Unknown Savior

I am surprised that it has taken me almost 6.5 year to pen down a new post. Well, that itself justifies the title I have given to this blog i.e. 'It's never late' 😊.

Imagine yourself on a two wheeler standing at a busy traffic signal during peak evening hour waiting for signal to turn green. Considering, it is a Saturday evening, presumably everyone would be in a rush to get to their respective destinations.

I was standing at a similar busy traffic signal on last Saturday evening while going to pick up my wife from work. Being a responsible citizen and environmental enthusiast, I had turned off my scooter's engine in an anticipation that I will turn it on again with auto-start button when countdown of seconds start from 10 to 0. 

Probably, Murphy's Law is chasing me these days to prove its point and this was just another example. It was less than 10 seconds for signal to turn green and my scooter just acted like a lazy pet dog who ignore pleas of his master and denied to start. It was less than 5 seconds for signal to open now and all my attempts were turning out to be futile. I was getting little panicky as honking had already begun asking me to move away and make a road for those whose vehicles were at their commands. So just like a master would drag his dog in a hope that it would get up and start walking, I dragged my scooter towards the nearest road divider which was unfortunately on the right side. Once reached, I began my attempts again with no success. I also tried kick-starting it but even that didn't yield any positive results. Just then, I noticed the fuel gauge which was little below red line. This left me in two thoughts asking if it was a problem with fuel or the auto-start. All this while, honking was continuous and mostly cars were passing by from my left. I was just praying that no hasty driver bumps into me or brushes past dangerously. Finally traffic signal turned red again and I decided to drag my scooter to cross the signal. 

Just when I reached the other side, I suddenly remembered about my wife who was waiting for me. Mere thought of 'Wrath of Wife' left me scared to the core. It was even more frightening that next day was  Sunday, meaning she has an entire day to take revenge of making her wait. By now, knowing that fuel could also be a villain in my misery, I hurriedly started dragging my scooter to the nearest fuel station which was nearly 1.5 KMs away. 

Just then a scooter rider pulled over and asked me in local language if the fuel was over. I replied, 'Probably'. Without a second question, he asked me to hop on to my scooter and offered to push till nearest fuel station. Normally, I am against this as I see it as a danger to others on the road. However, I believe it was a thought of furious wife and Sunday in sight that convinced me for this. Although, we ensured to drive on the extreme left of the road to be less of an obstruction. Within no time, we reached the fuel station and before I could thank him properly, he drove off just acknowledging my words. I couldn't even see his face as he was wearing a helmet and had tied a hand kerchief covering his face. It is my assumption that his face could not be any less radiant than an angel as he saved my Sunday.

At the fuel station, I refueled my scooter but still it wouldn't auto-start. It took me almost 5 minutes to kick start it. It was like a pampered pet dog who only understand pats and not kicks...😄 I was certainly late in picking up my wife from work but my savior ensured that I am not too late that would spoil my Sunday. 

The moral of the story is 'Humanity still Prevails.' Otherwise, it is difficult get help from a random stranger on a busy road!

Real Oasis in Desert- Wafra, Kuwait

Visiting Kuwait for business or any other purpose and have a day in spare with nothing to look forward to? Here is something you can do that will not only kill your time but also leave you mesmerized and surprised. Visit the southernmost city of Kuwait known as Wafra. Parallel to Saudi Arabia border, this area is known for its plantations and farms both animal and vegetable.

Wafra is approximately 110Km from Kuwait city and you can either travel by your own transport or public transport. It takes approximately an hour to reach Wafra by road in a car. Public transport is only available till Fahaheel city and from there you can take either shared or private cab to reach Wafra. Although, it is advisable to hire a private cab to see the area at your convenience, if not having personal transport.

If you want to make the most out of day, plan your trip from Kuwait city in midafternoon and reach Wafra around 4-5 P.M. in the evening. This will save you from scorching sun of desert and give you ample time to enjoy the greenery. In some farms you will see endless rows of Palm trees and some farms will have lush green lawns and gardens. Rest houses known as ‘Shaliyah’ in local language are also a common feature of these farms, and as they say in Kuwait posh and bigger the ‘Shaliyah’ rich the Kuwaiti owning it. This is also a good demonstration of Islamic architecture. You may also visit a farm after seeking permission from the security. By the time, you start leaving for city it will already be dark. The road trip back to city will also be memorable as the lighting and fire from the chimneys of the refineries running parallel to the road creates a majestic scene. However, be careful as the photography is strictly prohibited on this road due to security reasons.

