Rover6064

Revving Up.......

2004-11-22T00:39:00.000-08:00

Running In Over....Revving Up Now....:)

To Everything There Is A Season

2004-10-31T04:45:00.000-08:00

Turn! Turn! Turn! by Byrds

To everything There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!

To everything There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

updates

2004-10-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

Well some update on my bike.....
She got a new paint job done ...Panther Black (A metallic black with a pearl effect)..She looks awesome...Also got a lot of chrome job done.

Our club celebrated its third Anniversary...and we launched our club website...have a dekko...www.roadshakers.com

Sometimes life seems like it is whizzing past, but take a step aside and its seems stagnant.

Good Stuff

2004-10-21T02:23:00.000-07:00

Check the posts from my fellow bloggers...
Damn neat stuff...

Rohan's
Matrix-Unveiled

Brij's Whatever Wherever

Hemant's Farah and Ishmael

Ganapati Bappa Morya

2004-09-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Ganapati Utsav, thats what is the talk of town for the last 10 days..
The festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesh which continues for 10days.From the 'sthapana' of the idol to its 'visarjan'.
In this part of the country it is as important as Diwali.And like any of the festivities..everybody is part of it...

With everything, it also adds to the chaos in the city.
Blaring music on the mega walls of amplifiers which am sure must be audible in the heavens above.
Roads blocked with huge pandals, and the traffic being officially stopped.
Extra water being released from the catchment areas into the river for the immersion.(Thankfully the rains have been good this year)

One just feels the whole charm of the festival get lost somewhere because of all this, but then thats just one aspect to the whole festival.
The traditional ganapati music and the ganapati dance..:-)..is something that everyone loves.
Its a great feeling to dancing all night on the visarjan day, something which lets you forget all the pains of living in the city for the last 10 days....
With everyone echoing the chants of 'Ganapati Bappa Morya'...Its time for the Visarjan again.

May his blessings be with everyone.

IF- Rudyard Kipling

2004-09-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Being a biker

2004-08-11T04:10:00.000-07:00

The following links are from a fellow biker...but what he writes is pretty much how i feel about it.Its, as if I have written it.
Read on.
Nothing beats and Pleasures of being a biker

Of Yellow jerseys and Yellow wristbands

2004-07-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lance Amstrong wins his sixth Tour de' France... supported by his ever dependable US Postal Service team.
This is from a man who in 1996 was diagnosed with testicular cancer and was given just 3 months to live.
read more

And whats more... he will be back next year, however there will be change in the dark blue US Postal jerseys.....as Discovery channel are the new sponsors for the team.

When he says WEAR YELLOW, he is not just talking about the Yellow jersey, althought thats what keeps him going. There is more yellow than that....the yellow wristbands are a means to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation for Cancer patients

Snapshots

2004-07-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I am really happy today, for a reason off course
I had read somewhere that
“One should not be happy for a reason, cause the reason can be taken away from you. One should be happy without a reason”
But I am taking the gamble here; cause somewhere deep within there is a belief that this time around the reason will not be taken away.
Anyways…just something extra from my end…:-)

I would like to share a few snapshots from the lives of some of the people I met during my journey. Wasn’t planning to blog them separately, but then why not.
Well these might come out as very ordinary people if you see them on the road. We in our hurry and worries of everyday life just walk past them. But if you stop and speak to them you realize what their dreams are, how strong are their beliefs, and how much they have to offer in terms of life’s little learning.

Gondiraj, age 14yrs, I met him en-route from Chennai to Pondicherry, he was selling coconut water on the roadside. Well got chatting with him trying to know more about him. He is in the 11th grade at a local school. He could not speak or understand English very well, but we managed with sign language and little broken English. In his holidays he would help him father in selling the produce from his small farm, and that’s what he was doing. I took out my SLR to take a snap , he was so excited, that before I could remove the lens cover, he was already posing. He requested if he could hold the camera as he had never done, so I let him take a snap of mine doing his job, which thrilled him beyond belief. The only sad part was that I didn’t have a camera which could capture the his joy.

Vellu , age 15 yrs, working as room boy in a lodge at Pondicherry. Well I had spent quite sometime searching for a decently priced acco to stay in Pondicherry, when I was directed to this lodge where Vellu worked. Within five minutes of my meeting him, I wasn’t really bothered as to how much I had to shell out for the acco. He was full of energy that I just forgot how hard the ride had been and how hot it was outside. He was ever smiling and all excited seeing my state and the bike. Somehow I had this feeling that there a lot of question in his mind and a lot he wanted to talk about, and then the dam burst. He went on talking about how he single handedly managed things in the lodge, how he would play cricket on Sundays and that he was a spinner, became sad when he spoke of his father’s demise, but bounced back and told me about Pondicherry. He said that he would like to come to Pune some day. All this was again in broken English, tamil, and the universal sign language. Even with all his worries he was so full of life, which I found really something creditable.

Stanlin, age 25 yrs, fisherman by profession. I met him in Rameshwaram at the guest house where I was staying. He was there to sell me a Snorkeling experience around the coral reefs which were just off the coast from where I was staying. At the prices he offered it was hard for me to say no. So off we were snorkeling was real fun, but during the couple of hours that I spent with them at sea, we talked about a lot of things right from tsnorkeling, to the coral reefs, to the LTTE tigers (Jaffana is just 16km from Rrameshwaram by sea.), to the ways of life in a fishing village, his early morning adventures in the sea, to how happy he was not married so that he could do what he wanted to. His dreams, he wanted to own a Trawler one day and export fish , corals and pearls. But what hit me most was, he said he would continue to teach people snorkeling, as he himself loved to do it , and that where else would he get to meet people from far off worlds where he could not go and learn about them

‘Aniley’ , age 50+ yrs, Actually ‘Aniley’ is not her name , it means ‘Aunty’ in Laddakhi, she said to call her that, so I don’t know her name. Met her in Pang , 1300ft above msl, she was managing a kitchen tent where I stayed en-route to Leh. What I remember most is her ever smiling and pleasant face. Well a fellow mate was down with High Altitude Sickness, she made soup and woke him up and made him drink that, saying that he would feel better. I just thought what was her relation with him, why did she do it, but I found no answer, I guess its just her. If only others would learn and help each other without trying to search for a reason for doing it. I don’t think I will ever forget her ever-smiling wrinkled face and I am sure the next time I am crossing Pang I will stay with her.

Kale early 30s , daily wage farm labourer. I met him en-route from Agra to Gwalior.
Well stuck in a dust storm, took refuge in a tea shack by the road. As usual got chatting with the locals. When I spoke to this guy about the dust storm thinking he was a local, it turned out that this guy was from Dhule , Maharashtra. Was really amazed to hear what brought him hear. This guy had been to Agra on foot from Dhule, a journey which took him around 45 days. He has been doing these trips around the country for quite sometime now, on foot and at most by bicycle. The best part was yet to come, he would study each place he went, the culture and customs, the political situation, history. We went on talking about the education system in India and in maharashtra in particular. This guy had learned so much without any formal education that he made the saying (which goes something like this) come true ”One learns more by traveling a 100miles than by studying a 1000books”

A few of the many I met. Just goes on to show that how much is there to learn from each other if only we decide to keep our eyes, ears and mind open. During my biking adventures apart from the joy the riding the bike, these experiences are what excite me the most and Solo rides are the best for this.

