Showing posts with label Misc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misc. Show all posts

Thursday, January 02, 2014

Happy New Year!

We welcomed the new year pretty unspectacular fashion by watching Vicki Donor on TV. Aadrika was fast asleep at 9PM and it was just me and the missus. We saw some fireworks light up the cold Bangalore sky and also heard drunken howls from folks on the street at midnight and we were off to bed after wishing each other a happy new year. Nevertheless it was an evening for me to remember.

It's now back to the grind at work. One of my last big book purchases was Valmik Thapar's - Tiger Fire. It's mighty expensive at about 2000 bucks but is absolutely worth it. It will be one of the books I will treasure for the rest of my life along with another book on the Tiger that I got from my father back in 1990.

So lots of reading and lots to look forward to at work and with life this year!

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Welcoming another new year

The last post on the blog welcomed 2013 and here I am writing the next one exactly a year later which is a great shame. I have wasted lots of hours doing nothing and always feel a tad uncomfortable when I look at my blog and see the absence of any kind of activity from my end. Am I going to break this trend and vow to blog more as part of my resolutions list for 2014? I have done this in the past and failed miserably so I am not going to make any commitment, even if it is to myself anymore especially on a new years eve. My track record of keeping my word on new year resolutions has been nothing short of pathetic. In fact I don't think I've ever stuck to a resolution.

Looking back, 2013 has been immensely lucky for me and the family. I got a couple of promotions at work that I did not expect, we finally moved into our new home in December, I've gotten to spend a lot of time with Aadrika watching her grow. All in all it's been a year which I can look back on without any regrets and if 2013 has taught me anything, its being grateful for everything that come my way and none of this is possible without the grace of the almighty, my dear father, my wife, mother, in-laws, sister and family and friends.

As I look forward to the new year, I keep asking myself what do I want to do different in 2014 to make my life more enriching? I really haven't figured it out or made a definitive list but I nevertheless want to jot down what comes to my mind on this blog primarily because I want this to serve as some kind of a memo/reminder for me to push myself and overcome the mental inertia that has kept be bogged down for over 5 years now. So here goes (in no particular order):

  • Save more, invest more -> Cut down on impulse purchases (the fact that I have spent over 12K just on books in December is proving to be a wake up call)
  • Let the photographer in me blossom, which means spending more time on the only hobby I think I have. This will call for balancing the needs of the family and pursuing my passion but 2014 should be the year where I put a stake on the ground and allow myself to pursue things that I am truly passionate about
  • Get the mental inertia out of the workplace and get things done. Too often I have just sat on things only because I knew I could get stuff done before the deadlines.
  • Keep a journal (whether its on this blog, or a dairy doesn't matter)
  • Spend quality time with Aadrika and missus
  • Perform the Sandhyavandanam and tarpanams regularly
  • Read more. Finish the books that are lying unread before I buy any new book.
  • Learn to be clam (inner peace)
  • Curse less
  • Keep being grateful for everything in life.
May 2014 be a year of happiness, joy and prosperity for all!

Aum tat sat!



Monday, June 28, 2010

Sports Mania!

June and July are totally action packed this year for the sports fan and for someone who loves sport, there is simply too much on TV these days but I am not complaining. House hunting yesterday meant that I could not watch the F-1 European Grand Prix but followed some highlights and read about the whole safety car incident and I endorse Ferrari's views on Hamilton not being penalized enough for overtaking the safety car. meanwhile Vettel to me looks like the next world champion. He is pure class behind the wheels of an F-1 car.

Speaking of class, Germany was all of it in yesterday's world cup match against England. Having said that England played like a bunch of grand daddy's on the field and if I was John Terry, I'd probably pack up my bags and go on a indefinite vacation. Thomas Mueller was fantastic as were the other young Germans. It was good old fashioned counter attacking football at its best! 

Argentina to me, look like the team to beat. Higuain and Tevez are looking solid and then you have the magician, Messi who makes even the best defenders look stupid. The game against Germany should be a cracker. 

Spain and Portugal clash in another classic encounter. I think Spain have just about enough fire-power to over come CR7 and his team. I din't like the way Brazil played against Portugal. Looked like a wrestling contest and I'm hoping Brazil play with their usual flair in their next game. For all footie fans, a visit to the website www.zonalmarking.net is a must. Splendid analysis of all on-going WC matches. They cover all the major football leagues as well. 

Dhoni and his men won the Asia Cup although I remain very skeptical about our chances in the World Cup next year.  We simply don't have a bowling punch to restrict teams that bat deep like Australia and England and I don't see a Zaheer Khan emerging for us over the next year. Nehra is always good when his rhythm is good and the conditions helpful but I don't think the pitches in India are going to favor him. And while I am on the topic of cricket, I must make a humble request to the morons from the BCCI who do all the cricket planning. No more Sri Lanka-India series please! At least for another 5 years! Speaking of the BCCI morons, the selectors have picked Yuvraj Singh for the test squad. Why was he dropped in the first place?  Does he have his form or fitness back so soon? Rohit Sharma merits a place instead but the wise men of Indian cricket always have it in them to make the such awful decisions. Must part of the the job description!

Valentino Rossi's chances of another world title are down the drain after his horror crash in Mugello. Good news however is that he plans to be back in action at the Czech Grand Prix in Bruno. I'm only hoping that the Doctor doesn't carry the mental scars of the crash with him to the race track.

Wimbledon season is here too and surprisingly both Federer and Nadal have struggled through to the round of 16 and the questions over Nadal's fitness are making the rounds once more after he received treatment in the last match. Soderling looks dangerous and the way Nadal's playing I dont give him much of a chance against Soderling. I'm praying that I'm wrong!

Nothing much happening at work. I am off to Trivandrum this week to attend a childhood friends wedding. Will be seeing his mom and dad after 12 or 14 years. Really looking forward to it! 

Meanwhile the hunt to buy a house continues and the a good property at a reasonable price continues to evade us. We came across a nice one yesterday but the vaastu of the place seems to be totally haywire and the family has rejected this. Let's see what the almighty has in store for us.