The Painted Veil

I really like watching movies. Not a crazy looney having collectables and stuff. Just appreciate good ones. And yes, I do own a reasonable descent collection of good films.

One of the many which has positively intrigues me is The Painted Veil, released in 2006. I’m not much of a fan of romantic movies but, this was an exception. Really fell in love with the mesmerising, elegant beauty of China.

The Painted Veil is based on the novel by Somerset Maugham, set during the most dramatic periods of unrest. It unfurls the love story of a couple at odds, who find solace and liberation in the most challenging circumstances

The story is set sometime during the 1920s. Kitty (Naomi Watts) is an upper class, popular socialite, closing in on marriageable age. Remaining unmarried beyond the marriageable age was considered a blasphemy during those times.

Dr. Walter Fane (Edward Norton), a quiet, young, intelligent, shy and somewhat dull Bacteriologist, meets Kitty at a party. She accepts Walter’s proposal for all the wrong reasons.

They move to Shanghai where Kitty befriends Charlie, a diplomat and eventually falls in love with him. Walter discover's Kitty's infidelity one day. Kitty asks for a divorce, but Walter refuses it. Charlie too does not want to take the affiliation any further. When she realizes that Charlie was ‘just having fun’, she is crestfallen.

Deeply hurt by his wife’s betrayal, in an act of vengeance, Walter accepts a job in a remote war – torn interior village in China hit by a deadly cholera epidemic, and takes Kitty along, endangering both their lives.

This cold, indifferent and loveless relationship amidst an unknown and fatal environment tests their power of endurance. Their journey brings meaning to their bond and they embark on a journey towards self discovery. Kitty is forced to confront the reality of the situation. The wrenched disease gives both a reason to survive. Forgiveness and understanding acts as a balm to the severed relationship.

The movie has many layers to it, love, colonialism, transition…Kitty’s adultery may be considered as an important twist as it opens doors to a new kind of relationship with her husband. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts excel in their parts and make the characters absolutely endearing. The movie has some light moments which are really enjoyable.

I absolutely love the closing lines of the movie.

Stitch Accomplished !!!
I admit that it is not a neat job, but hey i'm a novice who spent 3 sleepless nights trying to complete it, with all my love.
Will do a better job next time.
You can clearly see how much I made the cloth suffer heeheh.

Disclaimer : ALL CRITICS PLEASE VIEW THE MINIMISED VERSION OF THIS PICTURE TO AVOID FALLING OFF YOUR SEATS.

Nice Little Insults

One does not really need to use the 'F' word to insult. Movies and television series have made us creatively infertile.

Here are some classy examples from a time gone by, where you can see the clever use of words to insult and yet not a single cuss word.

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."~Winston Churchill

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."~Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."~Clarence Darrow

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."~William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"~Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."~Moses Hadas

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know."~Abraham Lincoln

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."~Groucho Marx

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."~Mark Twain

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends."~Oscar Wilde

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend...If you have one."~George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second...If there is one."~Winston Churchill, in response.

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."~Stephen Bishop

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator."~John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."~ Irvin Cobb

"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others."~Samuel Johnson

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."~Paul Keating

"He had delusions of adequacy."~Walter Kerr

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure."~Jack Leonard

"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt. "~Robert Redford

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."~Forrest Tucker

Stitch

When I want to gift somebody, I usually get down to painting, something, a landscape / geometrical drawings, delicate art and stuff. I am pretty good at it too. I believe that this is more valuable than ‘off the shelf gifts. It feels nice when your art finds its place in the lives of people you like.

I don’t know what got over me this time round, I wanted to do some handwork. Went to the British Council, glanced through books, fuse ideas….and voila, settled down for ribbon embroidery. The art books are fashioned in such a way that they hypnotise you into believing ‘Oh! That’s terribly simple!’ I fell into that trap too.

The colourful pictures enchanted me into choosing a particular theme. Took help from my friend who is pretty good at this work. Went hunting for the raw materials very enthusiastically, choosing colours, textures, decorative details…conveniently forgetting that time is a constraint.

She very patiently showed me how to do different kinds of designs using various stitches. It looked so conveniently easy. I thought I could finish it quickly. When she left, I sat down very obediently to start where she left. To my horror I found I was only good at punching holes. At the end of it all, one corner of the cloth took quite a punch and looked quite dead. Needlework is not my cup of tea I think. I’m too rough for it, I need to haul all my patience and my lost art of handling a needle before I choose such an effortless project next time.

All is not lost though. Other 3 corners are ready to take on me. I shall win over them and modify the original design to hide the battered part. After all you must finish what you started. Good luck to me!

Marine Drive

Had been to the other office in Air India which faces Marine Drive. The sea looked very inviting, so decided to take a stroll and reach office via Marine Drive. The gusty wind bringing with it tiny droplets of water, the sky dotted with dark grey clouds, the multihued sea extending into the horizon, the waves lapping ceaselessly onto the shore, realms of open space waiting to be conquered…was very exhilarating. But, for some reason it also reminded me of lines spoken by Kind Lear in, the second scene of Act 3 a scene that denotes his despair in absolute state of madness. I know it is contradictory to what I mentioned earlier.

Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!

You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout

Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks!

You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,

Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,

Singe my white head!

And thou, all-shaking thunder, Strike [smite] f

lat the thick rotundity o' the world,

Crack nature's moulds, all germains spill at once,

That make ingrateful man!

Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! spout, rain!

Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters:

I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness;

I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children,

You owe me no subscription:

[why] then let fall Your horrible pleasure:

here I stand, your slave, A poor, infirm, weak, and

despised old man:

But yet I call you servile ministers,

That have with two pernicious daughters join'd

Your high engender'd battles 'gainst a head

So old and white as this. O! O! 'tis foul!

Marine Drive is also called the queen's Necklace. One get the best view from an elevated place, at night. It one of Mumbai's busiest roads & an important artery for the heavy suburban traffic heading downtown. Many five star restaurants and buildings built by wealthy Parsis that sport an art deco look, popular during 1920s and 1930s, line this stretch of the road.

Scent Of A Woman

Sunday had been a busy day. But managed to squeeze into my movie archive to watch Scent of a Woman.

It has always been one of the many 'talked about moves'. It also finds a place among the list of movies where skin show and sexy women are not really given so much importance.

Scent of a Woman is about Charles Simms played by Chris O'Donnell, a prep school student and Frank Slade, played by Al Pacino, a blind and lonely war veteran.

Charlie has to spend the Thanksgiving weekend, looking after Lt. Colonel Frank Slade, a bitter, friendless, blind veteran when Slade’s family go away for thanksgiving weekend. Charlie has managed admission into the school for the privileged few, purely on merit. To cover his expenses he takes up the arduous task. He embarks on a tour of self-discovery when Slade decides to make an unexpected visit to New York City. Charlie’s idea of a quite Thanksgiving goes for a toss when they head there. Frank wants to live life to the fullest before the last day of his life. Charlie is bewildered by Frank's vociferous antics but his infectious enthusiasm keeps Charlie hot on his heels.

In the mean time, Charles is privy to an act of vandalism and is blackmailed into revealing the identities. He is faced with quite a dilemma to and is dazed about what to do next. In the few days they are together, Frank gives good advice and Charlie takes notice of every word he says.

