“This morning the sense of incredulousness is still there.” screamed a French daily, on the dawn of the day following Zidane’s exit in world cup 2006. And that is the case.
The moment I saw the replay of Zidane headbuting Materazzi, we were aware that the referee has not seen it. I started hoping that it stays so. But alas the fourth referee had seen it and informed the other over the headset. I know, I know red card was deserved, but it didn’t feel like it, the maestro’s last match of his career, the stage as grand as it can be where football is concerned, the audience emotions on the highest fervors, France and Zizou seemed so close to the fairytale ending that would have made him a legend among legends, but they were still to be decided with 10 odd minutes in the extra time to go. But all hopes smothered at least for Zidane as he gave in to the provocation by Materazzi.
Italy went ahead to win the world cup, with penalty shoot out win, thanks to an unlucky miss by David Trezeguet. But gloom and what gloom had descended around me from the moment he walked out of the field. The player who brought charisma back into this world cup, the one who raised the stakes, the team which pounded Brazil was no left destitute.
My passivity is painfully cultivated one, I stopped watching cricket though I used to enjoy it so much as I rationalized that when we guys scream and shout and get all worked up, for all you know they had just written the end of the story long before the match began, and then they (at least Indian team) play every third day and from dawn to dusk, no sense in wasting my sentiments on the game. But this soccer season I get lured again, Germany’s defeat the nation’s collective sorrow was so hard to watch that especially because the defeat came suddenly in the 119th minute. I think man soccer is too much of high intensity drama, with unexpected climaxes and anticlimaxes. Like Harsha Bhogle said, it’s an unscripted drama unfolding in front of your eyes, performed at the greatest of the theatres, the end of which no knows.
Zidane’s early exit brought with it such incredulousness. Such tainted chapters of your career are not avoidable but so sad that they had to be the closing chapter of his career. I just hope we all forget the last one and remember him for all that had come before, the 98 victory he brought to his nation and the only victory his nation has had at fifa world cup.
I would once again like to snare passivity in and forget soccer , for the sudden cruelty that it unleashes, it leaves lots of ifs and thens in your mind, tormenting you to go over what happened wondering if just one piece had been moved around a completely a different glorious reward would have been awaiting the now declared losers. But I guess that also is the lure of it, that so much is at stake and gambled away sometimes and almost worlds move around in a matter of seconds, that the beginning an end of the same game might seem so alien to each other.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Jodhpur Finally
I step down at the platform , my heart is buoyant again, getting high just breathing the cool winter morning Jodhpur air, the air , the station everything brings refresing sights and no smells, fortunately Jodhpur does not follow the overcrowded pattern of railway stations seen in other cities of India. Generally the bigger the station, the more are the people. I bounce till the last platform, take an auto from here to my friends place where i will be putting up.
Voila, the regalties begin from my place of residence only, the house has yellow stone walls, quaint displays of woodwork, i thought people didnt keep elaboarate furnishings in their homes anymore, but this house is a delight. It also has an angan which remonds me of my nani's(mother's mom) home in Benaras. Next few hours spent in chatting with Raji, while she cooks my lunch. I just love sitting in kitchen, where curious stuff is happening all the time, little chopping, little bending, little simmering, then the transformations, the aroma and oh yes the food is ready. And today's lunch primarily consists of ghee on yummy thick rotis, with yummy sabzi, yummy besan ki kadhi. Man what do i care for palaces of Rajasthan, i am so spoiled here.
By 3 i head off to Mehrangarh. Once there, i take a good look around, i have a nice view of the whole city, yeah nice and grand, its something else to be able to take in so much at the birs eye view. Mehrangarh is very well taken care of by the current raja of Jodhpur. And the best thing out here is the pre-recorded audio guide that you get here. It makes your walk around the fort leisurely and you can do it on your own and soak it in at your pace wihtout trying to keep up with guides.
