Read about it here.
Listen to the first podcast in the series here
Continue to follow my cricket colla-blog ‘The Corridor of Certainty’.
Follow us on twitter @TheCofC and on our Facebook Page for more updates.
Month: November 2010
This day reminds us that some wounds will never heal, justice will continue to be denied and we will be forced to our routine lives and be nonchalant towards that night’s happenings. Unfortunately the memories still continue to haunt.
To all those brave martyrs – a big salute. A reminder to be thankful for our lives.
Most of my online reading is via blogs on my Google Reader. I rarely visit websites especially news websites. I know I must do it but the reading list is so exhaustive that I don’t find the time. To me interesting links and articles are shared on blogs and twitter so my Google Reader and Twitter lists are my preferred sources.
As I was clearing up my reader list I came across this article and I had to share it – on my twitter and my blog.
I’m a part of the corporate world and I know how tough it is for women to make it to the top without being scrutinized and gossiped about. My career is still taking shape and by God’s grace; despite a couple of hiccups and lows, is on track – pretty much what I expected it to be at when I would hit 30. I do get pretty awed by the success of 20+ somethings cause they have been minting billions at an age when I earned my first thousands:-) So for these GenX successes a big respect.
These days people taste success too soon with minimal effort, but when I come across articles like the one above, it makes me realize that to enjoy the real taste of success you have to have your share of hardships and failures and you need not start young.
Read their stories – some lost parents and spouses at young age, started with clerical jobs , fought for their education rights and against cultural taboos, some went to the best institutes in the world but did extra-day jobs to fund themselves while studying, you will learn from each of them. Most had a family member that they looked upto and was their guiding force. They have not forgotten their roots and most have taken up initiatives to give back to society. They all had foresights and dreamt big, thought different, challenged the system, had long term visions and worked towards their goal. And while achieving all this success, they managed to balance it out – be a mum, be a wife, be a daughter, be a sister.
To the Top 50 Alpha Women in the Corporate World take a bow, a special one to the 6 Indian ladies who made it to the list and and a bigger one to my favourite Indra Nooyi who heads the list.
When you read their stories, the corporate world does not seem that big a villain in your life
Hey folks I hope you have visited my new colla-blog / site on cricket by now, if not rush over quick to the “The Corridor of Certainty”
We have just got started – here are a couple of posts up on the site. Do read and let us know.
- In the “We Miss” section – We open this section by reminiscing one of my favourite innings from GOD
- In the “We Opine” section – PK talks about one of the best article on the FAB Five he has read.
- And I also wonder if there is an impostor in place of Rahul Dravid after reading his recent comment on Harbhajan’s all-rounder skills!
We will keep coming up with more – so do keep visiting!
I’ve written on my first love on this blog since I first started blogging in 2005. Well that has got to stop now ….
I’m not ending my cricket writing , in fact I’m hoping that you all will be entertained with even more variety and some of the best write-ups on the game. My crazy friends and me have started a colla-blog dedicated to our passion and our love – CRICKET – The one common thread that holds us together.
Read about our new venture here.
So the cricket writing will stop on this space and move over to a space dedicated solely to my first love. Enjoy your stay there but don’t forget to return to this blog to read about my other loves
Your feedback on our new site is most welcome – do drop in at The Corridor of Certainty.
I get up late on a lazy Friday morning ( It’s weekend time in the Desertland) and find that there is nothing but Maggi I can make for breakfast, the ready masala which comes along with Maggi has gone missing, I’ve added extra water to cook the noodles and spice up a masala of my own – onions, schezwan sauce, chilly flakes, oregano, parsley, soy sauce and tomato puree to add to the maggi!
It does not turn out delicious but is edible. I’m trying to finish the couple of spoons in my bowl and I see MDH relishing it like it’s the most tasty dish in the world and finishing the whole bowl in a jiffy!
I realise I need to take time out to count my blessings and count him twice raised to n times!
I chanced upon the Vodafone Delights adverts on television and fell in love with them. They brought back so many memories of the best days of my life – my school days and my crazy gang.
They say the friends that last the longest are the ones from school –
Who have seen you at your best and at your worst
Who have laughed out loud with you and held you close when you could not stop sobbing
Who have pulled your leg, but cheered you up when you were nervous and scared
Who have been around for so long with you that you don’t know how to pretend in front of them
Who have not been regularly in touch but are the ones you can connect at any point in time
Who still remember the minutest details about you such as the brand of the pen you used, the house you belonged to in school, the crazy times spent at attempting to cook, and your first crushes!