This maybe yet another movie about human bonds, but the realism with which the characters are portrayed is commendable. The relationship between Slade and Charlie is strong ‘cause they make it work. The movie is not too long. Chris O’Donnell stands his own in the towering presence of Al Pacino.

The dialogues in the movie are vibrant, you just can’t miss the endemic after-effects on hearing it. It resonates even after you’ve heard it. One of the most famous 8 minute dialogue delivered by Frank is truly outstanding. I burst into goose pimples every time I hear it. There was a mention about this in connection to the stuff leaders should be made of, in The Times of India.
Here’s an except from that article.

“ In the climax of the film Scent Of Woman, Lt. Frank Slade, memorably portrayed by Al Pacino, defends his young protégée, Charlie Simms, who’s about to be expelled from his school, Baird, for refusing to reveal the identity of his fellow students who played a prank. Slade’s speech remains one of the finest expositions on leadership in a work of fiction…..”

Trask: Mr. Sims, you are a cover-up artist and you are a liar.

Frank Slade: But not a snitch!

Trask: Excuse me?

Frank Slade: No, I don't think I will.

Trask: Mr. Slade!

Frank Slade:This is such a crock of shit!

Trask: Please watch your language, Mr. Slade. You are at the Baird School now not a barracks.
Now Mr. Sims I will give you one final opportunity to speak up.

Frank Slade: Mr. Sims doesn't want it. He doesn't need to labeled, "...still worthy of being a 'Baird Man.'" What the hell is that? What is your motto here? Boys, inform on your classmates, save your hide. Anything short of that we're gonna burn you at the stake? Well, gentlemen. When the shit hits the fan, some guys run and some guys stay. Here's Charlie--facing the fire, and there's George--hiding in big Daddy's pocket. And what are you doing? You're gonna reward George, and destroy Charlie.

Trask: Are you finished, Mr. Slade?

Frank Slade: No. I'm just gettin' warmed up. I don't know who went to this place--William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan, William Tell--whoever. Their spirit is dead; if they ever had one, it's gone. You're building a rat ship here. A vessel for sea-going snitches. And if you think your preparing these "minnows" for manhood, you better think again. Because I say you are killing the very spirit this institution proclaims it instills! What a sham! What kind of show are you guys puttin' on here today? I mean, the only class in this act is sittin' next to me. And I'm here to tell you, this boy's soul is in tact. It is non-negotiable. You know how I know? Because someone here--I'm not gonna say who--offered to buy it. Only Charlie here wasn't selling.

Mr.Trask: Sir, you are out of order!

Frank Slade: Out of order, I'll show you out of order! You don't know what out of order is Mr. Trask! I'd show you but I'm too old, I'm too tired, and I'm too fuckin' blind. If I were the man I was five years ago I'd take a flame-thrower to this place. Out of order? Who the hell do you think you're talking to!? I've been around, you know? There was a time I could see. And I have seen, boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there is nothin' like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthetic for that. You think you're merely sending this splendid foot-soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs, but I say that you are executing his soul! And why? Because he's not a Baird man. Baird men, you hurt this boy, you're going to be Baird Bums, the lot of ya. And Harry, Jimmy, Trent, wherever you are out there, fuck you too!

Mr. Trask: Stand down Mr. Slade!

Frank Slade: I'm not finished! As I came in here, I heard those words...cradle of leadership. Well, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here, it has fallen! Makers of men, creators of leaders, be careful what kind of leaders you're producing here. I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong; I'm no judge or jury. But I can tell you this; he won't sell anybody out to buy his future! And that, my friends, is called integrity. That's called courage. Now that's the stuff leaders should be made of. (pause) Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew. But I never took it. You know why? Because it's too damn hard. Now here's Charlie; he's come to the crossroads. And he's chosen a path. It's the right path. It's a path made of principle, that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy's future in your hands, committee! It's a valuable future. Believe me! Don't destroy it...protect it...embrace it. It's going to make you proud one day...I promise you.

Shadows

A friend of mine sent a link from you tube today.

I was pretty amazed at how much the realms of creativity can stretch. Some things, although intricate seem so effortless and striking.

Puppetry has existed in various forms in many countries. Puppetry is basically a figure whose movements are controlled by someone through, strings, rods, or hand movements. Shadow puppetry is one of the many forms of puppetry. It is simply amazing, the things our 2 hands can do… with the right kind of light and a sprinkling of imagination one can create awesome shadows.

I was bewildered at the way Raymond Crowe brought the essence of ‘What a Wonderful World’ to life.

‘What A Wonderful World’ is a popular song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss, was first performed by Louis Armstrong. This song was released as a single in 1967. It is an amazingly soothing rendition and has positive note. One can sense the enchanting simple joys of life when he / she listens to this song. There is so much to look forward to.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself,

what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day,

the dark sacred night

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow,

so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shakin' hands,

sayin' "How do you do?"

They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cryin',

I watch them grow

They'll learn much more than I'll ever know

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Oh yeah!

Wanted!

Never are you made so aware of the way you look and your skin colour until the day you read the matrimonial columns. Colours of skin: to most people there are just 2 types – fair and dark. How dark or how fair is not a matter of consideration.

Why is it that most matrimonial advertisements read out uniformly as, ‘wanted: fair / very fair, tall, slim, very beautiful, professionally qualified, modern with traditional values, willing to work, to be an ideal daughter…’ phew every man / man’s family wants a world beauty contest winner, beauty with brains! Hey not just the men, even the ‘wanted groom’ columns read this way.

No wonder Fair & Lovely & Fair & Handsome has been making a killing in this market. The superiority of the gora chamdi has been itched so deeply in our minds that it will take a complete overhaul to overcome such thoughts to even remotely consider brown as a skin colour.

Now just imagine a place where every second person you came across on the street was a Jessica Alba, Sharon Stone, Aishwarya Rai, Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Sushmita Sen…Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Richard Gere…? What a wonderland! But, wouldn’t that make the world a rather uninteresting place? Oh no! Then maybe people would be so sick of it that the so called average beauties would be kept at a pedestal.

A lot of men wage for professionally qualified women, many frown at the prospect of her wanting to work after marriage. Now which girl would want to give up all that she has studied and whished for, just like that. Another very strange wish is for the girl to be traditional yet modern…now that is a very, very difficult combination, more like chalk and cheese! This maybe a reflection of the anomalies between the boy and his parents. Hey make a choice! Things would be rather simple if you know where you stand.

For every parent, his or her child is the most beautiful / handsome person in the whole world. It is they who receive blow after blow to their self confidence and beliefs every time they make an enquiry. We have classes for every damn thing under the sun…it is high time people are trained the communication etiquettes.

Isn’t it a well known fact that beauty is temporary? Why then are such brief highs always valued the most? Isn’t the Dravidian race supposed to possess a darker skin tone? What is so shameful about it then? Isn’t it better to choose a person for his / her zest to achieve, being smart to make the right decisions for progress, his / her compassion, his / her honest simplicity rather than settle for a dashing personality and live in constant fear about you being able to match up to him / her?

