Mumbai Marathon! - The experience of running 21 km!

So…the D-Day came…and I planned to sleep early to make sure I give enough rest to my body. However, as it happened to all plans of training or practicing etc, which never got executed even for a single day ..this too went for a toss and I ended up talking to family ppl till late in the night :-)

Slept at around 1:30am..and got up at 4:30am! Took a bag with basic items needed and reached dadar. There I needed to change train and I found out that at 5:30am in the morning the queue for the ticket for tooooo long. I was supposed to reach by 6am and I would not have reached before 7am if I got to that line. I thought of using coupon counter..but that was closed at that hour. Then I thought of asking for some other using the coupon and pay them…but then I found out there was no chute with me :-) he he he…so I was stranded !! finally, got into train without ticket….thinking I would have to pay to the TT. But got to the ground safely and in time.

I was greeted there by my Lombard collegues. I deposited my bag and threw the mail having all instructions and ph no thinking it was not needed now. We were amazed by no of participants, including no of female participants. I didn’t expect so many girls/aunties running 21 km! Then I saw..in front of me in the line, Sujay Kamath (my batchmate from IIM Indore) was standing ! Wishing him belated happy b'day we started !

View from bandra-worli sea link was good….

I also saw a full sunrise first time in mumbai in 5 yr J he he..otherwise either u never wake up in time or u can only see high rises :-) and it was very soothing to see the beautiful sunrise!

(I am trying to upload some snaps from bandra worli sealine, of sunrise too..but unable to ..some error being shown here)

Last years experience had taught me to keep myself hydrated and energized…so chocolates which I carried were very helpful….and I kept taking few gulps of water at regular intervals! At approximately 14 kms of continuous running….my legs stopped cooperating! Not a single day practice …I was expecting lot of breathing problems etc…but not this. I managed possible breathing troubles by keeping my speed low..but legs?? What do I do…so came the phase of running and walking…last 3 km were very painful…I literally walked only.

Later on I realized that out of total 2 hr 37 min, I completed 18 km in approx 1 hr 50 min and last 3 km took me another 47 min!! my god..my timing could have been so much better!

Finally we finished…enjoying the whole atmosphere…as usual..mumbai junta was out to cheer us and help us which, to me, is the best part of this whole episode. Everyone was there to cheer, help, in any which way possible.

Once I reached Final destination…I saw some celebs…though I didn’t notice many others…! There, two of my colleagues had already arrived….I guess I was either 3^rd or 4^th in my company to finish ! not bad…given that I didn’t practice at all and still managed to improve on my last yr time by approx 30 min! So tired were we….that we simply sat and had our refreshments! We didn’t even check where the stall of our company was. After half an hr we thought of calling stall ppl…and then I realized I had thrown the paper with details before we started :-
) anyways we found that! Most were seen using pain relief spray, though I avoided it ! We enjoyed…..took snaps….chatted…congratulated each other..and then left. So tired was I that I didn’t even go to collect my baggage from baggage counter ! he he …:-)

Shahrukh, Shahid and Genelia !

Well, sometimes peculiar things happen!

I have been in mumbai for 5 yrs now....i get chance to meet so many celebrities..lekin kabhi maine try nahi kiya. Agar mauka mila to 4 logon se milna chahunga....Amitabh,Amir, Sachin and Rahul dravid! thats it. so...baaki logon ka chance nahi aata :-) this also means I generally dont get to see any star/celebrity, since i dont try at al.

I was in delhi on 11th and I got a bit late in arriving at airport...so I was among the last few who boarded the bus from terminal to the flight. Suddenly I saw Shahid kapoor coming near to our bus...boarding a separate bus. Both buses went together...I saw 2-3 girls with her and some other people.

Once in...he was standing (face our side) almost within 10 ft distance from my seat (i was in front row economy and he in business class). Khair...he changed his dress (i dont know why..he anyways was in caulas.there was no need to change to another casual). He appeared very short ..may be 5 ft 4 inches...not more than that!!

When we reached mumbai....airhostesses made sure that he went down first and after few seconds we were allowed to go down. However, he was still there, waiting for someone. Its then I realised that one of the girls with him was Genelia!! he he...itne time tak usko dekhane ke chakkar me kisi ne heroine ko notice hi nahi kiya...reel life me hi nahi...real life me bhi heorine ka role chhota ho gaya :-)

Anyways....so he left, while we waited for our bus to get full. When we reached the terminal...there again, both of them were waiting...for baggage this time.....I stopped for few seconds and then proceeded to exit.

