What if "Google stole the idea?"

“Actually, what if Google really stole the idea?” I thought to myself. Not many people dare to think that way and even if they do, I don’t think they’d dare to put it out in writing. This is more a rambling than a statement. Not that it might cause a catastrophic change either in the lives of Google or mine. But on a startling observation, Google did come out with this thought publicly in 2012, while a strikingly similar thought occurred to another person in a small class room in Bangalore back in 2009 (Obviously with a twist!). This occurrence could well be a case of an unbelievable telepathic coincidence. But on the other side, it could also be an idea that occurred much before, which was laughed at, rubbished and trashed due to lack of vision, and today it is hailed as one of mankind’s best invention. That day it was called “Spec-On 2112”; today it is called “Google Glasses.”

During the lost times, back in 2009, a bunch of students set to achieve their respective goals by pursuing an MBA under the name of a reputed university. The idea of that specialized course was a fabulous one. It had a solid vision of channelizing education into an unorganized sector such as media. The students were repeatedly reminded that they were going to be the next set of ‘Media professionals.’ A course that offered such promise, only flattered to deceive. We could see it crumbling down in front of our eyes. Management took a back seat, when politics took over. Politics took a back seat, when egotism took over. The syllabus still hadn’t gathered enough foundation, as they began to realize that this course wasn’t really prepared to take on the pace of development that the real world offered. It was a trying time for the management and also for a bunch of aspiring MBA students who took a leap of faith along with the team that founded this. There was ambiguity looming all over, as the minds of the students were constantly disturbed like the ‘Murky Hussain Sagar Lake’ (A reference often quoted by one of the many HOD’s who came and went). When it was getting increasingly difficult for students to find relevance behind concentrating on the lessons taught in the class, especially when the future of this course was uncertain, a spark of brilliance did occur.

The key subjects in this MBA had been split into 4 broad electives such as Broadcast, Films, Events and New & Interactive media. Back then, new & Interactive media was supposed to be the scariest off the lot for a few, as they believed that understanding technology needed a special mindset along with a scientific background. But luckily for us, the professor who taught that particular subject was a star in his own rights. He surely helped us beat the anxiety and uneasiness we had towards that particular subject and the course largely. His classes have always been thought provoking and exciting. He was definitely one of the best teachers we’ve had in that course. During one of his classes, he gave us our first real exercise. We had to come up with a business plan / Idea that could change technology for good. The presentation needed to be made, which will later be scrutinized by the professor and the entire class. At that point in time, each and everyone wanted to prove something to the management and garner the attention of our professor. The reason behind a strong sense of competition that swept the class away was that the winner was offered a staggering opportunity to make that idea come true though a venture capitalist. With an already flaccid course, this was our best opportunity to make a life out of nothing.

The laptops were perennially on, the keyboards were rhythmically thumped, hair-fall became a cause of concern, gruelling brainstorming sessions were held discussing insane ideas and a few even went to the extent of searching for “New business ideas” in Google. Many sat with their eyes tightly closed and their minds hardly open, hoping to land the ‘Million dollar idea’ as students wanted this to be their claim to fame.

Mr. Krishna, a student from that batch, a confused but a determined youngster, who was often difficult to read off the talk, was sitting coolly with a pencil nicely parked on his ear and a restless lollipop in his mouth. He had a look on his face as if he’s cracked the ‘Million dollar idea.’   But the smirk on his face clearly indicated that it was an idea which was either impractical or totally stupid. Whatever it was, it was clearly beyond him. To my surprise, he managed to whip up some curiosity between a few friends around him with that look. They asked him time and again and he kept denying it, to an extent that it frustrated the group around him. Not that he was going to come up with a world changing idea. Or was he?

Krishna, who generally keeps to himself, seemed to have really fallen in love with his idea, though he had absolutely no clue on how he was going to execute it. There were just 2 weeks before they could present the idea in front of the class. Krishna still had not put anything down on paper. He had absolutely no clue on how to go about that presentation. But for starters, he did secretly prepare a concept note of that idea and for the first time put a name to it – SPEC-ON 2112. The concept note that he sent to his very encouraging professor is as follows. (Also attached below that image, is another screenshot of the details when it was originally created, back in 2009!)

Concept note:

Details of the concept note:

He surely did have a knack of finding and writing the right anecdotes. The first time I read the lead up to his concept note, I thought it wasn’t a bad start at all, especially for a person who seemed to be a bit averse to technology. After a nicely set up start, he introduces his idea. It straight away sounded like something from the Star Wars. It sounded fancy, but it seemed impossible. How could a pair of spectacles be turned into a live simulating internet device?

With keeping all of us guessing, without any hesitation he sent a mail to our professor, stating that he had attached the concept note of “Spec-On 2112” and he was ready to discuss the prospects of that particular project. Here is the mail that he sent with a lot of optimism to his professor.

There seemed to be a sense of doubt, anticipation and excitement in the mail that he had sent. But he also carried a sense of disbelief throughout that journey. Probably that disbelief manifested itself, as Krishna never got a reply to that mail. The only 2 places that it might have got lost is either the professor’s inbox or his mind.

