Do you ever remember your practice matches? We do remember one of our practice session.
A word about my local cricket team, ppcc (PattaParanmbu Cricket Club). Being a very small team we never won a title. but don't underestimate us. We were a regular visitors to semi finals. Once organizers recognized us as the best(fighting) team in the tournament (which was not a scheduled award). Major teams nearly smelled the taste of mud while playing with us, several times !!
We have no star batsman...naa bowler. average age of the team :17. no giant figures. Still we won matches !!! How!!! We play offside well :-) none of our opponents aware about this fact. They keep on bowling offside. we enjoyed it well. Who will dare to bowl leg side if the batsman confidently fencing even offside balls.
May be we have got courage or you may say winning equation from this particular practice session.
Our home ground is pretty small, so that we could play only one side. Yeah...we choose to master offside. On a fine evening, Varghese-our manager cum player, brought a new bat !!! wov...but it was a bit heavy one compare to our normal playing bat.
We started a 10 over game with 6 member team on either side. We won the toss and elected to bat without a second thought. Of-course ..new bat... new start :-)
First ball, the batsman couldn’t move his bat. I was on the non-strikers end and wonder why ?? the ball was not so fast. Second ball kissed the bails off !!! 0 for 1 (0.2 overs)
Third ball takes the middle stump :-( 0 for 2 (0.3 overs). Here comes our best batsman cum captain with determination not to donate his wicket for a hat trick. 4th ball, beats the bat but luckily missed the stump. I was wondering, what happen to Danex, our captain. It is not easy to beat him. He looked at his bat unbelievably, twisted the bat once, took his guard and practice a bat movement for the previous ball. 5 th ball, he had tried to cut it to the square, but ball came into rest on keepers gloves. 6th ball, pickets his off stumps !!! ohh man. Now we are in trouble. 0 for 3 (1 over)
Now it was my turn; exchanged my old bat to new; draw an imaginary half-circle on my front; ready to play front foot. A kind of defensive mode ! Danex gave me a warning to study the bat. Yeah..it is heavy ! but is it that much to worry about ? I didn’t get what he was said.
First ball, felt like a lollipop, decide to cut it to the fence. But … beaten !! haa ..why more to explain, on the third ball, I was caught behind :-( There is ghost in the bat !!! we couldn’t turn the bat when we require it. Score board: 0 for 4 (1.3 overs). 4th ball, haa Josmy arrested the ball by his bat. And he rose his bat and waved like he got a century ! A huge clap from the pavilion. He was the first batsman among us who at least touched the ball ;-) 5 th ball, he was caught and bowled by Anoop. Score board: 0 for 5 (1.5 overs). Hence score board was zero, opponent allowed to bat our lastman on his demand. Yeah..he want to face the ghost in the bat ;-). 6th ball, he smash the ball with full confident. All are searching the ball on boundary line. But keeper happily showed his inner glove. It seems ball was laughing at us. Last man also couldn’t live more than a ball. Scoreboard: 0 for 6 (2.1 overs).
We were too ashamed of ourselves; no team ever all-duck on this ground. We have got a new record. We know…just one single is enough to finish the game. Or at least a wide will kill us as well. But Danex’ captain-mind arose like a phoenix bird.
If the ghost is there in the bat, it will be still there !!! If we were all-duck, we can kick them all out for same score. This is our ground !!! May be we can not win… but we can make a tie !! fight !!!
Yeah.. he is correct. Why can’t we try for a tie. If one worse thing happens to us, why can’t we give the same fate back. Danex toss the ball towards me. Me !! first over? I was doubtful. He whispered – “No wide”.
He set two slip fielders, assign himself for close fielding, and one near to the bowler's end. No boundary line, no gully !!! All set … Batsman stretch his body in an outside half-circle and hold his bat horizontally; kind of warning to Danex that he is going to smash the ball… a kind of silence spread over the field. Everybody can hear the beats of their heart. Tick tick tick… I looked at my captain… He shout in an aggressive sound “Off cutter buddy”, it was just to threaten the batsman.
