Who wears a yellow shirt!!??!!

There was time when my mother bought me an orange t-shirt and I freaked out. I was extremely embarrassed about wearing that color in front of my friends and so I passed it onto my sister who happily made it part of her favorites.

I let my mother know that she should never pick out clothes for me, especially if she was to think that a light green or a sun yellow t-shirt would go with the black pair of jeans I own. Never in my wild dreams did I see myself wearing a 'girly' color, if I may call it.

But as I say this, today, I own 3 yellow tees and one of them is actually a favorite of mine. That change came from the time I enrolled into Michigan. It's absolutely a norm to wear yellow tees out here. Yellow shorts, yellow sweats, caps, jackets and what-nots. Yellow shirt over a pair of blue jeans makes you a Michigan dude or dudette in a way.

I was at Nike once and I liked a blue jacket. I loved it, but for the fact that it had yellow as a secondary color, with zippers in yellow and inner pockets in yellow and pocket edges in yellow. Then my friend pointed out that it looked more like a Michigan jacket rather than just a Nike jacket and that was all I needed to convince myself to buy it (It was on sale too...just another pull). And now it's my winter jacket, which means I need it 4-5 months a year.

This post just came as a thought when I remembered a certain incident when I was in India last year. I had to just step out of the house for an errand, and I chose to wear my favorite yellow Michigan and my mother just stood there looking amazed at me wearing that color. I said this was an exception and that she should not run out and get me another orange or green shirt.

Capello Regime!

It's not been long since Steve McLaren was axed as the English coach after failing to qualify for Euro 2008. The dust hasn't settled and the FA has gone and appointed a new man already. You would think if they have given thought to the decision. Why would they be so hasty in selecting a manager so soon. It's not like they don't have time. The next competitive games won't start till the end of next year.


Then, can they not give themselves time to first appoint better people to the decision seats in the FA and then deliberate over the most dangerous coaching job there can be. I mean, if these are the same people who had the short-sightedness of picking McLaren over proven men like Gus Hiddink and Scolari, then I am confident this is a disaster decision. Nothing against Capello, but time will tell.

First things first though. Why pick McLaren. What are his possible qualifications other than winning one lousy Cup with Boro and being an assistant to Ferguson at Manchester United. He tried to be bold and dropped Beckham when all he needed to do was break the Gerrard-Lampard misfiring axis and all would fall in place. He brought Beckham back, maybe to little to late and see what's happened.

A disaster is likely to happen when non-footballing minds come together to make a decision about something that they haven't themselves experienced. Even though he may have the backing of the world's best managers, it remains to be seen what Capello's first step would be to make England the footballing prowess it has always dreamed of being.

Now I am an avid English supporter. But even I know that they are far from being the best. As someone said somewhere, the best players do not necessarily constitute the best team. Team: that's what it comes down to. It's a team game after all. Individual accomplishments are actually not that important here.

I just hope that Capello won't make any bold moves and stick to a regime which will actually bring success. He should not pull out a McLaren and so something altogether absurd only because nobody though you would do it and it would show, you are afraid of no one. That won't work. He has to now bring together a team.

But finally, I still feel. It's just too hasty a decision that only spells more trouble. And of this move fails, the next to go after Capello should be the FA.

A deserving Champion

Say what you may, I believe Räikkönen is an absolutely deserving champion. Yes, I agree, Hamilton may have been a good one too, but then you can see the rookie mistakes that he made that cost him the championship in the first place. With the tire saga during the Chinese GP and then the itchy-finger mistake in Brazil cost him the world title. On the other hand, Kimi actually performed brilliantly to come out as a winner. His crucial victories in the final two races and performances throughout the year have made him the best.

Alonso never deserved to be the champion. If news about him is actually true and he has done all the things he has been reported to do, he doesn't make a good champion. With Renault, it was a different story. He was happy and hence made a good winner. But with what he did to undermine Hamilton, who overshadowed him throughout the year, it's god for the sport he didn't win.

