End of Pain for Spain...

"Sometimes people mention those that are merely there,

but to be merely there is not enough.

A final must be won, because the one that comes second is forgotten.
We have to win it."

- Luis Aragones, Coach of the Spainish National Football Team.

On the Football pitch, nobody but Spain knew how it feels to come second, third, or fourth. Let it be any big tournament, but the Spainsh were always tagged as the 'perennial underachiever'. But that tag is now recycled for at least another two years.

I'm not an expert of the game, not even a big footie-fan. But I can say that this spanish squad has a lot of talent, and most importantly, the spirit of a winner. I guess, it must be because of Aragones, a very assertive man in the match. and in Iker Casillas they have a great leader. Casillas, the captain who is a skilled goal keeper, is really an agressive player. (and a really cute one!) I'm happy that finally Spain got a title under their belt.

But I'm really feeling sad for Germany. I liked their team but they lost. You know, it still pains me that Ballack lost. You know, It was a hard match for me for my heart was with Germany but my brain was with Spain. ultimately Brain won! but I'm not heartbroken. ;)

It's a lot of words... to read, I mean

I had promised myself (and to my best friend) that I'll keep writing regularly. but seems like it'll be hard to write anything for a few days, I've got a lot of words- not to write but to read.


you know, today I got to buy a lot of books and now I need a lot of time to read them. So I might not be here that often.


And right now, I need a lot of rest. See ya!

Silver Jubilee of a Day of Hope

As a child, I remember, my mother and uncle used to tell me about greatest moments in sports- two events were mentioned more often than others. First was Bjorn Borg’s famous five-setter win over McEnroe in 1980 and the other being India’s World Cup triumph.

I was not even born when India lift the World Cup in 1983. But the visuals of that famous victory are so afresh in mind as if I have witnessed it myself. Well, that is the case with many young Indians of my generation. Many of us have grown up listening to the stories of that great victory.

Truly, 25th June 1983 was the day of India. All changed within those eight hours at Lords. An underdog team crushed the double world champions and got the Prudential Cup. Nobody had thought that this will ever come to reality. Nobody had even dreamt of it. It was only the self belief of those 14 men and the strong will of their exceptional leader that made the impossible possible. That moment, accelerated the Cricket in this nation and that moment still inspires us.

25 years hence that splendid run, Cricket in India has grown up to new highs. The country has become financial hub of this game. We have got a bunch of famous victories, but nothing can still match the intensity of that day. What is it that makes 1983 victory so special?

It is perhaps the fact that it came at a time when the country needed hope. It came at a time when nobody expected India to do well. It came at a time when Indian Hockey had started loosing it's Olympic glory.

It is so special because it stirred the middle class of this country and inspired them to get over the miseries of their lives. That was a once in the lifetime moment which awokened the aspirations of this country- a perfect example of how a sport can have a profound impact on the nations.

And it is more special because it was brought by the new age-Indians like the Captain Kapil Dev, who came not from the metros, who had not got the Oxford degrees under their belt, but who dared to take risks, who dared to challenge the mighty and were ready to fight till the end.

Kudos to that glorious generation!

Time to 'Green'

The dust is washed away by the rain... And everything has turned green again...
The sky has opened up... The Sun is shining bright...
And the Velvety lawns are shining in the light...

No I'm not talking about Monsoon. ( and not about the Green Revolution either... have spoken too much about it) It is about a place thousands of miles away from India, a place that has oce again readied itself to witness history.

Yes, The Wimbledon Championship is starting from tomorrow. Roger Federer will be in action again. Oh! I just can't wait for tomorrow. Give me some Green! :D

Green Rovolution?

After the President, it's the Minister. The talk of a second Green Revolution is in these days. Not many days back President Mrs. Pratibha Patil spoke of Country's agrivcultural 'success' and now the Union Agriculture minister Mr. Sharad Pawar has appricited the 'success' in his colum as a Guest Editor of maharashtra Times.

It is a fact that our wheat produce has risen to a great extent in recent times. It's the case with not just wheat but Soya, cotton, ground nut and almost everything.

It is a fact that The Growth Rate of Agriculture has crossed the 4.5 % mark which is a record.

It is a reality that these efforts are recognized worldwide- India has even recieved a Gold Medal from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). All this is happening at a time when, the world is facing Food crisis. India has got an opportunity to be the supplier to the rest of the countries.

But all this is not enough to feed the Indians. Somehow, there are hungry people still fighting hard for a meal everyday. Somehow, the inflation is rising higher. Despite the huge food production, a drought like situation is not so far. Despite all the glorious numbers of success, farmer's suisides have not stopped.

The only good thing I find in this is that people have started going back to agriculture. They are ready to take the risk of Monsoons, they are ready to apply new technologies, they are also taking an account of environment in doing this. I just hope all this marks a new beginning.

