Hope....

Every time I sit down to blog nowadays, there are hundreds of things running on my mind and I am really not sure what I should write about.

Dedicating this post to one of my colleagues who's struggling with Blood Cancer right now. Just a couple of months back, we all(I and my friends at work) enjoyed a memorable treat from him at The Legends of Rock. This was after we got to know that he was engaged. Everything seemed to be perfect for him and suddenly one day, he showed symptoms of jaundice and after a month's treatment his condition grew steadily worse. When a blood test was done, it was finally diagnosed that he was suffering from ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia) and AML (Acute Myelocytic Leukemia), which I believe translates to Blood Cancer for a layman like me. The latest I heard is that he is in CMC Vellore receiving treatment.

I still don't know how to react and cannot even begin to imagine how his family would be feeling. Life is so unpredictable and this is another instance to show why one can't take anything for granted.

Whenever I think of this unfortunate situation, I am reminded of the movie Anand. It is arguably the best movie I have ever seen (I do not as a rule like to classify movies/books, etc..).
The two songs "Kahin Door Jab din dhal Jaaye" and "Zindagi kaisi hai paheli" in this movie are probably two of my all time favourites.

Although I am sure I would not be spending another evening with my friend Rajesh in The Legends of Rock, there is always this word called hope. As we say in Hindi "Ummeed ke sahaare hi zindagi hai". Unfortunately, it seems to be coming true literally as well as figuratively in my friend's case.

Living as One..

The big news and talking point since yesterday has obviously been the terrorist attack on the Ayodhya temple. Amit Varma has covered most of it in this blog-post.

As our politicians prepare to debate on the whole incident and blame each other as well as Pakistan and god knows what not for the attack, I was reminded of one of the most beautiful songs ever written - Imagine by the one and only John Lennon.

At this moment, these lines from this song seem so relevant:

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one "

As I write this post, I should also mention the fact that I was very surprised to get two comments on my previous post within 24 hours of my posting it. Not that I am complaining at all. It feels good to know that there are people who actually like reading stuff that I write (I can't imagine why they would visit my blog otherwise!). Ok, thats enough self-admiration!! However, its my duty to thank all my blog-readers and request them to keep visiting this blog..
Meanwhile, I shall keep rambling on.....

Many Ramblings..

It seems such a long time since I wrote anything on my blog that it almost feels as if I am starting afresh.. So many things have happened in the past two weeks or so..

I managed to meet two of my best friends - P & T- in the last two weeks after 2-3 years.. Needless to say, I had a blast and it was absolutely wonderful to meet both of them.. Both these occasions also resulted in me meeting all my other school and college friends in Bangalore.. Btw, P is my best friend from school and T is one of my best friends from college.

I wonder why I feel completely void after such meetings with my friends.. There seems nothing to look forward to after such moments.. Although this is a feeling which I get over within a few hours or sometimes days, the feeling always comes back to me some time or the other.. The time I spent with T and B(T's classmate and my friend frm college) at JukeBox(a pub in Koramangla) was probably the highlight of that weekend. We were remembering the good old days we spent in ACTech.. This meeting also sparked off a discussion among my friends as to why college friends seem so special to most people.. I think I can safely say that for most guys who stay in the hostel, your friends staying with you become your family and in most cases, the bond exists throughout your life, even if you aren't in constant touch with them later on..

Moving on to the other major happenings, a lot has happened in the world of sports over past month or so. Perhaps the biggest news would be B'desh's victory against Australia.. I don't think even the most outrageously optimistic B'deshi could have dreamt of them beating the Kangaroos that too in English conditions. Hats off to them for pulling off an incredible victory.. The way the Natwest Tri-series has unfolded has really set the stage for The Ashes.. For a change, England will go into the series believing they can beat Australia.. It indeed is a series to look forward to, though I still feel that Aussies will nip it again this time.