Suddenly I heard screams outside....I was surprised...Shahid and Genelia were inside terminal...then why screaming from outside....and then I saw the reason....Shahrukh Khan was there!! Standing!! Near his BMW !! he he....before any girl could reach him...he quickly got inside the car. Waited inside for few minutes.....and then the car left.

When i went near old rickshaw stop...i found it has been shifted and now only private vehicles are allowed there. Even before I could see where the new rickshaw stand was, I realised something was different...and I found that i was accidently standing next to Shahid Kapoor's vehicle - a range rover !! and then came Shahid! Genelia also sat in the front seat only and they drove away.

Differences: Shahrukh was in white color vehicle, Shahids was black. Shahrukh sat at backseat, Shahid told driver to go back and drove himself!!

I finally got my auto and headed to my home. Suddenly, the driver got a call, and he stopped at the roadside....to my surprise, Shahid's vehicle was still there....he has driven away from the airport but stopped after 1 km, at a lonely place....and I could see him in the vehicle :-)

I could not stop myself from smiling. From not going to see a celebrity even once, even when someone came near my home...to automatically meeting 3 big celebs in one evening, without any fight, and that too so many times.....!! The result is this blog :-)

Mumbai Marathon - Once more!

Once again its time for Mumbai Marathon!

Last year, after I finished half marathon, I decided I shall never run again. After all why to bear so much of pain? But then I realized, that the experience was unique....especially the way all of mumbai comes along the route to cheer u up and help you up in any way they can...from kids to housewives to old ppl, everyone is there on both side of the road along the full route.....its seriously amazing to see the spirit of true mumbai! SO, here I am...running again!

However, I have not yet practiced even 1 single day....just hoping that god gives me the spirit to run and complete! I heard in dance india dance "Aadmi nahi chalta, CHAH chalti hai"..and i do have that chah :-)

And what should be the cause which I should support? There can be many...but I finally choose two:
1. Conserve water (given situation in mumbai, almost all mumbaikars shall agree to it)
2. Hygiene - Remember H1N1? only way we can control it is by maintaining and following proper hygienic processes!

Those who can, should definitely come and see and enjoy the experience..its fun, its energy, its motivation, its determination, its about showing to the world...its abt caring..its abt sharing...!!

Happy running to me and all :-)

Kuhu and Kanha !

Well, I am in the flight to Delhi and last 4 days in ahmedabad has flown like anything. Trip to Baroda (refer to my previous blog) led to wonderful experience. But, spending time with family is something very emotionally satisfying and nothing can be compared with it J just listening to these tow kiods have made the last 4 days wonderful.

Kanha is now evolving to be a smart kid, one who enjoys, smiles and never cries! He has started to move sometimes on his knees, otherwise he has now become an expert in moving by using his hand to drag his body forward J and when ever he is happy, he starts moving both his leg simultaneously with joy……..bhabhi will vouch that no matter what she does and how much she takes care, ultimately Kanha succeeds in making sure that his bowl of food is always striked either by his hand or his legs J today monrning too, he did the same, and on the spur of the moment, bhabhi shouted because food was getting on the bedsheet ! Kanha bhabhi ki aawaz se dar gaya and then aisa roya ki bas poochho mat…. He he he..it was fun watching him cry also….sab use chup kara rahe the and he was like….not opening his eyes only J

Kuhu is well ahead of kids of her age…..but the problem is that she uses this smartness to make sure ki bhaiya aur bhabhi, dono hi ko pareshaan kar ke rakhti hai….Us akele ke liye minimum 2 log chahiye hote hain care karne ke liye….and then, she is an attention seeker…so when she feels she is not getting attention, she does things like switching off lights, going and standing in front of TV taaki sab use dekhen, TV nahi dekh payeen…and things like that!

Kanha ke naane ke baad, being a kid she is, sometimes use lagta hai ki uske papa mummy use nahi dekh rahe….so she tries even harder!!

And Yes….abhi se hi…dono, kanha and kuhu are getting attached to IIM A…kanha IIM A ke tags se khoob khelta hai..and Kuhu, IIM A ki parties me khoob dance karti hai J

God bless them both (and there by us)...all the happiness in the world!

A day in Baroda!

Some off work brought me to Ahmedabad and I from here, some client meets led me to Baroda! but least I wud have expected my clent meets to be such unique experiences!

The journey from ahmedabad to baroda was quite enjoying...car going smoothly at above 100km/hr speed consistently on the expressway! I reached Baroda by 3:15pm. First we went to meet a client - a lady working for the trust managing the museum of Maharaja Gaekwad!

