Meeting the Icon

Whenever I go to Manchester, there is always some surprise wrapped up. Always!! Somehow I try to squeeze the juice from the little fruit I buy. I mean, the surprise and the excitement hence will be worth every quid I pay to get there. This time, it is beyond 'surprising'. As in the last couple of visits, I knew that at least something was coming. However, this time it is just a rabbit out of nowhere.

This Manchester visit is not because I got the pass to the heaven(I am talking about the United match tickets) nor that I wanted to shop at the United's store(I still haven't got the Rooney's jersey. shame on me!!!) but because that I have been starving of proper home food and vexed of heating up the frozen junk, which was cooked ages ago. I desperately wanted to get to Manchester to calm down my taste buds that are crying like kids. I wanted to eat my life out at my aunt's house.

My aunt, uncle, cousins and I went out for Christmas shopping, wandering every possible lane that existed in and around the Manchester City Center. I was told by some of the locals that if I am massively lucky, I might run into a second string player of these big clubs at a pub or places nearby. But never the super stars. Then, I felt, "It's Ok. I will take that. Even if he is a second string one".

As I walked along, It was going around my head. "Why cannot I find one?". After all, they are also humans who want to come out into this lovely world and breathe. I asked my aunt whether she has come across any of these big players during her 10year stay here. The answer was a firm NO. At this moment I seemed to give up.

It was my aunt's birthday and my uncle and I wanted to grab a last minute gift and a cake for her. Two days before Christmas and god!! these people go crazy on shopping as if the worlds gonna end in a couple of days and that they gonna live the rest of their lives with those what they buy now. Streets studded with cars and with people everywhere, we made our way into a huge shopping mall called the Trafford Center. We were almost on a run as we were getting late to the party that we planned before. Instinctively, I stopped at the sports world store as I saw United jersey hanging. I felt, at least now, I should buy my Rooney's jersey, if I get one. I could see the Ronaldo's and Tevez's jerseys hanging but not Rooney's.

My uncle and I looked around to find someone who could help me finding the right one. Finally, one guy, looked like an Indian, probably straight from the heaven, headed towards me and said "What do u want". I asked him for an United jersey of Rooney. He replied, "Sorry, All the jersey are sold out. This is Christmas!". Disappointed, I looked down and up at him and said that's ok. Then he whispered "Turn and look, who you have got". I didn't understand what he was saying. I said, "what?". Then he said, "Mate, you've got your player behind". Then, I turned back and with a far-sighted look was looking beyond. And, all of a sudden I looked at a guy at arms length away. Oh my god!! I was shocked to see the legendary Argentine, CARLOS TEVEZ.

I just didn't know what to do. Damn!! I was not prepared for it. Tevez in front of me. Am I dreaming?? Nope, not certainly. The dream of meeting a sports star as big as Tevez is real now. Then, the sales guy winked at me and said "Try and get a snap with him. But, he might not allow". The first thing that struck my mind is the camera. And before I asked my uncle for the camera, Tevez disappeared. I ran to the other side of the store to catch him. I found him alone, perhaps with another guy(not a united player) looking for some sports jackets. I quickly went near him.

Now, lemme describe him. This is reality and not what we watch on the idiot box. He is quite fair like a European, must be a couple of inches shorter than me, he was wearing a white V-neck top, cargoes and of course sport shoes. With his skull cap on, he looked like a fool :-). I could see the famous scar of his on his neck too. Then, I said "Hi. Tevez". He looked at me in a shock, dropping his jaw. He looked as if he were surprised that I spotted him. And, then I asked for a pic. He immediately said "NO" and murmured something. I know that his English is poor but didn't expect that he is that stupid at English.

I said to myself, "Look!! If you cannot take a snap with him now, it will be the biggest opportunity lost in your whole life". I know that it is now or never. I was determined to somehow persuade him and get the job done. I followed him again just like a guy following his angry love. I then said "Tevez, I am your fan and I am from India". He looked at me like a kid listening to a story, dropping his jaw. Then, I said, "just one snap". He said "OK". Immediately I posed with him and thanks to my uncle who is running behind me with the camera on. Gotcha!!!

There are millions of football fans across nations and continents. Millions and millions of people adoring Tevez. But how many would actually get a chance to stand next to him and speak to him. I have seen him play hundreds of times on the television, read extensively about him and when I actually meet him, feeling is different. He is just a normal human being as we are. It is fascinating that a guy with such a presence and following acts quite normally.

I must thank the sales guy without who I wouldn't have met this star and I wouldn't be writing this post. It's all destiny. Isn't it? Then, we quickly moved away as we were getting late for the party. I asked the sale guy whether these players visit this store often. He said that they dont and he himself was seeing him for the first time. With head held high, heart filled with joy, I hurried towards the car. At the party, I was just narrating this wonderful experience to all my relatives. After the party, my aunt said that it was a special day for her as she received a wonderful birthday card from my uncle, the kids said that it was their special day as they had some good food. However, I felt within, "It might be a special to you guys, it is also a special day for me. But the intensity of the world 'special' is of some other level beyond your imagination".

Great Gifts from a Great Friend- My Friendship day

Overwhelmed, ecstatic and exuberant I was after an array of wonderful gifts was showered on to me by my best friend, setting up a eventful friendship day. Wonder who my best friend is? who else, I-me-myself.

Of course true, I am my best friend, a friend who would never depart, who would be there unconditionally in successes and failures, joys and sorrows, so on and so forth. I often find a "Today's fortune" on orkut saying " The one who falls in love with himself will have no competitors". That's pretty true. Being single, has been a hallmark of my life. I learned to be alone, I loved to be alone and in the process I made myself my best friend.

The best thing for you to be your best friend is that you can always rely upon, trust one-self, feel confident in your self. In this world of parasites and utility friends, the only unselfishly loving and caring buddy is one-self. Perhaps my "never trouble others" or "never intrude into others' space" attitude keeps me away from the shackles of friendship.(I too had my share of bitter experiences with some of my so-called friends, where I learned a plenty). So, here go my words again "Nothing is better than nonsense".

I have been on a shopping spree lately. shedding thousands each day on shopping(I blame it on my trip to UK :-)). Wandering all around Hyderabad for the best possible clothes, accessories and foot-wear. Some of them were good(small percentage), some of them were o.k. However, most of them were, diplomatically, not so good. I always love to shop for myself, alone. It gives me a lot of freedom, time and flexibility to explore. I don't have to entertain the person who accompanies me, more importantly, I will be free from certain thoughts such as "Am I pushing him too much?", " Is he getting bored?", "Is it time for him to leave" etc (mind you, I never ever shopped with a female in my life. I wonder how that experience would be).

Generally, people take along someone to check for the fit of the dress piece. I wonder why they need someone when they got trail rooms in every tom, dick and harry store. The mirror says it all. isn't it? Alright, for today, I had a list of items on my agenda: A watch, a pair of goggles and a jeans. I already had, as I always do, a pretty good idea on what kinda style I need to buy. However, never ever, the exact thing that I look for turns up. Either the size is not available, the color is out of stock, or some thing or the other comes up.

With not much hope, I went out with my best buddy(i.e alone) for shopping. As I already visited and turned Hyderabad Central upside down, I decide to go to Shopper's Stop and Lifestyle for a change. What a decision. No no, my best friend had taken me there. It was drizzling and I had a pleasant drive in my car to Shoppers Stop as there wasn't much traffic around. I just went there with an intent of a window shopping. No hopes what so ever. As I know (from my experience) that what I want would never be there.