If you are a golf enthusiast, there is another surprise waiting for you near this green zone, a golf course! Kuwait International Golf & Country Club is already functioning golf course which is under expansion. The green turf, artificial lakes and rivers will surely make you forget that you are in the middle of a desert. And the good thing is, you don’t need to be a member to play here and there is very nominal charge for playing. This combination makes it a ‘must visit’ place while in Kuwait.

All in all, one day trip of this area will make you feel like seeing oasis in desert.

Hamilton, New Zealand

I had privilege to stay in and explore this scenic and beautiful southern hemisphere country New Zealand. In first 5 minutes after leaving the Auckland airport, I was convinced that this country has lot to offer for tourists and nature enthusiasts. 

The fourth largest urban area of New Zealand, Hamilton is 120kms from Auckland International Airport and the transport is available from airport itself. Either you can book your taxi in advance or you can book your transport with Intercity buses at their airport counter as well as in advance via internet. While the ambience of Auckland- Hamilton motorway had already left me spellbound, cruising at 100kms on that 6 lane motorway was another thrilling experience. The roadside was full of lush green paddocks with grazing cattle and hills which had cover of rare fern trees as well as pine trees. The motorway runs parallel to the biggest river in the region called ‘Waikato’. Small town on the way to Hamilton called Ngaruawahia exhibits the architecture of early settlers and native Maori culture.

Believe it or not Hamilton welcomes you with ‘Radhe Krishna’ temple right at the entrance of the city. The city has good network of roads with lane for cyclists and adequate space for walkers. The city is situated on the banks of the river Waikato and one of the must do things while in Hamilton is to enjoy the riverside walk.

The city offers many options to shopping frenzies with malls in city center, Chartwell and Base (Te Rapa). Victoria St., the main street of the city is full of cafes, pubs and restaurants with specialties meaning the place is crowded at least 18 hours a day. 

Hamilton also has rich cultural history and monuments to be shown. There is St. Peter’s cathedral which was built in 1916. The Waikato Museum located in CBD (Central Business District) has as many as 12 galleries which shows tourists glimpses of Maori history and culture in addition to others. Artificially created Hamilton lake is also a wonderful place to visit and relax. 

The main attraction of Hamilton is Hamilton Gardens which is located in South Hamilton. The garden has numbers of attraction ranging from valley walk and waterfall outlook. It has also themed gardens of Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Japanese and Indian. The garden will surely keep you engaged for an entire day and yet leave you with a feeling of not getting enough.

The city is also home to Waikato University which has campus wide spread campus including grounds that holds annual festivals such as balloon’s over Waikato. Round the year Hamilton hosts one or another festivals, concerts or events which will neither let you bore nor make you restless.

Surely, Hamilton’s relaxed pace of life and peaceful environment is best for those who want a break from their hectic life but yet want to remain urban.

Rash Drivers + Careless Pedestrians = Road Kills

Road kills have become regular news on regional section of any given newspaper. On average every four minute one person losses his life in road accidents in India. A study by WHO in 2009 revealed that, India has the highest number of people killed in road accidents compared to other countries. WHO also believes that, by 2030 road death will be in the top 5 causes of deaths globally. 

India already has the largest number of two wheelers on the road. In addition, the increasing numbers of cars in last few years has made our roads congested. It is estimated that 180-220 cars are registered everyday at R.T.O. offices of metro cities. Further, getting a license to drive here seems as easy as going to movies, as one only needs to pay few hundred rupees of bribe and hardly a minute long driving test to obtain it. There is no system to test the road-worthiness of license applicant! Gladly, few states of India have enforced a rule to educate new drivers with traffic rules. However, knowing such rules is mere a satisfaction as they are virtually violated at every intersections.    

Rash driving is a big concern not only for pedestrians but also for police as in most accidents, drivers abandon the victim rather than arranging for immediate medical treatment. India has different types of rash drivers making a broad definition for it.  Unfortunately, we see all the types on day to day basis. This definition includes from under aged, drunk, speed loving youth to mobile using matures.  On the name of facility and result of continuous persuasion, the kids of working class Indians get the keys of vehicle much before qualifying the legal age of driving. While this group has little time for themselves in earning the bread and butter, there is this other class which believes their kids having costly vehicle a status symbol. Of course such a trend is bound to result in to chaos on the roads as the traffic during schools finishing hours literally forces us to consider it as another peak hour. Quite often we see students yet in their school uniform either racing or driving carelessly.  

