How to make 'Addai'

Ingredients Required:

Rice - 1 Cup
Urad dal+Moong Dal+Tuar Dal- 1 Cup
Green chillies
Big Red chillies
Salt

Procedure:

1. Soak the rice and the dal mixture in water for minimum one and half hours.
2. Drain the water from the rice and dal mixture and grind the whole mixture along with green chillies and big red chillies in the blender (mixie). Add water accordingly while grinding, depending on how thick the paste should be. Add more water if you want thinner 'addais'.
3. Add salt according to ones taste.
4. Heat a flat pan and grease it with oil. Use a ladle to spread the 'addai batter'. Allow it to get cooked and turn it upside down, allow this side also to get cooked. Spread little oil around the periphery of the addai, while it gets cooked.
5. Repeat the step 4 for 'n' number of addais.
6. Your addais are ready to eat. Enjoy it with either 'avviyal' or 'onion chutney'.

Liverpool muscles out Chelsea

Liverpool vs Chelsea (7 Nov 2010)

Two big giants of English football took to the field on Sunday evening for one of the important games in the Barclays Premier League. Chelsea, the league leaders with 25 points in their bag travelled to Anfield, Liverpool to take on the merseysiders. Liverpool's form this season has been disappointing, losing home games to Blackpool and the one in the league cup. But with back to back wins against Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers the mood in the team was quite upbeat.

Roy Hodgson had put out his best team to take on Chelsea. Chelsea kick started the first half and were control of the game till the eleventh minute. Liverpool's best striker, Torres struck form at the right time. A superb pass by Dirk Kuyt was neatly put into the back of the net by Torres. Terry was beaten for pace and so was the Chelsea goalkeeper, Petr Cech. Twelve minutes gones Liverpool were in the lead, to the surprise and astonishment of the players and spectators alike.

The Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelloti had kept his best striker Drogba on the bench. Chelsea looked dangerous even though they were a goal behind. Just before half time superman Torres gave the merseysiders another delight with a sublime curl, the ball gradually curving into the back of the net. Liverpool were up by two goals and the mood in the bench was upbeat.

Anfield erupted.

At half time Drogba was brought in for Kalou because the Chelsea manager felt that being two goals behind to Liverpool at their home turf was not to be taken lightly. Lucas, Mereilles and Gerrard all played their roles well, passing and moving forward and trying to score another goal to put the game beyond the reach of the Blues. Young boy Martin Kelly was plying his first major game of the season for Liverpool in the right fullback position. Carragher and Skrtel taking care of the central defence.

Chelsea were unlucky when Anelka's shot scrapped Reina's gloves and hit the crossbar. The ball was till open for Drogba to put it into the net but Jamie Carragher ensured that Liverpool maintained a clean sheet. Just 15 minutes before half Kuyt made a good run with the ball before passing it to Rodriguez who almost finished the game for Liverpool but Cech's outstretched leg denied them the third goal. Full time gone Liverpool could hold off Chelsea with a two goal margin.

The Barclay's premier league is still wide open for anyone to win. Chelsea weren't allowed to run away with the points. Liverpool's classic performance on Sunday will definitely be an eye opener for them and other teams as well. They now sit at the ninth place with 15 points in their kitty.

Liverpool leaps out of 'Relegation Zone'

Bolton Wanderers vs Liverpool (31 Oct 2010)

Liverpool's season has not brought out the usual cheers for its fans. Until last week the English giant was lingering in the bottom of the table with just 9 points in the bag. This poor performance by Liverpool can partly be attributed to the ownership and financial worries at the merseyside club. But yesterday's match against Bolton Wanderers brought some respite for the fans and the manager.

Putting up a strong squad Roy Hodgson wanted to get an easy 3 points at the Reebok stadium but was given stiff resistance by the Wanderers. Bolton started off the first half with more confidence than Liverpool and almost over 50% of the on field action was happening at Liverpool's end. Holden tested the Liverpool goalie with a flash kick but Reina was quick to spot the ball and punch it away. Bolton looked more and more aggressive as the game progressed. Liverpool's upfront attack looked meek and non threatening. Big names like Torres and Joe Cole looked impressive on paper but couldn't deliver.

Bolton on the other hand had a couple of good opportunities to take an early lead but failed to capitalize on any. With skipper Kevin Davies and defender Matt Taylor playing some good football. First half gone the scores were tied at 0-0.

Kevin Davies was just centimeters away from giving Bolton the lead in the second half from a free kick. He headed the ball perfectly but just shy of the goal. Liverpool improved its opportunities and played more attacking football in the second half of the game. Steven Gerrard, Rodriguez and Torres playing some good pass and move football. However neither of the teams could break the deadlock until the 85th minute. Joe Cole had to be substituted with Ngog because Cole had pulled a hamstring. The Chelsea midfielder has not yet delivered the quality he possesses to get Liverpool the victories much needed in the Premier League.

There is saying in football 'Never judge too quickly in football, wait until the last minute'. The same came true. Some superb skills by Torres and diligent passing to maxi Rodriguez ensured Liverpool that they left the Reebok stadium with full three points. Rodriguez was quick to latch on to the pass from Torres and slot it into the net past the Bolton keeper. This victory even got Liverpool out of the bottom three and now they sit at #12 in the table with 12 points, 13 points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Liverpool needs to ensure that they continue winning and not drop points from their future games to secure a place in the top 6 else next season the hope for a Europa qualification will seem bleak. Manager Roy Hodgson says' this victory might be the catalyst for his side's revival this season'.