Sporting round up....

2004-07-08T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well that elusive write up is still coming...
Actually haven't got in the mood of writing it ..and don't want it to be a sham of a travalogue...so i guess it will have to wait....
In the meanwhile a lot of things happening on the sporting arena...

Euro 2004-- Was a real treat ...The games were real fast plays..as if you were watching the English League.....Saw Greece coming from no where to clinch the title....Great show ....France and Italy were dissapointing...

Formula 1-- Schumi is as usual on a roll..6th Grand Prix win..The last race saw Ferrari and Schumi teaming up for a brilliant Pit strategy to win the race..McLaren/Mercedes have finally started to finish races...
The true sparks this season seem to be Renault team and both Alonso and Trulli....

Tour De France-- sees Lance Armstrong getting into his stride....winning the Yellow jersey on the second day....US Postal again the favs this season.....T- mobile with Jan Ullrich ,Euskaltel/Euskadi with Iban Mayo and Phonak with Tyler Hamilton are other teams and riders to look at ....

Wibledon--Saw stunning victories by Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.

The next big thing i guess is the Athens Olympics...

At the end i would like to say that...the dry patch is over...i mean on the blogs...(Rain clouds are still not seen on the horizon..which is sad...)

The Pilgrimage comes to an end…

2004-06-29T02:47:00.000-07:00

The Pilgrimage comes to an end…

Back from the second leg..
24 days…6600Km Approx…Nice experience….
Itenary was:
Pune-Surat-Udaipur-Jaipur-Delhi-Chandigarh-Kullu-Manali-Rohatang La-Pang-Leh-Khardung La-Nubra Valley-Srinagar-Jammu-Jalanadar-Mathura-Agra-Gwalior-Mhow-Shirdi-Pune

All in all was a nice experience….

5 weeks…10800Km ….(approx)in total

From the beaches of Kanyakumari---to the lofty snow capped peaks of Laddakh…
From being 5ft above sea level to more that 18000ft above sea level….
Through the Kerala Monsoon, the scorching heat of Rajasthan, to the Icy winds of Kashmir….

Will posting a travelogue once I am done…

First leg over

2004-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Back from the Southern leg
13 day and 4222km of awesome solo riding

The itenary was as follows
Pune - Banglore- Chennai – Pondicherry- Trichy – Rameshwaram – Kankyakumari – Allepey – Cochin – Manglore – Goa – Tarkarli – Pune

Will be posting a detailed write up about the ride later.

Now getting the bike prepared for the northern leg where my little bro and 2 other friends from the Roadshakers will join me. Should be a good experience….

The Pilgrimage

2004-05-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Leaving on a 40 day biking tour...cutting across the country from south to north.....
I call it "The Pilgrimage"...from the Temples of the South (Kanyakumari...) to the Gompas of the North (Laddakh...)

The tour will be in two phases...
1) The southern leg , which I would be doing solo and would cover around 5000+ km
Pune - Banglore - Chennai - Pondicherry - Rameshwar - Kanyakumari - Kerala - Manglore - Goa - Pune

2) The northern leg, where i would be joined by a couple of others from our bullet club..and would cover around 6000km
Pune - Ahemdabad - Jaipur - New Delhi - Manali - Leh/Laddakh - Srinagar - Jammu - New Delhi - Gwalior - Indore - Pune

At least thats how I have planned it, lets see how it unfolds....

Running in…..

2004-04-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

That’s what I have been doing over the week…Running in (Basically, the act of driving you bike slow, so as to not increase the engine rpm…) the bike. Need to do for a new engine component for about 700-800 km.
Did 600 km over the weekend at a speed of 50kmph. It might seem an ok speed for city driving, but when you hit the highway, it seems as if a snail could go faster….

I had to get over with the phase as soon as possible…With the speeds being so slow, didn’t wanted to torture anyone else, so started in the early hours of Saturday and rode to Shirdi. Last time I gone, I had not taken her, so a visit was pending.
It was a long boring ride, but then it had to be done. It sure tested my patience:-)

It was hot and I was in sugarcane country, how could I not stop for a glass of sugarcane juice at one of the roadside shed, with one of those hand operated machines.
A glass of cold juice, with a hint of ginger and lemon and just imagine how refreshing it would if you yourself have taken the efforts to squeeze it. :-) 6 rounds around the wheel, before the old man was satisfied, that the cane was devoid of all its juice.
It’s the first time I have operated it, some new experience…
The old man there told me as to how it was different than the normal ones, that it had 4 bearings rather the normal wooden clogs and that the machine costs 5000 bucks.

An interesting sign board on the highway , something which shows how English has made its way into the lives of rural India…Written in Marathi ,”Pudhe Roadche kaam chalu aahe” , when it used to be “ Rastyache kaam”…..Basically says “Road works in progress….” But uses the word ‘Road’ instead for the equivalent marathi word.

Another observation was, the Reliance Petrol Pumps, saw around 6-7 being constructed.
These as owned and run by the company Couldn’t help thinking how Reliance had penetrated into almost every sector of Indian business today.

The Gunners do it and so does Schumi…

2004-04-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

Arsenal takes the English premier league title and in style ….34 matches without defeat.

Schumi makes it 4/4 and leads with 40 points….
A slight error in the first lap…got into a wheel banging tussle with Montoya...but then on its was smooth sailing…

Donate Blood

2004-04-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

That’s the 'message of the day' to my fellow bloggers.
According to a survey - On any given day, an average of 34,000 units of blood are needed to save precious human lives.

I do it every three months.
And the good part is that, in an emergency one can donate even before the 3 months period; like I did today for an open-heart surgery.
And the best part is that you get free glucose biscuits and coffee:-)

You might never know when it comes handy, and you could save a life.
I was speaking to the doctor and she told me that there is a scarcity of blood in the blood banks all over India.
With the HIV fear, the situation has worsened.

Here is a site where you could register yourself
http://www.indianblooddonors.com/index.asp

But the best would be to register yourself at a Blood Bank in your city

Dakiya dak laya

2004-04-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

Well thats the way an old Hindi song goes, English translation would be “Postman has brought the mail”. He too say’s “You’ve got mail”, but here its snail mail.

With all these electronic mails, sms and phone calls becoming so part of my life, I really haven’t written a letter and posted it. Today, the only time I put something into the “Lal dabba” (Post Box ), is when I send Diwali and New Year Cards)
In-land letters, postcards were very common say a decade back. There was a time when I used these to stay in touch with friends. I had also made a few Pen pals, strangers who had never met but communicated through mail.
Today, at the least with the urban youth, the only connection with the postal department is for any official communication, mostly bills (credit card bills, electricity etc.) or for sending application etc.
I don’t how many of you write letters today, but I am sure the number is very less.

Today I went to the “Dak Ghar” (Post office) after ages, I was to collect a speed post package.
The postmen were still sorting all the “dak” (mail). Sifting through the heap of letters, postcards, parcels etc. ; sorting them according to the addresses. And it just got me thinking about the important role these guys pay in our daily lives.