Being a Sagittarius by sign, Krishna generally had the tendency to move on, if certain things didn’t work out. But “SPEC-ON 2112” strangely had occupied his attention, time and mind. Not that he was a tech-geek, not that he wanted to make a career out of technology, not that he wanted to win the massive prize, but he just loved the idea. He pondered over it quiet vehemently.

He really started to wonder, and started posting questions. What if we could connect the ear, the eye and the mouth with a single device that could make life a much easier place to live? What if internet could walk along with us? What if we could load movies and watch them while we are lying down or sitting? What if are able to gather knowledge just by looking at it? What if this had become a reality? All of this simply sounded too good to be true.

This started really growing on Krishna, as he began discussing this thought to a few of his peers. A few chuckled, and the remaining lent their ears but not their minds. Krishna was either not speaking the right language or they probably didn’t share the same vision Krishna had shared. There were a few friends who really thought it was possible, and a few who took a sarcastic dig at him and his attempt. Here is one such conversation:

That friend of his might have missed a revolutionary idea during a casual discussion. But, by and large this is the kind of response he gathered before making the presentation. But he didn’t really let anything or anyone’s opinion affect him.

The day of presentation had arrived. Students were decked up in formals, and rehearsing their lines before the presentation. The ‘confident’ presenters decided to chill a bit, while the tensed lot were pacing up and down a small corridor. Students were called in one by one, and a lot of fun ideas emerged. Krishna was at his pensive best, not talking to anyone, trying to hide the tension behind a straight face. His opportunity came and he rose. Here is the presentation on which he built and spoke to his class. (Also attached below that image, is another screenshot of the details when it was originally created, back in 2009! Some more proof that the peripheral idea dates back to 2009)

Presentation:

Details of created presentation: 

He plugged his pen drive and took a deep breath. He spoke like he never spoke before. He detailed the idea so well that if I had money I would have surely invested. The idea was inspiring, but obviously needed much more detail in terms of the feasibility and production. He spoke about how it was going to improve the way humans looked at life. The entire class was taken aback a bit, including the professor. The strong and provoking presentation lasted for 15 minutes. At the end of it, Krishna finished his marathon talk on something he never believed, but left a stamp of belief on people who were listening to him.

There were a few students who looked at each other who almost burst into applause, just before my professor stood up. He stood up, looked at the class and then turned to Krishna. He said the following – “This is crap. This won’t work. Don’t waste your time.” He said that with so much disdain that my heart felt like the juicy watermelon that is mercilessly cut and squashed in “Fruit Ninja.” He just moved onto the next person, without a second glance. The professor seemed to be very disappointed. After the class, I think I recall the professor calling Krishna and telling him that “It’s ok to dream, but it’s not ok to hallucinate.” Krishna was beaten beyond words. For a lot, “SPEC-ON 2112” ended rather abruptly and rudely. Krishna did not end up getting the prize obviously.

Strangely, ever since that incident, Krishna began to develop an aversion to technology at a sub conscious level for a brief period. Nevertheless he was attached to his idea. As time passed by and technology started to grow beyond the progression a human mind could calculate, he thought he could make a comeback with that idea, as he never took it away from the back of his mind.

Exactly a year later, Krishna wrote to another proactive teacher who taught advanced levels of technology, in the hope that the new professor might see more sense and relevance to it given the scenario at that day. Krishna again shot a mail with the presentation with a few changes to his new professor. Krishna could feel the pinch of a taste he had got the last time he presented “SPEC-ON 2112” to a professor. He braved the hesitation from his subconscious, and sent the mail. Here is the mail he had sent in 2010 to his professor, for which he replied that he saw some feasibility issues of scaling it up and never got back to Krishna after that.

It was not a fairy tale ending for Krishna, as his idea never crossed the mailboxes of a few professors in his college. Though he had the vision, he did not have the know-how or any kind of support around him. Months went by and Krishna himself did not take it seriously beyond a point, but SPEC-ON 2112 still held a very imperative place in his life until Google came up with an announcement in 2012.

April 4, 2012: Google Announces “Project Glass”

This is the day it all begins. Google creates a Project Glass account on Google+ and shares its first public post that begins with this mission statement:

“We think technology should work for you — to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.”

While Google said this in their mission statement in 2012 of Google Glasses, Krishna said this in his mission statement back in 2009 of SPEC-ON 2112:

“To take technology as a pal and making it more personalized, as we live for the present and believe in the future. We have to “SEE” it to believe it... As the world is awaiting to see the future in its own eyes.”

The mission statement could be a kind of a coincidence, but there’s no coincidence that the ‘Krishna’ you’ve been reading about is me. Anirudh Krishna. The story that you’ve been reading all through is mine.  I was stunned. I was at a loss of words. I didn’t know how to react. I did not know whether to be happy that an idea I thought off a few years back is now a reality, or the fact that my once-upon-a-time rubbished idea is now a game changing idea from the world leaders Google. I spoke no more and decided to chuck my idea with so much hurry and disappointment. I realized that if I’d told the world that Google stole my idea, I’d either make a mockery out of myself or a hefty legal suit would dawn on me. You can call this a case of an unbelievable telepathic coincidence or an idea that came to the right person, at the right environment and at the right time. Or who knows, what if Google really stole my idea?  

