A Question of Balls... Football Wins.

Since the last decade or so, Indian kids have had an option of choosing their favorite sport for the first time. Till the '90s cricket was the sole sport religion in India. Yeah,  you could say hockey is the national sport and blah and blah but nothing ever beat the buzz of a crunch cricket match.

With the advent of all-year round football, starting with the English Premier League, followed by the Bundesliga, Serie A and most recently, the Spanish La Liga sport enthusiasts have found a new first love... so much that any kid around the age of 15 would rather spend a few grand on his favorite football team's jersey than on a Team India jersey. It was the same case with me. Around 9 years ago, I was all cricket in the 9th Grade. But then came the English Premier League. And believe me, football trumps cricket any day, everyday.

Let me tell you why...

Firstly, football is a continuous game. The only boring stoppages in a game are for goal kicks and throw-ins. Others like goals, free-kicks, corners, etc. arouse a sense of excitement in most cases. 90 minutes divided into 2 action packed halves of 45 minutes each. Time flies by and its barely 2 hours spent per match. Also, there's a very distinct factor of unpredictability in football. You can never know when a goal will be scored, or when a harsh tackle will have a player sent off.

One-Day cricket on the other hand, is a 100 over game split into 50 over innings which last roughly 3 hours each at an average of 14 overs an hour. Yes, its exciting at times, but, I can't help snooze off between an innings. Its painful to watch a bowler make a run up, bowl the delivery, watch the batsman play and wait the bowler take a slow painful walk back to his run-up starting point only to repeat it 50 X 6 = 300 times in an innings and 600 times in a standard ODI. Moreover, the game lasts 6 and a half to 7 hours on an average. Either you spend 6 hours watching the same thing over and over again or you watch part of the match which is just as pointless.

Secondly, football is a club-dominated game rather than a nation-dominated game. Club football takes precedence... always (well... almost). The point is that with Top Tier National leagues, national knock-out cup tourneys and European Championships, every weekend is new. Your favorite club will rarely play the same opponent twice in the same month, or even quarter of a year. Unless, of course its the last knock-out stages of the European cups which showcase nothing but the very best clubs on both ends of the pitch. So no complaints there. Plus, there are transfers that see players moving from one club to another in the blink of an eye. One moment, he'f your favorite player, the next day he plays for another club, possibly a fierce rival. Its that sort of thing that gives you the kick (pun intended).

Contrarily, cricket is a nation dominated sport. National teams battle it out against other countries in long, sometimes over-stretched series' against the same nation. You might have an occasional tri-series but nothing too exciting until the world cup. I'm sorry, but, I'm not going to spend 6 hours each on a 7 match ODI series of India against the same England 11. How much more monotonous can it get??

However, it would be wrong to suggest that football has taken over from cricket as the primary fanatic sport of India. But, among the urban sections of the society, yes, a high octane football match brings a bigger buzz than the climax of a long ODI series.

Also, I will add that an Indian kid's passion for his country's cricket team knows no bounds during big international tournaments like the World Cup and Champions Trophy. I cite this from personal experience... I am not a big cricket follower but I was proud to lose my voice cheering Team India on to a memorable victory vs. Australia at the Motera Stadium in Quarter Final of the 2011 World Cup. 

Yeah, I love football. But its always Team India time during the World Cup.

- Pratik Gupta

Phoenix or The Flame?

Yesterday, I read that scientists had finally solved the mystery of the chicken and the egg. An age old question that baffled people more than the all elusive value of x: Which came first?

The Answer: The chicken came first because there is a particular protein in the egg that can produced only by a hen. Without it, the egg cannot exist. So the mystery was closed not directly, but indirectly, by proving the impossibility of the other option.

On not so dissimilar lines, I wondered about the same question about the phoenix and the flame: Which came first? The beauty of the answer lies in the fact that there can be none, for the Phoenix is a mythological creature of fire.

Its a question of opinion and background of a person. A staunch believer in ancient Greek/Egyptian/Persian mythology may chose to not answer the question claiming that there is none, and that its a truly infinite circle. Some believe that it rose from an erupting volcano or something. But in claiming its existence, they leave the doors open to scientists for doing what they do best: ask where the infinite loop started and answer the question.

One answer could be that neither the phoenix, nor the flame came first. Ok, not exactly neither. But the ashes of something else gave rise to the phoenix. Not that plausible, but hey, this is mythology. Magic and Mythology go hand in hand. You'll need to have a decent imaginative range for that.