That moment I started the lineup and as he shouted …an off cutter.!! Within a split second, batsman smash the ball; but it just kissed the bat and a great catch by Josmy, our safehands. Then everything else was history in our home ground.
Second ball, pickes the leg stump, 5th ball... an off stump, 6th ball a plum return catch. Score board : 0 for 4 (1 over)
Next over: Danex took the ball, assigned Josmy to close fielding, 2nd slip moved to 1st slip, me on gully and the fielder nearer to bowler's end moved to square boundary. Nobody questioned him why he require a gully and a square boundary. His first ball picked an off stump, second ball to the close fielder. That was a terrific catch too.
Score board 0-0. An unbelievable tie!! All duck !! unforgettable innings.
End of the story: we never use this bat again for our tournaments, but we used to master the off cuts using the very same bat. Yeah…it was equivalent to face a terrific off-cutter.
And I would say Rahul Dravid has a lot of things to learn from local team captain. He should learn how to inspire his team members, how to adapt into the situation, and how to inject confidence and fighting mood to the bowler.
...My body is getting old :-(
"AGE is an issue of MIND over MATTER.
If you don't MIND! It doesn't MATTER." - Aaro oraal.
No black-dye; No hair colouring; this is what I am !
This evening, while I was walking towards my "cube" [at office], I saw a 6 feet tall "white" guy carrying a laptop with him. With in a split second he said "Hi" and continued walking on his way.
He doesn’t know me or vice-versa! He may be a visitor or may be a client or may be CEO of the company or just a ordinary employee like me. He is an American [say] and I am an Indian… he is white, I am black… But nothing stopped him to say a "Hi" to me with a very warm, pleasant smile. One can not resist himself from saying a "hi" back. I feel very happy. My heart filled with a lot of joy and got energized for continuing work!
Moving forward I saw a mallu. I knew that he is a mallu, I guess that he also knew about my "mallu" blood too! So I thought to implement this "Hi" technique to make him pleasant. But he may not want that HI. He just moved his face to another direction and walked away.
haa... what a complex people we are !!
We want to live at Los Angeles… want to get salary like him… keen to wear Coat, tie and shoe like him… want to imitate whatever he says/does.
When we will follow him in his attitude towards fellow colleagues… attitude towards work… attitude towards nation… attitude towards life?!
How to identify a person? Finger Print ?!! (widely using by Police department to recognize people in a quickest way!!)
We have a better mechanism too... DNA test!!! (An absolute, unique test to identify a person.)
Question is... when a person gets these identities?
Finger print acquires by foetus baby in 10 days !! ( that means before a mother knew that she is carrying...imagine). DNA... Just in a day !! (still faster, haa). yeah a new, unique human being is growing up with all necessary identity on its mother's womb!!!
How many such Human Beings are getting killed every day? 1,26,000 !!
Who is killing them? Brutally!! Their Mother (or who else)? If a mother fails to love her child...?!! we are in a dirty world of selfishness. Money, comfort, social status... FUC/<
How many dead during Tsunami on Dec 26,2004 ? 1,69,752 (Just a few more!!!)
Haa we are facing a silent tsunami every day !!! Do you want to be a part of it?
yeah..I got what (some of) you are thinking about? population?
If you are so much worried about it, I am afraid that you will be killing yourself to reduce the population (one less !! ain't it good?)
Value the human life...and save next generation Abraham Lincoln or Beethovan !
Author believe that with out C programming language he can not live. Fact is that he didn't complete(even started) any great work in the same. hence he himself called YaSJ. Now his parents is in a search for a partner for him.
The problem is... how to kick start a talk with that girl.
After a round of discussion, 'budda dakkal' (TCR version for old people, means parents!!!), might ask 'YaSJ': "We guess you have something to ask/talk to the girl, havn't you?"
Reply:"Yes ofcourse" (a bit worried YaSJ)
What should I ask?
what about a 'viatnam colony' style "entha peru"(what is your name?).
or what about "Shobha, Shobhayude perenthaaa?!! (Shobha, what is your name?)