I’ve taken a liking to Indian writing now. Strange how I’ve never read much of it until recently. It started with Mulk Raj Anand’s ‘Coolie’. It was a dark and depressing read about an orphan Munno. The novel does make you fell uncomfortable by the bringing out the crudeness of people in those days. Now I’m onto reading ‘Untouchables’ , written by him. It is a story about the trials and tribulations of Bakha, an outcaste. You do feel sorry for the naive desires and the inability to even dream of them ‘cause you are ‘forbidden’ to ‘pollute’

‘Arranged Marriage’ was a book I picked up during one of the many visits to the British Council. It is a collection of short stories written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. I guess the title caught my interest. The stories are based on the woman’s side of marriage.

Arranged Marriage or marriage of convenience is a widely accepted and practiced concept in India. The process has been a bit modified so as to suit the mindsets of today’s generation. Statistics show that arranged marriages have seen a better success level. Maybe ‘cause the spouses get to know one another on a practical level first, looking beyond trivial issues such as beauty or lack thereof. You are not blinded by the physical beauty, but rather look for qualities that would help you sustain a long term relationship.

The language used in the book was effortless and the stories familiar. The characters in the stories could easily be your friend / aunt / mom / maid…Some of the women in the stories are Indian-born US-settled, trying desperately to strike a balance between their hereditary values and modern liberal thoughts; some too Indian or too western to finding it hard to accept change.

1. Bats: is a story that is relayed through the eyes of a kid who doesn’t understand why her mother weeps and hugs her. Why she has bruises on her face. Why she leaves for her uncle’s place only to return…

2. Clothes: is about a person who loves to dress for her hubby and is always eager to please him. Unfortunately, the star of her life dies leaving her to move on and live his dream.

3. Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs: She is excited to reach US and stay with her aunt during her study. But life is far from her expectation. Most people feel that staying away from motherland is a liberating experience. This story begs to differ.

4. Word Love: Every time the protagonist calls her mother in India and hears her plans to arrange a marriage for her, she feels guilty of hiding the fact that she is staying with her boyfriend. She is caught between the guilt of betraying her mother’s trust and her own love of her life.

5. The Perfect Life: Is about a person who is into a live-in relationship where her boyfriend gives her lots of space. Marriage and children are the last thing on her mind until a little kid she encounters gives her a whole new perspective to relationships.

6. The Maid Servant’s story: She is about to get married. Her aunt tells her a moving story about a married woman could not save her maid servant from becoming a prostitute. This story talks about marital limitations and other intricacies.

7. The Disappearance: This story is revealed through the eyes of a husband who is coping with the sudden disappearance of his wife. He searches almost everywhere, but in vain. He recalls his marriage with her. He loved her; but was not sure if she did. They had small differences, which is usual in all marriages.

8. The Doors: This is a story about how compromises and inflexibility could lead to a strained bond.

9. The Ultrasound: It subtlety deals with the issue of female foeticide. The story tells about the acceptance of the baby being a girl in India in contrast to that in America.

The last two stories are the ones that touched a cord. They sort of answered many a questions that have bothered me at different times.

10. The Affair: This story starts with a playful question that is put forth to the wife. It sets her thinking deeply about the relationship with her husband .It deals with the dissatisfaction in marriage the insecurity that one feels when one is extremely extrovert and the other just the opposite. You wonder what is it that he saw in you, that you were chosen over a million offers. It unfurls the different perspectives of the people involved.

11. Meeting Mrinal: It is a story about two long lost friends. One is an average everyday person, who has been deserted by her husband for another woman and the other who has everything going for her, her looks, her education, her career…she is forced to think if it was her mistake that she is not born beautiful?; Is it her inability to ‘satisfy’ her husband that he left her for another woman?; Is it her mistake that the relationship with her son is somewhat strained; would she have been happier if she never married?

An encounter with her childhood friend, who has everything one could only dream of, who had never married, gives her an answer to many a questions that have been nagging her. Mrinal, her friend, talks of emptiness, a sense of loneliness a yearning for a companion, amidst a booming career.

15th August, the day my friend and me finally completed a much 'wished' trek. Still don't believe we made it! It was fun.

We started from New B'bay at 7 in the morning and drove down to Nagothane. The journey was sprinkled with slight drizzles to heavy showers. It made the drive rather enjoyable. We reached the guesthouse in 2 hrs and started the ascent after changing into trekking clothes and shoes.

Absolute picturesque greenery greeted us, when we landed at the foot of the hill. It was such a welcome departure from the concrete jungle.

The driver led our small group of four towards the waterfall. My sandals gave away right at the onset of the journey. So I walked on barefoot. Though he was swift in climbing up, I was the first one to keep pace with him. The others followed me blindly. It was fun climbing up
the rocks and feeling the softness of the grass soothe the soles after walking on gravel. Felt like I was a monkey! Soon there came a point where we had to make an absolute vertical ascent. The driver had already reached the other side. I started the climb, closely followed by the others, not knowing it was the wrong route. I got stuck at a dead end with nothing to hold onto, except a feeble branch that obviously gave away. We were laughing at the acrobatics we did to keep ourselves steady. It was funny the way the driver held out a twig directing us out of the dead end.

We carried on, with me slipping every minute, thanks to the moss, algae and wet rocks. We were overjoyed on getting the first glimpse of the waterfall that has been hidden away from tourists. The sight of the cool milky white water gushing down seamlessly, set against lush green foliage, was a heavenly treat. We spent quite sometime in the water enjoying every bit of it.

We decided to follow the stream and walk in it during our descent. It was sheer bliss to fell soft water flowing over your feet, every step of your way.

In the evening we decided to pay a Durga temple atop a hill, cloaked by dense foliage, a visit.
The climb was steep and slippery. We were outdone by the locals who made their way up and down in 5 minutes!

I awoke the next day to creaking joints and muscle pain. No complaints, this pain is ecstasy!

The state of Indian Politics
: How ridiculous does this sound?


Indian PM says opposition prayed for his death

NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's embattled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, under fire over a civilian nuclear deal with Washington, says the opposition performed religious rituals for his demise.

Singh told India Today weekly news magazine in comments published on the weekend that he was disappointed with the Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over its reaction to the deal.

"They didn't even believe that I would last the prime minister and some leaders even did havans (Hindu rituals) that I should die on a certain day," Singh told the magazine.

"It (the agreement) requires a big leap in approach and the attitude of BJP is disappointing."
Singh gave the interview in June with the understanding that it would be published only after the Indo-US agreement was reached.

Singh has drawn heavy criticism from both the opposition and the government's communist allies over the pact that was clinched last month.

The agreement seeks to permit New Delhi to buy atomic fuel, technology and plants even though it is not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but critics say it would limit India's strategic options.

The main opposition BJP swiftly demanded an apology from Singh.
"We cannot believe that a prime minister can make such comments.... It's appalling," senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said late Friday.

"Havans are organised for the well-being and not to pray for somebody's death.... He owes an apology to the nation for such ridiculous comments," the BJP lawmaker told reporters.

On Friday, the Indian parliament erupted in furore after former defence minister George Fernandes accused Singh of misleading the country over terms of the deal and said if it had happened in China the premier would have received a "bullet in his head."

Old is Gold!

Battered jeans earn big bucks for Sri Lanka


by Mel Gunasekera Sun Aug 12, 4:06 AM ET
AVISSAWELLA, Sri Lanka (AFP) - The denims look tattered and frayed, but shoppers in Europe and the United States are prepared to pay good money for "distressed" jeans and Sri Lanka is cashing in.

