Theres another one in the backyard

I saw a family thats moved into the 1st-2nd floor landing.

Fucking shit! Just one more floor to go (4th-5th floor).

Its going to be our door next.

Summers here and heat burns all over.

From the train travel is it?

Where else man?

Democracy, man, Demo crazy. Fuckin shit.

Apparently, the Tree Index has taken a further 10% hit in the last week. The last 10 sqkm tree patch at Borivili is under threat.

Whats that noise?

Holy shi...

Champagne for my real friends, and real pain for my sham friends

Edward Norton as Monty in '25th hour', a Spike Lee joint.

Australia retain The Ashes!

A week from now this might be the only post with this headline. But I see the Australians winning the last test, thanks to a dogged Aussie performance and some classic English faltering.

This is however subject to a few things. For instance, the Aussies going only with 4 bowlers (not 5 as some seem to suggest) : McGrath, Lee, Warne and Macgill. And retaining the same set of batsmen.

Ponting wins the toss and decides to bat on the first inning wicket. At least that way, it will be way too early for the English bowlers to feign injury for his comfort.

Nice bright sunny day and the Aussie openers put on a good start of 60 odd runs before Langer leaves. Hayden stays on rather stubbornly and carries on till the end of the day, taking his side to 290 odd. And for the loss of 4 wickets.

Hayden goes for 155 in the first half of Day 2 and then Katich and Gilchrist begins the renowned Aussie assault. Gilchrist fires a 60-ball 94 and Katich stays on till the final wicket. Finishes not out on 125, taking Australia to a mamoth 552 in the first innings. Overworked Flintoff and Giles finish with 3 rather costly wickets apiece and a semi-fit Simon Jones unable to find his reverse swing.

The Aussies are clearly in front, an hour from the close of Day 2. In an attempt to reinstate its authority over the series, England races rather quickly to 340. All out but. Bowling highlights : McGrath's return to his measely best and 'wickets-at-regular-interval' performance from the two stawlarts of the series, Warne and Lee. With 15 overs to bowl on Day 3 and an opportunity to enforce the follow on, Ponting decides to bat, in what turns out to be a daring move.

Bob Willis and Ian Botham moan the lack of the usual Aussie killer instinct.

In the second innings, Justin Langer's first hundred of the series takes Australia to a 439 run lead. Pointing declares just after lunch on Day 4, leaving the English fans a little confused on the likely outcome of the series.

With the loud chattering of the Aussie 11 ringing in their ears, the English openers fail comprehensively for the first time. Before Warne begins his first over, the pommies are reduced to 49 - 4. Courtesy McGrath. Flintoff and Pietersen try their best, before a 5-wicket 10-over spell of Macgill demolishes the English. 270 run win and The Ashes travels all the way back to Down Under.

This definitely will not be the resurgence of the ageing Aussie side. But quite clearly, the beginning of the end for this Aussie side in current shape and form.

But, alls well that ends well. Messrs. Sv G E and Beckham can breathe easy. McGrath can retire peacefully. Ponting keeps his job. Hayden, Gilchrist and Gillespie can calmly ponder over their respective future. Nasser Hussain can still strut around proudly. The frown will remain on Stevie Waugh's face. Decision on the 'Best English Allrounder' and 'Best English Cricket Team' can be taken at a more appropriate time. And Captain Marvel, Michael Vaughan can lick his wounds in anticipation of greater things that lie ahead for his side.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Its always difficult to stick ones neck out. But its made easier, when one is most comfortable with the outcome being completely the opposite!

Interview with Anand Vasu

The following link takes you to a fairly long interview with Anand Vasu, Assistant Editor with Wisden (www.cricinfo.com)

http://noise.rickeyre.com/2005/08/ [download netsessions2_hi.mp3]

The interviewer is one Rick Eyre (Aussie cricket journalist) and covers topics starting with the Ashes, the difficulties of being a ball-by-ball commentator, the fiasco at Sri Lanka, Dravid vs Ganguly as the captain and the upcoming Indian tour of Zimbabwe.

Nothing really controversial, however champions the cause for a new Indian captain in the form of Rahul Dravid - which I completely agree with.

Do note that the interview only starts well into the netsessions program - after about 6 minutes.

Rick Eyre also hosts an interesting cricket website - http://cricket.rickeyre.com

The Second Coming

On his return to International football

"I would not want people to talk too much about it in case what I have to unveil gets badly interpreted, but what is happening to me is quite mystical and gets out of my control,'' Zidane said.

"This is even irrational and that's why I am the only person to be able to truly feel it.

"One night, at 3am, I suddenly woke up and I then spoke with someone. But no-one knows it. Neither my wife nor anyone else.

"Until I die I will never tell (who that person was), this is just too crazy. This is someone that you will probably never meet.

