Cricket India

Busy schedules kept me off from blogging...

Yesterday I was able to watch only intermittent parts of the cricket match. Missed out Shewag’s blast but saw India reach home safely thanks to Dravid 'wall' knock ....but...too many chances were given by SA bowlers. Anyway 'Team India' will be happy to draw the series!

One thing which we can see unique in the matches held in India is the presentation party...
A row of ten to twelve people fighting to fit in the closure to present only one man of the match award or a man of the series award… making it to look terribly awkward! Usually Ravi Shastri will read out all the names which resembles like the menu list and men standing there only know that their name was read out. Let them may be a big shot or a sponsor guy who contributed for the game …but....it really looks clumsy to see the line up.

Chief Ministers are omnipresent in Indian matches and yesterday Vilas Rao Deshmukh was no exception. He was there right till the end of match and considering that it was a weekday, I don’t know whether our chief ministers have any other important work to do.

That’s how cricket is held in India and that how it will be…

Dada is returning to test side…more dramas to unfold!

and as a final say...

as any other Indian .....'I am a cricket crazy guy'

Are you a professional?

Had this saved in my collection from Tips for Success - modelled on L. Ron Hubbard's quotes. This is about professionals in life!

How you look, talk, write, act and work determine whether you are a professional or an amateur. Society does not emphasize the importance of professionalism, so people tend to believe that amateur work is normal. Many businesses accept less-than-good results.

Schools graduate students who cannot read. You can miss 15% of the driving-test answers and still get a driver license. "Just getting by" is an attitude many people accept. But it is the attitude of amateurs.
"Don't ever do anything as though you were an amateur.
"Anything you do, do it as a Professional to Professional standards.
"If you have the idea about anything you do that you just dabble in it, you will wind up with a dabble life. There'll be no satisfaction in it because there will be no real production you can be proud of.
"Develop the frame of mind that whatever you do, you are doing it as a professional and move up to professional standards in it.
"Never let it be said of you that you lived an amateur life.
"Professionals see situations and they handle what they see. They are not amateur dabblers.
"So learn this as a first lesson about life. The only successful beings in any field, including living itself, are those who have a professional viewpoint and make themselves and ARE professionals" — L. Ron Hubbard

A professional learns every aspect of the job. An amateur skips the learning process whenever possible.
A professional carefully discovers what is needed and wanted. An amateur assumes what others need and want.
A professional looks, speaks and dresses like a professional. An amateur is sloppy in appearance and speech.
A professional keeps his or her work area clean and orderly. An amateur has a messy, confused or dirty work area.
A professional is focused and clear-headed. An amateur is confused and distracted.
A professional does not let mistakes slide by. An amateur ignores or hides mistakes.
A professional jumps into difficult assignments. An amateur tries to get out of difficult work.
A professional completes projects as soon as possible. An amateur is surrounded by unfinished work piled on unfinished work.
A professional remains level-headed and optimistic. An amateur gets upset and assumes the worst.
A professional handles money and accounts very carefully. An amateur is sloppy with money or accounts.
A professional faces up to other people’s upsets and problems. An amateur avoids others’ problems.
A professional uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment. An amateur uses lower emotional tones: anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.
A professional persists until the objective is achieved. An amateur gives up at the first opportunity.
A professional produces more than expected. An amateur produces just enough to get by.
A professional produces a high-quality product or service. An amateur produces medium-to-low quality product or service.
A professional earns high pay and enjoys his work. An amateur earns low pay and feels it’s unfair.
A professional has a promising future. An amateur has an uncertain future.
The first step to making yourself a professional is to decide you ARE a professional.

Are you a professional?

Shreya Goshal !

I was seeing this recorded program of Ilayraja - live in concert...

Saw this song 'Khajiraho' from 'Oru Naal oru kanavu' sung by Shreya Goshal and Hariharan. I have never seen Shreya Goshal before and she looked beautiful in the white salwar..