In the industrial town of Avissawella east of the capital Colombo, it takes workers around 13 minutes to cut and sew basic five-pocket denims.
They then spend another four days torturing the pants by dying, bleaching, and sandpapering them to get a "distressed" look.

"Each garment is dyed or dipped around 16 and sometimes as many as 30 times to achieve the proper torn, tattered look," explains Indrajith Kumarasiri, chief executive of Sri Lanka's Brandix Denim.

"We earn more money by making denims look dirty and torn, the classic clean look doesn't bring us much," Kumarasiri told AFP during a visit to the 10-million dollar plant, which can make over three million pairs of jeans a year.

Basic denim jeans cost around six dollars to make, but the shabbier "premium" ones cost twice as much.

"In many ways, premium denims are replacing the little black dress as the wear-anywhere fashion staple," he said.

Overseas buyers such as Levis, Gap and Pierre Cardin are now regular buyers of premium jeans from Sri Lanka where they can be made for as little as 12 dollars a pair, and often sell for over 100 dollars.

Buyers have been gradually shifting production out of Europe to low-cost countries such as Sri Lanka, explains Ajith Dias, chairman of the Sri Lanka Joint Apparel Association Forum.
"Retaining the business and growing the order book is tough with India and China competing with us on price and quicker lead times," Dias said.

Sri Lanka's three-billion dollar garment industry accounts for more than half its annual seven billion dollars of export earnings, and it provides jobs for nearly one million people. Nearly all the garments are shipped to the United States and the European Union.

But Dias said casual wear, including jeans, are they key to Sri Lanka's success in the price-sensitive global apparel market, and now account for 16 percent of total garment export earnings.

"We have invested millions to install high-tech plants, develop a sound raw material base and design garments, to ensure we remain competitive, by doing everything from fabric to retail hangers," Dias said.

Brandix, Sri Lanka's biggest exporter with annual sales in excess of 320 million dollars, and MAS Holdings, are also expanding overseas.

In an attempt to get an advantage over the competition, Sri Lanka is trying to position itself as an ethical manufacturer in the hope of getting greater access to the US and European markets at lower duty rates.

"We have high labour standards. We don't employ child labour, we provide rural employment and we empower women. There are no anti-dumping cases against us on trading practices," said Suresh Mirchandani, chief executive of Favourite Garments.

While eco-friendly and ethically-made clothes are becoming increasingly fashionable, their manufacture provides challenges for Sri Lanka.

Big-name brands are now adding organic-cotton clothes to their collection. "The joke is that one day we'll have a shirt we can eat," said Prasanna Hettiarachchi, general manager of MAS Holdings.

He said Levis recently launched eco-jeans using organic cotton, natural dyes, a coconut shell button on the waist band and a price tag made of recycled paper printed with environmentally friendly soy ink. The price tag is a cool 250 dollars.

"We are also working on an eco garment," said Brandix Denim's Kumarasiri.

And when asked what made a perfect pair of jeans, he had a quick answer.

"Same as always. It comes down to how your behind looks when you wear them," grins Kumarasiri.

"No matter how good the wash, the detail or the label, if it doesn't look good on your behind, it won't sell."

Three days of solitude was quiet a departure from an otherwise dull routine.

Was down with fever and cold, something that is a common feature during the monsoons. It was a welcome break never the less.

I’ve slept my heart’s content and piled on fat in the bargain. Oh! Why the bloody hell can we not have exercise machines like in the futuristic ‘Jetsons’, where you just have to look at person exercising and viola! your sweaty with an exhilarating pulse rate that keeps you on your toes the rest of the day. The medicines that the doctor had given this time made me so groggy that I felt I’d played ‘Requiem for a Dream’ in real life. One good thing I did was to transfer a good amount of movies from my hard drive to DVDs. Burning takes such a long time!

Was out of this state of limbo yesterday when my friend dropped by. Incidentally, she too was having a bad cold. She got me food to eat. A day’s cooking saved. Bless her! Chatted away for some time in Chinese, then walked down to the tailors’. We took a long winding route to be outdoors as long as possible. She wanted to convert a old rugged denim pant into a bag. We went around to all the possible fancy stores possible in search for something that’d make a dull, black denim pant come alive. I don’t think we can ever set foot in any of the stores for the next few weeks ‘cause we made the sales people climb the tallest of the shelves, dig out the boxes from the most incorrigible places and yet did not buy any of ‘em.

Soon it was night, a reminder that the party’s over.

Oh I wish!

Our Indian film industry showed the kind of originality displayed in these ads. They are so simple... and yet so meaningful. They are not necessarily serious, yet fun to watch.

Oh well I guess movies that actually make sense don't really sell. Heard that Chak de India and Gandhi, My Father are not doing as well as expected because they are not the usual candy-floss piece of crap that generally mints money at the Box Office.

Been married for 6 months as of today. I thought it was on the 10th, while Swathy thought today was the 8th. So apparently when I wished her in the morning, she thought I had already forgotten when it was.

How do I feel? Day to day life hasn't changed much largely thanks to leading a bachelor's life I suppose. It sucks in sense that I don't have the freedom that I enjoyed as a bachelor (I can't look/talk at a pretty girl anymore without feeling really guilty...). My phone bills have gone through the roof thanks to my India calls, I have had to become more careful about what I say and do, and, well I am sure I will have to clear out my wardrobe as I have been told multiple times that my dress sense sucks :(.

Still all this is nothing compared to the fact that I feel grounded and in love again. I have a sense of purpose in life that I didn't when I was single and so many good things to look forward to. Of course it would have been a lot nicer had I actually spent any time with my wife the past few months, but well we have lots to look forward to when she does come here. If we can get along well over a phone-line I'm sure we'll do fine in real life.

Touchwood we have had a wonderful start to our relationship. I hope that we continue along the same vein to build it into something that we can look back upon during our twilight years and only regret that we couldn't do the whole thing over again.

Love you Swats.

For those of you who can stand to hear me sing :-)... Here's me singing Tere Bin for Swathy at our wedding.

I’m suddenly attracted to Shakespeare again. It’s like falling in love all over again. He’s an integral part of English literature. Can’t comment about whether he is the best but yes, many of his plays are very relevant even today. Many perform and read his plays even today, eve after 400 years! That is quiet a feat I must say.

I borrowed King Lear and Macbeth from the British Cou

ncil yesterday. All my Lear and Macbeth sessions in college came back to life. Relived old memories, scene after scene. The quotations, the explanations, the debates…

Although Shakespeare wrote about kings, queens and princes, they had a certain common faults and tribulations like every other person, making it easy to relate to them, even after innumerable ‘thous’ and ‘thys’. King Lear's pride, Othello's jealousy or MacBeth's ambition or just plain misunderstandings; these are emotions one may fell at any point in time.

The best part of his plays is that he makes you think after you’ve heard and seen a story unfold. To act in a Shakespearean play or an adaptation has been a dream for many actors and actresses. Even the smallest character is as significant as any of the leads.

I liked the way Omkara shaped up. One decent adaptation of Shakespearean play set in modern times. Maqbool too is said to be an amazingly dark movie. Haven’t seen it though.