On to tennis - Roger Federer showed us once again who the best player in the world is.. The ease with which he beat the No. 2 and 3 players in the world, i.e, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick, during Wimbledon is almost scary for the rest of the players in the circuit.

Brazil outclassed Argentina in the FIFA Confederations Cup Final and proved that they are the team to beat in next year's world cup.. Their strike force is so awe-inspiring right now that Ronaldo himself is unable to guarantee a place for himself.. Mexico was the team which made the others sit up and take notice by beating Brazil.. They seem to have a very good side and are capable of pulling a few upsets on the big stage..

This post is already a lot longer than what I intended when I started off. And unless I stop here, I'd pick up some other topic and start writing. I shall save that for next time.

Spin Doctors!!

If you are a BJP supporter, my advice is not to read this post(or should I say the link in this post!!). It is bound to be in stark contrast from the way you have been looking at this party. Although I do not like to take sides from the political point of view, I can't see myself supporting BJP in its present form. Mind you, I am not saying I am a Congress or a Left supporter. Anyway, that's not the issue at hand.

This is a column in The Hindu written by P. Sainath. Anyone who has read this blog regularly would know that I am a great fan of this guy. I have already linked one of his earlier columns here. I am sure any BJP fan will come up with arguments finding faults with the other parties, but my request would be to first look at their own party and then comment on the rest.

Talking of spin doctors, I am wondering why so many writers like to draw parallels with Cricket! Many of my friends also have this habit of using cricketing terms while explaining situations in life.. I guess cricket is so much a part of our(read me and my friends) lives that it'd naturally keep surfacing in our conversations..

Competitive exams, education and the Larger picture

There has been an ongoing debate about entrance exams for UG students ever since the TN government came out with the decision to abolish the common entrance test. These exams tend to make education more urbanised with dedication coaching centres in all the major cities. The students in the rural areas really do lose out a lot because of this. Having seen many classmates of mine in college who have gone through a lot more difficulty and pains to get to the same stage as I did, I must say the system in Tamil Nadu was fairly even when it came to selecting undergraduate students, atleast in the Govt-aided colleges.

Now with the abolishing of the entrance test, the onus is on the students to do well in the XII standard exams. I have a feeling it was better when it was spaced out with the skill of students in both forms of test coming out in the earlier scenario. Now, if a student has a bad day at one of his exams, he doen't get a chance to make up for it. Competitive exams also test the analytical abilities of a student which I think is a very important skill. The IIT-JEE is probably the best example among all the entrance tests in our country.

However, the down-side of this is the additional pressure on the students to perform well in both the XII standard school exams and all the competitive exams. Having been through this myself, I know it is not easy for students to handle such pressure. In fact, the pressure is not so much just because of the amount to be studied. The worst part is the inevitable comparisons made with the peers and all the people who have been "successful" at such tests. This brings the larger question to the picture Is our education too result-oriented? Are we just looking at the short cuts to achieve a nice job, comfortable life? How many students enter their actual fields of interest? Today, most students tend to become either engineers or medical students by default. Isn't there something wrong in pushing the students this hard at such an age?

I have a feeling our country is losing out on a lot of other talents because of this craze for engineering/technology. Even if anyone was genuinely interested in arts or sports, the chances of him/her making it a career is seriously hampered by the constant comparison with all the peers. Unfortunately in our country, the "mob mentality" is a major issue. Just because hundred people I know got into IIT doesn't mean I have to follow them. However, this attitude is prevalent in our society. Cities like Bombay, Delhi and to a lesser extent Chennai, Bangalore and other major cities may offer other alternatives. However in general, in most of the smaller towns, the options tend to be more limited and the pressure is so much greater.

I don't know whether doing away with competitive exams is a step in the right direction. Whether this results in lesser pressure and a fairer assessment of all the students remains to be seen. However, at the ground level, I don't think it's going to change anything much. Students will still be expected to put in the same effort as they have been all these years. Its only the selection criteria which is changing, not the competition level or the options available.