No no ..it is all old fashion.
Anyway made sure in mind that I will never ask "evidaa veedu"(where is your home?) standing right inside her home.
So decided to chat with my cousin. Here it goes.
Cousin: "nee oru thamaasha paranju thudangu... "Hotel aanennu karuthi oru vridhan..." ormayille?
Reply: "Done"
Cousin: "college-il line undaayirunno ennu chodhikkedaa.."
Reply: "undayirunnu ennu paranju kettu enthinaa veruthe alle!!!"
Cousin: "Yaa yaa"
Reply: "entrayaa mark ennu enthayaalum chodikkilla"
Cousin: "ayyo thirichu chodicha nee kudungum"
Reply: "athaa... pinne serious ayyi enthenkilum chodikkano?
njan bhayankara serious aannennu chumma thonnikotte"
Cousin: "pinne randu C/C++ questions chodhikkeda... vivaram undo ennariyande?
Reply: "there you are...I have prepared one, very good question"
here it goes
"How to reverse a string in place?"
His long innings proves that He is the King.
A glance through his test cricket career...
Quadruple - 1 (400) to quash Matthew hayden's 380
Triple - 2
Double - 8
Century - Whenever team in need - 19
World Record for the most runs in an over 4,6,6,4,4,4 vs Robin Peterson of South Africa.
IMO he is technically perfect than Sachin (God of Indian Cricket!!!); since no one could get him in a similar ball.
Bangalore !!Famous for gorgeous girls. Nowadays I am not even bothering to visit MG Road or Brigade Road for “Chick hunting”.They are right in front of me, in flocks. In the company, near my apartment, they are everywhere :-)
I have noticed those 3 cute girls walking down the lane near to CV Raman Nagar; they talk like dolls. Do the dolls ever talk? I don't know.On the other day, I found them near BEML gate, carrying a bag on their shoulders…they looked like school girls. Is there any school near by?
The way they enjoy their walk reminded me of my “good old” school days. No tension about anything… Just take the school bag, ping my friends on the way to school, form a group, talk about whatever we like, pour comments on the girls walking to Infant Jesus Girls (only) High School. Those were “fun packed” life.
Does this girl belong to any college or something? Oh… who cares? Yesterday, I met one of them in my company itself. Wow... she is not a college girl. “Charmmam kandal praayam thonnilla. Santoor aaryirikkum upayogikkunnathu”.
Other thing I noticed about her is that the way she ogles at men. And she is a half-mallu too!!!. I appreciate her interest in morning walk to company...around 3KM ..may be more. Among those techies who are lazy to walk, she is an exception. Nice girl.
The story doesn’t end here. Mallu girls might be a centre of attraction everywhere! While sipping an orange juice on the terrace, we (a gang of mallu guys) saw her walking near to the Bagmane lake! Then one guy, he is a “Polymath” (Walking encyclopedia) described about her day-to-day schedule. Lunch at Punjabi dhabha or cafeteria, evening walks to the lake with some boys and chat-items on their money. So, I’ve added her "morning walk" to update his database.
The most surprising info about her (for me) was that she is an intern in our company. Just a final year UG student of some college. $H!T... I overestimated the magic of Santoor soap :-)
Minal Panchal' scrapbook.
30,000+ scraps says samething "God bless", and it is ticking on every millisecond !!
Got this link from Jo
An Indian student of the university who was caught in the shooting is missing, according to inputs from the student community in Virginia’s largest university... More>>
The best part I am enjoying in Bangalore is Football only. Once, I was a proud player of Red FC in Chennai. Here, only the name has changed…Jun FC. The passion, aggression and enthusiasm remain the same. We play twice a week on a semi grass ground.
Today, when we reached the ground we saw a bunch of teenagers occupied half of the ground. They impressed us quickly…hmm... they play pretty well. Since we didn’t have enough players to form two teams, we made a proposal for a match with those teenagers.
