tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603073013255494752024-03-05T14:49:21.844-08:00Just Me: The Kratik Malhotra BlogI say the way it is. No filter :)Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-12315406142282152022023-02-02T18:50:00.001-08:002023-02-02T18:50:21.313-08:00Zuri Café and Shaam Uncle<p><span style="text-align: justify;">Some of y’all know how I would
frequently tour the UK and watch football games and visit football clubs and cricket county
teams. Through my tours and experiences, there are many relationships and
friendships I have cultivated which are absolutely amazing. One such friendship
is with Shaam uncle who owns Zuri Café in Wolverhampton.</span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9cMc_qF0hLV_lD2-wjt-qx5xWptArw6Mp-Jg6j8YBy6vW-8PQy1H9ZRZVVSfgUTSEqgTLdB5coD70-qHx_iSho_B42FPuxQKt6-KZJmKOsO_lFCG0-mN6JGImX-tpBw6k-kF7HKVSs653K-8OqzyZHbnIgc-ySKjbaz2Y3VO22xI_kmU9azZVaUZNXA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9cMc_qF0hLV_lD2-wjt-qx5xWptArw6Mp-Jg6j8YBy6vW-8PQy1H9ZRZVVSfgUTSEqgTLdB5coD70-qHx_iSho_B42FPuxQKt6-KZJmKOsO_lFCG0-mN6JGImX-tpBw6k-kF7HKVSs653K-8OqzyZHbnIgc-ySKjbaz2Y3VO22xI_kmU9azZVaUZNXA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">It was first week of January 2019 and I had just watched Manchester United beat Newcastle United at St. James’
Park. I had then gone to Edinburgh and toured the highlands. On the way back to
London from Scotland, I had an evening free and Wolverhampton was (kinda) on the
way. I mean when you can cover the entire country from North to South in a
matter of four hours, nothing is really too far (lol), but you get the point.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Liverpool were playing Wolves at Molineux in the FA Cup and I thought to myself,
“Why not! So, I paid the annual membership
(talk about a hack) for Wolves and bought a ticket. Then, I looked for the
cheapest hotel room I could find and Britannia hotel it was. Priceline, baby!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I
got down at the Wolverhampton train station, walked over to Britannia and guess what, it exactly reminded me of this
hotel I had stayed at in Kolhapur, India. Oh Kolhapur, you taught me a thing a
two and sometime I’ll write about my Kolhapur experience also but let's not go off topic. The elevator (lift, like the rest of the world calls it) did not work and I had to drag these two
massive bags I was carrying from 'Merica up the stairs. The room had one twin bed, which was
smaller than a US twin bed, and no windows. I mean, it was straight walls! I thought to myself, 'this is interesting'. I remember Clemson was playing Alabama in the national championship that same night and I knew
no bars in Wolverhampton were going to be open for the game, so, I had to figure that out too.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggt9-Ozdy3CqPBOTUDNALRB8xwsWQZMdjv7rrRa0rUjfyn7XPlDK4qT1KwwFzAGlQanLm-9KXPeNZNVW3dFCKugs9Z9EEq4f5j4H94yPEHOYUDA9dHzndSXxyQOnaspX-MhhgMYIMXsbXro-ua5lwA0gY-XcxjnZtogNC0UOowHlB29jhUMU7UfFrNNA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggt9-Ozdy3CqPBOTUDNALRB8xwsWQZMdjv7rrRa0rUjfyn7XPlDK4qT1KwwFzAGlQanLm-9KXPeNZNVW3dFCKugs9Z9EEq4f5j4H94yPEHOYUDA9dHzndSXxyQOnaspX-MhhgMYIMXsbXro-ua5lwA0gY-XcxjnZtogNC0UOowHlB29jhUMU7UfFrNNA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It was around five in the evening
and I was starving and really felt like having coffee. So, I walked over the
first café I saw on the other side of the road. As I went inside the café, I
noticed an Indian gentleman who ran the café. He seemed to be not in the best
of moods. I ordered food (don’t remember what) and coffee, and sat down at one
of the tables. As I checked the tickets email on my phone, I noticed the email
said that the tickets had to be printed. I called Britannia and they said that
they couldn’t print anything. So, I went to the Indian gentleman and requested
him to print the ticket. As I said, he wasn’t in the best of moods and flat-out
refused, and told me that he didn’t know where I could possibly get the print.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I went and sat down at the table
where I was sitting, had a couple of sips of the coffee, and went back to him
and asked, “Uncle, kahan se ho?” (translates to: where are you from?) He turned towards me and said, “India. Delhi.”
My being myself, I talked about how some of my extended family is in Delhi and
all the places I’d go to get the great north Indian delicacies. Uncle smiled at
me, paused and asked, “Aap kahan se ho?” I told him that I lived in Texas but was there
in Wolverhampton to watch Wolves smash the crap out of Liverpool. He was puzzled
how I had traveled across continents just to watch football – honestly, was
more puzzled than the immigration officer who stared me when told him I was
taking a train in the two hours to Newcastle to watch Man United; the officer stared
at me for a good couple of minutes as I was entering the UK!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdqNQBEF_X_dDPtcJ39M_O8nKXyUMyYje51gHxc_0Eb0CwCjV-xrvVCW5_VdmZsqeQpUEG3x0ypXvO1t6bs1ETC84Y3VmjuJLhYgNTrmUX80q2dO5kgJOpfB8gcl1gvfS6_eTWbmNjjCDxUoXrxr5qZ_qz4l5FqmoFqXLawYVFH8RRoxFa7hphh9dgrQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdqNQBEF_X_dDPtcJ39M_O8nKXyUMyYje51gHxc_0Eb0CwCjV-xrvVCW5_VdmZsqeQpUEG3x0ypXvO1t6bs1ETC84Y3VmjuJLhYgNTrmUX80q2dO5kgJOpfB8gcl1gvfS6_eTWbmNjjCDxUoXrxr5qZ_qz4l5FqmoFqXLawYVFH8RRoxFa7hphh9dgrQ" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Me and Shaam uncle talked and
talked for like two hours, and he introduced me to Paronthini. He said it was invented at that very place, and
trust me lads, if you go to Wolverhampton, you gotta try the Paronthini at Zuri
Café. He made me try his favorite one and said, “It’s parontha + panini.” I had
another cup of coffee and another paronthini. It was worth it! Before I was leaving, he said, "Didn't you want to get your ticket printed? It will get done here! Don't you worry!" I was so grateful! So, yeah, that's how my ticket got printed …and jetted off to the game.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">At
the game, I met Peter Wain, who was a English gentleman and a diehard Wolves fan. He grew up
in Wolves and would come to all the games with his mates. He was shocked and asked
me, “Wolves fan from America?!” I said, “No, sir. I am a football fan but I do
like Wolves.” Wolves beat Liverpool 2-1 that night and what scenes from the stadium. What a game too and it was the magic of
the cup! I had always heard of the oldest cup competition in the world and
there I was, experiencing it all! I remember singing with the Wolves fans pointing at the Liverpool
section, “you’re just a shit Man United. Shit Man United. Shit Man
Unnnnniiiited you’re just a shit Man United.” What memories!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwbeAlTMraGK6pOAAUYeLP5LvIAv-XLzE-21xn7AIWuoUzpDFavKO6KCIMLkV3FCN3ExVMbobwPm4JvL74_Fg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I walked back to
Britannia and went to bed. Then, woke up at 4am and put on ESPN on my phone to watch the second half of the
national championship game. We had played both Clemson and Alabama that year (and almost beat Clemson); what a game that was at Kyle Field! I couldn’t believe
how well Clemson played the championship game to beat Bama’. I hopped on the train a couple of hours
later.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Over an year later, I was in
Wolverhampton again and this time to watch Man United take on Wolves! I got off
the train and walked straight to Zuri Café and Shaam uncle greeted me like I
had known him for years! First off, I was surprised that he even remembered me. Secondly, there were so many people in the café that time and
uncle took time out to introduce me to a bunch of people including his daughter (I
think). He was like, “Remember, I told you about this guy who came from Texas
to watch the match!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There are people whom you meet who instantly feel like family and Shaam uncle is one of them. I have met him a couple of times since, and uncle has always been as sweet as ever. The man is a gem and if you
ever go to Wolverhampton, make sure you try his paronthini!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Love y’all,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Kratik</p>Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-10991394099345962872018-07-22T20:20:00.001-07:002018-07-22T20:25:38.358-07:00What Spirituality Has Taught Me?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>“Science asks us to prove,
spirituality wants us to feel.” The difference is small but massive.<u><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You know, I grew up in a pretty
spiritual family and from the get-go, I was always taught that God was one, and
took different forms during various periods of humanity. Thousands of years ago,
he once came as Krishna, once as Ram, once as Jesus, once as Allah, once as
Shiva, once as Ganesh and the list goes on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Right from how Lord Ram defeated Ravan
and came to Ayodhya, to how Ganesh got an elephant head, to how Jesus Christ
was crucified and was reborn, I was raised on their stories. To be honest,
Hanuman-ji was an icon or a superhero for me. However, in spite of all the
tales, the first-time spirituality really made sense to me was when I walked
into an auditorium in Pune and it changed my outlook, forever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX92Lb6rg0811SdVqFLJczFDSpurYoTvn1Wwi4VMk2bW4dFKsjcReDmbNRmeAxX4l2UZfQF2C1MDunY8Qwl3zDpSm8JwGDhVHF5pigFfeMVzh5KnkrlYi6M7Y5vFXOIvZW9FCF2GKJSHg0/s1600/slider4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1310" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX92Lb6rg0811SdVqFLJczFDSpurYoTvn1Wwi4VMk2bW4dFKsjcReDmbNRmeAxX4l2UZfQF2C1MDunY8Qwl3zDpSm8JwGDhVHF5pigFfeMVzh5KnkrlYi6M7Y5vFXOIvZW9FCF2GKJSHg0/s640/slider4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
An ancient Indian legend says, “When
it’s time, your Guru finds you,” and He found me when I felt rock-bottom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
One of the first things I was
told was that religion is just a coating and the fruit is spirituality. What it
exactly meant was that one can follow any religion which he/she pleases because
they all teach more-or-less the same thing: love, respect, integrity, wisdom,
creation, transformation, maintenance and patience, and one must take the good
and throw-out the bad. I really connected with this very concept because it was
in line with everything that I had ever been raised on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I also learned the five secrets
to happiness: living in the present, opposite values are complimentary, don’t
see intentions behind other people’s mistakes, don’t become a football of other
people’s opinions and the most important, accept people and situations the way
they are.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I thought accepting people and
situations would’ve been the toughest but to be honest, it was the easiest. The
day that you give up judgement and accept people and the situations the way they
are, you tend to make peace with this world. I taught relaxation to about a
hundred American college students and close to a hundred people who lived in
homeless shelters in Florida and speaking to them and knowing their stories was
brilliant. Now, there is a difference between accepting people for who they are,
liking them for who they are and letting them affect you. In that case, one
needs to communicate. Accepting situations was crucial too. One needs to see
the bigger picture and accept where he or she is now and how he can turn this situation
around into achieving the goal that he has set out to achieve. Before one does
anything, being real and accepting the situation is very important.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Not seeing intentions behind anybody’s
mistakes was a tough one and one that required dumping out the garbage. It
needed a clean slate and having been dumped by your childhood sweetheart, along
with screwing fifth semester engineering exams provided – even though I didn’t know
– that perfect opportunity to let go everything that I was holding on to. People
often think that the other person is doing something deliberately to hurt them
and this often is a product of overthinking. Overthinking happens when we
overanalyze things. In the past ten years, I have always wondered why people
think so much. Now, don’t be a fool and don’t let people walk all over you but
don’t be negative. Fight and fight hard when it’s necessary but see the good in
people. Even Anguilimala life was transformed by Gautam Buddha. Let’s be a
Buddha in someone’s life <span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😉</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Life one of my friends says, “Trust
people till the time you can’t trust them anymore,” and like my Guru says, “Walk
with light feet and leave your footprints behind.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
People who know me, know that I
often talk about the ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude and yes, that’s true. Now,
I do give an awful shit about what’s important to me but people’s opinions aren’t
one of them. If I am true to myself, to everyone whom I love and to everything
that I work for, what people think about me shouldn’t matter to me, should it?
In India they say, “What people will say has killed more dreams than anything
else,” and it couldn’t be truer. I was working as a sports journalist while studying
engineering and some of my teachers cussed me out on a daily basis for chasing
my dream, telling me that I am wasting my time. To see from their standpoint,
they weren’t wrong. Any sane person would think that I was wasting my time
because I was studying engineering but going around town covering national and
international sports stories. There will be a time when everybody will call you
crazy, but you need to believe in yourself, believe in God and trust that only
the best will happen to me. It’s incredible what disregarding people’s opinions,
faith and self-belief can do,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
‘Opposite values are complimentary’
is a difficult one to explain. Let me give you a personal example. When I had
first started working as a journalist during my days of engineering, I began my
work full of excitement and enthusiasm but as time went on and it became a
little mundane, I stopped enjoying it as much. I mean they were 16-hour days
everyday but what can one do; I had a crazy engineering schedule, I was writing
two, maybe even three, stories a day, and I tremendously needed a break. So, I
took a few months off and started heading content writing for a cricket league in
India and I realized that after the break I had, I began enjoying writing about
sports and analyzing games once again. It’s funny, isn’t it…one loses enthusiasm
if he keeps at it for a good period of time. I guess that’s why vacations and
breaks from work are so important. Last year, I climbed a mountain. It was madness
but it was brilliant. I came back buzzing and glowing!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After knowing and practicing
these four pillars early on, I still hadn’t experienced ‘living in the present’
all the time feeling. I am a dreamer and my mind would oscillate between the
past and the future, many a times, and that’s when I received the golden words
from one of my spiritual teachers. I heard him say, “When you’re in the present,
smiling is automatic.” As I listened to that I was like, “Why not flip it?” Why
now smile all the time and see if it helps me live in the present? And it
worked. I smiled and I started living in the present. Obviously, there are
things that still take me back to the past and I think of what’s going to
happen in the future but it’s not as much as it used to happen. It’s been a
fantastic transformation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I would often joke with people
that out of Brahma (creation), Vishnu (maintenance) and Mahesh (transformation),
transformation was my super-power. Spirituality installed such self-belief,
confidence and faith in me that I thought I could achieve anything. Thus, journalism,
sports marketing, working with Indian soccer teams as a sports analyst, Ireland
and America.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I have learned a lot and clearly,
this is not it but let’s leave the blog post here. I got an early start tomorrow
and I need to go to bed but I thought I’d scribble something that brings about
gratitude.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Let’s win every day and give our
100%!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Good night, people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Kratik<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-938781046235433582018-06-17T17:15:00.001-07:002018-06-17T17:21:09.254-07:00Let’s Catch Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Firstly, I apologize for not writing for the longest time.
You know, you get busy, you start complaining and worrying too much and eventually, when you’re
sick of your own attitude, with the help of your hands, you get up. And yes, I am doing great. Thank you. After all these years, smile is coming on as cheap as it gets.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Secondly, I was told by a friend that I had lost my spirit.
Her exact words were, “You’ve lost your spirit. Think of Danny; You used to
make friends even inside bathrooms of a bar.” I paused and I went like…really?
I still don’t know whether to believe her or not but I guess, somewhere deep
inside, she is partially true. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeejcbooG4LylNokwRB2XSMoVRRRfkPo_ow6SuFapnEtTLNeNhP1hKPb9TluDRgNFBuSDWRcNzpocIZ6blZjTlLMZbMrPk20VFGnR4z-0z9vkS0XMcV0oW_JseGHhQH9FQfN61CdIiDNku/s1600/18920324_10155159782966006_5925069226140827236_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeejcbooG4LylNokwRB2XSMoVRRRfkPo_ow6SuFapnEtTLNeNhP1hKPb9TluDRgNFBuSDWRcNzpocIZ6blZjTlLMZbMrPk20VFGnR4z-0z9vkS0XMcV0oW_JseGHhQH9FQfN61CdIiDNku/s320/18920324_10155159782966006_5925069226140827236_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It rained today and the only thing that I could think of was
the feeling of dancing and playing in the rain. To be honest, I was surprised that
I hadn’t done that in so long and I really wanted to today, but something within
me stopped me. I came back home and went like…what’s up with me? Why am I not
wearing my heart on my sleeve? It’s really weird to look back and see a gradual
drop to holding myself back from singing 90s pop with countless random Uber
drivers all over America. Possibly, my friend was right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">I have always loved something about having a sense of life:
a personality and passion for what you love. Perhaps, I need to go back and
inspire people, chase dreams, write my heart out, love like I have not loved in
a long time, meet strangers, make songs and start celebrating everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
…so, you know, back to the source. For starters, I had to
write. So, here I am, writing…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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There has always been something about people and me. When I
have been the happiest, I have always had them around me. When they were not
around me, I found them: teaching stress-relief programs at homeless centers, served
food, going for coffee hours and various events were, probably, a medium. To be
honest, it was more about knowing people, accepting them, seeing their point of
views and in general, learning more about life. It was awesome to be an
explorer. Thinking about it now, whenever I have been the happiest, I have
always wanted to learn.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, let’s go, lads! Who is ready to run, fly and win!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyyDJfmskXyFbSKQDGz-mYFhz1QUFSfLfPnXUVknINPCBW0XxvUdbjEmv_be1RDR6LBI5GPoq33bHJs0gR0yPTGx0aDVM5tRePS_EvnmKW6n79e0WJu-ZhYnvYvku228YT9rfdPiFFzqi/s1600/30708999_10156106321666006_5618828602066862080_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyyDJfmskXyFbSKQDGz-mYFhz1QUFSfLfPnXUVknINPCBW0XxvUdbjEmv_be1RDR6LBI5GPoq33bHJs0gR0yPTGx0aDVM5tRePS_EvnmKW6n79e0WJu-ZhYnvYvku228YT9rfdPiFFzqi/s320/30708999_10156106321666006_5618828602066862080_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thirdly, I moved to Texas A&M Football with coach Fisher
and I am extremely grateful that the boss gave me an opportunity to join him in
College Station; he is the best man one can work for. On a different front,
shaadi (marriage) to me parents’ excitement, is finally kinda in process – we
will see how that goes, where it happens and if she does turn out to be the
girl. The FIFA world cup is on and as always, I am supporting England. Some of
you people who follow me on snapchat, know how that’s going down. I may do a
commentary video just for fun and post it somewhere in a month recapping the WC.