Indian Postal Service is the organization, which delivers mails to even the most distant location across the country. Mails travels through the all the possible means of transport, Air, Sea, Rail and Road. The postman takes it to the remotes corners of the country traveling by a bicycle, bullock cart or on foot. Traveling on the same roads day in and day out, be it the scorching summer or heavy rains, bringing messages of joy and sorrow

When one says “Postman”, there is specific image that comes to mind. A guy with a cap (most likely a “Gandhi topi”), a sling bad around his shoulder and bicycle.

In villages a postman has got a real important status, he is respected and greeted to the homes whenever he comes to deliver mail. He is more like a family. If you have read Malgudi days, you will know what I mean. One reason is that, with most of the Indian rural population being illiterate, he is the one who can read their letters for them.

It is not the same in the cities though; here, he is just another guy doing his job. He is given his annual Diwali bakshish (more from the nuisance value point of view.)

The classic “Dakiya”(postman) is slowly going from our lives, but its still quite sometime before he stops affecting us in our daily lives. One can recognize his efforts or take them for granted.
I would say, next time around when you are home and the postman comes; do offer him a glass of water.

Blacklisted :-(

2004-04-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well ages since I have updated my blog and have been blacklisted for that.
More than being busy, was nothing interesting to write, It been routine, cricket and election stuff. Have been going to office and back.
Another reason is that my bike has gone for a major overhaul, so I am down to a cycle without a motor for my commuting needs.

The only interesting thing was ...the night trek to "Dhak cha Beheri", more of rock climbing with a 2000ft drop below, which was really exiting. Experience of a lifetime and something I had not done for quite sometime.

Some interesting sites that I have visited lately
http://www.topgear.com/
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com

Umpiring in the recent test matches.

2004-04-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

The recent mailing forward read..
Indian says" Hamare pass Sachin hai, Sehwag hai, the wall hai..."
Paki says" Hamare pass Steve Bucknor hai"

Now India has had a history with Steve saheb...if you remember the Australian tour.
But the point here is about the how costly can these errors made by umpires could be in today's cricket, with so much money at stake (legal and illegal..), the game having become a lot more competetive than it was 50 years back.
There a thin line between how much freedom should be given to umpires to make their call and how frequently should they take the help to cameras and slow motion replays.

My previous blog today is essentially an article i found which addressed the topic of wrong decision on the cricket field and the need for technology assisted umpiring.

Wrong umpiring decisions could swing the pendulam either way

2004-04-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

Wrong umpiring decisions could swing the pendulam either way

by Sanjeeva Jayaweera

http://www.island.lk/index.html

A wrong umpiring decision could result in a team losing or even winning a
match. The player concerned if in the middle of poor form could find himself
dropped from the team while on the other hand if he is in top form he will
continue to go from strength to strength.

Controversy because of poor umpiring has been present for so long and will
continue unless the ICC decides to change its stance and use technology for
certain decisions. I am surprised at the stance adopted by people who
advocate that umpires in the middle must be entrusted with the decision
making in a sport, which over the last three decades has developed to great
heights.

Instances when umpiring decisions caused uproar

In 1968 during the 2nd Test between West Indies and England played in
Jamaica, the crowd rioted by throwing bottles on to the field when they
perceived that a West Indian batsman was ruled caught behind by a West
Indian umpire which was a dubious decision.

In 1980 during the 2nd Test between West Indies and New Zealand played at
Christchurch New Zealand, the West Indian team refused to take the field
after tea on day 3 as a protest against the umpiring of Fred Goodall, a New
Zealand umpire. They finally emerged from their dressing room 12 minutes
late and that protracted discussions between the two cricketing boards
during the rest day which finally saved the test as well as the rest of the
tour. However Colin Croft the West Indian fast bowler subsequently barged in
to umpire Goodall during his approach to deliver a ball which I presume was
a protest against his umpiring. Michael Holding a fine West Indian bowler
who is now an expert on suspect bowling actions kicked a stump out of the
ground after an appeal for a catch behind was negatived. It was stated that
Holdings kick was as graceful as his bowling run up and action! One may find
it difficult to believe that the captain of that West Indian team was none
other than Clive Lloyd the match referee for the current series in Sri Lanka
who has threatened to take firm action against any player who misbehaves
during the series!

In 1981 during the 3rd Test between Australia and India played at Melbourne
the great Sunil Gavaskar who was ruled given out LBW to Lillee disagreed
with the decision so vehemently that he ordered his batting partner to
return to the pavilion with him and thus concede the match. The Manager of
the Indian team however met the batsmen at the gate and ordered Chauhan back
to the crease. However the Indians clinched a fantastic victory by 59 runs,
which is the last occasion they have beaten Australia in Australia.

In 1986 Mike Gatting the English captain and Pakistan umpire Shakoor Rana
had a mid pitch-argument with Gatting wagging his finger, which resulted in
the match being stopped for 1.5 days whilst the umpire demanded an apology
from Gatting for his behaviour. Gatting finally gave in, but the English
Cricket Board subsequently gave a special hardship allowance to the entire
squad which, I presume was in support of Gattings actions.

In 1998 the Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga led his team to the edge of
the boundary and had a protracted telephone conversation with the Sri Lankan
cricket Board when his champion off spinner Muralitharan, was no balled by
umpire Darrell Hair for chucking. Other umpire Ross Emerson too called the
same bowler and Emerson was later banned by the Australian Board from all
types of cricket.

Whilst many would condemn the actions of all the above mentioned teams and
the players involved as "not being cricket" and stating that the umpire is
always correct some of us would like to consider the matter more
philosophically in that players under a perceived sense of provocation and
victimization can and will react adversely in a moment of extreme pressure
just as much as most of do so when driving along the roads in Colombo!

The case against introduction of technology to assist umpires

Many critics who oppose the transfer of power from the umpire in the middle
to the third umpire in the pavilion have cited tradition as the main reason
for their opposition. The less we debate this particular point the better it
would be as there is no valid reason for ever opposing the introduction of
technology to safeguard tradition. I presume it is the very same people who
opposed the move to allow females to become members of the MCC or to sit in
the pavilion with males or to patronize a bar in a cricket club despite the
fact that in 1960 the world witnessed the election of the First Female Prime
Minister.

Several others have stated that their opposition is on account of the
slowing down of the game if all decisions are referred to the third umpire.
Whilst I would agree that the game would slow down I believe that the
benefit of getting a decision right would negate the disadvantages. As a
spectator I would rather be able to watch Brian Lara score a spanking
century or half century rather than he be given out by an incorrect umpiring
decision. I would happily sacrifice the five overs lost during a days play
to ensure that a batsman was not given out incorrectly or that a genuine
edge to the wicket keeper given not out because the umpire did not see the
edge or hear its sound.

Some others have cited their opposition to technology assisting the umpires
by stating that technology at times is inconclusive. Yes there are in some
areas where technology is still inconclusive however I could live with it,
as I believe that the benefit of the doubt must always go to the batsmen. If
technology is inconclusive then the human eye cannot be conclusive. Imagine
the difficulty that an umpire faces when a ball delivered by Brett Lee at
over 90 miles per hour pitches and he has to decide whether it pitched
outside the leg stump when for most of the time the umpire was concentrating
on whether the bowler hadn't delivered a "no ball".

