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Showing posts from June, 2006

Budhi Kunderen

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At the tender age of 6, my cricket baptism was started with Dhoka and Paat. Those days, Dhoka was the most universal way to wash the clothes. Dhoka would be perfect bat for kids with Paat(wooden seat for a dinner) would act as a stump standing aginast the main door. Prakash – my cousin who stayed with us in those days – made sure that I learnt everything about Cricket so as to be team companion in home cricket, Names would fly Ken Barrington, Tom Graveny, Basil D’Olivera, Garfield Sobers, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith but along with these, was another name that he was very fond of . That was Budhi Kundren- wicket keeper. By the time I learnt the nuances of this game, new names like Indrajitsingh, Krishnamurti and Farookh Enginner had come on the scene. Budhi Kundren passed into oblivion in all these years till I came across an article by H Natarajan on Cricket discussions forum wrote about Budhi Kundren after his passing away in distant land of Scotland. Suddenly, cricket with Dhoka,

Stopping Suicide in India

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This is the story of Joe Curiale. He was watching CNN about the farmers in India who are so desperate and in debt that they are committing suicide, and leaving their families behind. Joe then went to India and met some of these families in person, and donated his own money to pay off their debts and essentially free them. His story goes as follows : My name is Joseph Curiale. Late one night I took a break from working and watched CNN.com and saw a story about Indian farmers in Southern India committing suicide, so I watched it. I see many sad stories in the world but for some reason this really went right to my heart, especially a widow named Anjamma they interviewed... There has been a drought for the past 7 years in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and on top of that the farmers were duped into buying bad seeds, so year after year they borrowed money just to stay alive hoping "next year" would be better, but it was not. I heard some horror stories on my recent trip t

solly ballim.... I shall miss him

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Namashte … kaise hain aap ? Theek Hain ? I shall miss these words. Those were the standard greeting phrase that Solly used when he called me up. Plato said ‘He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age’. Solly practiced this philosophy till end. He never looked to me as senior citizen. In fact, he was keen to get married at this age, perhaps to get rid of loneliness after losing his wife. His only condition was that ‘she should be Muslim’. Born and Grew up in South Africa, he kept roots with India and Gujarati language and was proud of his lineage. ‘Peripatetic’ would be the classic word to describe Solly. He loved travelling- be it India, Middle East or African continent- connecting people, transacting business. I wish I had half of his enthusiasm at my age. Frank and open, transparent in business dealings and genuine warmth in his approach. His business acumen was sharp and his enthusiasm for business expansion was admirable. If he were to stop over in Duba

Hamburg - cosy sojorn

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Chand Tare Tod Lao ( I shall pluck moon and stars) From this tiny hotel room in Hamburg, I could have almost got the moon as this song says. But the cloudy weather and daylight till midnight made it difficult. This hotel nestled 10 minute taxi drive from Hamburg Airport and 25 minute bus ride from the down town city makes a stay not just comfortable and pleasant but if one were lucky to a get room on terrace, it brings clouds, moon and stars within one’s reach. I stayed in one such room. This room is fitted with two glass window sills along the sloping roof and both are just 3 feet above the bed, there is another window directly opposite the bed. A telescope fitted on tripod stand is next to the sill for those who want a free ri de to the Galaxy. Its early June, Hamburg is lush green and so are the surroundings of this hotel. Never before, I have experienced a hotel room that would take me to sleep watching skyline and wake me up with fresh morning sunrays and flotilla of clouds amidst