How to make masala 'Brussel Sprouts'

Ingredients Required:

Brussel Sprouts- approx 7 for each person

Chilli powder - 2 tablespoons

Salt- 1 teaspoon (can be more as per one's taste)

Chat/ Garam masala - 2 tablespoons

Cooking oil- 3 tablespoons

Procedure:

1. Cut the 'Brussel Sprouts' in 4 halves but only till a certain level. Meaning you must be able to hold the sprout in your hand and still see the 4 halves. See the picture.
2. 

   Mix the chilli powder,salt and chat/garam masala together. The spice mixture is ready.
3. Stuff the spice mixture into the above cut 'Brussel Spouts'. Stuff more if you need it more spicier.
4. Pour the oil in a pan and wait until the oil heats up.
5. Put the stuffed 'Brussel Sprouts' into the pan and fry it in oil till they are cooked properly. This will take around 15 minutes.

Your 'Brussel Sprouts' are now ready for eating. Garnish them with chopped coriander leaves.



Amsterdam Marathon 2010

Well, I made my decision to run my first international run exactly one month back and I registered for the Amsterdam half marathon on 18 Sept 2010 (just 1 day before the closing date). Right from the day when I had registered I was quite thrilled and was waiting anxiously for the D day.

On sunday 17 Oct 2010 myself, my roomies (two Chinese students) and another classmate of mine boarded the train to Amsterdam from Delft. They were coming all the way to Amsterdam to cheer for me and I really appreciate that. We boarded the train at 9:03 from Delft and then reached Amsterdam Zuid at 10:45. I must admit the train service in The Netherlands is simply amazing.

We then navigated our way from the station to Sporthallen Zuid, this was the place where the marathon expo was being held and also the place where the running bibs were being distributed. I collected my running number from the designated counter and asked for the 'goodie bag'. But the lady at the counter couldn't understand the meaning of 'goodie bag', she thought it was some kind of brand. Then I explained that usually a bag with lots of stuff is distributed whenever a marathon is conducted but it seems Amsterdam Marathon doesn't give out any stuff like this. May be this is one of the reasons it is still rated 'Silver Class' by the IAAF.

I had about 2 hours left before the start of the run. Thankfully it was a cold and sunny day and the Sun God was merciful in showing his face all day long. I changed my clothes and had a quick meal (bread+biscuits+banana). We then proceeded towards the 'STARTVAK' the dutch term for starting point. I handed over my bags and belongings to my friends and did my warm up session. This is the first time I was running a half marathon in the afternoon. The runners were divided into 4-5 packs and I was in the last pack. The time was 13:30 and our pack still had not started, I was getting a bit anxious. Finally our pack was flagged off at 13:45. I waved to my friends and started on a positive note.

The route was superb and the climate excellent. But at many places the route was quite narrow and the runners had to squeeze through or slow down so that they don't bump into one another. I had set my mind for a finish under 2 hours but the last three miles were tough. I had to slow down my pace in the end. Usually when one doesn't have any friends taking part in the run he/she sets another runner as his/her target and then follows/overtakes the target. In my case I had set my target on a girl, who was pretty good. It soon became like a cat and mouse game. I overtaking her and then she overtaking me then again I overtook her only to find that she was just behind my heels and overtook me after the tenth mile. I couldn't catch up with her after 10 miles.

I finally reached the olympic stadium, this is where the finish point was and completed my run with a net timing of 2:08:26 hrs. Oh man, I was at the olympic stadium and that was a wonderful feeling, may be once in a life time opportunity. I received my finisher's medal and was looking out for my friends but couldn't find them. I joined them back at the same place from where I had collected my running number. They were happy for me that i finished the run successfully.

RUNNING NUMBER: 31321

NET FINISH TIME: 2:08:26

THIS IS MY 8TH HALF MARATHON AND MY FIRST INTERNATIONAL ONE.

How to make WHEAT DOSA

Ingredients required:

Wheat flour ( use qty according to number of persons)

Salt ( as per one’s requirement)

Onions, finely chopped

Green chillies, finely chopped

Mustard ( 1 teaspoon)

Cumin seeds (1 teaspoon)

Asafoetida (for taste and smell)

Procedure:

1. Take sufficient quantity of wheat flour for required number of persons.

2. Add water to the wheat flour till a watery mixture is formed. ( NOTE: do not add too much water thereby making the mixture very dilute)

3. Add the finely chopped onions and green chillies to the above mixture.

4. Add salt to suit one’s taste and as per one’s requirement.

5. In a separate small ‘kadai’ pour some oil and wait till the oil heats. Now add mustard, cumin seeds and asafoetida.

6. Pour the above spices into the flour mixture. Now your batter is ready.

7. Take a flat pan (tawa) and heat it up. Add some oil on the pan and spread it evenly throughout the pan (this is needed to prevent the dosa from sticking to the pan).

