A Letter to Santa

At the Palladium, Lower Parel.

Dear Santa,

I don't want a fancy gift or expensive clothes

Neither do I want shiny jewellery or leather coats

Nor do I want to lead a luxurious living.

All I want is friendship that is true,

Love that is unconditional,

A promise made that ain't gonna be broken,

Trust which is worthy of it,

Respect which isn't namesake and

A life with not just puzzles but its solutions as well.

I know it’s not feasible,

Is it because I've been a bad kid? Or it is too much of good to ask for?

I guess I'll never know.


Note: This was originally written last year 24th December when I did not own a Blog. So I thought I'd share it on the same day this year! :)

I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage. Is that so?

FlashFiction#1

He was just a kid. Born in a poor family, all he heard time after time as he grew up was that he was born in the wrong race. Nobody could blame him; and they couldn't let him live freely either. His family was insecure and scared. War between the superior and inferior race. They took away his everything; his parents, siblings. He had no one. He became helpless. He was lost, but he had nowhere to go. If only he had a different skin.. things would've swung his way.. 

Why do we love our motherland indeed? Is it because of how wonderful our culture is? Our history has been revolutionary? What about the likes of those who were and are ill treated by the very place they were born in? Aren't they supposed to love their motherland? Don't they deserve a place they can safely call "home"?

African civil war ridden countries.. Libya.. Racism between the whites and the colored.. Congo.. Lebanon.. it goes on and on.. 

Do they love their country? - For her rich and varied heritage?

5 Most clever moments in Football

We come across dozens of impossible passes and trickery but some of this is just rare!

• Some brains with the gloves!

 

Starting off with something very simple yet clever. Not the most uncommon.

Someone who has made Pirlo's panenka look silly; an always animated Barca Keeper Pinto playing mind games with the penalty taker here. Does he win it?

•   North pole-South pole!

 


When this kind of a trick works out, doesn't it look really good? The look on Ibra's face - priceless. 

Not one but most of the Inter players trapped offside here by Sienna.

•  Life is unfair.

 
Chelsea vs Man United with C.Ronaldo.

A really clever move by Rooney, well supported by Giggs and an impeccable finish by Ronaldo. But did the referee appreciate the cleverness here?

•  I'm gonna take that!

 

Couldn't trace the German teams involved in this video. Nevertheless, looks like a messed up freekick at first. Then the very next second the entire act comes together. They ought to have practiced that!

•  Whoa, what was that?

 

Theyab Awana, playing for UAE in a friendly-match against Lebanon scored this penalty. Although, it was more cheeky than clever since there was no risk involved considering their team's position. However, their coach did not appreciate it and Theyab was subbed a few minutes later for this move! 

Unfortunately, he died in a car accident in 2011 at the age of 21. 

The moment He finally retires.

It came as quite a surprise to me when he announced his retirement. Although it was imminent, I expected him to call it a day after playing his last game; just like he did for the ODIs.

That would have drawn a lot less media. Not a single day has passed by that not a single newspaper has not printed about Sachin's glorious career, his records, upcoming events in his name, tributes by celebs around the globe, the grand hoopla circling Wankhede and how his retirement is the only thing that matters in that Test series. 

What more came as a surprise was the fact that he mentioned about retiring after his 200th Test game. I've always known a Sachin who doesn't care about any milestones. Never did he mention about playing 500 ODIs or scoring 50 ODI Centuries or even 100 ODI half Centuries. The only milestone he chased was the World Cup.

He has invited a lot of unnecessary presssure onto himself. Pressure to perform, to please the crowd for one last time, give them moments they can't forget and above all the media pressure.

This retirement announcement seemed very un-Sachin-ish to me.

A young Sachin always excelled under pressure; in fact it got the better of him. But with age, he hasn't coped too well under pressure. Take for examples, his nervous 90s streak jinx, low scoring in Grand finales; be it the World Cups (2003 World Cup still upsets me), IPL or any other. Can't seem to forget the monkey he finally got off of his back after his 100 International tons either!
 
Unlike the above, this time he has only this one chance, in fact two innings so two chances, to set his farewell right.