Company, evaluation and google!!

When I was coming back from home this time, I had very interesting company. The gentleman travelling in my compartment was an IMA instructor. His wife's a Maths teacher having done a PhD in the subject. Well, I, my friend Prashant who was travelling with me, this gentleman and his wife and 1-2 more people were involved in a lively discussion on the political situation in the different states in our country, how different the issues are everywhere and where has all this has come from. How divisions in society have come about because of caste, religion, community, etc.. The IMA instructor raised a very interesting point about the people in West Bengal having faith in their government for 27 years now. His point being that any government which at the end of the day works for the benefit of ALL the people , especially the common man, is the one which will prevail. I can't possibly recount the entire discussion and shall not attempt to do so. However, it was very thought-provoking and I enjoyed it very much.

Read this column in the Hindu written by one of my favourite columnists - P.Sainath. It is a wonderful eye-opener for anyone who has forgotten about the previous general elections and the major issues to be addressed in our country. There's a book by P.Sainath called "Everybody loves a good drought". That's next on my "books-to-buy" list..

On a totally different note, if you google for the "hazaaron khwaish", guess what - Ramblin' Man's Pages shows up as the first search result!! Pretty cool, ain't it!!

Movies and Book Tags!

So I finally respond to the tag-game.. Have been book-tagged by Suksy and Soultanofswing..

Hmm.. Although I am not reading anywhere near as much as I'd like to, I have started about 3-4 books and am not anywhere near finishing any of them..

The last book I bought: Gorky Park - by Martin Cruz Smith. This is a book I have read 3, no maybe 4 times. One of my all time favourites.

The last book I read: The Mahabharatha - C. Rajagopalachari. Had heard a lot about Rajaji's version of the epic. Read it when I was home. I find The Mahabharatha amazing when it comes to the sheer complexity of the whole story and the beautifully woven characters.

Total number of books I own: No idea. I really don't know how many I actually "own". Have read hundreds of books though. Many of which I have bought myself.

Five books which mean a lot to me: I don't know whether they mean a lot me, but these are some of my favourites.

1. Gorky Park: The murder investigation as well as the love story of Arkady Renko is simply brilliant. The best part about the book is the sheer vulnerability of the "hero". Makes him all the more "likeable"..

2. To Kill a Mocking Bird: A true classic.

3. India's Struggle for Independence - by Bipin Chandra: This is a very different account of Indian history starting with "The Revolt of 1857" from what we read in the text books. Although it may not be completely impartial, the author(s) provides a good insight into the ideologies of the different sections invloved in our freedom struggle - starting from the Moderates, the Extremists, the Communists, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League - and of course, Gandhiji and his followers.

4. The Chamber - John Grisham: Although this book of Grisham's is not as popular as some of his other fast-paced novels, I found this book really thought-provoking and it brings out lots of issues like racism, justice, death sentence, family relationships, and even politics to an extent.

5. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien: Brilliant imagination.. The very idea of "The Evil One" and "Mordor" was amazing.

6. The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth: Brilliant pace. A gripping story with an amazing ending.

7. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie: Have read lots of Christie's books. This one is by far the best.

8. The Hound of the Baskervilles: Sherlock Holmes' best. (err.. I should say Conan Doyle's best!)

I know I was supposed to mention only 5 but couldn't help mentioning Nos. 6,7 and 8.

That takes care of the books. Now on to movies. Was tagged to this by Elf.

1. Total number of films I own on DVD/video: 0. I haven't bothered to buy a single movie yet.

2. Last film(movie) I bought: Plz refer to Answer no. 1.

3. Last film I watched: CD - Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Theatre - Kaal, TV - Pirates of the Carribean(for the 4th time).

4. Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me:

i) Anand: Brilliant movie. Beautiful message. Extremely moving. My all time favorite.

ii) Jaane bhi Do yaaron: The "Naatak" scene with the dead body as Draupadi is probably the best comedy scene made in the Hindi movie industry.

iii) Spy Game: The movie rocks.. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt are simply brilliant.. I have seen this movie about 5-6 times.

iv) Forrest Gump: The movie is all about Tom Hanks. I have lost count of the number of times I've seen it.

v) Sholay: The "complete" Hindi movie.

There are so many other movies running at the back of my mind right now that I think I should stop before any of them pop up!!

As for continuing the game, I think I have joined it a little too late to carry it forward. Most of my blog readers have already participated in the game. So that's all about my favorites..

The "boy" is back in town!!

For all the regular readers of this blog(there aren't many I know), my apologies for the long absence from the blog-scene. I should have had atleast bothered to post about that. Anyway, I am back now and hopefully, my blogging frequency will keep increasing.

Liverpool beat Milan in one of the most dramatic UEFA Champions' League finals of all time. Although I would have liked to see Maldini lift the cup rather than Gerrard, full credit to Liverpool for coming back from 3 goals down at half-time.

Rafael Nadal stormed his way through the French Open beating the most talented player in the world and completed a very successful year on clay becoming the first player after Mats Vilander to win it on debut. I watched most of the matches at home this time and the quality of tennis was simply amazing.

The chaos caused by Advani's "interesting" remarks on Jinnah and Babri Masjid demolition was quite amusing. The VHP has wasted no time in making their unhappiness clear and this has sparked off some life in an otherwise dull political scene. The by-elections that took place also threw up some interesting results, with neither the Congress nor the BJP faring as well as they'd have hoped. Wonder what that means for the political situation in our country a few years down the line.

One other thing I can't help wondering about is the heat wave. I don't know whether it is just my imagination, but I felt that the temperatures this year seemed to have risen quite a bit. One also gets the real effect of the heat when travelling by train through the heart of our country. With global warming becoming an increasing danger, god only knows what's in store for us in the future!! However, having said that, I really have to appreciate the weather in Bangalore at this time of the year. One has to experience the North Indian summer or the Chennai summer to realise the true worth of Bangalore weather.

I need to catch up on a lot of things at office as well. It is really tough getting back into the groove after a two week lay-off from work. Still struggling to come to terms with the latest happenings here.

Can't help wondering how one's thinking changes with time: When I was in college, I used to think how good it'd be when I'd finish college and start working. Wouldn't have to bother about exams and all. Now, although these wishes have come true, I miss college life, the night-outs before the exams, the long holidays and of course all my college friends!! Life is strange and so are we....

Hopeless and Helpless..

Ever since I can remember, I have always been fond of train journeys. And when I say train journey, I mean travelling sleeper class, not in AC compartments. The variety of people one gets to see is quite interesting. I have had some really memorable experiences and journeys, both long distance as well short ones.. Some of those journeys seemed like nightmares at that time. However, given a chance, I don't think I'd mind going thro' them again..

Most people would say the worst part of the journey would probably be the unlimited number of beggars who keep bugging you throughout the journey.. One also gets harassed by Hijras at times.. I remember what my dad told me once about giving alms to beggars.. He said something to the extent that if he paid a rupee to all the beggars in our country, he'll probably go bankrupt..

Every day when I go home, I find this father-son duo on the way.. The father's handicapped and the son would probably be 5-6 yrs old.. Without fail, every day the son walks up to me and begs for alms and every day, I pretend to ignore him and walk past him.. (Reminds me of the song "Another Day In Paradise") .. I am not sure how much money they make everyday.. I dunno whether they actually eat everyday.. However, I am not really sure it'd help matters in any way if I paid 1 buck to them everyday.. What is the solution to this problem then? Here's a post in the Dog Journals which has inspired this post of mine. I admit I haven't been as kind and generous as the author of Dog Journals..

I wonder what to think when people talk about Billion dollar companies, Richest Men in the world, Exotic locations, Best Hotels, Luxurious Cars and Flights and a whole lot of other accessories which that kid and his father would be least bothered about. This is the earlier post I had written on similar lines.

