as much as you want, all you will get is references to Joker's dialogue in Dark Knight and some really kickass creative answers. This one really intrigued me; Read carefully

"Since such objects could not exist and only exist in this hypothetical situation because of their absolute yet contradictory statuses any answer must be formed around sustaining those absolute statuses. If an unstoppable force were to meet an immovable object either time will slow down as the force approaches so the two will never meet, space will expand so the two will never meet, or once they meet the unstoppable force causes the universe to split in two identical universes... one with the unstoppable force and one with the immovable object.
That's the best I've got! I'm exhausted... too much of hypthetical thinking."

And so am I! 

So share with me, what makes you curious?


- Rtr Prasanna Mainkar,
  Club Editor,
  RC Dahisar Coast.