Random ramblings

Quotable Quotes from 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-23T11:15:00.005+05:30

“It’s good to watch. Even for me, playing, I enjoy watching it."
- Bernard Tomic after being beaten by Roger Federer 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

''It took four hours out of my day, but it was worth it. I was laughing at times.''
- Roger Federer commenting on Tomic's previous match with the unorthodox Dolgopolov'

"You wouldn't want to be in the hotel room next to Maria Sharapova on her wedding night! The bloody noise would drive you mad!''

-Veteran sports broadcaster Glenn Mitchell

''I put my TV on mute and I could still hear Sharapova.''
- Former AFL star Brendan Fevola

"It's a fantastic victory for me. Very, very happy playing against the greatest of the history in semifinals, big match on Rod Laver. It's one of the victories that's going to stay in my mind forever".
- Nadal after beating Federer in the semi-final. Note the '...greatest of the history' bit.

Run Melbourne - 10 km

2011-07-19T10:09:00.003+05:30

This Sunday, 17 July 2011, I ran the 10km at the ‘Run Melbourne’ event. This was my first 10 km race and I was aiming for a sub 55 min time. But I finished in 57 min. The winning time was 32min 17sec. Following was my time split –

2.5 km – 13min 33sec

5.0 km – 27min 24sec

7.5 km – 42min 36sec

10 km – 57min

As can be seen in the time splits, the 2^nd half was much slower than the first. That’s because I started having breathing problems and my chest started to hurt on the right side below the ribs after the 6km mark. I had to slow down to stretch and regulate my breathing before I could start again.

Just spoke to a colleague at work. He said that that this can be fixed while running by breathing in and breathing out when your left foot strikes the ground. Need to keep that tip in mind.

I was pretty happy that the left knee pain and right leg shin-splints that I have been suffering from did not bother me :) Looks like the physio sessions have helped.

Quick shout-out to Aditi for getting up early in the morning and driving me to the race and for supporting and encouraging me. Love you.

Photos to come soon.

Sony password analysis

2011-06-09T11:20:00.001+05:30

Good article on Sony password analysis.

http://www.troyhunt.com/2011/06/brief-sony-password-analysis.html

The way forward...

2008-12-07T22:59:00.002+05:30

9 terrorists killed, 1 captured, hundreds of innocent people killed, thousands scarred for life, millions of rupees burnt up. This is pretty much how the Mumbai carnage can be summed up.

However, there is more to it than meets the eye. While the attack itself was absolutely horrifying, the one good thing that came out of it was that it has galvanised the nation like never before. People from all walks of life are speaking in one voice today. And this is not something that happens easily in a country of a billion people.

Everywhere people are out on the streets – some to express solidarity to Mumbai and its residents, some to celebrate our brave jawans and commandos, some to express anger against the establishment, and some to make their voices and views heard. All the voices may be speaking in different languages, but they speak the same thing - “Enough is enough!”

I was especially pleased with the stand that all the Muslim clerics took in denouncing the act and even disallowing the burial of the terrorists on Indian soil. People by and large are showing maturity to separate religion from terrorism. It is very easy in such difficult times to point fingers at someone or some section of society. Thankfully, this has not happened this time around.

Unfortunately, some people are not showing much restraint when it comes to Pakistan. There are slogans saying “Bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age”. While this may sound right considering some (or most) of Pakistan’s actions, it is not entirely feasible nor is it the right thing to do. Bombing Pakistan would be an act of terror, just like Mumbai. Killing millions of innocent Pakistanis would be just as barbaric and unpardonable.

What the Indian government, and all the countries involved in the war against terror, including Pakistan, should do is go after the source of the problem. Collect unquestionable and irrefutable proof against the terrorist groups, identify their hideouts and bomb them into extinction. Set such an example for other terrorists that they would shudder to even pick up a gun.

I have one thing to say to all these extremists who fight in the name of Allah. Atleast have the courage to say that you are fighting out of your own selfish interests and not for Allah. No religion and no holy book says that killing innocent people (or anybody) will get you to jannat or heaven. It will get you to hell. Two wrongs do not make a right. Killing a person to avenge another’s death does not bring him back. It only spreads hatred.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
Mahatma Gandhi

A day spent with special kids

2008-09-30T07:27:00.003+05:30

This Friday I went on Volunteer Day with my team. We went to Kadusonappanahalli Government School. We had chalked out an entire day of events for the kids of the primary school, about 250 in number.