Gaekwads were considered among the riches among even the kings!! and the wealth was on display there! To say it was Awesome and Midddblowwiing wud be just the beginning! With larger than life paintings done was Raja and likes from Germany and England, sculptures from India, Japan and china, Vas from diff countries, Art work done completely on Elephant teeth, sofas made completely of glass and such things coming to us one by one...we were amazed to levels not known earlier! Some amazing things that we noticed:
1. two diff paintings, in which a warrior was riding a horse, were hanged on wall facing each other. no mater from where u watch them, u will find the horses directly looking into your eyes!!
2. A complete bed made just of elephant teeth only!! and the art work done on it - simpley mindddblowing!! Incredible!
3. Painting..in which at the center, a road passes to a valley. No matter from where you see - the road looks like coming directly from you and entering the valley. Even if one starts from one end of the painting and goes directly oppise, still, the effect is clearly visible.
4. Sofa - made of complete glass. One wonders how wud they have made such equisite pieces in that age!
5. Vases - so many types, sizes, from diff countries and of such diff material - very diff to explain here. I dont have words.
6. True to life sculptures.
7. A painting - it was exactly same as the one which was made in the movie Titanic! only the diamond was missing. Diff is that it was made at least 100 yr ago!

Other than this - this musuem was the school in which Gaekwad family members studied. Now it has been converted to museum. The palace campus is so huge that now after donating part of it to govt, still they have museum, golf club, palace, a whole range of army weapon store, cricket ground and what not within the campus!!! No wonder, there used to be a real life small train run to carry the Gaekwad family kids from school to palace both of which were within same campus!!! he he...a train to run within campus, that too 100 yr ago!! WOW!!

From there we went to meet another client. He is an avid coin collector and has created India's only coin museum - Mudra Coin Museum. We could not believe our eyes when we saw the variety of coins collected by one single man!!
We saw coins which were used 2600 years ago!! yes u read it right...it was 543BC ...and some were even older than that! some were such that if someone does not explain u its a coin, u will throw it just like that! we even saw samples of things that were used before coins were used....things like "kaudi" , "moti", "specific types of feathers of birds" etc. We even saw pictures when south african ppl used cocks (murga) as coins!!!

we saw coins that we used to use when we were less than 5 yr old! and we saw coins which were not so old, like being used in 1973, but we never ever saw them!!!

Well it was fun..and great experience...never thought client experince wud lead to such an amazing experience....!! I stringly recommend everyone to at least go to Gaekwad's museum!

Ruchika, her frnd and the indian system!

Happy new year to all!
Hope, everyone of u enjoyed the new year celebrations!

Firth thing first - this blog is not for updates on Ruchika's case! anyone who is interested/curious, already knows this case in and out.

This is just to put some of the points that came out as deductions when I thought over it!
1. I thought I knew (and other in India too), how system works here and also how it favors the powerful/influential ones. But this case, has far surpassed my expectations of the system. I didnt know of any case where so much of brutual force was used, brazenly, in open society and no-one did anything!!! That too for sooooo long a period. Even when no one was doing anything, any normal sane human will himself will leave the victims ..no one can sustain anger against helpless ppl for so long. But, I guess, thr r ppl who break records...and the accused here is one of them. Such brazen, brutual use of force is unthinkable by any humanitarian standard, or even indian system standard.

2. I take a bow out of respect for Ruchika's frnd - for not only being fearless, but also for being persistent to ensure she gets justice! delaying her own marraige for 5 years, and even after that - coming back from outside india for every case hearing, is something not even own family members would do most of the time. This is what one calls true frndship! I seriously respect her for her determination also! Take a bow lady!

3. Role of Media - sometimes I have felt that media is becoming too invasive and irritable. However, cases like this makes one feel that even when it has many demerits to list to have such an invasive media - its the only possible tool a common man can use to get justice in high profile cases, be it - Jesica, Ruchika or anyone else.

4. There are changes proposed in Indian laws to ensure that such cases do not repeat. However,there is no dearth of laws in India. What is missing is its implementation. Even after 19 years - the FIR is now filed, school is being asked to explain expulsion of Ruchika and CBI officers being questioned on why they did not do true justice to their role. So, even if the law is changed - who and how will it be ensured that those laws are implemented properly? Police reforms and independence from Political interference is a bare minimum must to have!

5. To all those criminals - this is an example that no matter how sure u r that u will manage and escape, once u do the crime, u pay for it....sooner or later! so think , before u commit something wrong!