A hospitable sales guy wished me and asked me what I needed. I just explained him my kinda watch. And goodness gracious me. He took out a piece exactly what I dreamed off literally. An impeccably crafted square shaped watch with silver dial and official-semi formal black strap. No fuss at all. The one I wanted. Quickly said "yes" to it. I knew, I cannot ask for a better one. Job done at Shoppers Stop.

For the past few months, I was searching for one damn jeans. I got into literally every store I came across and returned with empty hands(or buying something else in disgust:-)). I gave up hope on this. I returned from Shoppers Stop and was heading towards Lifestyle. Why I stopped, how I stopped, I don't know but I stopped. It was drizzling. On any other day I wouldn't have done so. I stopped at a Live-in store, which was quite small and none inside. Only the manager, chatting with his son, was there. I thought, come on buddy, this is not the place and just for courtesy sake I explained him the jeans I wanted. We both searched for a bit and I finally got the color, I checked with him the specifications: Low-rise, regular fit, boot-cut. Perfect!! And I prayed god before going into the trail room that this should fit me. I closed the door and wore the jeans. I looked into the mirror with my mouth agape. I couldn't belive it. Gottcha!!! I quickly came out and said "perfect".

I stepped into my car and looked at me in the mirror and said to myself with a smile ,"you must have stepped on something before you started buddy". I sensed something happening today. Is it a friendship day bonanza from god? Well, why dont I try my luck with my goggles? I said to myself. I parked my car deep inside the parking lot of Lifestyle mall as it was crowded. I said to myself, huh, for a 10min window shopping it took 15 mins to park a car. I didn't straight away jump off to the eye gear section. I browsed through various brands and grabbed a woolen knit, skin-tight black V-neck full sleeved tee. That looked amazing on me with a perfect body fit. Boy!! this is my day.

Finally, the icing on the cake. I have been looking for an Aviator model sunglasses for a long time. I just asked the sales guy at Poloroid for one. He searched and said that this is a very fast moving model and it was out of stock. As I was already on a roll and was satisfied with the three gifts, I just said "it's ok". Then, he hinted me to have a look at the Fastrack stall. There he came up with one, Which is a black shade with glossy rim. I am not a fan of glossy rims and more over, I wanted a brown one as I already have a black one. While I was about to leave, he came-up with a Classic Aviator, brown tapered with fine rim, the exact thing that lured me over the months. I cannot believe it. It was like a dream. I had put on the goggles and man!! I looked like a model. I knew, it was perfect. However, in all excitement, I asked the guy whether it is fitting me. He said "Sir, your face is perfect for a Classic Aviator, and the brown shade on you is just superb, Trust me".
I loved to hear those words. I said "I trust you".

What ever I touched today turned to gold. I just hit the bull's eye not just once but four times in a matter of 3 hours. I bought myself these four special gifts, gifts that are special as they are from my special friend. As I myself know what gifts I want, gifting myself is just perfect on a friendship day. I returned home, bought myself a Fivestar fruit and nut and celebrated my friendship day with delight, satisfaction, glee and in disbelief too with my best buddy, me.

Sometimes for fun I write some crap

Oh god, it's that July again. Perhaps a mere coincidence, it's this time of the year, I really go down tumbling to bed for whatever reasons. Last year, I was hit by a wave of high fever and I was reduced to bed for nearly two weeks. Out of T.V, out of internet and, more importantly, out of happenings, really made me go nuts.

Surprisingly, during this July, I was again put to bed (This time it's not a natural calamity but a man made mistake :-)) as I, myself, opted for an eye surgery. I was asked to stay away from the T.V and the internet and of course, was advised to close my eyes as much as possible and SLEEP(one of my favorite activities). However, I felt that this is the most cruel punishment ever. Asking a person to sleep too much is just a mental torture. Believe me! You may reckon and even be surprised, but you would know how hard it is to lay on bed with eyes closed when you really want to come out into the world.

The caption of a popular beverage, " The world is waiting, where are you" struck my mind, though nothing is really waiting for me. I get all sorts of emotionally weak thoughts and fears and I succumb to them to death during this ugly idle period. Perhaps, the old adage, "Idle man's mind is a devil's workshop" , holds good here. Though I feel great and on top of the world with " I'm single and I'm loving it" attitude, at this point of time, I feel lonely and feel that there isn't really anyone who would really care for me "genuinely" and "unconditionally".

I wanted to test it practically, taking some real-time data to find out that is there anyone really concerned about me. So, I picked up my mobile and perused through the received numbers list. To my surprise, over 70% of the calls were from my credit card sales buddies, who are really concerned about my investments, credits, savings, loans, health insurance(wow they are concerned about my family too). With a pun intended, they are the true friends.

Ironically, we generally tend to take people, who really care about, for granted and ignore them while we long and beg for someone else to care for. Typically, I tend to ignore those bank calls by saying "I am busy" or "not interested". It's Harsh. Isn't it? As I write this, a practical joke flashed in my mind all of a sudden. It was during my engineering, a period during which cell phones were new and talking to a girl over the phone for us was an eight wonder. One of my class mates was known to possess posh northie gals' numbers. Knowing this, another guy bribed him, begged him and somehow managed to get a number. With hell a lot of excitement he went home to call her up and the next day told that she was saying the same thing again and again and that he was pissed off. We were bewildered. The real joke is here, the other guy had given him the hutch customer care number and the voice is a pre-recorded female speech. Poor fellow he didn't even know that such a service ever existed.

Back from the joke, the other calls were from my clients. Are you wondering who these clients are? These are people who find me on orkut or some pagalguy forums and even people I know at TCS ,or at my college etc. They generally call me to seek help on GMAT, Management programmes, U.K MBA etc. (Lately, I have become one big consultant and about to start a consultancy too (just joking)). They quite politely and sweetly start with this "Hi, Prashant. How are you?". All they would expect is a very mundane "I am fine.How about you?". There is no real intent in knowing how you really are. In fact, they would be taken aback and become speechless if I say anything other than that mundane reply. Because they are not expecting it and they are not prepared for it.

I had such strange experience when I was interviewed by Dr. Chris Storey, Director of the full time MBA at CASS business school. I typically started off with "Hi Chris. How are you doing?". He replied "Hi Prashant. I am not doing well, had head ache all morning as I screened many applications and my kid is not well too." Wow, what a surprise that was. I never expected that answer. However, I somehow managed to get through. Perhaps, it was intentional from Chris to test my ability to manage during uncertainty.

Alright back again, so overall, after this swot analysis, there is only one caller, who unconditionally, affectionately, truly and genuinely called me day and again. Who else it can be. It is my mom. That's why they say, as god cannot be everywhere to take care of everyone, and thus, he created mother, my world. Apart from mom, there is nobody really. Yes of course people do call me, scrap me and mail me, however, they do it when they need something and my name flashes in their minds once they are in need of some information, or some monetary help or whatever. I find a lot of females falling into this category. Previously, I felt good that at least I am remembered in need. However, deep down it has been gripping me when I learned that I am confined to this mere role and none is really taking me to the next level of the relationship-A friend (here friend is defined a bit tightly, it is not just a person who you know).