To keep it short, life is a blessing and I am on my way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And…Raman Chora has gone for a few adventures and done a few
things his way. I need to blog about that too – I will look into it when I can
get time. Okay, I will give you a snippet. He went to Vegas with a girl named ‘Chinki
Dancewala’ whom he didn’t even know and it turned out…well, but even before
that happened, he met a certain Lily Potter and her friend, Severus. Let’s see
if it turns out to be legen…wait for it…dary! Legendary!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Love,</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kratik<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-22099483867843795572017-02-23T18:06:00.001-08:002017-02-23T18:10:00.796-08:00Raman Chora And The Famous Train Ride<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Raman woke up rather late and from what he could observe, it was the early hours of the afternoon. Strangely, he was all alone riding a train that was different from a conventional Indian rail and rather fancy, wearing robes and going to…where was he going? Even he didn’t know; as a matter of fact, he couldn’t even remember getting on the train but there he was, on a train with a sealed pumpkin pastry lying before him, almost inviting him to take a bite.</div>
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As circumspect as he was, he couldn’t fight his hunger and so, he carefully opened the pastry and gulped it down in the same manner like he did every Sunday when his parents would take him and his siblings out to enjoy the famous chocolate Swiss roll from Baker’s Basket in Pune, India. But what was he doing in the train and where was he going? In order to know figure the same, he decided on taking a stroll down the bogie’s corridor.</div>
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Being as shy as he was an<span style="text-align: left;">d feeling as insecure as he felt, he – hesitantly – peeked outside his compartment. The corridor – with a single hand operated doorway on each side – was empty and the compartments were set off it, allowing each compartment to function as a self-contained stage within the larger train. The carriage was more like of the trains in Britain back in the day: dimly light, royal and very wooden. As he started walking down the aisle, his attention went to his robes which in spite of feeling heavy were very comfortable.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDox9AooaS2MDR1zgNf0X31jgdxMuj5IJxjk1ctUcxsqDl0SMgCicAv9rSziArI8Sgo4qzLwC5FFM2-HfFqOLaO_8PmoJGB9tyy-USg2LnKKjsNQicqbXlf3yx2cvcdntsZZKmKqJ_qBll/s1600/6cd626eeee7bc4b21bbb44f012393ab8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDox9AooaS2MDR1zgNf0X31jgdxMuj5IJxjk1ctUcxsqDl0SMgCicAv9rSziArI8Sgo4qzLwC5FFM2-HfFqOLaO_8PmoJGB9tyy-USg2LnKKjsNQicqbXlf3yx2cvcdntsZZKmKqJ_qBll/s320/6cd626eeee7bc4b21bbb44f012393ab8.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;">As soon as he reached the end of rail-coach, he heard some students chirping. His eagerness grew and feeling excited, he asked himself if he was going on some sort of a vacation. As he was about to walk through the doorway where all the cheerful noises were coming from, he felt nervous and on contemplating how wary he usually was of meeting new people, he decided on taking a couple of steps back and convinced himself to stand his ground.</span><br />
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After a few minutes as his anxiousness began to fade away, he asked himself, “Why not?” As he started heading towards the doorway, he noticed a strange symbol on the side of the carriage. It intrigued him and as he drew closer, the symbol - for a split second - took him back to the land where a boy, with a scar, lived and had two best friends. In fact, he exactly knew what it was but “How could it be?”, he asked himself. He had seen the exact same design in books and movies but by any stretch of the imagination, he couldn’t have been riding the Hogwarts Express to one of the major European wizarding schools located near the Scottish Highlands, could he?<br />
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Questioning himself if this were even real, an extremely panic-stricken Raman approached the doorway. The doors were closed and the dark glass above the door knobs were too difficult to see through from a distance. So, the little boy curled both his hands around his head and started to peek through the glass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqB8l3ut3rQ4Y94xUGfr2Dd07CsbKOo4XCQKQkPnCEcjzI1QOH1mQ3fDjs56czQj8WE0CleDbGbHKTHXJ2p5Ss1SiKxKWMgCuMdR0PCYyImzw7HFoEZzme1jABJ8mYu_zvGZhb_p-Deke/s1600/630-01127261em-Close-up-of-a-boy-peeking-through-a-window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqB8l3ut3rQ4Y94xUGfr2Dd07CsbKOo4XCQKQkPnCEcjzI1QOH1mQ3fDjs56czQj8WE0CleDbGbHKTHXJ2p5Ss1SiKxKWMgCuMdR0PCYyImzw7HFoEZzme1jABJ8mYu_zvGZhb_p-Deke/s1600/630-01127261em-Close-up-of-a-boy-peeking-through-a-window.jpg" /></a></div>
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He noticed that there was a passage way connecting the carriage that he was on to another carriage which had numerous children wearing casual attire. They were laughing, talking and some even sharing food; it seemed like some sort of a celebration. It was all too strange for him because most kids in the other bogie didn’t have the same skin-tone as him, and he had hardly ever met anyone who wasn’t of Indian origin.<br />
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With cold feet and a heart pumping faster than the <i>Shatabdi Express</i>, Raman opened the door and walked over to the other carriage. As he entered the carriage, the place went silent and it seemed like there were a million eyes staring at the dark-haired Indian boy. Raman went numb and even though he desperately wanted to speak and know what he was doing in the train, out of fright, words wouldn’t leave his mouth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Right then, a boy who also had darker – but rather untidy – hair came forward and introduced himself; he was tall, thin and had hazel eyes. Although Raman didn’t understand a word of what the boy said, with heavy breath, he shook the boy’s hand and replied with a bizarre, “Thank you.”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The boy chuckled, “Well, for me, you’d have to thank my parents. I am J-A-M-E-S, James Potter.”</span></div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-15941427678307008182016-07-15T10:40:00.003-07:002016-07-15T10:41:30.365-07:00Raman Chora And His First Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKpY9hkwJ9VxjY45Tbb-m_YGsH8K8Aop4CbjLRFFfGy_RAbeVphEHa0j_h1cOh0Oh19Ow-rMBe2otPeMMfdk0YjTncafimBfIpWWms6tUMdNAimQ9EYYYltOaymlCsXZvgR2YzuJPBZU8/s1600/dil_chahta_hai___by_anuptakalkar-d46znp6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> D<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong><em>on’t get your hopes up, this is
not erotica!<o:p></o:p></em></strong></span></div>
<strong><em>
</em></strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFZWJaIsa4TEEybSeCl-X2tEk2oZkMb7dY_jb-0OmeZlvctFUFZuLUOxqJcjnKgGc4_feMiYHeznmXYxa95_5l6qcmTosVNf-L__T1810AMtFqkAi4azsX04c7TYdrWRYjMFfmLBHSft0/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFZWJaIsa4TEEybSeCl-X2tEk2oZkMb7dY_jb-0OmeZlvctFUFZuLUOxqJcjnKgGc4_feMiYHeznmXYxa95_5l6qcmTosVNf-L__T1810AMtFqkAi4azsX04c7TYdrWRYjMFfmLBHSft0/s1600/download.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Raman Chora, the musician from
Pune, grew up in the southern part of India – in the city of Bangalore – and studied
at a well-known convent school in the western part of the capital of the state
of Karnataka.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Even though he wasn’t considered
the smartest in his grade, he wasn’t short of confidence; after all, he did
consider himself the coolest one out there. Inspired by Aamir Khan in Dil
Chahta Hai, he would put extra gel on his hair and spike it up, perfectly. Now,
in India, if you barely pass your exams and you consider yourself ‘too cool’,
you are automatically disliked by the teachers.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The teachers weren’t a fan of his
and ‘his style’ so much so that they had made one of the sports teachers cut
his hair in public, in front of his entire division of the grade! It was one of
the most embarrassing days in school for the 13-year old but Raman being
himself, laughed at himself along with the entire school…having an idea in his
head of how jealous teachers were. Laughing at himself was one of the reasons
why he had the amount of friends he had but deep down, even he knew that most
of people he considered friends weren’t as close to him as he expected of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After the incident, almost
everyone knew him in school but that wasn’t the only reason why he was well
known. An year before the hair-cut event, he had shot himself to ‘fame’ by
doing something he wasn’t proud of: The boy from Pune had become the first in
his grade to ask a girl out. The news spread like wildfire and from being a
boy, who was considered too seedha by his classmates, he was talked of by his
juniors and seniors in school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKpY9hkwJ9VxjY45Tbb-m_YGsH8K8Aop4CbjLRFFfGy_RAbeVphEHa0j_h1cOh0Oh19Ow-rMBe2otPeMMfdk0YjTncafimBfIpWWms6tUMdNAimQ9EYYYltOaymlCsXZvgR2YzuJPBZU8/s1600/dil_chahta_hai___by_anuptakalkar-d46znp6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKpY9hkwJ9VxjY45Tbb-m_YGsH8K8Aop4CbjLRFFfGy_RAbeVphEHa0j_h1cOh0Oh19Ow-rMBe2otPeMMfdk0YjTncafimBfIpWWms6tUMdNAimQ9EYYYltOaymlCsXZvgR2YzuJPBZU8/s200/dil_chahta_hai___by_anuptakalkar-d46znp6.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Christina, the girl whom he liked
was from Montreal, Canada, had just moved to the Space City and – pretty much –
answered ‘no’, straight up, and told him that she considered him a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lallu</i>! He felt like an absolute clown
and if there were any amount of confidence going into it, now, even he could
now smell the smoke in his arsenal.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What made the matters worse was
that – like most good-looking girls in school – she was a quite famous which
resulted in hundreds peeping in to his classroom before the morning assembly
the just next day…wanting to get a glimpse of the person who asked out the girl
from Canada.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As the day wore on, he could hear
a lot of whispers in the class. There were giggles when he was asked a question
and chants of ‘Christina’ when his name was called. There were more whispers
and – what looked like – a million stares during the lunch break. Furthermore, people
came up to him and questioned him several times about his intentions, desires
and of what made him act in the way he did so.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Although he found the whole
interrogation experience a little overwhelming but secretly, he was enjoying
it. Never had people wanted to speak to him like they were doing then and he
was trying to be as diplomatic as possible – dodging questions left, right and
center. As the days passed, people mocking him by asking, “Where is Christina?”
had become a routine exercise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One day, sitting with friends,
who couldn’t stop teasing him with the girl’s name, he started to laugh at his
own actions and then, figured out a defense mechanism. He thought that if he laughed
his own self, no one could really trump that. If he laughed at his own shame
and wore it as though there were no guilt and made fun of himself instead of
trying to his justify his own doings, he would able to laugh at him and people would
get over it quicker.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, it began. Raman laughed at
everything that happened. He laughed at the good and at the bad, and did not
care one-bit of what people thought and said. This, on paper, sounds good but
in reality, it didn’t really work well because the teachers and somehow, all of
his neighbors got to know of his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">karnamey</i>
in school, and if you know, in India, it’s a massive deal! The information was
communicated by every source to his parents and some of the days that followed
weren’t pleasant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqwNjM5zX8c3Zu9GhSZ4mflQfY3pSqRN19Sc_7lp33JdnwhlonXXWGHThOvlrOTXDvZmrD8OwtvmXJGIBnYahfMwaPkoR7Mf0OUKa0TSHBcu77HE6Q556ZijOzVEvf051W_wiNWVUQjR_/s1600/stock-vector-cartoon-illustration-of-two-childs-bullying-and-teasing-little-kid-isolated-on-white-background-225115963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqwNjM5zX8c3Zu9GhSZ4mflQfY3pSqRN19Sc_7lp33JdnwhlonXXWGHThOvlrOTXDvZmrD8OwtvmXJGIBnYahfMwaPkoR7Mf0OUKa0TSHBcu77HE6Q556ZijOzVEvf051W_wiNWVUQjR_/s320/stock-vector-cartoon-illustration-of-two-childs-bullying-and-teasing-little-kid-isolated-on-white-background-225115963.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In school, now he wasn’t called
by his first name by students, they called him the ‘Christina-guy’; the
teachers were interested in knowing if this was the reason why he came to the
school for, if he has been brought up by his parents in a ways unacceptable in
the Indian society; and at home he was repeatedly asked, “Why do you go to
school? Do we send you to school to do all this? Have we taught you this?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In this situation, all Raman did
was question his actions and ask himself if he had done anything wrong. After
much thinking, like a typical teenager, he came to a conclusion that the
teachers were old-fashioned and the other students were not as ballsy!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But a part of him matured. Being
himself, he started accepting the entire situation, and slowly and gradually as
time passed, he made friends. It took time but his confidence was restored and
what followed was him improving his style, personality and reputation, but in
spite of all that, what he never gave up on was Christina. Although he never
succeeded, he tried effortlessly and at times, even got borderline creepy which
resulted in him being addressed by the Canadian girl how much she hates him.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After almost a decade, Raman has
moved on and the couple occasionally see each other in Pune at his musical gigs
but each time that they meet, there are never words exchanged…just smiles as
Raman still continues to laugh at everything: the good and the bad.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwETLvXj8C5RyQ2Y8IY7Rmf2fu0YvNlqGcMwOq0yWsbqHRmf291prznKGjiUBJU67N18R5nGdD_Jg2HxhekolpCpQFlFtRNhw9gCcw87Vs0kXFnMZUd0uUqaELql7_Rm36e5AlSxh0gmn/s1600/k10808783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwETLvXj8C5RyQ2Y8IY7Rmf2fu0YvNlqGcMwOq0yWsbqHRmf291prznKGjiUBJU67N18R5nGdD_Jg2HxhekolpCpQFlFtRNhw9gCcw87Vs0kXFnMZUd0uUqaELql7_Rm36e5AlSxh0gmn/s1600/k10808783.jpg" /></a></div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-15316256564815429312016-07-12T13:42:00.003-07:002016-07-12T13:44:11.400-07:00Introducing Raman Chora<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><em><strong>Let me take you on an adventure…<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well, he is stupid. Ah, let’s be fair to him…probably, naïve
is the right word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cGgM9KdQ51Jb0RyBgvnpzml10Pna_q_tum6AWTRPJBT0FleHOvXPzioIT_ybYeAeq1VTMw6kQeoW8l_Msw8CE5qerd52-O6h1H_nVqlf2hb0wkFiulpb8jzFV1WhJAbqkjnZwO_XH2ua/s1600/music-musicician-guitarists-solos-band-guitar-bstn524_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cGgM9KdQ51Jb0RyBgvnpzml10Pna_q_tum6AWTRPJBT0FleHOvXPzioIT_ybYeAeq1VTMw6kQeoW8l_Msw8CE5qerd52-O6h1H_nVqlf2hb0wkFiulpb8jzFV1WhJAbqkjnZwO_XH2ua/s200/music-musicician-guitarists-solos-band-guitar-bstn524_low.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Raman – who sings for a local Indian band in Pune, India and
who has a massive ADHD problem – dreams to be bigger than his idol, Billie Joe
Armstrong. No matter how impractical people call him, he is a self-proclaimed
legend, having an unwavering belief and a confidence in his own ability, but
missing the cockiness attached to the title.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The 25-year old is a sensitive, passionate and an extremely
spontaneous man who gets manipulated easily. Add following his heart and Mumma’s boy to it, and it results in a combination that doesn’t bode well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6C5wZC8XuORSvScQg8AZpABpx5oyfpM0btOOsOZxM7JzrxXGHnbK2s_ftB9MeQ2J4j7sc7CUK559EfA_wqpK7jObraLQ95kIy0bBj4WwOXmbEwn5-XdYWXDp50sH_YsmMrBKHMyvk7Ew/s1600/previewgryffinpuff2crestwallpaper2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6C5wZC8XuORSvScQg8AZpABpx5oyfpM0btOOsOZxM7JzrxXGHnbK2s_ftB9MeQ2J4j7sc7CUK559EfA_wqpK7jObraLQ95kIy0bBj4WwOXmbEwn5-XdYWXDp50sH_YsmMrBKHMyvk7Ew/s320/previewgryffinpuff2crestwallpaper2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Women are his weakness and he falls in love way too easily,
which – considering he is a Huffledor (get the Harry Potter context) – sees him
land in complicated situations all the time, often resulting in heartbreak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He speaks three languages and understands another two, and
does most things that are considered ‘cool’…but he has a problem of
overthinking everything. At times, he even overthinks his overthinking!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHVodu35cOIZVEACq8UvIcyiSfdiPYEWyMjyH6OE9GWW83tWCM1KeEOPz3dG0FUGl832Ntgk53UAqM7RQlN8hVTpvG63x9BdDE8nf48gA6YF7snzHeWUyYwOGyQbpk_u2RywpGwRGewoF/s1600/Br2cBl5IcAACBsM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHVodu35cOIZVEACq8UvIcyiSfdiPYEWyMjyH6OE9GWW83tWCM1KeEOPz3dG0FUGl832Ntgk53UAqM7RQlN8hVTpvG63x9BdDE8nf48gA6YF7snzHeWUyYwOGyQbpk_u2RywpGwRGewoF/s200/Br2cBl5IcAACBsM.png" width="154" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He can’t stand bullies and people with extreme views, but is
still friends with them because he prizes everything in life. Whether it’s
friendships, love, relationships or even at work, he puts down conditions for most
things and considers himself a leader, but even he knows that he is too chicken
to be one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He wishes to live his life drama free but his decisions don’t
allow the same, and being a massive believer in destiny, he feels that
everything happens for a reason. He doesn’t lose hope and works hard towards what
he wants to achieve, but that’s usually to get out of the mess that he often
creates for himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He is a self-proclaimed know-it-all rebel, unfazed by
celebrities, who never holds back in telling people what he believes and says
will follow it to his grave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">To cut it short…he is clown who often gets himself into awkward,
shameful, scary, ridiculous and at times, dangerous situations but ends up loving and enjoying every moment of it!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCn3r72GJugHP1k_VrsuG9_Ayj0bRIQItAGDbATrC9xC1Ox8XHb3KRiOVr2dik7f2uTNJdTWYUFwMkiwfsAXw8M1SoBU5cPVgmfNuwERrZBX-eWxIw6A122VYyYX9JpdByKZTRxSy4lKP/s1600/k10808783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCn3r72GJugHP1k_VrsuG9_Ayj0bRIQItAGDbATrC9xC1Ox8XHb3KRiOVr2dik7f2uTNJdTWYUFwMkiwfsAXw8M1SoBU5cPVgmfNuwERrZBX-eWxIw6A122VYyYX9JpdByKZTRxSy4lKP/s1600/k10808783.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Get ready as I take you on an adventure </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-9405429235695029392016-04-24T03:52:00.002-07:002016-04-24T03:53:53.712-07:00Seeing God From The Naked Eye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Cricket
Is Our Religion, Sachin Is Our God.”</span></i></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRgiqXBaq4r_PvAotv5THN5nRRDB9BA03E02wD-cUCOSVKY4kkPpopIwMRAeytdVFrQWZOdiLM-_YSeqh9k6kUGxnjR5zwBCNH0njd0oCOlupBrUNGovpGfaMA91YAYhqXiGhJrGnoPQr/s1600/sachin1_1611bcci_630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRgiqXBaq4r_PvAotv5THN5nRRDB9BA03E02wD-cUCOSVKY4kkPpopIwMRAeytdVFrQWZOdiLM-_YSeqh9k6kUGxnjR5zwBCNH0njd0oCOlupBrUNGovpGfaMA91YAYhqXiGhJrGnoPQr/s400/sachin1_1611bcci_630.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I can happily say that I am from a generation where millions just
watched cricket so that they could watch him bat. I still remember the time
when people would leave cricket grounds or switch off their TV sets at home
after Sachin Tendulkar got out. As big of a cricket fan as I was growing up, a
die-hard Gangulian, it was mind-boggling to me; I couldn’t understand the whole
sachin-mania.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I remember seeing him practice for the first time in 2000 when the
Indian national cricket team was in nets at Poona club and to my surprise, he
looked…normal. But there was something about him. I remember watching the
attention that he attracted every time he jogged past a crowd on the sidelines;
it was unprecedented. He was the only one that people were going crazy for and
had to be held back by the police every single time. As for me, I was as
excited to see Ajit Agarkar practicing catches as spot him sprint in front of
me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/inline/content/image/58384.html?alt=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.espncricinfo.com/inline/content/image/58384.html?alt=1" /></a></div>
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I remember sitting in a <i>‘tuk-tuk’</i>,
on my way back home, not believing that I had just watched the Indian team
train and as satisfied as I was, I couldn’t flush my head of those people going
crazy for Sachin. There was something about him that nobody else had: an aura
of some sorts.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I mean he had been the poster boy of Indian cricket for the past few
years, and he had obviously played those test innings in the recent past against
Pakistan and those two unforgettable knocks at Sharjah against Australia not
too long ago and he was the youngest cricket captain that India ever had but I
couldn’t get my head round the fact that people started to cry after they saw
him from close. It was crazy; I just couldn’t understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, I started reading on him, watching more of his videos and interviews
and speaking to as many people in school and in the neighborhood, trying to figure
out how and why he was so big, and I came to an understanding that everyone
whom I spoke to felt that they considered one of their own: like a brother and one
who had the backing of everyone. What was really interesting that most of the
people I interacted with referred to him as Sachin and not Tendulkar, underlining
the fact that they felt like he was one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><img height="240" src="https://scontent.ford1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/24578_378676654863_1438846_n.jpg?oh=8092e3d6d0afbe891e98b8c994034baf&oe=57BEFB87" width="320" /><img height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGw3Md5vfRxuzISFx4nh0MIsgN6VWR9gGgqmyXlWCqd6DIn3et-a4v0relFPMaQfcEveI83qZ6vHfuDW-45fZSRLRw_UYFaOELr8R04-UuEP6be33FBFzyrKdKZQ78ekoFUxdUhXoGSRg/s320/246887_10150193897896006_668151005_7394667_3741727_n.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;" width="320" /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I grew older, I finally got a chance to watch him play and to my astonishment
(not!), he played one of his best IPL innings, scoring an unbeaten 72, against
KKR. The only reason I went to Mumbai was to watch Sourav Ganguly bat but I came
home realizing that I had wasted my life not seen Sachin – the man who carried
the national team for the longest time – bat from naked eyes for India. It so
happened that even though I was backing Dada’s team, seeing the ‘master blaster’
stroke the ball, I couldn’t stop but wishing more of the same. Now that I think
of it, a bunch of us grew up as Gangulians, Dravidians and fans of Azhar but by
default, we were all Tendulkarites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In 2009, I was writing for a national Indian newspaper and in August, I
was told that the cricketing maestro was going to be at this MCA press conference
that I also had an invite to. An overly excited me, reached three hours before
the event and discovered there to be an outrageous amount of media. As it
turned out, what was going to be a press conference had to be changed to a
proper hall function with a stage and speakers. As the he walked onto the
stage, even people from the media cheered. I was amazing – and shocking – at
the same time; I mean who expects the media to cheer? But then, I knew that I
wasn’t the only one for whom he was a really big deal and my excitement was
justified!</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p9q8-6hJ-on1nrWiyjsKpLqVYDNOetjVw24NBwsTaRcAOZ-sRSt-LqpzccRN6aO0qylTlQR1IBjD8n1bwVG_D9ILhB-Dti6XORLp9Co9QU6VIzr53P7hklRrpDNtOVvEPA_1vOKkWHkH/s1600/Sachin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p9q8-6hJ-on1nrWiyjsKpLqVYDNOetjVw24NBwsTaRcAOZ-sRSt-LqpzccRN6aO0qylTlQR1IBjD8n1bwVG_D9ILhB-Dti6XORLp9Co9QU6VIzr53P7hklRrpDNtOVvEPA_1vOKkWHkH/s400/Sachin.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">But what happened next was even more surprising. After speaking, the ‘God
of Cricket’ went and made himself on the chair that he was previously sitting
on as Mr. Ajit Wadekar took the began to speak, and after a couple of minutes
very expertly exited from behind the curtains which I did not take a note of.
Apparently, everyone else did and there was a wave of journalists, in groups,
running out of the door, hoping to get a shot of the legend. That wave was nothing
like I had ever seen before; it was brisk just like Sachin’s straight drive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">From the time he walked in to the time he left, you couldn’t help notice
his aura; it was the third time I had noticed it. It was massive and gracious.
And from what I have read and heard, it was of a man who just wanted to play
cricket and worked relentlessly hard to become who he was: the best ever who
was loved by billions for what he did and how he served.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #141823; float: left; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://s2.evcdn.com/images/block250/I0-001/025/518/253-8.jpeg_/florida-state-universitys-18th-annual-53.jpeg" height="200" style="line-height: 17.12px;" width="200" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Over four years ago, when I had started off with my masters in sports
management at the Florida State University, I was asked to give a presentation
on cricket. As I was about to start the presentation, one of my classmates
raised her hand and said, “I don’t know much about the sport except for Sachin,
who is called your God, I have watched him play a few times.” That instance.