Partner - An honest review

Not being able to get a good night's sleep is a disaster waiting to happen. You can almost feel the deathly grip of boredom descend as one gets bored of surfing and hoping to catch something watchable on cable. After all how many 'Call me nows' from the psychic Cleo and Home Shopping Network ads attempting to pawn off stuff that retail stores were too smart to shelve can you watch? So after watching a couple sparing not flora nor fauna in an attempt to sell a micro blender, I figured I would chance watching a movie online.

Felt like having a bit of a laugh and was thrilled to see that Govinda and David Dhawan had teamed up recently to make Partner. After all I love Govinda's comedies. They are just plain zany... he has such good comic timing that even the stupidest thing he did would have me rolling on the floor. The songs were peppy in this movie as well.. not the kind that you would want to hear when you are looking for some melody ... but good timepass songs.

So I start the movie up, and forward the credits ... and lie back to enjoy the movie. Turned up the A/C and wrapped myself up tight in my quilt.... Little did I know what I was in for! Unfortunately my quilt had become a strait-jacket from which I could not hope to escape from.

It seems that of late hindi filmmakers have pretty much given up on using original stories written by Indian writers. I suppose the writers guild has become kutti with the film guild ... or perhaps with the public in general. Hindi filmmakers have realized that they have to do nothing more than blantantly get "inspired" by foreign cinema. They don't really have to do much. They pretty much copy ever scene from the other movie, mix in a few unnecessary song sequences, and introduce plot changing twists such as making one hero short instead of tall and the other moderately obese instead of obese.

The two heros in the movie are the muscled ape Salman Khan who for some reason bags every comedy in sight despite him being as funny as watching someone shoot themselves, and Govinda who looks like he has eaten everything in sight for the past two years. Movie reviews that I read later claim the movie is genuinely funny as long as you happen to leave your brain outside the door. I say that the only way you find this movie funny is if you trick someone else into watching the movie, make sure their eyes are open using toothpicks and handcuffing them to a seat so the only way they can escape is to chew through their arms (which could happen).

Salman Khan plays the role of will Smith as a Love Guru... only this love guru (judging by his facial expressions) looks like he has a few pine cones shoved up his ass. A bloated Govinda plays the adorable Kevin James who is desperately in love with a woman way out of his league. Unfortunately he whines so much that he is about as lovable as a nice prickly cactus. In real life even his dog would reject him. Katrina Kaif plays the unattainable socialite and is so plastic, that one may be forgiven for wondering how they managed to produce a life size Barbie doll . Lara Dutta who attempts to play Eva Mendes is just plain terrible. She has a son who is probably the only real actor in the real movie. The only comedy worth watching in the entire movie was provided by the genuinely funny Rajpal Yadav who spoofs SRK as Chotta Don. Unfortunately Chotta Don does not get much screen time.

Well long story short throughout the movie Salman goes through the painful process of trying to rid himself of the cones grimacing and flexing and going topless ... while trying to romance Lara Dutta. Govinda whines like a supporter of the BCCI cricket team throughout the movie as he tries to get Katrina to fall for him whilst everyone else in the movie (other than Rajpal Yadav) could have been replaced with cardboard cutouts.

As the movie progressed, I thanked god that I was wrapped tightly in my quilt for god forbid had my arms been free I may have busted my computer monitor. At the end of the movie I realized that I had started to cry... unbridled tears of happiness and sadness knowing that I had just wasted 2.5 hrs of my life that could have been better spent whacking myself on the head.

The Times of India held a poll that was something similar to the 7 wonders of the world.
The most popular choice was the ancient religious town of Shravanabelagola in Hassan district of Karnataka. Shravanabelagola is a Jain religious centre and one of the most vibrant cultural hubs in the country with an unbroken tradition from the 3rd century AD. The centrepiece is the 17.38 metre high stone statue of Bahubali, the largest monolithic statue in the world.

I do not quiet agree to such polls. Each person has his / her perception of what is beautiful. I believe that each place is unique and comparison is unfair. I liked the picture below. (Shravanabelagola)

A tale of two movies

Although I had plenty to do this weekend, I still managed to eke out some time to watch a couple of movies. One I watched because I wouldn't have missed it for the world and the other is a demonstration of the crazy things a person is driven to do in desperation.

Watched the Bourne Ultimatum on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Dropped a friend off at the airport in the morning and did some odd end jobs until the matinee show aired. Got there a little late and was forced to watch the entire movie from the second row. But boy was the movie good!



A distinguishing feature of the Bourne franchise is that it goes for substance rather than gloss. There are no stupid witticisms, no unnecessary scenes, no gloss whatsoever. The movie is plain and unadulterated fun. It is so fast paced! And it never fails to make sense. The movie goes about its business with an air of someone who has too much to do with too little time. Our amnesiac protagonist flits between cities as often as a normal person may go to the pharmacy or the grocers. He matches his wits and muscle against bunch of government baddies and their lackeys for whom assassinating someone in broad daylight is child's play. Against impossible odds Bourne always succeeds at his objective... be it beating up a bunch of CIA agents or finding the secret offices of CIA operatives with nothing more than Google and a parchment of paper with an address on it.

Throughout the movie Bourne's actions and robot like efficiency of getting things done can only make you gasp in admiration. The action sequences throughout the movie are exquisitely directed each more spectacular than the other. Bourne's journey from Russia through Europe to New York gave me a major adrenaline rush. Despite the frenetic pace of the movie, there was never a point in time that I felt lost. Although the movie is said to be loosely relevant to the books the storyline is very tight. Every scene has a part to play in the movie. If you like action movies, or, fast paced thrillers, this is the movie for you.

Now for the second movie... Cash. As far as I am concerned ... the movie should be renamed Crap. My reaction to watching this movie can be summed up by the title of one of its songs. Rahem Kare! (Have mercy) Had I not had the option to forward through the movie, I may have gone into depression.

The only reason I watched the movie was because I liked the songs. They are peppy, fast songs that are awesome to listen to in the car or as a pick me up at the end of a long day. And well I wanted to see if the babe in the picture below happened to have any more scenes in the movie. Boy should I have resisted the temptation to watch this piece of crap!

Hindi movie makers have for long been churning out so called action movies that look more like sequences from Bad Video Games Gone Wild! Unfortunately from what I read all these movies are classified as blockbusters. If you like meaningless, over the top, stupid, cheesy dialogues topped off with action scenes that are poor rip-offs of English movies, then this is the movie for you! Some idiot had the bright idea of putting actors who speak English with an accent that would make a Mexican immigrant cringe into a bunch of uncoordinated action sequences that seem to involve every mode of transportation possible with the notable exception of a submarine and possibly a golf cart.

What was the movie about? There was something in there about some diamonds and how everyone in the movie handled them at one stage. However I noticed that the actors seemed more interested in delivering silly jokes that even their mothers would find difficult to laugh at. Everyone was involved in trying to look cool by wearing clothes and sporting hairstyles that they happened to be a few decades too old for.

In case you still haven't decided to watch Crap, here's something that may get you off your behind and into the theatre (to throw rotten eggs at the screen). The movie features Ritesh Deshmukh with a hairstyle that even the orangutans would be offended by, Zayed Khan trying to rap, Esha Deol in tiny clothes (WARNING: you may poke your eyes out watching this), Ajay Devgan in blond hair (talk about blacks on blonds!), and, the terrible Shettys (Sunil - I think he has given up on trying to make a decent movie - and Shamita) trying to act.