The other answer is that the Phoenix came first... as an evolved creature. Even for a mystical creature to rise from the ashes, it should have been the burnt remains of a phoenix in the first place. How can a phoenix just rise from ordinary ashes?? This is in compliance with the indirect technique. Disprove the possibility of the opposite and there you have it. Scientifically, it makes more sense than the previous option. 

Personally, I subscribe to the first option. Let the aura of the magic of a mythological creature remain. It also helps to maintain the beautiful mystery of its origin.

The rest, as I said, is a matter of opinion.

-Pratik Gupta

My Favorite Songs

Here is a small post where I list down my all time top 5 songs:

1. Coming Back to Life - Pink Floyd (Pulse). Timeless Classic. Its a song for any mood. Cheers me up and gets me going when I'm down. Calms me down and soothes me when I'm agitated.
2. November Rain - Guns N' Roses (Use Your Illusion 1). This is the most complete relationship song. It has a stanza that can be compared to each of the 3 broad states of a relationship: The fight, the uncertainty and the reconciliation. 
3. Lazarus - Porcupine Tree (Deadwing). This is the second part of the Deadwing Screenplay trilogy (Trains - Lazarus - Half Light). Its about a son 'David' singing to mother 'Elizabeth' upon her death. Beautiful Music and cruel, painful, emotional lyrics make both this song and its sequel (Half Light) make it among the most played songs in my list.
4. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5 (Songs About Jane). We all know this one. Maroon 5's best song till date. About a friend who is always there for his female friend in time of need, who knows her every secret, but is secretly in love with her. He sings about how the guy will always be there for the girl but will never be able to have his feelings reciprocated. Try watching the video of Maroon 5 on MTV World Stage at Vegas. Their finale with this song and getting the crowd to sing the end in two halves just blew me away!!
5. Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver (Poems, Prayers and Promises). The best sing-along EVER!!! Liberating. Relaxing. Gets my feet tapping. John Denver's unquestionable best.

A few very close contenders that JUST missed out on the list: Kandisa (Indian Ocean), Learning to Fly, Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd), Sweet Child O' Mine, Stranged, Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Guns N' Roses), Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton). And many more.

I also tend to go deep into the meaning of a song's lyrics... It helps me truly appreciate the beauty of the song. I might write a few posts on intriguing song meanings soon.

Meanwhile, enjoy these. :)

-Pratik Gupta

Battery Health and Me (And, You too)

Most of us use Smartphones these days. Almost all of us have either an iPhone, an Android or a Blackberry. And all of you will completely understand when I say that battery life is a major issue. I had a very rough 10 days because of an old battery and, boy, was it a major pain in the backside.

Towards the end of my ordeal (yesterday), my phone would stay on for no longer than 40 minutes even if I switched off 3G, kept flight mode on, didn't listen to music, didn't even check my cell by turning on the LED back-light. Cutting through the redundancy, I made my phone worthless and it still didn't last 2400 seconds. And so my phone was on charge all day at work and at home. Basically, I owned a Dabba. :P

Obviously, I got myself a new battery, and couldn't help smiling to myself as the initial charge of 21% lasted close to 4 hours with my regular usage of mobile internet and texting (#WIN). So, anyway I thought I'd do some research on Li-Ion batteries and their working to help me (and now, you) understand how to take better care of your batteries.

For starters, the basic process of battery usage is simple electrolysis. Lithium Ions moving from one electrode to another, positive to negative, and discharging is the reverse process. At the end of my research, I learnt the following things:

1. The notion that the battery's first charging should last 12-16 hours for good health and longevity is a myth. This was required only in the old Nickel-Cadmium(Ni-Cd) batteries, most of which have been phased out now. The 12 hour charge could actually damage your battery right from the start. A normal charge should be anywhere between 2 to 3 hours.
2. Ideally, the battery (and thus, the device) should be kept at room temperature, ie. 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. So, if you're at a warm indoor place, keep it near the fan of air cooling vent, and if you're in a cold place, keep it in your pocket.
3. You should never completely discharge the battery. Recharge it when it reaches 10-15%. However, you should do a complete discharge and recharge of the battery once every 20-30 charge cycles. That comes up to roughly a month in my case.
4. You shouldn't fully charge it either. I don't quite get how we can manage that, but no harm trying.
5. Never use a non-approved charger for your device. There could be a difference in voltage from charger to charger and that could damage your battery. In lay man terms, use only the charger that comes with your device otherwise there's some electronic mumbo-jumbo that'll screw up your battery.
6. Never keep the battery or the device close to a metallic surface for too long. Again, free electrons and metals and some chemical geek stuff.