8. Pour the batter onto the flat pan in small quantities and spread it evenly on the pan. Add small quantities of oil on top so that the batter is cooked properly.

9. After you start seeing holes beginning to be formed on top of the batter, invert the batter to the other side (flip it over by an angle of 180 degrees). Wait till the other side is cooked. Now you may remove the batter from the pan.

10. Repeat the above step to make as many dosas as you want.

11. Your ‘Wheat Dosas’ are ready now. You can serve them with coconut chutney or molaga podi (chilly powder), mint chutney or plain tomato sauce.

Cycling trip to den Hague

Myself and five of my friends decided to do some biking yesterday ( 28 Aug 2010 ). I woke up at 6:30 had my bath and also had my breakfast and was ready to hit the roads of Delft & den Hague. I was clad in the proper cycling attire. The others were dressed up in jeans,sweaters and jackets. The initial plan was to start at 7:30 but usual delays pulled us back and we started from our place (Poptahof Noord) at 8:30.

We took the longer biking route adjacent to the highways. It was really amazing to ride down such a beautiful path. We crisscrossed many lakes and canals and then went staright ahead down the road. It is in fact just a straight road from Delft to den Hague. We cycled for about 90 minutes and we reached den hague. We could have reached there faster but we stopped now and then for taking photographs. The route was so scenic that we just couldn't stop admiring the beauty.

Once we reached den hague we decided to cycle another 5 miles to scheveningen beach. The day was quite sunny and little cold, perfect conditions for biking. We reached the beach at around 10:45 and parked our bikes on the hilltop. All of us were quite tired and decided to munch on some food before getting down into the sand. Vishwa and Praveen had packed some sandwiches, Bhramesh had got some fruit cake and I carried some bottles of water. We had nice little snack and then went down to the beach. It was the North Sea that we were looking at. The waters and the waves were quite serene compared to the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.

All of a sudden the climate changed suddenly and we hit by some heavy showers. We could in fact see the clouds coming in from the see and envelope us. Thank God I had packed a raincoat inside my backpack. All of us had our raincoats and we were all well protected. The Dutch weather is very unpredictable so never mistake a sunny day thinking the weather will be fine all day.

After having a good time at the beach we decided to pay a visit to the Haagse Markt. This market is very famous in den Hague because we get good for comparatively cheaper prices than in the supermarkets. But one needs to make a cautious choice when selecting items because the items bought do not come with a receipt and its very alluring to buy more as the prices are very less. We also visited a small Indian grocery shop called "India Gate" from where I bought Moong Dal and Rice Flakes (for making poha or avul upma). It costed me 8.95 euros for these two items.

All of us were quite tired after this long cycle ride,visit to the beach and walking down the Haagse Markt. We decided to get back home and followed the tram route, we reached Delft in a shorter time. This was the first time I had biked for so long and it was truly an amazing experience. The separate bike roads, cold climate and natural greenery by the roads make biking a truly enjoyable experience in The Netherlands.

6 Aug 2010-My last day at Ashok Leyland

Its been 3 years 2 months and 6 days at Ashok Leyland, India's second largest commercial vehicle manufacturing firm and on the 6th of August 2010 my profesional career at Ashok Leyland came to an end. Foof ! thats was quite a long time at this fantastic organization. AL as it is unofficially known has given me a solid foundation to kick start my professional career.

From now on no more getting up at 5:00 in the morning, no more pacing up the road to board the bus at 6:30 am and no more healthy breakfast at the AL canteen. Oh my God ! things are turning around so quickly. It looks like I just joined AL as a GET (Graduate Engineer Trainee) some time back but coming back to reality I have come a long way. Got promoted to the post of Deputy Manager, worked on some important bus projects and handled additional responsibilities.

Work life at Ashok Leyland was really cool, the working hours being 7:45 to 16:00 hrs. It was entirely up to you to stay back after 16:00 hrs and only on rare occasions would office work force you to stay very late. The work life balance at Ashok Leyland is one of the best in the industry and I must admit that whole heartedly.

My seat in my office was the corner seat and what an amazing view of the greenery can one see from outside the window. The job at AL is one of the dream jobs for every aspiring engineer  wanting to work in the auto industry. I was associated with the Vehicle Electrical group at AL's product development centre. This group was a small group with about ten people when I joined, but as more and more electronic features were being incorporated in the vehicle the group strength kept on increasing because there were new projects to work on and more manpower was needed. My group strength is close to thirty now.

I will always be proud that I was associated with AL and I have no qualms is returning to this wonderful organization sometime in the furture. GETs are given special treatment and are nurtured to be the next leaders in the organization. But unfortunately many of them leave at the end of their bond period, mostly to pursue their higher studies. I too am going to The Netherlands to pursue my higher studies in Sustainable Energy Technology.

Mr Ghose or DG as we call him is a very cool boss and amazing fellow. He has chided me, applauded me, nurtured me during my stay at AL. Being my first boss I'll never forget him. The to & fro trip to Alwar will be etched in memeory for ever. I learned a lot from my on duty travel trips and got meet amazing people and see amazing places. My GET friends at AL, oops the number has come down to five from ten,will always remain close to my heart.