I was so happy when the movie ended I had half a mind to wake up my neighbours and treat them all! God forbid what I would have done had I actually paid money to watch this in a theatre! My puny mind shudders at the thought of having to actually sit through this in a theatre!

B’bay was lashed by incessant rains yesterday. A good enough excuse, to be let off early. Boy, how good it feels to be home early! I got to do many things that I’ve kept pending. Whished it’d rain as heavily today so that all means of transport is disrupted an it’d be declared a holiday…a wish, if came true, would have come as a relief to all those who work 6 days a week.

Anyway, complaints apart, I went for ‘Gandhi, My Father’ yesterday with my friend. It is based on a thought provoking play called ‘Mahatma vs Gandhi’ by Feroz Khan. It gives a microscopic view of a patriarchal relationship between Bapu and Hiralal, his son. At one level the film coaxes you to debate the success of Bapu as a father, and on the other, question the resistance of his son towards his father’s beliefs. This movie is definitely one of the most affecting movies of its time.

I would be surprised if a person does not discuss about the movie after watching it.
The statement “To people he was a father, To his son he was a father he never had” – is the crux of the movie. Bapu’s struggle in the freedom of India is well known, but not many are aware of his personal sacrifices and the stormy relationship that he shared with his son. This is one of the few movies that shows how much Kasturba affected the lives of Bapu and her son. Kudos to Shefali. There are scenes where your heart goes out to the silent sufferings she has to undergo, being caught in the crossfire between two people she loves and cannot disown, being a mother and a wife. Darshan Jariwala as Bapu and Akshaye Khanna as the eldest son of Bapu have breathed life into a one of the darkest parts of Bapu’s life.

Having to live in the shadows of the person the whole world reveres, the constant anxiety to live up to the name that all nation chants is no mean feat. Hiralal’s anger in failing to do so & rebellion is beautifully portrayed by Akshaye Khanna. It leave room for debate about the success of Bapu as a father.

The pre independence era and the overall look and feel has been captured on celluloid in detail. The background music is first rate.

What would one want from a companion, especially when you know that you’ll spend the rest of your life with him / her? Is it similar traits? Is it subservience? Is it friendship? Is it unquestionable trust and understanding? Is it attractive physical looks? Is it intelligence? Is it love? Is it gentleness?... All of them or none of them? What is it?

It is difficult to pin point anything in particular. Nobody is perfect. It is difficult to expect one not to expect anything from the other. Give and take is a norm in any relation. A denial of change is the first step towards an ominous relationship.

Of course, there has always been a long standing debate that it is easier to be with a person you know already, but what is conveniently forgotten is that before you knew the person, he / she was a stranger. You gave the permission to explore your space, got to know each other and thereby knew whether you’d be comfortable around one another.
Every person has a certain aspiration. Some realistic some idealistic some plain vain.

Some think they’d be attractive if they shake off the rich values and tradition, hum an English tune, sport a piercing, wear funky clothes, speak the most atrocious imitative English possible, cuss India, just echo the mindless words spoken by myriad people who care a damn about anything…Some are too meek to come out of their shells, are so introvert that you’d have to make a journey to the centre of the earth. To strike a balance is the key. To know when to yap and when to keep your trap shut is an art. To give and share all you have is imbibed.

As for my likes and dislikes, I like people who can bring a smile and spread warmth and happiness where ever they go - a people's person, in short. I would like to meet someone who is a go-getter; smart in what he does; flexible, interesting, talented & understanding, with an astute sense of humour, a person who has a modern outlook; who has the quality to accept people as they are; a person with a good mix of modern and traditional values; Someone who is more of an outdoors person, who is not comfortable with an idiot box, a couch and four walls. A companion for life.

Most of the colleagues in my office have either left or have been transferred elsewhere. It feels like you are starting all over again at a new place. It is a stark reminder that things are never really the same, always. Change in inevitable.

Every time I pass the place where they used to sit, a feeling of loneliness engulfs me. Miss the common faces. One would feel the same way in an alien nation. You may not know people around you. You may not talk to them. You may have seen people once, somewhere, sometime, but they are familiar. I guess it gives a feeling of belonging, a feeling of security that is often taken for granted. I kind of agree with the belief that you miss the loved one the most when they are not around you anymore. Once you realize that, you ponder over the many things you would have done that could have brought a tear or a smile.

Until recently, I stubbornly holding on to, ‘why now?’ and I realized how silly & positively negative I’ve been. It is like trying to shield yourself, from air. It surrounds you anyway. It is one of the many things you can’t do without, just like change.

I’ve become absolutely bored with everything around me. I need some spice. Wish one was paid to go globe trotting. If only all wishes were true. Most avid travelers say that a whole lifespan is never really enough to satiate the hunger to see more.

My friend, Sanjana has written a book of poems called ‘ As The Candle Flickered In The Dark ‘. I could read only one poem from the book., titled ‘My Muse’. My favorite lines from it were

‘She is the reason I write
My adrenalin in a fight,
The conscience of what is wrong or what is right,
My burning lamp in the night,
The path from darkness to light,
My muse – my soul’s delight’

I’m really glad her poems have been published. Eager to read every one of the poems in the book. Bravo! Sanjana…cheers to life! Cheers to you!

Still alive

Just wanted to let everyone that still checks this know that I'm still alive. Been crazy busy lately..

Even my waist will agree judging by the fact that I have packed on a few pounds thanks to my current state of busyness!

Got some exciting news and will be out with it soon.

Please do keep checking back and leaving your comments.

The rules of sympathy

What happened yesterday in Virginia Tech was a travesty. However, I couldn't help but wonder about how society reacts to certain tragedy differently depending on who the victims are. More than a day has passed and as expected news about the deranged shooter, the lives of his victims, and, how the families are coping with the tragedy rules the media.

On the other hand... just yesterday, more than 200 innocents lost their lives in Iraq. The most number of casualties on a single day since the war over 5 years ago. More than 1400 people have died in Iraq this week. So why is it that the world's media is focusing on just the VT killings?

Let me illustrate my point:

TimesOfIndia.com (apparently one of India's most widely read new websites) has featured a picture on the most important news event in India's history... the Bachchan wedding.

CNN has few in-depth articles about the killer and the plight of the victims. NOTHING about the Iraq blasts on its front page.

The NYT has a tiny article on its front page

The Washington Post has a tiny article on its front page about the Iraq bombings (incorrect number of victims and all)

The BBC is the only news media that has actually covered this news with any apparent interest.

Everyone else seems to have a passing reference to the carnage that has occurred in Iraq over the past week.

It made me sad to think that to the world news about innocent Iraqis being slaughtered has become so commonplace, that even staggering figures such as 1400 people dying over the past one week is nothing but a statistic. There are no candlelight vigils. No speeches made to the families of the victims. No 10 hour documentaries about the suffering of the families. No articles about the heroism of strangers in trying circumstances. Nada. Nothing. Just a couple of articles stating that 1400 people died this week in Iraq in various bomb blasts.

Why do we just not care about these cursed people? Are they not worthy of candle light vigils? Did the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers ... people who die in these bomb blasts not have the same aspirations that the kids in VT had? Did their families not love and care for them as much as the families of the kids in VT? Why is it that we the world show so much apathy towards these people who were unfortunately born in the wrong place at the wrong time?

