You are wrong Mr. Woods… But…

This probably is the most read, written about, chewed, stretched, and blown out of proportion story of 2009. Then why the heck should you read my insignificant views on this? You really shouldn’t! Especially if you are looking to learn something new about the recent, completely uncalled for drama in the life of one Eldrick Tiger Woods; because besides seeing him in person, tear apart the golf course on 3 different occasions, I’ve not had any more exclusive piece of his time than any of you. (And even on those 3 occasions the golf courses resembled more the Laxmi Road in Pune on Ganesh Festival!! :o)) But if you are like me who doesn’t want to miss any word written on Tiger, if you are like me who has seen in him much more than just the athletic brilliance and you are citing his example to your kids then you may go on …!!

On Nov 28th , When my Cell phone buzzed at 3:30 am, from an SMS of Rajiv’s FB update which read “Take care Tiger, hope you aren’t hurt much…” I woke up cursing IBM for keeping Rajiv awake at this hour that he has started sending such strange FB updates. (Because even in my dreams I never thought he was talking about TW) But as the days went on the uncomforting details for TW, his family and his fans like us started emerging from the ‘Black Friday’ in all senses. At first I wasn’t ready to believe any of it, until I saw his own admission on his website!! So thick has been my faith in him. After all he probably is one person, which most mothers on this planets want their son to be like or most wives (especially those who have a good eye for male beauty ;)) want their husbands to be like.

Like million other fathers around the world, inspired by his success of pure talent along with hard work, perseverance and most of all brutal honesty, I’m also showcasing him to my son day in and day out. Not only he embodies great work ethic but also a very responsible citizenship. In fact, once his father had said in one of his interviews “…the best of Tiger would come when he retires from Golf! He really wants to work for kids around the world…”. And when he opened the Tiger Woods Foundation for kids in 2005-06 timeframe he was walking that talk. Little did I know then, that he probably was exchanging tips on something very different… with the person whom he had called for inauguration… the person was the much haunted American president Bill Clinton! :o)

This really has come out as a shocker. And in my mind Mr. Woods you are wrong! Not only because you cheated on your hottie-model-turned-home-maker wife but also betraying the millions of fathers around the world like me. And now you have given more than handful of ammunition to cynics in this world. Cynics who never believed that you embodied those high values. For instance the one I met on a Bloomington Golf Course (a white middle aged - American …umm… should I have mentioned his color? May be I shouldn’t have) who obviously was not happy with your success and was very pissed off that you didn’t pay attention to him in some public function in FL! Or my good friend Kari Hamm who felt you didn’t stand for good values when you denied Payne Stewart a posthumous salute in 2000 US Open, by not wearing his kind of trousers. I firmly believe Mr. Woods that the world in the corner of their heart likes to see their Heroes falter and fail, even when it justifies our Marathi Proverb देवदूताचे पाय मातीचे… that is even the angles of god have earthen feet (are prone to mistakes).

In you, Mr. Woods we had seen that one person who stood tall over others not only in terms of peak performance but in terms of pure character and Integrity. You are never known to be a friendly ‘knuckle-exchanger’ with fans like your fellow golfer-billionaire, Phil Mickleson. We knew that is because, when you are in that zone on the course you don’t want to be disturbed which actually helps you perform so ridiculously consistent. That also means Integrity for us to the sport.

What has come out today Mr. Woods is painfully shattering all of that Integrity like your SUV’s glass. It has now become that much more difficult to me… I will now have to find a different idol to my son for Integrity. Earlier it was a package deal you see… the same guy who embodies peak performance is by the way also the same guy who embodies as lofty value as Integrity. I wish you had not done this… or at least had taken better care to keep that 5 wood out of Elaine’s reach!

But… But… But…

Having said all of this I still think it doesn’t take anything away from your unbelievable achievements. It can’t change the fact that you single handedly have transformed this wonderful game from the exclusively elites to the game of commons. It doesn’t reduce your ridiculous margin of 15 strokes in the world’s most challenging event and arguably most testing conditions. It still doesn’t take away any of your 3 back to back US Armature titles. Neither does it make any less heroic to win the US Open playing 91 holes on virtually one leg! It still doesn’t change the fact by a bit that you are the most successful athlete of our times.