When I reached the destination, I could not believe that I had actually reached the school. It was unlike anything I had seen before. It was just a cluster of mud huts, that’s all. But the kids did not seem to mind. They were all very excited to see us.

After the initial preparations and setup, the activities of the day started. First up was a drawing competition for all classes, a-la Taare Zameen Par. The small kids seemed the most excited about using brand new stationery like pencils and colours. The drawing competition out of the way, it was time for the fun-stalls. All the kids were really kicked about winning fancy toys and chocolates while they played Break-the-Pyramid, Hoopla, and Basket-the-Ball. After this the kids took part in sack-race, balance-the-book-race, and musical chairs. The pre-lunch session was rounded up with a game of cricket between Ganguly XI and Tendulkar XI.

Lunch was amongst the most awaited events. These kids are provided lunch by the government under the mid-day meal scheme, but then we all know that the food is nothing to write home about. So we decided to give the children a special treat. They were served pulav, raita, curd-rice, and sweets. All of them came back for a second (and some for a third) helping.

After lunch, a magician entertained the kids. The day was rounded off with the prize distribution ceremony. Pencil boxes, geometry boxes, pencils, pens, sketch-pens, crayons, and chocolates – each prize had the kids’ eyes lighting up. And it was this moment that gave me the most satisfaction. I knew that in my own small way, I had made special 1 day in the lives of these kids.

A gold medal at last!

2008-08-11T11:58:00.004+05:30

For the last couple of days, all I was doing was watching the Olympics. I was watching and wondering. In a nation of 1.1 billion people, why are there no medal winners? Every sixth person born is an Indian. Then why is not every sixth Olympic medal won by an Indian?

I had resigned myself to the fact that this will be another Olympics for us of what could have been. I saw the shooters disappoint and the archers letting us down. The swimmers and the judokas got blown away as well. Badminton seemed to hold some hope.

But today I can hold my head high. Abhinav Bindra has just won gold for India in the 10m Air Rifle event!!! This one happening, thousands of miles away from where I am, has made my day.

Congratulations Abhinav Bindra, you have done India proud!

Hail the new King!!!

2008-07-08T21:08:00.000+05:30

It was 2 in the morning when I uttered “Shit!” for the final time before I went to sleep. I hate it when someone or something raises your hopes and then lets you down completely (the one name that comes to mind immediately is that of the Indian cricket team – but let’s not even start about them).

But today it was different for I did not feel let down. Roger Federer had played a brilliant match and lost to a player who had just played better than him. That’s it. One champion playing better than the other. The ultimate winner was the game itself (now, where have we heard that before?).

The Federer-Nadal match was among the best and most gripping match that has been played for a long long time. The 3rd and 4th sets saw one of the greatest comebacks ever. Federer ground it out (and it is not often that you associate something like this with Fed-Ex) against Nadal and took the match to the 5th set. It seemed as if Nadal’s dream to win Wimbledon would remain just that – a dream. But destiny seemed to be on his side as he held his nerve to win the best match that I have seen in a long time.

Euro 2008

2008-06-23T20:44:00.007+05:30

Tonight the 2nd semi-final between Russia and Spain will be played. The second time that these two teams will be meeting in the tournament will probably see a reversal of fortunes.

While I love the Spanish way of football and prefer the La Liga any day to the Premiership, the fact of the matter is that the momentum lies with Hiddink's side. After completely outplaying an in-form Holland (another of my favourites), the Russians are more than ready to take on the Spaniards. And the man that has fashioned this little fancied Russian team is the man they call Andrei Arshavin.

I saw the Russia-Holland game. And boy oh boy! What a game it was! The strength and stamina of the Russians took my breath away. What a tempo they played the game at! The Dutch were completely outrun, outpaced, and outclassed. Another thing that struck me was the power with which the Russians strike the ball- Pavlyuchenko, Kolodin and Arshavin each strike the ball harder than the other.

For the Spanish, they are probably still revelling in the glory of beating (read: scraping past) World Champions Italy. Quoting noted Spanish sports writer Sid Lowe, "It would be foolish to claim that it doesn't even matter if Spain fail to win the tournament now but in a strange sort of way it doesn't. They've already won their tournament; 2008 is a success now, the greatest success in almost a quarter of a century. Spain have beaten their toughest opponents: themselves."

One thing is for sure: the game is going to be a cracker. The Russians will be seeking revenge for the league stage defeat while the Spanish continue to play their brand of attractive football and progress to the finals after ages.