But all in all, this was the best season I have ever seen. There have been close seasons before, with the Schumacher-Häkkinen, Schumacher-Räikkönen or the Schumacher-Alonso rivalries. But this was a 3-horse race and went down to the wire. And finally ending with just one point between the top three drivers. That's as close as you can get. What was most amazing about the final outcome was that it was actually the most unlikely scenario. Ferrari with a 1-2 finish, with Alonso third and Hamilton in 7th place. A dream result for Ferrari, and I must say, even they wouldn't have predicted that. And Räikkönen did appear stunned by the whole thing.

But as it turns out, that party may still be postponed, after McLaren, unwilling to accept defeat have appealed about a stewards' decision. But if you ask me, that is not the was Hamilton would like to win. He should accept defeat, and I think he has. Räikkönen deserved this after years of coming close to the big prize. Many congratulations to him, and now looking forward to a wonderful 2008 season.

World Champions...!

India started shocking the world by putting a newbie in the opener's slot in Sehwag's absence, who's absence I believe was a boon. Then they hit around and made a few runs that you feel were not good enough for a win and a possible World Championship. But then they bowled their hearts out. Made a few mistakes, got hit all around the park and then it cam down to a stage when victory was inevitable.
But then something changed. The ball sailed over the crowd a few times and we were in for the closest final we've had in years. No one could believe their eyes, we too here in America as we followed the text commentary, but Pakistan were on the verge of the comeback of the tournament. 12 or so runs needed in the last over and Joginder is hit for a six. And we feel, "Now it's over." Even reading the commentary was nerve-wrecking. It's better you watch it on TV, when you can see that they still have to bowl, something is wrong. You know the reason for the delay in bowling the ball. But we here were refreshing our browser out so know what was happening. Six runs to go and a few balls and you feel in that part of the body which always makes you feel that bad things are about to happen, that a six is only what is going to happen. And it almost does, but for the shot not hit very well and the catch that finally sealed a long awaited dream of becoming Champions of the World.
And there we finally were. Hugs all around, shouting the hell out and just going plain berserk. And all this because of a group of people who believed in themselves. Even a defeat would have been an accepted result, but a win did go a long way. Dhoni was the man, I think. He did captain well, with a side of fresh people and no experience in the format.
But sadly, it can only go downhill from here. I know what you will say. "Come on man, have a heart and be positive."
But to tell you the truth, the aftermath of the victory was unbelievable. A billion people now thinking and expecting India to roll over its opposition in the future, especially the Aussies coming to town. But that ain't gonna last!
Then, presenting Rs.1 crore to Yuvraj Singh. That's $250,000!!!! That's just BS. Give him Rs. 10 lacs, even 25 for that matter. Yes, it's a once-in-a-lifetime achievement to hit 6 6s. But come on!! This will just spoil him, and not in a good way. The team got $1mn, and he gets a quarter of that alone and a share of the million. I just want to say is that it is not money well spent.

But for what it's worth, this win did bring joy to the billion who cried and protested and rioted after India were shamefully out of the World Cup a few months ago...Retribution it was, I like to believe. Whatever it was, it's a nice feeling to be called World Champions.

A Dream Finale

Twenty20 isn't the form of cricket I ever thought India would excel in. But that's what happened. Beating powerhouses like England, South Africa and then Australia to set up a dream final, I know, everyone has been looking forward to since the World Cup started, in any form, I believe the Men in Blue can make it happen. But I completely believe in what Dhoni said during the presentation after the Australia game. "Enjoy the game, whatever the result". That is an excellent attitude.
But people in India will now be expecting them to fire all cylinders, even if they don't have that many. And if they fail, you can expect effigies to be burnt and houses to be pelted. That's because our people cannot handle the thought of failure. Maybe not failure, but disappointment.
And then there is the BCCI and people who think they are above the world. Why would anyone give $1mn to the team even before they have won anything? And please correct me if I am wrong, I don't think Yuvraj Singh should have been presented the Porsche 911 for his performances. I agree he has made a great contribution, but have people forgotten Sachin's contributions or for that matter anyone else who has played along consistently for India for years. If this were true, Sachin should have had to build a parking garage for himself. This act will not only make Yuvraj think he's the man, but will dip his performance in the Final. Mark my words.
But all in all, Twenty20 is the best thing that has happened to cricket, of course, apart from the time during a West Indies-South Africa match when 2 women flashed in front of everyone on camera. And India are in the finals. This will be a feast for the eyes.