You might question me "Prashant, do you care for others? If so, they would do surely reciprocate". I have an answer for this too. As I know, the importance of this, I regularly go through my contacts list, browse through it and call people alphabetically, just to know their well being and whereabouts. I may not be really interested but the fact that my show of concern can lift the other guy's spirits is what I look out for. I do the same on orkut as well. I just want to make sure that there is no mistake from my end.

So I asked myself. Am I missing something in life? The answer is unarguably "Yes" to me. I really wonder how so much is said about, written about friendship. The poems, the songs, the quotes and the stories. It must have existed surely, but where? I haven't experienced it yet. Mind you, all this while I am talking about friendship but not love. I am miles away from it and it out of my sight and reach and I threw it long ago out of my basket.

P.S: I wrote the above blog with ideas that flew around my mind when I was physically and mentally inactive. So, please don't take it seriously huh, as this is some crap :-)

Parting with a long time companion

Writing this article is making me feel seriously nostalgic. As time passes by, lot change, people depart and, of course, memories fade. This long time confidant has been with me, through my thick and thin, successes and failures (I guess I had lot many failures) and for a staggering 17 years. Day-in and day-out, I just couldn't do away with.

We shared the bed, whether it's exams or movies, long drives or sports, I was with. My best moments on T.V and on my p.c were shared. In sum, I looked at this beautiful world only through its eyes. So now guess who? This dude is none other than my glasses.

I still remember that day, when I was in my 4th class, I cringed back when I saw my classmate wearing glasses. Then, the very next day, I was incumbent with the task of wearing glasses for the rest of my life. What misery. I hated them to the core, I found them not as a fascination but as an obstruction, and the additional overhead of maintenance gripped me. For heavens sake, I didn't want to look like a nerd.

I shunned them from day one and to entice me, my parents put in extreme efforts. The next few paras are entirely dedicated to the efforts that my parents had put in. For nominal eye check-ups, I was taken to Madras (now Chennai) all the way from Kakinada and I was thoroughly checked by one of the best ophthalmologists in the country. My first pair of glasses were bought in Lawrence and Mayo, Chennai (I haven't had a clue of the brand then) and they were over 2000 bucks. (Mind you I was talking about a period that was 17 years ago). They bought another pair of specs that was opthalmic coated, which would reflect a blue light. This specs are my all time favorite and my friends used to love them and play with them

It took only a few months to destroy one specs and the other was a story. During my lunch-break, we all used to play in the play ground and I used to put my glasses inside my pockets. However, one fine day, I wore a sweater and I put them inside it. After the break we rushed to our class rooms and in the process, I dropped them somewhere in the vast play ground. As, I reached my class room, to my utter disgust, I found them lost somewhere. Then, my friends were disappointed and they searched the entire ground, as I gave up thinking about my new specs and some days off without study.

Nearly after four months, one of my friends found those specs in the ground, specs that weathered the sun and the storm. The frame was faded though the glass was great. And, I used them again.

That was the beginning of my huge collection of glasses. I tried photo-sun, carbon frame, half-frame, gold frame, oval, square, plastic ones, metal ones, what not, expensive brands, cheaper brands, a number that is uncountable and unthinkable, my specs arsenal grew and grew. I chewed the legs, bent the rims, threw them off, stepped on them, dropped them hundreds of times, slept with them and slept on them. But, I couldn't do away with them.

After some time, I tried my luck with the contacts during my intermediate. With cylindrical power, contacts didn't fit the bill. I felt irritated, scared and abhorred those lens and switched back to my dear glasses. Innumerable times, I used to repent while searching for them when they are badly needed after I threw them somewhere in disgust. Half the time I spent each day searching for them. They used to creep in, somehow, underneath me while I was asleep and to my horror, I used to wake up with a broken frame or popped out glass or a bent rim.

If this is one side of the problem, the other is a bit more social and even emotional. As I grew, I limited the usage of my glasses to reading, watching T.V and working on my comp. I restricted them to my pockets. I moved around without a clear vision and saw the world through a mist. In the process, I missed out on recognizing people a bit far off and more importantly, their smiles at me. I felt that I was missing something seriously.

Now at 25, I felt that it's the time to bade a happy goodbye to my buddy. I got my sight corrected with a laser eye surgery known as LASIK. I felt sorry for my mate, but cannot help, I finally got rid of them and I feel proud that I am looking at this beautiful world with my own eyes and will never let those smiles at me go in vain.

All Hail The New Champion

All of a sudden it flashed in my mind. How come I still didn't write on this arguably the best Wimbledon final in the history of Tennis? So, I am now poised to explode with my heart stopping emotions, views and reviews on Wimbledon final 08. Before jumping into detail, I desperately want to state my stance i.e " I want to see somebody (damn anybody) beating Federer".

All Fedex fans out there, you must be wondering why? This instinct has been deeply rooted for a reason. I cannot take anything against my all time Tennis hero, Pete 'The Great' Sampras. I still remember the game, where that Swiss teen defeated and dethroned the Champion, as somber Pete Sampras lingered at his changeover chair, engulfed by cheers that weren't for him. I just couldn't take that sight. I had cursed Federer then and it continued. Had that match not happened, I would have been a huge fan of Federer. However, unfortunately it happened and the rest is history.

With my knees down and arms together I admit that Federer is one of the most, if not the most, talented players I have seen. He is a classic and he is poetry in motion. A great human on and off the court. In terms of quality, I tip him over Sampras even. However, unfortunately, Mr. Roger, I didn't happen and I don't support you.

So, what next? I was looking for someone all these years to be my role model, a favorite to cheer for and most importantly, a man who would dethrone the Emperor. There were quite a few pretenders who passed by, the Roddicks, the Safins, the Djokovics and even the Tsongas. But, Fedex was matchless. His quality is way beyond their reach. However, after nearly 5 years of reign, there emerged a warrior, the Spanish Armada, Rafael Nadal. I was following him for quite sometime now. I was convinced that this lad has quality, consistency and prowess, but was still unsure whether he is the answer for Federer.

Forget about clay, Nadal is unsurmountable. Fedex's only chance to win the French is when Nadal gets injured. But, I am looking at the grass. The 7 titles that my Pete holds are at threat. I want someone to stop Roger's run. Last year's final was a cracker. So close but yet so far. But, Nadal showed this world what is he made of. And, that final gave me hope. I knew that the days of Fedex's reign were numbered.

Federer looked out of touch this year following his loss to Djokovic and ofcourse the truly one-sided Ronald Garos Final. However, when it comes to Wimbledon, his den, he is a different player who is untouchable. He has that destructive weapon, the Serve. I keep saying, if you have the serve, you are almost there. That's the reason why Ivanisevic went on the win the title though he is a mediocre game player.

I watched some of the matches of this year Wimbledon. I found new players coming in, some showed glimpses of quality, some tight matches but none really a threat to Federer. However, I watched Nadal's games and found that he is just as sublime as Federer. So, there is only one man in Federer's way now. I want them to meet. I looked at the draw at the Nadal's end. For a moment, I analyzed the players in Nadal's way. A bit worried that would any of these players pose a serious challenge. However, I felt that it is silly to worry. If Nadal struggles against anyone, then he cannot beat Federer and of course, doesn't deserve to beat him.

Both reached final with great form under their belt. Both of them were poised and determined. The 'dream' final is on. Where the number one takes on number two (mind you, I dint state who is number one and number two). There was a Asian Cup final at the same time. India taking on Srilanka. Heck, who cares about that?


