Saturday, June 19, 2010

Football Craze

Read an interesting Faking news and it prompted me to write this.

I could totally relate to the Fake guy Nitin. Wherever I turn, I can see people super excited, ranting off strange, and tough to remember names.

Recently I posted something on Facebook asking who Messi was and it evoked a whole lot of emotional responses - quite similar to what would happen if you happen to ask "Who is Sachin" to someone in India. (Btw I knew about Messi. was just being cynical)

I also realised that Football (or Soccer.. whatever) has striking similarities to our Hindu Mythology. There are multiple Gods. In cricket it is quite the opposite. Hardly months ago there was one and only one chant - Sachinnnn Sachin.. He was the only God that was there.

Despite everyone saying that football is a better game than cricket (duration + full of action), I could never watch a complete match without dozing off or changing channels.

Hence, unfortunately I am never able to comprehend that why there are so many Gods, some hardly 22 year old.

I used to play football but never got interested in it. It was only for recreation and keeping fit (no doubt it is a great exercise).

Often I wonder, if like the Faking News item, many of us are just trying to fall in line with others - a mere peer pressure to follow the game. I, myself have tried it in the past - just to see what is it that the whole world is mad about. But alas, despite several attempts, I still prefer watching Sachin or even Federer than Messi.

And ya, I too (like the FN article) came to know of the funda of football's off side when I was 20 while cricket's off side - I think I knew it when I was born!

Monday, June 07, 2010

Valuable Forgeries

Came across an interesting line while reading City of Djinns by William Dalrymple.
"Forgeries exist because real gold is so valuable"

The case is not only with gold. Forgeries are there everywhere around us.
Take duplicate books for example. Selling duplicate books for half the price on streets seems like a profitable business these days with so many vendors out there. But you will always find only the best sellers down there. It may be a worrisome development but the book is being 'forged' means it has become valuable.
Similar is the case with many products, specially in FMCG segment.

May be publishers, companies and marketers can look at alternative ways of extracting this value.

How? I am also thinking!!

Friday, June 04, 2010

Sabse badi Invention…

The most important invention of all times may be a highly debatable topic. The choices can vary from a wheel to a light bulb to a telephone to an aircraft etc etc etc. But they all span over a large period of time.

Lets narrow our search of the most important invention to our generation.

But before that lets define the parameters based on which we can build a case of our choice. Though there can be a variety of parameters like communication, computing, entertainment, transportation and so on but I won't opt for all these. I would like to go to the roots of our existence.

What is the basic necessity of a human?

Yes, it is the cliched Roti, Kapda aur Makaan. We can live without our cars and mobiles and TVs and Laptops, and Internet. But its really tough to live without the above 3 things.

And it is under Roti or Food, that my choice of the greatest invention lies. The invention is.. <drum rolls>

Maggi Noodles!

I hope everyone agrees!

We love it when we are kids - a time when we have plenty of choices of the home cooked food. It is a delicacy - to be enjoyed once in a while. The scarcity of it providing the Value.

Once you grow up, it becomes kind of a necessity. Hostelers swear by it. You can have it anytime - the taste becoming better as you move closer to midnight.

If you  are on a trek, making a maggi over a bonfire becomes the highlight of the trip.

Though I have no experience of it but I can imagine its use in a married life. Ya, when you have a fight and the wife refuses to make dinner!

In any case, it is the perfect backup when you are not in a mood to make dinner and running tight on a budget so can't order or go out.

The basic point is that maggi has been a solution to the most important need of your life when you need it the most.

Now, after writing so many words on it, how can I resist not having it right now. Will be back in 2 minutes!!!