Credit to Imran Khan

It was Imran Khan who in the early 1980's strongly advocated the appointment
of two "neutral" umpires as he felt that a significant amount of credit was
being taken away from Pakistan when they beat their opponents in Pakistan.
It was common for both England and Australia to claim that biased umpiring
cost them the match as opposed to the skill of the Pakistani team. Most
people forget that in fact it was the Pakistan Board of Control for Cricket
who took the advice of Imran and appointed two English umpires to officiate
a Test series in Pakistan. Similarly umpires from India and Sri Lanka were
blamed whenever visiting teams lost.

The Australian umpires were not spared either although the media used to
play it down. I remember the West Indian team of 1976 being at the receiving
end of several poor decisions during their tour of Australia and Michael
Holding bursting in to tears when an edge which was heard by the entire
stadium, being negated by the Australian umpire.

Asian Umpires at the receiving end

It is rather amusing as to how in the past as well as in the present
incorrect umpiring decisions made by English, Australian, South African
umpires are often forgiven and forgotten on the basis that they were genuine
mistakes and after all the umpires are only human! However, when an Indian,
Sri Lankan or a Pakistani umpire commits a mistake it is perceived as either
biased or as incompetent. The former Sri Lankan spinner Asoka De Silva was
recently nicknamed as "A Shocker" by the Australian media for the several
incorrect decisions he made during the recently concluded series between the
world champions and the West Indies. Having watched the matches on TV, I
would agree that Asoka De Silva made several blunders but I have also seen
so many mistakes being made by the Australian and South African umpires in
the ICC panel who are not castigated because their mistakes are after all
"human". Only recently a satellite Television station showed the highlights
of a one-day international match between England and South Africa played
several years ago. It was astonishing to see how Rudi Kotzen a South African
umpire who still is officiating as an ICC umpire initially signalling a wide
and then declaring an English batsmen out caught behind by the wicket
keeper! If that was not a shocker then I do not know what constitutes a
shocking decision.

Are umpires inconsistent when dealing with Asian players?

I have watched on TV, Darrel Harper the Australian umpire continuing to give
very poor decisions but still being touted as one of the best umpires in the
world. I still remember how last year during the second Test between South
Africa and Sri Lanka in South Africa when both teams misbehaved, the Sri
Lankan fast bowler Chamila Gamage being admonished and warned by Darrel
Harper after he collided with the batsmen in mid pitch. What was totally
unacceptable was how Darrel Harper caught hold of Gamage by his shoulders
and shook him like a schoolboy whilst giving him a finger-wagging lecture.
The South African commentators were visibly embarrassed and pointed out as
to why the South African batsmen, was not spoken to at all. What was most
astonishing was that umpire Harper felt that he had the right to manhandle
Gamage in this manner. I wonder whether he would ever dare to shake Glenn
McGrath by his shoulders and give him a mid pitch lecture? I am sure he
would not and that leads to a very serious question as to whether umpires
believe that they are more important than the players and whether they apply
different rules to sub continental players as opposed "white skinned"
players.

It appears that most umpires in the ICC panel feel that they are immune from
being held responsible for poor decision-making and as such continue along
their merry way. I was taken a back the other day when Simon Touffal the
Australian umpire when questioned about his views on technology assisting
him stating that he would lose his sense of job satisfaction if the third
umpire was to make most of the decisions. It appears that umpires have
forgotten that it is the players who bring sponsorship to the game and the
crowds to the ground and not the other way around.

Considering all the issues surrounding poor umpiring and the detrimental
effect that it is having on the game as a whole it is of paramount
importance that those who matter in the ICC have the guts and the foresight
to ensure that the game of cricket is enriched by the use of technology and
that decisions other than no balls, wides and counting of six balls per over
is assigned to the third umpire.

22+ hours !!

2004-04-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Ya thats what my day at office has been...:-)
Have put in these long hourse after a couple of months...feels nice to work like this ...once in a while offcourse..
More later ..zzz...

Hatrick!!! but the game is not cricket

2004-04-05T01:42:00.000-07:00

Schumi does it again.Three in a row. A new circuit, testing conditions, but he made it look so very easy....
Bad luck continues for Kimi and Montoya.
Poor racing by Ralf once again, he is trying too hard i guess
But Button is making the most of it.

Life’s little instructions

2004-03-31T23:06:00.000-08:00

I got a poster from my ex-project colleagues, which says Life’s Little Instruction.
Listing a few ones I liked.

Leave everything a little better than you found it.
Don’t be afraid to say “I made a mistake” or “I don’t know”
Commit yourself to constant improvement
Compliment three people everyday
Never leave an opportunity to tell someone you love them
Never refuse homemade goodies
Don’t expect life to be fair
Learn three clean jokes

And above all
Count your blessings.

Well it was only yesterday that I was discussing with my friend about his nice experiences of Pakistan ride, when I had heard that another friend from Madras, expired in a road accident on the bike on his way back from Delhi.
Such an experienced rider, but some things no one has a control on.
Within life being full of such uncertainties, all the above instructions just became really relevant and important to keep in mind for the lifetime.

Today's black header is for him.May his soul rest in peace.

Tales from across the border....

2004-03-31T02:36:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, a fellow bulleteer, had recently been to Pakistan for seeing one of the One dayers.
He was part of the 21 member Royal Enfield Riders group that had gone to Pakistan.
Sadly they could not take their bikes on the Pakistan Roads, but the experience was great.

He was floored by the hospitality of Pakistani junta. People, offered to pay off their restaurant bills, rickshaw valas offered free rides. All the stories doing the rounds recently, were actually verified by him.

Even in the stadium, during the match people were very friendly. I was just wondering, if the Pakistanis had com over to India would they have also received the same treatment.???

This seems to a going good for healthy relationships between the two countries. And I am happy because if Indians are able to get Pakistani visas, we too can ride to Europe via the Land route (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Italy) seems to be possible.

Total biking ..for two years

2004-03-28T23:25:00.000-08:00

Sounds great !!! That’s what, this couple I met were doing.
Well, this Saturday I was on my way to Shirdi, and this time it was not a biking trip,which also included a darshan of Sai Baba.
I had specifically gone there, with a friend on a RE Thunderbird, rode more than half the distance but the rest was as a pillion. (Cost cutting you see:-)

Anyway, We met this couple from London, who were on a sort of world tour (a tour of developing nations I would say…)
We were having our breakfast they these guys pulled over. I couldn’t help but have a closer look at their bikes and then got talking to them.

The machines:
A Honda 750 V-twin 65 bhp and the other a Honda 650 V-twin 45 bhp
Really cool Enduro style bikes.

The route:
Well they started from London 15months back.
Landed in Cape Town, South Africa…Rode in Africa and now are riding in India, from here they go to Nepal, Burma Thailand…

The guy was carrying a weight of around 350kgs on his bike, including all the spares, right from fuel pumps, to spokes. Cause ordering spares otherwise took around 6weeks to be shipped from UK.

It’s the first time I saw a GPS navigator. It was really cool, with the road network of India covered pretty well; at least it could point the main roads etc.

I too want to tour Europe on day J

Indians runner up !!!!