On a personal note, Michigan is back on track after 2 wins and Manchester United beat Chelsea.

McLaren, Down and Out!

Down, because they are now lighter by $100mn and Out, because they have been kicked out of the Constructors Championship. Unfair if you ask me.
$100mn. Think about that figure for a moment. There are 8 zeros in that number. And I can safely say that it's a huge number. But it's not just a number, its actual money. $100mn is a crazy sum for a fine. That's the highest fine put out ever. It make not be a problem for McLaren to pay that sum, but it still is a huge chunk off their books. That's more than the money they spend on F1 research in Mclaren in two years, and everyone says they spend a lot.
Now I feel that McLaren were unfairly treated. Not in terms of the rules. According to the rules, they were at fault. Maybe the rules ought to be altered a bit, but that's a whole other issue. They breached the code, they broke the rules, but was it worth $100mn and exclusion from the current Championship? I think not. A much lower sum would have been fine. And a deduction of points, OK. But this was drastic!
I have never been a fan of any team in specific (though I secretly favored Ferrari once in a while), but I never believed that the FIA always favored Ferrari more than the othere, maybe by a teeny-tiny amount. But this proves it.
I don't think the current McLaren cars have any design from Ferrari. And there was not way, atleast not an easy way, that Ferrari could have won the Championship with the points tally. This was the only way.
Also, another thing that bothers me is why de la Rosa was left unpunished. Agreed that he was given immunity for providing proof, but he was so involved in the whole scandal, why hasn't anyone come out and chastised him? Alonso was also involved (although I do believe he isn't going to be at McLaren in 2008). But both of them were given immunity by the FIA. But McLaren, who feel they were treated unfairly and are innocent, should take action against these two. Why hasn't that happened.
Well, my point actually was that McLaren was in possession of secret Ferrari documents and according to the rules, they were at fault. But the punishment was very harsh. All of us can assume that every team has some kind of documentation about the other teams. It's just that McLaren got caught.
Bottom Line: McLaren were guilty but harshly treated.

Adios, Mourinho!

And finally it happened. José Mourinho has left Chelsea Football Club for good. I guess everyone was waiting for that to happen after the much talked about fall-out between him and the Russian billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich. It's just hard to believe that the Russian had issues with the best thing that happened to Chelsea for a long time. And I now have a sense of déjà vu.
At the end of the 2003-2004 season, Claudio Ranieri said at the end of the season, after they qualified for the Champions League, that it was party time. Just a year after the take-over and he had players and money to spend and a chance to get Chelsea back on track. But the Russian had bigger things on his mind. Getting into the Champions League was not the only thing in his mind. He wanted to displace Manchester United and Arsenal from the top spot in English Football. He wanted to win it all. And when Ranieri couldn't satisfy his requirements (remember, 1 year with a new team), we said goodbye to him and in stepped José, fresh from the Champions League trophy that followed the UEFA Cup trophy the previous year.
So, Roman thought that he could do the same at Chelsea. Gave him the money to buy the best players, create the Invincibles and go for glory. Get him the Premiership, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Champions League. He wanted to conquer the continent. But he forgot that José is no wizard. He may be arrogant he may have the biggest attitude or even the best team, it's still a long shot to win it all. And that's what happened.
But not before he pulled down United and Arsenal from the top and made it his own ground. He won the Premiership, but couldn't make it to the Champions League and the FA Cup. Losing twice to Liverpool in the semis and that led to a fight. Buying Scheva just because Roman likes him was something José wasn't too happy about. Buying Ballack and then him not firing was bad. And to top it, losing out to United in the run for the Premiership, and he lost his place in the Russians heart.
I have no idea what Roman wants. He seems so desperate for the Champions League, he can fire one of the best managers in the world. I believe he should have given José some time and some space. Bringing in people and letting them involve themselves in the teams decisions wasn't actually a wise choice. Inow believe it's downhill from here for a while. And they meet the biggest challenge of the season yet when they go to Old Trafford on Sunday. If you ask me, it'll be fun watching Stamford Bridge fall down.

