Sachiiiiin....Sachin !!

A billion prayers go up to the heavens whenever he walks into bat. A billion heads come down in dejection whenever his wicket falls. They dance deliriously when he flicks one past square leg. They chant cumulatively when he puts one past point. And the opposition watches wistfully when he plays the trademark drive.

Sachin’s 17000 ODI runs couldn't’ have come at a better time. I had been itching to write for the last few days but nothing fired my imagination till his innings of 175 this morning. I knew a post on Sachin would come sooner or later on my blog as he is one of the very few men who I admire and idolize. Today it is then.

I am going to eulogize him unabashedly in this post. So if you are not a complete Sachin fanatic like I am, this post is not for you :P I'd probably not say anything that has not already been said but this post is my 'two cents'.

From the day he was hit by a Younis bouncer and batted on with a blood stained shirt to the day he mauled the Aussies in Sharjah. From the day he smacked Akhtar all over the park to the day he gave cricket its most poignant moment (when he scored a century against Kenya coming back from his father's funeral). The 'Little Master' has gathered accolades unparalleled by any one else in the cricketing world.

Barry Richards has called him ‘Cricket’s God’. And God he is indeed.

The highest number of runs in both Tests and ODIs. The highest number of 100s in both Tests and ODIs. It doesn’t get any better than that. He is the absolute BEST. He IS the GOD of cricket. Period.

What’s remarkable about the man and the thing that I personally admire the most is that in spite of these histrionics he is still as humble as a child. Never has he got embroiled in any unpleasant incident on or off the field. Even as far less cricketers have instigated him time and again he has maintained his calm. Be it the overly-aggressive/abusive Aussies or the extra-zealous Pakistanis. They have all tried to disconcert him on the field with unkind words and gestures. But he has never stooped to their level. I think this comes from the fact that deep within he knows that he is far better than anyone else on the field. Far far better. So much better that no one even comes within sniffing distance. He sure knows it. He doesn't show it though. And that's what's great about the man.

The same bowlers’ appreciation off the field is testimony to this. Have a look here.

Needless to say young cricketers can learn a lot from him. His impeccable technique, unshakable concentration and unquestionable dedication. But more than anything else they can learn humility and dignity from him. They can learn how not to let success get to their heads.

I could go on and on till the time hell freezes over. I guess even beyond that. Such is his stature.

The world would applaud adoringly when he finally decides to leave international cricket. That is if ever it happens. I along with a billion others would wish that day never comes !!

I'm gonna shout till my throat goes hoarse "Sachiiin...Sachin" !!!

P.S. I know I have used a lot of superlatives/exaggerations/timeworn-cliches here. But then whats love if it's not corny ;) And we all love Sachin. Don't we ?!

Streets of Philadelphia !!

So this weekend I saw the movie ‘Philadelphia’ for like the tenth time. I loved it for like the tenth time. Having seen it numerous times already, I don't really know why I decided to watch it again. Maybe I was caught up in a little nostalgia. Maybe I was missing Philly too much !!

Some of you may have seen the movie. Others may have not. To those of you who have not, I’d suggest you watch it at the first opportunity. To those of you who have, you’d know what I am talking about.

Tom Hanks is remarkable in the movie. I think he gives his best performance here. He plays the role of an AIDS afflicted patient with the sangfroid of a Sachin Tendulkar batting on 99. His portrayal of the battered Andrew Beckett is exceptional. If God himself were to come down and play the role I don’t think he’d be able to a much better job. Hanks makes you feel his pain vicariously. He makes you believe that the pain is real, the anguish, the desperation is real. To put it in broad strokes, he's done a tremendous job and I can’t think of anyone who would have done it better. Watch the clip above and you’d know.

A little about the movie now. Hanks works for a law firm and is one of their most promising attorneys. But he’s sabotaged by his employers when they find out that he's carrying AIDS and is a homosexual. More than the infection it's his sexual orientation that his employers can't handle. From there on, it’s a tale of Hanks’ struggle against this discrimination. Also about the change of heart that Denzel Washington (Hanks’ attorney) goes through during the case. How he goes from being a homophobe to pulling all stops out to win the case for Hanks.

The movie was ground-breaking when it came out. AIDS and homosexuality were things that were not talked about overtly. Making a mainstream Hollywood movie on those issues was a gamble. But it paid-off. And since then many directors have followed suit.

