My Solid P(a)unch!!

Not a very attractive thing - but then everyday i look into the mirror and first thing I notice is the ever so evident bulge (stop getting wild ideas - you perverts!:)) - I am talking of ....... my Paunch!! No matter what I do, how much of running, sit-ups, crunches I do - this just seems to haunt my otherwise good looking physique;)
I remember the time when I was a perfectly shaped (assumption: round/ sphere is a perfect shape) weighing nearly 85 kgs in my 8th std. One can well imagine my fitness during those days. I was the chubby dude of my class rolling all over the place when I claimed to be "walking". During sports day (pre-high school), the only race i consistently managed to win was the "Banana eating race" - for those of you who dont know this one,it is quite simple. The physical education sir blows the whistle, you peel the banana off, eat the whole banana, open your mouth to the sir and show you have eaten it completely (and not still chewing) and then you run the 100 meters to the finish line. And for 3 years (4th, 5th and 6th std) in a row I managed to win gold in this particular race (see the Nadal link;)). Then some wise guy decided to scrap this race and that was the end of my winning a medal/certificate for sports - atleast temporarily!
And thereafter, i continued on my mission of reaching 3 figures before I turned 15 years. But then like a silent robber came the attack. There was no forewarning, no hint. Just like every other year, I visited my home town - Mavelikara during the summer vacation in Doha. I had a marriage to attend - one of my cousins getting married. And another of my cousins came for the wedding with none other than.....CHICKEN POX!!!!!A week from then, it had penetrated through the layers of protection I had over me - all that layers of fat I had pain stakingly accumulated over the past years proved of no use! I had it and a pretty severe attack. From 85Kgs, courtesy the pox, I reduced to about 60 kgs - a pretty decent weight for someone who was 14 years old;) - Hallelujiah!!I had become normal:) From then on I was just like any other normal kid and not abnormally huge. I started playing football more frequently. My history in sports was re-written. I started winning some medal or the other during the school sports day though there were no eating competitions anymore - went to the extent of representing my school for high-jump and relay. And came out quite successful to say the least without blowing my horns too much.
Anyway having said all these - one thing that has remained with me is my paunch - even chicken pox could not get rid of that one:( and 1 year of gym could still not get rid of that one. I still continue to dream of that day when I can show off a six-pack or a 4-pack but that always seems to be in the horizon. Everytime I feel that I am near it, within grasps of it, I see it going farther away!!!I dread the day when I may end up looking like many of the elders in the family - pot-bellied and sporting a proud thick moustache!!(typical malayalee):P
Anyway, all things said, after so many years of struggle and fighting, I am finally getting used to the sight of it..slowly coming to terms with the fact that "it" is there to remain - a sign of prosperity, a sign of good health, an asset passed down from generations

End of a season

Atlast the football season has come to an end - well almost. There is the Champions league finals scheduled for the day after but apart for that everything is kind of wrapped up in England!
The EPL this season, was one of the best fought titles. ManU kicked it off from day 1 and Chelsea were in hot pursuit. Relentless in nature Chelsea never ever gave up till the death fighting out despite injuries, taunting the refs, claiming rules were different for different teams blah..blah... There never was a weekend when I could enjoy the game - if ManU lost one of the games, I would literally pray for Chelsea to loose and if ManU won, I would still pray for Chelsea to loose;)
At the end of the day, I think both the teams have taken EPL to whole new level. Teams 3 & 4 (read as the Mighty Reds n Gunners) are still to catch up on these 2. To be absolutely fair, I think ManU lacks the fighting spirit which has been quite evident in Chelsea. If ManU were to develop the never-say-die attitude seen in Chelsea and Liverpool too, then there would be no stopping them. ManU and Arsenal love to play free flowing football - where they attack and keep attacking until they score. But if there comes an opponent who put 11 men behind the ball, then both these teams find it difficult to get a break through. However Chelsea and Liverpool are quite different. They sit back with a dogged determination, hoping to have that one little chance. And give them that single shot on goal ….. they score. Chelsea nearly had 15- 20 games (I think) this season where they won 1-0 and that too by scoring in the injury time of the second half - no simple feat, if you think about it.
Anyway at the end of the day ManU were crowned League Champions and Chelsea won the Domestic Double - Carling cup & FA Cup. I am hoping for a repeat of 2005 for the CL finals. It would be fantastic to see Stevie lifting the cup again - Go Reds!!!!!

Meanwhile all the blame game, fights etc. have come to an end with the end of the season. Now comes the time where the club owners (billionaires) are given maximum importance during the course of a season - the amount of money they make available for transfers. Just hope this time around Hargreaves comes over to ManU. He would provide the perfect defensive cover for the frequent lapses of Heinze and ocassional lapses by Ferdinand. My only worry is if Carrick would end up being a wasted resource similar to Shaun Wright Phillips in Chelsea.
The other option is for Fergie to use Scholesy as an utility resource - similar to his use of Solksjaer this season and play both Carrick and Hargreaves in Central mid-field. I doubt if Fergie will keep Scholes out for this season - he is one of the gems as is Giggs. And to find their replacements is quite a herculean task. Anyway all this assumptions provided Hargreaves joins ManU. Don’t think Bayern will pull a fast one nor do I think Chelsea will be able to lure away Hargreaves (fingers crossed)!! This season will see the maximum utilisation of the (in)famous "Chelsea bench strength" with their star performers being pulled away for the African Nations Cup - Drogba, Essien, Mikel. A good buy by the Chelsea has been Sidwell from Reading - a very good mid-field player.
Just noticed that amidst all this football gibberish, I have not mentioned anything about Arsenal!! Honestly, I think it is a team in the making similar to the "Fergies Fledglings" of 94-95!
Anyway being a hardcore ManU fan, I hope the Gunners don’t flourish much!!

Ps. Given that I will be just few miles away from the Theatre of Dreams, hoping to get hold of some tickets next season;)!!

Back after a looooooooooonnnng time....

Its been nearly a year since I last blogged anything. But that doesn't necessarily mean I have been sitting devoid of any thoughts/ ponderings! Life had been quite busy/ hectic over the last 1 year. I came over to London on 1st of April, settled down, then had to get my wife here, her job hunt, settling down in London, my app'ngs to Uni's for my MBA etc etc. I have been on my toes and finally I am at peace now - needless to say this is the calm before the storm.
For those who have lost touch with me..i have got into Manchester Business school - some tell me, i am going to learn the complete meaning of the word "tough", "hectic" etc. Meanwhile Anila also has got into Leeds Business school - an hour away (by train) from where I am. Not bad for a start - time will tell how our lives are going to twist and turn courtesy all these! - Hoping for the best.

I have already put in my papers and June 29th is going to be my last day in Infy after 4 years and 20 days (to be precise). Returning to Bangalore on 3rd June and not really looking forward to it this time. Most of my close gang is abroad/outside blore - Vithal is in the US, Kay is in S'pore, Kolli and Ashwin in Phillipines, Assok in Mauritius, Bitla in the US, Sid in Mumbai, Kuts in Kerala, Raj in US - anyway will have to try and meet up with the Kandu magas when in blore!

Will be posting regularly henceforth - atleast i hope to!!