The earlier green revolution left over the polluted land and water resuorces. Hope this new revolution turns out to be really green.

In search of Cloud Number Nine...

Lately, I've been writing a lot about monsoon and rain. So, today, I thought of posting a few pictures.

I took these from a train near Karjat. Well, the quality is not so good, but, ain't they beautiful?

An Evening out in the open

On the Sea shore

through the winds

I was walking

when it started raining...

Believe me, rain in Mumbai is such a delight!

Yes, it catches you unaware sometimes, but else it is really very beautiful. well, you may say, "Oh Janhavee! have you gone mad? don't you know about the rain disasters?"

Yes, I surely know about them. but I never like to think about them. And Yes, I've gone mad, but that happens with everyone of us. Tell me, what's wrong in being yourself once in a while?

Banker to the Poor

I've just finished reading "Banker to the Poor" and I can say that it's a 'Must Read' Book for everyone.

It's very rare that I read Economics with much interest. I mean I liked it in school, college, but I would never have a book of Economics for my bedtime reading. (yeah, except for the night before Economics exams in school)

"Banker to the Poor" is an exception. Well, it's not a book on Economics, but it is all about Economics. It is indeed an autobiography of a practical economist, perhaps one of the greatest of this time. This is the story of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Scholar from Banglaesh. This is the story of how he put his knowledge and understanding to the use of his countrymen, especially women.

This Banker to the Poor tells us the story of Grameen Bank- an organization that has been transforming the face of rural Bangladesh.

I first heard about Dr. Yunus when he was awarded Indira Gandhi Peace Prize- I guess that was in 1998- I was too young to know what all that meant for. But the fact that a certain professor of economics from Bangladesh got this award and he's working in order to remove poverty, really amazed me. (Sadly, we come to know about people like Dr.Yunus when they get such awards. why can't we have his book in school instead of all those truckloads of theories???)

And then, years after, when I read about his work, it made me believe that every problem has a perfect solution if you try to find it. But then, Life is not maths...

Looking back and Looking Ahead...

Last year, Justin Henin won her third consecutive French Open Title on the red clay of Roland Garros. But the final match played on Court Phillip Chartier gave a new Star to the game of Tennis. Ana Ivanovic. Everyone praised her pretty looks as well as her powerful, well-placed strokes. Paris was, and is still, totally enchanted by the Ana-Magic. After loosing the Final to Justin, Ana- the runner up had made a small speech- promising to be there in the next year's final.

A year later, on Saturday, Ana again shared the podium with Justin. but this time, the roles were changed. Ana has just reached the World No. 1 rank. She was the newly crowned the winner of French Open and she got her Winner's Trophy from just retired Justin. As if the legacy was being passed from one generation to the next....
..................................................................................................................

Twenty four hours latter, Roland Garros was all set to witness History being rewritten. It was supposed to be the biggest showdown of the year so far, as Roger Federer was once again pitched up against his nemesis- Rafael Nadal. For the third successive time, Roger was bidding to complete his Career Slam, and for the third successive time, Nadal came in his way. Not just that, he completely derailed the Fed-Express.

It was really a painful defeat for Roger, the one he and his fans would like to forget. For the first time in 9 years, he got bageled. Really, it was not at all a match- no competition at all.

Such a downfall of Tennis' World Number one, even surprised Nadal, who has now made a history by claiming all four of the French Opens he participated. He's yet to loose a match in Roland Garros but he knows that if there is anyone who can beat him on Clay is Federer. And that is why, perhaps, there was no fist-pumps or jump around the court when he won the Title. Nadal just raised his hands and received the applaud- the kid has now grown up. He has equaled Bjorn Borg's record of four consecutive French Opens. Incidentally, it was Borg who presented the Trophy to Nadal. Another day, another Legacy handed over...

Truly, Nadal is on his way to become the Greatest Ever Clay-Courter. He would have been the topmost player. But he is not. Because, he is playing in the era of Federer- the one who has an all-court play that led him to the apex of Tennis. Remember, he has reached the French Open Final thrice.

And we, Federer’s Fans have already started sensing the Green, Green Grass of SW19

इट्स नॉट अॅट ऑल टेरिबल

माहितीच्या महाजालातला असाच एक मुक्त कट्टा (म्हणजे online forum हो!) वेगवेगळ्या विषयांवरची चर्चा अगदी रंगात आलेली. जगाच्या वेगवेगळ्या कोप-यांत राहणारे आम्ही नेटफ्रेन्डस् डिस्कस करत होतो कुठल्या तरी वेगळ्याच विषयावर. पण बघता बघता गाडी पावसाकडे वळली.