One of the most ferocious nights the Chennai sky has ever seen, went into a shameful hiding !

It was one of those typical Sunday evenings, where the twilight sadly reminded you of your dying weekend and that awkward empty feeling which makes you hate Sundays. Just like a lot of people, I too hate Sunday evenings. The transformation of the mindset and the feelings that it reflects from morning to evening is quite unbelievable. Though the changeover is fairly predictable; Sunday Mornings - from a sedate morning, trying to wither the hangover and recall the happenings of the previous night including checking your phone for random photos and your call register, to Sunday evenings - which often tend to carry a moment of retrospect, a tinch of sadness and an air of expectation . For a lot people, Sunday evenings are nothing more than, shapelessly sitting in your couch and endlessly switching channels.

A click from my terrace  #NoFilter

Folks of Chennai were busy doing their own thing on a very silent and sultry Sunday evening. As the night grew closer, more than half of Chennai didn’t really expect what was to follow. I was getting ready to hit the bed, preparing my playlist, switched off the lights, put my Air-con on swing and slowly snuggling under my blanket. The first song in my hour-long playlist was ‘Poopol...Poopol’ from the movie Minnale. Halfway through the song, you can’t help but to fall in love all over again. (You’ll know how it feels, if you've seen the movie with same intensity every time you watch it!) I lived ‘that’ moment again; I could hear the flute; I could feel thunder; I could see the lightning. I thought the moment presented itself in my dream & that I’d fallen asleep to the tranquillity of the music. But I felt that the thunder was getting bigger; the lighting was getting sharper; and the music was getting overpowered. I opened my eyes to reality when a blinding flash of white light cut across my iris, and by the time I opened my eyes fully, the sound I heard was deafening. With the constant flickers, there was a fleeting moment when I thought someone had switched on the tube-light. I did manage to open my eyes more confidently this time, but the white strike was so scary and sharp that it was literally ‘electrifying.’ It was Ironic that the ‘electrifying’ strike did take away the electricity in the neighbourhood.

There was an immediate assembly of sorts in our hall, with various members from my family, slipping out inconspicuously from their rooms. In order to mask their terrified faces, they decided not switch on their mobiles, which would eventually give away their original reactions to the thunder and lightning which were striking in tandem. Inspite of having nil vision, family members ambled to the hall with stretched hands searching for something to hold or to keep them away from their path to a safety chair. Each of them had no clue that the others were moving to the hall silently. They were walking like the backup dancers behind Michael Jackson in the video ‘Thriller.’ It was eerie and beyond imagination. My folks decided not to utter a word until they found a place to sit. I could barely see them, but I guessed something was moving towards me. The frequent flashes of lightning, gave me a glimpse of body shapes, but nothing conclusive. A bell fell from the pooja room; bottles on the table began to clamour with each other; a cupboard began to bang back and forth; the chairs felt the tremors from the thunder. 

A click from my terrace  #NoFilter

I decided to break the scary ambience by yelling out ‘Amma.’ She was absolutely clueless about the source of voice, and she immediately tripped on the nearest chair with much shock and tremble. By then, her mind helped her put a name to the voice. (The trouble for a mother having 3 children is that she always messes up the names...Always) This time she was successful in putting the correct name to the voice, for a change). She called out my name in a very shaky voice and started to have an ‘Out-of-sync’ conversation about waking me up in the morning. As expected, she didn’t want to directly broach the ‘Current Electrifying topic.’ Pretty simple - They just wanted to play it cool, until this happened. One lightning! One thunder! I’m sure more than half of Chennai thought in unison; that it was the beginning of the end. With such heavy weather looming large on top of our heads, the way people generally react are “Ooohh, it’s raining cats and dogs” , “ Shit! This is scary man”, “Did you see THAT?”. But... But... With almost the world coming to a close, though more than half of Chennai thought that way, you’re bound to find a series of unbelievable reactions under a single roof. Just when you think that all of them are going to be scared out of their wits, you hear the following:

A mother says – Oh no, did someone take the clothes from the terrace? They’re going to be completely wet. (Are you kidding me? Seriously?! In this weather?!)     

  

A brother says – Who cares! I missed the last 10 minutes of my football game. Give me your mobile (Like his Alma matter is the combination of Alex Ferguson & Jose Mourinho)     

A sister says – Get lost! My snapchats aren’t going through. I can’t even see my face properly! Find a charger (Find a charger while there’s a powercut? Get a brain you snapchatter)

A grandpa says – I have a doubt. This ‘Cat-eyed’ actress is apparently having an affair with this ‘fish-faced’ actor. Do you know who this actress is? (You have my permission to die)

A grandma says – Ayayoo, I don’t know what happened to Kavitha? Did she get her divorce or not? (From a TV soap – Kavitha ki Kahaani (Tamil Dubbing. I shall say no more))  

A father says – What’s the noise, haven’t you guys slept yet? (Oh! The father arrives!)