Just that; it still makes me smile. Who would have thought that somebody on the
other side of the world, who doesn’t even know the rules of cricket, would be
knowing of India’s famous number ten!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">From being somebody who thought Sachin was a fantastic batsman to one
growing up to realize that the ‘Little Master’ is not just a cricketer, he is
much more than that. To a bunch of us, growing up in the 90s, he has been
cricket. Even though I have been in his presence a few times, the only regret
that I have so far in my life is to have not watched God play for India from
the naked eye.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><img src="http://storygag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/sachin-tendulkar-mathew-hayden-1.jpg" /></span></div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-44261924062021308142016-04-15T18:50:00.002-07:002016-04-15T19:19:59.996-07:00At The End Of The Tunnel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB2vjmyekIuLBOf6GzvV668Tlcjbf56xp63EA9vPVKMdxG_QoXllZxpYgmxL82Yq86K07n4WEgb-yKTEC654cf2yPlTEzzplt6z1ejGkiTcO0LNBoB5EQzAOvsNK6gWLxD6bW35rmVx52/s1600/306538_3619034594375_1229201972_33715376_1926074502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB2vjmyekIuLBOf6GzvV668Tlcjbf56xp63EA9vPVKMdxG_QoXllZxpYgmxL82Yq86K07n4WEgb-yKTEC654cf2yPlTEzzplt6z1ejGkiTcO0LNBoB5EQzAOvsNK6gWLxD6bW35rmVx52/s1600/306538_3619034594375_1229201972_33715376_1926074502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB2vjmyekIuLBOf6GzvV668Tlcjbf56xp63EA9vPVKMdxG_QoXllZxpYgmxL82Yq86K07n4WEgb-yKTEC654cf2yPlTEzzplt6z1ejGkiTcO0LNBoB5EQzAOvsNK6gWLxD6bW35rmVx52/s1600/306538_3619034594375_1229201972_33715376_1926074502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB2vjmyekIuLBOf6GzvV668Tlcjbf56xp63EA9vPVKMdxG_QoXllZxpYgmxL82Yq86K07n4WEgb-yKTEC654cf2yPlTEzzplt6z1ejGkiTcO0LNBoB5EQzAOvsNK6gWLxD6bW35rmVx52/s1600/306538_3619034594375_1229201972_33715376_1926074502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>At the end of the tunnel, there is always light.</i></b></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB2vjmyekIuLBOf6GzvV668Tlcjbf56xp63EA9vPVKMdxG_QoXllZxpYgmxL82Yq86K07n4WEgb-yKTEC654cf2yPlTEzzplt6z1ejGkiTcO0LNBoB5EQzAOvsNK6gWLxD6bW35rmVx52/s1600/306538_3619034594375_1229201972_33715376_1926074502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB2vjmyekIuLBOf6GzvV668Tlcjbf56xp63EA9vPVKMdxG_QoXllZxpYgmxL82Yq86K07n4WEgb-yKTEC654cf2yPlTEzzplt6z1ejGkiTcO0LNBoB5EQzAOvsNK6gWLxD6bW35rmVx52/s1600/306538_3619034594375_1229201972_33715376_1926074502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB2vjmyekIuLBOf6GzvV668Tlcjbf56xp63EA9vPVKMdxG_QoXllZxpYgmxL82Yq86K07n4WEgb-yKTEC654cf2yPlTEzzplt6z1ejGkiTcO0LNBoB5EQzAOvsNK6gWLxD6bW35rmVx52/s1600/306538_3619034594375_1229201972_33715376_1926074502_n.jpg" /></a>Being the rebel that I was during my days of studying
engineering, encouraging the others to follow their dreams and not to do what
the person next to him was doing, I only ever sat for one engineering job
interview – not because I didn’t have an opportunity to do so but because if
working as an engineer was the last thing left on this planet to do, I still
wouldn’t have done it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
A part of me – or maybe more – didn’t even want to sit for
that interview with a reputed software company but I had my reasons: I wasn’t
making much by working in sports and there was no stability whatsoever, and I was
told by many college teachers to give up on dreams and to ‘settle’ for a job.
Also, I had always done what my heart said without as much success as I would
have liked to enjoy, so, for once, I wanted to see if what they said made any
sense.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
…and so, one morning, I woke up and decided to walk into a
building close to Yerwada jail in Pune for a referral interview.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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It was not an interview; it was an audition based on aptitude
tests! And me being me, I obviously didn’t make it.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiYbLDgbNgh5R-rteURzvbmeqj0VtcpX3w3Fme_fWNhGfkJZgIW4W66DR1bAUTwqjRnzuAUV042-vmayVuGKYHSFsDwYUz_AGkoUbfjtXOSbUpMZhwpqKzgc57X1wRc99JccMCuE3UO_-/s1600/389370_10150835172396006_960648457_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiYbLDgbNgh5R-rteURzvbmeqj0VtcpX3w3Fme_fWNhGfkJZgIW4W66DR1bAUTwqjRnzuAUV042-vmayVuGKYHSFsDwYUz_AGkoUbfjtXOSbUpMZhwpqKzgc57X1wRc99JccMCuE3UO_-/s1600/389370_10150835172396006_960648457_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiYbLDgbNgh5R-rteURzvbmeqj0VtcpX3w3Fme_fWNhGfkJZgIW4W66DR1bAUTwqjRnzuAUV042-vmayVuGKYHSFsDwYUz_AGkoUbfjtXOSbUpMZhwpqKzgc57X1wRc99JccMCuE3UO_-/s1600/389370_10150835172396006_960648457_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiYbLDgbNgh5R-rteURzvbmeqj0VtcpX3w3Fme_fWNhGfkJZgIW4W66DR1bAUTwqjRnzuAUV042-vmayVuGKYHSFsDwYUz_AGkoUbfjtXOSbUpMZhwpqKzgc57X1wRc99JccMCuE3UO_-/s1600/389370_10150835172396006_960648457_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiYbLDgbNgh5R-rteURzvbmeqj0VtcpX3w3Fme_fWNhGfkJZgIW4W66DR1bAUTwqjRnzuAUV042-vmayVuGKYHSFsDwYUz_AGkoUbfjtXOSbUpMZhwpqKzgc57X1wRc99JccMCuE3UO_-/s1600/389370_10150835172396006_960648457_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiYbLDgbNgh5R-rteURzvbmeqj0VtcpX3w3Fme_fWNhGfkJZgIW4W66DR1bAUTwqjRnzuAUV042-vmayVuGKYHSFsDwYUz_AGkoUbfjtXOSbUpMZhwpqKzgc57X1wRc99JccMCuE3UO_-/s320/389370_10150835172396006_960648457_n.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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So, here I was, teary eyed and feeling like an absolute
loser, walking out of the company’s large off-white premises. Me being my
biggest critic, I got angry at myself and came to a deep realization that my
life wasn’t going anywhere. But I loved myself way too much, enough to call myself special. Now that I think of it, I believe I did everything
possible to restore my self-respect and for the same, and at times, even went
to the extent of calling myself the chosen one – chosen to live a life beyond the
greatest dreams, to defy the odds, win the the biggest of fights and more importantly, in time, win the hearts of people.<br />
<br /></div>
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So, I didn’t get the job and I felt like a loser, but I had
also learned that life was a celebration and no matter what happened, it must
be lived to the fullest. So, shamelessly, I decided on going for a concert that
weekend. Now, if you have graduated as an engineer six months ago and are working only part-time sports jobs – including football commentary, half-time shows, content writing, managing websites, marketing,
ticket sales, sponsorship and journalism – you aren't expected to go for concerts or anything that is a lot of
fun, especially, if you are born in a society as conventional as India, but I did and with a sense of pride attached to it. Why? I don't know. It just felt good. Intuition, maybe.</div>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br />
On the days when I wasn’t working part-time, I would apply for a bunch of fancy-ass sports jobs. Now, I knew Arsenal wouldn’t offer me a job to recruit
kids for their academy but at the end of the day, irrespective of how
improbable it was, I relied on miracles. And that’s why they are called
miracles - because they are ridiculously improbable.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br />
On the day of the concert I had promised myself to not
think about jobs and career and smile all day. At the concert, the performer was talking about grace and he mentioned miracles, and I began to ask myself when would my miracle happen?<br />
<br />
And then it did…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
At the concert, I was with friends and performance was so good that the dance came naturally. I was doing the only step I knew: the bulb-fix dance-step!<br />
<br />
It was then when my phone began to vibrate and I noticed that I was
getting a call from a different country. So, I sprinted outside the auditorium and to my surprise, it was a man from France on the phone. The height of
shock was coming to terms with the fact that he was excited and ready to offer
me a job to work as a sports analyst for a Singapore based company.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br />
I was like: What? Like what?<br />
<br />
I couldn’t have not accepted it; it felt like a dream and after
I entered the hall again, I shook myself to explain what had actually happened. It
was a wonderful feeling!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfDil7JZ3q60_E6zlmXkok22NTnHTHOMacPb5WhI9GsbAqAAkRIyjAy-_Af2A1S-e8hA8YNFeAh9yAr24-hiXRCuZAuyHlj6w1zY3X0bVwLH2v1l9Qrv-1TcDSctsQMFZBOCUuTik-2fz/s1600/204684_10150169588656006_6191291_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfDil7JZ3q60_E6zlmXkok22NTnHTHOMacPb5WhI9GsbAqAAkRIyjAy-_Af2A1S-e8hA8YNFeAh9yAr24-hiXRCuZAuyHlj6w1zY3X0bVwLH2v1l9Qrv-1TcDSctsQMFZBOCUuTik-2fz/s320/204684_10150169588656006_6191291_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>(Me with Katsumi Yusa when I was working as an analyst</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>for a number of Indian soccer teams including ONGC)</b></i></div>
<br />
After getting home from the concert, I scribbled, “<i>If you have ever had a dream and you dared
to follow it, you must have realized that it’s not always that you find
yourself seated in the prettiest position. As the time passes and the things
don’t go in your favor, you tend to lose hope and start looking for
alternatives. Somehow, from somewhere, when you think all is lost, He shows you
a light in the dark that presents you with a glimmer of hope.”</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
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…and I still stand by it.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When things don’t go how you intend them to pan out and you
are faced with situations filled with frustration, one must not lose hope
because miracles do happen. At times, I am in situations where things feel like
they haven’t fallen in place but I remind myself continuously that it's important to keep your head up and keep going
because miracles happen every day, every hour, every minute and every moment;
one just needs to notice the miracle that is.</div>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Because no matter who you are and what you do, if you have done everything possibly possible, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Keep smiling, guys. Live your dream and have a fantastic day!</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Kratik Malhotra<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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No breath, no life.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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Know breath, know life <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-81523041707151211952015-07-12T16:58:00.001-07:002015-07-12T17:02:57.143-07:00Oh Chicago, You Remind Me Of India!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="text-align: justify;"><i>Today, I complete two weeks in
Chicago and it’s been some experience, already.</i></b></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6p8V_F_n4hPbSII8L0-VDlZ_0HKsD1DXYcOjZZYH5N-9P53hMZaTQwiPCB5ltG3cX-2c3nqalZo0Y39mtqNna6opZbZut_ud8zG_2TRIZafI8yLl_XhUX_PrTs1hAxMr-QsUpE9kZKGB/s1600/11647308_10153098672726006_1675238607_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6p8V_F_n4hPbSII8L0-VDlZ_0HKsD1DXYcOjZZYH5N-9P53hMZaTQwiPCB5ltG3cX-2c3nqalZo0Y39mtqNna6opZbZut_ud8zG_2TRIZafI8yLl_XhUX_PrTs1hAxMr-QsUpE9kZKGB/s1600/11647308_10153098672726006_1675238607_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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As I left my uncle’s house and
took a bus from Blue Ash, Ohio to travel to a city that I had only heard of, I
had absolutely no idea what to expect. Getting off the bus, coming to terms
with the fact that I was actually in Chicago, I paused for a second, spread my
arms, gave the widest smile, closed my eyes and told myself, “This is
happening!”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
That moment! What was big about that moment? Nothing. I had already known for almost a month that I was going to be in Chicago, but it was just that moment…there was something about it. It was special. It was a moment when you promise yourself that no matter what happens, I will make it big here. It was magical!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">As I was in the cab, riding through the Chi-town downtown, I pounded myself on the chest and repeated Jameis’ words, “If we’re gonna do it den, we’re gonna do it big den!” I had been to Los Angeles, New York city and even to Chicago once before but seeing the sky-scrappers in downtown, it felt different. It felt like a city that may demand great strength, charisma and desire if I had to truly make it.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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Chicago gave me the same feeling you
get if you are in Mumbai for a job interview, knowing that you might be living
there soon. It kinda felt scary for a split second but it felt more like an
adventure that would be wonderful to live through. Plus, my new job with
STATSports was the greatest opportunity I had to learn and it was exceptional
how easily I said Jameis’ words to myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After all, I don’t believe in
miracles, I rely on them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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That moment. Just that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When I was in Blue Ash for a
couple of days before coming to Chicago, I couldn’t wait to get to mid-west and
start working. You know how they say that players find it hard to sleep the
night before their first game, I couldn’t sleep on Sunday night just thinking
of how awesome first day of work would be. I would look at my phone and be
like, “Ten hours to go for work…nine hours to go for work.” It was crazy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Monday was awesome. Seeing what
work had to offer was great. I was made aware of the work assigned to me, my responsibilities
and duties. It was brilliant to get started. We broke off for lunch at half-past-noon
and it was crazy to walk around the downtown. I couldn’t stop smiling! It
seemed like a fancy India! It really did. I knew Chicago was a big city and it
had a lot more people than Tallahassee but I didn’t realize how big it actually
was, and how many people lived and worked here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was like walking at MG Road in
Pune on Sunday afternoon – there were people everywhere and there was continuous
movement around the city! I had come from a rather ‘chilled’ Florida where
everything went at its own pace, to Chicago where everyone was in a rush. For
once, I wanted to make people sit down and say “Guys, relax!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was crazy but in Chicago, I
wanted to experience something different. It’s always been about experiences
and this was an experience that I know I would enjoy living.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCaf2BiYRWpcJbqI9iDVVIqyw7pI_Vic9aYBrfNdPcZAisgyvIwfj__sr6vBfjNzoCBQVpGNnHOYyoNq8V_aDghtcZS7R0r_Vol0hxHFUig74nQw6PIPZouw4Ps3-669gEE6KXPFBJyi4/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCaf2BiYRWpcJbqI9iDVVIqyw7pI_Vic9aYBrfNdPcZAisgyvIwfj__sr6vBfjNzoCBQVpGNnHOYyoNq8V_aDghtcZS7R0r_Vol0hxHFUig74nQw6PIPZouw4Ps3-669gEE6KXPFBJyi4/s1600/download.jpg" /></a><br />
On my way back to the apartment,
we rode on this thing called ‘CTA’, which was nothing but a fancy Mumbai local
train (with obviously no people clinging on to the train via a metallic column).
So many people traveled by it that if one hits the stations during peak hours,
he may not even be able to board the train. It was so fascinating! I mean, you
don’t experience such things in Florida. But for some reason, even though
thousands of people traveled together on each day, people who didn’t know each
other avoided having conversations one another. It was rather strange but I
guess that’s how they roll.</div>
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The most incredible thing that I
have seen in Chicago so far was the people on the train stations playing
guitars and singing songs…I was like, “Dude, that is so India!” It always caught
my attention as to how much talent resided within India…I mean thousands, who
were labeled ‘beggars’ – a word that I absolutely loathe when you consider that
they are singing, dancing or displaying some sort of art to earn money – could
sing and most of them are very, very good at it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The same was with Chicago. There
was so much talent that it was extraordinary even to observe. Some call me mad
but if someone is genuinely good, you ought to tip them and well, buying an
occasional rap CD from someone on the street isn’t the worst thing one can do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUMRoRReWhQVvhXFYoCel3fkf20jaw3FdPAnecg27APZ8N7rTcWo5fPY3KluIMv82EfgePLcxPT28fxQF7UFcrpk4l5VBmQH2V4BUEihlc0_o02DoOUYYk2ykoe2wxdu8FMBPMViYk-nA/s1600/520964749_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUMRoRReWhQVvhXFYoCel3fkf20jaw3FdPAnecg27APZ8N7rTcWo5fPY3KluIMv82EfgePLcxPT28fxQF7UFcrpk4l5VBmQH2V4BUEihlc0_o02DoOUYYk2ykoe2wxdu8FMBPMViYk-nA/s320/520964749_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As of India, I wish the
government, the local TV shows or the new channels pick up or do something to
identify such talent. In sports, you talk of scouting networks and how kids
come up through the ranks. I wish something of this sort is established as well…that
would be the thing!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My first weekend in Chicago was
the ‘Fourth of July weekend’ and it was fantastic. I had never hung out with
people from Ireland and as I quickly found out that they are a lot of fun!
Before coming here, I didn’t know Chicago had a beach – it apparently does. I
also quickly realized that Chicago is a very expensive but a beautiful place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my first two weeks, Chicago so
far has been an experience and an adventure that has just started. I am loving
life in Chicago!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I came here aiming for the
impossible and it feels good to be getting an eye in. And I know, at times,
life will be challenging but if it was too easy, I wouldn’t be doing it, would
I? It’s brilliant to accept challenges, overcome them and be successful, but it’s
even better to learn.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After all, I don’t believe in
miracles, I rely on them :)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;">“When you have done everything possibly possible, He makes the
impossible possible.” - </i><span style="text-align: justify;">Dinesh Ghodke</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Kratik Malhotra<br />
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-31455319202815364382015-06-25T23:25:00.000-07:002015-06-26T09:02:30.766-07:00FSU Football: An Absolute Dream #ThankYouFSU<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>From leaving the IMG Academy,
feeling gutted that I hadn’t made it, to lifting the national championship
trophy…it’s been an absolute dream.</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgkrzJCjTzYPoJJhMgSpFUHnfZrVP0bGXzyJEmnAoBH3Ijt45pWZrq6C02EvPE9gaRsPzmxKlFqHn2Z2xjgzH_oR6aSBwAPQ8JrUkvZo7ptoIzIwsWqi50DO6NqMcyZfvg6uFGlcCZmfU/s1600/FSU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgkrzJCjTzYPoJJhMgSpFUHnfZrVP0bGXzyJEmnAoBH3Ijt45pWZrq6C02EvPE9gaRsPzmxKlFqHn2Z2xjgzH_oR6aSBwAPQ8JrUkvZo7ptoIzIwsWqi50DO6NqMcyZfvg6uFGlcCZmfU/s400/FSU.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You know, at times in life, you
take a decision that may be deemed stupid by many and illogical by most, but no
matter what anybody says, something within you tells you that you are making
the right choice. Well, most – including a part of me...to be precise, my head – thought I was foolish when I
rejected a paid sales job in Clearwater to work for FSU Football for free.</div>
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To be true, it was against all
possible logic and all the knowledge that one could conjure but from
ex<o:p></o:p><span style="text-align: left;">perience, I had learned to not think too much, follow my heart, work my socks off and then, observe things working out in the most perfect way possible. After all, I didn’t believe in miracles…I relied on them!</span></div>
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Having worked with the athletes who were preparing for the NFL and NBA Combines at IMG Academy, Bradenton, I had seen
how good they were but working with Florida State Football showed
me the work that goes into making them that good. It was great seeing how hard not only the players but also the staff worked, and how well the athletes trusted the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I would see their work ethic and
tell myself that if these guys can manage to get grades in school, work hard to be top-notch
athletes, workout in the weight-room, study the film and learn plays, and take
care of their lives outside of football, I would be doing them injustice if I
didn’t give my all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBXrByd-Z-1z6FTUd-_cSt9FgeCXMLQkT0m2_0uFhpb3Wnn_R_KCeLJDgv-zvFrjgTXyaPHGByQrwHevR6sXv_d6N5gG9OX0C0wzztwulIugiBo5BVxhm-4JhULnQpTlfiZHQrklSOdxO/s1600/1546319_327322674101552_3683276725220123428_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBXrByd-Z-1z6FTUd-_cSt9FgeCXMLQkT0m2_0uFhpb3Wnn_R_KCeLJDgv-zvFrjgTXyaPHGByQrwHevR6sXv_d6N5gG9OX0C0wzztwulIugiBo5BVxhm-4JhULnQpTlfiZHQrklSOdxO/s320/1546319_327322674101552_3683276725220123428_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had worked with sport-specific,
GPS and performance data for a couple of years previously, so, I knew what the
data meant but it was incredible to have a chance to see and work with the data
for a sport that I had absolutely no clue about. It’s easy to look at numbers
and say, “Well, even though he is the best out of the group and he is having an
extremely high max velocity, he is not necessarily working hard,” but for
someone, like me, who didn’t know a whole lot about American football, it was
about learning what the data meant in relation to football.</div>
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That’s when my immediate boss, FSU Football's head strength and conditioning coach, Vic Viloria, really helped me. He made sure that I learned the sport, which
helped me in understanding how the coaches coached, what players of a particular
position group did during a certain drill and most importantly, where the GPS
numbers were coming from. The only reason why I was at FSU Football was to
learn, and gaining knowledge the way I was doing was fantastic. I would wake up
every morning, smile and tell myself, “YES! I am going to learn something new
today.” It was a brilliant feeling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTCZEGNu3G6oABH9MGHrCwiahLsJJ-nonUpUdIvQgqdYImq0zJSdBsTYAdV2NZf4GW-1PScDQ2prSGNQuKnsvRO4Ylbj4fYTctKgn_jGYLbIjEdGjiGTW9N2yJWRsT4NZOKIB0GNf1hWK/s1600/11053275_10153080639201006_2181851842496503198_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTCZEGNu3G6oABH9MGHrCwiahLsJJ-nonUpUdIvQgqdYImq0zJSdBsTYAdV2NZf4GW-1PScDQ2prSGNQuKnsvRO4Ylbj4fYTctKgn_jGYLbIjEdGjiGTW9N2yJWRsT4NZOKIB0GNf1hWK/s320/11053275_10153080639201006_2181851842496503198_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As I got more and more familiar
with the sport, I was extremely eager to communicate whatever I could gather
from the GPS data. At times, I might have even been a touch irritating, but I
will always be grateful to coach Vic who gave me his time and heard whatever I had
to say. It’s one thing to hear what someone is saying, it’s another to trust
them with what they are telling you. You know, it’s great to have mentors,
teachers and people who can groom you, it’s even better when he is your own
boss.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Watching my first few games from the sidelines was some experience even though I didn't understand it a whole lot. My motto was to follow the others. If people were shouting, shout. If everyone was quiet, don't speak. If you see others pump up the crowd, pump up the crowd. Just follow. Lol. And trust me, that helped. A few more games in, and after attending many more practices and watching film, I began to understand the sport better.</span></div>
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It was also overwhelming to see
exactly all the stuff that went on during the game and the number of people that were involved. It was astonishing to see that everybody – the
strength coaches, the athletic trainers, the team doctors, the recruiting
staff, the nutritionists, the video guys, the equipment managers, mental
conditioning coaches, the team chaplain, the FSU police, the marching band and most importantly,
the football coaching staff – had a role on the sidelines. I was amazed at how good of a piece of management that was.</div>
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The concept of having some of the
coaches in a box upstairs and not on the field, monitoring every opposition
play and communicating the information to the coaches on the field, seemed absolutely
brilliant. I don’t know why other sports like soccer don’t use this system.