With whom you can fight and argue and still get back to being the best of friends once it is all over
Who have been closer to you, at times more than your family
Who make you feel blessed!
Seeing them refreshes all those memories of decades ago and brings back the much needed smile. Thank god for technology – Email, Facebook and Skype – all helping you to get back in touch with them after decades, keeping in touch with most on regular basis and reliving all those memories whenever you meet up!
Thank GOD for blessing me with these great set of girls ! To all my school friends – these advertisements dedicated to all of you.
But the one titled “ Annual Day” goes especially to my bestest friend ever – my Rock of Gibraltar – the one who has been my friend for so long I cannot recollect the day we met! We were 3 and we met up everyday of the week, month and year till she moved to the US of A to pursue her studies! My stupid, intelligent, witty, beautiful, charming “Doctor” friend!
Here’s what the jingle says and it is so damn true:
The little things you do for me and nobody else, make me feel good.
Little things you do for me, making me smile, when no one else could,
That’s why – I like to sit next to you
And hear your mad stories, I know they are not true,
And I like that we share a secret or two, together!
The little things you do for me…
So tell me what are your memories of your school friends?
MDH and I got to know Jaydeep in 2007 at a get-together held at at a common acquaintence’s place. Jaydeep mesmerized everyone with his singing and hit it off with MDH who got involved with his impromptu compering . Over the next few months we lost touch but reconnected again at a classical event. We kept in touch and Jaydeep & MDH got-together to stage a few musical shows in Dubai.
Listening to Jaydeep sing so often got MDH and me wondering, why was the guy not trying his luck in Mumbai in the Marathi/Hindi music industry. He had been a winner at different contest such as Middle East Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Zee TV Antakshari and Radio Star for 89.1FM. Finally in April 2009, he got a chance to sing along with Vaishali Samant in her Dubai show. She invited him to join her at her show in Kolhapur in Jun2009.
There was no looking back for him and after much persuasion from our friend circle here in Dubai and Vaishali’s guidance; Jaydeep left Dubai in Sep2009 to commence his musical journey. In the last one year he has performed in 35 shows with Vaishali Samant. The shows included – an IPL show in Nagpur, Star Majha Awards and shows with Marathi industry’s leading singers Avdhoot Gupte and Swapnil Bandodkar. Jaydeep has gone on to sing title tracks for Marathi serials and even for Marathi films.
However he continued to work on his dream, that of getting his own music album which would be the stepping stone for him to make his mark in the Marathi and Hindi music industry. MDH and I witnessed his first baby steps towards his dream here in Dubai. His first music album “Shikka” was launched in Dubai on 15Oct,2010. Jaydeep performed on all the songs from his album in front of his favourite Dubai audience.
The album has 8 songs all of different genres, this is a rarity in a debut album. The music director is Nilesh Moharir – one of the upcoming talented music directors in the Marathi Industry. As I review each song, I’ve also added a small 45Sec clipping of each song for you folks to listen to. I do believe that after listening to these short clippings you will go ahead and buy this album.
1. Manatlya Manatale (Audio Clip: 01 Manatalya manatle 2)
A romantic song is the probably the safest bet for a debutant and Jaydeep sails through in this number. The lyrics are by Mandar Cholkar and the song describes the anxiety of a young man in love and his eagerness to confess his love to his beloved, in the hope that she already knows what is going on in his mind. Mandar weaves a nice mix of Hindi and Marathi words , Nilesh gives a very youthful feel to the song and Jaydeep translates the efforts of these two in ways he know best – maintaining the exuberant mood throughout the entire song.
2. Ganapati Gunapati (Audio Clipping:02 Ganapati Gunapati 2)
If I don’t hear this song playing at every Ganeshotsav Mandal in Mumbai next year, I’ll be damned. Ashwini Shende (3 time award winner in the best lyricist category at Zee Marathi Awards) has penned down a number that voices the feeling of every youth towards their favourite God “Lord Ganesha”. For most of us Lord Ganesh has been our friend and confidant – we tell him our deepest fears, seek his blessing when we begin anything new, he adorns our home, car, office desk and books, and he is the one who forgives all our mistakes.