My take:

Russia 2 - 1 Spain

Sun and sand at Devbagh

2008-06-23T20:44:00.006+05:30

Last weekend was spent in Devbagh, an island in North Karnataka, about 2 hours south of Goa. I had gone there with my office colleagues (26 people in all) for a team offsite (read: merrymaking at the company's expense).

We left Bangalore at 4:30 PM on Friday and reached our destination at about 8 in the morning. The 520 km ride was made bearable by the ample supply of food and some beer. Once off the bus, we took a 15 minute boat ride to Devbagh island. The boat ride was less than comfortable with one having to put on a smelly life jacket and carry the luggage, all in a small excuse called a motor boat.

On the island, the Devbagh Beach Resort helpers were there to receive us. All the luggage was carried in a golf cart (thank God!) while we walked amidst the trees towards the resort. The place was serenely beautiful. On one side the Arabian Sea was lashing the stones and the sand; and on the other side there were trees as far as the eye could see. Walking through the trees, you could hear the calls of many birds- a rarity for city dwellers.

The accommodation itself was austere yet fairly comfortable. There were log huts and cottages. They were quite spacious with large bathrooms equipped with geysers. The rooms were a little dingy but then the sound of the waves and the birds more than made up for it. After a much needed shower, everyone hit the beach. The banana boat ride and the paragliding and the parasailing were all out of the question because of the bad weather. In the meanwhile, cricket, football, volleyball, frisbee kept all interested. And then there was the extended beach bathing session. The water was expectedly quite salty. But it was fun all the same, challenging the waves as they bore down upon you.

Once everyone had had their fill of fun (and salt water), lunch came as a great relief. Food was Ok, nothing to write home about. Tired from the journey and the frolicking on the beach, we retreated to our respective rooms for an afternoon nap. Some went in for a massage at the Ayurvedic centre. I chose to sleep outside on one of the many hammocks. It truly was a magical experience to lie by the sea on a hammock. God bless the soul who thought up the hammock!

Evening came and everyone hit the beach again. This time for a bonfire and booze (yippee!). There were enough spirits to keep our spirits high for a long time. However, a thunderous burst of rain cut short the merry-making and everyone retreated to the shelter of the "Gol Ghar" restaurant. Dinner done, most people called it a night. There was the "nature walk" in the morning that the resort folk had arranged for us. The more adventurous amongst us kept the party going and the booze flowing. Before we realized, it was 1 in the morning. We went out to the beach for a stroll. The sea looked magnificent. In my opinion, the sea looks best at night, by the moonlight. Truly magical.

Next morning when I woke up, most of the others had already left for the nature walk. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the rest of us as I later heard that the walk involved wading through neck high water. Haha. The "walk" took its toll on a few digicams and cell-phones.

Soon enough, we approached the dreaded team building activity in the afternoon. I am not even going to try to get into it (especially since I have bored you enough already). With that done, there was the customary speech "thanks yous" from a few folks. Lunch done, we retraced our steps, got into the boat (this time sans the life-jackets), got into the bus and drove back to Bangalore.

Off for a weekend of sun and shine (and hopefully no rain!!!)

2008-06-13T11:36:00.002+05:30

After a tiring week, I am off to Devbagh for the weekend. Am going with office mates. Team-offsite.

We shall be staying at "Devbagh Beach Resort". Hopefully it will not rain...

A morning at the RTO

2008-06-12T13:49:00.002+05:30

Why will there not be such chaos on Indian roads? After all, the authorities are here for that very purpose.

Thursday morning I was at the RTO to apply for my learner's licence. I queued up for the document verification process. After what felt like an eternity, the officer comes along at 11 AM! There is the cursory glance at each applicant's papers after which his seal of approval is embossed. The queue moved along at a snail's pace.

Apparently, there seems to be some rule (read: understanding) whereby ladies do not need to follow a queue. I saw the ladies come and go, their papers stamped well ahead of all the poor souls who had been sweating it out before them.

Then there was the "Oral" examination. I was not prepared for it. But then, I thought to myself, "How difficult can that be?" I had seen people on Indian roads shaking their fists and fingers at one another. Some candidate ahead of me was shown some symbol and asked to explain its significance. His answer : Right Turn. After a while there was a tirade in Kannada. It turns out that the synbol shown was of "No U turn". But then, men make mistakes. The chap got his licence (to kill).

I went in and performed the requisite task of showing him the hand signals for right turn, left turn, stop, etc, etc. My application was stamped and I was asked for 10 rupees. "10 rupees? What for?". "You have to give sir..."

And that was that. People in full uniform demanding money to do their duty. With much reluctance, but having no other option, I coughed up the 10 rupees.