Addiction?

My last longish run was a half marathon which I did on the last Friday. It was a tough run post the 19kms mark after which the ITB flared up and I had to pull out after about 22kms.

I have not run since then and am preserving my legs for the next big run while I concentrate on the strengthening and rehab for the ITB.

The next planned run happens on the 31st which is the day after. Hoping that this is a good run so as to allow me to follow it up with a shortish run on the following day which will mark the start of the tapering phase of the schedule.

To some extent, I really want the SCMM to get done as soon as possible after which I can resume my more regular runs.

I miss running regularly very very badly!

(The above snap was clicked by Gayatri during the Worli Sea Face Run during Diwali'09. Remains of the fire-crackers from the nights celebration are visible in the snap. It was a memorable day :o) )

Trust the regulars!

For quite a few months now, the Indian tail has wagged with fair consistency in all the forms of the game and the contributions and support has been substantial. Bowlers like Harbhajan, Zaheer, Praveen Kumar have chipped in with handy contributions with the bat on numerous occasions.

On a couple of occasions earlier in addition to the mammoth 414 run pile of today, I have been extremely disturbed by the decision to send Harbhajan Singh above seasoned batsmen like Raina, Jadeja and sometimes even Dinesh Karthik. I have a very different take on this strategy and I beg to differ on its viability.

Does he have a complete batsman’s game? Does he have the capability of building an innings? Does he have the skill to stick it out the way a seasoned batsman would?
The answer to all of the above is a convincing NO and there is no shame in admitting the fact simply because at the end of the day these are bowlers who can bat a bit and use the long handle. But that’s that!

Every skill in the game has its place and needs to be given its due respect and only the due respect.

Batsmen like Baji are very very handy with the bat but only at the position that they are supposed to play at. They simply lack the ability to build an innings by extending support to the set batsman at the other end and build an innings when it’s a more than a run a ball like situation and we have facts and scorecards that prove this.

When you get such batsmen to jump the batting order and they fail more often than not, not only do you end up mounting the pressure of another wicket loss on yourself and the batsman that follows but also you miss out on a good tail-ender batsman later in the innings. Let me not mention the confidence boost that the bowling side derives from a wicket.

In my opinion the trick lies in not getting carried away.

ITBS again!

Again, for the second time in a row, my training for the Mumbai Marathon has hit the same road block. ITBS.
The only aspect that is better about the recurrence is that it has happened almost two months ahead of the race day giving me presentable time to get into some aggressive rehab to get back into shape.
I have deviated considerably from my original training program and hence will need to push the day of attempting my longest distance (peaking) by a week. The catch here is that the delay can not be by much as I need at least 25 days of tapering before my body completely recovers from the workout and am 100% for the race day.
ITBS can be a pain in the a** and you will agree if you have experienced anything similar yourself. My physiotherapist friend encouragingly tells me that there is always a silver lining to any such obstacle. Going by such encouragement, keeping the faith and continuing to believe that I will make the grade on 17th January 2010 and become a Marathon Man (rather Marathon Boy).
It is going to be quite an uphill task from here and will need all the good wishes and luck to make it happen.
God Bless

Complaint filed with BMTC

I filed a complaint with BMTC today raising some issues that I have observed during my daily commute. If you have similar concerns as well, you may raise them with BMTC at: http://www.bmtcinfo.com/site/BSComplaints.jsp

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a regular BMTC commuter in Bengaluru and have the following concerns about the bus service provided:

Ticket Not issued by conductors:When we pay the fare for a commute, we expect a ticket to be given. BMTC is a service run by the government for us and the income from the service should reach the government itself. Bus conductors indulge in a corrupt practice of not issuing a ticket to commuters and charging an amount lesser than the legitimate amount and pocketing the money. Ex: for a minimum Volvo fare of 10/-, they charge 5/- and do not issue a ticket. Such practices are observed in normal non-Volvo BMTC buses as well.
We see the government taking efforts to improve the service and penetration for the city. We would like the income from such services to reach the government. Such corruption is unacceptable!

Rash driving by Volvo drivers: The second concern that I want to raise is with respect to drivers of Volvo buses. These modern buses are powered with good engines and extremely strong power brakes. Drivers tend to get carried away. Even if they see a signal red light ahead of them or a bus stop, they continue to speed and then apply an emergency brake. Standing passengers have a tough time holding on to the handles. I have often seen standees including the conductor falling due to emergency brakes. People on seats also have to keep holding the handles. Many times passengers are pregnant women or senior citizens. Even if they have a seat to sit, they have to stand as their stops approach and then the drivers indulge in such braking causing them to loose balance and hold on to whatever they can find for dear life.

I am thankful to the BMTC and the Karnataka government for an efficient bus service.

May I request you to please look into these issues so that we can make it even better.

Regards,
Amit

Google Profiles

Bill Gates once said that anything and everything on the web is exciting until the time Google touches it. Thats some testimonial!

The latest offering that I have come across from Google after resuming consciousness from that fact that I finally have a WAVE account is Google Profiles.
Profiles is not a Beta and hence its unlikely to be one of the company's latest offerings. But yeah, I do tend to stumble upon such things a lot after the world has!