This is just my take on some possibilities that could happen in that in His last appearance in the field: 

Starting with a negative one (and a dim scenario too). How frustrating is that gonna be? If the match is abandoned. Bad weather. November rains. Let's not be so sure that it won't happen. Mumbai's weather off late hasn't been the most predictable one. And what's more unfortunate than the rain Gods interrupting our cricketing God? Sachin doesn't play. Whatsoever be the reason, he might not get injured- how about a little stomach upset? That would just be pitiful. This is like the worst case scenario and I hope it doesn't happen!

If He doesn't get his 200th cap, it should be upsetting and both interesting to see if he extends his last game to another series.

On the positive side, let's first say he scores just decently and stays on the pitch for a fair amount of time. That should be good. We fans will be happy to see him bat. The media will probably ignore his mediocre score. A fair goodbye.

How about an hundred? That should be a heavenly feeling for him and the best possible moment for the billions that will be watching him on the entire planet.

He scores a duck and wait, it seems very sad at first but its not that bad. His comparisons with Don Bradman will resurface! Sure the West Indian who does this crime is gonna be the butt of all jokes, just like Ishant Sharma is right now. He will probably feel guilty too!I just hope He doesn't crumble under all the expectations from us, his family, his team members and the media.


Let's give him a break. Let him breathe. Let him enjoy his last game. Let him play in his typical fashion. I am sure he will bowl too! With an era coming to an end I'm gonna be one of those who won't be following cricket as much as I did. 

Perhaps, their key to finding the net!

Chelsea have a redundant battalion of world class midfielders; half of whom are battling for a spot in the playing XI, some are just meant to be loaned out and some just for bench warming purposes. However, the ones who end up playing have one thing in common; they're all reaching out to a striker to finish what they create.

Torres over the course of his Chelsea career has only looked a paler shadow of his Liverpool-self. He has never really looked confident enough to lead the Blues' attack. Once, one of the most feared strikers of the league has become a laughing stock!

Lukaku "The Drogba in the making", showed glimpses of his ability in the pre-season but failed to capitalize on the starts when it mattered the most. The Super Cup debacle wasn't too helpful either.

Ba too has been mis-firing. And Mourinho never seemed to have confidence in either of the three!

The search for a dependable striker got stuck with Rooney from the beginning of the transfer period. It reached a dead end and looked like the Blues' would have to scrape through with the available resources till January.

Yes, Abramovich does not permit signing of players aged over-30. Only Mourinho could make it happen. Without splashing much funds, for an year's deal, a player who he has already worked with in the past and won many titles with; Samuel Eto'o was welcomed to the Bridge in a fairly quick deal!

Five talking points about the man-

His accolades speaks for himself

He needs no introduction. He had very successful stints at Barcelona and Inter Milan winning back-to-back Continental trebles; making him the only player to achieve this feat with two different teams! He has been declared African Player of the year a record four times! He is definitely no short of recognition for his ability on-field.

Will suit the Premier League' weather

Eto'o, doesn't lack physical ability. He can break past a defense like a beast with the pace of a bull. Not much known for his delicate shots, he powerfully shoots at will! The pace of football here in England won't startle him!

A complete striker

Eto'o performs the lone striker role perfectly. Lacks the quality to make crosses but can do magic on the other end of it. Sets up goals with key passes, assists, free-kicks and when all this becomes too mainstream, he simply shoots from distance

Already Mourinho groomed

Been a part of Mourinho's Inter, Eto'o is already familiar with his tactics and coaching techiniques; which is probably what made his decision to come here easier. Eto'o would hope for another Champions League title under the Special One once again!

Experience

The experience card always unfolds while signing any player over 30! Well, in this case the card is very crucial. Having played in the top flight of Spain and Italy, he is no stranger to playing in multiple competitions throughout the calender! His experience comes as a bonus to a side which is practically new school.

The only catch that remains; whether he can continue his overseas scoring here and make his way into the XI with three other strikers in the background. He would have to play some really amazing football to impress the Owner into granting him an extension next season! If Eto'o sticks, Torres will definitely be counting his days!

Today's outlook towards independence day.

Let’s bring back the old spirit!

Back in the day:

I sure can’t describe the rush our people felt back in the day when we attained independence in 47! What I can definitely tell you is that the day’s importance has faded away slowly and gradually. 