Just imagine, Ryan Giggs in the box monitoring every change in opposition
formation, every second and communicating information to Louis Van Gaal, who would
ultimately decide on whether he has to tinker with United’s formation or the style of play. It
would be brilliant.</div>
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The 2013 unfolded and we won the
national championship. After the victory, I still remember running on the Rose Bowl field with my
arms outstretched, Van-Nistelrooy-style, and jumping up and down to every song
that the marching band played. It was fantastic. That feeling was of being on
the top of the world and all the snapchats that I received told me that the
whole of Nole Nation was feeling the same.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GJzvva9m9XX0WQAoHkwlR6da87A7dc1O6Hz2GO0eVu8MgLRXG_yCbV5gRYx98dnKXEOAQjqdSzKjDQLwtyK6iysBkEH7iKZn7nXm31zgZ-OYtygzS2SaJlN__A7-d9-uR26I30uX7eer/s1600/11058112_10153080639126006_736707352281410687_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GJzvva9m9XX0WQAoHkwlR6da87A7dc1O6Hz2GO0eVu8MgLRXG_yCbV5gRYx98dnKXEOAQjqdSzKjDQLwtyK6iysBkEH7iKZn7nXm31zgZ-OYtygzS2SaJlN__A7-d9-uR26I30uX7eer/s200/11058112_10153080639126006_736707352281410687_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiau61dgahSH6MIGnYsq-oO6rBFi1ir4p7P1PDxzOTKWJgdXyccxrCIrCFL_T8lT5n37LjfYAOegpOUtdOZf5yN2ze1MdXyY5w9clmO3a9eCim3goJRr2qGNQH47G7ei0Vg2yDDJtcNK_Hh/s1600/11542048_10153080638956006_3400646032915523744_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiau61dgahSH6MIGnYsq-oO6rBFi1ir4p7P1PDxzOTKWJgdXyccxrCIrCFL_T8lT5n37LjfYAOegpOUtdOZf5yN2ze1MdXyY5w9clmO3a9eCim3goJRr2qGNQH47G7ei0Vg2yDDJtcNK_Hh/s200/11542048_10153080638956006_3400646032915523744_n.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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As we got back to Tallahassee, there
were thousands of people waiting for us to return home. As a little kid, I remember
waiting for hours for the Indian cricket team to arrive and here I was, with Florida State, on the
other side. You know, it’s moments like this when you realize that you are a
part of something absolutely huge, something that is much, much bigger than you. For letting me experience what I experienced,
I will always be grateful to Florida State Football.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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A couple of weeks on and our head
coach, Jimbo Fisher, called me into his office and told me that FSU Football
were interested in offering me a full-time job and will also file for my H1B Visa.
It was one of the best feelings ever! After speaking to him, a very teary me
ran down the stairs and sprinted outside the building doing the Danny Welbeck
celebration! That moment, just that…that’s what priceless moments are like! That moment, I knew I had won for the little boy who lives inside of me and who who dares to dream! It was incredible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, here I was! After a few months
of rejecting a paid sales job in Clearwater to work for FSU Football for free
to have a shot at the United dream, I had a job which I loved, working with
people whom I considered to be a blessing and a sponsor for my Visa that was
the collegiate national champions of America. I have always said that I rely on
miracles and that was a miracle. God showered his grace in the most unexpected
way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Money motivates some people but dreams motivate me. I came to America to make my dream a reality and at times,
you have to take a little risk to make the impossible dream possible. I did and
God made sure that I stayed on the path.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The 2014/2015 season was crazy.
Coming back to win so many in the way we did was awesome. It was like
experiencing Manchester United during the 2012/2013 season all over again, but this time from the sidelines. Now
that I look back at it, it must have taken the players and the coaches some
phenomenal spirit to rally and finish every game the way they did. The Doak
Campbell Stadium rocked during every game and you could sense an enormous
togetherness among fans.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">I still remember the game against
Clemson when, with a few minutes to go, the fans at Doak started singing ‘I
believe that we can win’, a chant that reverberated around USMNT 2014 FIFA
World Cup campaign…it was brilliant. Even though we were down by a touchdown, you
could sense in the air that something special would happen and we would win. Then,
Sean threw that long pass to Rashad and we got on level terms, before Karlos
scored to win it for us in extra time. Coach Fisher’s pregame team talk during
that game was one that I will never forget. I still remember when he told the
team that they had worked too hard to be there and not enjoy that moment. It’s something
that I consider as a life lesson…it’s really important to enjoy every
moment, especially, when you have worked hard for it.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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2014/2015 was a great season and the
next one is going to be a superb one as well because FSU Football has that man,
Jimbo Fisher. I have worked under/with some very good coaches in various sports, both in India and in Singapore, and coach Fisher is the best of the lot. He is also
an incredible person and someone whom I will always be indebted to for the rest
of my life for believing in me and having me as a part of the Florida State
family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHVDu-jw7-cQRxYwgwj_lL_5AfFZeo48r-ZzMOZQLPTWWGRDstnSf4yjbMFDx2gIC50nNDPbl06MDHJOiNBLo3gzNHQru6RYvqVOV6A9S14vQGAXxY_GPEaBLNX8D9zKHHqOIyg6ADOeU/s1600/11657480_10153083335756006_168966573_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHVDu-jw7-cQRxYwgwj_lL_5AfFZeo48r-ZzMOZQLPTWWGRDstnSf4yjbMFDx2gIC50nNDPbl06MDHJOiNBLo3gzNHQru6RYvqVOV6A9S14vQGAXxY_GPEaBLNX8D9zKHHqOIyg6ADOeU/s640/11657480_10153083335756006_168966573_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I came to Tallahassee with dreams
but what I am leaving behind is a family. Even in my wildest of dreams, I couldn’t have ever imagined that it would pan out this well. Working with a brilliant staff and phenomenal athletes, who were
responsible for winning two ACC championships and a national title in the
past two years, it’s been an absolute dream. Time to chase that United dream
now.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
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<br />
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Do you believe in miracles? I
rely on them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>A special thanks to the strength staff </i>(<b>coach Vic,</b> <b>coach</b> <b>Red, coach Derek, Ben, coach Louis, coach Brice and Richie)</b>, <b>coach Jon Jost and coach Caitlin Quinn</b><i> for their continuous support,</i> <i>the athletic trainers</i> (<b>Jake, Jerry, Jeronimo, Julie, Jason, Remy, Madeline and team</b>), <i>the nutritionists</i> (<b>Ms. Katie, Paula, Morgan, Beth, Blair, Jen and Lauren</b>), <i>the recruiting team</i> (<b>Mr. Bob, Christian, Matt, Paul and their team</b>),<i> </i><b>Mr. Clint Purvis, Mr. Mario Edwards Sr., Mike Warren,</b><i> the assistant coaching staff </i>(<b>Matt, Miles, Chris Rev, Kurt, Bert, Bright, Addison, Glauser, Spurlock, Jamie, Becker, Shlemon, coach B, Jeremiah, Stone, Priest</b>), <i>the assistants</i> (<b>Ms. Joy, Ms. Daphne, Ms. Nicole, Logan, Carson, Ms. Carol)</b>, <i>the video guys</i> (<b>Cody, Matt, Kevin, Campo and team</b>), <b>Lt. Maloy, Lt. Bagnardi, Zach Stipe,</b> <i>the equipment managers</i>, <b>Mr. Mark Robinson</b>, <b>Mr. Monk Bonasorte,</b> <i>the position coaches</i> (<b>coach Haggins, coach Trickett, coach Sal, coach Graham, coach Sanders, coach Dawsey, coach Brewster, coach Kelly and coach Miller</b>)<b>,</b> and <i>to our head coach</i>, <b>Mr. Jimbo Fisher</b>, for helping me live the dream.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Erin, Paul, Mikey, Jim, Kat, Brittany, Steve and Samantha Spiers, Alicia, Ryan Pham, Marco, Shuai, Miao, Eric, Gary, Carlton, Christian, Kristin, Max Christiansen, Rikki Lee, Andrew Young, Smay, JJ, Mike, Nick Downey, Parker, TJ, Yue Ji, Chris Mcloed, Sara, Kristin Smith, Karly Gilchrist, Shirley, Hailan, Kosuke, Jack, Rob, and everyone else...you guys are legends and I love you all</b>!</i><br />
<br />
<i>Once a student, then an employee, Nole forever!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Kratik Malhotra</i></div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-36441651735666969972015-05-07T15:32:00.001-07:002015-05-07T15:34:16.967-07:00Back Home: It’s Kinda Magic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p><b>Pulling me out of a bubble of negative energy, He asked me if I would
like to come home again.</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRlggYprYyzWGuwnIJ8AMC2p0L7fBY1j0CbEwd7DhRGLynTP2labYAxa3JV15ehtkDCpypHP_bo_gKmw2z6v6RCxbGKJeDpw6gSIxvEpWd_VuNy9feCZ1p6ZAo-6-L-GYdxcW0GtcuMa3/s1600/11123998_10152886269006006_1405213010_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRlggYprYyzWGuwnIJ8AMC2p0L7fBY1j0CbEwd7DhRGLynTP2labYAxa3JV15ehtkDCpypHP_bo_gKmw2z6v6RCxbGKJeDpw6gSIxvEpWd_VuNy9feCZ1p6ZAo-6-L-GYdxcW0GtcuMa3/s320/11123998_10152886269006006_1405213010_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
In the past eighteen days, I have
been to two cities, met hundreds of people, made plenty of new friends, learned
what’s smiling again and most importantly, realized the fact that the connection
which once was, will always be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When I was a student, I had
promised myself that once I start earning and can afford to do an Art of Living
Advance/Silence course, I would go ahead and do it. Well, by April 2015, I had
been earning for almost an year and two months, but for some reason, I had kept
on postponing myself in taking the program. Either I felt that it wasn’t time
then or I was trying to save money, or maybe I had accepted straight up that I
only have to be good at my job and not brilliantly rounded. Irrespective of the
reason, I was a dumbass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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…and then, something magical
happened: I got my tax refund!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was one of those times, when
you think, “Okay, what do I want to do the most with this money?” In Robin Van
Persie’s words, the little boy inside of me said, “Get your backside to an Art
of Living Silence course.” However, there were still doubts in my mind when I realized how much the travel and course would cost, so, I told my mind to ‘shut
up and go to bed’ as I started looking through the list of courses all around the
United States. I soon came across a magical name, Michael Fischman. Michael,
the famous author, was teaching a course in Boston and having heard so much
about him, there was no way I could have not registered for the program.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblB5SF0jAsOmn_eAKVf8UHFU3L3DsR587kNf5DjIOQp1ZN6-PdlkDs4FJc4AjH9sco_WxlWhRzi22CjRL6yv8bFJ8lZRQHz7GKOO3tUE9o4rebcBUikXd-5xo0SYl9l46m71Y4SuUikaP/s1600/ourpeople2_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblB5SF0jAsOmn_eAKVf8UHFU3L3DsR587kNf5DjIOQp1ZN6-PdlkDs4FJc4AjH9sco_WxlWhRzi22CjRL6yv8bFJ8lZRQHz7GKOO3tUE9o4rebcBUikXd-5xo0SYl9l46m71Y4SuUikaP/s320/ourpeople2_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Michael Fischman</i></div>
<br /></div>
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Knowing how fragile my mind is, I
booked my flight tickets in no time as I told myself, “Flights are
non-refundable, boy! You can’t get out of this now!” It felt like I had won over
my mind, at least for that moment. Soon, I registered for the silence program
with Michael and left for Boston a couple of weeks on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My silence was incredible. It was
my sixth Art of Silence course but the first one in which I cried during
silence. There were too many realizations, too many lessons, too much knowledge
and a massive amount of gratitude for everything that I had received. It was
the first time that I saw my mind getting cleansed, little by little. It was
like watching the negative impressions that were stuck on my mind getting
removed and being winded away. It was fantastic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJJIAQMubYntVGZnO43v4fXVb3Ig2kl6EsYtsbf0Vg8Ktvo07TkXGLK_TxnpuC5GfJmeLVYF_DwZfl2COqUgS_YpF7nICMOFzQvro40IJqDwFyoPGiwak15cZwzGgxgDyDfMA24ZWXZ5p/s1600/Rafiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJJIAQMubYntVGZnO43v4fXVb3Ig2kl6EsYtsbf0Vg8Ktvo07TkXGLK_TxnpuC5GfJmeLVYF_DwZfl2COqUgS_YpF7nICMOFzQvro40IJqDwFyoPGiwak15cZwzGgxgDyDfMA24ZWXZ5p/s200/Rafiki.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">("<i>It Is Time" - Rafiki)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the end of the advance course,
my smile was back. It just felt like everything was perfect and trust me when I
say this, there was hardly a negative thought in my head. It felt like home
coming from a spiritual standpoint. It felt like He was saying, “It is time!”
(In Rafiki’s voice from Lionking). It's fine if you call me insane.</div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks on, Guruji, Sri Sri Ravishankar-ji, was
coming to Boone, NC and a friend of mine, whom I had met the evening
before we played the Hurricanes in Miami in Novemeber, asked me if I would like
to drive with her up the mountains from Florida. I paused for a second and then
replied, “Duh!” I mean, I could have said all the duhs and dahs, and acted like
it wasn’t a big deal but in truth, I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to meet Him. It was like magic. I
mean, after the advance course, I felt like He had said, “It is time!” and then,
I was going to see Him. It was miraculous.</div>
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<br /></div>
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She picked me up from
Jacksonville and we were off to Boone doing <i>satsang</i>
on the way. At times, that <i>satsang</i>
even had Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias and Backstreet Boys making special
appearances! To all the girls reading this, I am still straight…just saying! We
shared so many Guru Stories that even her car would have felt grateful.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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Few hours on and here we were - on
top of the mountains - at the Art of Living Retreat Center. As we were entering
the Boone Ashram, I yelled out, “I am home!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was phenomenal. I just couldn’t
stop smiling. Actually, I realized that it wasn’t only me; everybody was
smiling. For some reason, everyone was just so happy. It wasn’t Bangalore but it
was divine. Guruji was leading a knowledge series, and
I and her waited for him to get done and come out of the meditation hall.
When I saw Him, I just couldn’t believe my eyes. He was in front of me
but I didn’t lose my sense. An Art of Living teacher from Mumbai had once told
me that His rate of motion is directly proportional to your excitement, so, I
was to be as calm as possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I started walking behind him and
on the way to his <i>kutir</i> when he turned
around and said, “Hi” to me, waving his hand. I smiled as wide as I
possibly could. I mean he had never said ‘hi’ to me in such a fashion. It was
awesome. From then on in, we followed him around wherever he went and I
asked/told him one of the things that I wanted to tell him, partially.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfd5uPxLUJdEdxm7tq83ZKJuev6yQYH44ohYasiHWrS9GysZ5T5Cc6k808DDPy1p0tLgmyd8PXBN0S3DYSFXwYMGgHuqmxyXWNLJEVMI5tUzjHUUpyazti5TMIwfIKJKScgElyWYRiJGe/s1600/received_1069906519704631.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfd5uPxLUJdEdxm7tq83ZKJuev6yQYH44ohYasiHWrS9GysZ5T5Cc6k808DDPy1p0tLgmyd8PXBN0S3DYSFXwYMGgHuqmxyXWNLJEVMI5tUzjHUUpyazti5TMIwfIKJKScgElyWYRiJGe/s320/received_1069906519704631.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Popping In From The Right Corner</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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The next day, it so happened that
I had received permissions to go inside his <i>kutir</i>
but by the time my turn came to speak to Him, He had to go and lead the
knowledge series. As He was passing me by, He waited for a split second, smiled
at me, patted my on my right bicep and then, left. So for the other thing, I
knew He had blessed me even if neither of us said anything verbally.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Later that day, Saturday, the <i>satsang</i> in the Ashram was incredible. I
have never smoked but if that wasn’t a high, I don’t know what is. Guruji’s
talk was amazing. I had never heard Him speak the way He spoke. It was superb.
The energy inside the meditation hall in the Ashram was immense. An hour on, it
was breathtaking coming to terms with what I had experienced.<o:p></o:p><br />
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(<i>Ashram, a place filled with positive energy)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQHJEREChSAFDXffWwmJhBbhBBtcSAOSUkn5YOnTA88jjp8KWX1mJmJAme_Rh_XlJhxdL9Q_QJ3kWGQ_spmiWqAnT0eHcx1J_PJafElJmOcJqR8Oa8E6jVury5BqEyl17mKrJ5FpYdRQR/s1600/10999859_10206324330086677_1303298160022676554_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQHJEREChSAFDXffWwmJhBbhBBtcSAOSUkn5YOnTA88jjp8KWX1mJmJAme_Rh_XlJhxdL9Q_QJ3kWGQ_spmiWqAnT0eHcx1J_PJafElJmOcJqR8Oa8E6jVury5BqEyl17mKrJ5FpYdRQR/s320/10999859_10206324330086677_1303298160022676554_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Saturday Satsang</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I was leaving the Ashram,
getting ready to go back to Tallahassee, I knew what I was going to miss the
most: the energy, the light if you want to call it. It was my first trip to the
Boone Retreat Center in about two-and-a-half years and it was special because
it made me reaffirm that there can be no place like Ashram. It’s a place where
the positive energy lifts your energy by manifolds and you automatically start
feeling happy. I am not joking when I say this: your happiness level is like you have won a
national championship or a world cup, and you are that happy every moment.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The more I look back at the trip,
the more I realize God’s grace. I mean meeting my friend in Miami was a miracle.
You know, I was so happy to meet a fellow Art of Living volunteer that we
actually did a <i>satsang</i> on the South
Beach. I planning two trips within two weeks of one-another was a miracle. Meeting
Guruji from so close was a miracle. Making so many friends on my trip was a
miracle. Getting a ride back with the volunteers from West Palm was a miracle.
Having an ‘Ashram love’ story like one I have every single time was a miracle.
