A Match Made in Heaven?

"See we gotta get it right but we always get it wrong 

And it be the same old thing and it be the same old song 

Here we go one more time here we go one more time

Now we Spinnin' yeah we spinnin' 

Yeah we spinnin' now we spun "

- Lyrics from Flipsyde's Spun, the song I am listening to right now

Words out of Sania Mirza's life? Who knows, except the divine matchmaker!?

Today's latest celebrity scoop that the tennis damsel is going to marry Shoaib Malik comes as a bolt out of the blue for many readers. In 2007, she said she is struck by Shoaib Akhtar , later she ends up getting engaged to her childhood sweetheart,  Sohrab Mirza ..and now, she is all set to be married to cricketer Shoaib Malik  . 

Ain't she an ace at being in the news  for everything but tennis!?

But lets, assess for the sake of putting some sense out of this game, will this cross-border marriage work? A marriage where 2 celebrity sports-people from enemy-nations are involved, one serving a sports ban and one recuperating. Both of them have had "hyderabadi heartbreaks" (apparently Malik was engaged to a certain Ayesha Siddiqui from Hyderabad).  Moreover, they are likely to be in the media glare, even on a neutral turf like Dubai (where they plan to settle for now). Former Pak opener Mohsin married actress Reena Roy  in the 1980s but it did not last. 
Or maybe the "external environment" does not matter, what matters is that the families agree and as sports persons they support each other in their careers..a very happy ending to this rocky start. It is a million dollar question but always an interesting when one Sania is involved. Marry she will to anyone in sight, but she is firstly betrothed to controversy!

Quizzing and Competing!

It was a wonderful experience, being one of the teams at the Tata Crucible Quiz's stage! Out of 120 teams that participated in the Mumbai regional rounds , and we girls managed to crack the finals. The questions were all based on lateral thinking and business awareness (a lot of them were about Tatas though!). We got more than 50% of the questions right in the prelims and were confident of qualifying. In the next rounds, we did try our best but lost out with just a question in the buzzer round. Learning: Not only the correct answers get counted but the speediest ones.Only one team moved to the National finals, and indeed they deserved the win. We came back with a renewed vigour for contesting next year and a couple of great prizes!

Quiz master Pickbrain's quizzing is fast paced and witty and I enjoyed the questions thoroughly. Another satisfying thing was that I found an excellent quizzing partner in my class, Chika, she is very bright and is as interested in quizzing as I am. I 've been part of Delhi University quizzing circuit and Brand equity quiz and have continued being part of quizzes since school (used to be the only girl competing in sports quiz then!), but I think 2010-11 is my only good chance of taking on some serious wins. Quest begins, and this is something I would surely enjoy!

Music and Memories

Photo: Long back, Garry and I won 2nd prize at a collage making competition, the nerds that we were (are), finding (some strange?) infinite joy in Trigonometry .. we called it "Dreams Unlimited"

On an afternoon just like the one today..oh no, I don't think I 'd be feeling the same like the one I am talking about. Today I 've got the time and space to think about the many that went by. Then, I was different. Everything around me was well, different. I was in a different space, but somewhere it feels deja vu. I get it, its the track that's playing in the background. Music evokes feelings and I love the emotional experience, the power it has to change your mood, thinking and actions! 

And I think about the days I used to dance to MTV playing in the TV room whenever my favourite track came, and those when I had a walkman, and that felt like the greatest gift from God. I just downloaded some songs of the "era", and I feel I am back there: a teenager, singing about feelings I didn't know then but know now. Maybe I 'll understand some songs better a few years down the line. 

I don't think I' ve spent a single day without listening or singing something. I 've lived in a musically inspired family and that helped alot. I love muzzzzzzaaaaaaaaaaaaaak ! 

Bailout Season

It's everywhere, this word. A concept that was in our psyche since time immemorial but has really caught on in the public space recently. The rationale of having someone look after you  in bad times or in case you default has been extended to companies (US auto industry, Indian banking industry), country governments (Greece), and individuals (doles). It is a policy challenge/dilemma for all. Should you bailout someone? Should you be bailed out? On what conditions should the bailout take place? I think the real question is : is their a REAL bailout? Or is it a mindset that drags you to make mistakes confidently, let someone be responsible for your failings by giving away your freedom temporarily?

Another viewpoint would say that we live in a symbiotic space where even the flapping of a butterfly's wings causes effects, so in view of this bailouts could be seen as a natural process. Sometimes I save you, sometimes you save me.  

Ideally, one should strive to create a system (family, organisation, institution) where accountability is encouraged, where risk taking should be promoted. In such a system, people should be encouraged to reveal problems before they snowball. If they are reluctant to open up, the likelihood that they will hide systemic faults will be detrimental. At the same time, bailouts should not be ad-hoc but rule based. 

Women's Day Musings

I am proud to be a woman, fortunate to have been raised- up to believe in myself, find a meaning in my life and assist others to make meaning. As a woman and foremost, a human being, I  am blessed by god to partake the responsibilities of a higher order. God has designed women to be attractive, more expressive , more tolerant and well they come with certain 'conditions': she has to be protected and cared for.

Best Thing about Being A Woman, and the Worst.......

I love that as women we have many more avenues of self- expression: color, clothes, cosmetics, crying...........

What I dislike about women in general is that they have a tendecy to be openly jealous. I hate sterotyping but these are my generalisations in this short life journey.

Best Woman in my Life

Mother. The first one I have seen. I see her face in Mother Mary, Goddess Durga, Kali and Saraswati. The best thing about my mom is her ability to adapt so well...how she can be strict at one moment and completely cutesy at another one.

When the Mind Is In Sufficient Chaos

I think I've figured out, what life is.
A journey, a test of mettle
Where everything pivots
Around Winning and Losing
Essentially Trying.
We win some and lose some
and the rest of the time
We seek something,
which will make us feel
the same rush of adrenaline,
That we feel when we are winning.

The wise men said we are actors
who play ourselves and someone else
real and illusionary
fair and contradictory
So we play the game
Roll the dice
and feel we are in charge.

I think we are in a giant ocean
Trying to stay afloat
While we take plunges in deep sea oft
Gulp saline, and recover
Only to find that shores are tough to find
But we like the search
We like the ride on the waves
We like the unbridled freedom
and we like it when
We have someone to hold us out in the midst of a storm.
In the end, we are all
               Floating weeds
                         Aimless algae
                                    Weak Anemones.

(Deadfish Photo by gogo, Baga beach)