Cricket - How life has changed over the years

Been years since I wrote anything in this webspace ...Uff... Hello folks... its me back once again into the bloggers world . Shall try my best to keep posting something often.

Cricket, few term it as a religion, few term it as a sport which has the largest fans around and the most watched sport especially in India. I from my childhood days have been playing cricket and been a part of many teams and have got medals as well as certificates. I still remember the days where I represented the teams during my school and college days and to tell you the fact it brings in a lot of cherished moments back.

With the family grown and work keeping the daily life on a tighter side has made me stay away from the sport for years now. But I still have the urge to get back to the ground early in the morning and brush my cricketing skills and start playing for the teams which I used to.. Provided they take me back..J.

Now coming to one good event which made me not only start blogging again, but also brought in a huge smile over my face was a cricket tournament organised by my few old cricketing pals who still play even now. Playing cricket had not only improved my skills but also made me acquire a lot of friends.

During my initial IT life, I used to ask my colleagues whether they play and how about forming a cricket team. Loads of positive and negative views and with a lot of years waiting I managed to get a team formed and called it "Trendsetters". Initially the team had very few players who knew how to play but as we grew the team started performing tremendously. We were known as a team which was really hard to beat and we even started performing well in tournaments and bringing in laurels back. During those days we encountered a small team which was also in its growing stages. Those were people whom we got introduced via a common friend in R.A.puram ground and started playing with them. They were a bunch of youngsters who were in full josh to win matches but were failing to do with us and as days progressed we started to have a good relationship with them wherein we mingled our teams and started playing.

Over the years, few colleagues who were my team players started leaving the company and the team slowly started dissolving and at one final stage it was the end of the team Trendsetters. But one good thing which happened was since we formed a good rapport with the folks playing in R.A.Puram few used to go and play with them. Now after about 4 to 5 years the team has grown bigger in size and skills and now hey are called as Team "Cocktails". They started their own FB group posting pics and updating weekly on the cricket played as well as wishing players on Bday's and other stuffs.

Recently they had a tournament organised and to my surprise it was a tournament organised within their own team players and to top it all I was called upon to grace the occasion. Initially I felt whether I need to go but then decided I have to be a part of it cos it is basically a team which I was a part of formation and it is my guys who are playing. Making my presence out their bought in a smile to almost all players who knew me and welcomed me since they are meeting/seeing me after close to 2 to 3 yrs. It was such a bliss seeing such young talents the way they have come up over the years and how well they are playing now.

I made sure I stayed their the entire day to see the matches and I was also called upon by the organizers to give away medals and the trophies to the players and teams who won the tournament. Looking back now as to how the cricket started and how the teams were formed and how the players whom we introduced now are playing brings in that happiness within me that Cricket has always been an integral part of my life and it has made me gain a lot of friends and contacts whom I can depend and have fun anytime I want too. Thanks a lot to my old Team "Trendsetters" as well as all players of "Cocktail XI"

Remembering my Dad !!!!

For those who know my dad and for those who do not know, his name was R.Krishnamurthy. A personality known by many during the day's he lived. He was not only a dad but a person who took a lot of responsibilities which came by and made sure his sons keep up his name and carry with them their respect they had attained by him. You may all wonder why all of a sudden did I start writing something about my dad after so many years. It was just that my childhood friend or can be said as my dad's very close friend's daughter had got married and arranged a reception at the Guindy Race Club on 18th April 2010, where I had met a few friends who worked with my Dad and I meeting them after about 15-20 years was a wonderful experience.

People recognise me so quickly compared to my bro as I have the exact features of my dad. So it doesnt take much of a time for me to introduce myself to my dad's friends. So that was a day where I remembered few things when my dad used to bring me during my childhood days to the club to meet his friends and I used to play. So after so many years me getting a chance to go back to those places and meeting people who were close to us had a different feeling completely. Maybe if my dad was alive now, I guess our life would have been different but I do not repent for anything as he has already done enough when he lived to make us get the respect and friends we are supposed to have.

It made me and my bro feel so happy when people said about my mom and dad as to how they were and how they carried themselves which had inspired a lot to them. It turned out to be a awesome day where our wifes (mine & bro's) had a chance to know about my dad as they were not able to meet him but atleast know what he had done during his period. He was the branch manager for Eenadu Newstime & Etv, President of the Advertising Club, Board of Directors Margadasi, Committee member of Parsn Complex, Madras Gymkhanna Club member & President of Padma Sheshadri Bala Bhavan School parents teacher's committee.

There are so many things I owe my Dad, but guess as of now I can only carry the respect he had attained and make him proud forever. Miss you Dad... (1956-1996). Proud to be your Son !!!!