And trust me to find a house like this in Chennai which treats the force of nature with such disdain. Only in Chennai will you be able to find some mind-numbing reactions! Not a storm, not a thunder can deter their nakkal, kindal, kalaai or whatever you want to call it. After hearing the above reactions, one of the most ferocious nights the Chennai sky has ever seen, went into a shameful hiding. Only Chennai possible!  

     

In the end, the broken pieces of a legendary cricketer will come together, if it doesn't its not the end yet ! - The ramblings of a Sachin Fan

A single Indian victory brings in harmony. A single Indian loss brings in anarchy. As the estranged love affair between media and cricket continues, the normal cricket fan is put under the pressure to differentiate his thought from what he feels and what he is made to feel. Why is that, on a spin friendly track, the entire focus has been made to shift from the poor showing of the spinners to the poor showing of a single batsman? A frail hearted cricket fan might have got consumed, with media butchering an inimitable cricket legend in the name of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The average fan might feel that, Sachin's off-field defense is getting as scratchy as his on-field defense. But hold I'm no diplomat, I'm a cricket fan & Sachin Tendulkar is my god. 

Any belief worth having must survive doubt. My belief on Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has not only survived doubt, but has also managed to massacre it. Its not because he's got the numbers behind him, but its a simple fact that, he's thought us on how one person can carry the hopes of a billion people over a decade or two. Every single day of his life there are expectations. And no one can be blamed for that apart from himself. He has set the standard sky high, that even a small error looks magnificent. Even while so much is happening around him, it is so easy for a person to get consumed by the situation. But all this man does is, walk up to the nets without paying much heed to the hoopla, knock a few deliveries with pristine concentration. Often the question arises, "Why does he still have to play cricket? He's achieved every single thing possible!." The answer I'd give to that is, he's still learning and he will always continue to learn. Being a keen student of the game you love the most, throws age out of equation.

To be fair, he knows the value of this game much more than any cricketer who has ever played this game. The value is just not about the sport and how it is played. The value of it is how much you are able to carry apart from just a sport. Often people and pundits wonder, why Sachin is not treated the same way, other legends were treated from other countries. To put things under perspective, Cricket is a sport across the globe, but not in India. It is a religion here. A healthy percentage of the billion population, under any circumstance will have something or the other to chat about cricket, every single day of their lives. When it is considered as a religion, everybody consumes it. You can't help it if cricket is more emotional than rational in our country. Every cricket follower in India, is just not a fan, he's a captain, he's a selector, he's an umpire, he's a fielder, he's the referee, he's the curator and he assumes almost every singe role available in the sport. With almost a billion people like this in our country, spare a thought the amount of pressure that is stuffed on a single personality, each and every time he walks into the field. A good part of his career, he's carried the weight of a billion, no other sportsperson in any sport in the world has manage to do that. Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman and many other contemporaries are no doubt legends, but they did not carry the same baggage or the expectation that Sachin carried all these years every single time he stepped onto the cricket field.  

 

 

 

How many times have there been emotional uproars during the midst of an important cricketing series? But why is there such a mood swing in the cricket fan's mind? A century can make you glitter over night and a failure can make you look worse than a puff of dust. Like Krisnamachari Srikkanth rightly put it, why would you want to postmortem a performance even before its completely so openly? Why would you want to make yourself susceptible to unwarranted criticism? Along with the soup, the media needs just a spark of warmth to ignite the entire situation and elevate it to an altogether new level. Their concern is morphed with commercialism. Their debates are like what the Joker says in Dark Knight - "I know why you decide to have you little "group therapy" sessions in broad day light." Ultimately you've got to be sensitive to the situation and see what is on top of the priority list to discuss. Whether its an entire team failing to live upto the expectations or the focus needs to be shifted to a legend having an elongated rough patch in the climatic stages of his career. 

 

 

 

Sachin Tendulkar himself has recently stated that htere is not much cricket left in him. He might be god on the field, but he's still a human off the field. He has come to terms that the final stages of his razzmatazz filled cricket career is coming to a close. You've just got to give him his time. You may wonder, why other players were asked to leave unceremoniously? Is Sachin so special? The answer to that is an obvious YES! Sachin is special. He's just not another cricketer. The problem people are identifying with Sachin is that he's growing old and he's thereby holding the position of an upcoming talent. Which cricketer doesn't have a rough patch in their lives? Sahcin's has been treated as god all these years, and people are not able to accept when god makes a human error. That is the dilemma between the heart and the mind. Without getting too emotional about this, lets take it by the step. Coming to terms with the current Indian batting set up, India are a batsman driven team. But who are the people in form? Gambhir - No. Sehwag - No. Pujara - Yes. Kohli - almost Yes. Yuvraj - No. Sachin - No. Dhoni - No. So technically you are just talking about 2 people in prime form, and this stage a wise cricket fan would back experience than to try something out of the box and lose even the little respect that is still hinging on the famed batting line up.