What you probably have just proved is that you are not the package deal that we thought you were. You are just an equally vulnerable human being like many of us who fall prey to our vices. You are not that ultimate athlete who also is a person with ultimate integrity with his family values. No I’m not sarcastic… may be I’m just trying to console my somewhat hurt mind. Because to be honest with you Mr. Woods you are NOT the first celebrity to have fallen prey to this vulnerability and I promise you, you won’t be the last. When you had married a calendar girl you had already made your preferences very clear :o)

In fact this is what I will tell my son is that being a celebrity (and especially such a dominant and filthy rich one like you) you are prone to much higher temptations than those come in our mundane straight forward lives. And makes it even tougher when you are away from the family, for more than half of the time. To be able to stand your ground against those temptations one needs a very strong mind and ultimate belief in one’s family values. Which you had made us believe that you possess.
I think the only way to make us and YOU forget all this would be to get back to what you do the best, win tournaments!! Transcend supremacy and personify peak performance. I know it will be all the tougher every time you step on that first tee. You will have a lot ‘awoken cynics’ shouting things at you, It will also bring in your mind all the bitter memories of the hell that you are currently going through… but if we know you right… putting distractions behind is what you do best. Your father’s ‘distracting technique’ has helped you overcome those in the past… time will tell us if it has stood the test of time…!

For now, I think I’m glad that my son isn’t that old enough to understand what cheating is :o)! Hopefully by the time he grows up, this would have been put behind and you would have crossed the magical figures of 18 majors!

Good luck Mr. Woods…!!

World Golf Champion... almost!

So.....!!

I get the fruit of resisting to announce the world how my favorite Indian sportsperson was doing after the 1st round!!

Last time when he was leading the field in a Major event (PGA Championship) on the 1st day I had written similar blog only to see him slump on 2nd and 3rd day. Although, he still finished in Top 10 of that event was no lesser achievement.

But this time I bit my tongue this time when Jeev sizzled on the 1st day with a stellar -7 (65) performance with 8 birdies and one bogey. I obviously email my excitement to a few of my friends. 

That this was a WGC (World Golf Championship) event made it equally special as his PGA performance last year. He was playing at the treacherous "Blue Monster" course added the icing on the cake. But most of all this was the event when Tiger was making his stroke play debut of 2009 after the knee surgery, Phil Mickelson was at his 'red hot' best keeping his own old self into the club house before he stepped out, Geoff Oglivy already had pouched 2 events for this year including another WGC event and defending his title here, made the matters all the more glamorous, challenging and very delicious for a golf fan of any nationality. 

He soared even further on the 2nd day till the 12th hole to get into a solo leader position with -12 before he stumbled on to a mini-collapse, giving back 5 strokes in 7 holes :( 

In the earlier 2 outings on the PGA this year he had made such promising starts only to slump on the final few holes. 

But this time it was a different story. Third day he started sizzling on the first hole itself getting start with a scintillating Eagle. He went on to make another one on 12th along with 3 Birdies and blemish it with 3 bogies too. But by then it was a solid -4 round to be tied for 3rd getting into Sunday. 

Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney were the only unsailable figures ahead of him with a daunting lead of 4 strokes. 

The prospect of having an Indian golfer in the limelight and in contention on a serious PGA event on Sunday was better than a dream coming true. I wrote email to those friends of mine to pinch me if possible. 

He didn't loose his calm on Sunday, and kept chipping away. Anytime there was a bogey he didn't let his shoulders drop. Picked himself up to make a birdie. Finally ended up with a solid -2 (70) round to finish solo 4th! Only because he ran into a rampaging Jim Furyk who scored -5 on the back 9. Else he was a solid 3rd for sure. 

Mickelson continued his form to pouch his first WGC title at -19. 

The amount of publicity Jeev got in the American media was quite a treat to watch. Especially on the Sunday he was dedicated a special montage on himself and his illustrious  dad. They also showed Mikha Singh's 64 olympic race where he missed winning the bronze for India. Also his tragic past where he had seen his entire family massacred in front of his own eyes in the 1947 partition.  

His son today may also have come 4th in another World event. But has shown enough promises to give the assurance that he will be finishing much higher next time. 

Indian sport fans, be ready to salute this Padmashri sportsperson for greater achievements. Jiyo Cheeranjiv! We are proud of you!!! 

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM INDIATIMES

Friends,

I've tried to keep this blog limited to reflections of my positive moodswings. But today after a lot of deliberation I have to write this frustrating account only in the hope that I help anyone of you avoid making the same mistake I did. The mistake of assuming the same service I would get from any average B2C vendor, from Indiatimes Shopping. I was also fooled by the reputation of the Times Group behind it.

What I was trying to do is to buy a simple coffee table book called "India" (India times link) (Amazon link). A latest book (Sep '08) by DK Publication, a wonderful book which covers India from all possible angles. Geography, Poeople, Culture, Architecture, Travel.