Niagara Falls....WOW??

There I was. At the world famous Niagara Falls. Without my camera (which I stupidly forgot at home). And before I reached the place I was sure I was going to say "WOW, this is beautiful".
But the spectacle disappointed me. I cannot believe people go so many times to a place where water falls from a height. I'd rather look at the shower while showering.
OK...bad joke. But you get my point. There seemed to be nothing spectacular about the Falls. Atleast not from the American side. I may change my opinion after looking at it form the Canadian side. But that's going to be a while. And what made it more boring was the fact I forgot my camera. And it's a place where you can now find more Indians than in India. I don't really mind, but it's about time there were sign posts in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, etc. I mean, come on, there were people in Dhotis and stuff. I remember being at the F1 race in Indianapolis and having seen an Indian woman, around late 50s, sitting there without any emotions, in a Saree!!!!!!!
There are more Indian restaurants there than any other. It's similar to a Chowpatti in Mumbai. You will meet atleast one person you know. And maybe even everyone you know. That's possible.
Still, not everything is boring. There is Maid of the Mist ride which was wonderful. Now that's the way to see the Falls. It's a great spectacle from underneath the Falls and the ride was well-worth the time and money spent. Time spent in the line for the ride. Not the time spent traveling for more than 6 hours and paying toll every other half hour.
All in all, a simply boring experience barring that one ride. Let's hope I like it from the other side.

Book to Movie : A 'Da Vinci' Tale

I have read the book once before and I have seen the movie too. But I was just too eager to read that book again. I don't know why, but there hasn't been a book like that (with the mysteries and conspiracy theories) and I had forgotten much of the story. So I went to the library and picked up a copy, and read through the whole thing and I have to admit I found the story much clearer as I knew what happens next.
So it was a Sunday when I finished this book and I have this Blockbuster membership with the online rentals and I had a movie to return which I could exchange for a new free one and I didn't have a movie in mind.


Anyways, I thought it would be cool to see the 'Da Vinci' movie again right after I read the book. And so I rented it. Now everyone knows that most movies made from books do not turn out to be exact copies of the book. Many plots and storylines are changed. I don't know why. Maybe it's because the new plots make the movie more interesting. I don't know. I never thought so.
Anyways, I thought that this movie can't really be that different from the book. I mean to build a new plot seemed tough.
But I saw some glaring differences. First and foremost, Robert Langdon in the movie may not be 'for' the 'real' story of the Holy Grail, but he never disagrees with Teabing during his accounts. He infact adds to the story. But in the movie he is shown to be skeptical about the whole 'truth' and argues with Teabing. Now why would that happen? Why do you want to change the character's personality?
And secondly, the major difference is the presence of only one cryptex rather than two as in the book. I believe they did so because they wanted to shorten the movie. But I think they have made it longer by some of the inbetween sequences. And I would have like a 'Series' like the 'Band Of Brothers' instead of a shortened movie. That would have made a better thing to see, spanned over a few weeks, showing every bit of detail as in the book. But they made a movie, with one of the worst editing I have ever seen. They run through the Louvre part of the book like they wanted to get out of it as fast as they could. And then they spend time in the Park, etc.
And that's not all. Another big difference is in the relationship between Saunière and Neveu. I do not recall the book saying that they weren't really grandfather-granddaughter. But the movie says so, and I don't know why. Langdon and Neveu go below the Roslin Chapel which never happens. Also, Fache is shown as an Opus Dei member and Aringarosa has a slight negative edge which is not present in the book. Silas doesn't actually die in the book.
All this makes me believe that books turned into movies is not a really good thing. Look at the Bourne series. Even the first movie is not similar to the book, let alone the next two movies which are actually different from the books titles the same.
The Da Vinci Code movie was meant for only those who had read the book as the rest didn't understand what was happening. And those who read the book found the movie so odd, that it would have been a better idea if they had not made one at all. It would have saved all the controversy it created during it's release.