 

 

Sachin Tendulkar, you either love him or hate him. If you love him, keep the faith. If you hate him, keep the doubt. Both of these feelings are bound to bring back the best from him. Lets not drive him to an unceremonious retirement. Atleast he deserves to be sent of in style. A lot of questions have been raised about the selectors role in such a situation. Its not the question of the selectors having the guts to go and talk it out with Sachin Tendulkar, but its just that they unanimously believe that he's a player of such capability, who will take a call on his own when the time is ripe. A lot may call this the timidness of the selectors, but full marks to them if they have respected the decision making power of a single individual, thats the only tribute that they can provide this living legend. Frankly no one can push him to retirement or change his fate. Only he has the capability to decide his own fate, because he has written it all by himself till date.    
 

Is Walmart coming to the streets ? - A stroll into a chai shop

Here's my blog first blog over the last 6 months. Not Laxman's retirement; Not Yuvraj Singh's comeback; Not the World T20; Not the champions league. A non-cricket blog after a long time. Don't be afraid. This blog, for a change, doesn't feature even an ounce of cricket in it. But I guess I have an interesting experience to narrate.  

Its an ongoing debate about Walmart's entry into India. I'm not a pundit to be commenting on the nuances of their entry into India. But there is a small incident that makes me think if Walmart is really coming to the streets. Nothing negative about the statement, though it might just sound that way.

I came across something really interesting, at the same time mildly alarming. A couple of days earlier, while is I was mulling over a few personal issues and how to overcome them, something hard stuck me in my already jammed mind. So what do you do generally when your mind is stuck about something? The most safest and logical solution for any chennai-ite, is to walk up to the nearest tea stall, preferably empty, order for a cuppa chai and aimlessly rant about some solution in your mind. By the time you finish contemplating which way to approach the solution, the chai glass is almost empty. And the following act will unsurprisingly be to order another cup of chai. If there's a thought that makes you wonder whether this is unusual, here's is a common phenomena if you have studied in a boys college in Chennai. It was just a mere hangover from the past, traces of the time when you weren't really sure about what was coming up next in life. While a sense of restlessness set in, here walk a couple of people straight at the owner of the chai shop. It was getting to that part of the day, where a chai wala would just give you a disgusting stare when asked for a cup of tea, as if he was doing us a favor. If he had such a mindset towards his customers, you can imagine his reactions towards random promoters.

As these 2 gentlemen walked into the already small setting of a chai shop, a normal middle aged customer storms into the shop with sweat and irritation on his face. When you look at people like these, you often wonder if he had missed a meeting with Obama or he just missed beating Bolt's record by a micro second. This middle aged man looked a bit decent but seemed to have a sense of mistimed curiosity. As I'm sitting in the corner, well into my second cup of chai, I slowly start paying attention to the conversation between the shop owner and the marketing personnel. That guy looked 25, a bit proactive and a lot provocative. So I assumed it was one of those random promoters who was trying to sell his products in vain to a mildly rigid and arrogant chai shop owner. I turned away from their conversation worrying about my second cup of chai which was getting cold, even without me finding a start to my solution.

As I was sipping into my depleting tea, I heard a frail voice say "We are from Walmart" (translated text). All of a sudden, my importance towards my chai was replaced by my curiosity towards the voice I heard. My sudden change of attention was keenly noticed by this middle aged man sitting opposite to me. Without paying much heed to my surroundings, I deeply followed that conversation. The guy from Walmart explains the following " We are coming from walmart, it is supposed to be the worlds biggest retail store. Now they are venturing into India. Have you ever heard of Walmart sir?." The shop owner looked really confused and apprehensive. After a long thought, he says "Yes." It was clear to me that he was listening to the name of this retail giant for the very first time in his life. The promoter continues by talking about the positives of Walmart and about how they are planning to open up a store in a massive area of 6 acres. He was trying to explain to a simpleton, the real weight behind Walmart. The owner was not a bit amused by this random promoter and an unheard retail chain. 

Ok, here is what the promoter was trying convey to the shop owner. He was trying to explain, how one can get every single need of the shop, under one roof at an insanely subsidized price point. The Walmart apparently offers a card for all the retailers around the city, free of cost. That card makes the shop eligible for the inflow of Walmart supplies. He later added that as a shop owner, all he had to do is give a call whenever he needs to restock, and the supplies from Walmart would reach his store in quick time. The promoter pulled out his file and showed how many shops have already enrolled with Walmart from the very same street. I thought that was being aggressively smart. But did the shop owner budge? Even before I could run that thought in my mind, the middle aged man sitting opposite to me enters the conversation with a bang. "They have come here also, to destroy us and our shops. Never fall into the trap. They have to be thrown away from our country." The shop owner, the promoter and myself, from various points, sharply turned our heads towards him.