I spend hours inside the fort re-living the grandeur. The fort is majestic, perched above the current city of Jodhpur, and that is what gives me the maximum kick here. So now the camera sleeping till now is awakened and called forth to preserve these sights around me. Well i am not sure how successful i was in preserving bit, well not much and i guess you never can take that with you, and that why you cross spaces to be there in person. Anyway so i just have lot of fun clicking every thing around me. This view, you could keep coming back for more. There arent many indian tourists around me, weird, lot of noisy firangs, one or two quiet fellas soaking stuff and wrting down i guess there impressions, cause there are lot of fleeting impressions you have here, one quickly drowned by other, but somehow related. There are a lot of locals here in the fort. They seem to have come for their evening walk. Bunch of women walking around is the brightest mix of the rainbow. You click their snap, they would want to take a look. One or two kids dancing to these 3 stringed instruments, disturbing. While i am trying to capture a parrot since on the outer of the fort wall, a group of 3 4 men gather arouund to see , waht is it that makes hang on to the edge of the wall (not excactly). They keep guessing for some time, when finally one of them nails it, the mitthu. Yes, i smile then the obvious question , where are you from. I reply they nod, smile move along. Nice people, by the standards that genrally a group of men here would jeer at you, but i guess they were just accaptably curious.
I walk around more, looking into every nook possible in the time left. I realize the forst is pretty open to and directly conscted to the villages just below. I am thinkign whether i should venture into one of those tracks, but since its getting late i as give up.
But i dont give up completely. I decide to walk back the main path, it was a very interesting curve. The sun has set and its 6:30, so concerns are showered my way, one or two passers by suggest i take an auto, which i had to eventually after walking quite a bit, once it was pitch dark and there was nothing rewarding around as the city was also nearer.
Back home, good food, good bed, man i am a royalty.
Voila, the regalties begin from my place of residence only, the house has yellow stone walls, quaint displays of woodwork, i thought people didnt keep elaboarate furnishings in their homes anymore, but this house is a delight. It also has an angan which remonds me of my nani's(mother's mom) home in Benaras. Next few hours spent in chatting with Raji, while she cooks my lunch. I just love sitting in kitchen, where curious stuff is happening all the time, little chopping, little bending, little simmering, then the transformations, the aroma and oh yes the food is ready. And today's lunch primarily consists of ghee on yummy thick rotis, with yummy sabzi, yummy besan ki kadhi. Man what do i care for palaces of Rajasthan, i am so spoiled here.
By 3 i head off to Mehrangarh. Once there, i take a good look around, i have a nice view of the whole city, yeah nice and grand, its something else to be able to take in so much at the birs eye view. Mehrangarh is very well taken care of by the current raja of Jodhpur. And the best thing out here is the pre-recorded audio guide that you get here. It makes your walk around the fort leisurely and you can do it on your own and soak it in at your pace wihtout trying to keep up with guides.
I spend hours inside the fort re-living the grandeur. The fort is majestic, perched above the current city of Jodhpur, and that is what gives me the maximum kick here. So now the camera sleeping till now is awakened and called forth to preserve these sights around me. Well i am not sure how successful i was in preserving bit, well not much and i guess you never can take that with you, and that why you cross spaces to be there in person. Anyway so i just have lot of fun clicking every thing around me. This view, you could keep coming back for more. There arent many indian tourists around me, weird, lot of noisy firangs, one or two quiet fellas soaking stuff and wrting down i guess there impressions, cause there are lot of fleeting impressions you have here, one quickly drowned by other, but somehow related. There are a lot of locals here in the fort. They seem to have come for their evening walk. Bunch of women walking around is the brightest mix of the rainbow. You click their snap, they would want to take a look. One or two kids dancing to these 3 stringed instruments, disturbing. While i am trying to capture a parrot since on the outer of the fort wall, a group of 3 4 men gather arouund to see , waht is it that makes hang on to the edge of the wall (not excactly). They keep guessing for some time, when finally one of them nails it, the mitthu. Yes, i smile then the obvious question , where are you from. I reply they nod, smile move along. Nice people, by the standards that genrally a group of men here would jeer at you, but i guess they were just accaptably curious.
I walk around more, looking into every nook possible in the time left. I realize the forst is pretty open to and directly conscted to the villages just below. I am thinkign whether i should venture into one of those tracks, but since its getting late i as give up.
But i dont give up completely. I decide to walk back the main path, it was a very interesting curve. The sun has set and its 6:30, so concerns are showered my way, one or two passers by suggest i take an auto, which i had to eventually after walking quite a bit, once it was pitch dark and there was nothing rewarding around as the city was also nearer.
Back home, good food, good bed, man i am a royalty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)