Missing my bus, but still getting back to Tallahassee by Sunday night was a
miracle. I coming ‘home’ is a miracle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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During silence in Boston, it was like He had asked me if I would like to come back home and I replied, “Yes, Guruji.” 18 days on, now, I
am truly home.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t believe in miracles…I rely on them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Jai Gurudev :)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Kratik<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-3807427429147514492015-04-15T20:59:00.002-07:002015-05-04T18:13:42.741-07:00Here I Go Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">It’s been six years since I did
my first Art of Silence course and almost three and a half years since I did my
last, and it feels different. Times are different, circumstances are different,
people around me are different, the country that I live in is different, it’s
Boston and not Bangalore, it’s taking place at a center and not the ashram, but
something inside of me still wants to yell out, “I am going home!”</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbTWKhCo2A297vD-63YsbIQts53eXAZadcEAkjZ0jBdIGk7d4EyectUjdAYHh6X2Qe3SIoeQLvwvV_zs3z0-JuxW7VHfyq1AyzqHniXC4O84oiNoVB8sywz6VH1SntjxJW8iF3YVbtnUv/s1600/19136_244501336005_4829241_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbTWKhCo2A297vD-63YsbIQts53eXAZadcEAkjZ0jBdIGk7d4EyectUjdAYHh6X2Qe3SIoeQLvwvV_zs3z0-JuxW7VHfyq1AyzqHniXC4O84oiNoVB8sywz6VH1SntjxJW8iF3YVbtnUv/s1600/19136_244501336005_4829241_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Home…well, I guess that’s what
the Art of Living ashram in Bangalore does to you. I knew it was a home at the
first instant; I don’t know how, I just knew it the moment when I saw the top
of Vishalakshi Mantap (VM) from the taxi as I hit 21st km kanakapura road for
the first time. In fact, from there on in, every time that I would make a trip
to the ashram, seeing VM from the bus before entering the International center
of the Art of Living would make my eyes wet. My heart would start pumping
faster and I would feel like I am on the brink of something incredible. It felt
like a wish was coming true and trust me, it happened every single time. It was
amazing and something that I could never comprehend, but I guess that’s what
happens when you are right outside of your home.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmOK7rLc7Brs-9ZWf-pdFOB3X_wD2quhdE-wjW-xoBEM9H3mQPCH6KOuYSewrae144gSJJkxdNi6BCr_JBuqgE6R8_Wqn0bJlkKUPaDZS6HtQh4D4wiO7ogSxsOmkqaoAKzkiDIrxsB9f/s1600/GURUPADUKA-WIDE-2014+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmOK7rLc7Brs-9ZWf-pdFOB3X_wD2quhdE-wjW-xoBEM9H3mQPCH6KOuYSewrae144gSJJkxdNi6BCr_JBuqgE6R8_Wqn0bJlkKUPaDZS6HtQh4D4wiO7ogSxsOmkqaoAKzkiDIrxsB9f/s1600/GURUPADUKA-WIDE-2014+(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ashram was a place where everyone
was welcomed, accepted and celebrated, where every being was spiritual (and I
am not talking about only humans), where everybody smiled for absolutely no
reason, where the energy was so strong that you could rise in love with anybody
at any time, and where it seemed like you already knew all the people whom you
had just met. Time, space, energy, beings and their spirits, nature, universe
and God…in the ashram, all those felt connected. It’s a connection that –
probably – only silence and grace can make you experience and having not been
in silence for over three years, at a personal level, I believe my connection
with the self and the divine needs be strengthened again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01hIDt5Q-nn0XtXh_xOcVdXnI0uHquNXULA1buT0B2cu3mEwnISjLy2RSZu_W9rTFT1LcSgJCIBWnu4Hkf1oyrdgG_e8L20bo1kRfyGjVDCR5wcn56NNOsfbnUhHaFUIOVwlH3PouZ-t7/s1600/19136_244501321005_6235642_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01hIDt5Q-nn0XtXh_xOcVdXnI0uHquNXULA1buT0B2cu3mEwnISjLy2RSZu_W9rTFT1LcSgJCIBWnu4Hkf1oyrdgG_e8L20bo1kRfyGjVDCR5wcn56NNOsfbnUhHaFUIOVwlH3PouZ-t7/s1600/19136_244501321005_6235642_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39f277xWoDG4OaKLybdL2msxQ0MRN0wALj7h96Mi3knb1SyqTq_FvcEgJ1Y7Fxw_x3QJE_LEfQam0fFRQvKn3Dg28hk_KKapa4oSOCGiH7yp-VN701EgzuNoY694Y5i0ncf2A-s6scU-c/s1600/27010_356247346005_5675745_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39f277xWoDG4OaKLybdL2msxQ0MRN0wALj7h96Mi3knb1SyqTq_FvcEgJ1Y7Fxw_x3QJE_LEfQam0fFRQvKn3Dg28hk_KKapa4oSOCGiH7yp-VN701EgzuNoY694Y5i0ncf2A-s6scU-c/s1600/27010_356247346005_5675745_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br /></div>
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So, here I go again, wearing a
huge smile on my face and singing Jai Gurudev! Over the years, Guruji and his
knowledge has taken me to places. From my experience, one thing that I have
learned is to trust the process and enjoy the journey. You know, about three years ago, when I was a
student at the Florida State University, I could never save enough money to
afford an advance course. So, I took a <i>sankalpa</i>
of doing an advance course once I save enough money and three years on…boom! Now
that I have done that, it feels very special. Even though it’s my sixth and I
won’t be doing it in the ashram, or going to the ashram doing <i>satsangs</i> in the train with hundreds of
fellow volunteers, I believe this Art of Silence course it’s going to be the
most special one yet. I just know it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01hIDt5Q-nn0XtXh_xOcVdXnI0uHquNXULA1buT0B2cu3mEwnISjLy2RSZu_W9rTFT1LcSgJCIBWnu4Hkf1oyrdgG_e8L20bo1kRfyGjVDCR5wcn56NNOsfbnUhHaFUIOVwlH3PouZ-t7/s1600/19136_244501321005_6235642_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWMV7v_sgFSvQRRbhkA6fgqYl7rYvx_1fjmHSR7vvaHMBtIU_IX-GURtvT7KyqTKL7X4aoSJLdmsWcHqDn3nHwB88T9UB84wPBF3xndpCNgHohazYUsaJqce8Xf3i25XLxgmH21V34wRn/s1600/large_Hult_Boston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWMV7v_sgFSvQRRbhkA6fgqYl7rYvx_1fjmHSR7vvaHMBtIU_IX-GURtvT7KyqTKL7X4aoSJLdmsWcHqDn3nHwB88T9UB84wPBF3xndpCNgHohazYUsaJqce8Xf3i25XLxgmH21V34wRn/s1600/large_Hult_Boston.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>(Hult International Business School, Course Location)</i></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Times are different,
circumstances are different, I have even grown up a tad bit, but one thing
still remains the same: the thought of me doing an advance course still makes
me feel like there is magic in the air. I do feel it in my fingers and I
absolutely feel it in my toes; Guru grace is all around me and the feeling
grows…I feel like my spirit is dancing. It’s special, it’s magic and in Boston,
I AM GOING HOME.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-84671014506542103472014-09-19T12:30:00.000-07:002014-09-20T14:31:29.326-07:00That Fateful Night<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There are things that
I hate to talk but at times, you feel you gotta man up…</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
United were 3-2 up when Craig Bellamy scored for City in the
final minute in what looked like had assured the ‘noisy neighbours’ a certain
point. Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham has described United
chasing a game as the most beautiful sight in football and his statement was
underlined with what happened next.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"It's only as far
as Ryan Giggs, who placed one for Michael Owen…Oh this is incredible. Beyond
added time, Michael Owen with his first Old Trafford goal for Manchester United
makes the place erupt!"</i> </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByacKenI9YEwW213oK1enGr7c8Xs4csRz-YfSyFZKhU1PWx9H_V2MQVD7_ZBP54OSq75rN9mncu9nWa97DuN12NKG49RHUwZmDVawciGQzWrTEvHadFAdXHHSggsMwzCIqIKfhPEOYGk-/s1600/owencity.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByacKenI9YEwW213oK1enGr7c8Xs4csRz-YfSyFZKhU1PWx9H_V2MQVD7_ZBP54OSq75rN9mncu9nWa97DuN12NKG49RHUwZmDVawciGQzWrTEvHadFAdXHHSggsMwzCIqIKfhPEOYGk-/s1600/owencity.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Michael Owen, boyhood Everton fan, who had been a Liverpool
hero for years, came off the bench to score a decisive winner for United in the
great Manchester derby at Old Trafford. As Owen scored, I slid on my drawing-room
floor and screamed out loud in amazement. It was incredible. Hardly anyone expected
it but almost every United fan wished for it. But again, you “never say ‘never’
with Manchester United.”</div>
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Everyone goes through tough times, which in turn makes you a
stronger person and the time round-about the Manchester derby was one of the tougher
times that I have ever been through. My school was giving me trouble regarding
my engineering final year project and my grandfather, who had always been my
inspiration (and still is), wasn’t doing well health-wise. Its times like those
that watching Man United win seemed as the only source of delight.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After the win, I went into my room, taunted Man City fans
over the internet; spoke to some of my co-Man United friends and discussed how
we were going to win the title again that year. It was a fantastic moment.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I was sitting in my room when my father received a call and
went like, “How? I can’t believe this. I just spoke to him a while ago.” As the
shock waves passed through every cell in my body, I looked down to pray and
wish that my worst fear hadn’t come true. My father soon delivered the news
that my grandfather was no more. I didn’t shout, I didn’t yell, I kept my voice
to myself but I cried my heart out.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It was tough. Some of my most fond childhood memories have
been with my grandfather and losing him was a blow. It was one of those moments
when you start feeling cold, your heart starts pumping faster, when you feel
like puking and sleeping at the same time. It’s the worst feeling of the lot. I
couldn’t believe what had happened. It was strange.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I always say, “It’s a great day when United wins.” Not
always.</div>
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Never had I ever experienced emotions that are such poles
apart and I wish I never experience those again.</div>
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This may sound abrupt but I don’t want to talk of the
following day.</div>
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The next one week was one of the toughest weeks I have ever
had in my life. I was alone at home in Pune for the next couple of days, having
had to leave the very next day after my grandfather’s funeral because my
college was screwing me over my BE Engineering project. Even home becomes a
terribly lonely place when you are missing people. On my engineering college’s
behalf, it was a rather inhumane, selfish and vastly disappointing behavior
that must be put under heavy scrutiny. I have never spoken about this in the
past and I never will speak about this in the future but at times, some things deserve
to be put right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJO5yn8wJ0-5_B9aslsAUatEG41sZDMBB977Lkxhsowha5E2e3iQovViWJ7q32HEHPaxsJ3JWzp0ghWxjBlu6BeV66jT9lzINKnj07BqwBKABMOufSsH1gHwcxgKY3Hrj4qGi8Xdxkg2Jd/s1600/7118002917_a53eb6f01f_z.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJO5yn8wJ0-5_B9aslsAUatEG41sZDMBB977Lkxhsowha5E2e3iQovViWJ7q32HEHPaxsJ3JWzp0ghWxjBlu6BeV66jT9lzINKnj07BqwBKABMOufSsH1gHwcxgKY3Hrj4qGi8Xdxkg2Jd/s1600/7118002917_a53eb6f01f_z.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a> I give my 100% in whatever I am doing and I hardly regret things.
The biggest regret in my life (and I share this in each of my spirituality
courses) goes back to 2009, the final time that I had spoken to my grandfather,
who told me to mail him the newspaper cuttings of the articles that I had
written, working as a journalist. I thought, “Who mails stuff? I will instead
take the cuttings by myself to Indore when I go back during Diwali and show it
to him personally.” Three weeks on and he was no more. I guess that’s how life
goes sometimes and all you can do is learn.</div>
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My biggest lesson of the entire experience was to value
friends, family and in general, human life more, and to contribute as much as I
possibly could to the society. When you feel like talking, “talk”; when you
miss someone, say, “I miss you”; when you want to express your love, say, “I
love you.” Why hesitate? As Guruji (Sri Sri Ravishankar) says, “Our mind sticks
to the negative.” We think twice before doing the right thing than doing the
wrong thing.</div>
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As for my grandfather, right now, I know that he is in a
great place, playing rummy with God in heaven and beating him. In about two hours and 46 minutes, we will be playing Clemson
in what is one of the biggest games of the season and I know he is up
there looking out for me and our Seminoles. After all, he is probably the greatest reason why I love sports. To be true, I am no one when it comes to this football team, and it's coaches and the players who make the team win titles but its his and God's grace that in a country where I was not born, I have found a little home in this football team.</div>
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Let me just write this. For once, let’s all celebrate life;
let’s all celebrate whom we have and let’s all feel grateful for whatever we
have experienced and whoever we have become. We, in ourselves, are unique and
each one of us is perfect in his/her own right. So, stop judging, start
accepting and begin spreading love <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span></div>
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We all can make a difference. Smile irrespective of
whatever. </div>
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“Misery is inevitable but suffering is a choice.”<br />
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Jai Gurudev <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span></div>
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Love,</div>
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Kratik</div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-11703369386378625352014-04-04T12:33:00.001-07:002015-05-04T18:15:13.931-07:00That Night When I Ducked To Orlando<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>They bowled a bouncer, we ducked well, it was too high for the keeper to catch and it went for four which carved a path for us to Pasadena...</i></div>
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I do most things last minute. I am extremely impromptu. I hardly plan. But I manage my time very, very well and somehow, things just pan out perfectly. Read what I have written in the previous sentence again and if you know me, you would know that's how I roll. Also, add to this the fact that I rely on miracles every time and yes, they do happen every time. Not the best and definitely not the safest way to do things, but without a shadow of a doubt, it is the most adventurous.</div>
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I had worked on the soccer and performance analysis tool, Prozone, for over two years and they were coming over from England to Chicago, IL to conduct a certification course. I didn't know it was happening until a week ago before the workshop when I saw their posting on twitter. So, I had to book the tickets ASAP, which I did, and get ready to work on the Miami game, who were coming into town to play us at the Doak Campbell Stadium. Having already cruised past Clemson two weeks ago at Death Valley 51-14, one more win would have meant that we were gunning big time for the top two spot. </div>
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<img src="http://www.footballtradedirectory.com/images/pictures/news-images/prozone_new_logo.png" height="169" style="text-align: left;" width="200" /> <img src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/001/888/195/chief-osceola-florida-state-football_crop_north.jpg?w=570&h=379&q=75" height="265" width="400" /></div>
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It was a great night at Doak and our players were incredible as we beat the Canes 41-14. It was a great team performance and two phrases that reverberated around the stadium were 'One Team, One Heartbeat...Florida State Seminoles' and 'We Want Bama!' Alabama Crimson Tide were the #1 ranked team and regarded as one to beat.</div>
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Later that weekend, we got to know that we had jumped to the #2 national ranking, but Oregon Ducks, who were #3 had a game in hand, which if they had won, would eclipse us as the #2 college team in America. The game was to be played on Thursday, November 7, 2013, the day before I was supposed to fly out to Chicago from Orlando.</div>
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<img src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/fac80553d99bc4877c2c6eec762671d0412b386d/c=532-0-4666-3108&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/11/07/1383886105000-USP-NCAA-Football-Oregon-at-Stanford.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></div>
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I repeat, "I do most things last minute. I am extremely impromptu. I hardly plan. But I manage my time very, very well and somehow, things just pan out perfectly. And I do rely on miracles." I knew I was catching a flight from Orlando a week ago and I should have booked my bus tickets from Tallahassee to Orlando when I booked my flight tickets, but I did not. I thought to myself, "The flight leaves at 6 AM Friday morning, so, I can technically still leave Thursday evening and get to Orlando airport the same night. Then, stay there for about seven hours and then, board my plane." In theory, this would have worked out just fine as the Greyhound buses ran throughout the day and always had free seats. Therefore, like most students do, I waited until Wednesday night for ride/carpool and when I didn't one, I started looking out for bus tickets.</div>
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Again, 'in theory', my plan was great, but practically it was messed up because some times even the most improbable things happen. For some reason, every single bus to Orlando was booked for Thursday. It was very, very strange. Even the Red Coach buses were full. It was weird and seeing no vacancy did knock the stuffing out of me. I was like, "How can that happen?!"</div>
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Thursday morning was crazy. I went to the travel offices, surfed through every single website that sold tickets (bus tickets, train tickets, flight tickets) and rented out cars, but either I didn't get the ticket or it was way too expensive. So, I was left with only one, and often the worst, option: Craigslist. I hit up everyone on Craigslist who had posted an advertisement, but received no help. I had lost hope but knew the value of the Prozone certification and was ready to pay close to $400 for a flight ticket from Tallahassee to Orlando, when a friend of mine informed me about a friend of his diving down to Orlando in two hours from the time then.</div>
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I couldn't believe that it was happening. It was absolutely astonishing. My friend drove me home and as I had already packed, I picked up my luggage and was set to go. The girl who drove me to Orlando, she was a part of the famous FSU marching band and on our way to Orlando, all we did was sing the 'Fight Song' and did the warchant and the chop multiple times while listening to the commentary of the Oregon-Stanford game. Stanford beat Oregon, which meant that we stayed second and now, were firm favourites to go to Pasadena to play for the national championship.</div>
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<img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIA9nSruIFxE5PAVwdbxonpiaco1ckX7WZG8sTHu1uxXDp-je8N5R6HVuRgPZ1X-SX4-z4uaFm0JRgA4umVkyG4UcN1S9-d4WwiRPLMh6kMY5mbm8bjkfcLtRESM4vHmKPiT1YIA0MQ/s400/IMG_7822.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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What a celebration that was. I worked for the the FSU Football team and she played in the marching band, so, technically, we both were a part of the team. Therefore, our celebrations were pretty extraordinary. We celebrated at the gas station where we had stopped. Doing the warchant extremely loud. Showing off the chop, we let everyone knew that we were a part of the Nole nation. And yes, we did yell, "WE WANT BAMA'" on the highway.</div>
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It was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have imagined it any better. She even dropped me off to the airport at the US Airways terminal on the Orlando airport. You get what I mean by relying on miracles?</div>
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It was like, it had all happened for a reason. How many times out of a million, you wouldn't expect me to get a bus ticket? I mean, even right now that I am checking, there is space in the bus which leaves in 5 minutes. Pretty strange, isn't it? Especially, because it was a Thursday and not even a weekend. As they say, everything happens for a reason. I don't know what reason was behind all this happening, but it certainly made the trip to Orlando very, very adventurous.</div>
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I soon got certified as a performance analyst through Prozone and we ended up playing Auburn for the national title on January 6, 2014, whom we beat to be crowned the collegiate football champions of America in a nerve-wrecking game. It was a great season, with top-notch players and a wonderful staff, who work for whom I consider to be the best head coach in college football, Coach Fisher.</div>
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<img height="397" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1.0-9/1013667_10151833934401006_208645473_n.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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Maybe it was careless and risky on my part, but it was an awesome experience. If you read my blogposts, you will learn of my journey from India to FSU Football, and one thing that's constant is the presence of miracles throughout my stories. Don't be stupid, plan and plan well, but if it doesn't go your way, believe and know that miracles happen. As the latest Nike commercial reads, "Risk Everything!"</div>
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I don't believe in miracles, I rely on them :)</div>
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- Kratik Malhotra</div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-2816225385757212162014-02-09T13:25:00.001-08:002018-01-08T08:39:45.111-08:00The Miracle Diary #1: When A Superstar's Advice Pointed Me In The Right Direction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> </i><i><span style="font-family: "lucida handwriting";">“A brown cow, eating green grass and
giving white milk…miracle!” – Khurshed Batliwala</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To give you a snapshot: In July 2009, I had the privilege of meeting the famous Indian actor, Jackie Shroff, who – after hearing me say that I was a journalist along with being an engineering student – advised me to go in for a degree in sport management (SPM) instead of pursuing a course in sports journalism. Many of you, who know me from my days of engineering, have heard this story at least once; the others, whom I have had an opportunity of knowing in the past eight years, not so much.</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxA5k5N3IJqpXjqe6bn24A8Mpl5z_ID8eB8e2prE7R-Po75xz2YFxCG7RwdezfOZbLoDLGfNNhJr5DcwHeG0gba8Sjegyssmz3KOdQfiKIo-9ld96APt51WieSwx80XiXltWxVLvBap4l/s1600/Times+Square.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="934" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxA5k5N3IJqpXjqe6bn24A8Mpl5z_ID8eB8e2prE7R-Po75xz2YFxCG7RwdezfOZbLoDLGfNNhJr5DcwHeG0gba8Sjegyssmz3KOdQfiKIo-9ld96APt51WieSwx80XiXltWxVLvBap4l/s400/Times+Square.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It had barely been a month since I had
taken my third-year electronics engineering exams from the University of Pune,
and – as a hobby – had started interning as a sports journalist with one of the
most selling national newspapers in India, the Indian Express. That – in itself
– was a miracle but let’s leave that story for another time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In mid-July, for the newspaper published
in ten cities across India, I was supposed to cover a press conference for the
launch of the O Hotel and their golf course near Hinjewadi, Pune. It was
supposed to be held at 4pm in an area that I often referred to as the ‘outer part of the
outskirts’ of the city. To our benefit, the organizers had made pretty-decent
arrangements for the press. We were told to be at the Patrakar Bhawan in
Sadashiv Peth, Pune an hour before the conference and were to get picked up by the O Hotel bus which would have driven us to the
venue of the conference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A cribby-grumpy me – in the unwavering
Pune heat – pulled myself to the auditorium located in the center of the city
riding my good ole’ 1996 Kinetic Honda and got onto the bus. It was
air-conditioned, so, t'was a big thumps-up for starters – yes, America, we
have buses with no A/C and that’s cool; it’s an experience in its own! In fact,
try traveling to Kolhapur in an ST and you’ll forever be grateful for the
cushion on the seats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once we reached the venue, we were taken
outside to view the golf course and enjoy an occasional swing. Focused on
writing my story and heading back, I was ‘in-the-zone’ – ready to get done with
business – when I sensed enthusiasm amongst fellow journalists. Confused and a
little-hungry, I wore a grin – contemplating viewing of the golf course as
the reason for their excitement. I mean, come on, I was 21, a little stupid
and I did have a tad-bit of an attitude. As I was about to take my seat,
someone beside me, said, “Look, look,” and when I turned around, it was as
though time froze because there stood Jackie Shroff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Growing up, I had watched him in many
movies but let’s be true, I wasn’t a die-hard fan. I thought he was a great
actor and his interviews on TV were really-funny, but by no means, he was a
heartthrob of my generation. However, I had never met a famous actor, and there
he was, dressed in black from head to toe, Jackie Shroff. Containing my
excitement; actually, I did not contain my excitement and called my Mum to tell
her that Jackie Shroff was standing behind me!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <img alt="Image result for jackie shroff hat" height="300" src="https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/thumb.cms?msid=58273487&width=320&height=240&resizemode=4" style="text-align: center;" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It took me couple of minutes to calm myself down as I told myself to be
professional and not freak out. I mean he was right there and I wanted to ask him a couple of questions but you know me, I was very
chicken about it. To be honest, I didn’t know if my questions would be controversial; I didn't even know how to approach him and talk to him. Trust me when I say this, it seemed
more difficult that asking out a 10. A few minutes later, he was invited up on
stage, or the carpet instead, to share a few words and it seemed like he spoke
from his heart and had fun with the audience. After he got done, we were told
that it was time for lunch. I mean, dude, I was hungry but quotes were
more-important, so, there I was, standing behind the rest of the journalists trying
desperately hard to hear what <i>Jagga
(quoting IMDb here) </i>was saying. He soon finished speaking and said, “Good?”,
and looked straight at me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My heart was <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk503107548">pounding
faster </a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">than</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background: white;">a cocker spaniel floating over the ground chasing a piece of
silver paper in the wind but I had a wide smile on your face; I mean, I was
happy. In fact, I was very, very happy and excited, and in love with what I was
doing and it was better than brilliant to be chasing a dream. So, I smiled and
smiled, and smiled and smiled more. </span>I was wishing for him to say <i>bhidu</i>
but I would settle for what he said next ;P.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He was like, “<i>Aur young man, kahan se?</i>”
Which translates two, “Young man, where are you from?” I smiled and as
confident as I have ever been, replied, “Sir, Indian Express.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He laughed and asked, “You only do this or
do you do something other than this too?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And here was a 21-year-old me, who looked
16, thinking to myself ‘how does he know?’ I answered, “I am an engineering
student as well and have just given my third-year final exams.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Boss-man questioned, “<i>Tu (</i>You<i>) kya (</i>what<i>) engineering,
journalism…?</i>” I gleefully replied, “Sir, but this is what I want to
do in life. I am going to England to do a degree in sports journalism from the
University of Central Lancashire as well.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You know, I believe in God, His grace and
destiny, and I wonder how He makes things happen but somehow, He does. I mean
what were the chances that Jackie Shroff would tell me, “ J<i>ounalism accha
field hai, par tu sports management mein degree kar. It’s an upcoming field and
‘maal’ bhi jyada hai.”</i> Which translates
to ‘Journalism is a great but you go ahead and do a course in sports
management; it is an upcoming field and has big money’.<i> </i>And I
thought to myself, “Maybe I should look into it; it’s Jackie Shroff telling me
after all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I mean what are the odds? Yes, it’s Jackie
Shroff but it is Jackie Shroff! I mean, you know what I mean.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I went home, researched SPM programs all
around the world and it changed my life! I somehow got into the #1 SPM program
in the United States of America (yes, I didn’t go to England), got my tuition
waived, taught yoga and meditation and now, I am doing what I absolutely love
doing – analyzing and helping manage the performance of the athletes of one of
the best teams in the country. To be honest, I wouldn’t be doing anything else
in my life at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Psshhh. Let’s get back to where we were. It’s
an unspoken rule in journalism that as a journalist one must never ask for the
autographs of or request pictures with the celebrities who they meet or
interview – it was deemed ‘unprofessional’. I managed to followed the rule each
and every time but come on, mate, I had Jackie Shroff in front of me and he was
so cool, chilled and down-to-earth giving me valuable advice…I had to! And so I
did – to the surprise of everyone else, I asked the man for his signature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He signed the O-Hotel-pad with his name
and wrote, “Kratik, be determined and not disappointed.” I looked at him and
remarked, “Sir, aapne likh diya na, toh ab done” (Translating to ‘Your wish is
my command’; well, close). He retorted, “Haan, it’s very important. Tujhe malum
hai sabse zyada mehnat kaun karta hai? Jo road pe thela chalata hai
(Translating to ‘Do you know who puts in the most effort? The man who pushes
the cart on the street) but how much does he make? That’s because he is not
consistent. So, be determined: have the biggest dreams possible and never be
disappointed: stick with your dreams and work towards them to be what you
want to be.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dude, I have seen many Jackie Shroff
interviews and most of his movies but come on, what would have been the
probability that he would have ever said this? And that too, to me? Me?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was 21 and it was a decision that shaped
my life and helped me gain a direction that I so desperately needed. It was an
advice and the best minute-long philosophical, motivational and spiritual pep-talk
that I have ever received.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Almost two-and-a half years later, from
that day, I left for the United States to do a masters’ program in Sport
Management from the Florida State University and for me, both personally and
professionally, the program did wonders. I not only met some amazing people but
also, learned the shit out of sports data and analytics. The program helped me
get amazing internships, which in-turn helped in reaching where I am today.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <img alt="Image may contain: 1 person" height="480" src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/602635_10151384371201006_894212066_n.jpg?oh=0327353f45df28e030a996afa036bfe9&oe=5AEC8E58" width="640" /> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am extremely grateful to Mr. Shroff for
that magical dialogue – I owe so much to you, boss, and in me, you have a
life-long fan. Just for whom I met, what was said. how everything happened and
the way it has all panned out…I was a miracle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I
don’t believe in miracles, I rely on them.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kratik Malhotra</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-90475480536385317872013-10-12T17:20:00.002-07:002015-05-04T18:37:27.760-07:00The Hole World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">I have often come across people
who think of themselves as ones in a hole. When you speak to them, all they
would tell you is, “Man, my life is f***** up,” and if you ask them what
exactly happened, they would go like, “I HAVE STUDENT LOANS TO PAY!” Or “MY
GIRLFRIEND DUMPED ME! Or maybe, “I HAVE TAKEN A $1,000,000 PAY-CUT!” They would crib
about most things that have happened to them.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And then, I have come across
people who are pleased, even though they don’t have as much as the people mentioned
above. Who are these people? What do they do? They are the strong, independent
and willing souls that have landed on this planet as a result of God’s creation,
and in them they are heroes who not only smile, they in fact, conquer and from
within, they conjure glory.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I was more like first ones.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Couple of years ago, round about
this time year, I was working for probably the biggest sports analysis company
in Asia as a soccer analyst, the world’s most read soccer website as a soccer
journalist and the most well managed professional soccer club in India as a
soccer marketer, but I can say, I am doing
better now. Working in marketing and sales, we had to sell tickets and
get people for our soccer games. Having volunteered for almost three years as a
social activist, I remember approaching this non-profit organization that took
responsibility for teaching rural kids in India. As a club employee, I had
these students come to the stadiums to watch our club games for free. It all
worked out well and the kids made it in time for the East Bengal game, which in
fact, was one of our first few games of the season.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img src="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/indian-school-children-20413928.jpg" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The head personnel for the organization’s
Pune branch, Arhaan, got about one hundred kids to the stadium and having
spoken to my boss, I made sure that the kids made it to the sidelines as the
players walked out for warm-up, only to be later seated in the VIP section. As
the little rural children, who were dressed in their uniforms, got to the
sidelines, their excitement was unbelievable. Some shook the hands of the
players as they were walking out on to the fields, some shouted out their names
and some whispered, “Hey, look at their leg muscles…oooh,” or, “This is the
first time I have ever met a football player!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As the game went on, they made
the maximum noise and chanted the PFC theme, “Who are we? PFC!” It was great to
see them have an experience of a life-time. The entire incident shook me and
made me realize that it’s these moments that people remember. You are not going
to remember if you ever failed in a test 36 years on, but what you will
remember is meeting a football player who appears in the newspaper the very
next day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After the game, Arhaan thanked me
and the club for everything we had done for their organization’s kids. As I was
walking towards the parking, just seeing the look on each student’s face, I
couldn’t stop smiling and later, I went to Arhaan and I asked him what I had
resisted for a long time. I questioned, “So, are these kids really happy?”