The questions that popped in my mind were varied after I heard that. "Who is this guy?"; "Where did this guy come from?"; "Does he know what Walmart is?"; "What's his problem?"; "Is he correct?"; "Is he wrong?". But I paused for a moment and quickly rewound my questions and I realized that he was one of those persons, who sits at the bench of a chai shop ranting endlessly about the various news he spots in the free newspaper he reads. The conversation continued, so did my attention towards them. The shop owner told the Walmart promoter, that he was happy with the way his original supplier was dealing with him and he is not interested in any other third party. The promoter put forward many questions in his bid to convince the shop owner to enroll with Walmart. The owner even tried saying that the shop did not have a license and they are running it illegally. Even for that, the promoter came up with another option to convince him. All the promoter needed, was to get a address proof and disburse the membership card to the shop owner. The transaction might sound simple, but the process is a painstaking one.

The exchange of words continued for a couple of laps, but the promoters efforts went in vain. The shop owner literally sent them out of the shop and he looked a relieved man once he sent them out. As I was still trying to grasp the mood, the shop owner turned towards me and gave me a look filled with disapproval. He thought even I knew nothing about Walmart, thanks to my messy hair; thick beard; shabby shorts and pair of loose flip flops, even the little bit sanity I had in me was hidden. My tea was over; Didn't find solutions to my problem; But that exchange made me think. 

Without critically digging too deep into the financial and economic aspects of this suave upsurge of Walmart, my passerby notes is as follows:

Walmart is silently slipping into the grass roots of our retail market. Not too sure, if their professionalism into slicing up the market needs to be appreciated or attacked. With this, it may be safe to say that Walmart is not only for the 'Pure customer', but they are also turning the small retails into that category. This might be a switch, which has the potential to demolish an entire eco-system, which seems content and self sufficient atleast in the lower segment of retails. The concept of credit buying may soon be out of the window, if this trend continues. Well, its for the pundits to carry a complete autopsy of this situation. But I never fancied Walmart literally coming to the streets !

IPL: The top 10 statements that punctuated my IPL

After a grueling couple of months, cricket might have left you gasping for breath. An Over-dose of sorts makes you want a break from some cricketing action. But having followed the IPL religiously, that's a hangover that will disappear soon. When India gets back to action, while Dhoni & Raina play in blue, you cant help but to think about this pair clad in yellow. When Sunil Narine bowls to Gautham Gambhir in the T20 world cup, the thought of KKR vs KKR can't escape your mind. Well, that's the side effect of one heavy dose of the Indian Premier League.

But there are many things that would have crossed your mind while watching this season of the Indian Premier League. IPL would have been a part of your daily conversation. The following are the top 10 statements, in no particular order, which was part of my conversation with various people, during the length of the IPL.   

1. It's all fixed !

The moment you see a result go against what you feel, the instant reaction is, "It's all fixed." Be it a strong team losing to a lesser mortal; Be it the best of fielders dropping sitters; Be it strategic decisions gone awfully wrong. Its so easy to say that it's fixed. The next question that immediately rises - "Why watch it then ?" You might not be able to come up with the best of answers to it. That's simply because you feel that the cricket played in the IPL is too good to be true. But this is where cliched phrases of Ravi Shasthri finally emerges true - "Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties."  Fixed or not, you certainly are hooked onto it. You'll crib, cry, whine, abuse or even close your eyes, but I'm sure that you'd still be tempted to mildly split your fingers & watch it hypocritically. That's how addictive this IPL can get. Even if you feel it's fixed, you'll still watch it !

2. How can they lose this one ?!

Truth is stranger than fiction. Don't believe me? Continue reading. 14 runs required off 3 balls; 45 runs required of 12 balls; 5 runs required off 1 ball; 21 runs required off 6 balls. 5 years back you would blindly put your money on the bowling team. But in this IPL, all the above results & many more humdingers have been achieved much to the disbelief of the bowlers who landed those deliveries, batsman who murdered those deliveries & of course all the people who were witnessing it. This often makes you wonder , "How on earth can they lose that match?" With not much time for the scars to heal, the unattended wound tends to resurface on a similar scenario. It has been the case for many teams this season, that leaves you with a thought "Anyone can lose from anywhere!" Ultimately you've got to give credit to the batsmen who have achieved his mission impossible.

3. Where did you come from man ?! 

 

In a game of chess, just after you've removed the queen, the knights, the bishops & a rookie, of the opposition, how would you feel if a bunch of pawns present you with a checkmate ?! Thats how a bunch of unknowns threatened the opposition & caught them napping in this edition of the IPL. Someone like a Mandeep Singh or a Parvinder Awana, might not be the most destructive players, but they certainly proved that they have the power to threaten & demoralize you. Sunil Narine was one such mystery magician, this season. He might have foregone a prospective national debut, but he's certainly made heads turn towards him purely by his craft. But the question "Where did you come from man?" is best suited for 2 occasions this season. Delhi Daredevils asks Murali Vijay after the 2nd PlayOff; Chennai SuperKings asks Manvinder Bisla after the Finals. Truly, where the hell did you come from man ?! 