2004-03-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

That should be the Newspaper headline tomorrow.
"Cricket", has already won the series with 4-0
All we can pray and hope is India wins this match and is the runner up.
All the best to the Indian team.

An interesting article on cricket and harmony in the Indian subcontinent. I didn't know that there used to be a Pentangular series pre independence.

English !!!

2004-03-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was going through some english grammar textbook and I could not help but remember Dharmendra from "Chupke Chupke", when he says, "English is a funny language".
There are so many rules to how one should compose a sentence and equal number of exceptions to those rules…
The movie highlighted those relating to the pronunciation, but there are many more.
For e.g. when one uses “and” to join two singular objects like You and me, it becomes plural; however, things like bread and butter still remain singular.
Sure would have been tough for the taxi driver to understand all this.:-)

A misplaced word could just change the meaning of the sentence…
This got me thinking to my earlier blog, as to, is this why is it so easy to misinterpret what we write. But then I concluded against, as there are so many authors who bring out the actual tone and feelings just by using those very words.

Anyhow. I had a tough time going back to the school day grammar, which I had long forgotten. Simple things. I had not used the semi-colon “;” for so many years (apart from the smileys); that I had forgotten why it used.

Additions to the blog

2004-03-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

As the recent additions... have added the link for atom2rss feed and also the page hit counter:-)

Flying Coffins !!

2004-03-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Ya ...Talking about the MIG 21s. The backbone of the India Air Force today.
Its an ailing aircraft no doubt....First commissioned into the IAF in early 1960s.
Since then there have been many variants which have served the IAF, many of them manufactured indigenously by HAL, India.
It however has glorious past. A tribute to the MIG-21

However, today there is a need for a better aircraft...talk to the serving officers and that’s what they will tell you, off course off the records...
A glimmer of hope with India finally signing the MOU with BAe for Hawk AJTs...Hopefully it doesn't get into another Bofors like scandal.

Everyone talks about the how great was the performance of the India forces during the latest Kargil conflicts. but sadly a few really look at the conditions under which India's defense forces are operating.
People are quick to point out the few perks which the people in the services enjoy..but miss out on the hardships they have to face...

The training for the air forces guys is a bare minimum, that too with ageing aircrafts...
Its alarming to see how many youngsters opt to join to the service today...(which was a coveted job about a decade ago...)

We have to start looking at these things as a nation. else it might be too late....

Super Sunday !!

2004-03-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

What a Sunday!!! filled with sporting action....
The Best part, India won...that too comfortably in the end...5wickets and 5 overs to spare...
With the early loss of wickets ...didn't seem to be a easy task...But then The Wall and Kaifu (taken from the Pepsi add)..did it for India....
A lot of people felt the match was fixed...with the way the Pakis were fielding...But i believe that with so many players having their careers attached to this series and their Nations pride at stake....would not be party to any such misconduct...

The second good result....Schumi....stamped his dominance on the F1 track....Sepang, Malaysia...not one of the best circuits for Ferrari...but who would say that after seeing the result...Schumi 1st and Barri 4th....

Also, was the Maharashtrian new year...
So all in all a great day...:-)

Emoticons- How effective are they?

2004-03-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

a friend of mine wrote a mail today, saying she was sorry for something...
Now first thing is that ...with friends its not important to say sorry, thank you....
but at times its important that the other person knows that he/she has done wrong...otherwise he/she will never improve....
anyway the point is not that.
Written communication.

Written communication is fine but it really doesn't express the real feelings....
It good for official communication where facts are exchanged....

A sorry is fine...but unless you know the person who is writing it, very well, you can never be sure if he/she really means it. Emoticons are good to look at and at times might serve the purpose.

But whenever emotions come into play...mails could be a disaster....
Its so easy to misinterpret what the other person is writing.
The 'tone' as they say, is missing. Whether the statement has a sarcastic overtone...or if it was really meant to be sweet....

I haven't been able to master the skill as yet, has anyone got any tips cause its not always very easy to pick up the phone and call...

Back in Action with Changes to Blog Page

2004-03-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

I am back...after two weeks....
Sorry to all who follow my blog, i wonder if there is anyone...!!??!!

Well a lot has been happening in the last couple of weeks....

Work...
A major chunck of my workload has been reduced....so have some breathing space now...
But it has been good, actually the last 3-4 months have been great, slogged myself, but enjoyed every bit of it.
Suddenly with everything over, there's a vacuum.

Cricket...
has been at a high...all over the world....
I was reading an article and it said that ICC has managed the teams so well....that currently all the Test playing nations are playing....
The highlights for me have been...
India - Pakistan-- oh boy!! the last two matches were amazing....the best part the quality of Cricket and the Crowd....really amazing....and surprising to some extent...!!
Windies- England--what are the Windies doing...they are at the lowest in their cricketing history...
Australia- Sri Lanka--Its been a good tour ...Lankans have managed to take on the Aussies pretty well...

The Indian General Elections...
Rath yatras, film stars, scandals....

The newspapers in India are having a tough time deciding whether Elections should be on the front page or the India-Pak tour...currently the latter is getting all the coverage...

Formula-1...
I am a keen follower of F1...and was nice to see Schumi starting the season with a Win...However, it won't be easy this time around....
Montoya has got a good car and should be a tough challenger...
Raikkonen is good but i don't think McLaren have a good car this season...
Alonso...now this man is the underdog....he is good and Renault have improved the car a lot....

Man U...
Manchester United Football club i.e. A team i follow....
This year isn't looking too great for them...
Out of the UEFA champions league...and trailing Arsenal by 12 point in the English Premiership ..
Still hopes in the FA Cup..where they meet Arsenal in the semifinals on 3rd Apr..that should be a good game...

Madrid bombings
Some thing new and shocking for the Spaniards....
Sadly a part of life in this part of the world....

Oscars
A clean sweep by LOTR..yet to see Return Of The King...but heard its good....

That's it for a start...hope to be regular ...:-)

2004-03-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

Just for the sake of it......
Have a been a bit tied up in work ever since I came back from Vadodara.....
Looks like it will continue for some more days.....
So guys...I will restrict myself to reading others blogs .....

2004-02-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

Currently sitting in a presentation where my business colleague ( he is a phd in chemistry …)is busy explaining the a software developed for molecular modeling..This presentation is technical , but the audience is varied….there are guys from IT, Biz development, actual scientists etc..
Hmmm…I am pretending to take note of the meeting

5 minutes into it….My colleague is still going strong…and people are still attentive…There have been a couple of questions also..
And I am not understanding anything …some molecules being characterized…alignment being defined..10s of tabular data being generated…

10 minutes and a chap has vanished, he was from Biz dev ..:-) I wonder why he was here..may be because his boss told him to….lets see when he gets back…
Another query and another person increases in the room, a scientist …
Lipensky’s filter and and prediction based on QASR analysis…well that makes sense….!!??
But people are interested….good for us….

15 minutes and Biz dev guy is still not back…One guy knows what he wants….my colleague tries to sell the software based a feature which he feels in very important….”but not needed at this time”…is the response…anyways there are other features also..
This is what I have observed even earlier…things which we find very interesting and important is not what people actually want….