Dessert Dilemma

Imagine yourself in a nice Italian restaurant. You have just had the best pasta there is with shrimps and grilled chicken in a zesty Arrabiata sauce after a nice Pasta e Fagioli soup. And now you are thinking of the best part of the meal. The DESSERT.

But hold on a minute. It was just two days ago that your friend told you that you seemed to have gained a few pounds. And also, your pants didn't exactly fit you when you wore them this evening. You can still feel the 'pressure' on your tummy. So, you are trying your best to avoid the dessert menu. You try to look the other way, but your friend is holding the menu in his hand and thinking (out loud) what he would like to have for dessert. So you close your ears and now you look like a fool.

And then the waitress comes. Usually it's a cute young girl, a girl you don't have the heart to say NO to. And she comes up to you and says ever-so-sweetly, "And what will you have for dessert?" You say, "No, Thanks. I think I'm full." And she eyes the 'box' in front of you which has most of your dinner packed, as lunch the next day. And you feel sheepish and look down, avoiding here stare and the face which is now saying, "Come on, you know you want to."

And in your mind you are saying, "Come on, you know you want to. So what if you have gained a few pounds, you can shed them easily in the coming week." And then you have convinced yourself that you can have the dessert without guilt and you order a Tiramisu and the waitress smiles the best smile and you feel you have accomplished something.

The Tiramisu arrives and you finish it in a jiffy because it's so good. And the others are just starting and now you feel left out and you just sit there looking at them wondering what made you such an animal. And then you pay the check and then you leave for home feeling good about yourself and looking forward to a nice sleep.

Re: It's a 'nosy' affair

This particular post is in reply to an article I read in the Bombay Times
It's a 'nosy' affair

Now this author is a funny man. He is as funny as Himesh is a bad singer. But I have some comments on his article.

I have to agree, Himesh is talented. He has his own style of music and is good. He has the 'beats' and his songs are popular. I personally like some of his songs. It's not the case that there have been singers who haven't deserved to have sung before. Anu Malik is pathetic, Shah Rukh Khan tried his luck at it, Sanjay Dutt does it. And they are bad, I tell you. And so is Himesh. It's fine for him to sing, I have nothing against that, but to adore him for his singing is just a bit crazy. No...not a bit, a lot. First of all, he is unbelievably nasal. And when he continues his 'OOOOOOOO' in that fashion, i just want to cut my ears off. And nasal is not that good. Ask anyone if they like hearing Kumar Sanu sing.
And now Himesh has his own film, with that damned leather jacket and a torn cap. I am not going to see that film, because I know I'll be wasting precious time and money. But then this author compares him to Kishore Kumar...and it hurts me. Kishore Kumar, now he was an all-rounder. A good comedian, a terrific singer and a gifted music director. To compare Himesh to Kishoreda is the height of stupidity. I understand that Sonu Nigam can't act, but in no way is his voice nasal at any pitch. And if this guy says so, he is a deaf dude. Sonu Nigam is currently one of the best singers alongside Shankar Mahadevan.

A last word is that after reading the recent news about Sonu Nigam making it open about being sexually harassed by this particular author, I have no doubt that this article was just a way to let everyone know that Sonu Nigam is not what people claim to be and that there is a 'superstar' there right now, who overshadows everyone in the industry.

Weary Wimbledon

Rain...Rain...and more rain poured throughout the 1 1/2 weeks of The Championship. Now there's something the English haven't learnt. Tennis in London has always suffered the consequences of perennial rain, and still they go on as it is. I feel for these players even though I haven't played tennis.



Think of the inconsistencies. There was Federer, who lay in his hotel suite for around 5 days before he got to his Quarter-Final match. And Nadal swayed onto the court for 3 days to get his match completed. Sharapova lost all her control after a rain delayed match and she was over-run by Venus Williams. Serena Williams got a break during her big injury and came back to win. Djokovic has now played 2 long and hard matches in 2 days to now play Nadal on the 3rd day and go on to play the final on the 4th day. If he continues his form he will take Nadal to the final set and then all his energy will drain out.

