Happy New Year

Hi Everyone,

It has been quiet sometime i haven't written any blog. Lot of issues eating my head. Any ways lets forget it for now. I just logged in a very happy mood to wish every one a Very very Happy New Year 2010. Lets put our fingers crossed and hope things will go well in 2010. Enjoy the New Year

**** With Love and Prayers - Sureshbabu

Summer Cricket

It is Saturday early morning when i started writing this blog. I hate (in other words i can't) to wake up early in the morning particularly during the weekends. But for the last 4 months during summer here at Boston i used to wake up around 6.30 in the morning and that all because of the passion i have for playing Cricket during weekends. But as the leaves are turning to colors, when every one needs to wear a jacket while stepping out, you have no other choice other than leaving the cricket.

I mean the summer is over at Boston. This year i haven't went anywhere out or for a long trip during summer. Last year i went to Niagara Falls, New York, Philadelphia, six flags. This year i haven't traveled much for this summer, but i really enjoyed this summer playing cricket. I haven't played cricket for a very long time. I remember that i finally played cricket during my UG 2^nd year. After that i never played cricket. It has been more than 9 years i haven't played cricket. but after a very long time i get a chance to play cricket this summer. Its very tough for me to get up early in the morning and particularly during the weekends so i had skipped the cricket initially. One fine day i went just like that and i really got interested and from that day on i never missed cricket. This is not actual cricket ground and with cricket ball. During weekends when it was hot summer, we guys at Granada highlands (my apartment) have been cooling our heels in the ground for playing cricket. We usually play cricket on Saturday and Sunday morning 7.30 to 10.30 a.m.

There are many forms of cricket in my country; you can find cricket each and everywhere. All you need is a bat and ball. Somehow everybody manage to get that. That is it. Now you rules are yours. i mean we customize the rules based on the place and people like *If you play inside house then you can draw wickets in the wall and one-pitch catch will be out. *If you play cricket on the streets then the road is the boundary area. *If you play cricket in your neighborhood and not too much space, then runs are only on the Offside. The list keeps growing like house, streets, parks, public places, beaches, school grounds, stadium starting from plastic balls to Cricket balls.

Here also we are playing one form of cricket with our customized rules and regulations inside our apartment. Rules are bit different from the regular cricket. For example if you bowl ball on the leg side it is wide and counted for a run, but on Offside it’ is not. Like that there are many different rules, but end of the day its great fun, exercise, joy and good time pass during weekends.

I usually get a chance to put some 1 or 2 over a match. Initially tried for Off-spin balls but that doesn't work out well in tennis ball so started putting very fast phase balls. In batting i used to play lot of singles in the Offside and some times 4's. I will never forget one match where our team has to chase 96 runs in 12 over. Myself and other guy get down for opening. Things don’t work out well and we are 25/2 in 5 over. After that myself and Praveen partnered and to my surprise we won the match with out losing further wickets. Even i didn't expect that. Most of the shots are played by Praveen. But it went really very well. For me it is the best match of the season to remember.

The one specific thing I want to mention about the summer cricket is the commitment of the Kanil who used to call each and every one and do the necessary arrangements for playing cricket. A big Hats off to this guy.

**** Missing cricket very much - Sureshbabu

Amma....

Today i came across a very pleasant Tamil poem. It really feels good after reading the poem. Here it is.

For people who are not fortune enough to learn Tamil, here is the translation of the poem. It’s really tough and funny to convert the exact poem in English but i tried my best so that you will also have the same feel. Any ways my intention is not about translation, it has to reach everyone across languages. Here we go…

One Fine evening, there was a heavy rain and

i was totally drenched in rain by the time i reached home.

My brother scolded me saying

"You would have taken the umbrella while going out"

My sister scolded me saying

"You would have stopped, when the rain starts pouring"

My father scolded me saying

"If you fall in ill, then i need to pay for doctor "

My mother started drying my hair with her sari

and she scolded the “Rain”

--Anonymous

**** Good Feel - Sureshbabu

Recent Rahul Visit - TN

Every Tamilians just aware of recent visit of Rahul Gandhi who is the General Secretary of Indian National Congress and mainly popularized for his recent work in Uttar Pradesh for wining the LokSabha elections. I am writing this blog to discuss what his visit means to Tamil Nadu and the people.

He visited TamilNadu in the views of strengthening the congress party particularly the youth congress from the grassroots levels. So one thing is clear “The congress party is not strengthened inside TamilNadu even though they are supporting the minority government and from the grass root level the party is not functioning”. He also issued a statement saying that Congress will be soon playing a big role in TamilNadu. May be, people will turn up in large numbers to see his face, may be he may solve very few issues in touch with the central government, he may work out little bit at the party level. But will all these changes going to help the people of TamilNadu, undoubtedly it is a big "NO". First Rahul at the max he can visit TamilNadu for 3 - 10 days once in a year and that may solve some of the issues he heard from the people. That is it. i mean that is the only thing he can able to do it. i am not against congress party, i am not against Sonia Gandhi or Rahul, I greatly admire all the work done by Mr. Manmohan Singh who started thinking about Globalization and started his economic reforms for the country during 90's and even today if he is continuing his great work as PM and that won’t be possible with out the great support of Sonia Gandhi. I have highest respect for her when she threw away his PM seat and placing the right person for that post.

But congress party won't work out in TamilNadu and it is not because of Rahul and Sonia. As we all know the congress party status in TamilNadu and their internal groups. I exactly don't know the number of groups inside congress party of TamilNadu, but from the media i learnt that there are many groups. Some of the popular groups are Thangabalu, Elangovan, Vasan, Chidambaram, Vasanth Kumar, Sudharsanam, etc. These are just some of the known groups and there are many more unknown groups as well. All are fighting between themselves to keep their hold in their party and for the power and position. There is not one single supreme leader inside TamilNadu congress who can lead TamilNadu for better place. Let say even if they come in to power who will be the Chief Minister and for the power there will be big fight between them and later some point of time they will come to the compromise by dividing the power in terms of districts, ministers and tenders between them which ultimately ends up with nothing for the people of TamilNadu. We have seen a lot in the media and people should never think about congress inside TamilNadu unless and until they find one supreme leader who can tackle and handle all these groups and have at least okie vision for TamilNadu development.

Here is the other point. Rahul is telling youth, youth, youth. Rahul slogan of bringing the youth to the party may work out very well and will these youth people get any power to administrate or to change the face of TamilNadu or will Rahul able to help the youth to bring in to power. The answer is no, definitely the different groups inside congress won't allow them and the youth have to stay in the same place as they are now other than being the member of the congress party. His visit is to improve the party base inside TamilNadu which may be good for the party but at the end of the day it will end up with these groups which would be big issue for TamilNadu growth and for the people. I managed to find a leader in all the parties inside TamilNadu except congress party and that too for a very long time.

Fine let’s come to the fun part. Here is a funny part during Rahul press meet at chennai. Rahul redirects a question to Thangabalu and Thangabalu started his political speech, somehow rahul managed to stop that and get straight to the point. This is what i am speaking about the congress leadership in TamilNadu. Mr.Thangabalu is currently Congress President for state of TamilNadu and in the press meet he tries to convey something which is very hard to understand and finally he ends his statement saying that Congress will come to power but how, even Mr.Thangabalu doesn’t know.

**** Don’t work at Grass root level, first work at CEO level --Sureshbabu