At the end of the day it was a choice between financial security and growth. The pay at AL was too good to leave the organization but it was my decision to pursue my higher studies. I could have done this part time but there is no fun in doing a part time study. One cannot do justice to work and study in this case, atleast this my opinion. Well, I hope I have made the right decision and look forward to bigger and better things in the future.

I can say I have forged some very stong bonds with this great organization and its people.

How to make Tomato pasta?

Ingredients required:


Pasta packet (any type such as fusili, elbow macaroni, rotini can be used)
Mustard ( 1 tea spoons)
Turmeric ( ½ tea spoon)
Refined Oil (2 tea spoons)
Chopped Onions
Chopped Tomatoes
Cumin seeds

Asafetida

Sambhar powder (2 tea spoons)

Red chilly powder (1/2 tea spoon)

Coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method:

1. Empty the Pasta packet containing the hard raw material into a vessel and fill the vessel with water (use only drinking water).
2. Boil the pasta till it becomes soft, then drain the water and keep the pasta aside. Remember to add salt as per your requirement.

3. In a separate vessel add the refined oil and wait for the oil to heat up. Then add the mustard seeds, turmeric and cumin seeds. Sprinkle some Asafetida for taste.

4. The mustard and cumin seeds will start spluttering. When the spluttering stops add the chopped onions and fry till the onions become brown in colour. Now add the chopped tomatoes.
5. Mix them well with the help of a ladle.
6. Now add the Pasta to the above mixture. Also add sambhar powder, red chilly powder and coriander leaves.

7. Add water in to the above mixture so that the pasta is floating in it. Mix the whole contents well. Use more water if you like your pasta to consist of more gravy.

8. Serve hot with sauce( if you like sauce)

 

 

THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED AFTER I MADE IT

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

La Roja triumphs

Netherlands vs Spain - World Cup Final 2010,11 July 2010
Soccer City, Johannesburg

Thirty two nations, ten venues, 64 matches and a month long of football fever- all these came to an end on the 11th of July 2010 when Spain reigned supreme and lifted its maiden world cup title. The final between the Dutch and the Spaniards was deemed to be a tough one for both the sides. The Netherlands were the dark horses to win the tournament but Spain were indeed one among the favourites to win the tournament.

The closing ceremony at the Soccer City, Johannesburg was a real delight to watch. The stadium designed in the shape of a 'Calabash'- the Afrikan pot was occupied 100 percent. The ground was turned into a giant screen with the aerial lights providing some eye catching visual imagery. The hour long closing ceremony will remain in the minds of the millions of television viewers and spectators who were present there. Former president Nelson Mandela graced the occasion by making his presence felt along with his wife. Columbian singer Shakira entertained the spectators with her sleezy hip movements, dancing, shaking and singing along with the African local band and the whole crowd was dancing to the tune of  WAKA WAKA. Africa's wildlife was presented with dummy elephants making their way to the water hole. The best moments in this month long soccer feast were also displayed and at last the whole of Africa said Thank You in a number of different languages, this being a sign of faith that the FIFA had in Africa for hosting the world cup tournament.

The Netherlands and Spain were in for a tough task ahead of them. Both these teams were vying to get their hands on the trophy for the very first time, the only difference being that the Dutch were in the finals on two previous occasions but failed to lay their hands on the most coveted prize in football. The Spaniards on the other hand were never in a world cup final.

The Dutch played really physical football right from the time the whistle was blown to start the game. Van Persie, Nigel Di Jong and Van Bommel receiving yellow cards within the first half hour of the game. Nigel Di Jong must have been shown a staright red but a nasty stamp on Xabi Alonso's chest in the first half. Spain too had its share of yellow cards, Puyol and Ramos getting into the referees books.

Spain were dominant, keeping the ball to themselves and playing possession football. Iniesta and Xavi the midfield maestros were simply superb, showcasing perfect power,skill,balance and technique. The Dutch rattled the Spanish players with constant fowls and giving away freekicks now and then. Robben had the best shot on goal in the first half, cutting in  from the right and drilling the ball hard into the near post with his powerful left foot but Iker Casillas had his eyes wide open and he had to because its The most important match and mistakes will cost either team dearly.

Half time gone both the teams were locked up with a 0-0 scoreline, neither side being able to break the deadlock.

Fifteen minutes after the first half both teams were out on the pitch, refreshed and raring to go at one another. As the match progressed it became more and more nastier. Constant fowls, display of the yellow cards and clashes among players marred the free flowing nature of this beautiful game. The Dutch received five more yellow cards and the Spaniards received three.

Robben broke free from the defence and was one on one with the Spanish goalkeeper but couldn't put the ball into the Spanish net. The trailing left foot of Casillas denying Robben his goal. The Dutch were distraught and Robben just couldn't believe it. All Robben had to do was chip the ball over Casillas' head instead he went for the shot and thereby ruined his country's chances to go ahead. Ramos on the other end couldn't keep the header down in the 77th minute from a corner kick. The Dutch were confused by the Spanish set piece and Ramos was suddenly left all by himself.

Robben missed another chance in the 83rd minute when he raced past Puyol to get to the ball but failed to control it properly and put it past Casillas. Puyol must have been sent off at this point of time but the referee didn't quite seem to notice the foul he had committed. Robben was tugged from behind and pulled by Puyol,preventing him to regain his balance to take the shot. Horrendous refereeing indeed and when Robben protested he was shown the yellow card. That just summed up Robben's and Netherland's day.