We have had millions of attempts at making personal web pages and profiles, but the level of integration that this promises is a first thanks to the unique positioning that Google has in the webspace today!

You can put up all your information and also plug in feeds and links from Facebook, your public Picasa page, MySpace, GoogleMaps, Blogger to name a few.

To get a simple Googleishtyle walk-through, check out About Profiles

Check it out and please do leave your comments, thoughts and revelations as you explore Profiles. Also, do not forget to share links to your Google Profiles :o)

Happy Googling[and thats a verb]!

With more power comes more responsibility

On numerous counts already, questions have been raised on the moral responsibility of the media and media persons. From the live coverage of the commandos being air landed on the ill fated Nariman House in Mumbai to stories similar to the one portrayed by Soha Ali khan in Mumbai Meri Jaan, media persons have, I strongly believe, behaved quite irresponsibly.

The most recent act of the media which only strengthens this belief was when a media person asked an insensitive and inflammatory question to Sachin Tendulkar during a press conference commemorating his 20 years in international cricket. The question had nothing to do with his sporting achievements. It instead quizzed him about his opinion on the very potent, magnetic and sensitive Mumbaikar issue.

Whatever his opinion would have been, even before he began answering, the damage was done. It was sure to arouse reactions from the relevant political camps. From the Shiv Sena through its mouthpiece, The Samna to the Samajwadi leader Abu Azmi leaving no stone unturned to gather political mileage from it. This I fear is just the start and could only get muckier. In fact, if the person involved had been anyone other than Sachin himself, I am sure the usual anti-social “protests” would have begun immediately with their signature stone pelting on houses, morchas and digging up of cricket pitches.

What I fail to understand is whether TRP the only thing that matters?

No one wants a censor-like, government run big brother overseeing the content that the free media reports. Its only up to them to prevent such days from dawning upon themselves as we the people to whom they are meant to serve will be the biggest losers.

Is media today, not an extension of the same channel that was decades ago so instrumental in bringing the nation together. Yes it very much is. And when they do function in the way they should, cases like the Jessica Lal murder case get re-opened giving us a glimpse of what its power is capable of achieving.

How I wish it also possessed wisdom to exercise discretion in dispensing it.

It is time...

As an individual, I tend to build my own support system around myself wherever I go. I did it when I was in Gurgaon for a short stint and I have certainly done it here, in Bangalore, where I have been for almost three years now.

My support system here comprised of these two room-mates of mine. I always believed that we had a fairly detached existence until such a time when we decided to surrender the apartment and go our own way. A job change for one resulting in relocation and marriage of another had prompted this decision.

When I now look back at the years together I realize how dependant I was on them. They were indeed the people who made a place away from home, livable and bearable.

Moving on is a strange thing. It has all the ingredients to qualify it as a mixed bag. From the very likable, optimistic and hollow in the stomach feeling of a new start to the almost choking sadness to let go of what has been yours for some time now.

For now, keeping faith in the belief that all happens for the best.

Good luck

God Bless

Counting down to the D day

My training for the Mumbai Marathon entered its second phase last week. This is the when the distances get higher and schedule more gruelling.
Fingers crossed is the only feeling that occupies my mind whenever I think about running and this event.
Last year this was the time in the schedule where my regularity went for a toss due to increase in the work hours and the cold. When I did try to resume, I went down with an injury and could not run for a couple of months.
This year, all I want to be able to do is go through my training schedule for the remaining 9 weeks and I believe it should get me there.
A runner friend advised me to concentrate on the training, enjoy it and take it a day at a time which is what I plan to do.
Hoping to finish 26 miles on January 17th 2010. Strong!

Nervous...

I have always been the conventional thinker who has had a very strong belief, almost faith in the old school of thought.

Off late though, I have begun to question the sustenance of this very institution.
From my favourite recreational activity to my strongest beliefs in the way things work, everything is changing.

Change they say is inevitable. True.

But is all this change around me for the better?
The answer to this is of course, subjective.

Is corruption the only way to get work done?
Does something like a common man exist or is it just a political myth?
Is rash driving, arrogant lane cutting, total disrespect for the red light and other commuters on the road a desirable behaviour?
Is “it’s a dog eat dog world anyways” an excuse in the first place?
Is reservation the only solution to the literacy problem?
Does the term minority make you laugh or is it just me?

For some people, these few could be futile things with reference to the big picture. But what is true is that these are affecting me at the moment.

Some people are the change when change happens.
Some go with the flow.
Some take a step back and spend a moment contemplating and then comply, willingly or helplessly.

I very naturally find myself not belonging to any of the above categories as I want to believe that I am not helpless and I do not wish to comply. This is the childish streak in me :o)

I do not expect to change the world. All I want to do is to be able to live my life standing by my virtues.
Whether I am able to do that, only time will tell.
It’s getting increasingly difficult for sure.

Glimpse of the silver line

Over the last few days there has been a furor over the crores of tax-payer’s money being used to construct statues and monuments by Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. It was first, the Union Minister Chidambaram and then the Court which has now demanded an explanation as a response to a PIL.