It's not that I think it is wrong for people to care about their countrymen, but why is it that violence and tragedy in one place evokes so much sympathy from everyone, and yet others who are in desperate need of sympathy beget none? I despair when I think of the disparity in sympathy shown towards people.

They say life is unfair. Perhaps my rant will not really do anything at all towards drawing attention to the people in Iraq.

I am but a single voice in the universe... still I would like to state that I will make a daily rememberance for the innocents of the world that happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A vigil for the innocents of the world that are sacrificed in the name of religion, greed, politics and so many other things that man uses as an excuse to kill others. A vigil that regardless of caste, creed, color, religion, and, nationality.

Perhaps my vigil does not mean much to anyone else. Maybe it is a selfish act to appease my guilty conscience for not lifting a finger to help anyone out. Still it is heartfelt... to show that I care.

For the love of the game

I really love the game of cricket. Ever since I was a little kid one of my life's ambitions was to be a cricketer. I remember spurning a budding singing career and then later in life ruining what may have been the start of an excellent tennis career for cricket. And it wasn't even for proper organized cricket.

I just used to love playing the game with my neighbourhood buddies. We played with one single bat, makeshift stumps and tennis balls poached from people's houses, or from my tennis coaching academy. At the time those two hours of fun was what I lived for. It was not that I was any good at the game. I was decent, but never destined to be able to choose it as my profession. However I was good at singing and tennis and if I had showed even a tenth of the interest that I seemed to show for the game of willow and ball, they may have actually evolved into a career choice.

However I didn't and I really regret my foolishness, but well I don't regret the fun I had playing the game. Maybe I don't love the game as much nowadays, but it still has a very special place in my heart.

I was an "Indian" cricket fan. I never thought twice about the fact that the "Indian" cricket team was actually a private enterprise belonging to the "BCCI" and not a national team. The players were actually hired as professionals by a private company, but then what difference did that make? According to me this team was "India's" team.

Until recently I had always assumed that I was always going to be a fan of the "Indian" cricket team, because I considered the Indian cricket team to be the representatives of our country in the sporting world.

Face it, we Indians are not known for our athletic prowess. Sure we've had the occasional Leander Paes, Bhupati, Prakash Padukone, etc. but I cannot remember any of our sports teams being competitive in a global game. I never followed Indian hockey till the 90s and never saw a point in following it since 94). So I followed the game religiously.

I was never really prone to worshipping the players, but I knew that I would love to be a Sachin Tendulkar or even a Robin Singh. To be given the honor of representing my country internationally and make the people back home proud to be an Indian. Above all I wanted to play the game because I loved playing it. I wish I were good enough to be able to play it as a professional, but alas not all of us are blessed enough to do something like that.

So when I see a group of players given the honor of being able to play and represent every Indian in an international arena, I always assumed that they would give it their best shot. It wasn't that they were just playing for the honor though. The financial benefits and other perks of playing for the team were quite substantial. Sure it was a high pressure job, but then who gets paid so much to do something that almost anyone could do?

However over the past two years, I have decided that being a fan of this team of impostors is not worth my time or effort. Playing for honor is not something the current team of prima donnas wants to do. No... it doesn't matter that they are really not as good as they believe, nor that they actually need to prove themselves in any way to remain in this team. They believe that everything that they have achieved during their glory days should be good enough to keep them in the team so they can continue to enjoy the benefits of being an "Indian" cricketer. Since they could not provide entertainment to the masses where they were supposed to, they feel they should do so in another medium with their whingings, and accusations.

When I see this team play I feel that they are not only insulting the game of cricket, but also every supporter of the team. What is the point in supporting a team and an enterprise (BCCI) that believes that their financial well-being and personal agendas come before the game itself?

I think I am better off remenescing about the wonderful times I have had playing this game. Sure my friends and I may not be international cricketers, but we played for the fun.... for the love of the game.

Wanted

A team to beat these darned Aussies.

Say what you want about them, they are the best ODI team in cricket. They have been killing all their opponents so far. Even the fancied Saffers were trounced suitably.

They beat opponents and beat them in style. They set Federeresque records in cricket that is possibly only going to be surpassed by them alone. Ponting et al may not be the most loved cricketers, but then why does that matter when you win the way they do you ask? But it does matter. At least it does to cricket.

Respect to these amazing cricketers from Oz. But oh how sweet it feels when someone manages to top them!

It's not that I have anything against the Aussies. I really respect them a lot as a team, but, they don't give their opponents a chance to beat them. And like in business it is competition that keeps a sport thriving as well. When one team dominates all others the sport loses its charm. Somehow cricket is losing its soul. The officials of the BCCI, PCB, and ICC are fast killing the game with their shameless Corporate sponsor butt-kissing shenanigans. And then there's the Aussie team that is killing the will of any fan believing in the game. Sports needs heros to make the game big. True noone is bigger than the game, but the game needs at least a few for the fans to believe in the game.

For all their exploits on the field the Aussies are not a particularly inspiring bunch. They do evoke a lot of respect from all, but somehow the game seems so unwatchable ... even when the Aussies make one of their famous comeback victories. I'm sure that even the Aussie supporters must be sick and tired of seeing their team steamroll their opponents in this manner.

As a team they are on a different level. It seems almost futile to play against them. Not a good day at the office for your team? Count on them getting hammered, pounded, thrashed, by the Aussies. Give em a bit of a fight... they beat you. Press them hard and they come back harder at you! I just don't get it. How is it possible for a team to be so strong mentally?

It is not that the Aussies are the most talented, the fittest, the smartest, and nor do they have the most heart of the teams that are out playing cricket today. But somehow they manage to make the most of what they have and just come out fighting and most importantly win.

How much would an Indian fan or Corporate body pay to support a team like the Aussies? I'm sure a lot of people would love to support a team that despite breaking records set by themselves, never seems to lose their appetite for performing. It doesn't matter how many runs they score, how many the opponents score, they are always going out on the field believing that they are capable of beating their opponents.

Perhaps the Aussies should win this WC as well. Just because they are the only team out there that actually deserves it. And yet here I am hoping that for the good of cricket elsewhere among the others there is a team that can stand up to this juggernaut and beat them down.

Fine it would only be for a day as these guys do not take to even losing once kindly, but just for that one day I want someone else to revel in beating the best team in the World.

*Sigh* India gets booted

Boy am I glad that I made my peace with this a while back! As I write this the Indian team has shown that they deserve every brickbat that are going to be applied to their pampered asses back home. What a pathetic show!

The so called most experienced batsmen in the world need to learn how to bat again. What a pathetic show! I hope for the sake of cricket followers in India deadweights like Tendulkar, and, Ganguly are permanently shown the door!

Time to rid the team of the so called "experienced" performers who do nothing but play anchor roles and chief architects in the team's demise. Fresh legs and blood are the order of the day. Enough of this nonsense.

I felt bad for Johnnie Walker losing a million dollars thanks to Gibbs. Imagine how all the companies in India with a vested interest in this World Cup must be feeling. I'm sure there are quite a few companies that are going to be ruing their decision to back a team like India in this world cup.

More later. Time for some tennis now. Hopefully I can add another trophy to my case this weekend.

The road to the Super 8s

I may be a week late in writing this, but then a week back everything seemed so pedestrian in the World Cup. The top teams were steamrolling the minnows and everything seemed to be set for the top 8 countries to make it through without fuss to the next round.