My point is why haven't the English thought of something to prevent such drastic consequences of rain delays? Why don't they have retractable roofs when it rains? And this is not the first time such delays have happened. So many finals have gone to Monday and players have had to play too many games in too little days.

"It's tradition", they will say. But traditions don't mean to exhaust players and rob the people of competitive matches. Look at tomorrow's final. Bartoli has to play Venus Williams who had an easy semi. But Bartoli had to go through 3 sets to beat the No.1 Henin. How energetic will she be to face a strong Venus? I can see the scoreline as an easy straight sets win for Venus. Not fair really.

Transfer Market going haywire

The transfer market in European Football is going crazy. The sheer number of big-name transfers that have taken place in the summer is crazy.
The biggest one till now is the transfer of French talisman Thierry Henry. Now I didn't have to say all that. Just 'Henry' would have said it all. His move to Barcelona, though in talks, was a thunderous change to the European Football look. Barcelona now seriously look unbeatable. With a man who can make almost any pass and a man who can make almost every goal will definitely be tough to overlook.



And then there is the more recent signing. Athletico Madrid youngster Fernando Torres to Livepool. The Kop will be celebrating their hearts out now. A prolific striker, and a much needed force for Liverpool, he will up Liverpool's ambition to win the big titles again.






And then there's this signing that I was hoping would come last January, But now that it has happened, the Champions League will look much more clear to Sir Alex. And who can count out 2 other midfielders, Nani and Anderson, who join the Red Devils, bolstering the center of the pitch. If Giggs and Scholes can continue from where they left last season and Ronaldo can create the same magic, there may be no stopping for United. And now reports coming out that Teves may be the next to join the Old Trafford side. That's something out of the blue, but they do need a striker. I won't be surprised if they sign a big name defender in the coming months

Here are just a few of the biggies. Many things going on around Europe. Klose joins Bayern. Ribery also joins Bayern. Malouda may be on his way to Chelsea. Carlos and Beckham left Real. And many many more. And I do believe this is not the end.

IKEA - Cheap and Expensive

It could be the best thing in the home shopping scene here. It has cheap and durable stuff. They sell stuff which has 2 pluses (in my case atleast)...one being that the things are cheap(er than many stores) and the second that you have to build the furniture yourself, which I can tell you is a lot of fun. Ask my roommate who spent his afternoon building a rolling cabinet we got from IKEA yesterday. He kept sating how much fun it was. I have built 2 tables and tonight I am about to tackle a bed. Fun times ahead.

But there is a big no-no there. Now I have a Grand Am, not the speacious kinds of vehicle when you have to haul a lot of stuff, and particularly not when i have to carry 10-12 feet of packaging. And so I have to either rent a truck, which is absolutely impractical, or have it delivered by IKEA. So here is where they make up for the 'cheap' selling prices.

I wanted to ship my bed and mattress and that was going to cost me $69.99. Now they must be delivering around 50 items or more in a day. So why $69.99. And that is because I live on the second floor, they have to carry it over one flight of stairs. So, it would cost me that much. So, I took the other option of paying $49 and have the items delivered 'curbside'. I hauled them to my apartment on the second floor with the utmost ease and I was relieved I didn't waste $20 on hose guys, who by the way were bigger than I was and were 2 of them.

A few months earlier, I had my recliner delivered and that too cost me $50. A real rip-off I can tell you. So take care when you see the prices at IKEA, coz you may find out that you have to have your items shipped and that would just cost as much. Still it will be cheaper than other places, but $50 for curbside delivery....NO! Thank God I wasn't obliged to tip the delivery guys!!

A slideshow of my USGP experience!!!

United States Grand Prix 2007

News Flashes...What's up with this world!!!!