Me and Rajiv both were so impressed with this book that we went ahead and bought it on Indiatimes in a hope that it reaches to my place when Mani (my niece) was visiting my parents in December.

Insufficient Payment
First time after charging my Credit Card, I was being told that my order got cancelled because of Insufficient Payment!! Where as I had no choice of selecting the amount and the site automatically had applied the conversion rate and came back telling me that the payment I made was insufficient!!

After following up on this on email, as you would guess there was no response. So I had to make a long distance phone call from US to find the details. I was being told that there was a technical difficulty and it can't be helped. And someone will get back to me on this. I never received an answer to my email.

First Gift Coupon
Then suddenly after some days I got an email giving me a gift coupon of equivalent amount. When we had clearly agreed that I don't need money but I need the book. Well after trying some more follow up I tried to use the gift coupon to buy the same book again

Out-of-Stock
In the mean while Rajiv received a reply that he can't get the book since the Book was "Out of Stock". As you can imagine Rajiv was also quite frustrated and after his follow up he was promised that the book will be removed from the website, which obviously never happened.

Different Book Delivered
But after his call he was delivered a completely different book with the same name ("India"). Obviously Rajiv was enraged and after his some more follow up some pre-paid envelope was sent to his place. His father (a senior citizen) had to take all the efforts of going to the courier service and send the book back that Rajiv had nevered ordered.

Another Follow-up
At which I thought I better be pro-active and gave them a call and reiterated that I don't need any other book but the same book. On which I was promised that the book was in stock and will be sent the same book. An email will be sent to the merchant (India Book House) and I will be carboned. Yes, you guessed it right, an email that I never received.

Resent the same Different Book
In the mean while Rajiv was sent the same wrong book again. This time his father had learnt his lesson and refused to take the order back.

Out-of-Order again
Now it was my turn, I was again told that the book was Out of Order and I will be repaid the full amount on my credit card . I obviously never believed that.

Second Gift coupon
Predictably, I received another Gift Coupon to which I replied again and told that I wasn't interested in buying anything from their website but that email was never answered. Soon enough Rajiv followed suite and received his copy of Gift Coupon too.

Frustrating Phone follow up and Policies
Today I again called their customer service and I was told over and over again that I will not be paid back the credit card but will have to use the gift coupon to buy something else on their website. I was being told that this was 'clearly' mentioned on the website. Obviously in some obscure corner and I was never told this before I completed the transaction.

I highly urge you to not follow the trap called India Times Shopping. Today their website stilll shows the book in stock. God knows how many such product do they show on their website and lure people to buy something and get payment from them only to lock and buy some substandard products on their website.

I plan to use this blog as place to propogate this message and please feel free to pass the link around to your friends in turn. Let's try to use the power of our concious and the internet to stop such frauds and save our friends from falling in this trap.

The Story of India

Folks,

One of the oldest civilizations getting attention of the scholars is nothing new. But being one of the oldest, dives into it always bring up newer jewels to the surface. One such studious yet entertaining, informative yet (or hence?) exciting journey is currently being aired on PBS. PBS by itself could be a topic of discussions, showing how independent information gathering can be entertaining as well as trendy. But we aren’t talking about PBS here today. What we are talking about is their latest documentary ‘Story of India’.

This is a journey through today’s India to find out its roots way back from the Pre-historic era.

I finished watching first two episodes this Monday (1/5/09) and was quite thrilled to see some of the unseen footage so far. I had always seen pictures of Mohenjo Daro and Harrappa, but when Mark Woods, the lively narrator of the show took us to the site, it was quite a thrilling experience. So was the part where in his second episode he visited the Bodhi Vruksha in Gaya, Bihar or the route he took to enter Patna through Ganges River the same way the Greek ambassadors had taken to visit the great Mauryan Empire capital.

Some of the quotes have stayed with me. Mark Wood, a Brit himself when said “… the Greeks and Europeans thought of India to be an uncivilized, barbaric when they invaded, where as India had some of the oldest civilizations…” Or “… Patna was probably the greatest city in the world at that time…”. Not that any of this is news but a world-class objective program acknowledging it makes it that much more special.

Please visit the website http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/ for an in-depth coverage on this series. Also being PBS you can certainly expect much more than just static text. They have the interactive Photo Gallery of the episodes and their hyperlinks. It also has Timeline of Indian History with their corresponding features from the series.

It also has links to the chapters that for the Teachers who would be interested in teaching Indian History to their kids.

I could have waited to finish the series and then report but I wanted those of us on this side of the globe to get an opportunity to catch up with the rest of the series. Here is the Schedule based on where you are situated… (For those are in the Central Illinois region, it is playing on the WILL – 12 channel)