Full time gone and not a single goal on the score cards the game went into extra time. The players were indeed weary and tired but thats the price you pay for playing your hands on the coveted trophy in football.
Fabregas was brought in in place of Alonso and he too missed his chance of giving Spain the lead in Extra time.

Both the goalkeepers (Stekelenburg and Casillas) were indeed heroes and deserve a lot of credit.

in the 119th minute Heitinga received his second yellow and was sent off. The Dutch were down to ten men and seemed to succumb to the marauding Spanish Aramada. When it looked like the match would indeed be settled on penalities Andries Iniesta lunges forward and drill in a shot into the far post and into the Dutch goal, breaking Dutch hearts all over the world.

Spain had achieved the impossible, the reigning EURO champions were crowned the World Champions. Spain went beserk the fans got even more crazier and the whole nation went into a state of euphoria.

Spain became the second nation after West Germany to lift the EURO and World Cup titles back to back. They were the better side indeed, they played sublime football, showed great character and displayed courage at the highest stage.

Germans too good for Maradona's team

Argentina vs Germany - World Cup Quarter-Finals 2010

The clash of the titans in football is always awaited with much anticipation. The press, media and other sport talk shows get into all sorts of comparison, pulling out statistics and discussing tactics with the football pundits as to who would emerge 'The Winner'.

This particular quarter final saw one of the best European nations taking on one of the finest South American Nations. Germany with their young squad were up against Maradona's well experienced team with the world's footballer of the year Lionel Messi leading the forefront for the Argentinians. The venue was set in the coastal city of South Africa- Cape Town. The Germans were clad in their other kit, sporting the black and golden colours where as the Argentinians were in their traditional sky blue and white stripe shirts.

Germany got off to a dream start when Bastian Schweinsteiger took the free kick and delivered the ball right into the six yard box for the 20 year old Thomas Muller to head the ball right into the Argentinian goalkeeper's legs and then deflected into the net. Three minutes gone and the Germans were upbeat and in the lead. For the first in this world cup Mr. Maradona looked a worried man and it was also the first time that Argentina were behind.

The Germans could have easily doubled their lead but Klose miscued the shot and it went over the cross bar. Argentina were in top form in later part of the first half, launching onslaught after onslaught but the solid German defence denied them anything. Tevez, Messi and Higuain looked unimpressive. First half gone Germany were in the lead.

Argentina regrouped themselves and showed some attacking football in the second half. They needed a goal to come back in the game and take the game to Germany. Crisp defending by Lahm denied the Argentinians a chance to score, had Lahm not cleared the ball at the vital moment Argentina would have gone level. The young German squad were in top form in this world cup, destroying their opponents ruthlessly. Miroslav Klose scored the second goal for the Germans in the 67th minute and virtually sealed any comebacks for Argentina.

The Argentinians needed some magic from their hero Messi. Messi tried hard,dribbled well, took on the German defenders single handed but luck was not on his side. He couldn't find the back of the German net. Argentina's woes got worse as the game progresses. In the process to score goals their defence was exposed and was lackadaisical. Schweinsteiger making an easy run into the box and delivered a low pass to Friedrich who tapped the ball into the Argentinian net.

The scoreline read Argentina 0 Germany 3.

The German onslaught didn't stop end there. Their hunger for goals and the desire to kill their opponents produced another goal from Klose in the 89th minute. The Germans had reserved their berth for the semis and were on cloud nine. The Argentinians were distraught.

Another South American was sent home packing. They follow the shoes of Brazil who exited the world cup yesterday when they were ousted by Netherlands.

Could the Germans win the world cup for the fourth time? They await either Paraguay or Spain in the semis. If they continue this killer form then Germany could go all the way and come out with top laurels and the $30 million prize at South Africa.

FINAL SCORE LINE: GERMANY 4 ARGENTINA 0

Trip to SRIRANGAM

I along with Karthik aka KP, Amol and Balu decided to visit Srirangam to attend our batchmate, Anantharaman’s engagement ceremony. KP, Amol and I boarded the Rockfort express from Chennai Egmore and Balu joined us at Tambaram. We got the tickets from Sundari (Anantharaman’s fiancé) and comfortably seated ourselves in coach S6. There were many others from the girl’s party on the same train. The train left the station at the correct time and whistled along the path occasionally, stoping at Mambalam and Tambaram before picking up full speed. All of us gossiped for quite some time before dozing off in our respective berths. I occupied the middle berth and could feel the cold air caress my hair all along.

The train reached Srirangam at about 5:30 in the morning. I had slept well but was still a bit groggy. We were transported from the station to the mandapam (function hall) on a mini bus, which was completely occupied by the girl’s party. The four of us were standing, no issues coz we are YOUNG BOYS and we are supposed to have the never say die attitude and must never get tired.