What amused me was the innovative rationale that Mayawati came up with. She claimed that these statues were as good as a pilgrim destination for the dalits and they would flock in large numbers from all over the country to take a glimpse of the man made wonders.

Yes they may! Though I do not see them contributing to tourism industry anywhere. They are going to travel free or on highly subsidized fares in trains. (Why the **** do I pay tax???)

But, on second thoughts, I was almost elated at that prospect. The aftermath of these visits is expected be quite devastating to say the least if what these guys do during the Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti weekend at some places in Mumbai and other suburbs is anything to go by.

Come to think of it, they now seem to have a more prestigious pilgrimage to pay homage to their leaders on their Jayantis. To good to be true isn’t it???

Well, I agree that this may be a long shot…but makes me chuckle none the less.

Jai ho!

Good luck Mr. Nilekani!

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder, MD and CEO of Infosys was all over the news channels yesterday and is on the front page of all the news papers today. Going by the current standards of reporting, this news is for once, truly front page matter and that too for more reasons than one.


How often do we see deserving, capable and accomplished citizens of the country being handpicked by the government for key roles in programs in the subject of their expertise? Sadly, who usually end up getting handpicked are “loyalists” of the party-in-power and this practice is not limited to leading programs and committees, but also extends to the appointments for key cabinet posts, chief ministers and even head of state! This is exactly why the appointment of Nandan Nilekani as the head of UID project stands out. It reminds me of the appointment of Montek Singh as the head of the planning commission a few years back and the results are here for all of us to see.


Infosys has been an iconic and truly path-breaking institution which stands for integrity, intellect, innovation and is a face of the new, aggressive India Inc. It has almost been a movement. The founders of the company, N R Narayan Murthy aka NRN and Nandan Nilekani have been role-models for the youth of today and will continue to be for generations to come.

The legacy that they will leave behind is that with merit, intellect, vision, hard work, single minded focus, guts, sacrifice one can achieve the impossible in spite of keeping ones values and ethics intact!


We are all aware how our times have been plagued by an almost unbearable indifference and lack of political will when it comes to tackling corruption amongst other problems. Not surprising, that the educated youth of today have on more than one occasion, on huge public platforms, appealed to these technocrats to extend the culture they represent, beyond their company by making a foray into politics.


NRN as well as Nandan have shied away from the question by complimenting the kindness of the person who asked the question for thinking them of being capable for the job. They have gone on to add something to the effect of “…because we have made considerable progress in one arena, should not make us believe that we can do so in the much more complex canvas of politics”. Having said that, whenever the government has reached out to them to seek their services on key government projects and initiatives, they have always obliged.


NRN had been approached by the Karnataka government to lead a board for the development of the new International airport, which he readily accepted, only to later quit pre-maturely owing to his clashes with the then chief minister, Devegowda, whenever he was awake of course.

NRN was so right in saying that politics is a much bigger canvas. It is sad that he discovered how filthy it is as well, sadly, from personal experience.


I just pray very sincerely that Nandan is not as unfortunate as NRN in his experience with the bureaucrats and politicians. This seems more than likely as his post of the head of the UID project has been awarded the status of a Cabinet Minister.


With Nandan heading the ambitious program, needless to say that it will be scripted and planned to perfection while keeping the minutest details in mind and accounting for the smallest hurdles.


One of the objectives of UID is to enable efficient and transparent monitoring of the execution of important government programs. Well, think for a moment and your mind goes back to many such ambitious projects initiated in the past.Let’s take the voting cards for example. For the people who were fortunate to receive their voting cards, they were found to have screwed up names, photographs, and what not. Let me not even get started on the procedure to get those mistakes corrected. My pessimism about the UID stems from the fact that, at the end of the day, the execution of the entire program will be in the hands of the similar careless government personnel who were involved with the election card exercise.


I find it extremely ironical that the execution of this program itself will have to deal with the same execution level challenges which it heads out to counter which is its biggest hurdle.


What we need is a finished product that is as perfect as our passports! If we are able to achieve something that good, well, let’s just say, I will be pleasantly surprised!

Whose voice is it anyway???

A friend of mine was suffering from a sore throat and over a conversation happened to mention that she didn't sound like herself over the phone and had a tough time convincing callers that it was she, herself who had received the call.

This takes me back by a few years to something, that used to happen to me a real lot and which I am not exactly proud of. So did contemplate for a while whether I should put it up...

What the heck! Here goes...

Until some time back, people claimed that my voice sounded extremely feminine over the phone.

So, on receiving calls, the caller would invariably go, “Maam…”

If the call isn’t for me or in case of an arbitrary caller, I would let the impression stay presuming the clarification would make it even more embarrassing.

Now, it used to get really awkward if the call was meant for me. :o)
They would begin by addressing me as “Maam” (as usual) and then ask for me. When I used reply, “This IS Amit speaking” they would apologize only to require to apologize many times over through the call because my voice made them call me Maam and by then they knew that I was a not one.

So typically the caller would go, “but Maam, sorry Sir”.

Once a nut got so confused he actually said sorry after addressing me as SIR.

I am sure to run over him the next time I see him!