I just finished off my pending jobs to get ready for the final. I was bit late though. When I switched on my TV, Nadal already broke Fedex serve in the first set. I felt happy and continued watching. Nadal took the first set without much resistance. Then, I thought, "Do I see a Federer fight back now?". I knew that he wouldn't give away easily. As I thought it happened. Federer broke Nadal early in the second. Game on. However, amazingly this lad came back strong and clinched the second too. With two sets down, I thought it will be a mountain to climb for Federer. Moreover, he wasn't in this situation before. I doubted how Federer would respond to this. Now, I was relaxed and went out for dinner as there was a short rain break.

In the third, things have changed, both played equally well, matching game to game, point to point, stroke to stroke. An array of winners that you don't often see. If one comes up with an amazing point, the other answers it with another fabulous one. Third set, thus eventually ended up in the tie-breaker. It was 50-50. Federer was serving well and took the early lead. I knew this set would go to Federer. And, it did. Now, I felt Nadal should wrap it up in the fourth else Fedex would grow in confidence and he would be unstoppable if it goes to the decider.

Nadal started well. So did Federer. It was his vicious serve that was coming in handy. Nadal looked vulnerable at times with his weak serve. However, his game is a touch more in quality that Fedex's and thus he survived. In open play, the chances of winning the point for both players were 67-33 to Nadal. Nadal threatened to break Roger's serve. However, time and again Fedex came up with a moment of magic and survived. Similar to the third, the fourth too went to a tie-breaker. I felt that this should be the decider. Nadal, if he were to win the title, he should do it now, in the fourth. If it goes to the fifth, Federer will be unsurmountable.

Nadal took the lead. Fingers crossed. Now, this tie-breaker holds a special place in the history books. To me, two of the greatest points in the history of the Wimbledon final are played. One a stunner forehand pass from Nadal. At this moment, I felt, one got to produce such moments to beat Roger and so, he would win. Finally, Nadal got the championship point on his own serve. Both players under huge pressure. God alone knows what emotions must be going on within them. Nadal severed in and approached the net. Then, the maestro, delivers a backhand pass winner that a Champion alone can, and Roger alone can. It was sheer audacity on the Championship point. He had to go for the winner. And the Champion gets the winner. Fourth set Federer. The momentum certainly swung Fedex's way. I felt, it would be a repeat of last year's final.

Federer game can be summarized by some moments of magic and some moments of madness. He can alone produce both the extremities in his pursuit to finish the point quickly. In contrast, Nadal is more consistent, has more perseverance and makes very few unforced errors. Mind you, I am only talking relatively, comparing two players with outstanding quality. The Tennis played so far is just different quality and no other player or match would even come a mile closer. I felt that the center court was in a different planet all together.

Fedex has a mighty advantage serving first in the fifth set. Thank god, no more tie-breakers. Two sets all, two game all and deuce. What a time for a rain break. I switched off my desktop and opened my laptop and connected the cable hoping for a change of fortune. The game restarted after the rain break. It's getting late. Already 4 hours of Tennis excluding the rain delays. Each player tried hard to hold on and they did. Some amazing points played. It was at 7-7 Finally Nadal broke Fedex's serve. And, he should serve out for the match, the Championship. Through those tense moments and amidst quality Nadal finally defeated the defending Champion and fell to the ground in disbelief, conquering the throne.

A sight that I haven't seen before, a refreshing sign to the world of Tennis, it heralded the emergence of a new Hero, and the beginning of a rivalry on grass. Nadal climbed on to the box and was greeted by this family. He even walked on the commentary box's roof to meet the Prince and Princess of Spain. When he lifted the trophy it was darkness and the photographers shot pics using flash lights. All in all, I felt that I have witnessed one of the best. if not the best, Wimbledon final. A match that was matchless and a match that had a two deserved winners, who are so different in style, physique, game and demeanor but yet two great champions.

P.S: India lost the Asia cup final, which was played parallel to this game, to Srilanka again. Looked silly to give away wickets cheaply to a youngster. But, heck, who cares? :-)

The Turkish revival

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UEFA EURO 2008 Group A - 15 June 2008 - Genève - Stade de Genève

TURKEY 3 - 2 CZECH REPUBLIC

Koller 34,Plašil 62
Arda Turan 75
Nihat Kahveci 87, 89
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The above details go quietly into the history books. However, there is something to share about this game that is beyond what these statistics reveal.

This is not just a football match where 22 jobless fellas run after a ball. This game should be packaged and shown as a part of crucial management training in business schools, firms and where ever required. Most management books state what to do, and some even describe how it has been done. However, this match 'shows' what is written in those management bibles. I thought of tagging this article to my 'Sports Mirror' section alone. However, it is not just about sport. There is a lot for an MBA to extract out of it. So, I tagged it to my "MBA talk" as well.

It was a crucial Group A clash between Turkey and the Czech Republic and the winner automatically reserves a berth in the last eight. With every thing to play for and a penalty shoot out on cards, this pulsating encounter started off with both the teams playing football, interfacing caution with aggression.

In football matches such as these, for that matter any sport, where I am a neutral, when not really biased towards any side, I desire that a weaker team comes from behind and wins the game. In other words, I develop favorites as the match progresses. I particularly don't have any bitter experiences with either sides and I just let the game move on.

I must say that this game is of two halves, where the Czechs dominated and the Turks looked vulnerable in the first half. To show-up for their efforts, the Czechs got their goal, thanks to Koller, The 6 foot 8 tower. I sensed that the game was turning out to be a one sided encounter and made a move to go to bed as it was 1:30 a.m already.

But hang on guys. I sensed something else too: A "Turkish revival". I just wanted to check if those Turks have that grit, that verve to make a game of it. So, I waited for the second half to start. And, I tell you, my decision not to go to bed was probably one the best decisions that I have taken for a long time. Had I slept without watching the second half, I wouldn't have witnessed and shared this remarkable come back of the Turks in the history of the European Championships.

The second half was underway. I had absolutely no idea what the Turkish coach, Fatih Terim, said to his players during, perhaps, the most crucial half time talk of his tenure. He must have hypnotized the entire contingent and fed them the elixir of "BELIEF".

They came out roaring in the second half, with delicately balancing aggression with caution. Move after move, chance after chance they pressed forward with that belief, yes the belief alone. The face of the game transformed quite amazingly. It was all Turks and the Czechs sat back on their knees praying. What a dramatic turn around.

I always love to see fight backs, come backs, twists in the tails, heroics that sport and the war alone provide. Movies do provide. However, it is unreal, a movie after all. They don't excite me. I said to myself, is this the game where I can see such a fight back? Not every game produces such thrillers as these. You must be lucky or else you would end up watching a boring one sided game.

Ok. Back to the game. I could see a goal coming sooner or later from the Turks. At least, not one from the Czechs. The Turks really pressed on and on. They showed all the quality to equalize to get on level terms. By all means they deserved an equalizer. However, chances knocked and disappeared like a playful kid troubling his neighbors. The Turks still played with loads of energy and with a level head until this happened. Just after hour mark, one move from the Czechs and Plasil darted forward and slotted the ball for a second.

This is the point and this is moment that many teams fall apart. The second goal from the Czechs virtually sealed the game off. Any other side would have given it up after this unrecoverable blow. However, now, the actual Turkish revival, the remarkable come back that I was talking about started.