Anantha gave us a warm welcome and showed us our room. We kept the luggage in the shelves and were going to lie down. Balu picked up a couple of pillows and I picked u a jamakalam (traditional South Indian rug). We spread it across the floor and were dozing happily within minutes. KP woke us at 8:00 am and all of us freshened up; brushing, bathing and doing our daily business. Next we went downstairs and had a sumptuous breakfast with pooris, idlis and halwa. The halwa was in particular exquisite. After finishing our breakfast we decided on going around the town to do some sight seeing. A cab was arranged and all of us hopped in happily. We went to Rockfort temple first. As soon as I got down from the cab a person approached me asking if I was from Malaysia and if I wanted to exchange some Malaysian dollars. Weird isn’t it? I have always received comments from people, linking me to different places. Few thought I was from Bengal, few asked me if was a North Indian and few asked me if I was from Maharashtra. I am quite happy that my identity is always a mystery and it does help when I travel to different places.

We purchased tickets to visit the deity at the top of the hill. Balu and I had a camera but I bought a single ticket for the camera. We climbed about 170 steps and then veered to the left to worship the God who according to locals blesses worshippers (couples in general) with kids. This is because this particular God incarnated himself as a midwife to deliver a child of a mother in that town centuries ago. After worshipping him we set out to climb the final set of stairs to reach the hill top. There was a guy who checked our tickets once again. Balu was hiding his camera in his jeans pocket but allowed the tag to hang outside his pocket. We were caught and that guy asked us to pay for the second camera too. I was thinking Balu aaargh !!!

We worshipped Lord Vinayagar at the hill top also known as Uchchi Pillayaar.We got an amazing view of the whole temple town from there. The view was breath taking. We messaged Ramki and Jana to wait for us outside the temple and then began our descent. We picked them up outside St Joseph’s church and all of us drove to Kallanai Dam. We had to while away our time and thats why we decided to visit the dam. This dam is supposed to be a very ancient one, dating back to centuries. We spent some time here clicking photos now and then and I troubling others to get into weird poses for the photo shoot. Balu was showing off his skills with his Cannon camera and clicking off leaves and trishools with the macro mode. But I must confess Balu was good with the camera.

After visiting Kallanai dam I asked the cab driver to drop me at the nearest bus stop from where I could board the bus to Trichy main bus stand. I had messaged Chandralekha (my future classmate at TU Delft) that I will be coming to Trichy and that I would pay her a visit. The rest of them went back to the mandapam to have their lunch. The Trichy main bus stand would be about 10-12 Kms from the place where I boarded the bus. I was surprised that the bus fare was only a mere three and half rupees. The battery in my phone was low in charge and I feared that I may not be able to contact her after reaching there. So I noted down her number and Amol’s number in a separate piece of paper in case my phone runs out of charge and if I need to make a call from a public phone booth.

I called her up and said that I have reached the bus stand and within ten minutes she was there in her scooter to pick me up. She took me to her house, which was about 3-4 Kms from the central bus stand. I had lunch with her at her house, met her dad and mom and spent some time chatting with her. I then got dropped at the Central bus stand from where I boarded the bus to Srirangam.

After reaching the mandapam I bathed and changed into a fresh set of clothes and was ready for Anantha’s engagement ceremony. The ceremony went on well, Anantha was looking stunning in his new suit and his fiancé was looking beautiful in her silk saree. Balu was the official photographer, clicking pictures from all angles possible. KP, Ramki,myself, Balu and Amol were ogling at a couple of pretty girls at the function. Suddenly it started pouring heavily and the whole place was cooled down. I must say the mandapam was getting really hot with so many people inside.

We finished our dinner and went to the station at 21:45 hrs. The train was scheduled to arrive at the Srirangam station at 22:30 hrs but was delayed by half hour. All of us were dead tired by then and immediately fell asleep once inside the bogie.

I really enjoyed the trip !!

Young German team runs riot

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010

Germany vs Australia 13 June 2010

The world cup match between Germany and Australia was the second match of Group D, the match kicking off in Durban. The German squad chosen was the youngest ever in Germany’s world cup history. The Socceroos on the other hand had a squad with many of its players in the thirties. The stadium at Durban is a wonderful piece of architecture and one of the best venues of the ten built for the world cup 2010.


The Socceroos had an early chance from a corner kick in the first half, Tim Cahill heading the ball first and Richard Garcia striking it directly at Philip Lahm. This instance shows the importance of stationing a player at the far post when a corner kick is taken. After this chance it was the Germans who had the lion’s share of the possession, dominating the game and making those quick cheeky and well timed runs past the Australian defenders.

It was just a matter of time before Germany went ahead with a goal from Podolski in the eighth minute. It was superbly struck shot from Podolski with his dangerous left foot. The sheer power with which it was struck took the ball past the Aussie keeper who managed to get a right hand to it.




Germany would have doubled its lead in no time but a miss from Klose from 6 yards denied the Germans their second goal. Confidence was brewing up in this young German side and in the twenty seventh minute a well executed cross from Lahm and a bold header by Klose gave the Gemans their second goal. This was Klose’s eleventh world cup final goal. He is one of the favourites for the ‘golden boot’ title at this world cup. The Aussies struggled to crack the solid German defence leave alone find their target. Fisrt half gone the Germans were leading two goals to nil and were in high spirits.