Apart from these, I read that batteries have two important attributes. A Digital Memory, that kinda helps the device read its percentage life for display purposes; and Potency, a quantitative measure of the number of free electrons it can regain after a full recharge. Both, indirectly indicate battery life and charge percentage. The difference being that Potency cannot be measured by the device, while Digital Memory can... not with pinpoint accuracy, however. So don't rely on the battery meter display on your gadgets too much.

I've been through a good few websites to read and assimilate this information. I hope it helps you guys as well as I hope it helps me. Most of them make sense when you read it in detail. Except the execution of the 4th one. I'll try to figure that out by myself. 

Ultimately, its all in the Science of it. Hope your battery lasts long enough to help you tweet, Whatsapp and listen to music all the way home from work or college.

Cheers. :)

-Pratik Gupta.

PS: Comments and corrections are welcome. :)

Ajmal Kasab: India Wins 2-0... Or does She?

29th August, 2012 will go down as the day the Supreme Court of India sentenced to death, the Pakistani Terrorist, and lone survivor of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Ajmal Amir Kasab. The cost of keeping this man alive and safe for more than 3 and a half years was about 35 crore rupees. (Yes, count the zeroes if you wish. That's 35,00,00,000). Anyway, the end is near. Death Sentence it is. That'll be a Win for India. In football terminology: India 2-0 approaching stoppage time.

Wait... 2-0?? Where did the second one come from??

Well, the first victory was claimed when we allowed him a trial. High Court, and then to the Supreme Court. Proof that India will not stoop down to barbarianism in times of crisis. The Government, although the Plaintiff, ensured his well being and provided him with a lawyer, health care, newspapers, and the most notoriously publicized Mutton Biryani at his Arthur Road Jail cell, and did so much to the displeasure of the general population who had called for an immediate death sentence.

Morals, dignity, integrity, laws, democracy... The decision to allow him a fair trial, a fair appeal and provisions to exercise every right any defendant is allowed in an Indian Court of Law. THAT was 1-0 to India.

The appeal was upheld at the Supreme Court and he has been sentenced to death by hanging for 'waging war on India'. 2-0.

But, lets not get carried away with the Sentence. Afzal Guru has been waiting for his hanging for some years now. Let Kasab hang first. Then we'll talk. (Ok, that last bit wasn't mine. Read that on twitter.) Makes sense to me. You know how lightning quick Govt. procedures are in India. Pranab da, the call is your's.

Another question I asked myself was: Who did we beat with the 2-0 scoreline?? Kasab? Pakistan? Islam? Terrorism? Jehad? If you answered a 'Yes' to any of these, then I suggest you think again.

Kasab: well, we didn't beat him. We put him through our Judiciary system which, to be fair has had its own share of criticism to deal with. Moral victory, maybe.

Pakistan and its innocent citizens were never the enemy, so... no. The Pakistan internal establishment, yes.

Islam: don't kid yourself. One of my best friends and my neighbor are Muslim. Not the enemy.

Terrorism: No. The element of terror and Jehad as its catalyst are still thriving in the underground extremist networks.

I'm sorry, but apart from the moral victory, I see no positives from the sentence of Ajmal Amir Kasab. 

And also, vengeance for those who lost their loved ones in 26/11. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for the sentence. But, Kasab is not the root of the problem. The root lies in the top levels of state funded terror units that brainwash kids like Kasab with a self righteous notion of Jehad and the promise of Allah's rewards, ultimately training them into deadly killing machines. Unless the top level is destabilized and taken down, we will have more 26/11s and Ajmal Kasabs.

This is not a complete victory for India over anyone. But a small step towards the Herculean task of dismantling the Jehadi terror network that still survives in Paksitan as well as India.

Meanwhile, let Kasab hang from the gallows and send a message out to the world: India will strike with dignity. Always.

Jai Hind.

-Pratik Gupta

My Idol: Paul Scholes

I'm not a man of many words. Playing football is all I ever wanted to do. - Paul Scholes.

Widely acknowledged as the best attacking midfielder of his day, Paul Scholes is as simple as he is brilliant. He personifies the ideal sportsman. Though not without his own minute set of flaws, he is in my opinion, and of countless others, the perfect footballer. He sets a bar too high for any other footballer of this generation to meet. Yes, we will have the flair and dazzle of many other players, but, none can match Scholesy in terms of his level of perfection and excellence.