So, the big news....Paris Hilton was released from jail after 3 weeks. WOW!!! Wonderful!!!
All this news will do is make the paparazzi happy...that's all. Coz now more than half of them can get back to work after a nice vacation. And what says that she'll not be visiting the jail again? She's so damn messed up that it's only safe to make a bet that she'll be retracing her steps. This experience is supposed to have a changing effect on her....according to her. I respect her in a way that she knows and accepts that she's crazy and immature. But how can anyone be so stupid as to have herself filmed naked and in compromising situations, then deny about it, then accept it and sue the people responsible for making the tape public, then making the tape an official video and selling it to the public (which of course wouldn't see as people already had the whole tape with them) and then top it all by making another video with similar graphical content.
And she has her effect on all others around her. She had a fued with Lindsay Lohan (do not get me started on this i-think-i-am-a-bikini-model bimbo). She became best friends with Britney Spears who left her child all alone and shaved her head and showed off her privates to the world. And again, Paris' friend Kim also has her own video now. COOL!!!

Well, there...that was too much said on a two-word issue....TOTAL CRAP.

Now there's this other news. Chris Benoit allegedly has murdered his wife and kid and then committed suicide. Horrible thing, and for WWE fans, that's really tragic to lose a favorite. The show on Monday may have been a bore, and the sentiments felt by the roster may have been a bad case of acting, but it was a good gesture.

So, two bad things have happened in one day. A crazy woman let loose again and a disturbed man went over the edge.

Some things to think about....

Just read about it....Michigan Stadium...also called the Big House (and rightly so) is the largest American Football stadium in the world. Well OK, American football is not played outside the US, but note this...it is also the 5th largest sports arena in the world. Bigger even than the Nou Camp of Barcelona FC. Now that's something. I can personally tell you that as being one of the 111,000 people to fill this stadium last year. That's an amazing statistic.
Playing with numbers...here's one more. Apparently, Formula 1 does not have a driver with the number 13. Jarno Trulli is number 12 and then David Coulthard is number 14. No number 13. Now that's superstitious....or is it? Well, it so happens that 13 has been used only twice since 1974 when it was apparently decided it was never supposed to be used. I haven't a clue why this is so, but I am going to find out.
Speaking of F1, I read somewhere that Toyota has spent the most in development in the pre-season and their team is not performing so well there. More than Ferrari who lie second and even more than McLaren who sit comfortably at the top of the Constructors' Championship, not to mention, McLaren's 2 drivers 1st and 2nd in the Driver's Championship. Spyker incidentally spent the least.. a meager $50m...I know that's a large number, but when you consider Toyota spent $400m+.

At the United States Grand Prix

So I was finally there...at the race track for a Formula 1 GP. At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

It's been a long time since I wanted to be at one. And the spectacle didn't dissapoint. The race did a bit though. Well, for those who dodn't see it or follow it..here's a quick review of what happened....
The rookie Lewis Hamilron of McLaren Mercedes went from pole to finish to win his second GP in a row, while his team-mate and defending champion Fernando Alonso came in second followed by Ferrari's Fillipe Massa.
I was hoping that it would be a spectacle like the Canadian GP just a week ago with a lot of drama and fun. But it wasn't to be. Apart from one overtaking chance that Alonso blew, there wasn't much there to be seen. Well...of course, apart from the gorgeous pitbabes that lined up on the track before the race. Now there was a attraction and it was just an awesome sight.
But the race certainly belonged to Hamilton who looked unbeatable and seems like it could be true what people say. He could be the next Michael Schumacher. He did set the trend of changes with McLaren ending the Ferrari domination at Indy.
All I can say that it was worth a visit, but I would have wanted more. Those super machines whizzing past me at 300kmph was something else. An idling sound that would beat my car revving at top speed by miles, let alone the deafening sound when those cars drove past us at the straight. I literally lost my hearing for a few hours after the race.
I sincerely hope that the race return to Indy next season...but we shall have to wait for that decision till the next month.

Final words...A great experience and a fantastic performance by Hamilton.

For more pics go to 2007 United States Grand Prix at Picasa

Kensington Metro Park

I am not a wildlife lover or anything, but when you get a chance to capture something like the seagulls, you don't miss it...it was really gorgeous day and I took full advantage of the conditions and the equipment I had.

The next image was of this geese family. Just awesome.

But the sunset was just good. I didn't get all my settings right, but I am sure I'll get the hang of it soon.

The new CAMERA man!!!

Just got a new camera...a Canon Rebel XTi with a whole lot of stuff with it. Here I shall post some of my pics and some other things on my mind.