The second half provided more excitement for both the spectators and player alike. The Germans took the game to the Aussies right from the first minute of the second half. The passing, the crosses, the runs past the Aussie defence were all executed to perfection by the Germans. The Germans doubled their lead with two more goals in the second half and put the game beyond Socceroos’ reach, Muller and Cacau putting their names on the score sheet. The woes of the socceroos doubled as Tim Cahill was shown a straight red by the strict Mexican referee in the 56th minute for a harsh tackle on Schweinsteiger, the Aussie team was reduced to ten men.






Final score line; GERMANY 4-0 AUSTRALIA






Germany now sits on top the table in Group D, followed by Ghana who also registered a win against Serbia. The Aussies being the underdogs of the tournament face an uphill task of making it to the second round.

BLOOD DONATION

Date of BDC camp: 26 May 2010

Venue: Ashok Leyland Technical Centre

My office in conjunction with the Indian Red Cross Society had organized a blood donation camp on 26 May 2010. This is one of the initiatives taken by our social forum KRITI here at Ashok Leyland Technical Centre. Coincidently this is the same date on which the blood donation camp was organized last year.

Blood donation is a noble act and by donating blood we directly or indirectly aid in saving human lives. Hundreds of people throughout the country are in urgent of blood either because they or their relatives have met with an accident or they are undergoing a major surgery or they need a complete transfusion of blood.


Blood banks spread though out the country are doing a wonderful job by storing blood of different blood groups so that in case of an emergency the requirement can be fulfilled. By participating in a blood donation camp one can do his part in taking forward this noble cause.

I along with my Raja, Karthik and Himani were the volunteers for our floor. It was our responsibility to take down names of people willing to donate blood, compile the list and send it across to Jasdeep who is the main head of this campaign. The representatives from the Indian Red Cross society were to arrive by 8:30 hrs and the blood donation camp was supposed to begin by 9:00 hrs. Instead the camp began at 9:40 hrs. It was heartening to see a lot of people coming forward willingly to donate blood. I too did my part in donating blood. This is the third instance in which I am donating blood. Last year I was asked not to donate because I had suffered a typhoid attack in Oct 2008. The minimum gap between any illness and blood donation must be one year.

I feel elated and happy that I donated blood and was a part of this noble campaign. In an office where the total strength exceeds 500 people the response was just satisfactory, around 140 people tuning up for the campaign. The camp was organized in a better way this time and I would say that it was a combined effort from all the volunteers, representatives from the Indian Red Cross Society and our dear helper friends who assisted us in setting up the tables and beds.



A total of 48.3 litres of blood was collected and appreciation certificates distributed. Lots of photographs were taken and we made sure the campaign was organized in a smooth manner. We could have campaigned better by putting up posters at frequently visited places such as the water dispenser, canteen notice board and also the online notice board. This would have roped in more people to donate blood.

COMPOSTING

I started disposing the vegetable waste generated in my home in a clean, efficient and fruitful way. Lots of vegetable waste used to get generated while my mom prepares lunch for us. This ranges from carrot peels, cucumber peels, onion skins, stems of green leafy vegetables etc etc.

We have two dust bins at home. One for the dry waste generated (e.g. paper, hairs, cobwebs, dust) and the other for the damp or wet waste generated (left over food, skins of fruits and vegetables, coffee powder residue, tea residue etc). The organic waste was being dumped in the second dustbin mentioned above all these years. It did not occur to any of us that there can be a better way of disposing these organic wastes and so the same old practice of disposing the organic waste was being continued.



I got inspired by my cousin at Delhi. She is an environmentalist and I used to visit her frequently during my on-duty trips to Alwar (this place is located at a distance of 160 Km from Delhi). I was a bit surprised to find that they had no dustbins at home. The kitchen waste for the day was accumulated in a polythene cover and later dumped in their kitchen garden. The practice is called “Vermi-composting” ie putting all the vegetable matter into the soil after digging a small trench in the ground. The trench is then covered with soil and water sprinkled over so that the vegetable matter decays and gets converted into soil.



The organic waste is completely decomposed in time span of two to three weeks and the soil is also enriched with nutrients. Last Sunday after having my lunch I thought why not I try disposing the organic waste in an efficient manner. So I took a small shovel and the organic waste dumped in the second dustbin at my home. The soil was hard and rocky, all moisture being sucked due to the intense heat. I poured a little water to aid the digging process. I dug a small pit about ten centimeters deep and fifteen centimeters wide. Then I put half the organic waste in that pit, covered it with loose soil, sprinkled water and flattened the ground surface. I dug up another pit of that size adjacent to the first one and dumped the other half of the waste in that and covered that put also.



Today is the second day and I believe that by the end of two weeks this organic matter would have decomposed to a certain extent. I feel happy that I was able dispose the waste in a clean way. The other advantages include fewer burdens on the municipality to clear the organic wastes, less pressure on the landfills and cleaner roads and streets.



The most important advantage is that your kitchen garden is replenished with nutrients and the soil quality will be better, helping your plants to grow healthier. If all people realize this and make a conscious effort towards disposing vegetable waste by composting it then we could have cleaner streets, less overflowing dustbins and healthier surroundings.

