Another year, another final..

Sigh. It always happens, doesn't it? Such an anti-climax.

We were doing good, then not so bad, then good again, and finally, we lost. I was pissed, as always. One would think that 4 years of the same scenario repeating itself in different stages should prep you for this. But it always comes as a huge let-down. You feel so 'cheated'.. But hey, there's always next year. Look at the Cubs, plodding along even after a 100 years!

Sometimes it is true.. Happiness is the pleasant feeling arising from contemplating the misery of another individual :)

Isn't the worst always yet to come ;)

Semi-finals..

I'm increasingly beginning to believe that I am a little too wired into the whole 'flow of the universe' thingie. I'm not saying I'm clairvoyant or can see dead people, or that I can predict when exactly you are going to get that call from (xyz) that you have (achieved your xyz dream). No, that I cannot do, nor do I want to. Its just that, sometimes, I get this feeling about something, and it turns out to be perfectly true.

I said that I would get my driver's license only in B's car, and thereby set in motion a chain of events that lead me to finally get it only in his car! Then there have been times when I've predicted so many things in the cricket matches over the weekends. There was alsot hat day as I sat getting my pedicure that for some obscure reason I would get a ticket that day… and the minute I walked out, I saw the orange envelope on my windshield. Little things like these. Call it karu naaku, or freaky shit, or whatever.

So, on Saturday.. Here I am, miserable from all the cleaning from Friday (oh, on a side note, I finished cleaning up the entire house as of 3am Friday, Oct 3rd!) and sorry to drag my ass out of bed on Saturday morning to go and watch the semi-finals in the cold. But being the trooper that I am (more kicked out of superstition, rather) I stood in the shower hoping the steam would clear my brain. And while I was doing that, I suddenly knew. Okay, it wasn't the whole Holy Choir Of Angels Singing Halleluyah moment.But, I just KNEW - that we were going to finally win the Finals this year. It was as simple as that.

I was grinning when I called out to B and told him that. I told him 'You guys are going to win the semis AND the finals this year, however surprising the end result may come about, it will be unbelievable, but you guys will lift the trophy'. They have been trying for a while this season to get me to say it, but I couldn't say it just for the sake of saying it! It had to be true, right? I wouldn't blame them either - given the fact that every game I didn’t go to this season, they lost!

And with that good optimistic belief in my 'prediction', if you will, we set out. And we played tremedously well. Then came the fun part - they played tremedously well too. But in the end, we did it!!! And here we are, second year in a row, in the Finals.. I'm eyeing the championship this time. Woohoo.

It all comes down to this!

Quite a different mood from what I was around the same time last year.. knock on wood!

Go IIT! And I think of all those crappy slogans we'd use when we were at inter-school cultural fests or campaigning for school-post elections.

"Jeethega bhai, jeethega, ------- hi jeethega"
"Pana marathula vavvala, --------ke savaala"
"Twinkle twinkle little star, -------- is a superstar"
"---------, ----------, clap clap clap"

OhmyGod, I'm mortified. Not about the slogans, about the fact that I can't remember others :) Ah, glory days!

How dare they!!!

I read an article now and then analyzing Sachin's poor form, and that gets me REAL pissed.. And when I do start ranting and raving, believe me, it will drive anyone crazy or murderous or worse, suicidal!

I like cricket too, c'mon, how can you not like the sport? Despite the GBShaw-11 fools theory, it is a game after all, and I love it.. every pulse-pounding minute of it. In fact, I'm one of these superstitious folks who won't change their seating, much less transfer the drink from one hand to the other for fear that it'd get Tendulkar out!!!! My days as a cricket fan were hugely when I was at school, and would come home to hear my mom in turn rant and rave about my dad and the rest at home glued to the game!! (talk about how some things never change) I loved the way Jadeja would strut instead of rushing to the crease when he knows his run is safe (why the heck did he come and squeak in that movie with Celina Jaitley, God only knows!!), I used to think Azhar was cool, and would be thrilled with all the yelling that Mongia would do wicket-keeping. And nothing need be said about how smart Kumble was ;), and the GOD Sachin Tendulkar, the Jammyboy Dravid and Ganguly too..

But whatever it was, I loved the Indian team, and did agree with folks who said: Cricket is our religion and Sachin is our God!!