As I thought about this, I realized that I am just about as selfish as anyone else.. And I am right now not really feeling too good about myself.. I think I might just give a rupee to the little boy today.. I am not sure how much of a difference that would make, but I think I'd be slightly more at peace with myself tonight.. As for what to do to improve the situation, I am as clueless as anyone regarding this..

At this point, although I don't really believe in god, I can only think of the song "Krishna Ni Bhe Gha-ni" by the Colonial Cousins.

It happens NOT only in India..

If you thought it was only in our country that all this "culture" consciousness was present especially at the political level, you might like to read this.

I don't see how it matters to anyone as to who a politician(or his wife) should go and meet.. But then, such is politics..

Underwriting 60 years of war-making - this is an article in The Hindu written by Richard Drayton.

It only makes one wonder how much of what you read in history books is true and what sort of facts have been distorted in order to cover up atrocities committed by the victors themselves.This reminds me of a conversation I had with one of my friends on Da Vinci Code, about the part where it says "History is always written by the winners".

Would the facts be the same if the outcome of the world wars had been any different? Isn't it very convenient to imagine that only the Nazis and their supporters were capable of atrocities? The Allies were all fighting for a holy cause and everything they did was pardonable. Indeed, this is what all of us want to believe.. Just like the war on Iraq which will be hailed 50 years from now as a great vistory over one of the "worst dictators" seen in the world after the II world war! And the US along with its loyal ally, Britain will be seen as the "rescuer" of democracy.. Sigh!!

I believe..

Came across one of my favourite topics - astrology in India Uncut yesterday. No, not because I believe in astrology.. Its more because i am fascinated by how people claim that they can predict the future based on some planetary positions.. And the majority of the people give credibility to them by believing in such predictions.. A lot of my own relatives are included in this majority that I am talking about..

Here's another link from Amit Varma's other blog - The Middle Stage. The best part of this post is the link to the Douglas Adams interview. I like the part where he says "I do not believe-that-there-is-no-god. I am, however, convinced that there is no god, which is a totally different stance". I would have to say I am an Agnostic right now, and definitely need to make the intellectual transition to Atheism.

Here's a link to one of Bertrand Russell's writings on "What is an Agnostic?" .. A writer way ahead of his times.. Many of his essays have a lot of significance even today.. I am currently reading a lot of his thought-provoking essays.. Will probably write more him and his writings once I am through reading his selected papers..

The evils in society.

The Sunday Times contained this special report called "Conspiracy of Silence".. Although I know that this is a problem which is present in our country, this article was an eye-opener in terms of the extent to which the problem has percolated into our society..

Two of the headlines are really chilling:
1. Every hour there are two women getting raped in our country.
2. One out of every five victims is a child.

Is this just a problem with security in our country? What can one say when another stat is thrown at you - in 2002, 132 policemen were found guilty of rape!! I am not sure how one can go about controlling this problem.. I don't think any measures taken so far(if any) have worked..

Some facts pointed out in the report is:

"What is seldom recognised is that rape often is not about lust. Assertion of dominance and the concept of teaching them a lesson is often the reason."
"Women are taken to symbolise the izzat of the community and raping them is seen as the ultimate humiliation that can be heaped on one community by another."

The worst part about the whole situation is that the majority of the accused walk away scot free and it is the woman in turn who has to suffer further humiliation not only from the society but from her own family!

I really cannot think of any way in which any of these victims can be compensated.. And I can't believe that the victims are most of the times "married off" to their offenders.. What sort of justice is that? But then, is there any way in which justice can be meted out? In my opinion, even hanging the accused is a lighter punishment compared to his sin.. I am still wondering how justice can be achieved..

The power of youth..

After reading two very good reviews, I decided that I have to watch the movie "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi".. Here are the reviews - one in Rediff and the other in Amit Varma's blog..