Europa Cup semifinals 2010

Liverpool vs Athletico Madrid ( 29 April 2010)

Liverpool's 2009-10 campaign has been rather disappointing and slightly above average, they being knocked off the Champions league, FA cup, Carling cup. Also the title race for the Barclays Premier League is far from their reach. Only salvation which they can obtain is by winning the Europa Cup but things didn't quite happen the way they wanted.

Athletico Madrid, the spanish club travelled all the way to the port city of Liverpool to take on 'The Reds' in the second leg of the Europa Cup semifinals. Liverpool having lost the first leg in Spain was hoping to regain some ground. Torres was out with an injury and the Liverpool squad lacked quality.

Liverpool kicked off the first half towards the KOP end and within 10 sec of the game Benayoun got a chance to put them ahead but the angle was acute and some good goalkeeping by the Athletico keeper kept Liverpool at bay. Liverpool dominated the first half, but couldn't quite capitalize and surge ahead on the score board. Daniel Agger's brilliant header from a Gerrard free kick was turned down by the linesman because Agger was just off. Good work by the Athletico defence.

Athletico had a couple of chances too, Garcia smashing a full volley but Reina did good to push the ball for a corner. Aguero had a brilliant chance when he rounded off Reina but couldn't place the ball rightly fro Diego Forlan to score.

In the 44th minute Liverpool went ahead with a Aquillani goal. The italian did well and the finish was good. Aquillani, the 20million pound transfer was at last on the score card with his first goal for Liverpool.

The danger of an away goal still loomed large at Anfield  because if Athletico scores even one goal, Liverpool would have to bounce back by scoring two.

The second half was evenly balanced with both teams surging ahead and creating chances but neither team could convert them into goals. The match was carried into another extra 30 minutes after the second half was over. The teams were tied at 1-1 aggregate.

Yossi Benayoun gave Liverpool the much needed second goal 95 minutes into the game. The execution was superb and finish brilliant,hard and low into the bottom corner of the net.

Anfield Erupted !

But celebrations lasted only 7 minutes as Forlan clipped the ball past Reina into the net to break all Liverpool hearts. Sloppy defending by Johnson and unmarking of Forlan by  Carragher cost Liverpool a chance to be in the finals of the Europa League.

Liverpool tried hard to score the third but Athletico held their nerves till the end. So another European night at Anfield had ended in disappointment for Liverpool.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-1 Athletico Madrid

Aggregate: Liverpool 2- 2 Athletico Madrid

Athletico move ahead based on away goal.

Red Devils overpower the Reds

ManU vs Liverpool ( 21 Mar 2010 )

Liverpool travelled to the city of Manchester to take on ManU over the weekend fixture. The match was important for both teams. ManU had to win to get back on top of the Barclays Premier League table to dethrone temporary leaders Arsenal. Liverpool on the other hand had to win because the race for the fourth spot was getting tighter with each and every game played.

Liverpool kicked off the first half and had dream start,Superman Torres heading the ball into the net within five minutes and giving Liverpool a clear advantage over their bitter rivals. Old Trafford was shell shocked, the ManU fans dumbstruck and absolutely silent. But within minutes Mascherano committed a silly foul on Valencia, pulling him behind when he was making a run into the box. Valencia was clever enough to get into the box before going crashing to the ground. The result, ManU was awarded a spot kick. Rooney steps up to take the shot but before that Torres expressed his disgust by kicking the area marked for keeping the ball. The Liverpool goalkeeper leapt the correct way and prevented the ball from going into the net but Rooney made no mistake in slotting the ball on the rebound. ManU were level with ten minutes of the game gone.

ManU created more chances than Liverpool in the first half. Park Ji Sung, the South Korean International missed a dolly header from a cross by Valencia. Barring the first 20 minutes, which was explosive the rest of the game in the first half didn't bring out any excitement as both teams were playing it safe and defending the ball well.

Liverpool's formation had two players honing the CDM (Centre Defensive Middle) role. This was kind of a negative thinking from the manager since Torres was left alone upfront and a striker cannot do much without people from the mid-field supplying with him with crosses.

The second half saw a superb goal from Park Ji Sung when about 60 minutes of the game was played. The nature of the cross from Darren Fletcher was brilliant and Park Ji Sung made no mistake in heading the ball past Reina. Liverpool's defense were caught unawares once again even though Rooney was completely shielded by Carragher.

With ManU in the lead Liverpool had little control over the game. But two simple chances fell for Torres who on any other day would have put the ball past the goalkeeper. Torres' touch on both the chances was heavy and gave the ManU defenders a chance to clear the ball from the area. Had Torres converted both these chances Liverpool would have given ManU some tough competition.

A couple of substitutions by Rafa in the last twenty minutes didn't help Liverpool much. The urge to score and attack was not at all prominent in the Liverpool squad. The referee blew the final whistle after five minutes of injury time and ManU were jubilant. They were once again on top of the Premier League Table and are now eyeing for the 19th English title. By winning the title this season they would surpass Liverpool wrt number of English tiles and become the greatest club in the history of English football.

Liverpool's failure to qualify for the Champions League next season would mean exit of many of their top players. Financial resources would be cut down and there might be a chance for a financial crisis in the world's sixth richest club. Some drastic measures are needed to take Liverpool out of this crisis and only time will tell how?

FINAL SCORE: MANU 2- 1 LIVERPOOL