"Ok Uncles we are ready", they all were game for a match. Ha ha ha. they reminded us of the fact that we are getting old! They were right in one way. We are a bunch of 7 guys with an average age of 27. And, they all were around 15 years old.
Playing with a group of teenagers of same enthusiasm and unlimited energy was not so easy. They have proved it. After 15 minutes the ball possession was 15%- 85%. They rushed to our goal post regularly with their entire team (leaving the Goalkeeper) and in the same pace they returned to their posts as the ball moved.
They might have found it difficult with our heavy bodies so, they couldn’t charge us anyway. They were helpless with their 45Kg weight against our 80-100Kg and with considerably strong build. Yeah… We could control 6 of them but, other two were very fast. Moving like a rocket...running like a bull... changing the direction like a rabbit.
They really made us feel that we are getting old. Though we managed to tie the scoreboard with 3-3, their game was wonderful.
The next week, we faced them again. This time, we showed them what is the meaning of maturity and experience is. We were sure that we can not beat them in the speed. So we played with a good game plan. We wore the jersey of Argentina. Quick Short Passes!!! We frustrated them a lot with this trick. We raid their goal post through out the game. 12 shots to the target, Converted two of them. Again a tie with 2-2. but this time we stand with our head straight :)
This is about 3 kisses. While going through Jesus’ life we can see that he had accepted 3 types of kisses.
One was an obvious thing, kiss from his mother!
Second one from Judas Iscariot!
Third one from Mary Magdalene!
Yet I am trying to say a few words about Judas!!
In my childhood, I had a doubt about Judas’ Kiss!!!
Why should Judas betray Jesus with a Kiss?
My father is a great teacher of mine. In his point of view…
“Jews [priests] afraid to catch Jesus on day time, while Jesus’ followers are with him.So they planned to catch him on night.”
“Why kiss then” – A genuine doubt right?
“Yeah… it is a very good code, isn’t it? If Judas points out Jesus with his finger, do you think that other disciples would leave him with out trouble. While kissing Jesus, other disciples never get a clue about a betrayal”
“He has many disciples…why Judas?”, I want to just confuse my father.
“yeah…he handles the money for poor and all. It is easy to corrupt a greedy man!! In Bible you can read about Judas quotes about money” [JohnHappy Good Friday !!!
On a lazy Saturday evening at TCR, I thought of roaming around with David (Yamaha CruxR). No reason to ride upto Town Hall and take a 'U turn' !! as soon as I reached the swapna theater junction, someone aroused my college memories. He walks like my pre-degree friend. yeah..same height, same gait. but his hair is more brown now?!!!. But his face is not visible at that angle. Is it him?
ohh may be somebody else. why should I get into a situation of making a mistake. what should I ask him ? "are you my college friend?", his answer might be "entha college friendine kanda ariyille? chumma number irakkalle?!!" (Istam, one of my favorite Malayalam movie, style) ("Can't you identify your college friend, don't mess with me")
Yeah ... since I was in a cool mood, I didn't want to mess with anybody. hence decided move on. after a few meters, David stopped. and asked me !!!
"Why can't you mess with him. if it is him then ?"
yup he is correct, let me try then.
By that time that person overtook me. He didn't talk to me. Then he might not be my friend. "David, you confused me, saala". But... his walking style!!!.
I decided to 'mess' with him.
"Excuse me... Are you ..." He turned back !!!
Baang its him !!! after 11 years !!! Antonio George !!! he is in front of me.
"you are too fatty buddy", he can't believe his eyes. ohh that is why he couldn't recognize me. [ I was just kind of skeleton at that time, thanks to Chennai food with a lot of oil/gee.] He was returning home from Town Hall Library. He is a great reader !!!
May be just 3 phone calls we made in these years. Other 8 calls couldn't connect him.(We should have been use NOKIA then). Funny thing is I couldn't find him at Orkut. But found him on a Sarkkeet (roam around ;-)
Though 11 years have gone by,it never felt like we were apart for so many years. He is always in my very little memory. Some friendships might be like that... No phone calls, No chit-chat, No Orkut, No face to face meetings... still they might be nearer to your heart.