20 min and the IT dev guy has started dozing…well at least his eyes are drooping…
I sympathise with him…I am sure he didn’t understand a word of it…
We get into the actual demo…it’s a pretty good one with 3d structure for molecule and compounds…and is very appealing and also very useful for analysis

25 minutes---out the 8..1 has left..1 is dozing…and another guys from patent dept..has started ….I think drawing in his diary…I am sure he is not taking notes…but the rest seem very interested…The presentation is coming to an end and one has started looking at his watch…he has done that 8-9 time since the last 5 minutes…

30min…And the phrase…” any questions”.. has woken up the IT guys…..
Another guy has a meeting so he has left…well don’t want to see as an excuse as he had asked a lot of questions…
There is a query…and we get into demonstrating other features….good work….
There is one lady…who hasn’t slept off …but hasn’t asked anything…but the way she paying attention..she seems to be interested in the presentation….

35min and people are still trying out different features of the product….so that’s a good show I guess….we have extended the time available by 5minutes…but that’s fine as long as people are interested…Now we got a suggestion for addition for another feature ….

40minutes…are at discussing what things are useful in which part of the company…
But there are some guys who are just to rigid and opinionated….I hate people who make an opinion even before they hear what the other person has to say....and want to even try and change the way they work…

42 minutes and the presentation is over…..I would call it a success …
By the way the Biz dev guy never came back….

2004-02-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

The two blogs i have posted today..were written yesterday night...but due to some net connectivity issues wasnt able to post them....

2004-02-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

Changing definitions…in India

Just saw a news clip about The world’s first floating ATM center…on a ferry boat in Kochi….
Just got me thinking…technology has changed the definitions of so many things in the recent past…And I am not even talking about baap-dada ka jamana…just the last 5-10 years…

Banking for one…..ATMs have become so common ..that one doesn’t have to go to the bank for months….right from getting cheque books delivered to drafts being issued…
Now I won’t go into whether its good or no….but mostly people have the impression that its very useful……
---But Money is still money which everyone is running for….

Movie theaters….now there was a time when going meant deciding between a 3-6,6-9 and 9-12 show…and look at how things have changed today ….any time of the day and there is some show running on some screen on some multiplex in the city….But the irony is that many a times one still cant find a decent movie to see…cause its houseful…
---But the fans are as crazy as ever….

Communication…..Letters are long gone…..emails were the next wave…and then came sms…if you look at college kids today…it’s all about sms today…how ru….wassup….
Even jokes being sent across….news flashes...cricket scores….even weather reports..
---But friends still keep in touch…

Food….with the markets opening up…courtesy Mr. Manmohan Singh..and foreign players coming in…the whole concept of eating has changed…Pizza’s …Take aways…Burgers…are the new things….
---But people still flock the Irani restaurant for bun maska and chai… and Vada pav, idli dosa, biryani…are still favs…

Shopping…..One stop shops…shopping malls and arcades….Just one place and one finds everything from eggs to diamonds….Even the concept of the grocery store is changing….with malls like FoodWorld etc coming up…today’s working class prefer these .…
---But still housewives love to go to the vegetable market and haggle…

Cars…10 years back if anyone owned a Maruti…its was really something..as compared to fiats and ambis…which had ruled the roads for so many years ….And now you have Merc, GMs, Fords, Honda standing in every other garage…and new cars coming out every couple of months….
---But the liking for vintages continue...and the charm of long rides continues…

Now that I wonder the reason why these things have happened …Easy Money availability….Suddenly people have got a lot of money to play with ….and as a results the market has become very customer focused…

2004-02-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of days I have been working on a project in a non software environment. Basically doing some requirement capture and feasibility study for manufacturing company. Not really shop floor but in one of the R&D divisions..but still the culture is same.
By the end of two days with these chemicals (it’s a chemical industry )I feel my olfactory system has stopped responding to any kind of odour.:-)

Interacting with people work who have so varied impression ..of the word Computers and Software to them..
There are a few managers who feel that Comps are not good as they will take away the freedom / authority that they command today. There are others who feel that Comps are they best..with everything taken care off by these systems they can sit back and relax..

So its really difficult to try and extract out the actual requirement that they have.
One lots hides information from you, so that tomorrow, they still have things under their control and the other bombards with you with every nitty gritty detail of his job, that one starts to wonder if the software should also make tea from him.

Indian companies came very late into the whole IT space...but slowly they have realized the need to get involved…However what I really think is that what these companies really require in changes and improvements to the current processes. IT education can only come once they have set in the processes right.
But at the same time, putting in place these new IT system actually help them to get the processes straight.
However some companies really go after the buzz words, ERP, E-security, Knowledge management etc . But what really happens is the software is in place and it is of high quality, but people really don’t know how to get the best out of it or even don’t know how these can really help.

Mostly the people who really benefit in the management and financial departments, cause they have their dashboards and work flows in place. So all the figures are there for them to see and they are not really concerned what happens on the actual shop floor level.

The other part of the Industry is that the whole working atmosphere. Right from the stench of chemicals and the handling of corrosive chemicals and heavy machinery (Well a Hard disc crash could be equally horrifying 
) to the supervisors screaming to reduce the downtimes

These big manufacturing setups are huge with the kind of infrastructure they support. Huge campus, with its own school, shopping complex, housing colonies etc
The huge Fog horn blows when the shift ends….

Well this is place is not too bad at least they have an internet setup..and I can post this…

2004-02-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

Chai garam chai….Sandwich bolo sandwich….
You guessed it right…
Railways…the life of India…well I don’t know really…it’s a choice between the truck network and the railways…well anyways…that’s not the point today…

In the last couple of years…my traveling has been extremes…either I bike my way to the destination…or take a flight (for traveling out of India for work and also for maximizing the days I get to stay at home on a holiday)….
When this thought came to my mind..it was quite a surprise, as till now, through out my life I have used trains to travel..Whenever we would come to my home town for summer vacations…or in college when I used to go home to visit my parents…

After ages I got a chance to travel by train ..when work took me to Vadodara…

But the experience was the same…..chai garam chai….cold drink thanda cold drink..…
…1234 down….xyz express…platform number 1 par aa rahi hai….
And what is more important is the style and tone in which one says this… 
The journey was not too long ....just an overnight one….But it was enough to bring back the old memories …..

I personally love to travel by train….off course second only to my biking sojourns…. 
There no better way to see the true India, than to travel by train….
With all the kind of people you meet and interact during the journey…one gets to learn a lot….
You see total strangers helping out each other with their luggage….on the other side you will see people squabbling over some petty issue…as if to pass their time during the journey.. ….Some ..like me who like to make friends…just get chatting and within no time are discussing things as if we knew each other for a long time…

And those small things ….like getting off a station early in the morning ..and having the nice hot chai in the kullad…( very common in UP)…hang out the door during monsoons when the train is gong through mountains…
and also….those cold winter nights when the window you were so happy to get when you boarded the train…refuses to close…and the cold air freezes you…
The kind of experience a train journey can give you..i really doubt anything else can be so enriching….