But what a week it's been! This is hands-down the most eventful world cup ever! It has had everything! Drama, excitement, tragedy, heroism ... everything a person would want in a movie or book of their choice.

First we had the juvenile quarrelling between two of the biggest prima-donnas in cricket Ponting and Gavaskar.

Then we had the marvelous Gibbs' etching his name in the annals of cricket with his six 6s in an over.

Then the Irish played in one of the best games I have had the pleasure of watching by tying the Zimbabweans for a tie.

After that was the day when two featherweights knocked out two of the biggest names in cricket! The Bangla tigers rode some fearless performances to upset the insipid Indians while the fabulous Shamrocks created one of the greatest upsets in the history of the game by beating the Pakistanis.

As if that were not enough Bob Woolmer collapsed and died (causes yet unknown) and Inzi one of the most beloved and respected cricketers hailing from Pakistan announced his retirement from all ODI cricket.

As I write this normalcy has been resumed with the top 8 teams getting by the minnows quite convincingly, but with a week left of first round action to go, glorious uncertainties still remain about some of the teams figuring in the second phase of this tournament.

Group A

Australia & South Africa - Although they still have to play each other, they are in the Super 8s for sure. Both teams hammered their hapless opponents so far and have shown that they are probably the best bet for the finals to be held on Apr 28. The Aussies have dispelled all talk of them being in suspect form while the Saffers have done what they always do in the beginning phases of almost every World Cup they have played in - Dominated.

Their match against each other will be very important for both. Not only does the winning team take 2 valuable points through to the next round, the psychological advantage gained over the other will go a long way in deciding the winner in their next matchup in the Semi-finals or the finals.

To progress

Australia - Already in. Beating S.Africa will give them 2 points to carry into the Super 8s
S.Africa - Already in. Beating Aus will give them 2 points to carry into the Super 8s

Out - Netherlands, Scotland

Group B

Sri Lanka - They are in imposing form as well. They have hammered the Bermudans and finished off the Bangladeshis in clinical fashion. With their batsmen in blistering form and with dangerman Jayasuriya looking good, the Sri Lankans look like another potential finalist at the moment.

The thrashing they have handed the Bangladeshis today should be enough to take them through to the next round, but a desperate India awaits them on Friday. Barring a thrashing at the hands of the Indians and the Bangladeshis beating the Bermudas by a margin of ~350 runs, they are through. However the Lankans will hope to repeat their performance today and go into the Super 8 with 2 points by beating India.

Bangladesh - With the Lankans in such imposing form, the Bangladeshis will not be wrong in hoping for the second Super 8 spot on offer today. They should be able to beat the Bermudans easily, however if India beats the Sri Lankans, barring a miraculous effort with bat and ball against the Bermudans, they will not make it through.

The Bangladeshis disappointed everyone with their minnow-like performance against Sri Lanka. They have almost lost all the respect they gained by beating India on Saturday. Now instead of everyone commenting about how much they have improved they will revert back to saying that the Bangladeshis can only pull out fluke victories. They have harmed their chances greatly today. Every Bangladeshi supporter will be behind Sri Lanka when the Lankans take on the Indians in a couple of days.

India - Thanks to a good performance against Bermuda, the Indians hold their destiny in their own two hands. A simple win over Sri Lanka will be enough to propel the Indians along with 2 points into the next round. However after a pathetic performance against Bangladesh and a bad bowling performance against Bermuda, a win against the rampant Lankans looks doubtful. However the Indians have played well against Sri Lanka lately (albeit at home) and a win does not seem impossible. Hopefully the Indians will play to their potential and the bowling attack bowl within their means so that the Indians beat the Lankans

To Progress

Sri Lanka - They should be good as far as the Super 8s are concerned. However they would like to get into the Super 8s with 2 pts. To do this they have to beat India. So they will come out with their game face on as well on Friday.

Bangladesh - Their hopes rest heavily on Sri Lanka beating India. If the Indians win on Friday, the Bangladeshis will have to defeat the Bermudans by a record margin. However going by the way the Lankans are currently playing they should fancy their chances of making it to the Super 8s.

India - Considered to a pre-tournament favorite, the Indians are already facing their first do or die situation. Expected to waltz into the Super 8s the Indians face elimination unless they beat Sri Lanka. If they do they will go into the second round with a handy 2 pt lead.

Bermuda - Believe it or not Bermuda still has a mathematical chance of making it to the next round although it is almost a negligible one. For this to happen, India has to be annihilated by Sri Lanka and they will need to thrash the Bangladeshis by an unheard of margin as well. However the Bangladeshis should ride over them, so they should be looking to play for some pride in their final game.

Group C

New Zealand - They have looked good in patches and not so good in others. However they haven't dominated any team like the South Africans and Australians have so far, so I cannot comment about how good they are. They have made it through to the next round already with 2 points, regardless of their third result.

England - Things look a little dicey for the English. On current form it seems that the Kenyans could usurp their Super 8 spot when the two meet up on Saturday the 24th. They looked a little patchy against the Canadians and just couldn't use the initial breakthroughs they made against the Kiwis in their first game to press for a win.

Still they will go in as favorites against Kenya, but given the course of this World Cup, who knows what lies in store for the English. This weekend could be another "upset" weekend with two more major cricketing nations crashing out the world cup.

Kenya - If they can raise their game they could ambush this English team that seems very low on confidence. A lot rides on the shoulders of their captain Steve Tikolo who almost single-handedly beat the Canadians in their first game. They can make it past the first round like they did in 2003 with a win over England. Given the state of affairs back home over the past few years, even doing this would be a huge achievement for this team.

Out - Canada

To Progress

New Zealand - Already in. Just needs to ensure that they rout Canada to graduate from dark horses to a favourite. A couple of their players such as Lou Vincent who hasn't fired so far could use this game as a launching pad to good form and confidence.

England - Have to beat Kenya. A simple win will do to take them through.

Kenya - Have to beat England to qualify. A simple win will do as well.

Group D

West Indies - Before the tournament started not many would have bet on the Windies topping the group. However thanks to a pathetic showing by Pakistan, they are riding high in this group. They are in the Super 8 no matter what their third result is. However they will be looking to beat Ireland on Friday to take two invaluable pts into the Super 8s.

Ireland - Surely the story of the World Cup so far. They have been the toast of the tournament and been the underdog that every cricket fan (other than Pakistani) loves to support! They are already in the Super 8s, but will look to getting a couple of pts against the Windies to see if they can extend their stay in the Caribbean.

Out - Pakistan, Zimbabwe

To Progress

Both Ireland and the West Indies will want to win on Friday. It seems very unlikely that the Irish can beat the West Indies, but then this World Cup has already seen some upsets. We could be in for another on Friday the 23rd.

My Predictions

Although I think India will beat Sri Lanka on Friday (just because the consequences of losing is too terrible to imagine for the Indian players), going by recent match form I realistically think the Lankans will beat India and Bangladesh will make it through to the Super 8s.

England should defeat Kenya and join the Kiwis in the Super 8s as the Kenyans are just lacking the oomph needed to defeat England unless a lot of things go their way. However, these English are almost South Asian in nature. They seem to throw away a lot of good positions to end up in losing ones. So who knows?

Regardless, this week is going to be a very interesting time to be a cricket fan.