A lot to tell about him; but scrapping only a single thing.
This person injected a craze for English movies. Prior meeting him, I have seen only two English movies BenHur and Ten commandments. He gave me a list of 14 movies which includes Mackenna's gold, Predator-1, Terminator-2, Indiana Jones Series, Home Alone series, The Mask, Schindler's list. With in two week I had strikeout 12 from that list. I couldn't find remaining two anywhere :-(
Only two people were there to help me avoiding the boredom of my St.Thomas' College life. Other one was Joe Francis.
Of course, how could we resist ourself to enjoy Dosa and red chutni from Hotel Gopi. Still same quality, same refreshing smell. Whenever I remember my Pre-degree days, I do remember Room 101 on Bell tower, Hotel Gopi and of course Prof P C thomas' tuition center where we baptized "everyday" for two year; no left turn; no right turn; don't look at girls; don't talk; don't be late . what a jail yaar. But it has a significant role on what I am now :-)
When I moved out from my old company, I have forgot to backup the bookmarks from Mozilla FireFox. Hence lost a lot of links.
So developed a new page with full of bookmarks. :-)
If you are interested, you may make it as your default home page.
http://www.mashithantu.com/bookmark-home.html
Drag the above link onto your home button. 
Also let me know some more interesting webpages to visit.
Drink two cups of water before meals; Try it for two months.
its working !!!
It was my last week in Chennai… Just thought of visiting a few friends and say the last BYE. Finishing my assignments with the previous company, with relieving and experience letter in hand what else one will do other than roaming around. Needless to say, I was in a total lazy mood.
As soon as I reached our hero's house, I sat down in his bean-bag (laid down to be specific). I always loved that comfortable position with 'Lay’s (Pepsico’s Junk food)’ in one hand and the TV remote in other hand.
"I wanna lazier" I whispered.
"No… you just can't" He dismissed my idea :-(
"Why??", I just wondered.
"ha ha ha..it requires some essential qualities which you don't have"
"Poda, I have been sitting idle for almost one month like many other Indians. ...Not doing anything at all !!!
"Umm..Gimme an answer for this", he shot a question at me. (Any life-line hain kya?)
"Can you glue on to this TV watching useless programs all the time?" (That time, we didn’t had any TV @ D-16, our room)
"Can you simply eat such junk pizzas round the clock?"? (out-of-syllabi question, from where this pizza came to picture?)
"Can you sit on this Bean bag for around 8 hours without moving your butt?" (Need I sit so long to prove...I am lazy?)
He concluded.
"That is why I am telling you...this is not an easy job. You need planning, determination and above all, whole hearted commitment!!!"
Key to be a LAZY man, WOW!!!
I saw these words (or similar words) in many Orkut profiles and blogs.
A few thoughts...
The moment you start using Talcum powder, you are not what you are (you are yearning for a better face) ;-) Is it hard to agree?
The moment you dye black/brown your hair, you are trying to imitate somebody else…
The moment you start thinking of hair-fixing, you are proving that you are not ready to accept the real “YOU”
Are you using lipstick? (Girls, pardon me…) You are hiding what you are…
Admit who you are or what you are... and be proud of it
Tail: "Make-up inum oru limilt okke illedai" - Udayanannu Thaaram
Enemy can find out even a minor mistake in you; Your friend may be ready to adjust with it, hence missing a chance to correct it.
Who is better? ...Enemy gives you a chance to overlook your limitation, hence you may improve !!!
Your mind will be sharp while competing with your enemy. it brings out the best in you !!! So accompany your enemy ;-)
"Kill your enemy, even if he is your brother" - a 5000 years old philosophy
"Love your enemy, pray for them" - a 2000 years old one.
See the current one : "Forgive your enemy, but remember his name ;-)"
ഇതു വെറും ഒരു പഴഞ്ചൊല്ലല്ല… (It is not just a proverb...) it is the truth.
I had a lot of chance to 'stitch'… but I didn't.