India has seen numbers of high profile ‘Hit & Run’ cases. Ironically, these influential people always manage to skip the rope of legal action through loopholes of the same system. ‘Drink & Drive’ is another big problem in our country. However, people also find ways of getting away if caught, and we all know how they do that, don’t we? These systematic loopholes assures culprits a safe passage and thus ineffective in stopping them to commit such offence again. 

General perception on road kills or hit & run cases consider only the driver as a culprit. Perhaps, it is true as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways indicated that 80% of road accidents are caused by driver errors. However, on the hand it is also the responsibility of pedestrians to be aware and act responsibility while crossing roads or walking. In fact, in some accidents, it is very clear that the cause was certainly not the negligence on driver’s part. People do cross roads while talking on the phone or listening to music wearing earphones. This is not only dangerous to them but also for drivers as such irresponsible behavior from them forces drivers to apply sudden breaks, which could result into slipping on the road. Pedestrians should keep one thing into mind that roads are of vehicles and that’s why it is advisable to walk on sides to avoid accidents.    

     

Reflecting the real situation of our roads a recent TV commercial rightly says that ‘Our Roads are filled with idiots’. However, I would just like to highlight the other side of coin which is, irresponsible driving. It’s even more sad that the hopeless authorities simply shrug off their responsibility calling themselves ‘helpless’.   

Rajnikanth to the Rescue…

Our star studded cricket team had played no better than a club class team and had lost 5 consecutive tests on foreign soil. Thus, the think tank of BCCI had to meet for analysing the cause. They were concerned as the streak of poor performance was not ending for our world champions like a spell of a true magician. And they were more worried as it could result in to possible loss of revenue. After hours of discussions, arguments & counter arguments, they managed to reach consensus on two points which were although most believed but certainly not the actual reasons behind the one after another fiasco.  

(1) Packed schedule of players and meaningless tournaments leaving cricketers tired

(2) Shrikant & Co. can never go wrong with the selection   

  

With no exact reason in sight, they still had to find and deal with the root cause of current debacles. So it was decided to provide the bogged down team an extra Psychologist who can boost their morale and help them getting back into rhythm. As budget has never been an issue of constrain for BCCI, all big guns of the profession in the radar were being approached, but unfortunately none of their service was available on immediate basis. In the mean time, one of the bright brains suggested to try and persuade none other than our beloved Rajnikanth to help the down and dusted Indian side in his very own way. Overjoyed by the suggestion, they readily accepted it thinking his supernatural powers and charismatic personality will definitely blow the positive air in Indian dressing room and that should prepare them winning overnight!

Luckily, Rajnkanth agreed for the cause and reached an overseas venue to motivate the demigods of religion which is virtually worshiped by every Indian…

What he saw upon reaching the team’s hotel left him shell shocked as the unit he thought he would have to handle was a divided house- just without bitter relationships and hard feelings! While the super seniors were indulged in practicing and planning, new members were busy adoring them rather than learning important lessons. There were also numbers of players who were busy either spending quality time with family or enjoying the sightseeing tours.

So in his short stint of 3 days, his first important task became to bring everyone together to revive the lost team spirit. However, he realized that it would be easy to handle them in groups before bringing everyone on the same page.

He made 3 distinct groups and decided to spend his first day with group 1 containing super seniors. In his conversation with the group he realized each had different issues bothering them to perform at their best. Their issues ranged from upcoming milestones to ageing body. In his day long interaction with them Rajnikanth tried to explain them to just concentrate on the upcoming game along with fitness and rest will fall in place automatically.

His next day was with the group of individuals who had well established place in the team. This was the group which still wanted to bank upon the fact that, they are current world champions and was no. 1test team in recent past. In addition, they were already in a discussion phase of upcoming IPL schedule and the income from commercials. Of course, impressing female fans with their flamboyance was always performed spontaneously. This was the group reluctant to come out from comfort zone just like Govt. employees. Rajnikanth felt it was difficult to handle these people as they have tasted the success and is yet high on it. With the little time and authority he had, he asked the group to learn from previous mistakes and take the maximum benefit from the valuable experience of seniors.