4. IPL is full of controversies

"I'd prefer to watch SRK during an IPL game rather than on screen" is what one famous celebrity quoted recently. IPL has been controversy's latest child. With claims of fixing, cases of molestation, ugly brawls, retractable bans, this season of IPL has never been short of off-field action. Though you'd say "IPL is full of controversies", with a disgusted look on your face, I'm sure many such people who make those statements are the ones who bask & thrive gossiping on those controversies. With a property which has created a stand-still in the sporting arena, controversies are bound to happen. Even though its a lot of negative publicity, I wouldn't think to say that, these controversies adds more commercial value to the brand of IPL. Spider man's uncle once said "With great power comes great responsibility." Looks like IPL has taken a leaf out of his book & altered it in its own style - " With great controversies come great commercialism"  

5. This has been the best IPL season 

 Off the last 5 seasons, this in my view has been the best IPL season so far. That's because the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, had much more than just one competitor. In all the other editions, there were only a few teams which looked like contenders & CSK would breeze though. But this time around, barring Pune Warriors & Deccan Chargers, every other team looked threatening. CSK's inconsistency & the rise of KKR & DD meant that every team had to really fight out for their spot in the play-offs. The mid table scramble between Mumbai, Bangalore, Rajasthan, Punjab & Chennai continued throughout the league phase & extended until the last game was played. There were as many as 14 last ball/last over finishes in this edition of the IPL. Generally there is a lull in the middle phase of the IPL, but this around 76 games in 54 days just flew leaving you gasping for breath.

6. What will I do at 8 pm after IPL ?

For all the IPL addicts, 8pm is never going to be the same anymore. After finishing a tired day at work or tuition, the last 2 months have provided some mind-numbing action. It was almost part of our routine to get back home to a TV with the blaring commentary or crowd cheer. You may now surrender the remote to people in your house who were deprived of their daily dose of soapy serials for the last 54 days. The temptation to switch to SET MAX is inevitable to see whether there are any traces IPL. Sadly we've got to tune ourselves to the lack of IPL action & improve our productivity atleast for the next 10 months before we are bombarded with the next IPL.

7. How the hell does this work ? 

Though the experience of watching IPL games live from the stadium is exhilarating, for the people who wanted to beat the heat & enjoy the games on HD, up close with a glass of chilled beer & a group of friends, it has been an equally exciting experience. Apart from the usual dose of funky ads & the never ending Extraaa Innings, the match viewing experience was enhanced by 2 stand-out technological advances. The Spider cam & the Super Slow motion footage. For the people who wonder how one camera can keep floating around the ground, the axis of the spider cam is fixed to the various poles of the flood lights & the camera man handles this cam with a couple of joysticks on the ground. That gives a complete 360 degrees view of the ground, as this cam gives us pictures from any position of the ground, right from the bird's eye view of the stadium to the umpires head. The Super Slow-Mo footage, which captures more than 1000 frames per second, clearly shows every muscle that moves which catching a ball, hitting a shot or even the swaying hair of the cheer leaders.

8. I've never seen such a shot

Necessity is the mother of all inventions. With the advent of T20 format, cricket has no other way than to embrace the innovation that's currently taking place. With a plethora of shots being played, you often wonder whether you've seen such a shot before. The Dil-scoop, reverse-sweep over the keepers head. switch-hit, helicopter shot, french cut, bravo's bazooka & much more are just a handful of crazy shots that have been showcased in this IPL. More than resisting the legality of such shots, you've got to give it to the players who have more less mastered such shots with exemplary practice & timing. Equate this to a special move that every fighter has in Mortal Kombat, you'd realize that batsman too have special powers.     

9. What's wrong with him ?

 This Indian summer has been touted as one of the most hottest in recent history. The temper & temperature, both on & off the field has been quite erratic. With players losing their cool at the drop their hat, the previous IPL seasons were not as hot as this. The culprit guilty in such a case was majorly the Mumbai Indians. It all started with Munaf Patel & Harbhajan Singh almost strangling the umpire for a review of Sangakkara's dismissal. With Munaf smiling while being hit for boundaries & shouting at instance of a misfield, you cant help but to think that he was struck by 'Bi-polar disorder.' Ambati Rayadu in an other instance extended his heroics off the field against Harsh Patel splattering a few words in anger. Ravi Ashwin was also not too pleased with Steven Smith in an effort to 'Mankad' the latter. The war of words continued between Mahela Jayawardena & Gautham Gambhir on a tricky decision which went in favor of the former, where the umpires had to split the bout. Though the tempers fray, at times it did seem a bit unnecessary. But no complaints, we're always ready for a spat !    

10. No da Sidhu !  

While there was so much happening on the field, the pre match & post match programs featuring Navjot Singh Sidhu often left you with a smirk or even changing the channels. No doubt about his credentials to churn out impromptu poems, but at times it did seem a bit mundane & fist clenching. With 'In-studio' cheerleaders & hosts desperately trying their best to keep the cricket & glam quotient in balance, 'Sherry Pa'  seldom gave a chance to the other guests to opine throwing the balance out of sorts. His comparisons have lost the wit & more often than not doesn't fit the situation that he wants to address, prompting you to say "No da Sidhu !"