The other day I was seeing a serial on some TV channel ..it was about the Indian Railways…and how it has had an effect on the development of India as a country and also on millions of people who travel using these daily….
Millions who take trains to work…people who travel from remote villages to the cities in search of a better life….all the faujis who are traveling to meet their families on a well deserved and rare holiday….
And for those who rely on railways for their daily bread….The engine drivers and conductors….the numerous railway crossing gatekeepers….the station masters …..the chai valas and magazine valas….the vendors who sell anything from peanuts…to ..video games ….

Though recently there have been numerous incidents on train leaving the tracks and accidents but…I guess if people realize how important the train network is to a huge country like India..they will know the importance to keeping it up to date and efficient…

“Bolo sahib….coolie …coolie…”
I guess the station has come and I have to get down……
They say…. one learns more by traveling a mile than by reading 100 books…and what better way to do it…than by train…
I just hope the trains improve…but the experience remains as enriching as ever…

2004-02-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

Well have been busy for a few days...so havent blogged for a few days...
Also busy wrapping a project i was working on for the last eight months..now due to management decision it has been shelved..:-(.....But one can alwys see the brighther picture....as that means some thing different to do...
Well today sitting in remote place in Gujrat...amid ammonia fumes and distillation towers...actually on work for a project....rest is confidential...:-)

2004-02-20T02:46:00.000-08:00

Did some work in my Blog yesterday...with links to Netstatbasic...and Puting the commemts page from Haloscan....
Well saw the stats today... and the blog has got 20 hits ...not bad...

Friday is here...hmmm....and my head has gone blank suddenly...i cant find anything to write...:-)
Plan to go go on a small ride this weekend..should be good.....

i think i will stop here...

2004-02-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Rover..well the name is more of a call-sign...than the name of my bike...but i will refer to my bike with that name here on...
Named her that because of what Rover means (Wanderer, Traveller, Vagabond)....)and also inspired by one of the All terrain vehicle i had seen...
Getting into the details...She is a Royal Enfield Deluxe 350cc motorcycle...."Bullet" for the aam junta........make-year 2000.....Chrome and Black colour combination.....Now sporting disc brakes (which are a recent addition)....

Well its one of the last bikes of the passing era...when Royal Enfield did little R&D into improving the quality of the machines, engines, gear boxes , etc etc....In around 2001 the management changed and was taken over by the younger generation at Eicher......
Now Royal Enfield has started doing a lot new imprvement...coming out with new improved models....

Coming back to my soulmate....actually she is my alterego.....she just knows what mood i am in...and rides that way....:-)I think i will not go into the metaphysical aspects as yet....

So Rover like all the Royal Enfields on the road today...is based on the ancient "Push Rod" based engine...the only bike in India which runs on this technology....
There is absolutely nothing "digital" about her.....its like operating an SLR camera.....totaly mechanical and manual...Right from the Valve timing and Ignition timing, to Decompression etc etc....
Setting the timing and carbeurettor are the keys to her performance....just tighten a nut half a thread more and either the mileage will drop or the power will drop.....
Also its surely not a "Fill it, Shut it , Forget it " bike.....she is a monster when it comes to guzzling fuel....but she delivers...and thats what is important for me......
The max rpm on mine would be 3500-3800....so its not really a Yam or a KB...

But what I.... or most of the Enfield riders like about the bike is its "Thump" ....the characteristic beat of the engine and the kind of stability it offers on the Highways..around tight corners....
I really haven't modified the bike, except for the discs and I do keep changing the saddle.....

That was something about the machine I ride....but there is more to Rover than just the pistons , crankshafts and bearings.......
She has a character of her own.....very moody... for one....she is riding well....no problem..and then she decides she has had enough....so she starts giving you signals that she needs a break....and if you dont stop....she takes over the controls....the engine dies....then you realise what has happened...wait for 5 min in the shade...let her head cool off...and then she fires up like nothing had gone wrong....
Now there is a mechanical reason why this happens ...i really don't wont to believe it...:-)

very trustworthy....actually i realy trust her with my life....The way i ride on the ghats i really have her to bank upon...she gives me the confidence to take to tight corners at those speeds with my foot pegs touching the tarmac.....

very comforting......she is like your dog....not matter haw bad your mood is...she is capable of cheering you up.....Also when you are happy and want to celebrate....she goes out of her way to please you....

At times I have really streched her beyond her limits....but she has never complained....
Thats doesnt mean that i don't take care of her....She is cleaned, serviced and attended to very regularly...
after all...i too have a commitment towards her .....

I can go on writing about her...but i think i will stop here....
She is my first love......and i hope i can take care of her for the whole of my lifetime and hers.....
Miles to go together and to the grave with her....

2004-02-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

Well surprised to see no blog frm my friend Brij today..i wonder what kept him so busy ...

yesterday was a day full of arguments....phew...i wonder how i manage to get myself into this...
More than work and anything else...i feel things like these drain you the most...cause there is no logical solution to most of the issues...or even if there is, its not mutually agreeable....
So , one (at least I ) tends to spend some time over the matter...which is actually a waste sometimes...Anyways...

Today i plan to write something about my bike...but after a break...

2004-02-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

Am not writing much today...
Had a pretty sad day today...with me getting into arguments right from the morning...:-(
so thats that for today....

2004-02-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

today is the day....i think i have turned a corner.....There was something which had bothered me for quite some time...
I don't know if i have got the real answer...or given up on the hope of getting the true answer....
But for me .....I think ....i have finally found the answer...:-)
Its played on my brain and daily life so much in the last year or so ....that i really feel really relieved today....

Anyways....
The weekend was great...parents are here...ate home cooked food after ages.....ummm.....
Went on a small ride with Dad early sunday morning....through the ghats...gave him a feel how it is riding with me...and warned him not to tell Mom :-)
Also got a lot of lectures on healthy eating....daily routine..etc etc...but that was kinda expected....:-)

Well Valentine's Day was with my first love.....

Also shifted the Company office to a new location...office looks good....

well lets see how the day and week goes....

2004-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Friday the 13th....Hmmmm...As if it matters...
The newspapers are full of articles about ..what does it mean and what significance it is.....
With all due respect....For me its just another day.....

Yesterday had gone karting with a few friends...Nice fun...just let my self loose....Trying get the best line out of the corners...bilkul F1 ishtyle...:-)

Drove a KB RTZ yesterday.....what a difference after riding a bullet....the high revs of the engine..i can't even dream of doing that on my bull.....I am trying to keep the rpms low and my friend is telling...let is rise..it hast reached its peak....7000rpm it seems....

a lot of things lined up today....and for the weekend....
Parents are coming today.....the house has been transformed from a bach acco to a decent habitable place...:-)

2004-02-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

Second post of the day.....The meeting went well....
Going for Go karting in the evening....get my hands on some racing....
try some stunts that i have learnt by watching WRC...;-)

Got some real feedbacks today regarding my work etc...so need to start working on them.....

So like was saying in the morning...the important in appreaciating the sights you see day in and day out is your state of mind....well i will end it today......

Parents coming on leave tomorrow...so got a lot of cleaning up to do at home....:-)

2004-02-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

Well....A great morning today...An important meeting sheduled today...so really looking forward to it...
Early morning got a call from a dear friend Dhananjay...he has got placed after his MBA from IIM B so really happy for him....Basically thats what got me in an upbeat mood .....