मी सहजच म्हटलं (म्हणजे टाईप केलं) ‘It’s time for Monsoon! We’ll get rains again… ’ आता लवकरच मॉन्सून येईल...

पॅट - ‘Oh that sounds terrible! Janhavee, you should be careful...’

पॅटचं ते उत्तर ऐकून मी चक्रावूनच गेले. (बाकी तिची उत्तरं अशी नेहमीच चक्रावणारी असतात, तिच्या गावच्या म्हणजे लंडनच्या पावसासारखीच – totally unpredictable)

मी - ‘what’s so terrible about it? त्यात एवढं घाबरण्यासारखं काय आहे? मला तर पाऊस आवडतो. I just enjoy it so much!’

पॅट - “Oh really? (हा ‘really’ अगदी खास यॉर्कशायर अॅक्सेंटमध्ये हं!) I thought Monsoon rains are destructive?’

मी - ‘Sometimes, yes, they are, of course. But they give us water, they give us relief from heat and they are REALLY beautiful to watch’ (हा ‘REALLY’ मात्र अस्सल मराठी... अर्थात त्याला ‘खर्रच’ची सर नाही... :) )

पॅट – Well, hear they always show that you people are having floods because of monsoon. (Oh! आता बीबीसीवाले आणि सगळेच फक्त भरलेल्या नद्या, बुडालेली शेतं, तुंबलेले रस्ते आणि वाहणारी गटारं दाखवतात, त्याला मी काय करणार?)

आमच्या गप्पा अशाच सुरू राहिल्या. हळूहळू बाकीचेही त्यात सहभागी झाले. आणि मॉन्सूनचा अनुभव घ्यायला एकदा तरी भारतात येण्याचं कबूल करून सगळ्यांनी निरोप घेतला.

एव्हाना बाहेर गार वारा वाहायला सुरूवात झाली होती. थोड्याच वेळात पाऊस पडू लागला. माझ्या डोक्यात मात्र अजूनही पॅटचाच प्रश्न घोंघावत होता. तीच कशाला, ‘पाऊस? अरे बापरे!’ असं म्हणणारे मला मुंबईतही भेटलेयत. मुंबईकरांना पावसाचा आनंद कधीच का लुटता येत नाही?

एक मात्र खरंय, अलीकडे मुंबईचा पाऊस म्हटलं की फक्त टेन्शनच येतं. आकाशात काळोखी, बोचरा वारा, पडलेली झाडं, खड्ड्यांमधून वाट काढत चालणारे लोक, पाण्याखाली गायब झालेले रस्ते, खोळंबलेलं ट्रॅफिक, अडकलेल्या लोकल ट्रेन्स, ट्रेनमधली गर्दी आणि त्या गर्दीतूनही वाट काढत आत शिरणारी पावसाची सर... आणि या सगळ्या परिस्थितीत ऑफिस आणि घर गाठण्यासाठीची धावपळ...

पण कधी विचार केलाय ? मुंबईचा पाऊस याहीपेक्षा वेगळा असू शकतो? कधी बघितलेयत मुंबईतल्या बदलत्या निसर्गाचे रंग?

पण कधी बघणार? धावताधावता श्वास घ्यायलाही आम्हाला वेळ नसतो. तरी नशीब, आम्हा मुंबईकरांना आकाशाचं दर्शन अगदीच दुर्मिळ नाही. इथं काही लंडन- न्यूयॉर्कवासीयांसारखं उंच इमारतींच्या गर्दीत आकाशाचा तुकडा शोधावा लागत नाही. (अजूनतरी!) याच मोकळ्या आकाशात एखाद्या दिवशी काळोखी आल्याचं जाणवतं आणि अचानक पाऊस कोसळू लागतो... मुंबईचा पाऊस...

तो येतो कोणतीही वर्दी न देता. आपल्याला बेसावध गाठून भिजवण्यात मुंबईचा पाऊस अगदी पटाईत. जणू लोकांची ( आणि बीएमसीची ) त्रेधा उडवण्याचा त्याला छंदच आहे. (आणि पावसाच्या नावानं खडे फोडण्याचा आम्हाला.)

मुंबईचा पाऊस... तो येतो, आणि सगळं शहर धुक्यात हरवून जातं... अगदी एखाद्या स्वप्नातल्या नगरीसारखं... तो येतो आणि सगळी हवा कशी फ्रेश फ्रेश होऊन जाते..