His last day was with the new recipients of test caps. This was the group who had yet to make its mark in international arena. They were more like a mute spectator than a player. They had the liberty to play their own game but hardly spoke for meaningful contribution in order to respect the experienced generation. And for sure, the attention they were getting from public and media seemed to be taking toll on their concentration. They were the easiest to tackle as all he had to tell them was “All the Best, do your best and learn from this experience”.       

Before his departure he called for a team meeting and spoke to everyone in general and what the nation was expecting from its champions. Everyone seemed to be convinced and hoped for better game next morning.

Everyone bid adieu to Rajnikanth and thanked him for everything. Just to see the effect of his three days long hard work, he decided to extend his stay to watch the team play. Unfortunately, what he saw on the field next day was identical to the last game, meaning the team was yet in the same old mindset. He left the ground and met the team at the end of day to ask what the problem was. Somehow, this became his final visit to the team and he left for India next day itself.   

  

Upon returning India, he looked disappointed but made a statement without mincing words. His exact words were “I had tried my best but even God cannot do much for those who fail to recognize and set their priorities right.”

Dada almost does it like Kambli

Finally on a national television, Ganguly’s outburst on Dravid’s captaincy skills found its way. This certainly ends up the speculation that ‘All was well’ between two of the best cricketing minds of recent times. It seems, the great urge for not leaving a single opportunity in bashing his long time good friend & mentor Greg Chappel has just over did it this time! Perhaps, Chappel being a consultant to save the aura less Australian side against strong Indian batting line up and remarks over Ganguly’s captaincy style in his biography played as  provocative factors, and he carried away in the tsunami of words and ended up saying something, which he should not have uttered at least at this juncture. 

While Kambli who blamed former Indian skipper Azhar for finishing his career over his knowhow of match fixing mole, Ganguly’s recent statement alleges Dravid for not having guts to go against Chappel and supporting his teammates. Further, Kambli’s allegations are on more than a decade old story and thus are least bothering for current players, whereas, Ganguly’s revelations are against someone who is in excellent form, on a very important tour and most importantly against Rahul Dravid, who is known for giving 110% while on field. Therefore, despite of little or more fact it may have, Ganguly’s comments are bound to draw negative attention for him for perfectly wrong timing. In a rare case and fortunately for him, media has acted responsibly this time and hasn’t gone haywire sensationalizing his remarks.

It appears, ever since this former skipper has recommended Chappel as a coach for the national side, his life has become nightmarish. The famous spat with Chappel not only took away the captaincy from Dada but also kept him out of business for considerable time. That has left the Ganguly furious and the volcano of his anger still erupting lava. As written by Chappel himself in his biography, Ganguly wanted to manage the team on his terms and that created rift between the good relations of two. Indeed, favoritism and groupism were also prevalent in an Indian team as the players like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan were enjoying benefits of being favourite to aggressive and successful skipper. Perhaps in a harsh way, but the Aussie mentor insisted for much better disciplinary standards which required players to live their comfort zone. As known to all of us that dominating nature was the reason for Chappel’s cut short stint with Indian team. 

However, Ganguly himself cannot claim to have clean hands as a captain under Chappel. If he blames Dravid for being not supportive to his team mates, what was he doing when the careers of two extremely talented players were being spoiled under his captaincy?  Perhaps, it was difficult and altogether too much to expect from an individual like Dravid to deal with the likes of Greg, but, flamboyant Ganguly, who is known for swimming against the tide and minces no words could certainly have saved careers by opposing the strategy of coach Greg. Therefore, he himself needs to do the soul’s search and give out the honest answers of few questions. 1) Was not he supposed to intervene when Irfan Pathan was forced to be a batsman, which resulted in to losing his bowling form, skills and place in the team? 2) Why did not he support Md. Kaif who rarely got to bat at the positions he fits the best? We all know classical batter like Kaif was forced to bat during the slog phase, which is completely contradictory to his batting style.    

The presence and approach of coach Greg not only haunted Ganguly, but it also affected Dravid, as he not only lost captaincy post infamous 2007 world cup but also lost his place in ODIs and most importantly form. Thus, Ganguly’s recent outburst against Greg Chappel is just a reflection of past Indian team lived. Further, his intentional/ unintentional comments over other’s role during Chappel’s time are unwanted and meaningless. Wouldn’t we all want to see our beloved ‘Kolkata Tiger’ to live a life beyond ‘Chapter – Greg Chappel’ and maintain the dignity and stature he has gained?