Real-time experience:     

            

These are not my words; I’m just putting together what my Grandmother shared with me.

"In 1947, there were no TVs, hardly a radio in an entire village; newspapers were the only reliable source medium of knowing about the happenings of our freedom struggle. In my childhood, I’ve seen Gandhiji, lal Bahadur Shastri and even Indira Gandhi when she was small. There were long parades for celebrating the independence and we women would finish our household chores quickly to watch the crowded processions! Every year on 15^th August, we would go to watch the parades and the decorative lightings on big buildings. Watching electrical lights was a sight for us. There was struggle everywhere, but the independence swung things our way."

That’s the difference today; we fail to feel the struggle we faced in the pre-independence period. It’s boring to read about the struggle in a history textbook. Talk to your grandparents; they can share better than any history teacher and with a lot more feeling. My grandmother couldn’t help but smile throughout with enthusiasm while talking about our independence! 

Today:

In the 1980s, the national anthem was played after the closing credits of the movie. This practice was changed because many citizens would simply sprint out after the movie was over; respecting the anthem was too much of an exercise after a three-hour sitting spree.

The anthem is a symbolic gesture to remind us of our bond with our motherland; just a couple of minutes out of our busy lives to find the emotional connect with our brothers and sisters. 

The Independence Day is treated by most of us as nothing but a holiday and not for what it is intended for; recalling the struggle our freedom fighters went through and celebrating the nation’s freedom that they left for us! 

It’s not independence when we’re still ruled by corrupt bureaucrats.

It’s not independence when a woman can’t walk on a street alone without feeling insecure.

It’s not independence when we unite against the foreigners but divide and resort to communism here.

It’s not independence when the largest democracy in the world is unheard by its own Government.

It’s not Independence when our protectors are the ones we are scared of.    

Take a pledge today:

“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi, Father of our nation – who was fasting and negotiating with communal leaders on the day of Independence after a Hindu-Muslim flare up in West Bengal.

Before celebrating yours, protect her freedom too! 

 










Stop corruption, don’t offer it! 

 

Facts you ought to know about the struggle:

• Even at the age of 61, Gandhiji led the 241 kilometer march to Dandi and proceeded to make salt in defiance of the law by non-violent means

• Bhagat Singh underwent a 116 days fast in jail demanding equal rights for Indian and British prisoners. He was aged just 23 when he was hanged to death.

• Apart from our Indian heroes, Dr. Annie Besant, a Britisher supported India’s freedom struggle wholeheartedly and founded the Home Rule League in India 

• India-Pakistan partition created inter-communal violence which cost more than One million lives! About 3.5 million Hindus and Sikhs migrated from Pakistan to India and 5 million Muslims from India to Pakistan.   

• After independence, the Portugese amended their constitution and declared Goa as their state. The Indian troops invaded Goa and claimed it back not until the December of 1961. 

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We all need a helping hand..

The issue:

In a population flooded country like ours, there's a high ratio of children who can't afford good education or the accessories for it or both in most cases! And due to the regional imbalance, there is a very small "schools to students" ratio in many rural areas. The government pretends to try helping them, NGOs and other private entities seem to be the only viable heroes for these unfortunates.

Tackling it:

One such unfortunate area is Vaitarna, just outside of Mumbai.

With just one school to provide education for an entire village.

One such savior is Helping Hands.

This team organised an event for 65 needful students of Saraswati Vidyalaya school in Vaitarna on the 28th July from Std Vth to Xth. The main aim of this event was to provide needful school children with the basic amenities which they can't afford easily and give them a memorable day.
The day for these lucky kids started off with a speech from the Trustee and Principal of the school followed by the kids singing a welcome song for their well wishers. The team introduced themselves and the kids were asked to do the same. To make it interesting, cross introductions 
were done, the shy ones were encouraged to come out of their shell.

Later for entertainment, Ishan Hatekar Foundation performed a bird show for the kids which they thoroughly enjoyed. A break was taken and a sumptuous lunch was served for the kids; biryani, raita and gulab jamun. Post lunch for teasing their brains and dodging any chance of them dosing off, a general knowledge quiz was conducted row-wise and winners were royally gifted stationery items. The fun continued with guitarists and singers; Jugal Sawdekar and Neil Raviya, entertaining the kids with some Bollywood items!