The way she sung the songs without even knowing tamil (I guess!)...it was fantastic...Even Sadhana Sargam, who has sung more songs in tamil faltered a bit in lyrics but this lady was great..Her voice was same as in the original track and the effort put in was so minimum. When I saw the song later from the original movie...the picture of Shreya singing the song never left my mind...it was better than the original picturisation (Yuck!! Soniya Agarwal looked ugly in that song)

The same was with 'Onnavida' from 'Virumaandi' too. While Tippu tried his best to imitate Kamal, Shreya...to me...was at her best. According to my amateur knowledge, there was no any stagger in the pronounciation & execution !

I expected some comments from IR on her but nothing came...I think she deserved a few words!

Let us expect more songs from her in future...

Other Meaning

Jeevan has asked for the short stories....another one from my collection...

Many years ago in a poor Chinese village, there lived a peasant with his son. His only material possession, apart from some land and a small straw hut, was a horse he had inherited from his father. One day, the horse ran off, leaving the man with no animal with which to till the land. His neighbors - who respected him greatly for his honesty and diligence came to his house to say how much they regretted what had happened. He thanked them for their visit, but asked: How can you know that what has happened has been a misfortune in my life?

Someone mumbled to a friend: "he can't accept reality, let him think what he wants, as long as he isn't saddened by what happened." And the neighbors went off, pretending to agree with what they had heard. A week later, the horse returned to the stable, but it was not alone; it brought with it a fine mare for company. Upon hearing this, the villagers who were flustered since they now understood the answer the man had given them returned to the peasant's house, in order to congratulate him on his good fortune.

Before you had only one horse, and now you have two. Congratulations! - they said.

Many thanks for your visit and for all your concern answered the peasant. - But how can you know that what has happened has been a blessing in my life?

Disconcerted, and thinking he must be going mad, the neighbors went off, and on the way commented: "does he really not understand that God has sent him a gift?"

A month later, the peasant's son decided to tame the mare. But the animal unexpectedly reared up and the boy fell and broke his leg. The neighbors returned to the peasant's house bringing gifts for the wounded boy. The mayor of the village offered his condolences to the father, saying that all were very sad at what had happened. The man thanked them for their visit and their concern, but asked: How can you know that what has happened has been a misfortune in my life?

They were all astonished to hear this, since no one could be in any doubt that the accident of a son was a real tragedy. As they left the peasant's house, some said to others: "he really has gone mad; his only son might limp forever, and he is still in doubt about whether what happened is a misfortune."

Some months passed, and Japan declared war on China. The Emperor's envoys traveled throughout the land in search for healthy young men to be sent to the battle front. Upon arrival in the village, they recruited all the young men except the peasant's son, whose leg was broken. None of the young men returned alive. The son recovered, the two animals bred and their offspring were sold at a good price. The peasant began visiting his neighbors to console and help them, - since they had at all times been so caring. Whenever one of them complained, the peasant said: "how do you know it is a misfortune?" If anyone become overjoyed, he asked: "how do you know it is a blessing?"

....And the men in that village understood that beyond appearances, life has other meanings!

Back...

I think I lost even those few readers who have been visiting my blog!

It was a break induced by Ramadhan holidays and the string of interviews that I had to attend for my job change. Anyway by gods grace it all went successful and I hope that I will be writing blogs in a new place few days from now.

Other than that it is always same life that I have to live on here. Tamil Sangam here is conducting a story (sirukadai) competition for Writer Sujatha's visit to Muscat in December. They have given 3 topics: Expatriate theme, Sci-Fi theme, Manithaneya Theme. I dont think he is going to read all the craps and select the best. Mostly proxy judges will be involved to filter.

I already tried a story on Expatriate theme which was very good while writing...when I finished and re-read ....it did not have the flavour that I thought it had. Nadai seri illa. Katurai mathiri agaivittathu. I dont know how to include it here. The font does not suppport it. If time permits I am planning to write another one on the other themes. Lets see...