With just 15 minutes to go, with exit doors opening wide and handsome, with the thousands of Czech fans already celebrating, the Turks never ever gave up. They just didn't want to quit. Here goes the famous saying "You lose only when you quit". Turks followed it and they followed it badly. Their shoulders never dropped. Though with aching bodies and draining energy, they hit back hard. They showed tremendous belief that alone won them the first opening, a goal. The much needed one from Arda Turan. With pumped confidence and punching fists Turks were on their way for a second one.

Now, just 5 minutes to go. Seconds draining like anything, Turks hit and hit. It was a delight to watch the positive body language of the Turks and the coach Terim even in those tense moments. You all must have heard this saying too: "The fortune favors the brave". I too heard it many times. However, I was not sure of relevance of this saying until Petr Cech, one of the best goal keepers in the world at the moment, spilled a cutting cross on to the brave Turkish captain Nihat and to delight of the Turkish fans he placed the ball at the back of the net.

The thousands of Turkish fans behind the Czech goal were just amazing. They pulled their team off. It is all square now. Certainly a penalty shoot seemed coming. But, I felt that Turks with this tremendous momentum could just finish the Czech off. It was all Turkey at the moment and exactly after 2 minutes of finding a unlikely equalizer, the captain courageous, Nihat, broke the off-side trap, and curled a stunner past the goal keeper on to the back of the net. The Winner it was. And one of the remarkable come backs in the history of the game was complete. Czechs, who were comfortably heading to the quarter finals just 15 minutes ago found themselves out of the tournament to their utter disbelief.

This game teaches some essential management lessons such as Team work, Leadership, Strategy etc and practically shows the applicability of these theories. The way the Turkish captain, Nihat, lead from the front and the way the team responded to him is out of the top draw. The sense of urgency and the 'never say die' attitude of the Turks are the qualities that stand out.

When the Turks got the winner, I wasn't excited. I just smiled within me as I know what was coming when a team shows such qualities. I don't know how far Turks go in this championships. But, in this game they not only showed the world what they can do, but also showed the world that one can achieve the so-called impossible with BELIEF.

Key issues in the face of TCS - my insight

The key issues that TCS faces are typical of Indian IT giants that provide consulting and global offshore outsourcing services. The competitive comparisons in business consulting capabilities between Indian IT services firms and global services majors present an interesting picture. The Indian players today face a myriad of challenges that they need to overcome before they can match the likes of IBM and Accenture in becoming consulting champions. The obvious difficulty first is in building the capability itself. As demonstrated, the company needs to gain both vertical and horizontal expertise (domain and process knowledge) to make its presence felt in the consulting echelon.

TCS' mission is to become a global top ten IT firm by year 2010. The changes on the customer front, caused by global competitive pressures, are throwing up a whole host of new opportunities and challenges for the company to act upon in the next five years. In turn, these developments are forcing the company to take a close look at the organizational structure, practices and decision-making process.

Manpower is another strong reason that could play a spoilsport for the Indian consulting party. The requirements for IT services and consultants are quite different; with India starting to face a shortfall of IT manpower itself, the future does not bode well here. TCS will need people not only with domain expertise, but also armed with complete process capabilities.

TCS' value proposition still remains focused on India, where the company continues to do the bulk of the work. However, Indian outsourcing faces a stiff challenge as other markets such as China, Russia are emerging in the field of Software Outsourcing. In order to address these issues, TCS has adopted a Global Delivery Model (GDM), which uses a mix of onshore and offshore development. However, TCS faces dramatic changes, challenges, and constraints as it uses the global delivery model to transform itself into a knowledge leader competing with established global giants. TCS is in the process of localizing the workforce and is addressing how to integrate them with the organization, be it training, best practices, sharing project management capabilities or quality consciousness.

Another challenge is that like all other Indian IT companies TCS operates at the lower end of the value chain and to be a really dominant player it needs to move up the value chain. The two-way movement of jobs and labor creates interesting implications for the future. As Indian firms expand in the US, their cost structure is certain to increase. In contrast, as US firms expand in India and other developing economies, their cost structure is likely to decrease.

To become a recognized global brand, TCS must promote knowledge leadership and create incentives to innovate. TCS has already established a high standard in software development, but now it must gain credibility by innovating next-generation tools, languages, technology concepts, and standards. Developing such capabilities requires a culture of innovation and a system that offers incentives to reward success. However, rigid processes such as CMM certification that have helped TCS to become known for quality might not necessarily encourage innovation. Therefore, TCS should collaborate intellectually with educational institutions and foster efforts to enhance cultural alignment in the coming years.

Furthermore, TCS must contend with significant infrastructure limitations as well as complex political and socioeconomic factors, which have a significant impact on the domestic business environment. With external political problems like a backlash from European and North American markets, TCS face formidable challenges in the next five years in its journey to become a global top ten IT firm by year 2010.

P.S: The above article is one of my MBA admission essays, which has been submitted to Warwick Business School.

My trip to the "religious heaven" - Tirupathi

I am seriously agnostic. As any fellow agnostic human, I too have my two sides. One of which is the belief in the existence of god. Perhaps my "never take chances" attitude makes me agnostic. Who knows, after I die, if heaven and hell exist? And that If I don't care about god through out my life, I will be taken to hell straight away. Therefore, as I never take chances, I do place a bit of belief in god.

To me, if there is god it has to be Lord Venkateshwara(Balaji). This belief has been passed on to me by my grandmother in particular and the rest of my family in general. I don't place a lot of overhead on him though. However, I feel that I should do my best and the god will 'then' do the rest. As, my wish is full filled and as I promised god that I would climb the seven sacred hills on foot and as I promised him that I would get a tonsure done, I decided to make a trip to Tirupathi.

Making a trip to Tirupathi is by no means a joke. If you screw your planning then it will be a religious hell. Especially, in this season, the crowd will be terrible. I booked my tickets 20 days ago and planned that my mom, dad and my cousin from Bangalore would join me at Tirupathi on 30th. To make our lives easier, my mom has a very close friend there who is a Judge in Tirupathi. What else is required with a Judge around. I met my parents in the morning at my aunt's place and after refreshing and regrouping, I started off with my cousin to climb the hill by foot. Well, this is my fifth time by foot and I have a substantial experience in this regard.

All the difficulty lies in the first leg. It will be literally a mountain to climb in the beginning. Once that phase is finished, one can feel a lot better. Along the way, we were accompanied by people from different backgrounds, the rich and the poor, some climbing by applying Pasupu(turmeric) and kunkum and also placing a lit candle on each step. Two other guys were climbing each step by their knees. I was amazed by the piece of belief that these people had. With minimum of the stoppages, my cousin and I, climbed the mountains and reached the Tirimula (Hill top) in 3 hours. My father, who reached before us in my aunt's car, had received us and took us a plush double bed room cottage. I have seen places packed with pilgrims and people having a tough time. It was lunch time and after a sumptuous meal at a nice restaurant, we headed back to our cottage.

Now, the moment. The barber had finally come to shave my head off. I was reluctant to go first and asked my cousin to get it done. Then, on my turn, I bribed the barber with 10 bucks and asked him to do it smoothly. It started, now all kinds of thoughts went around my mind: A few months of agony with 'gundu', my already useless look would go worse etc. However, I felt, it is all for the sake of the god and remained calm. I asked the barber about his earnings, which are staggering(100 tonsures in a matter of 12 hours each day and gets a minimum of 10 rupess per head). After that, I had a look at my face in the mirror. I instantly laughed at that sight. It's all over now.