A slight digression. Well, not really !! I was in Canada some time back and witnessed a gay parade in Toronto. Thousands thronged the streets cheering those who were part of the procession. The crowd was celebrating and rejoicing with them. Some of the crowd was there to merely look at the cavalcade of oddly & scantily clad men /women. But I'm sure there were many who were in attendance to support 'Gay Rights'.

When I think about it I feel that the gathering there was a perfect microcosm of our society. Through the years some have come to accept homosexuality while others have not. And they won't. Some go to the extent of labeling homosexuals as 'criminals' (like many of my countrymen). Not too long ago I read about the furore in India over a High Court ruling that decriminalized homosexuality.

We as a society, you an me have certain ethos, at times certain religious beliefs that preclude us from accepting the behavior and lifestyle of homosexuals. They are different from us in their sexual preferences. Perhaps its not possible for us to respect/accept that. But there is one other thing that we can inculcate. Tolerance. We don't have to embrace them or champion their cause. But we don't need to cringe at them either. We don't need to ostracize them. Just as we tolerate people from different religions (or do we?), can't we tolerate people with sexual orientation different than ours? Think about it. Imo they HAVE to be given the same respect as anyone else in the society but tolerating/accepting them as part of the social milieu would be a start.

"Respect" and "Tolerance" are the keywords here. And the good thing is that the latter can occur without the former. Don't approve/respect their behavior if you can't. But don't loathe them too.

At a time when we have countless other problems like poverty, nuclear armament, pollution & climate change in the world, should homosexuality be our biggest concern ?! Lets take on the other issues first and then worry about a guy/girl who sways the other way.

I end with the most eloquent defense of tolerance and freedom that I have ever read.

"I disapprove of what you say but I'd defend to death your right to say it" - Evelyn Beatrice Hall

Lets try to do that !!

P.S. Two dedications this time ;)

First one is for my 'Big Bro'. Its his birthday on the 6th. Funny thing with him. He doesn't seem to get older, he just gets wiser :) Have a great day broda !!

Second dedication is for a my good friend from Pakistan, Aatir, who recently informed me that he's getting married come February. His temporary insanity of love is definitely curable by marriage ;-) Dude, just hang in there till then :p

24 Till I Die !!

Yes, I want to be 24 till I die. 18 worked alright for Mr. Adams, but I'd prefer to be a good 6 years older. He had his reasons, I have mine.

When I was 18, I was in the second year of my college. Even though my parents have always been of the 'unstinting' and ‘he’s the youngest, let him spend as he wishes’ kind, I was still cash-strapped on most occasions. Now money is not the most important thing in life. I know that. People say it's Love. And I agree. The unfortunate thing was that I was in love with money...too many things to buy, too little money at hand. Now, that I am 24. And working. Well, yeah you infidels ! I am ;) And doing decently well at that. Staying in one of the costliest cities of the world, the money is still not enough for all the things that one could want, but its way better than what it was when I was 18. Whole another thing that I don’t desire a lot of things now. At least not the ones that money can buy. Refer 'Dad, I’m a Socialist'. So, there we go.

TwentyFour 1 – Eighteen 0.

Having broached the topic of ‘love’ in the very beginning let me take it a little further. Love of the lucre has been right up there on my list. Not far behind is, yes you’ve guessed it right, Girls. And mostly girls older than me ;) I still remember the time when I went absolutely crazy for a girl, only to find out that I was 18 and she was 21. I also remember that damsel-in-distress who I wanted to be the rescuer of. Sadly I was 20, she was 23. If I had a dime (even a cent) for every time this has happened, I would easily beat Warren Buffet to be the richest man around. Sigh... So as I was saying, due to this age barrier I couldn't hit on these swans. Well now that I am 24, I don’t have that problem any more. 24 is the perfect age. Anyone more than 24, I don’t want to hit on them anyways. Anyone less than 24 is now fair game !!

My four elder sisters are going to come after me with large steak-knives if they read this, so if this is the last post you see from me for a long time to come, please be the good samaritan and inform my parents. They’d appreciate it.

TwentyFour 2 – Eighteen 0

Another thing that I love about life at 24 is the freedom that I have. This partly stems from the fact that I am staying alone now. Since I'm away from my family I can be my own master. Stay out till late in the night, sometimes till early morning. Have a few beers here, there..everywhere!! The party just doesn’t stop. Needless to say I couldn’t drink when I was 18. Plus staying with my parents didn’t help. I remember cutting short many an outings with friends after getting a call from Dad demanding that I come home immediately.