Yesterday night I finally sat down and watched "Hazaaron Khwaish...." .. Personally I found the movie very interesting.. It is more about the three central characters in the movie and how they react in that period of Indian history than the actual history of the naxal movement..

Perhaps Vikram's character (played by Shiny Ahuja) is the most intriguing one in the movie (or so i think).. Siddharth (played by Kaykay Menon) is also a very strong character who joins the naxal movement and drags Geetha along with him mid-way through the movie.. Geetha(Chitrangada Singh) is extremely beautiful and her character really evolves with the movie (or is it vice versa!!).. All three actors came up with really good performances and they make the movie very realistic.. And I don't think there could too many(if any) better endings to this movie.. Sudhir Mishra has come up with a very different movie and I think it is a 'must-watch' for all Indians, especially for people like me who were not even born during the period shown in the movie..

I don't know why, but in an odd sort of way, I can relate to the characters of both Vikram and Siddharth.. I am still trying to decide whether this is the romantic or leftist in me saying this!! I guess it is a combination of both..

A woman and a communist..

Although I have seen a lot of Brinda Karat on TV, especially whenever there is anything in the news about feminism or women's rights, I never really understood why she would wish to join the CPI(M)..

She explains here about how she was brought up and what influenced her to join the Marxists.. It is interesting to note that she left a job in London to join the communists in India.. I wonder how many of us would do so even if we were influenced by any new ideology.. Kudos to the lady.. There is more about Brinda Karat in the next part of the rediff interview.. And I am eagerly waiting to hear the full story!!

What a night!

After totally messing up my sleep cycle over the past two days, I hope I am able to get a nice 8 hours of sleep tonight.. I am not really complaining though after watching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League...

Although the first semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool turned out to be a disappointment in terms of quality of football, there was no shortage of that in yesterday's encounter between PSV Eindhoven and AC Milan.. I am a big fan of AC Milan (largely because of one man, Paolo Maldini) and I would have to admit that PSV were desperately unlucky to concede the late goal to lose out on the away goals rule..

Personally, I was very pleased that it was two asian players who made a huge impact in this game, Ji-Sung Park, who scored the first goal and Young-Pyo Lee. I guess Guus Hiddink is carrying on the good work he did for Asian football during the last world cup.

Coming back to the match, PSV dominated play right from the word go. I am sure Milan would have started wondering whether last year was going to repeat itself. Van Bommel, Lucius, Johann Vogel, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Jefferson Farfan - all these players played out of their skins.. I was not aware of too many of the PSV players as I had not watched a single match of theirs in the whole tournament. But from what I saw yesterday, it is really surprising that they had not scored more than one goal at home against any team in the Champions league this season. My man of the match would have to be Philip Cocu who came up with the all important header which got the aggregate score level. Even after Ambosini scored and secured the tie for Milan, Cocu came up with a stunning volley to score PSV's third goal and ensured that there were some frantic moments right at the end for Milan..

This match reminded me of two other matches involving France - one last year against England in Euro 2004 and the other against Italy in the final of Euro 2000. I am sure most football enthusiasts will remember Zidane's 2 late goals against England last year. The other match was when Italy seemed to be home with a 1-0 lead and France not really threatening their goal at all, when all of a sudden, Wiltord came up with an equalizer from nowhere.. The match extended to extra time and France got the Golden goal with Trezeguet scoring the winner. Up to the point when Wiltord scored, France never looked like scoring and Italy could have easily made it 2 if not 3-0.. However, what mattered was the fact that France was able to find the net at the right time.. Just like Ambrosini did yesterday 1 minute into injury time after the second half..

All in all, I am definitely happy that Milan have got through. At the end of the day, no-one is going to bother about how they got there. All that matters is that they'll be facing Liverpool in Istanbul..

I won't be able to watch the final though (sob sob).. I shall be on a stupid train heading home at that time.. What a tragedy.. So its not only PSV, even I am missing the final..