Anyways, what makes me angry these days is how Sachin is getting the flak for his batting. WTF? Who are all these people who come and criticize that nice down-to-earth soul? About him retiring, getting out cheaply, scared of rising deliveries (grrrr!!!), and all that crap. Ok, I ain't technically sound to comment about all this, but cmon, what the heck.. that guy has been such a source of inspiration to an entire nation of young boys.. so much so that it wasn't the dream to be 'on the team' but to 'be the next sachin tendulkar'.. and is this the way we treat him? How people love to watch the mighty fall, and then claim the dust as a trophy? Make someone like him an 'also-ran'? I'm not saying the Indian team was a one-man team.. but give the guy the credit he's due. Why are you so bent on making him fizzle out? With all the injuries, the pressure, the dedication.. he needs to have a Hall-of-fame all to himself!

But come what may, however the nitpicking idiots may try to write him off, the history of the game cannot be undone, the writing will be there up on the wall, and those of us who grew up idolizing him will never forget the golden era of the game that was (and will again be) Tendulkar's glory!!!

Another week, another weekend.

I am currently trying to complete my 2 credit project.. or should I say 'start'!!!

Hence the lack of updates. My imagination is as big as a zeolite pore-tunnel (which is fairly big on the molecular scale and hence accounts for its use in pervaporation) and sarcasm ain't oozing out of any pore about any topic under the sun. Taking two days off this week sure helped run through it faster. But Tuesday was a joke, when I completely forgot that I'd taken the day off to collect my commencement stuff, and ended up blowing 80 bucks on a winter coat at H&M instead!! Minimum earnt, maximum spent, who cares!

But yeay! Its Friday! :)

Friday sure is the Mr.Popular of the week! I remember this McD's radio ad which touts Monday free-coffees, and hence Monday goes up a notch in the 'cool' ratings, and is thrilled that Friday even talks to it.. But imagine, the week is in fact a good distribution of personalities so to speak..

And yeay again.. next week is a three-day-workweek.. yoohoo! Thank Thanksgiving :)

Sob. (hic)

Yes. A pretty washed out end to the week.. oh, literally 'washed out'. Game day, and all in great spirits, and then.. a good start. Got them wrapped up for 149. Our target: 150. (Funny, the way I say 'we/our'.. I'm just a spectator, am I not?) And down came the rain. The boys were of course in a good mood, thought they would win easily, and danced around in the rain, blaring 'Paatshaala' over the speakers. Then out came the sun (how I now wish that had not happened.. wish, indeed) One by one, they fell, slow and steady.. until hope came in somewhere in the middle. But it was not to be our day, remember? Torrents yet again, and we pack up to continue the next morning. Advantage/disadvantage.. the what-ifs? Next day, bright and early, with the cards stacked precariously.. half asleep, I receive the call, its a close game.. We still have a chance. And I sense, rather than feel the impending doom. It was there yesterday when I watched others on the field.. but I had pushed it aside.. the clammy feeling, the flutter. But here it stared me in the face. We were going to go out one notch lower than last year! And down we went. Tears anyone? Not me, thanks, it was just anger and a resignation.

I keep thinking, why do I feel so bad? It wasn't my team (per se), I wasn't playing, I wasn't betting anything on them, but in the end.. Yet another year of games come rain or shine, every Saturday morning, sitting there crossing my fingers and breathing a silent prayer they would make it through.. and make it through they did, but not the game that mattered. I know I'm wrong, but I cannot help but blame everyone, they all let me down. But aren't they the ones who feel more sad.. that they lost? I feel sorry for them, but selfish me, sorrier (grammar, hic!) for myself.

Rationale and logic take a backseat. I am sad. Even if everyone had made just one more run, I wouldn't be here writing a sob story. When does the game become more than a game? Why am I never able to register that? Because I am not a person playing the game? What is it that drives people.. the rush of blood, the speed.. the ups and downs of a team's season.. I agree, there must be sportsmanship, the ability to face defeat with grace. But why do I feel bad?

I should in fact be glad that the season is over, for there are no more Saturdays to wake up early, no more games, no more getting messy with sweat in the sun, no more oily sun-blocks, and no more dead-beat Mondays..

Why then, am I so empty? Devoid of reason?

Its a love-hate relationship I share with cricket.. and I loved-hated every moment of it this year.