Bottom Line - Love it or Hate it, IPL is the mother of all forms of entertainment. This Buffet can never get exhausted.

Cricket is just another brick in this wall

There was and is only one Rahul Dravid. There can be no other. I will miss Rahul in the dressing room and out in the middle" - Sachin Tendulkar

His character on-field is a clear resonance of his character off-field. Always filled with grit, power, resilience, fight, responsibility, concentration, temperament, confidence and self belief. The most meticulous person who is entitled to be an ambassador of this gentleman's game in the modern era. The only Indian cricketer I know who speaks the same brand of cricket he plays.

The writing can be on the wall, but the wall can never be written off. The value of a human performing a miracle is more awed when compared to god performing one. The key difference a human brings is, the value added by the amount of practice, hard work, concentration and dedication to get there, is far more creditable as it can be witnessed through human eye. In spite of that, that feat is not considered something extraordinary because its after all performed by a human. In cricket, Sachin has always been a god and Dravid has always been a human.

If you count every single strand of hair in your body, it will equal to the number of times Dravid's brilliant  performances has been overshadowed by others. If you count every single wink of your eyes, it will equal to the number of times Dravid stood up tall like a wall to save India from trouble. Mr. Dependable is such a massive responsibility to shoulder. Though no credit can be taken away from Tendulkar, In true fairness, Dravid has performed that role with more aplomb and consistency. Having said that he's by far one of the best catalyst India could ever get. In such a position, his amalgamations with Sachin, Sourav and especially Laxman have created their own distinctive chemistry, a sense of aura and a feeling of nostalgia.

In the last few years, he's had to twine in both the opener's role as well as the most important position in any batting order at No.3, given the performance of Indian openers in the recent past have been dismal. He hasn't complained because he takes that as an opportunity and not as a threat. This warrior has created his own style of waging a battle against all odds. An inimitable style of stubborn resilience who stands even when everything around him is in ruins; who doesn't get deterred even while chaos prevails around him; who uses his cricket bat as his mouth piece to answer critics. His in-depth knowledge of the game, techniques and his ability to analyze situations puts this man a class apart. The Bradman's oration was quite a hair raising experience, with every word making so much of sense aided with his subtle sense of humor. No one else could have pulled such an intense speech with a thin thread of worry, concern, sarcasm & the future of cricket threaded into the Bradman's oration.   

Rahul was thoroughly used for the growth of indian cricket. He traveled the batting order at the demand of any situation. He was used as a stop gap keeper to fit an extra batsman into the line up. At times of desperation he was also asked to turn his arm over. When the openers failed, the faith was put on him and more often than not he has replied rather powerfully. He has not only been a 'wall' in batting, but also proved to be a wall among the tremors of BCCI. There was a time when haters spat on the wall, kicked it, drilled it, and even tried to decimate it, but the wall wouldn't budge. The haters then got tired and leaned on the same wall for rest, because they had no other place to go to. That's magnanimity for you and more importantly that's Rahul Dravid for you.

If 16 years of his cricket can give me a high, I'd be more than happy to fall into a trance. But the importance of the high is only valued when it disappears leaving you gasping for more. Let me tell you friends, cricket is just another brick in this wall. He transcends beyond that. Guess the time has come for a cricket museum to be built with nothing in it but for the walls. I'm grateful to this sport for churning out such a valuable gem and cricket is a clear winner for having him. I'm proud to be a Dravidian

SHADY CRICKET - An attempt at satire, sarcasm & simply cricket

"I hate using the WEB."

Michael Clarke not an avid member of the social networking community

"Retiring? Oh wait, India is coming."

Mark Boucher might announce his retirement after the England series

"Did we just play worse than India?"

Brendon McCullum is devastated after being white washed by South Africa

"What - more does Pakistan need?"

Dav Whatmore has been newly appointed as the head coach for the Pakistan cricket team

"I hate you, like I love you"

M.S.Dhoni & Virender Sehwag's "miscommunication" led to an apparent rift within the team.

"Rested is the new dropped."

Virendar Sehwag - This dashing opening batsman was 'rested' for the upcoming Asia cup due to an injury.

"Bottlenecks are barred in my cricket."

Jesse Ryder - Axed from the New zealand team for indiscipline after getting involved in a brawl at a pub.

"Middling the finger and the ball."

Virat Kohli - Showing his middle finger after being agitated by some Australian fans.

"Missed-bah Ul Haq."

Misbah-Ul-haq - Missed a simple winning opportunity in the recently concluded T20 match against England.

"I should get there before you"

Arjun Tendulkar & Sachin Tendulkar - Son takes a dig at his legendary father on getting to the most jinxed landmark.

"Even my head is spinning after playing Saeed Ajmal"

Andrew Strauss & the English team were left clueless against Saeed Ajmal through the entire series.