A long long time ago, I can still remember how that...

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember, how that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance, that I could make those people dance and, maybe, they’d be happy for a while..............
--Don McLean - American Pie

Here probably it s not music but equally intersting SPORTS.
Well this is definitely not a typical masala movie inspired by a true incident but then this have been inspired by another blog of one of my very good friends, the blog which showcased the intricacies of past very nicely. Even I have a few but what I have been thinking at times is my madness for sports. :-)

Looking back at time, I feel what does it mean to do when you do anything you like to do and you are good at it. Sports have been one of them and feel that like was beautiful with me in it. Its something which I like to share with someone but couldn't do till date.

I have a park in front of my house (infact the house where I spent my 20 years of life but now get less chances to be there). That was my home ground. I attribute my success in life to it too. Have been a cricket freak during my syudent hood days so whatever is being said ahead is with respect to cricket until n unless specified. :)

I still remember the golden days when this thin little boy was favourites of all and fearful to all.

I still remember when I cried on the road coz one of my friend refused me to play in the game saying I was a good player and they never get a chance. :-)

I still remember the summer vacations when I was invited to play cricket by a bunch of guys and that too for their college. I scored a half century on the winning 4 off the last ball of the match. Now don't say that if I wouldnt have been there, the match would have had ended way before. :-) But then I'll say that true, coz the match would have been won by the opponent team.. lol.. :-)

I still remember when I played a cricket match but did only fielding coz my SOW stated only abt my +ve fielding. :)

I still remember the numerous catches I took. Seriously I might have done better catches than Jhonty Rhodes or Ajay Jadeja or may be Yuvraj Singh. Thinking of each dive and each catch I took really makes me feel go back into time and catch a few more moments there.Inspired by my Gods Sachin and Jhonty I have grown up playing cricket all day and night.

I remember the time in IT-BHU when I took my much awaited catch running backwards and catching the ball in air, remember the way my team picked me up on their shoulders when I stood at the crease till end chasing a score of 175 in 20 overs, remember when I made in to the final year cricket team by my good performance, remember my friends at times saying they won't hit a shot on my side coz I was a monkey who can jump anywhere.

I can still remember the numerous times I got hurt and got stitches.
I can still remember when I used to ask my mon "Can I got to play?". My mom used to say "No" at times but then I used to say "No way No.. I am going". In short no STOP sign if it was about sports. She used to tell me that I used to sleep with a cricket ball and bat in my earlier career days... lol .. and used to search them under the bed during my sleep. :-)

A regret, like not been able to make to the stadium for cricket trials coz of that damn rain that postponed it and then I could not get the next date after that. Life is not everything that you don't get, life is perhaps everything that I am getting.

Since then there have been no looking back.
Athetics team in IT-BHU, winning max possible 6 medals in the Athletics championship in my 3rd year, losing marginally in relay races in IIT Kanpur and lots more.
I can still remember one of the best compliments while football :: "Bhaiya aap jab field par bhaagtey ho to aisa lagta hai jaisey cycle ke beech main se motorcycle nikal rahi ho". Yes buddy, this motorcycles left leg is gone now.

I still remember the Tug o' War final where my chemical engg 1st yearites and mechanical engg 1st yearites had a bash. There were mere 4 final year guys including me and how my senti leactures made them calm.

Still remember my madness for pool and badminton which I could play for hours and hours at a stretch and my current craze for tennis and basketball is at heights since past few months.

For sure there are lot of things which I think about those great days but then writing everything here at once may not be possible....

Kabhi miltey hain hum log haathon main jaam lekar,
Sunaayenge kahani apni-apni subah se shaam le kar,
Chalengey un rahon par jo hain sunsaan aaj bhi,
Dekhengey un palo ko jispar kartein hum naaz aaj bhi.

Till then keep smiling .. chow chow ..

aas...

Door hain to kya hua, dil to pass hain,
Milan hoga humaraa, bus isi ki aas hain,
Dard itna hai judai ka ki aakhein num hain,
Tera saath agar hai to kahoon, yeh ek zindagi kum hain.

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Am fac(e)ing another addiction

It was 2004 june when I was under training in my company I heard of http://Orkut.com/. People use to ask me if I was there on Orkut but I as innocent as ever and unaware of all the techi-stuff going around me, used to say no. It was then I decided to make an acount on the same. I was pretty inactive member for the first year of it but now, after 3 years, I have 375+ friends and 4K scraps (scraps are less as compared to my friends list but then everywhere I went had messengers so never felt a need of Orkut to chat atleast). Laterly Orkut have been an addiction to me. Now usually thats the first site I open whenever I switch on my laptop. Arbitrarily,I go to 15-20 friends profile and drop a hi so that they can reply me back and hence increasing my scrap count ... lol... I have been doing this since last many many months and I attribute it to all my travelling, a hell lot in India as well as in US now and hence definitely add people on Orkut as friend whom I meet. My next short term target is 400 friends. :-)

Now, these days, a new addiction has caught me -- "http://Facebook.com/". A short history of facebook.com. Like Orkut is keep-in-touch application for India and few other Asian countries, facebook is the Orkut of US/UK. 'Facebook' is/was a booklet that is/was given to the new joinees at Harvard University which helped the know the place and people in the novel world. This application was developed by and was open for student at Harvard long back but was later opened for other universities too and probably since 2006 it was open for general public. Now here on facebook there are hell lot of stuff to do which I guess which was obvious been built up by/for Harvard. There are a lot of applications/ games etc that a person can pass his/her time on. Many of those applications have been made by Indians (obvious again :-) )

Latest, I am a pirate cruising over the endless sea, encountering islands to search Booty, attack enemies (may be my friend sitting right beside me playing the same game), stealing gold, attcking villages,pillaging , going to harbour for a drink etc etc.

You can play scrabble too with your friends. Its like, you play your turn and wait for your friend to take his turn so no obligations to sit continuously. :o)
Then there are quizzes and competition. Quizes to judge your movie knowledge, your geography etc etc. I guess if I ask where is the vancouver island or where is Timbaktu then I know it'll be a lil difficult for you to answer it but then I am pretty good at it now. :BProbably there is so much in it that its difficult to chalk down here for sure.

So, do remember if you are ready to get into this quicksand, be prepared with your escape.