The first two lines say it all:
“Manatale majhya sare tula sangto, (I tell you everything that is on my mind)
Charachara madhye deva tula pahto, (I see you Lord in every nook and corner)
Gaurichya nandana an Shankarachya bala, (The little child of Gauri and Shankar)
Bappa mala lagla re tujha ha lala” (Lord Ganapati I’ve grown so fond of you)
He is our favourite among all Gods and Jaydeep potrays these feelings to perfection in this loving rendition of worship to Lord Ganapati.
3. Chal Go Paru (Audio Clipping:03 Chal go paru 1)
The person who recognized Jaydeep’s talent and the one we all are most thankful to for helping him believe in his dream – Vaishal Samant; renders her voice to this slow Marathi folk song we all know as “Koli Geet”. A soft romantic teasing number, that I’m sure you all would love to listen to when you take off on your long drives.
4. Kanha Lai Shaana – Gavlan (Audio Clipping:04 Kanha lai shana 2)
I’m an absolute sucker for traditional folk songs – the ones that hail from the villages in India. The ones that are most famous are Lavani and Koli Geet, but we must thank the Shikka Team for introducing us to another type which is known as “Gavlan”. Gavlan narrates tales of Krishna and his Gopis, his pranks and his love tales. “Kanhaa Lai Shaana” is the surprise packet of this album; you don’t expect a traditional folklore after having listened to a romantic number, a Ganesha number and a Koli geet.
The song has been blessed with some of the Marathi industry’s famous artists playing the Dholki(Krishna Musale), the Flute(Sudhir Khandekar), the Harmonium(Satyajit Prabhu) and Shashank Joshi providing a fine example of percussion with a multitude of instruments. Nilesh Moharir gives a glimpse of the talent he possess, composing a tough tune and yet remaining faithful to tradition. Renowned poet Vaibhav Joshi creates an engaging Kanha’s tale and Jaydeep shows his versatility in singing what is probably the toughest bit in the album. No guesses for which is my favourite song of the album.
5. Ek Saanj Dokavte (Audio Clipping: 05 Ek Sanj 1)
Life is a struggle for most of us, very very few have it easy. I’ve always felt that we must not have it easy for then we will forget to appreciate those small but important moments that make our life worthwhile, give a meaning to our struggle, and form our rays of hope. Jaydeep sings the tale of his struggle and hope to achieve his dreams – a tale coined wonderfully by Vaibhav Joshi.
6. Ye Paas Ye (Audio Clipping: 06 Ye na jara 2)
Yearning to dance, tune in to this Saalsa number “Ye Paas Ye”; I can’t recollect any Marathi music director mixing the western beats to Marathi lyrics to deliver a melodious, hummable number! This for me is the underdog in the album. This is just a sample of what Nilesh has hidden in his vast repertoire of tunes. It’s fresh, it’s simple and it is absolutely delightful to your ears. If this number won’t bring that mischievous smile to your face tell me what will?
7. Shikka (Audio Clipping: 07 Shikka 1)
The title track of the album – when most debutants will play it safe by choosing romantic themes for their album, Jaydeep has chosen to not only to experiment in different genres but also taken the biggest risk by voicing a message to the youth of today in his title track. The song begins with a rap saying “Free your mind” and stresses on the importance of voting by youth. We refrain from voting, we have resigned to the fact that this country will not change, and continue to underestimate the power that rests in our index finger.
The lyricist Mandar Cholkar has done a good job in getting the message across and Jaydeep’s voice ought to be heard at all political rallies to drive the youth to come out and vote. We need to stamp our presence – we need to put our “Shikka” – Shikka Abhimanacha (Stamp our pride) ,Shikka Sanmanacha ( Stamp our self-respect), Shikka Vishvacha ( Stamp our faith), Shikka Nishwasacha ( Stamp our relief)
8. Tadipaar (Audio Clipping:08 Tadipaar 2)
The song depicts Jaydeep’s determination to pursue his dreams despite all the hurdles. The Hindi track in the Marathi album. Probably not in the same league as most tracks in the album, but still a good first time effort from all – Ashwini, Nilesh and Jaydeep in their attempt at a Hindi song.
