Barbeque Nation- A delectable rendezvous.

       Each taste receptor on our tongue tingled away to glory. Item after item was being served, re-served and re-re-served; but we were not to be satiated. The travails of an arduous week lay mindlessly forgotten in the mélange of Zucchini cottage cheese, Assorted Mediterranean Grill, Lebanese chilli garlic potato and Gobi aachari (we being vegetarians were gorging on the shakahari upahaar. Of course, our dad, ever the carnivore, was busy devouring the chicken and the fish!). Even the humble cauliflower, usually lying forgotten in the gloomy confines of the refrigerator, was being greeted with eager anticipation and heartfelt delight. Yes. It really was that spectacular. (And we were just one round down!!!)

     Inaugurated a few months back, Andheri’s Barbeque Nation near Fun Republic Mall is one gratifying, tantalizing, scrumptious and gargantuan experience. With a seating capacity of nearly 270 people, this restaurant is surely going to be the next suburban hub. The taste is rich, the ambience, pleasing and the service is a delight. The live music jives well with the food and the humongous space gives one enough privacy and comfort. The interiors are intelligently designed with ample places for couples, gangs of friends and families alike. It is an apt place to spend an evening out with close ones where the food competes with the chit- chat!

         As is its USP, the barbeque was exquisite! The variety offered in both the courses was good and there was a fine consistency maintained in the taste levels. No particular taste was over- whelming and there was a feel- good factor about every dish. The buffet was interesting and in spite of the monstrosity of the barbeque, it was nice to have the succulent staple to add to the already full innards. The desserts were ravishing with my favorite Gulab Jamuns taking the cake (in that manner of saying!). Lastly, the mukhwaas and paan were, as usual, amazing! (Collected around 10 packs in total I guess :P)

          One thing however, that marred the wonderful night was the effort involved in reaching the place. A south Mumbai resident has that 'god-knows-where-this-forsaken-place-is' experience which was a disappointment. Another drawback, in spite of the unmatched service I told you about, was probably the over enthusiastic waiter who would insist on stuffing us with the starters every time he crossed us by. Though amusing at first, the unbridled service ate up significant main course tummy space!

         The august restaurant regaled our appetence and stoked both our gustatory and olfactory senses! The mouth watering symphony along with the tranquil karaoke spread appetizing delight to tongue, tummy and heart. All in all, the medley of food, music and banter enraptured our minds and gladdened our souls.

Looking forward to another reverent visit to this delicious restaurant.

This is the Sciolist, along with Tilak Vaidya.

Signing out!!!

About the authors:

Pranav Vaidya, who goes under the pen name The Sciolist, is an avid reader, food enthusiast, zealous blogger, Lord of the Rings fanatic, Android addict, fervent writer and sporadic poet. To follow his other work, visit Sciolism, which is an advocacy of his perspectives.

Tilak Vaidya is a budding computer engineer, amateur cricketer, neophyte guitarist, voracious reader, effervescent blogger, spasmodic poet and aspiring novelist. When he isn't gobbling up books by the dozen, he preaches at Opinionate.

OMG, What a Movie !!!

Rating: 4 out of 5

To describe in one word – Amazing

To describe in two words – Simply Outstanding

OMG is an outstanding movie, delivering a strong message. Movies are usually not for me, as I seem to hardly like any movies. However, OMG has an amazing concept, something which one can relate to. It would touch that very part of your belief in God and make you think whether your belief about what is God is actually true.

The director gives interesting insight and perspective about what is God. Not denying the fact that the movie does preach about what is God and what is not. But the best part is, the director has managed to mix entertainment and a strong message in a smooth way and there is not even a single moment in which you would feel like taking a loo break or fidgeting with your Android.

The story begins with Kanji Mehta (Paresh Rawal), a typical Gujrathi, who knows how to do business. Atheist to the core, Kanji does not believe in God. His business is to sell the idols at super expensive prices by making up stories. He even manages to go to Haridwar in a trip sponsored by a son in memory of his mother an all he does is buy more stuff.