Around 6 p.m, we were escorted by some judicial office staff to the temple entrance. It was people, people and people and nothing else. This is considered 'the rush hour' and with summer break on, Tirumala has been hit by a human tsunami. Both the rich and the poor, no matter what their back grounds are, no matter what places they had come from, they are dwelling on roads, waiting for hours and hours, running behind officials for rooms, for shelter and most importantly, one small glimpse of the Lord himself. People waiting in the line for 20-30 hours, just like prisoners inside Jewish camp, amidst horrible stampedes and hustles, made me feel that what great power is that, lying in the middle of the temple, and what great belief people place in one stony structure that is driving these millions.

I felt that I am blessed to have such a comfortable life and at least now, I should stop cursing god for what he hadn't given me. We were escorted all the way inside the temple for a 'break darshan'- the VVIPS alone get it. And came out after a small meet with the Lord. We also got tickets for 'Suprabhata Seva' and "Archana Anantara Darshan', which had 2:30 am and 4:30 am as the reporting times respectively the following day. My cousin, who came by foot with me, was seriously troubled by the aching legs and dropped out on the next darshan. My father too was reluctant for a second one. Therefore, my mom and I decided to go for the 'Suprabhata Seva' early in the morning at 2:30. We reached on time and not many people were around. The queues were just starting to get populated. This time my 'Darshan' was much more pleasant. We were made to stand inside the main temple and for the first time, I found some time to observe the beautiful golden cravings on the roof , a sight we generally miss out concentrating on scouts who would drag us off mercilessly. I just prayed god and told him that I hadn't had enough time to read my lengthy wish list now and as he is the god, he must have already known what I want and asked him to make me and the people around happy.

Then, my mom and I went to a place were we get the 'Laddu'(the sacred and famous prasadam). Then returned, looking at the plight of some well-to-do families, who couldn't find accommodation, sleeping under the trees. We had reached home at 4:30 am and I slept happily. I got up and was ready to get down the hill by foot. This time, I was all alone, as my cousin gave up due to his sore legs. I got down the hills without much hassle in 2 hours and reached my aunt's house. That evening we went to "Alivelu Mangapuram Temple", temple of Lord Venketeshwara's wife. We were escorted by the office staff and were treated royally. That trip was a breezy one even with hundreds of pilgrims fighting inside the queues.

TRIP TO SRI KALAHASTEESHWARA TEMPLE :

The following day, as we had a day in hand and more importantly a vehicle in hand, we decided to go to Sri Kalahasti. It is a 45 mins drive from Tirupathi where a very famous Shiva temple is located. 'Sri' means 'Spider', 'Kala' means 'Serpent', 'Hasti' means 'Elephant's tusks'. As the Shiva Lingam has Spider as its base, two Elephant's tusks as its trunk and a Serpent as its head, incarnation of Shiva is called "Sri Kalahasteeshwara". The temple is known for its huge four-fold structure and beautiful stone carvings, that survived hundreds of years. It is truly a beautiful temple.

As the E.O (Executive officer and the head of the temple) is known to my father and my father himself was a Regional Joint Commissioner of Endowments, we were greeted very warmly with priests and other staff guided us at each and every step. I had a 'Rahu-ketu-Sarpa' pooja done and then saw that famous Shiva Lingam without any coverings. That was really amazing and a aura of religious feeling struck within me. After that, we headed back home in the afternoon. I had lunch at my aunt's place and that evening caught the train back home to land of Biriyani, that I missed on this pilgrimage.

Car driving - made easy!!!

With 9 months of proud car ownership. And also with hands on real-time driving experience in the most hazardous of the conditions ever, I reckon that I am worthy enough to share some of my healthy and ,of course, more unhealthy experiences that would be beneficial to some greenhorns and frustrated drivers.

Car driving has been one of my passions. However, I hadn't had an 'opportunity' (nope, necessity is the word) to really drive my heart out. Since I was born, we always had a car and a driver too, to face the music. So, I was reluctant, rather lazy, to learn driving. However, when I was out of house and when I saw some of my friends driving, I felt like the time has come. So, I asked my dad to buy me a car and he readily gave the nod (what a father. I am blessed:-)).

Then started my ordeal. All I knew is that a level head and a bit of concentration are required to acquire this art. I always knew that I am a sensible driver and when I stick to the basics, everything would fall in place. And thankfully everything fell in place.

Now, the real intension behind writing this article is not to describe my outing with my car but rather to put forth some guidelines, coupled with some of my findings, that would make car driving a pleasure, a pleasure which has turned a nightmare lately. This article will not teach you how to drive (changing gears, reversing etc) but rather make you aware of some finer aspects of driving such as 'enjoying a drive' that are not taught at a driving school.

On a fabulous evening with sun dropping down to bed, car loaded with full tank, long-wide road with absolutely no vehicles, with light music on, and more importantly with your girl by the side, one hand on the steering and another holding her hand. Amazing!!. I would live for this day and I am waiting for it. However, the cruel side of life is not what we see in movies or what we dream of.

Packed roads on a week-day evening, with cars, trucks, city buses, autos and my dear two-wheelers sprayed all around, when the movement is bumper-to-bumper, lights on, and when you approach a 45 degree incline and when your car stops and tends to go backwards. One Skoda in front and one Toyota behind, blaring horns. And, at the nick of the moment, when you somehow start to pull the trigger to move forward, one guy on a pulsar suddenly cuts inside, diagonally, in front of you ..PRICELESS!!!

This is a reality show, not the movie described in the paragraph above the previous one. Even a kid can drive on an empty road, but the real skill, mental strength and the ability to perform come out in such challenging situations. To really counter such situations one needs to follow the following :

1) Be patient.
2) Stick to the rules.
3) Understand your co-commuters.
4) Be concentrated.
5) Shed your ego and Compromise.
6) Last but not the least "Enjoy Driving"

You should be a sage on the road. Patience is the key. Those extra minutes that we gain by driving unnecessarily fast doesn't really make any difference, if you analyze properly. However, by driving with undue speed, the risk involved is humongous. Some say "Speed thrills". Yes, it does and some enjoy that thrill. There is another thrill if you can really enjoy, it would make car driving a joy. The thrill of moving in the first gear, with an expensive vehicle in front in a packed road. Any inches front or back, you hit and gone. This is the real "THRILL" and you encounter it umpteen times day-in and day-out. If you 'enjoy' this thrill, you are done for life.

It is not just you drive your own car and you change your own gears. One needs to maneuver through like a bee. Understanding your fellow commuters and actually stepping into their shoes, which is quite essential. It is all down to a psychological game, in other words, 'Driving is like playing the game of Chess'. People now-a-days no longer use signals. A nod of the head or a movement suspicious is itself a signal that the guy would take a turn. I rate the two wheelers, the most annoying section of the commuters. Even, the auto fellas can be tackled easily. But not the two wheelers. They never ever go straight. They would also move diagonally searching for empty places, cramping up the car drivers for room.