Part of the famous 1992 FA Youth Cup winning Manchester United team, christened Fergie's Fledglings, Paul Scholes was always destined for greatness. He has been a pivotal part of Manchester United's midfield for the last 20-odd years. He is undoubtedly one of the most naturally gifted footballers in the World. With his mind boggling movement, unmatched vision, elegant composure on the ball, inch perfect passing, both long and short, and a rocket of a right foot shot, Scholes is the ultimate midfielder. There has always been debate about his tackling ability which, I admit, is not the most refined. But, hey, nobody's perfect. Despite his stout figure, he is known for his dominance on the pitch. He can control the midfield like a puppeteer.

Known as The Ginger Prince, or Ginger Ninja, he pierces the sternest of defenses with his passing, and scores some insanely awesome goals. Here you can see him striking his famous goal against Barcelona at Old Trafford. It was the second leg of the 2007-08 Champions' League Semi-Final which Manchester United won 1-0 on aggregate; this was the only goal in 180 minutes of football over 2 legs. United went on to beat Chelsea and win the Champions' League that year. 

I count myself one among the innumerable youths to have been inspired by him; not by his football, cause I suck on the field, but by his persona. He's a man of simple nature. He comes to the ground, trains, goes home. On match-day, he plays in his usual Central Midfield role. He gives his 110% and produces an unquestionably brilliant performance irrespective of the result.

He has always been dedicated to Manchester United and pledged his entire career to the club. Such sincerity and loyalty are rare qualities, seen in only a chosen few of his generation. In his Autobiography, he writes that he faced a difficult time when United signed Juan Sebastian Veron, as Scholesy was pushed into the right wing, but stated that was ready to play in a Manchester United Shirt in whichever position he was asked to do so by the manager.

As loud and expressive as he is on the pitch, he is known to be an equally 'shy' and quiet individual in person. He rarely gives interviews. I'm pretty sure he has avoided the press all through his career. In a rare interview in 2003, he described his perfect day as: train in the morning, pick up my kids from school, play with them, have tea, put them to bed and watch a bit of TV.

Talent, fame and the honor of being a regular face in the Manchester United line-up for almost two decades failed to lift his feet off the ground. He is known to be as modest as anyone you'll ever meet. He has a passion for football. For Manchester United. His life has always been about going out there, on that pitch and giving it all he's got and never giving up. 

No controversies... No serious speculations about him wanting to leave Manchester United... No fits of rage... No run-ins with the wrong kind of people. No bad press... Just a brilliant performer on the field and an ideal family man off it.

Paul Scholes is the perfect inspiration. He is my idol. He signifies what I strive to be: Attain perfection in whatever passions I have, be dedicated to my goal and work consistently towards achieving it, and, most importantly remembering never to lose myself along the way.

In my eyes, the best midfielder, and the most complete footballer the world has seen, or ever will see: Paul Scholes. 

Nothing but Respect.

-Pratik Gupta.

Simple Things

If nobody told you Life would be easy, you were probably among those lucky people who had sane people all around them influencing their upbringing. And definitely saner than the idiot who invented the board game: Life. Spin the wheel, make money and win. (I do like the tag line though: 'You Can Be A Winner').

No, life's not easy. It gets more complicated and difficult with every day, week, month and year. And you probably learnt a lot about it in your own respective ways while growing up. So I'm not here to lecture y'all on that. I'm here to pass on a very simple message: Lighten Up When You Can.

Let me explain. We all live about our lives trying to earn money, lead our own lives and try to meet expectations of our loved ones as well as ourselves added to the contribute to Global Economy and progress and all that Commerce bullshit that I'll never understand. Sometimes we get stuck in so deep that we barely have time to reach out and connect with the world around us, and in turn, with ourselves.

Simple Things... Things that may seem insignificant much at face value, but, can go a long way to keep you happy. Things that may seem a waste of time, but, if you try them, bring a sense of satisfaction from deep within.

Here's a list of things you I have experienced that help me connect with Nirvana - the divine feeling:

1. Wake up around 15 minutes early from my normal morning schedule and open the windows. Look around at the dark skies at the crack of dawn, observe the first rays of light, feel the cool moist morning breeze and let it absorb me into it. I normally prefer plugging in my headphones and listen to a song or 2. (Coming Back To Life by Pink Floyd is among my all time faves).
2. A late night drive at cruise speed.. Alone. Empty wet roads and again, my favorite music.
3. Goa. Calangute Beach. 5:30 AM to 7AM. Half a foot deep in the water. Headphones on. Feeling the waves crashing on my knees and watching the slow, magnificent sunrise from behind me.