Got out of the house and she stood there gleaming in the early morning rays...the sight was the icing on the cake....
Its so surprising that the same sight you see everyday can give such a different appeal when you are in happy state of mind.....

An amazing little piece on Brijesh's blog today...really got me thinking...
He has really started inspiring me for doing a lot of things....and i am wondering if thats good or bad...:-)
just kidding....;-)

Count your blessing was what really he wanted to say....and how true is that...
All a along we are like mice running in a wheel in a one of those lab experiments.... "an endless marathon" ...is how he puts it....

It really helps if you once in a while take a step back and wonder ...what does one really want to be happy....
some thing which my bike rides really help in doing...Whenever i am on my bike...i am in my world....thoughts come and go...some stay for longer time than others....
You feel you are the king of the road...but then you see and old lady trying to cross the road...and you stop for her to cross....and the others seeing you ...stop too.....
Its small things like these make my day....not winning big lotteries and and getting great pay rises...

Hmmm....i think i should stop...and get back to some work....

2004-02-11T03:24:00.000-08:00

Nothing much to write today....
Been a pretty ordinary day...looking forward to the bullet club met today evening...:-)..

Did nothing much apart from browsing the web ....not just for passtime ...but also for some work related stuff...but no coding today....:-)..

read brijesh's blog today...he talks about how the real problem with software deadline not meeting is at the start ...duriing the requirement claryfication stage.....an i kind of agree with him...

need to change the layout of the blogspot...to get in new links and comments...let see when i get the time for that....

thats all for the day i guess....

2004-02-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

Finally...took her to the Doc..my bike i.e.....
So again left early in the morning...

Got a bad news today..one of friends met with an accident...Luckily he is fine...but the bike's front end is kaput...
spent some time today..visit www.wrc.com....."world rally championship "...got some insight into the whole rallying scene...realy interesting..some of the photos are really amazing.....

Have started reading The Heart of India by Mark Tully....Travels through UP and writes about the life in the villages...its a nice insight to the ways of life in the true "India".....

Hopefully my bike should be fighting fit ....EO (the work) D....

2004-02-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

The weekend was good...Bought some new books ...
Had not made visits to any of the book shops for quite some time....
Wanted to start reading something different....
After speaking to some of my UK clients...i realised that, some of them knew more about India than i did...
Also few of my friends had been refering to some authors and their books about India....that they had read...
So picked up one each by Shashi Tharoor, Mark Tully and Ruskin Bond...
Some of the guys who have seen and written lot about India....

Spent some time with by Bike ...but not satisfied ..i think she needs to pay a visit to the Doc...:-(
Sadly, didnt manage to pen down any write ups i intended to...

All in all a relaxed weekend.....geared up for this week....

2004-02-06T04:37:00.000-08:00

Has been a good day so far...fixed a few bugs and had some good design discussions at office....
inspired my bro to start his own blogspot...

For some reason still very fresh...i guess i should start getting up early in the morning....
wellll...??!!!??? on second thoughts... let me sleep over this issue:-)

weekend is here...plan to spend some time with my beloved....havent being paying attention towards her lately...
also,plan to write a few ride write ups for the roadshakers website...and also a few office related stuff....

2004-02-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.....A good morning today...managed to get up early today....so got to office early...
the best part about it is that the roads are empty ..traffic lights havent started working....

hit two beautiful corners on the bike today...

lets see how the day unfolds....

2004-02-05T05:48:00.000-08:00

Today, Brijesh showed me his blog page, and thats what inspired me to start off...
Today was a 'ok' day...my bro took my bike to ofice today ..so was riding another machine...not a very happy feeling...:-(

nothing very motivating at office...on contrary some event really set me thinking as where was the world heading to...:-)
end of day today...hope my bro gets back my bike back safely...

2004-02-05T05:44:00.000-08:00

Riding comes naturally to some. I would not say that was the case with me, but there was a biker somewhere in me. My graduation to the British Beast was a slow one, starting from an Atlas bicycle during the first year of my college, to a Bajaj Scooter and finally to owning a Bull.

I had long dreamt of owning a Bullet. Coming from an army family, I had grown to the sounds it dispatches, from riders firing up their machines, to the sights of the Dare Devils performing incredible stunts on their Bullets.

Today after more than two years and 25,000 km of association, I see it as one heck of a relationship we have had. She has become my soul mate, in the toughest of times, through the highs and lows. She has been one adjusting partner from moving steadily at speeds of 30 kph when carrying an injured rider or to racing at speeds of 80-90 kph from Mahabaleshwar to Pune, because I had committed to a friend that I will be there.

I still remember the first day when I bought her. I had to push her for a couple of kilometres because the dealer didn’t fill enough petrol. Imagine pushing that 160 kgs bike, especially when you are used to the lightweight Japanese bikes. That's when she conveyed to me in clear terms that she has to be treated well or will become real nasty. As they say "Nai naveli dulhan ke nakhare" (Though I didn’t know then that these ‘nakharas’ would be there for a life time). So I regularly cleaned, serviced and polished her. She was pampered to the core. As time passed, we developed a nice rapport, a true bonding. Since then till date, she has never left me stranded (Touch wood). I had a flat tyre just 100m from a Tyre wala, empty tank when I was just entering my house gate etc.

Tired of riding through the crowded city roads, I slowly gathered the courage of taking her out on the highway. Letting the beast open in the surroundings is what is most comfortable to her. I graduated from what people say "Commuting" to "Riding". Being a Ganapati Bhakt, I decided to take her for the first highway experience to Theur (a holy place near Pune). I laugh my guts out when I think of that ride. It was just 40 km one way on a pleasant winter day and my rear was hurting when I came back. Today, it’s only after 50-60 km that I feel that I am riding and am really out of the city.

The highway bug had bitten me. In the next 3-4 months, I was on the highway almost every other weekend riding to Ashtavinayaks, Konkan, Mahabaleshwar etc. In fact during one of those months, my office mates feasted on fresh strawberries from Mahabaleshwar every monday morning. Most of my journeys used to be solo, just me and my bike. At times, there were pillions but they were not used to being through long rides. Hence, none of them volunteered to join again.

It was around that time when a phenomenon was happening in Pune. ROADSHAKERS as it came out to be, was Pune's very own Royal Enfield Bullet Club. It was started by a bunch of 7-8 mad men :), who were in love with their machines. Today the club has reached new heights and is the best in the country - a true role model for others to follow.

How could I not be a part of it? It’s been more than a year now with these 100 plus mad men and the number is increasing everyday. This was a new experience for both of us. I got to meet so many like-minded people and she too benefited because of the company. This club has given me something to live for; I look forward to the weekly meets like my life depended on them.

I was not new to riding at this stage, but riding with the group was altogether a different ball game, a whole new experience. I don't think I have missed more than a couple of rides, and with rides happening every weekend, that’s a lot of kilometres covered with the group. Our rides have taken both of us through the Shayadris, across beautiful Ghats, to exotic beaches of Goa, through the barren lands of Madhya Pradesh, and also to the Himalayas. Riding with the Roadshakers has been great. I have learnt a lot from the group and all that has helped me treat my bike even better.

That’s the story so far. I’m Looking forward to many more years of biking.

Miles to go before I sleep or should I say… Miles to go before she lets me sleep.