TwentyFour 3 – Eighteen 0

3-0

Now that’s a margin comfortable enough to win a soccer match. And if it's good enough for my deities then it's good enough for me !! I have a few more reasons but they'd all come out in good time. Till then, Keep it real!!

P.S. This post is dedicated to my sister whose birthday it is today. Happy Birthday Sistah ;)

The Smile Train

A ‘Smile’ is a small word but a it has big impact. In spite of knowing its importance, how seldom do we use it !! Frugal as we are with it, imagine the plight of those who cannot afford one.

Imagine not being able to smile at that special girl you see in the hallway each day. Imagine not being able to express your happiness at the gift your boyfriend just gave you. Imagine not cracking up at the funny antics of 'Laurel n Hardy' or 'Tom n Jerry'. Imagine not being able to smile ever in your life. Scary, eh? Maybe now you’d not be so stingy with those smiles.

Still there are countless kids across the world who live through this all their life. And the cause of their affliction are 'clefts'. Clefts are pandemic in many developing countries of the world. Millions are suffering with unrepaired clefts. As a consequence of these clefts they cannot speak properly. They're not allowed in schools and lead a life of isolation, humiliation and abject misery.

Yi Yun, a small girl in China lived through 11 years of this. Abandoned by her parents, unable to communicate and tormented by the society, she led a life of neglect and despondence. For 11 years she had no friends, for 11 years she was alone. Really alone !! But her life changed. The Smile Train arranged a cleft surgery for the girl, after which she was able to go to school. With training she also started to speak coherently. Some of her first words were a ‘Thank You" to her sugeon.

This is one of the numerous stories that I have received in emails since last summer, the time I had made a small contribution to the organization. The surgery didn't just put a smile on her face, but it puts a smile on my face ever so often.

I got an apartment recently and would probably get a car sometime soon too. As have most of you. These things make us happy and that's what they are meant to do. But its something that’s a given every day of our lives. Every time I’d get into the car, I know it’d give me pleasure to drive it around. The leather upholstery, the mean speed it gets to in 6 seconds, the awesome stereo system and what not.

But the kind of smile that the The Smile Train gives me is so much better. In fact it’s the best because it catches me off-guard. There I am going through the motions of my perfunctory life, oblivious to the fact that there is life outside work and in comes this email with a picture of a kid whose life The Smile Train changed. Sometimes it’s the only sunshine I see during the day. Never discount the element of surprise :)

Friends, if any of you would like to make a contribution please check out this website. You can make a one time contribution or a monthly one. That's my ulterior motive of writing this piece anyways. Also, it would be great if you could share the website's link with your friends.

The Smile Train

info@smiletrain.org

You can contact me too if you'd like any other information about the same :

vk.singhh@gmail.com

I exhort you to make this investment. The ROI is great. I can bear testimony to that ;)

Iran, Tiananmen 2.0

This video of a young woman dying on the street has become the defining symbol of the rebellion in Iran. It's a rebellion where a government has turned on it's own citizens and is killing them without a scintilla of guilt or remorse. A rebellion where young innocent students are being killed unconscionably by the government's forces. A rebellion where opposition leaders are being house arrested to prevent them from stoking the protests any more. A rebellion where numerous journalists have been apprehended and harassed in order to choke the flow of news and information from the country.

Perhaps the last time the world witnessed such high-handed treatment meted out by a government to it's own people was in 1989 at the Tiananmen Square in China. Many parallels have been drawn between the two rebellions over the last few weeks.

Over the last week or so, the protests in Iran have died down. The government's crackdown on the protesters seems to have worked. The demonstration rallies have been few and not as massive as the earlier ones. Perhaps the rebellion is over too. But I'm sure it is going to change the situation in Iran in not so distant future.

Down the years the rebellion in Iran would be remembered for two main reasons.

For one it would be remembered for the brazen way in which the government stole it's own people's election. How a candidate who was immensely popular and the favorite to win (even was reported to be winning by 2/3rd majority votes at a time) suddenly lost by almost 11 million votes is beyond comprehension.