After which, he looked at me in confused manner and said, “You know, our kids
are always happy, but today was definitely something special.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
They come to school because they
love to and because they want to learn. They really love to learn. Unlike most
kids, who are forced to go to school, they have an easier option: they can work
in restaurants to support their family, but instead, they come to us because they
want to learn. They too have big dreams.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
That moment was the moment when everything
started to seem very different. Who were those kids? Well, they certainly are
born in the richest of families. In fact, their families can’t even afford to
pay for school, but they still go to schools because they want to learn and
such non-profit organizations do a fantastic job in making sure that these kids
get everything from books, to pens, to uniforms. Most of us are blessed enough
to be born if upper/lower middle-class/rich families, but we are always not
happy for something or the other, whereas, kids from lower financial
backgrounds love everything that life gives them and their respect for it is insurmountable.
It was a real eye-opener for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
An year later, sometime in late-November/early-December,
I was in Atlanta and visiting a homage for mentally infirm people. It was like
being in Forest Gump or Koi Mil Gaya but only ten times of that. It was a scary
but a very pleasant experience. Imagine yourself being surrounded by people who
have been left at the centers by their families, who don’t know where they are
at and why are they there, who don’t know what they are doing and on top of it,
who have a misconception of who they are.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Maybe they live though a child in
them or maybe they live their past over and over again…I don’t know, but one
thing that could easily be inferred was the fact that they were all childlike
and not childish. Their smiles, their joy, their excitement and their love for
us was astonishing. I remember when one women from the mentally infirm home
called me to her side and told me to stay safe, and also, blessed me to stay
happy. I couldn’t believe it. In spirituality we talk of a ‘shift’, which
refers to the shift in the thought process and it was exactly that. I don’t
know what has happened to me since then. When I want to cry, I cry; when I want
to laugh, I laugh, but I make sure that I celebrate life every moment like they
do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img src="http://theperiphery.areavoices.com/files/2012/04/Happy-Old-People.jpg" height="267" style="text-align: left;" width="320" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Those people…they were playful
and joyful, (you talk of a girl dumping you, these people were dumped by their
families to rotten) and also knew that life is difficult, but by then, they had
also realized that every moment deserves to be celebrated. For me, it was even
tough to imagine where they were and what each of them had gone through, but
the startling thing about them was that they all were happy, and loved our
company. It was a massive, massive shift for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You know, you must take a little
time out of your lives and go and visit the homeless shelters because you must
meet them. You must meet these people. They will teach you a lesson. Small
worries of your life would disappear and dissolve, and like them, even if a
little thing brings you happiness, you will celebrate it as if it is your salvation.
Moreover, you will be grateful to God for what you have got.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In this post, I have talked of
rural kids and mentally infirm people, but there are thousands out there
waiting for you to visit them. Take your first foot forward. Visit these people,
who live in this moment; that moment which passes as you snap your fingers.
They aren’t the Jordons or Will Smiths of this world, but what they do, they
turn into Morgan Freemans and Rajnikants because deep down they know, “Every
single time that you are challenged, God wants you to come out as a hero.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To me, I take my inspiration from
these people: people who don’t have as much as others but their belief,
strength faith and smile carries them past every single day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>"When you have done everything possible possible, He makes the
impossible possible." – Dinesh Ghodke<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Kratik<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-59343083466358796372013-08-03T19:57:00.001-07:002015-05-04T18:38:51.726-07:00The Florida State University: The Impossible Dream #GraduationSpecial<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Never tell a young person that anything
cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough
of the impossible to do that very thing.” <strong>- G. M. Trevelyan</strong></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><strong><br /></strong></span></i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuor_70WIYnXP1j2u2g9spXr5YwmrbZIg7uz5jRFoIpXfs2lj3ZhYtxURaADDkCW2S3uwMrEGhFksHsq6lw07fDBjVyWeXJ57xIBMe7dL63qpi89fZ7WzjaaZO7mrJ5RlqEwLoJ8KvXaEb/s1600/study.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuor_70WIYnXP1j2u2g9spXr5YwmrbZIg7uz5jRFoIpXfs2lj3ZhYtxURaADDkCW2S3uwMrEGhFksHsq6lw07fDBjVyWeXJ57xIBMe7dL63qpi89fZ7WzjaaZO7mrJ5RlqEwLoJ8KvXaEb/s1600/study.png" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I still remember getting onto the
plane in Paris, boarding a flight to Cincinnati to get to the United States,
having a heart filled with enthusiasm, an adrenalin gushing through the veins and a smile sparkling with chime
written all over my face. As I left home, I described it as a voyage, and one that was to be
my greatest adventure and the toughest challenge that I ever would see. I had
two choices right in front of me. Either I could have done things that most do - concentrate on my ‘primary’ objective, or I could have done stuff
that people had written me off for. Being me: Naïve but natural, dreamer but determined,
silly but happy, perpetually confused but peculiarly peaceful, and hardly
religious but deeply spiritual, I couldn’t have gone for the former.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Moreover, having been blessed by
Sri Sri Ravishankarji (Guruji), and having been told by <b>Dinesh (Ghodke) Bhaiya</b>, <i>“When
you have done everything possibly possible, He makes the Impossible possible,”</i> I was too determined to hold back, only looking for a chance to prove people wrong. I wanted to be an example to every Indian kid growing up, who had ever dared to dream, and was sick and tired of the 'engineering' monotony.
So, I built my ship and got ready mentally to set sail in order to eventually
stop at Manchester United.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-sadGxacayK93A96ZcC6vAehdRUifLkMZ7yOc2gpPOHQhsIlqA9Q7qeqArHKdmFP9IqaE-0lEX2kPDE7qJ2SdwKzAMCroOMJ1IjBFcKspSb9TZQuawKECv7P67rQeDiSRRnYgOPU9YaN/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-sadGxacayK93A96ZcC6vAehdRUifLkMZ7yOc2gpPOHQhsIlqA9Q7qeqArHKdmFP9IqaE-0lEX2kPDE7qJ2SdwKzAMCroOMJ1IjBFcKspSb9TZQuawKECv7P67rQeDiSRRnYgOPU9YaN/s1600/2.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As I landed in Cincinnati, it was
exactly how I had imagined it to be, maybe even better. I had to pinch myself
for a second and tell the little boy inside of me, “Heck yeah, I am in
America!” I had left India on a positive note: as a good – and not a gossip –
soccer journalist, as a decent soccer marketer and a pretty-good <a href="http://kratik1987.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=16">soccer
analyst</a>. I remember my last couple of days in India well and especially that one
incident when I went up to <a href="http://kratik1987.blogspot.com/2011/12/those-priceless-five-minutes-with.html">Khalid
Jamil, one of the finest Indian soccer coaches, to tell him that I would be
moving to US to pursue a two year Masters’ course in Sports Management</a>.
Listening to which he replied, “Toh fir idhar aa ke kaam karna”, which
translates to ‘come back to India to work’. Moreover, he had patted me on the
back to say, “Mehnat karna, tu accha karega.” Translating to, ‘work hard, you
will do well’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Getting such comments from a man whom
I had an enormous respect for was like a blessing, making me swim (and not
drown) in my own tears of sheer gratitude. In fact, I still get shivers as I
think about that meeting and his words. Some things are absolutely incredible
and unforgettable. Taking his words like his blessing, I had become stronger
deep inside. In school and in college, I had failed only to get up, prove my worth and win, and
although I knew it was going to be tough, I wasn’t worried.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> “There
is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of
failure.” <strong>- Paulo
Coelho<o:p></o:p></strong></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My primary aim as I started with
my Masters’ program at the Florida State University was to find a place to work
on campus and after hearing that I could deal in soccer technology, FSU Seminole soccer
did not hesitate even once before presenting me with an opportunity to work for
the team and analyze their soccer games. I thank the coaches for that. They
were brilliant to me.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
As soccer rolled, Finnegan's followed and watching English Premier League on the weekends with soccer fans became an attraction. Soon, occasional parties followed and FSU life had started to set in. I still remember my first party at Stetson's at the end of which I promised myself to never party again. I was hit by a massive thunderstorm named 'culture shock'. I had seen it all in movies but seeing it first hand was different. I was so moved back then, but now, I can look at the entire incident and laugh my heart out. It was classic international student moment! How I sat in a corner and said, "No, no, no! This is wrong!" Hahahahaha!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But what was the ‘impossible
dream’? It wasn’t working for FSU Soccer, was it? No, it wasn’t. The impossible
dream was to live like how I was living like in India, but even better. It was
to inspire people, gain love and most importantly, make the most of my ability,
learn more than I could and become the best of me. In short, in Guruji’s words,
I wanted to “walk with feet light but leave my footprints behind.” In spiritual
terms, I didn’t know how to do it but I had an ‘intention’, and it worked out
superbly well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Every noble work is at first
impossible.” <strong>-
Thomas Carlyle<o:p></o:p></strong></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I got a teaching assistantship
wherein I inspired people. To be true, I taught an introductory <a href="http://kratik1987.blogspot.com/2009/02/introduction.html">Art of Living
course</a> and they loved it. Now, obviously, I couldn’t teach an Art of Living
course. Smiling relentlessly and talking about the small problems in life, and
teaching students how to smile through them was my objective. I believe, I did
a decent job at it. Well, at least, some of the testimonials and course evaluations suggest the
same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Personally, teaching as a part of
my TA was not enough and I wanted to contribute more, so, I decided on teaching stress-relief programs to some
very special people who needed it the most: the homeless. What an experience
that was. I remember leading them through their first meditation (<i>yog nidra</i>) and after seeing them come
out of the practice, they were smiling like I had never seen them smile. It was
out of this world. I cannot describe it. It was extraordinary. It’s moments
like those that I feel so proud and grateful to God for having me learn,
understand and experience spirituality. Really, what’s better than teaching
people to relieve their stress on freewill, believe in themselves, feel lighter and
stationing a smile on their face? Nothing, ask me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #888888; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“It’s kind of fun to do the
impossible.” <strong>- Walt
Disney<o:p></o:p></strong></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I went on to work in performance
analysis and sponsorship for <a href="http://kratik1987.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-american-dream.html">IMG
Academy</a> (click to read how it was a dream come true) with some of the
biggest names in American sport. <a href="http://catapultsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Case-study-Kratik-Malhotra.pdf">Later, I became one of the only handful fewpeople in the world to get featured on the Catapult Sports</a>, a technology that I
learned at IMG, website. I also got a chance to speak
through Skype in my very own class. Now, I am back in Tallahassee and I am
working with FSU Seminoles Football in performance analysis on Catapult at the
Florida State University. With only a month left for the season to start, watch
us becoming national champions this year. Watch us play at Doak and see how we
tear past oppositions to lift the championship.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the way, I met some <a href="http://kratik1987.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-american-dream.html">wonderful
people and who loved me more than I could ever imagine</a>. They called me a
friend, a brother and a mate. I have the best friends ever!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnwogsZBpd4AAupqbv2wcT7zmLtxBpZv8EvleTrgmyFlT0ZA_sCx970tOS9mWGvLO_1lfbpvUsYd_jSFHWcIdh4F_-D9zjnI3uMH7xbVSULHgYXcCSVji-AJhnQgKbp5C0-SgI7djz7dp/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnwogsZBpd4AAupqbv2wcT7zmLtxBpZv8EvleTrgmyFlT0ZA_sCx970tOS9mWGvLO_1lfbpvUsYd_jSFHWcIdh4F_-D9zjnI3uMH7xbVSULHgYXcCSVji-AJhnQgKbp5C0-SgI7djz7dp/s1600/1.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Right from partying every weekend
until two in the morning, to singing in Art of Living satsangs and in Hare
Krishna (Iskon) kirtans, to learning about Jesus/Bible and Krishna/Bhagvad
Gita, to falling in love and rising out of it, to spreading love, to working my
socks off professionally, I have done everything that I could have asked for
and wouldn’t like to change a thing when I look back.</div>
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All I wanted was a shot at the
sports industry abroad and at times, even I have to shake myself to see where I
am. It’s not NY Yankess, but had you offered it a year ago, I would have taken
it without thinking and had you told me I would be here five years ago, I would
have called you one out of your sense. However, on the other hand, it’s
only a fraction of where I want to be. My dream is Manchester United and is
still a distance away, but – in Dinesh Bhaiya’s words – I am doing everything
possible to make the impossible dream possible. Every morning that I wake up,
I smile, I feel grateful and I say to myself, “Let’s win it!” before going to
work. It’s a divine feeling, believe me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Friends, opportunity, confidence,
love, knowledge, exposure, skills and an experience of a lifetime, a miraculous
journey, the Florida State University has given me more than what I could have
asked for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Today is my graduation. I am a student today, I will be an Alumni
tomorrow, but a Nole for the rest of my life.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfmfa8v5adQSi9PwzXiulAxUN5lMdtq0Te41ZC-3CAyyhxRTyXkmOzO21tz3oyRYE1-OII9hlSmIeQErs_HmIxIxdwBt3Yy3grZNbmIfIRSaVFvvVJqEOQyNuiz7FdMx4NDhgw8PvAwUL/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfmfa8v5adQSi9PwzXiulAxUN5lMdtq0Te41ZC-3CAyyhxRTyXkmOzO21tz3oyRYE1-OII9hlSmIeQErs_HmIxIxdwBt3Yy3grZNbmIfIRSaVFvvVJqEOQyNuiz7FdMx4NDhgw8PvAwUL/s1600/3.png" /></a></div>
<br />
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I thank God for everything as
it’s him for who I am and where I have reached. It’s Him due to whom that a little
Indian boy, who came with massive aspirations, to America can now write a
blogpost describing how he is living his dream under the sun and is on the path to
get to his dream destination, Manchester United. Getting to Manchester United may seem like a miracle, but <i>I rely on miracles</i>, don't I? Yes, I do.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07LAiKz4bsHQD1YmDY89lnjKWixLX5QXxcdnLCdlNq7ZF87aipYvpwsEiCvglaeH84u1vVEFoBs_R8Io8H4tqQ6jPkgVPJxamIfen9za274hzIz6yOfcswhKG2yZyoj-tXbF43ezG4Igc/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07LAiKz4bsHQD1YmDY89lnjKWixLX5QXxcdnLCdlNq7ZF87aipYvpwsEiCvglaeH84u1vVEFoBs_R8Io8H4tqQ6jPkgVPJxamIfen9za274hzIz6yOfcswhKG2yZyoj-tXbF43ezG4Igc/s1600/4.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklrEq8txuI7mErYstzFMTcIVc5Fg7fbB5XK8cu_9bJ86SDvQS0VB0t0QRzX2a3fyH4rKdnO9Xfoh7EFliQ6GrnnYay_xw0zinvEVw3KFgquwd_DjVaWxfZ0EreLegGL9heyMzbXRuHxdg/s1600/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklrEq8txuI7mErYstzFMTcIVc5Fg7fbB5XK8cu_9bJ86SDvQS0VB0t0QRzX2a3fyH4rKdnO9Xfoh7EFliQ6GrnnYay_xw0zinvEVw3KFgquwd_DjVaWxfZ0EreLegGL9heyMzbXRuHxdg/s1600/5.png" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU4Gh8Id57cXCubkx9RtZOdn4FueKYxi0bbUsWf-oMvpMmJ6Df-3S56Awida7_Ax5IUsTUoZjdu9ALoGaoQQ61gG-kX52wLawTI_D4g5eiQBdl4nCJ-0t4t6gkgVpxR6qlyOxFR_7YOAG/s1600/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU4Gh8Id57cXCubkx9RtZOdn4FueKYxi0bbUsWf-oMvpMmJ6Df-3S56Awida7_Ax5IUsTUoZjdu9ALoGaoQQ61gG-kX52wLawTI_D4g5eiQBdl4nCJ-0t4t6gkgVpxR6qlyOxFR_7YOAG/s1600/6.png" /></a><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm glad that I met ya'll. You guys absolutely rock! I thought I left home to come to America, but I just realized that I formed a home in this country. At times, I do miss home but it's love of each one of you that makes me feel like I have a family here. Forever in your debt.</i><br />
<i> - Kratik Malhotra</i></div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-91246673686356398582013-05-28T20:29:00.003-07:002013-05-28T20:31:36.902-07:00Say No To Racism - Didier Drogba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img height="212" src="http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article765117.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Gareth+Bale+of+Tottenham+Hotspur+consoles+teammate+Jermain+Defoe+after+Fabrice+Muamba+of+Bolton+Wanderers+is+taken+off+on+a+stretcher" width="320" /></div>
(<i>This has to go down as my most casually written, unedited article)</i><br />
<br />
I remember writing this article 'The Support For Fabrice Muamba Shows Why Football Is Still The Beautiful Game (click to read)’ for Goal.com and coming across this image (below) – of Jermaine Defoe being consoled by Gareth Bale after seeing Fabrice Muamba being stretched off the field – on Getty - Goal.com source for getting pictures for their article. After seeing this picture, there was no way that I could possibly not bring up racism in the article, especially after taking one of my favorite classes, the Sport and Media class, in which I learned so much about racism in America, at the Florida State University during my first semester here.<br />
<br />
<br />
Recently, I came across an interview from one of my most loved players from one of United’s rival teams (and trust me, there aren’t many) and I absolutely melted reading it.<br />
<br />
I won’t edit it one-bit, this if for you to read:<br />
<br />
Drogba: "It happened in the time I played for Chelsea. One day we had a public training and many fans were there to watch us. A young boy waved, so I just went over to him, I thought he wants an autograph.<br />
“When I stood in front of him I asked him 'Hey young mister, do you want an autograph?' He called me a Nigger. His father got angry and told his son that he mustn't say this word. I told him i'll do this. I went on my knees and looked the young boy in his eyes and said 'Look, i'm black and you're white, now i'll show you something...' I took his hand and led her to my breast. 'Can you feel it?”<br />
<br />
“I have a heartbeat - like you.<br />
I have two hands - like you.<br />
And I have two feets too - like you!<br />
When I get hurt I say 'ouch' - like you do!<br />
Do you realize something?<br />
We're both humans, no matter if i'm black or white”<br />
<br />
“The boy started to cry and ran into his father's arms.<br />
He had tears in his eyes too. I gave the young boy my jersey as a sign of my respect!"<br />
<br />
…Didier the man!<br />
What a champ!<br />
I remember when Chelsea won the 2012 Champions League final, it really didn’t bother me as I saw Didier Drogba win. I hated it, but I didn’t shut the door and try to sleep. I had a smile on my face in utter disbelief. Like Martin Tyler said after Drogba scored the penalty, “It was written in the stars.”<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/sport/Pix/columnists/2012/3/14/1331768589327/drogba-007.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Whenever I have looked at Drogba, I have always got a positive vibe, quite opposite to that of the other man in the picture. Jose Mourinho has described his impact on the world as a ‘person: as an ‘African, as an emperor of the Ivory Coast, as a father, and as a son and as a friend’. And Jose has got it spot on: he has impacted the world as a person - as a human being. What a man Drogba is!<br />
<br />
There are some things money can’t buy and one of them is respect.<br />
#RespectDidierDrogba<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Follow me on<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/kratik1987" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLh6JmAUHCc4txDGixm_ChT0D8hrjzuB47CDTJ4AkIjBMgYsBHO6-DhvFlaRDr9L-0m0kAFhEPoF1OQ05ciN2Ztf9mUO1A5BQakHhjCu8GbuMahzuFVQUazkhip4aKcsCD7vxvO8Z5Wpg0/s200/twitter_logo1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Just click the Twitter logo)</div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-50826632072297070202013-05-18T11:35:00.000-07:002013-05-18T12:50:45.459-07:00From The Nib Of A Dreamer’s Pen #IMGAcademy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</xml><![endif]--><i>(What an experience I have had at IMG! Passed faster than light and learned more than the Solskjaer of technology)</i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“I tell you, nothing is going to
happen here. I wish we were working for IMG.”<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">--- </span></span></span>My friend’s words while sitting in the parking
lot of an Indian soccer stadium, during our marketing stint at an Indian soccer club, having failed to fill the seats with people.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Many of you might remember my
blog-post, written about two and a half years ago, ‘<a href="http://kratik1987.blogspot.com/2010/12/touch-closer.html">A Touch Closer</a>’.