Result: Samson’s break down in the middle of Inner ring road. A payback for neglecting Samson's thirst for petrol. In another way, a miscalculation of his mileage in this heavy traffic. Now what to do? Need to find a petrol pump. nammakku chodichu chodiuchu pokaam (let us ask somebody)
One auto driver told there is a petrol pump in a KM.
Though I was a little suspicious of his advice, decided to follow a veteran. Anyway I am new to this place, may be one is there near to those software companies that can be seen at that place.
1st stitch >> Push Samson (A heavy, long cruiser called Avenger) for around 1 KM.
After dragging him around 400m I was tired. 'Colorful birds' crossing the roads every now and then, were throwing pathetic glance, caused more hurt. Poya maanam thirichu kittumo :-( Enquired again about the petrol pump... somebody said I need to travel till Koramangala signal!!! Seems logical (matching with my knowledge base)
So took an auto.
2nd stitch >> Rs. 30/- for auto to reach nearest pump and got 1/2 ltr
Problems didn't stop here.
Even after drinking enough petrol, Samson was refused to start. ohh I got it. Residue dust particle in the filter (or even a chance for an air-gap). The engineer in me arose!! ( Vendatha panikku pokandannu appachan paranja kelkoollillo)
3rd stitch >> Suck the petrol from the tube connect to the engine.
Phew... a mouthful of petrol. What a dirty feeling. He refused to start again. Oru kullukkavum illa.
4th stitch >> Call-a-friend for help (Maanam aa vazhikku kappallu kayari). After a 'non-stop' laugh, he suggested the same. And to get a mechanic.
6th stitch >> Drag my dear Samson back to the first position.
Another problem, Garage is on the other side and there is no gap in the median (though there is a sign board says a gap-in-the-median). So I have to either go and take U turn down the flyover or cut through the median.
7th stitch >> Cross through the median.
It is very heavy buddy (180KG; his manual says). However I managed to lift him up to the median and cross the road. and handed the 'patient' over to the 'doctor'.
As I said the problem was with his air-filter, he sucked the petrol from the tube that too without his mouth. (He made use of engine itself to suck it) Just matter of 1 minute. Everything back to normal. It hurt a lot. An engineer from GECT, don’t know the very basics of a motor bike (8th stitch >> on my ego, false self pride ...)
"10 Rs."- he billed. Oh… just 10 Rs...I was ready to give 50 Rs. atleast. I wasted around 2 hours just for a 10 Rs. problem!!!
"Bhayya petrol bahuth kammy hain... fill it ASAP", his advice.
9th stitch >> immerse Samson in petrol
This could have been done while I take the same route in the morning and save these many stitches
Tail:This is the first time I have been trapped in the road… after around 12,000 Kms of riding experience with David and Samson!!
Yup… first experience cherishes for long time.
The moment I stepped out of my previous company ... My Project Leader (now 'OLD' PL) got a promotion… Now he is an Associate Project Manager!! (I doubt if his hidden agenda was to kick me out)
The moment I vacated my room in Chennai... My (old) roommate got an assignment in Dubai. (He was desperately looking for a project around two weeks) And other room mate became a UI Designer and got promoted to another level.
The moment I (crash) landed in Bangalore... The immediate business day was declared as a Karnataka Bundh!!! (I was supposed to join on this day)
What to say more... The moment I joined this company ... My (present) roommate's project got closed and laid off (technically) :-( !!!
And here everybody is asking why this company got less profit in the last quarter?
Business Analysts, Financial experts, and Sales forecasters are searching for an answer. They are trying to figure out what went wrong in their departments!!!
I would say… The problem is in the HR dept ;-)
Yeah...The HR guys have offered me a job in the last quarter.”
footnote: If anybody is interested to join me on my new 2BHK fully furnished flat, let me know ;-)
Thilakan was born on a wrong place, so as other mallu actors !!!
The face expression at the time when he realizes that his younger brother is going to marry his family enemy is unbeatable. Seems that Jackie shroff was even afraid to give a try !!!