मुंबईचा पाऊस... अगदी unique असतो बरं का! तो येतो पण मृद्-गंधाशिवायच... (अहो, मुंबईत तेवढीतरी माती शिल्लक कुठे राहिलीय?) तो येतो समुद्रावरून, गेट –वे, मरिन ड्राईव्हवर धडकणा-या लाटांवर स्वार होऊन... मुंबईच्या पावसाची खरी मजा अनुभवायची असेल तर समुद्रकिना-यासारखी जागा नाही. खवळलेल्या समुद्रात पावसाचं तांडव पाहताना वेळेचं भान रहात नाही. (पण समुद्राला भरती आली असेल तर जरा जपूनच) समुद्राचा कंटाळा आला असेल तर डोंगर आणि धबधबेही फार दूर नाहीत. बोरिवलीच्या नॅशनल पार्कमध्ये तर पावसाच्या प्रत्येक थेंबाबरोबरच हिरवा रंग चढत जातो.. जरा शहराबाहेर पडाल तर कर्जत, खोपोली, कर्नाळा, माळशेजचा पाऊस तुमची वाटच पहात असतो.

पण शहरात राहूनही पावसाची मजा लुटता येते बरं! एखाद्या कट्टयावर, कोप-यावरच्या हॉटेलात किंवा अगदी ऑफिसमध्येही मित्र-मैत्रिणींचा अड्डा, चहा- कॉफीचे वाफाळते कप, भजी आणि भरपूर गप्पा...). पाऊस जवळ आला की मुंबईच्या फॅशन स्ट्रीटचं रुपडंही पालटतं. भिजत भिजत खरेदी करण्यातही धमाल असते. पण खरी मजा येते ती मुंबईतल्या रिमझिमत्या पावसात वरळी किंवा पाम बीच हाय-वेवर लाँगड्राईव्ह करताना (अर्थातच ट्रॅफिक कमी झाल्यावर) रस्त्यावर टिपटिपणारे थेंब, गाडीचा वेग आणि सोबतीला आवडती व्यक्ती, आवडती गाणी असतील, तर भाई, जीना इसी का नाम है!

आणि समजा, घरात एकटेच असाल तर जरा खिडकीच्या बाहेर डोकावून तर पहा! कळणारही नाही हा पाऊस आपला मित्र कधी बनून जाईल ते...

रिअली पॅट, तुला कधीच कळणार नाही, आमचा पाऊस टेरिबल नाही तर अगदी रोमँटिकही आहे..

posted on starmajha.com

Rain is here!

It rained today! It rained today!!!

Last night itslef I wrote how much I love the Rain, and it rained today! oh can't believe it!

Somehow, I've never missed the season's first rain in Karjat. Year by year, I desperately wait for that summer evening, when everything suddenly gets cool with the eastword winds, when a sudden dustbowl makes the air gloomy and when all the things get charged up with the pitter-patter of first rain... Every year, I've experieced it, and yet everything, it seems totally new to me. Every year, I've celebrated it with greatest of joys... sometims with friends, sometimes alone... but I had never missed the first rain in Karjat.

This time though, I was sure, I'd be missing it. Reason? well, got too busy with myself, my job and daily up-dpwn to Mumbai. I was sad, I'd miss it ll. But I was wrong, the Rain Gods proved me wrong and I'm glad about it.

It's first week of June, and we nirmally get the pre-Monsoon showers by end of May. this time, it took a week more. the whole of May went dry, making it worse to keep going.

But today, I had a day off and it rained! as if, rain was waiting for me to be in karjat... nice co-incidece, isn't it?

Oh how refreshing it feels now! The First rains, it's very hard to explain about it, you have to experience it. Really, there is nothing like the firsty rain.

This is Life

Take the world shakin', stirrin'
Thats what I've got goin' on
I throw my cares up in the air
And I don't think they're comin' down
Yeah, I love how it feels right now

This is the life! Hold on tight!
And this is the dream!It's all I need!
You never know where you'll find it
And I'm gonna take my time, yeah
I'm still getting it right
This is the Life!.....

(From Hannah Montana's 'This is Life')
.................................................................................

As I'm typing this blog, a strong breeze is blowing outside... It's not a breeze; actually it's not less than a storm. Something tells me, this is the wind of change.

It's been quite a dry summer, and feels like it'll rain soon... It's been too humid, and now it'll be cool and fresh again... Yes it will be so very soon...

When the seasons change, they give us signals- when they come and go, but nothing is as dramatic and as loud as Monsoon. Whenever it comes, comes riding on the winds and comes with full force. And it comes with a promise, it comes with a hope. It comes to keep the promise of life. And the first rain gives the hope that this promise will be well kept.

This is what is best about this time of the year- winds blow up the dust and then rains set it down... As if to tell us not to fear of any blow we might face in our life. As if to tell us, "Hey, hold on! It’s gonna be cool again..."

And that small assurance inspires a thousand millions of seeds and they rise up from the soil... Yes, THIS is the Life.

This is the life, and I want to hold it on again. with the new season on its way, I think it's the best time to start afresh. That is why this blog is here. My New Blog... Welcome here, It's A Lot of Words....