It was about how after being rejected by this software company, Tieto, God
presented me with an opportunity to work and get paid, for what was a lot of
money for me back then, by the largest soccer data and analytics company in
Asia, Real Time Sportscast (RTS), as a soccer commentator and analyst.<br />
<br /></div>
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<img height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8G_tNQg0hEDt9eNckEJ2o5G_qq7JMmZdGdiz2y5Fj_IqKiwtTVA6QWKaLg04TQzINihRFn2aKn5RhOXpwocZMh99p-wH60KmWQQjqCmY1-kfttujezVz6a_PNd51VRtxGJ6mOW-NdvQ/s320/Balewadi.png" width="320" /></div>
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After RTS, I went on to write for
the largest soccer website in the world, market the biggest and the best
professionally managed club in India, and in the past five months, I have
interned with the largest sport management company in the world. I have come a long way but it's only 1% of where I want to be. Reflecting back, that job with RTS did end up getting me a touch closer.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At RTS, I was taught about stats,
how they are needed, their importance, value and most importantly, their use. I
started from scratch, did online soccer commentary of games, helped collect
statistics and worked as a statistician, helped report the statistics and most
importantly, working with technology and data, and analyzed them to aid the teams playing in the Indian Soccer League
(I-League). It was a great experience.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When I moved to the United States, I was put on board of the FSU Women’s Soccer
Team as a soccer analyst. It was a great year-long experience and it helped me in mastering my
dream technology/software, Prozone. Now, I am called a ‘Prozone Expert’ by a
few people in the industry and having learned Dartfish, I look to take my
analysis to the next levels.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Late September 2012, I had
applied for an internship in Sponsorship with the academy of the world’s
largest sport management company, International Management Group (IMG), and
they came back to me asking me to focus on another area, along with
Sponsorship, Performance Technology (PT). I had offers for a marketing
internship with NASCAR in Daytona, a marketing (branding) internship with
Florida Panthers and a communications internship with the Philadelphia Union,
but when IMG came calling with PT, my choice was clear, even though one of the
other internships offered to pay me an hourly wage and another would have
covered my housing and food.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<img height="320" src="http://media-cache-ec2.pinimg.com/avatars/imgacademy-1345121449_600.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br /></div>
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When I started with IMG, that
thing of ‘working for IMG’ had sunk in, completely. With my first week here, I
was still caught in the ’IMG awe’. Seeing the work-culture, the professionalism among staff,
the facility and infrastructure, the star athletes on campus, my job and
responsibilities, the level of technology used, the knowledge to gain…everything…it
was just marvelous, and I couldn’t believe that I was there. And to my loss, I, sort of, had started feeling that the organization was too big for me,
and I had started undervaluing myself. I wish I had respected
myself as much as I had done at any of the places where I worked in the past, but it was a priceless lesson from a learning standpoint. I won’t lie, I had a shaky start, but I improved in my work and partly, it was due to the IMG staff, who me feel like I was a part of the team. From the bottom of my heart, I thank them for that. It underlines their professionalism and management skill.<br />
<br />
Alright, back to joining IMG. When I was told that I am cleared to join IMG, I remembered my friend’s quote (mentioned at the start of the post). It was all like a dream. I say, “I rely on miracles,” and that is what it was, it was a miracle. From a good old electronics engineer, who only ever sat for one job interview because he was clear that he wanted to get to Manchester United and Sky Sports, to a boy who interviewed players from several top clubs including Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, and is followed by Sky Sports journalists on Twitter, to one who was asked to be the face of the private television of an Indian soccer club that had their best season this year, to a boy who worked every day with the number one collegiate women’s soccer team in America on the number one soccer analysis software in the world used by the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal, and to a boy who was stepping into something that he considered absolutely massive, it was unbelievable how far I had come.<br />
<br />
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My internship was dual-departmental,
and for the sponsorship department, I worked on sponsorship activation,
sponsorship representation, inventory management, sponsor events,
sponsor-related social media interaction and sponsor-apparel allotment, amongst
several things. Working and interacting with some of the top sponsorship
professionals at IMG, along with the personnel from sponsors that visited the
IMG Academy campus onsite, was a magnificent experience.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For the performance department, I
dealt with some of the state-of-the-art technologies that were there to learn.
My job in performance revolved around working on Catapult, but later, I also
started working on Dartfish and worked on match analysis with IMG’s under-14
soccer team. It was a major challenge but it was terrific. Working with
Catapult was a little tough because I did not have the necessary exercise science
knowledge needed but I was there to implement the technology, and I was very
clear in that aspect.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/935070_10151367162276006_1008856387_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="592" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Catapult Guy! (Real Time Analysis)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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I believe, I did the best job that
I possibly could have done and in the process, learned a lot. Dartfish was
awesome. Knowing how to use the tagging feature in Dartfish has taught me how
to integrate various technologies together maximizing its use. I thought Match
Analysis (MA) would be a piece of cake for me, having worked on the best
technology that was there to work on, in Prozone. But Match Analysis was
different as it required a lot more manual work, but was no big deal for me to
adapt. However, with enough on the table to work with, finding time to work
with MA was tough, especially because I was not bound to work on when I started.
Working with MA and IMG soccer was something that I took up due to my love for
soccer and my two-year analysis experience in the sport.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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In all, IMG offered me an
invaluable experience. In fact, I would have paid to work on some of the things
that I worked on and gain the knowledge that I gained. It was very-very special
indeed. Every single morning I would wake up, smile and say, “I am living my
dream,” and then, leave my apartment for work. I have loved every moment of my
time in Bradenton, Florida. I still remember when some of my colleagues brought
in a desk and set it up for me; what a moment that was! I was so touched. Five
minutes after that happened, I went into the restroom, locked myself in one of
the toilets and cried. To me, it showed that I was valued and loved. It was
such a touching thing. Even on my final day, gifts and comments like these made me melt. By the way, in the picture is a shakeweight gifted to me by one of the 'crew' members. I will miss the crew; everyone, absolutely everyone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQrucPoC-2C-KgaHdfyLtZccKPHtqJEnSEOXPE-xQt8VINfwZa_EKV9SNjTW_C0YQfCfP6hSWvK7sicMc2ma1BENK_2PDgfmABDVcNI24FTo5P5k3L4aG35BefWHQMKATQ3fXw6_IbAI4/s1600/Phil.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQrucPoC-2C-KgaHdfyLtZccKPHtqJEnSEOXPE-xQt8VINfwZa_EKV9SNjTW_C0YQfCfP6hSWvK7sicMc2ma1BENK_2PDgfmABDVcNI24FTo5P5k3L4aG35BefWHQMKATQ3fXw6_IbAI4/s320/Phil.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There are so many memories that I am taking back home with me and holding which in the highest regard, I would cherish these for a lifetime.</div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiEMZ_TXhYnedSIKA3LsVzvpAroBvNw59kIXtB-51OFHd-2hS51ygpt0XM3DeQCRi9PQi2bT5_UAeesrutB4RyUKUtiYUnUn9l5WXbKvcEd45YC9e81Cfy4oHy4ag4LvseyPFkBPRm2jZ/s1600/IMG_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiEMZ_TXhYnedSIKA3LsVzvpAroBvNw59kIXtB-51OFHd-2hS51ygpt0XM3DeQCRi9PQi2bT5_UAeesrutB4RyUKUtiYUnUn9l5WXbKvcEd45YC9e81Cfy4oHy4ag4LvseyPFkBPRm2jZ/s400/IMG_0053.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My office for the summer - Doak Campbell Stadium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hey reader, if you are looking
for an internship or a job, apply for a position at IMG Academy, it may not
only fulfill your expectation, but it may even supersede it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiEMZ_TXhYnedSIKA3LsVzvpAroBvNw59kIXtB-51OFHd-2hS51ygpt0XM3DeQCRi9PQi2bT5_UAeesrutB4RyUKUtiYUnUn9l5WXbKvcEd45YC9e81Cfy4oHy4ag4LvseyPFkBPRm2jZ/s1600/IMG_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div>
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As for me, it’s time to move on
and further enhance my learning. Next stop: Florida State Football. Yes, I am
heading back to Tallahassee. As my Tally lads may say, “Back In the hood.” In
the hood, yes, but who knows, I may head back to IMG in the future again <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span><br />
<br />
Yesterday, it was IMG; tomorrow it will be Manchester United. My dreams and aspirations make me
a dreamer. Thanks for reading this post from the nib of my pen.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Follow your heart. Have faith.
Live your dream.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Love,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Kratik<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Follow me on</span><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/kratik1987"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLh6JmAUHCc4txDGixm_ChT0D8hrjzuB47CDTJ4AkIjBMgYsBHO6-DhvFlaRDr9L-0m0kAFhEPoF1OQ05ciN2Ztf9mUO1A5BQakHhjCu8GbuMahzuFVQUazkhip4aKcsCD7vxvO8Z5Wpg0/s200/twitter_logo1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">(Just click the Twitter logo)</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-64474824417574209642013-04-15T22:11:00.001-07:002015-05-04T18:41:32.054-07:00The Warrior Prince<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<i>(Have you ever transformed anyone's life? Do it for the better! This world needs you!</i> )<br />
<br />
<br />
Warrior Prince. No, this post is not about Sourav
Ganguly nor is it about Paul Scholes. Well, Scholescy is the ginger prince.
Whatever.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This post is, in fact, about a boy who believed
in God and let it all pass. Stop thinking so much...I am not talking about
Ayrton Senna either. He is just a boy; a boy who experienced dreamland and
lived his fantasies every single day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What's his name? Well, they call him the Warrior
Prince.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He had never been away from his kingdom but he
dreamed of claiming the Kohinoor Diamond, buried at nadir under Joker's
dungeon. He had heard stories, but he didn’t know the way. He had faith, but it
could have been his last fight into the fray.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As he was about to leave for Azkaban, the
greatest masters blessed him. They blessed him to fly through Pandora and sprint
past Mufasa. He promised to not disappoint; donning his fedora, he set his
sail. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
First, he met Scrooge McDuck on the way, who was
too busy counting his money. He went to the richest duck in the world said, “So,
what are you going to do with your money?” Uncle Scrooge replied, “Invest it to
make more.” He remarked, “Really? And what are you going to do with that?” With
a gingerly look, McDuck said, “Make more. Simple,” as he started counting how
much money he had made, again. Prince remarked, “Interesting.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prince kept his hand on Scrooge McDuck’s shoulder,
smiled and said, “That who fears can never live and that who lives will never
fear. Think about it.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Leaving Mr. McDuck puzzled, high and dry, he sailed
on.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img src="http://azizonomics.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/scrooge-mcduck.jpeg" height="233" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As he sailed further, he noticed that he had
reached ‘Duckland’ as he saw a number of ducks. One of them was shouting from
the top of his voice. Prince didn’t understand the reason for his discomfort,
and so, approached the duck wearing a blue sailor hat.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Let’s have a sneak-peak into the actual
conversation:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince (hand on the duck’s shoulder): What
happened young man? Oops…sorry, duck.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Duck (furiously): Duck?! My name is Donald!</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Warrior Prince: I am sorry Donald. I didn’t mean
to hurt you. You seem livid, what happened?</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donald
Duck (depressed): I have been trying to win the ‘Disney Star of the Year’ award
but I always get beaten by a mouse.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Warrior Prince: But you came second, that’s good,
isn’t it?</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Donald Duck: Not as good as first!</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Warrior Prince: I’ll give you a weapon with which
you can beat your best; maybe even that mouse, who knows?!</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Donald Duck: "What's the big idea!?"</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
…and Prince made Donald to close his eyes and
conjured his magic. When Donald opened his eyes, his anger had evaporated and
there was a strong shift that he felt. His smile was wide and he promised
himself to spread the love to latitudes even wider.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Warrior Prince sailed past the mountain and saw
a mouse cracking jokes and making people laugh. He paused and exclaimed, “A 2
ft. mouse wearing a crown talking to humans, interesting?” Prince then, paused,
heard one of mouse’s jokes, laughed for a bit and started sailing again.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He soon bumped into a clumsy dog, who seemed to
have a little intelligence, Goofy. Seeing Prince, Goofy shouted, “Aren’t you
going to Mickey’s winning celebration?”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sneak-Peak:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince: Who is Mickey and celebration for what?</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Goofy: He was crowned the ‘Disney Character of
Year’ for the 85<sup>th</sup> year running!</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince: Have you invited Donald? He was sad and
was fuming that he didn’t win.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Goofy: Yes, Mickey invites everyone. Donald was invited
as well.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>(Goofy looked down and put his hand over his own
fedora) You know, Donald is a good friend of mine. He fights sharks and storms,
but gets beaten by Mickey every year. Sad, but I guess that’s how it goes.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince (Smiled): He will win the next year; I
have given him a magical weapon.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Goofy (laughed in his own unique way): Gawrsh!
What’s that?</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince (smileed even more and starts sailing):
Call Donald; he is waiting!</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
…and Prince sailed on.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img height="178" id="irc_mi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbbTiTydW4JYPioaB_i81ohy7a5G-MjyuOY-TjKuMljla4NGzbYAnoxOjFBZJY2uUR8eUpSe-uj3twhD9GNneWGjFXS9qN4V9YZ8HhG5tPmFizMZgl1kOIlgPSKOyiSR-29O1A6b6PF0/s320/No+Sail+2.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He soon saw a pilot almost crashing his airplane
into the sea before ascending the aircraft in a steep spiral over water. Having
come from the age of empires, he had never seen this kind of airplane drama. In
his sight, that was extraordinary.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Seeing a man looking in awe from the deck of his
ship, the pilot’s assistant asked the pilot to see if the man needs help. The
driver dismissed his request at first, but then, obligeed. After a smooth
landing on the bed of the sea, the driver and his assistant swam over and entered
the ship.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Pilot said, “Hey, I’m Baloo. Do you need any
help?”</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Overwhelmed Prince replied “That was mind-blowing
and yes, if you can fly me to Azkaban, that would be great.”</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Baloo pulled his assistant, Kit, to the side and had
a little discussion and ultimately, told Prince that two had come to a decision
and would not be going to Azkaban.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince (looked down and frowned): Thanks, but I
really wanted to get there.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Seeing his face grow smaller, Kit pressurized
Baloo, who said, “Let’s go!” After experiencing multiple tailspins, Prince reaches
Azkaban safely. He noticed that Baloo had a habit of losing his temper very
easily and asked him if he wants a gift.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Seemingly caught in conundrum, Baloo, in a jolly
way, says, “So, I get paid?”</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince: No, not money. Better than that.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Baloo: Better than money? Free food at Louis’
restaurant?</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Prince: No. Close your eyes.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the bear closed his eyes, Prince ran his charm
on Baloo’s mind and started walking towards the Dungeon underneath the castle,
leaving the pilot at peace.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img src="http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/232/9/0/talespin_baloo_with_scootakit_by_acalanatha-d5bu6sk.png" height="234" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Seeing him walking on the island, towards the
castle, castle’s guards caught him and presented him to the Joker, who, thought
that Prince wass just another person who has lost his way, and so, ordered his
guards to put him into the dungeon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the dungeon, Prince met five individuals, who
called themselves ‘The Planeteers’, and who were tasked with defending the
Earth from the greatest of disasters and making efforts to educate mankind to
keep others from happening. With all of them depleted in energy and with the
boy from North America, Wheeler, going through relationship problems with Linka
(from Soviet Union), Prince iterated his desire to restore all their powers
with his magic.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Also, he saw a man, ferocious as a tiger,
rambling, looking to beat the meat out of a person. As he tried to go close,
the man shouted from the top of his throat, trying to scare Prince. Prince
started smiling and started walking towards the man.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The man felt indifferent as for the first time,
someone hadn’t got scared of him. As Prince got to the man, his smile grew and
he put his hand around man’s shoulder, asking him to sit down. He asked the
planeteers to sit down as well.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img src="http://images1.fanpop.com/images/quiz/25912_1215105399664_500_281.jpg" height="281" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 122px;" width="499" /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prince taught those six prisoners breathing techniques
and guided them through a meditation. He made them feel focused and relaxed at the
same time, made them experience bliss and devotion at the same time, made them
experience their presence and love once again, and most importantly, made them
smile once again.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the prisoners opened their eyes, they felt
revitalized and the rush of adrenalin had them believing that they had been reborn.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After the meditation, unbelievably, the ferocious
man stood up and said, “My name is Jaffer. I have committed sins; many sins.
But I don’t blame myself for any of them. I blame you!”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He added, “Yes, you. I blame you! Because had you
made me experience what I just experienced, I would have never committed any of
these sins. It’s you who is responsible and not me.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the others looked in amazement, Prince smiled
and said, “Your time is now!”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After breathing techniques and meditation,
planeteers started to feel strong once again, and combined their powers to call
on Captain Planet.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img src="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/captain-planet.jpg" height="400" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 62px;" width="600" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As Captain fought Joker, Prince taught Jaffer the
‘Art of Living’ well enough to teach the others. With time, Joker was beaten
and Captain rescued the planeteers and Prince. When Prince asked Jaffer to
follow him to his kingdom, Jaffer replied, “I have just started. I have plenty
of work left here.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He further added, “With power comes
responsibility and this is the greatest power one can have – to transform
lives. Having attained that, I will make a difference. I am better off here.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prince smiled, and then, God conjured magic.