Especially, the Hyderabad traffic is notorious for its insensible commuters and educated illiterates who somehow lose all inhibitions when they are out on the road. How many times we come across traffic jams for no reason. I plead my fellow car drivers to remain in their own half and not to occupy the other way of a two-way road. One obnoxious weed in the garden of roses is enough to destroy the garden. This is always true when it comes senseless people, causing malicious deadlocks, affecting many.

Never get carried away, however good the conditions are. We never know what's up for grabs. In the face of danger always remain composed and feel responsible. Shedding of ego and Forgiveness (To some permissible level) are a great virtues to possess while driving. Once, a young man on a two-wheeler hit the rear end of my car. I could have got out of the car and blasted that guy. However, I didn't. Had I done that, an unthinkable stalemate would have resulted. Though I felt bad for a moment, I was satisfied later that I behaved sensibly. Of course the damage wasn't huge.

Wearing seat belts is one rule that the government has been emphasizing on rigorously. It is a reasonable thing for the government to do. However, this 'wearing seat belts' thing is a more an individualistic phenomenon. If one doesn't wear seat belts , oneself is under risk. Still if one continues not to wear. Who cares , if one oneself is not bothered about life. Moreover, there are certain breakages of rules that directly affect other sensible commuters. They include: jumping on signals, crossing the divide so as to cramp the two-way lane, taking turns with no or wrong signal etc. I feel that these things should be taken more seriously and punished more than what is being done now.

It is getting worse. Really worse. I just cannot imagine Hyderabad traffic, for that matter, any place in India some time down the line. Thankfully, I will be out of India soon, where I can go on a long drive, with no vehicles around, hopefully, with my girl beside, if at all I get one. I wish and pray that somehow the Indian government pulls a rabbit out of the hat and create a utopia by the time I come back to my mother land.

Jai Hind :-)

It's all about Judging the flight of the ball

Why Real Madrid threw the dice with 100 million pounds for Ronaldo? How David Beckham earns a staggering 17million pounds a year? Why is Tiger Woods a 'Tiger'? Why Fedex is Unstoppable? And why Sachin is GOD? The answer is quite simple, and it is so simple that you may not accept it as the answer.

"They all judge the flight of the ball better than most"

When we look at all the intricacies of sports, people talk about class, flair, quality, and so on..One fundamental skill that is necessary and ,if I go further, sufficient to be a top top sport person is to judge the damn round one in its flight and strike it.

I find this skill common to most of the sports involving a ball, be it cricket, football, hockey, tennis, golf, TT, badminton, volleyball etc, it is down to how skillfully one hits the ball. Furthermore, how skillfully one judges its flight and gets into a perfect position to hit it.

This concept is close to the "hand-eye-coordination" often used by experts. However, hand-eye-coordination comes after the "BALL FLIGHT JUDGMENT" because it is after judging where the ball "might be", one starts to swing the object used to hit the ball (hand or leg or bat) and tries to meet it at the previously judged position.

We see sports stars good at not just one sport but also at many others. How often we find players trained, playing others sports. For eg, Indian cricket team often involves in Football and Volleyball sessions as a routine warm-up. I have seen Roger Federer hitting the cricket ball as exquisitely as any other cricketer when he was at the nets at MCG during his tour to Australian Open. Jonty Rhodes had been a member of the South African National Hockey team before he joined the National Cricket team. There are plethora of sport stars, playing multiple sports at the highest level.

All this is possible and made easy for them as they keep hitting the round one, whether it is a tennis ball, cricket ball, football etc. Once the art of judging the flight of the ball is mastered, then it narrows down to how to hit it..It can be with a bat, a hand or a leg. And the placement and power of the hit are also crucial. But these two come at a later stage and however good one is at those, it can be futile if the flight is misjudged.

It is not an innate skill that one acquires from ones ancestors. It is through practice and with an intelligent head, this skill is mastered. The complexity lies in identifying the trajectory of the ball when it is subjected to various external factors such as wind, spin on the ball, deflections etc. It is through practice and 'been there and seen that' experiences one can make calculated projections on the trajectories and meets them at the right place and at the right time, the concept popularly called "Timing".

When I was 14, I went for Clay-Court Tennis coaching for almost a year. My coach, Salem, used to insist on this concept and when I practiced it, it made wonders. It helped me perform better in other sports such as Cricket, Volleyball and Football. I must say, it had a telling impact on my catching skills, which are exceptional, especially my out field catching, and high catches were lauded by my mates. It was possible because I used to judge the flight of the ball well and would get into positions quickly that made me take some blinders with ease.

Subjective understanding of these concepts is not necessary and many who master this art are actually unaware of that fact that they have mastered it. However, understanding these concepts is useful for a novice as conscious efforts to learn can speed up the process. The skill of "ball flight judgment" is one classic example.

My 8-year wait finally comes to an end!!!!

What drama, what excitement, what a game of football. Yes, I am talking about the night in Moscow.

The Hollywood script writers were given a run for their money, as the epic battle between the two English giants scripted an incredible finish. And, to my utter delight. No, to my utter relief, my Manchester United prevailed.

It is the biggest United game in my life after I fell in love with United, almost 8 years ago, just after united did the famous treble. Additional time (famously called MUtime) goals gifted United the most prestigious trophy in World Club football. However, then, united was a stranger to me.

Since then, the trophy has been a bunch of sour grapes, as United failed to reach the summit. I tell you, to win this, it takes a lot: quality, substance, luck etc. With European giants such as the Real Madrids, Barcelonas, AC Milans competing for the title, THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS, it is the most difficult trophy to win.

I have seen United winning the League titles (Of course, winning the league is not easy). However, that Trophy, yes, that UCL trophy is what I wanted desperately. I want to see united lift that live. And, I wanted to live for that day.

Eventually, the D-day arrived. The night of 21st of May 2008, the day I was waiting for 8 agonizing years. I was just trying to pass time as the tension is really getting on me. I want this to be over soon. Win or loss, delight or despair, I wanted that to happen soon. I chatted with some friends, online, to pass time. I was reading the build-up on bbc.com. Then, finally tuned into ten sports for the game of my life.

The ten sports facilitator and the guests were, as usual, smiling and were cracking jokes on the Russian hats and the English supporters who made themselves look like clowns with those cheap all Russian fur hats. The boring anthems, the ceremonies were underway. After the break, it's the Kick off.

I prepared myself for a defeat, as I always do, but with a ray of hope. United kicked it off. It was all united. Owen Hargo was very industrious as he usually is. Scholesy, Carrick and the others were also playing well. Ronaldo was exceptional, especially with his trickery, bemused Essien and his partnership with Evra was quite impressive.

Then the moment. An immaculate cross from Wes Brown. And Mr.United , who else, the 42 goal scoring machine, the sorcerer, rose and created an artistic header, stunning the Chelsea fans. I was excited as Ronaldo ran to celebrate.

Then, the period of play was all United with two great chances squandered. I rued on those missed chances. Because I know how important the second goal is. That would have sealed the game off. Can United do a Barcelona on Chelsea? Do they have that mettle to see this fixture off with just one goal? No is the answer. I always know that luck plays a vital role in matches like these especially in Champions league, that is why it is the most difficult trophy to win, though you are a good team. Unlucky United concede a goal. Frank it was for Chelsea. Scored off a horrendous deflection and the goal keeper slipping just at right the moment. It was all square at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Half-time was over in a flash. Second half was underway and Chelsea looked more confident and they started to get the better off united. This really scared me. Drogba and Frank hit the post and the bar respectively. The pendulum started to swing, those nervous 80s are getting closer. Rooney taken off, he hadn't had a great game though. One goal either way is enough. Ferdinand's injury was a bit of a scare. Thankfully, it was a cramp. It ended 1-1 at the end of the regulation time.