Second and more importantly the rebellion would be remembered for the role that 'Social Media' has played in it. As the Iranian govt blocked all news agencies to prevent them from reporting what was going on in the country and restricted the movement of reporters (even deported some foreign reporters to their home countries), the people of Iran found a novel way of letting the world know of the atrocities they were being subjected to. They found a new way to plan protests and discuss strategies. They used social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube extensively to make the world aware of their cause.

Iranian Twitterers, many writing in English, posted photos of huge demonstrations and bloodied protesters, detailing crackdowns on students at Tehran University. At one moment in time, it had become such a movement that Twitter postponed maintenance scheduled for early morning, California time, which was midday in Iran.

Just look at this link and you'd realize the extent to which Twitter was and is still being used for the protests. Give it a minute and see the number of new posts that it shows you at the top of the page. You'd find some spine chilling stories of the venom spewn by the riot police and militia in Tehran and other cities.

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23iranelection

You can also look here to view some images from the protests.

This rebellion has shown us what Social networking websites can achieve for us. They're not merely a way to share pics of your latest trip or a way to tell your friends what phone you bought recently. They are a great platform to come together for a cause. Surely this would go down in history as one of the biggest achievements of 'Social Media'.

People all across the globe have shown their solidarity for the rebellion in Iran. Players of the Iranian national soccer team wore arm bands to show their support and concern for their people when they played a WC qualifier match in South Korea a few weeks back. They were dismissed from the national team a consequence. U2 recently performed in Barcelona and showed their support to the dissidents' cause. Have a look here. Outside Iran numerous people are in constant touch with Iranians and helping them send information out to the rest of the world. They are going beyond the typical shows of support by setting up proxy IPs and trying to confuse the Iranian security services. Leaders all over the world have condemned the actions of the Iranian government.

Come to think of it. All this would not have been possible if it were not for these social networking sites. People outside Iran would have remained oblivious to the happenings there.

Hopefully the Iranian government takes notice of its people after this revolution and takes steps to improve their living conditions just the way the Chinese government did after the Tiananmen Square incident in '89. It did not spell the end of Communism in China but it definitely resulted in an improvement in the living conditions of its people. Here's demanding an encore.

Together We Can !!

Scene 1: Queens, New York 2008

I remember I was quite tired that day. A long and stressful day at work had ended. My uncle called and asked me if I wanted to come over for a BBQ and some drinks. Though I was drained, I decided to go. The prospects of some good food and an enjoyable time with family beckoned. Though it just wasn't on the cards.

Just as I settled down in a cozy chair on the patio, I saw an old lady (probably in her 60's) wandering in the area around the houses. She was really old, I could tell from her rumpled skin. And she was carrying a huge sack on her back. She'd go from one dumping bin to the next looking for something. I didn't know what. I had never seen anything like that before. I had seen people taking garbage out for families but this was different. She was looking for something specific in those bins. Looking thorough the filth and dirt, she kept filling her sack slowly.

I curiously asked my aunt what this old lady was up to. My aunt told me that she was looking through all those dumping bins for empty cans and bottles that people threw away. She'd collect them all and return them to get 5/10 cents on each and that would help her get some food for the night.

My heart went out to her. I was morose. It was awful. I wondered how much worse could perdition be. Didn't feel like eating much after that.

I'm sure you've all come across similar situations some time or the other.

Should she (at her age) have to do that to feed herself? Turns out she does. And if she does then there is something amiss in our world. Something terribly amiss.

Just think about it. On one hand we have people who live a life of extreme indulgence and luxury and on the other there are those who lead a life of want and privation. Those benumbed by the cold when we are enjoying the warmth of our cozy apartments. Those who go without bread when we waste food at our lavish parties.

Scene 2: U of P, Philadelphia 2009

The last week or so was all about graduation and things related. Lots of nostalgia, lots of excitement and lots of friends. Nostalgia of leaving a place that I love. Excitement of moving to a bigger meaner city. And friends who came in from all corners for the BIG send-off from the university.

Amidst all this hubbub I met a friend after almost 4 months. A good friend and an even better human being. Somebody I could sit and let my hair down with. And that's precisely what I did.

We reminisced. Talked a little about studies, some things about work and a lot about life. I somewhere knew where the discussion would eventually end (going by our past discussions), but what I did not know was that this time around we'd both be willing to take it a step further.

One thing led to another and out came the idea of starting a community and a foundation/charity (hopefully very soon).