I’m not raving about the album cause Jaydeep is a very dear friend to MDH and me, but cause he is a talented singer and deserves every bit of praise for his effort and the hard work that he has put in. It is indeed difficult to make out that this is a debut album and that he is a newbie in this industry. The team effort has resulted in a fine end product and I ask all of you to not only spread the word but go ahead and buy his album, and encourage upcoming talented singers like him. The industry needs it – we the audience needs it! So go be selfish, want good music like the one in this album, encourage the team – Jaydeep, Nilesh, Ashwini, Mandar and Vaibhav. Go rush and buy his CD – Shikka.
If you enjoyed reading my post and want to track Jaydeep’s progress – join his facebook page “Shikka”.
I’m one of those people who falls in the “never will win any freebies ever” category. When FM first hit Mumbai and held contests to meet Bollywood stars or cricketing sportstars or any damn freebie – I never won! I knew the answers but my sms never won me anything ever! Hell I never even got through the phone line to dedicate a number!
So when you know you have such an awesome record, you still decide to try but without any expectations and Viola! You are on air! Not only do you win tickets to a movie but also get an added bonus to meet the leading actors of the movie.
There is a slight problem though– you are not a huge fan of either , in fact you can’t stand one of them! But not everyone gets the opportunity to meet the biggest stars in Bollywood, so you decide to go and check out what the big deal is all about. You take time off work and your boss is kind enough to let you go for 3 hours and you head to the hotel to meet the biggest stars of Bollywood.
You have a blast with the RJs from the radio station and realise an endless wait is in the offing. Your husband who has a great experience with stars and events tells you that the wait is inevitable. After a group snap with the RJs you head quietly to your seat while the rest of the winners are busy getting photographed with all the RJs. One of the winners wonders what is wrong with you cause you don’t seem to want any snaps! You wonder if there is something wrong with you since you don’t seem to be in awe of the entire drama going around you.
After an hour you are taken upstairs to the lounge and are told that the stars will be late as the flight got delayed. In the next hour you realise that you are sitting among celebrities themselves – a woman who has met every star in Bollywood making you wonder why is she not a celebrity herself, a bloke who enters radio contests only if they excite him and when he enters he always wins, another woman who can’t seem to get over the leading lady and is shocked that you seem to hate her,another one who supposedly is not in awe of the stars but has yet got her 3 year old with her to meet them, and most are decked up to the extent that they might just outdo the stars! You by the way have landed there alone while the rest of the winners have atleast 3 people for company!
Sigh! Who needs celebrities when you have such these people around – it makes you realise you have such a dull, boring life – and after meeting them you are pretty much thankful for it!
Another hour passes by and the hosts are kind enough to offer you coffee and drinks. The radio channel people begin to get a bit embarrassed with the wait but they still keep you entertained. What a fun bunch of people from City101.6 FM here in Dubai.
Well 3 hours pass by and still no signs of the stars. Apparently the lady wanted to get ready for the entire day and was having a bath (For 2 hours we heard the same excuse, who takes 2 hours for a bath, or atleast give a better excuse!) and the gentleman preferred to come with her!
So you decide that you’ve been stupid to waste 3 hours, and that work, Diwali & Premiere are your priority later in the day and head off. It’s amazing how sweet the radio channel folks are to you– apologising profusely for the missed opportunity, and wondering if you can get back in couple of hours when the stars will actually come down. You turn down politely and before leaving, end up having a blast with all RJs , and getting a snap clicked with the cutest guy among the bunch.
As you are heading off – the head of the channel tells you that you resemble Mandira Bedi. You let out a shriek expressing your resentment and explain reasons for your hatred – a woman who knows zilch about cricket doing cricket shows! But the head says she is so hot and then you realise you should’ve just shut your trap and accepted the compliment;-)
You head off to work not seeming to miss anything, leaving the other winners shocked that you did not wait to meet Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar who were here in Dubai for the Action Replayy Premiere Show.
You knew the wait wasn’t worth it and it would be more fun catching the movie later in the evening! You also realize that this is as far as luck can go with you.
Well thank god atleast the premiere took place and you actually got to utilise 50% of the first freebie you won!
P.S: The stars arrived 5 and 1/2 hrs late and yes apart from 3 of us the rest 12 did wait and meet them! Sigh – people have all the time and patience in the world and I cannot understand why we treat the Bollywood stars as some celestial beings!