These are some moments when you can just forget everything about your daily life and perceive the beauty of the world you live in. Simple Things... We all need them. Trust me. They help.

Try it.

Disconnect.

Break Free.

Cheers. :)

-Pratik Gupta.

Balance? Maybe.

That we live in a strange world, is not in doubt. Apart from its many flaws and equally wondrous methods of balancing them, there's this one thing which bothers me every now and then: The English Language.

Back in the days when I was at school, we learnt that English was a global language. Lingua Franca, they called it. Well, yeah the French would disagree. And the Spanish. And a minority set of Countries who, for their own reasons have chosen some other language as their national tongue. But, they won't understand this piece cause they won't know English anyway. Well... Balance. ;)

But anyway, the issue with English. So... If English is a Globally accepted language, it should in all respects, be perfect. No ambiguities and confusions. No redundancies. Right? Well, not really the case is it?

For example: Maybe is the word that defies balance to the hilt.

I asked a colleague of mine the other day, "Bro, some of us from work are going out for dinner on Friday. Can u make it?" And he replied: "Maybe". Pretty smart, wasn't it? Maybe. The ultimate diplomatic tool. Deflecting the question, yet not completely declining the invitation. In his defense, he wasn't completely sure if he could make it. And therein lies the beauty of it: we'll never know, will we? ;)

'Maybe' and his evil twin 'Maybe Not' epitomize uncertainty in an undeniable, unquestionable fashion and yet, balance out their differences. You see, the answer 'maybe' translates to: "Not Sure. But there's a better chance of assent than dissent." While 'maybe not' sounds more like: "Not sure. But there's I good chance I won't." If you are smart enough to see the subtle difference, there wont be as much an ambiguity. 

So, the next time you ask a question and get an uncertain reply like, maybe/(not) and probably/(not), corner the diplomatic dud and force a straight answer outta him.

-Pratik Gupta. :)

PS: That colleague of mine finally did turn up for the dinner. ;P

PPS: Comments are welcome.

Independence Day: What The Oxford Dictionary Won’t Tell You.

To start off, I had a difficulty spelling Independence today. I wasn’t sure whether it was IndIpendence or IndEpendence. Glad I sorted that out immediately. Thank you, Oxford.

Secondly, happy Independence Day to every Indian around the world. I hope you felt as patriotic as I did this morning, and watched the Flag unfurling ceremony at Red Fort followed by Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speech.

The most perfect morning for an outing, tight security and and air of pride and patriotism all round. The school children were dressed in the colors of the Indian national flag and arranged in an order to look like the hoisted flag. Beautiful. Well, it doesn’t really matter if you missed it. We’ll have the media telecasting the main lines and key points from the speech along with the highlights of the event.

The day would be followed by a critical analysis of the PM’s speech and how he delivers empty words year after year… and baseless conclusions that India is probably in a worse state than it was 66 years ago.

Right on cue, I read a status update of facebook about how people will remember Independence day only on the 15th of August and carry on with their lives for the rest of the year. There are a few of those every year. As much as I resented reading it, I couldn’t help but admit that I once shared that thought. Probably 2 or 3 years ago.

The PM’s speech covered a varied range of points ranging from Farmer Benefits, to a new, more convenient Pension claim system, condemnation of the violence in Assam and Mumbai and promise of a better tomorrow, statistics of successful programmes and impending plans for new ones. In all, a complete speech of the present state and what we can hope the future India to be like.

This morning, I realised what Independence day means… or should mean, rather. I had an answer to all the cynics who thought that Independence day celebrations had no significance and was a waste of time.

Independence day is a day of hope. Hope that India can be what She yearns to be. She can grow into the India that we all know she can be. It is a day that not only helps us remember the sacrifices made by countless national heroes and faceless martyrs towards the ultimate goal of Independence, but also, serves as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance, passion and dedication. It took 90 years and innumerable lives from the first strike on British rule in 1857 to earn us the Freedom that we are celebrating today.

Remember the heroes, not for their sacrifice, but for the result of their resilience and iron-clad will to liberate India from external rule. Its a matter of intent, patience and hope. A perfect blend of these 3 elements will take India where She can be… where She deserves to be. It will take time. But, rather than being condescending and looking down upon the past 66 years, we should learn from them.

Do your bit. Be Patient. And Incredible India will no longer be just a dream.

Jai Hind!!

Signing off,

A Proud Indian.

Pratik Gupta.