New comment feature..

This is a post especially for all the people who have commented on my blog so far..

I have installed HaloScan commenting feature in my blog.. This has unfortunately resulted in me losing all the earlier comments (all thanks to my ignorance and carelessness!)..

Many thanks to each and every person who has taken the trouble of commenting on my ramlings so far.. (I still have most of the comments in my mail Inbox)..
These are some people who have bothered to comment so far:

Soultan of Swing
Elf (Sylvanlands)
Jugular bean
Couch Potato
Franatic
Bridal Beer

My apologies to them as well as anyone else whose name I have missed out.. Hope every person finds it easier to leave his/her comments (and leaves a lot of 'em too!!)..

Random Ramblings..

Top 10 things on my mind right now:

1. How to stay awake till 2.30 A.M. tonight to watch the Champions League semi-finals..
2. I am going home on 24th night after almost a year.. hurray..
3. Need to wash piles and piles of clothes.. :-( ..
4. When do I meet the long list of people I haven't met in Bangalore for a loooong time..
5. Dire Straits is my favourite band..(this is subject to mood..I am writing this after listening to "Tunnel of Love")..
6. When will I start studying again..
7. What do I want in life..(this is a question which is at the back of my mind always.. and I've never quite managed to answer it)..
8. Will I ever meet "all" my friends from college again..
9. Why would anyone be interested in reading my blog? (Don't think I can answer that one..)
10. When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse, Out of the Corner of my eye,
I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, The dream is gone.
And I have become Comfortably Numb......

soccer crazy..

Finally a football post after a loong time.. About time, one might say.. tonight the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals this year gets underway..

Liverpool hosts Chelsea at the Anfield after an impressive performance at the Stamford Bridge last week in the first leg.. The game is evenly balanced with neither side having scored at Stamford Bridge.. What this means is that a 1-1 draw is good enough for Chelsea.. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will continue their impressive run in the Champions League at home.. Chelsea's defence would be difficult to break with the in-form Jon Terry and Ricardo Carvalho holding fort..

The other semi-final is definitely tilted towards the six-time european champions AC Milan.. However, they cannot afford to be complacent and should be wary of a resilient PSV side.. They wouldn't have to think further than last year's tie against Deportivo La Coruna where Milan lost 4-0 in the 2nd leg after winning 4-1 at home.. As for PSV, it's a tough ask against the Rossoneri.. Especially with Nesta and Stam in central defence, with Cafu and Maldini completing the bask four..

It is tough to call the two finalists.. But I would like to watch a Liverpool-Milan final at Istanbul..
Its about time Mourinho started losing!

Promises and loyalty..

Was listening to this song on Radio City yesterday night.. I get moved whenever I listen to this song..

kasame vaade pyaar vafaa sab,
baatein hain baaton kaa kyaa
koI kisii kaa nahii.n ye jhuuThe,
naate hain naaton kaa kyaa

kasame vaade pyaar vafaa sab, baatein hain baaton kaa kyaa

hogaa masiihaa ...
hogaa masiihaa saamane tere
phir bhii na tuu bach paayegaa
teraa apanaa...
tera apana khuun hii aakhir tujhko aag lagaayegaa
aasamaan mein ...
aasamaan me udane vaale mittii mein mil jaayegaa
kasame vaade pyaar vafaa sab, baatein hain baaton kaa kyaa

sukh mein tere ...
sukh mein tere saath chalenge
dukh mein sab mukh modenge
duniyaa vaale ...
duniyaa vaale tere banakar teraa hii dil todenge
dete hain ...
dete hain bhagavaan ko dhokhaa, inasaan ko kyaa chhodenge
kasame vaade pyaar vafaa sab, baatein hain baaton kaa kyaa..

I really don't have anything to add to this.. Manna Dey at his brilliant best.. As the channel V tag-line goes "Listen, Learn and Enjoy!"..