"During the hours that followed I was on my own with that person, at home, and I took the decision to come back.

"I had never experienced that before, I felt pushed by this force which dictated my behaviour. It was a revelation for me, I had to obey that voice that was advising me.''

---------------------------------------------------------------

Nuts? Whatever, good to see the champion back.

Spare a thought

As of today, these guys dont know if they will return alive! Will they meet the fate of their predecessors - who crashed after sending smiling photos from space?

Worse - NASA suspended all shuttle flights after Discovery's yet another disastrous take-off; pretty much telling the crew, "In God we place our trust".

Despite a successful repair job yesterday, imagine what must be going through their heads - right now.

Meeting Shantaram

Gregory David Roberts - The Man who has seen too much

March 24, 2005

We stepped into Leopolds after much deliberation as to where to have dinner. As always, it was quite crowded and took a while to get a table. While we were settling down, I glanced at the next table. Tourists - amongst the giggling American variety, there was a face I seemed to recognise. It was of the person whose extraordinary life account I had just finished reading. Gregory David Roberts, aka "Shantaram". Wasnt enitrely convinced until I saw a couple of autographed "Shantaram"s on the cashier's counter.

After much urging from across the table, I got up to wish the man as he walked up to the cashier.

"Yes I am", he replied on my query whether he was indeed Gregory David Robert. Not knowing what to say next, I quickly then said that it was quite an enjoyable book. "Thank you man" he said in a rather pleasant tone.

"Did the story and all the incidents happen for real?" I queried.

"Its a novel", he politely answered. "Well, did I go to Arthur Road Prison weighing 90 kilos, only to return reduced to 45 Kilos? Yes, I did. Did I go up to the apartment of the three Nigerians to threaten them and leave them on a plane out of the country? Yes I did, but the context from that presented in the book is quite different. I have taken situations that I have been in and weaved a story around it. I have also messed around with the chronology of events." I suppose the description "based on a true story" on the rear cover, arguably, holds true.

He seemed to fit the image that I had had in my mind as to what Shantram would be like. Will be quite interesting to see Johnny Depp play the leading role in the forthcoming movie about an escaped Australian convict - who moves to a slum in Bombay in the early 80s and within a matter of months finds himself well entrenched within the underworld, forging passports and eventually fighting with the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

"What made you title the book, 'Shantaram', considering that everyone in the book refers to you as Linbaba?" I asked.

"The name 'Shantaram', which was given to me when I was at the village, is important to me. It is something that I try and live upto. There was a turning point in my life 15 years ago, after which I decided that every day I shall try and achieve something positive. And I hope that one day I will truly possess the name 'Shantaram'."

"I thought you were kind of forced to by the publishers, as it sounded more cool than Linbaba."

"No way, I would never let anyone touch a comma of my writing. My writing is very important to me and every word in that book is mine", and he made a gesture of running a knife across his arms. What he had just said, and the manner in which it was said, appeared to be a dialogue straight out from the book.

I then posed another important question that continued to plague my mind: "Did they really serve alcohol (as in, spirits) on the ground floor at Leopolds in the 80's?"

He smiled and said, "Not really. Thats something only a Mumbaikar would know. Like Sea Rock being in Juhu. People who know Bombay have asked me how the fuck did that come in! I have slipped in a few things like that".

"None of the characters are true either. There was no Didier or Abdullah, though they are loosely based on characters I have met."

"I quite liked the character of Vikram Patel actually", I mumbled.

"Thats nice. What did you like about the book?"

"Well, I related to the book, as it covers aspects of the city of Bombay that caught my fancy when I moved here 6 years back. I go to this dargah on Marine Lines, and I have met a number of guys there, that seem to fit the description of the people you have written about. It seemed to bring to life things that I've always wanted to know about."

I however did not say that the book did sound a bit school boyish at times. And that certain portions sounded quite cliched, with good amount of moral sermonising judiciously thrown in. But thats the thing about the book - it is written straight from the heart and from real experiences. Or at least, I would like to believe so. Not technically brilliant as a professional author would write. Infact, the book won the Literary Review Bad Sex award in 2003! I however thorougly enjoyed the accounts of how the underworld operated and the mentality of a fighter pitched in a street battle.

"Its been nice meeting you and if I see you around here again, I can autograph your copy."

"So, you are around for a while?"

"Yes, I am writing the sequel to the novel. Am also writing the script for the movie. You know that its being made into a movie right? Ya, so I've been looking for a place in Colaba for the last couple of weeks and havent figured out anything so far. I'm gonna be around for a while".

We exchanged goodbyes, he left holding his right hand over his heart and wished us both "Good luck". A bit dramatic I thought, but thats Shantaram.