Trip to Rasipuram and Kollimalai

Was eagerly waiting for the long weekend i.e 24th, 25th & the 26th Jan to do a trip to bangalore to see few of my buddies whom I haven't met for a long time. The plan was on until 23rd afternoon when all of a sudden I had 2 of my close pals calling me and saying they are rushing to their native to spend the long weekend. Unfortunately I had to drop out the plan for bangalore. On 24th morning I was cleaning my bike just thinking as to what shall I do for the next 2 days. Tringg.. Tringg... my phone rings and it was Karthik alias Maadu. As usual started as .. Sollu da (meaning tell me dude)..he was asking me the plan for the long weekend and had to tell him I had no plan. For the first time karthik suggests a plan asking whether we can make a trip to Kolli Malai. Blink.. Gosh.. I asked Karthik.. How come dude??.. How did you crop up with this idea and confirmed the plan immediately and called up 3 other colleagues of mine of which one had come from bangalore to spend the weekend. Plan set, all geared up and one of my colleague (Sriram) picks me up from home and we land up at Tambaram where he had to pick up his bag. Karthik, Suresh(pal who had come from bangalore), Me and Sriram met up at Tambaram and started our Journey to Kolli Malai. This was my 2nd trip to the same place.

The plan was to drive down in Karthik's car (Maruti Swift) to Rasipuram which is near Salem where one of our colleague named Gokul resides. So we thought we shall stay up at his house and pick him up to and visit Kolli malai. So we had called up Gokul and he said you guys are always welcomed and we were much excited about the sudden trip. Normally trips like this which is planned all of a sudden works out well. So we as usual started making fun of each other and started taking snaps in different styles. The route which we took was NH45 from Chennai tamabaram - Tindivanam - Villupuram - Salem - Aatur - Rasipuram which was close to 300 kms.

So as we were driving down something stuck me and I had asked the guys whether we can call up Sudharshan (another colleague who has gone to his native Villipuram to spend the weekend) and the answer was why not. After a few hesitations he accepted to come with us. So we picked him up after some confusions in the route told by him. Now we were 5 people in the car happily making fun of each other, hearing good music, having beers except Karthik who was driving. After some halts for nature calls and water we land up at Rasipuram at 8.30 pm. Gokul had a big smile on his face when he saw us and greeted us. Picked up food and drinks for the night and made a small visit to his house to wish his parents and then we rushed up to his Grandfathers house which is nearby to celebrate the ride and the weekend plan. Cheers.. gulp.. gulp.. gulp..and we had to say enough guys and went to sleep at 3.00 am.

Next day Gokul's grandmom waked us all up by switching on the lights. Woke up and saw the time , it was 6.30 am. Machan yennada da ithu... was the first word which came out of my mouth. We managed to get up and the comedy for the day begins. We dint have toothpaste for brushing our teeth. The suggestion given by Gokul was to brush our teeth with Neem sticks. I waited until I found everybody had started brushing their teeth with neem sticks and I had no option than following them. With neem sticks in our mouths we started brushing and started walking to have a view at the groundnut field which was maintained by gokuls grandpa. Awesome climate and a fantastic location to spend a weekend. After few chit chats we hear a loud sound from Gokul saying. .. Dude.. I found the Toothpaste.. grrr.grrr..exchange of words happened and then we all had the second round of brushing with toothbrushes and toothpaste. His grandma offered us fantastic ginger tea which refreshed us. We had to leave at around 9 am to kolli malai, so had to do a dash and splash in gokuls house to visit his mom and have breakfast. Done with the breakfast and we start to kolli malai.

We had to adjust in the car as we dint have space for 6 people. But adjusted and started the ride. Good roads and we had stopped at few places to pick up food and beverages and have some good snaps. Sriram was busy with the camera in taking some good snaps. Me, gokul, sudharshan, Suresh and Karthik as usual blah.. blah.. blah. Reached the top of the hill, which had close to 85 bends. Changed our costumes and straight walked down to the waterfalls. We had to walk down about 1200 steps to reach the waterfalls which was mind blowing. The last visit when I made, I was able to go and stand below the falls, but this time the falls was too heavy and I was even unable to swim and make it close to it. So we had just dipped ourselves for abt 1/2 hr in the water enjoyed the beauty of the falls. Had food and started walking up. This was the toughest part I would say. The steps were big and we had to take bigger steps to reach the next one. This drained down our energy levels fully and by the time we could reach the top of the hill we were damn tired. After a small halt reached up to the nearby shop to have lemon soda to refresh ourselves.

Took a good amount of rest and then started driving downhill. On the way we again started taking snaps. As suresh had to deliver some stuffs to his friend who lives next to rasipuram we had to travel to their house. Made suresh deliver things fast and rushed up to Gokuls house to have good food and take rest. On 26th Morning we had to leave by 7 am as Suresh had to take the bus back to bangalore in the evening the same day. Woke up, brushed our teeth, had some good refreshing tea, took snaps with his parents and drove back. One the way we halted at sudharshan place which is in Villupuram to meet his parents and have some snaps with them and finally reached chennai at 4 pm. On the whole we had enjoyment to the max and made sure we kept ourselves loaded with fun throughout the weekend.