So yet another charity you'd say. Well, I do not have any response other than saying, 'Yes, yet another charity. This one is our contribution. This one is our attempt to give back to society'.

Another thing that you may ask is the cause that we are supporting. Well, why don't you guys tell us that !!

It could be anything that you bring to us. Anything from supporting a local school in your neighborhood to providing medical services for the indigent to educating the adults in your area. It's your cause and our money. Well partly our money and hugely the money of people who'd support us ;) And we hope to have lots of both.

We have the support of professors at our university. Mentors and friends working in big corporations. Friends in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey, Korea and the US. And if we have your support as well, we are sure we can achieve a lot.

We'd soon come up with a roadmap for this and also ways for all of us to contribute. Please let us know of any comments, suggestions or ideas that you may have either here or on the following community.

http://www.orkut.com/Main#Community.aspx?rl=cpp&cmm=90235871

We'd soon have a similar group on Facebook and we'd share that link too.

Lets come together for this cause. Lets rise above our personal desires and make a difference.

Lets be the pencil that God uses to write a love letter to this world :) This one's not mine though :)

Run Forrest Run !!

That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of the university city ;) And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across the bridge into downtown. And I figured, since I have run this far, maybe I'd just run to the end of town. And that's what I did. When I got to the end of town, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going.

Yeah yeah, I know these are not exactly my own words. You don't need to roll your eyes and make faces :) These words express the niceties of my ideas perfectly and hence they have been used.

I have always had a penchant for running, but it's only recently that I started running here in Philadelphia. On the streets of Philadelphia.

And running on the streets is so much better. Mainly for a couple of reasons.

For one I am not running on a treadmill at Pottruck (read local gym). So I don't find myself at the same spot even after running for more than an hour ;) I make progress, I move ahead and I go places. What's the fun in seeing yourself at the same damn spot even after running for so long? You might as well not do it !! You've got nothing to show for it :p

Second, it's way better than running in the park. I don't go round and round in circles. There are enough thoughts in my head which do that everyday. Thoughts that I want to get rid of but can't. Thoughts that I'd rather not have. Thoughts that keep circling my mind all the time. The last thing I need is me doing the same !!

And so I go downtown. So did George Costanza once. LOL

When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know - downtown

This slight digression was for my fellow Seinfeld fans ;)

So as I was saying, I decided to run downtown.

Run fast and far. Fast because I'm no 'old man' and far because....well it's FAR. Far from home. Far from my worries. Far from everything. Far from life. And if anyone needs to be far (removed) from reality at this point, then I do !!

I run past all my worries, all my tribulations and all my stress. At the start of the run all my thoughts are with me. Thoughts about work/studies, personal thoughts and sundry other ones. All of them running through my mind. But as I run further and further, they seem to lose me one by one. And for good.

The only thought that remains after a while is to make it to my destination and of course not fall flat in front of that cute chick coming from the other side :p

After a while the body says no, but I listen to the mind and keep going. That's what we all do everyday of our lives. Isn't it? Run after our dreams, after our ambitions and aspirations. Even when we feel sick and tired of it, we keep going.

We often pan it and claim that it's a bloody 'Rat Race' of which we don't want to be a part of. But truth be told, the day we'd stop running would be the day we'd stop living.

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."

And So, I keep running.

I've seen many people running to the sound of their favorite songs on their ipods. I personally don't like doing that. I have tried it a couple of times but I'd rather hear the sounds of the world around me.

The hubbub at the pubs on the side of the road, the gush of the river when I pass the waterfront, the loud roars of music from the frat houses (when I take a detour) and last but not the least, the mellifluous chatter of the 'american girls' as I pass them. The way they add a zing to their conversation is amazing. It has a singsongy qualiy to it. It's like music to my ears. And I never get tired of hearing it :)

So what I am getting at is that running is amazing and I love it. There is no aspect that I dislike except when I counter people who are faster than me and run past me. But I think that's alright. Because that's life. There would always be people who'd be smarter than you, faster and quicker than you. It hurts to know this but it's true :)

What I'd really like to do soon is a long run on a beach and with vacations here and Florida in sight, that may not be a 'distant' dream (if you see what I did there) !!

I end with these lines from Jesse Owens. "I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."

The strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs !! And those two would take you FAR !!

P.S. Not that it's any of your business, what title I give to my posts, but this one couldn't be more apt as yours truly's name means the same as For(r)est !! a.k.a Jungle ;)