Then one day Kanji’s son takes part in a dahi handi. In order to dissuade him, he spreads rumours and the whole dahi handi thing goes for a toss. And as one would guess, God punishes him for his act. An earthquake completely destroys his shop. But hold on, everything else is unmoved. Thus, God plays the cruel role of destroying his source of income. Even the insurance company rejects his claim saying that the damage is due to act of God. That is when, he decides to sue the God and your movie begins.

The movie has amazing dialogues and arguments put forth are nicely scripted. Each and every character is flawless and plays his role to perfection. Paresh Rawal, Mithun Chakraborty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Akshay Kumar and Om Puri are wonderful and keep you engaged. The real life resemblance of Mithun Chakraborty, Govind Namdeo as Siddheshwar Maharaj and Poonam Jhawer as Gopi Maiyya makes them all the more fun (That is if, you can guess that they actually portray real life sadhus).

After ages, there seems to be a Hindi movie which has balanced the fun and the message part nicely. I would even dare to say that this movie is better than Barfi. Must watch movie, do not miss it. It’s something you will never regret.

Mumbai Board Gamers

When we were kids we used to spend our days playing games with friends, usually without bothering about anything else. As we grew up, we continued playing games with our friends, only now the games weren’t limited to dice or boards or pawns. The words ‘business’ , ‘monopoly’, ‘ludo’, ‘snakes & ladders’ or ‘chinese chekkers’ always bring a smile to my face as they remind me of those wonderful childhood days. Sometimes I miss playing these games. I tend to wonder why I grew up to busy myself with this corporate life. For those who liked such games played other games like ‘scrabble’, ‘the game of life’, ‘pictionary’, ‘scotland yard’.

Eclipse

I recently came across this group of enthusiastic ‘board gamers’ who meet almost every week to play board games. These games are not games which you would have normally played before. These games are more advanced and they need strategies, thinking and anticipating your opponent’s moves. The games have gigantic boards with hundreds of pawns with which you can perform various actions. To name a few - ‘Eclipse’ is a game which involves space age battle, ‘Civilization’ on the other hand allows  you to build your own civilization, promote your own culture and win battles, ‘Powergrid’ makes you use resources like oil, coal, money to power cities which you control. There are more than 100 such games with them.

Stone Age

So if you are in Mumbai and want to spend your time in a constructive manner then I suggest you should try out at least one session with them. If you feel you don’t know how to play these games, then worry not, they are kind enough to explain all the rules in detail and before starting a game they do conduct a trial game. Games vary across all genres and difficulty with number of players ranging from 2-10 depending on the game. Some games need 1-2 hours whereas some may even take 5-6 hours to finish. These sessions are organized all over Mumbai but generally at Parel, Mahalaxmi, Bandra and Juhu.

The Mumbai Board Gamers was formed 5 months back. They already have around 100 members. The people in the group are down to earth and very helping. Some of them are alumni of IITs  and IIMs also. One needs to just give their time and dutch in for whatever they eat / drink, rest everything is on the house.

I joined them last week and have already attended four sessions and it is truly addictive. It’s certainly better than watching a sitcom or lazing around watching TV. Some of these games are also part of business school games. And additionally it serves the purposes of networking and meeting new people.

You can reach them by joining Mumbai BoardGamers or for any details / queries please leave a comment here or get in touch with me @gaurav_agrawall on twitter.

Barfi ! - Unadulterated Innocence...

Unadulterated Innocence! That is how you describe the ‘Barfi’ experience in two words. The movie which travels from the hustle bustle of Kolkata to the quaint, mist-laden environs of Darjeeling is much a treat for all age groups alike. It captures the yet-uncorrupted parts of your brain well and does manage to enthuse the hidden child or maybe just the die-hard romantic in you.