It was football of the highest order. Two teams never wanting to give up, weaving tactical patterns and canceling each other out.

Now, the extra time. I felt that United must play well. They somehow should find their feet. I relaxed down on the bed and watched the game after a drink (Rasna it was :-)). It was going down the wire. I just cannot think of penalties. I didn't want to. Because, If we lose at penalties that would be a heart break. I wanted United to finish off the game in the extra time. However, It didn't. The show went on and on. It was chances galore at both the ends. Giggs effort was fended off audaciously by Terry, what a chance. What a chance!! Thats the end of it. No change in the scoreline. A moment of madness, when Drogba slapped in the face of Vidic. Direct RED. Roman was certainly disappointed. Chelsea down to 10 men. But, there was too little time for United to capitalize on it.

YES, the two inseparable sides must be separated. And how? PENALTIES. GOD SAVE ME FROM THIS PRESSURE.

Tevez to take the first one. He came up with a curvy run up and slotted the ball home. Then Ballack scored. I knew someone would miss. I also had a feeling that it will be one from United. Ronaldo stepped up. That boy, the best in the world. When the world was watching. What he did? His tame shot was saved.The unexpected (slightly expected) happened. Now at this moment I gave up. I have really given it up and was thinking how long should I wait again for United to come this far.

However, United and chelsea slotted the remaining penalties. I haven't watched two of them as it was sheer pressure. I just couldn't watch them. Then it was the Blues Captain, Terry, to win it for Chelsea. One strike and they are Champions. I just wanted to see the ball netted and then switch my TV off as I couldn't see Chelsea celebrating and United players in despair. It was raining heavily in Moscow. Terry steps up. He slips and hits the outside of the post and he buries himself in shame. Incredible. Unbelievable. What drama at the mid night in Moscow. I stood up off my chair, totally confused with shock or joy or pressure or disbelief. I didn't know what that feeling is. It was all square again.

I couldn't watch United penalties. I didn't see Anderson and Giggs' penalties. I watched Animal planet instead of ten sports at get rid off those nerve rattling moments. Now, it was down to Chelsea. Anelka, with a short run-up. I was sensing something here. Van der Sar showing some gestures. SAVED!!! UNBELIEVABLE. I raised my arms in disbelief with my eyes watering, looking that the United players' celebrations.This is the moment I waited for. One of the best in my life. The best United moment. The release of pressure. I was not elated, I was only relieved. My nerves eased down a bit.

You cannot ask for a better script. This is the script written by god. This is the magic of sport. Where do all these moronic movies, tv shows and the junk stand before these historic classics. This is reality. And this is life.

United celebrate. Chelsea in distress. Ballack, Lampard and the rest, all those great men, crying like kids. And my dear Terry was inconsolable. This is what the greatness of the trophy is all about. They only come once in a life time. Lives dedicated entirely for these moments. And if they miss, it is a heart break..

'THE MOMENT' NOW. UNITED LIFTS THE TROPHY. The scene that was a treat to my eyes. I waited 8 years for this very moment. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE. THE GREATEST FOOTBALL CLUB EVER. AND WE ARE MANCHESTER UNITED.

If you ask me what is passion, I would say this is passion. I watched these breadth taking moments with delight as each united player lifted and kissed the trophy. I thanked god and extended my cheers to the architect, the face of UNITED, Sir Alex, and then, I opened orkut to greet my friends on the UNITED community and read some of their reactions. Finally went to bed at 4 am with heart filled with joy, relieved off pressure and , more importantly, SATISFIED.

Why Alex is the Greatest

"If greatness is defined by what you leave behind then Sir Alex Ferguson's trophy cabinet is as good a place as any to start.

It's a long list but stick with it.

Ten Premier League titles, one Champions League trophy, one Cup Winners' Cup, five FA Cups, two League Cups, one European Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and seven Charity Shields.

Twenty eight trophies in a shade less than 22 years with another European Cup perhaps on the way when United meet Chelsea in the Champions League final in Moscow a week on Wednesday.

Ferguson intimated amid Sunday's title celebrations that his current team would be his finest if they bring back that cup.

Well, let's say it now. Minus conditions and without qualification.

Ferguson is the greatest-ever football manager in Britain.

Some might disagree.

Liverpool supporters, for instance, who have always bemoaned the fact that Matt Busby and Ferguson were made knights for winning the European Cup once while Bob Paisley was overlooked for the highest honour after bagging Europe's most prestigious trophy three times.

Others might point to Brian Clough's unique management style which brought back-to-back European Cups for unfashionable Nottingham Forest or Jock Stein's success at Celtic.

Those with short memories might go for the charisma of Jose Mourinho who bought back-to-back titles for Chelsea with the cash of Roman Abramovich.

Then there is Arsene Wenger, who gave birth to the Arsenal 'Invincibles,' who delivered the most eye-pleasing football the Premier League has witnessed and whose nose for a bargain is without compare.

All worthy, but none comes close to Ferguson and here's why.

Greatness cannot be measured purely by medals or by mere longevity or even by the manner in which success was achieved.

It is a mixture of all three and Ferguson, having built three great teams, scores highly on all fronts.

But it is the style with which all Ferguson teams have delivered their trophies which is so impressive.

Not as pretty as Arsenal at their most prosaic, but football is not about weaving meaningless patterns. It is about winning and not once in 22 years has Ferguson diverted from his belief that adventure, creativity and style, albeit built on solid defence, is the best way to win.

In short, he has protected the legacy handed down by Busby and the famous 'Babes' with a ferocity he also demonstrates to reporters who might cross him.

The 2007-2008 season was the perfect example of what might be termed Fergusonism - football played with pragmatic foundation but a swashbuckling nature.

Rio Ferdinand finally came of age as arguably the best defender in Europe and his partnership with Nemanja Vidic was key. So was the work of Patrice Evra, the rejuvenation of Paul Scholes and the scampering energy of Carlos Tevez.

But undoubtedly what makes Ferguson's team stand out as his best-ever is the twin menace of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Rooney should score more goals but his industry and creativity, if not his language, is an example to every schoolboy in Britain.

Then there is Ronaldo for whom every superlative has already been used but whose 41 goals this season really say it all about a wide man who is currently comfortably the world's best player.

In Ronaldo you have another of Ferguson's most accomplished managerial traits. The ability to man-manage, to polish and protect the precious jewel.

He did as much with Eric Cantona in volatile circumstances more than a decade ago. In the past two years he has done so with Ronaldo, repairing the damage caused by the Portuguese winger's part in Rooney's sending off at the World Cup in 2006.

Many predicted Ronaldo would never grace Old Trafford again after that infamous sly wink.

Ferguson dismissed the incident, if anything using it to forge an unbreakable link between his two most destructive attackers.

That is the true art of management, the ability to turn obstacles and adversity to your advantage, one which Wenger and Rafael Benitez and Avram Grant have still to master.

Ferguson is far from the warmest or most likeable of characters but when it comes to producing football teams with a musketeering mentality and a winning ethos the game has no peer.

All things considered, he is the greatest. "