And then we reached the moment the children were primarily made to wait for; distribution of the school kit, which included notebooks, pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler, a pouch to keep all this, a geometry box, water bottle, lunch box, umbrella and a Chinese lamp! So basically anything and everything the kids would need for a better schooling and studying experience!

To put the cherry on top of the icing, the school library was donated books which cost approx. Rs. 10,000; courtesy the hard-work of the team in raising funds! The kids and school Principal were overwhelmed. The event concluded with a vote of thanks. 

It was a dream come true that they never had!

Spreading the word: 

It's not just about raising funds for the poor children, it's about utilizing it to provide the less fortunate something much more valuable to make them self sustainable in future; education or the means to get the most of it! And that's exactly what this team achieved!

Helping Hands is not an NGO or a private organisation, just a bunch of friends making a difference in the society.

So why can't You and I? Let's lend a helping hand. Leave a message here or on their wall on Facebook! 

Helping Hands Facebook

For volunteering, Contact Helping Hands - 9860369028

All photos have been published with permission from Helping Hands.

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My “eco-friendly” Friend Ganesha

Yes it’s just the first week of July and a couple more months for one of our vastly celebrated festivals and personally my favorite festival, but I think it’s the right time for me to make this write-up and spread a word about eco-friendly Ganapati idols.

 

Significance in short:

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated by large communities to mark the birth or rather his rebirth to lord Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is the god of prosperity and good fortune. It’s a festival which is celebrated for ten days by Hindus not just all over India but all over the world. A festival which is being privately celebrated since the Shivaji era and became a public festival in 1893, courtesy Lokmanya Tilak! Before the start of any journey we loudly chant “Ganpati Bappaaa!” and we definitely get back a louder “Moryaaa!”

Now and then:

Ten days of beautiful Ganapti idols’ sights, from a couple of feet small to three-storey building sized idols, decorations exorbitantly expensive but a treat to the eye and the long and noisy visarjan nights are just unforgettable. But what has been forgotten is the fact that traditionally Ganapati wasn’t celebrated the way it today is. The idols would be sculpted and carved out of earthen or natural clay and decorated using little things from home, flowers and after the festival the idols would be returned back to earth by immersing in natural water bodies.

There is something else that we haven’t forgotten and we aren’t completely aware of it but chose to ignore it- Usage of POP idols and other toxic chemicals for decorating these idols. The growing size of idols induced crafters to use POP because it is easier to make idols out of it and make them colorful rather than clay.

Scientific explanation:

 

The visarjan of such POP Ganesh idols converts the POP to gypsum, which breaks down very slowly in water, increases its hardness and degrades the life carrying capacity of water bodies. It forms a waterproof layer at the bottom of the water body. The rampant use of harmful paints, usage of metals like cadmium, lead is wreaking havoc in the environment and contaminating seas, lakes and ponds. 

This is what happens to every single POP made Ganapati idol every single year! When will we learn?

Furthermore, it can impact you too via the consumption of fresh water from lakes, seafood and fish. The impacts can be narrowed down to problems related to heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory and central nervous system. 

Avoid the above explanation:

In simple words, tackling the scientific gibberish – visarjan of clay idols is returning what is earth’s whereas visarjan of POP idols is pressurizing the earth to intake what is man-made and harmful for its well being.

We resort to such a harmful act at the cost of the beauty He has created.

Solutions in action:

Other than the use of traditional clay idols, other suggested solutions which are in action:

A brass idol which can be re-used

Immersion of a clay idol in a bucket.

• Use of a permanent Ganapti icon made of stone and brass, used every year and a symbolic immersion only.

• Recycling of plaster idols to repaint them and use them again the following year. 

• Ban on the immersion of plaster idols into lakes, rivers and the sea. 

• Creative use of other biodegradable materials such as papier-mâché to create Ganesh idols. 
   

 
Our Lord Ganesha is friendly-by-nature; why not make his idols nature-friendly too?






Click on the following link for List of stores of ecosensitive Ganesh idols from Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad

If you stay in Kandivali, Borivali or Dahisar, here's the Rotararct Club of Dahisar Coast's initiative for you!

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