Jaffer took Prince to a river, down into the dungeon, and dived into the river
and went to its deepest possible point. With the whole situation past Prince’s
vocabulary, Jaffer came back with a bright shining substance. Prince, remembering
his ultimate objective, smiled and said, “So, it was true. The Kohinoor Diamond
really existed at nadir of the river.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As a token of gift, Jaffer, who as it turned out was
cursed to be the protector of the precious stone until someone treated him as a
normal human being, presented the massive – 5 cm in radius diamond – to Prince.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prince got reminded of something that was taught
to him back home: When you do His work, he does yours.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As he reached his kingdom, he got to know that
Scrooge McDuck was living his dream and enjoying his retirement than putting
all his energy in earning money. He was also informed that Donald Duck had
finally won the ‘Disney Star Of The Year’ award. It was brought to his notice
that Baloo was keeping his anger at bay, and Wheeler and Linka had sorted out
their respective stresses and are doing very well in their relationship.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
How did this happen? What did Prince do? I have
talked of Prince’s magic. His magic was in not differentiating between creatures,
making people experience delightful meditation and teaching them the way life
is supposed to be led.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
***People, one request, let Prince rise in you so
that what happened in Boston today never happens anywhere in the world
tomorrow. Meditate, make people meditate and make this world a better place to
live in. Spread knowledge. Spread Love.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jai Gurudev <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Love,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kratik</div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-4404197911637320982013-03-30T20:38:00.000-07:002015-05-04T18:42:44.355-07:00The Ultimate Battle: Live Or Die On This Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<img src="http://www.eatsleeplivefilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2011_battle_los_angeles_001.jpg" height="213" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the woods, he learned to breathe,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crushing the sheath under his gawky feet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In search of Pride Lands with a gritty breeze,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Outsized by Sherekhan and his latent crease.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A heart too filled but wrapped in gripe,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pounding for a dream, educing to fight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ignoring interdiction, it dances jive,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hunting hurdles, it will eternally strive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time too stagnant in an abyss of silence,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All good fights had come to this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the middle of a gantlet cage, he began to reminisce,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Spirit revived, Aladdin smiled, hearing the cobra hiss.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Standing on a hill, past the river,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With ingenuity and diligence in heart so fervor,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Destination in sight, shrugging the quiver of fear,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Captain Planet he was, with his rise, he defined valor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Into the battlefield, he dared to step on,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Matching the Joker’s grin, a smile he gracefully donned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To live or die on that day, a skill he honed,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seeing himself in Goblin’s eyes, he witnessed bourn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
…What happened next? Ask me in a month <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you believe in miracles?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I rely
on them <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jai Gurudev :)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kratik</div>
</div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-84411260227035559522013-03-14T21:50:00.002-07:002015-05-04T18:44:51.975-07:00The American Dream<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>American Dream? Don't know what it is, but it feels like I'm living it.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Words, they often tell the story,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But they are entwined with
feelings so brittle that they change so readily.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Pictures, they often let you
relive the moments,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But they pull you into the past
ever so easily.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Memory, it never forgets what it
has to remember,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But in its own mesmerizing way,
it keeps you attached, aimlessly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Silence, it helps you experience
that empty space, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But, it’s that space which makes
you come to terms with reality, pleasantly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
How often it happens that you can
look back, pat yourself and say, “Yes, I have lived the dream.” If you ask me, I
don’t even know the definition of a ‘dream’, but I wouldn’t be shy in saying that
I have lived it in this past year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
December 27, 2011 was when I
landed in the United States with a heart full of dreams. Who was I? No, I was
not Spiderman! I was a small time soccer journalist, who wrote for the largest
soccer website in the world, who was told he had ‘fans’ (bullsquat, I say!),
who marketed one of the biggest soccer clubs in India, who hosted games in
front of a thousand of people in mammoth stadiums, who did a little bit of
soccer analysis for Real Time Sportscast and who believed that making a person
meditate and spiritual knowledge can transform a person’s life. Kratik, who?
Even I didn’t know. In fact, I am still discovering. But irrespective of
whoever I was, I wanted to be someone bigger. I had heard about the ‘American
dream’ and I wanted to live the American dream.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When I began my journey at the
Florida State University, the ‘Seminole feeling’ didn’t take as much time to
settle in as within the first couple of weeks, I was on the board, working as a
soccer analyst for the university’s soccer team. Having prior experience with
soccer obviously helped as I got to work on my dream software, Prozone. Unlike
my time with my undergrad degree in engineering, grades at FSU were never a
problem. Yes, I worked my socks off but it was all God’s grace that grades
panned out better than I had expected them to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With time, I met some amazing
lads. Soccer fans, F1 fans, guys who taught me American football and guys with
whom I experienced the FSU life, you know what I mean ;) As time passed, I
realized that I was actually doing well. But there was something still missing
and my intuition told me that it was my will to make a difference, my will to
make people meditate, my will to spread Sri Sri’s message, my will to transform
lives. And it was all God’s grace that I managed to do all that. How? He has
his own ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I got a teaching assistantship
for two of my four semesters at FSU! I taught four one-credit hour courses in ‘Stretch
and Relaxation’. I taught yoga, meditation, the secret to smile…In all, I
basically taught a spirituality course. Lol. Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I once asked my spirituality
teacher, “Why do you teach all this? Why don’t you feed poor people by the
money (that you charge) instead of giving out all this knowledge?” And his
reply was one that gave me a path to walk on. He said, “We can, but if I give
them food for 2000 bucks, how many meals will I be able to serve? 25 meals for
a person? Instead, I give them knowledge, it is priceless and lasts with them
for a lifetime. What do you think is better?” I remember pausing and saying, “Wow!”
Knowledge like this and people like him have truly helped me shape my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So, when I look back, and ask
myself, “Did I do the right thing in teaching yoga, meditation and spirituality,
and not just not normal stretching?” Absolutely! Spirituality is very different
from religion, and I highlighted that. In my courses, I never spoke religion.
In fact, I told Christians to believe in Jesus and know that he is taking care
of them; I told Muslims to have faith and believe in Allah and know that he is
there, and I told Hindus to believe in Ram and Krishna and know that he is
ensuring that his/her life leads to perfection. Same implies to Jews and
Buddhists as well. I just spoke one language and it was called spirituality,
which revolved around the fact that our lives are taken care of and that we do
not need to worry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I also taught few stress relief
sessions at the Big Bend Homeless Coalition. It was amazing! The expressions of
people after coming out of meditation were priceless. I should have filmed a Mastercard
commercial right there. Lol. Those homeless people were so special and under
enormous stress, more than what a normal person can even imagine, and making
them meditate was an exceptional experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Okay, back to FSU. It was the
fall semester, the end of August, when I met some of the finest chaps in
America. They weren’t the Michael Jordons and the Lionel Messis of this world,
but who they were, were truly wonderful people with great hearts, who knew how
to celebrate every moment, how to be supportive and how to live their life to
perfection, and that’s what made them bigger and better than even Jordon,
Ronaldo or Messi. They were about 25 in number, maybe more. They laughed, they
enjoyed, they partied, they lived in the present moment, they…just lived every
moment as it came and in the process, taught me how life was to be lived at
FSU. In fact, when I look back now, I would say that they were the missing link in
my time jigsaw (if there is anything like that lol) at FSU. It was them who
were the reason that, when I think about all those times of the fall, it lets me believe that I lived my semester to perfection. I am still friends with them and it feels like
an absolute blessing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Meanwhile, I had applied to a
number of places for my internship and I got in to my dream company, doing my
dream internship: IMG Academy and an internship in Performance Technology and
Sponsorship. I still remember sitting, with a friend of mine, as a marketer in
the parking lot of our team’s stadium and saying, “How cool would it be to get
to IMG?” And here I was, at IMG!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I still have over a month left of
my internship at IMG and during my time here, I have not only worked with some
of the top American football college athletes, but also, I have got a chance to
meet Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill, Floyd Sam and Juninho. It’s been awesome and it’s
all God’s grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now, why did I write about all
this? Well, I don’t know. Maybe because I just wanted to. Actually, no. There
was something that has really been biting me. What is it? Not the most heart-warming
thing, off course. The thing is, in ten days, I am going back to Tallahassee,
and it could be the last time that I see so many people. Why? Because if I don’t
get a job, I go back to India. Marketer for a year and a half, journalist for
two years and a sports analyst for over two years, am I not worth a job? I don’t
know. But as I had taught in my courses, my Guru’s message, my life is taken
care of, so, I need not worry. At times, I give myself a lesson. Lol<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But if this is the last time that
I meet some of my friends, especially those 25 or so fun-loving mates of mine,
what I can certainly publish is that I will miss them to extremity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
PPPPSSSSSHHHHHHHH…enough of
getting emotional. Bigger picture. As I had said, “I came to America to live
the American dream,” and thanks to God’s grace I lived the American dream.
Frankly speaking, I don’t even know what the American dream is, but my
experience couldn’t have been bettered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>For making my time a truly memorable one, a special ‘thank you’ to Miao,
Shuai, Paul Sheffield, Eric Parks, Pamella, Erin, Laura, Ellen, Alicia,
Brittany, Katharina, Smay, Justin Garner, Parker, Sarah H, Carlton, Andrew
Young, Jim, Steve, Kristen, Nindiya,
Gary Galvez and Jennifer, Matt Cline, Caroline, Amanda G., Max, Christian,
Mikey, Lauren B., Sara, Del Toro, Nicky Yang, Ashley, Stephanie, Lance and
Tiffany, Joshua Peterson, Nick Downey, Ozi, Neslihan, Kosuke and Yue Ji, and my MBA buddies:
Lancer, Claire, Tony, Albert, JR, Justin, Julian and Dan, and my mates who have
graduated: Ryan Pekerek, Ryan Pham, Logan Liles, Justin Mason, Sid sir, Javier
and Wang Suk, and all the Indians who have always stood by, and all the
teachers…all of you are true rockstars and the reason why FSU students rock the
world.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Kratik</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-46735272085462297462012-12-27T10:24:00.004-08:002015-05-04T18:49:01.910-07:00When I Just Stood Still!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s crazy how He makes it happen...</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">unconditionally</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> crazy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At times you just wonder if it’s a dream...unquestionably crazy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You cannot but experience the adrenalin rush…</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">unambiguously</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> crazy!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When I just stood still…absolutely crazy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKVHgOCRnS_RFryf_LsicN6_FL1KCuIpT57Lpy89oOTDEhlEu993nDfL8a-E8FKaj8qMxyiBm0Q3JdMQA36ZIdJVzZMdowaum2yX2BKVd6vXqY79SXYZ6-U_b-QkvXDc2I6z5zmZrsIbi/s1600/_DSC0633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKVHgOCRnS_RFryf_LsicN6_FL1KCuIpT57Lpy89oOTDEhlEu993nDfL8a-E8FKaj8qMxyiBm0Q3JdMQA36ZIdJVzZMdowaum2yX2BKVd6vXqY79SXYZ6-U_b-QkvXDc2I6z5zmZrsIbi/s320/_DSC0633.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I have worked as a journalist and I should write my
posts in the form of a conventional writing script, but just for this post, let me just express
myself, chucking the traditional and predefined ways to write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">December 22, 2012: It was past 1:30 PM and here I was, in
New York, walking out of Penn Station to have lunch with my friends from
Florida State – Yoko (Yi Lian) and Michael (Zhang Yi). Both, soon to get
married, down to earth, extremely caring - in all pretty decent - Chinese fellas,
were to meet me at Grand Central Terminal, New York City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Okay, let me admit it, in spite of a million hoardings, it was difficult finding my way out of the Penn
Station; bloody hell, that place is huge! Also, it was my first time to New
York…and yes, that really was, literally, going through my head all along. After working my way
out of the station, climbing the staircase, I reached the 34<sup>th</sup> Street. As I
was on the pavement, I smiled, thinking to myself, this is so movie-like!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I stood there for a minute, looking at everything around; right
from cars, to yellow taxis, to the Christmas decorations, to the green-vested security guards, to
the tall buildings, the way people were dressed…everything, really. It was magical.
Okay…c’mon, for a year I was in Tallahassee! This was way too fancy for me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, after looking at everything around, having climbed up the Penn Station staircase, I started walking to left in order to
discover the way to Grand Central Terminal. I walked for a minute or two and
then, looked over the pavement, where I was walking, to see where I exactly was. As I looked up, the
structure said, “MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!!!” As I read MSG, the time stopped for
me. I mean, literally! I just looked on and on and on, in absolute disbelief. NY went numb at that moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP7uO3Q4Fm7limua-SMrvRI3LCITXYv3MEo_EzFFpnOdIBzcPX9u2kZmItYqs2iaiVRi8Rm0tUg2BV_2mLpbs8fpA0yJizxe5v8YkW7RzSF1bcMARPKrvSYg9gbGAQqLyXJf0ZKP8AOMk/s1600/23461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP7uO3Q4Fm7limua-SMrvRI3LCITXYv3MEo_EzFFpnOdIBzcPX9u2kZmItYqs2iaiVRi8Rm0tUg2BV_2mLpbs8fpA0yJizxe5v8YkW7RzSF1bcMARPKrvSYg9gbGAQqLyXJf0ZKP8AOMk/s320/23461.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why? Well, well, well. I have always been a massive WWF/WWE
fan and over the years, time and time again, listening and reading that PPV WWE events – such as Wrestlemania – are often held
at MSG, visiting Madison Square Garden was certainly one of my dreams. 'Watching it' be for watching WWE or not, I just wanted to see what it was, and here I was,
standing right outside the structure, staring at it aimlessly, wondering if I
was in fantasy-land. I stood there for three, four, five, six or maybe even, ten
minutes, I have no idea. The only thing that can recollect is standing there, staring and thinking to myself, "wow!" I remember experiencing multiple
adrenalin rushes. In fact,, the whole </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">prana</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
in my body was practicing repeated moonsaults. It was a divine feeling! Absolutely
unbelievable! It was like I was struck by an absolute wonder! Like I was touched by an
absolute angel! It was absolutely ridiculous, but outrageously beautiful!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As I walked from the 34<sup>th</sup> street on to the 42<sup>nd</sup> st,making my way on to the Park Avenue, I wore a smile that
could possibly not have shed; in fact, it was growing all the time. You know
what, even as I am writing this, my smile is so erect!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I, a decade back, use to dream of seeing Madison Square
Garden, New York and here I was, in 2012, unknowingly, standing outside it.
Frankly speaking, for all the time that I had been planning a trip to NY, until the
time I saw MSG, even the thought of visiting MSG hadn’t come into my mind; it
had been completely flushed out over the years. It was not until the time that I saw MSG when I realized that I
was nothing but living my dream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A famous dialogue from a Shahrukh Khan movie is so reverberating round my head right now,
“K<span style="background-color: #fdfefe; line-height: 1.6em;">ehte hain, agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho, </span><span style="background-color: #fdfefe; line-height: 1.6em;">to poori kaaynat use tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai</span>.” Translating to: If you love something from your
heart, truly, then, the whole universe uses all its energy to unite you and
your love. That’s what happened in my case...it was a moment when I just stood still!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz2ixTatLAJbDg9oH6NgY8LjMvLxsVlFTY5t6ujVZLK5Ed59lhY07YpkkyOIYOQMT37354p3YdJwgAvUvF9u8iXSFfoRi9bB_MW0hnUwXIpf8TvEfJy3iHghnX5nB2wrsT-BuJjrKynIC/s1600/DSCN1073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz2ixTatLAJbDg9oH6NgY8LjMvLxsVlFTY5t6ujVZLK5Ed59lhY07YpkkyOIYOQMT37354p3YdJwgAvUvF9u8iXSFfoRi9bB_MW0hnUwXIpf8TvEfJy3iHghnX5nB2wrsT-BuJjrKynIC/s320/DSCN1073.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">(Trying to do a Shahrukh and failing miserably! Let me make this clear, Shahrukh isn't my favourite actor, but Brooklyn Brige pe aa ke Shahrukh ka pose toh banta hai!)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The lesson that I learned was to never get feverish about
anything as God is watching every action of ours and monitoring every emotion that has arisen, and knows every feeling that we are or have experienced. He knows what's the best for us and when it needs to be given to us. So, chill and know that whatever you need, will be given to you and whatever you want, if it's good for you, someday, sometime, it will be given to you :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Keep believing, do not get feverish, have faith and smile :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because call him Jesus, Krishna, Allah, Buddha, Universe or even Guru…call him whatever...He is
watching us and taking care of us every moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Jai Gurudev :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Kratik</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhIRLfeLYtBko8umsG6XG0-pu0tgu60oIc55JiFC-V5hszAma4zJCX7mOnX0KxLDKPkMrcfcFqF8pMrNPtWB1LGLltoVUN2Z8uec6hL83vpahD2n67rNFK_yBHsa1ZLdywhzR_haNMJKN/s1600/532651_381451961949313_1125342051_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhIRLfeLYtBko8umsG6XG0-pu0tgu60oIc55JiFC-V5hszAma4zJCX7mOnX0KxLDKPkMrcfcFqF8pMrNPtWB1LGLltoVUN2Z8uec6hL83vpahD2n67rNFK_yBHsa1ZLdywhzR_haNMJKN/s200/532651_381451961949313_1125342051_n.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoE9yeeM8ukgE6cldZWEpW4XKTF-j60Dr81nJtZFfoo0fRM_qV5IKhF18fg-a6FfKBRdaIBt_7AdVygpZkDG5GTBDdEb0uxX0AdM-YAWVE_w95C4E8-uvkc5ruFxhsE5rqyLNefzNI7Ytv/s1600/560791_381451571949352_1006525179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoE9yeeM8ukgE6cldZWEpW4XKTF-j60Dr81nJtZFfoo0fRM_qV5IKhF18fg-a6FfKBRdaIBt_7AdVygpZkDG5GTBDdEb0uxX0AdM-YAWVE_w95C4E8-uvkc5ruFxhsE5rqyLNefzNI7Ytv/s200/560791_381451571949352_1006525179_n.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i>
<i>(With Yoko and Michael at the Grand Central Terminal)</i></span><br />
<br /></div>
Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-22629908665349969322012-11-13T18:33:00.000-08:002015-05-04T18:49:57.060-07:00A Silent Vow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUOCPDAfmzIVimSD7hZL4qUrwc7y9I9uSgGNZvgIpYyBwLq3R7IykMCCL5YxvBwNHPjFlcBD5117f0eNtmlVWWoS_FppYdWybkT-jeLFR0tDgsOfSXd2JO0Y7ep2dVGid6Q0li119dPnP/s1600/Favim.com-19547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUOCPDAfmzIVimSD7hZL4qUrwc7y9I9uSgGNZvgIpYyBwLq3R7IykMCCL5YxvBwNHPjFlcBD5117f0eNtmlVWWoS_FppYdWybkT-jeLFR0tDgsOfSXd2JO0Y7ep2dVGid6Q0li119dPnP/s200/Favim.com-19547.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
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<img src="http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/483673/483673,1287324519,6/stock-vector-broken-heart-cartoon-63151729.jpg" height="200" width="191" /><img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKNd2oWWXGxXjyQN5ipqmO0xLP2LomuaTIPkyJfPhWbfsV66xnY4oW1r81" height="200" width="149" /><img src="http://bmfilms.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/working-hard.gif" height="173" width="200" /><img src="http://desktopbackgrounds1.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Manchester-United-wallpaper-4.jpg" height="150" width="200" /><img src="http://www.clipartoday.com/_thumbs/034/H/Happy_27_tnb.png" height="189" width="200" /></div>
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A shallow lie,</div>
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A deep impression.</div>
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Nothing said,</div>
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A silent vow.</div>
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A bruised chin,</div>
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A raging emotion.</div>
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Nothing said,</div>
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A silent vow.</div>
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A broken dream,</div>
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An injured heart.</div>
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Nothing said,</div>
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A silent vow.</div>
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A deep breath,</div>
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A gentle smile.</div>
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Nothing said,</div>
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A silent vow.</div>
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A simple move on,</div>
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An effort too hard.</div>
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Nothing said,</div>
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A silent vow.</div>
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A step towards greatness,</div>
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A written farce.</div>
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Nothing said,</div>
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A silent vow.</div>
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A dream achieved,</div>
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Manchester United.</div>
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Enough said,</div>
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All needed was a silent vow.</div>
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Jai Gurudev :)</div>
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Love,</div>
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Kratik</div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260307301325549475.post-56531552407041867182012-10-24T22:18:00.000-07:002015-05-04T18:51:10.789-07:00Mansion From The Ashes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoV_HzpnyPOp8a5ZJjEFTReRh5lHsUp7-GJQMuV3K4EGyVxeODwTIu17MrKMllD52DON1yPfuP3CykwDsSHoCqPVHEcneTHsOupGemRHhcNYkYzX8oL3hUd73frK_UzsQoGCGhI6O2vFM/s1600/grandpa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoV_HzpnyPOp8a5ZJjEFTReRh5lHsUp7-GJQMuV3K4EGyVxeODwTIu17MrKMllD52DON1yPfuP3CykwDsSHoCqPVHEcneTHsOupGemRHhcNYkYzX8oL3hUd73frK_UzsQoGCGhI6O2vFM/s320/grandpa.png" width="320" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">Dedicated
to the man whom I miss the most…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">A defense once seemed too impervious to permeate,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Twist of fate, and a storm shook them, ruffling their feathers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">A boy stood tall, from the ridge he looked on,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Searching for mirth from the ashes, he belched latent ciphers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Losing wasn’t a part of his vocabulary,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">With an attitude too pugnacious, his vow was silent.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Knowing that his challenge was nothing but the Battle Royale,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">He refused to bow down to this world so tyrant.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">He cycled miles, created critics but refused to comport,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Selling ornaments to support his family, the world heard as he knelled.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">From Manchester to Munich, he travelled to learn a recondite theory,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Leaving his trace the German way, he redefined how paper was spelled.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Winning the respect of his friends, foes and his caricaturists,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">He marched on, reconstructing the wall ever so strong.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Guzzling down the success potion,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">He gushed to glory in the period of Vietcong.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Years on, standing tall on the same ridge as he looked on,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">He smiled thinking how he sustained the worldly bashes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">From a feeble boy to a valorous man, he had transformed,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Never bottling, he had made a mansion from the ashes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">…dedicated to the man whom I miss the most. The greatest individual that I ever knew. He underlined strength. He was a fighter, really, who lived his life the way he wanted and achieved everything that was there to achieve…my Grandfather! And writing this, I am a proud grandson.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Love,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Kratik</span></span></div>
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Kratikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12844424020813650578noreply@blogger.com4