The script revolves around the life of Barfi, a young guy who cannot speak or hear. And what is Bollywood if not for a love triangle? But this triangle is as beautiful as it is different. The story is a beautiful rendition of how differently abled people can and are like any other human being. It speaks volumes how much one can communicate even sans words. How emotions and love can be conveyed without speaking. That is where the movie’s USP lies. It’s simple yet elegant and it does manage to leave you teary-eyed.

Barfi or Ranbir Kapoor, happy go lucky as he is, falls in love with Shruti, played nicely by the newcomer Ileana D’cruz. But as luck would have it she is already engaged. Love still blossoms in the hills and there comes a time where she needs to make a choice. And choose she does! In some other part of town, Jhilmil or Priyanka Chopra, who suffers from Autism is living her own story. Barfi who has grown up with Jhilmil decides to kidnap her when he needs money for his father’s operation. And there begins the comedy of hits and misses. From Darjeeling to Kolkata and back - it’s all seeped in raw emotions and love!

Travelling back and forth in time, the movie narrates itself as a story with constant flashbacks to different periods in time. One may get a tad confused but if one engrosses oneself in the movie enough then I am pretty sure it will be a relish. The cinematography and direction are spell binding and keep you entertained throughout. And the acting is simply marvellous – be it Ranbir or Priyanka or even Inspector Dutta (played by Saurabh Shukla). Although the first part is a bit slow and may make you take your eyes away from the movie, the second part more than makes up for the slip. The plus point of the second part being better than the first is that it leaves a lasting and lingering good-wala feeling on you. Overall it is a good watch and I would rate it 3.5/5 !!

Catch the official trailer here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZxrao3zou4

US Open 2012 – Preview of Men’s Singles preview

So the final slam of the year is here. Considered to be the fastest of the four courts, the US Open has always been exciting. Last four years have produced four different winners, most notable was the US Open of 2009 where Juan Martin Del Potro came from 2 sets down to win the match and the tournament. I still remember how I had written off Del Potro after being 2 sets down and had gone off to sleep. But as the saying goes, you can never win at half time and the goal is not scored until it is actually scored.

So, time for predictions of US Open 2012 winner. People would call me foolish and also thoughtless if I say that this year’s tournament will be won by someone apart from Federer or Djokovic or Murray and it may be right too considering the way these people have dominated tournaments year after year. There are few who have managed to challenge these players in grand slams and no player has been able to keep winning against these players on a consistent basis.

Obviously, the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal from this year’s tournament may be the talking point but everything would be forgotten once the tournament gets underway. Talking about the grand prediction, it doesn’t take in-depth tennis knowledge to guess the winner.

Roger Federer has rolled back years and sublimely taken over Wimbledon again. The elegance, the skill and the mastery seems to be back. Besides, his bogey player, Nadal has also withdrawn. He is thus a formidable opponent and a challenger for title. Novak – he is another contender to win the title. With his fighting spirit, his rise to the top, his stamina and bringing out his best at toughest times, Djoko is now one of the favourites. Murray has now formed a reputation which he may not like - of not performing at a big stage. But, it seems, with Ivan Lendl being his coach, there is a difference in his mentality. Shockingly, his previous defeats in grand slam finals were in straight sets but in Wimbledon finals he managed to finally win a set. His comprehensive victory against Federer in the Olympics gold medal match may come as a shocker but it seems that his time has finally come.

Apart from these three, the only player which I feel can challenge top three is Del Potro. The fast pace court will suit his game. Del Potro is one whom I assume to be a dark horse and certainly consider him better than Tsonga and Ferrer.

However, if you ask me to put my money on a player, I may still go with Novak Djokovic. According to me he just has that extra edge which may help him to overcome other 127 players. Lets wait for 8th September !!!

66th year of Indian Independence!

Thousands of ‘midnight hours’ have come and gone by, the world slept and awoke as a routine and India managed to complete its 66 years of existence as a democracy when states around it succumbed to military rule and autocracies. This by no means is a mean feat but India now needs to rise from the ‘midnight hour’ phenomenon as we certainly did not catch the entire world napping; for the record it was 2.30pm in the American Capital and most would have been wide awake. Nevertheless, the allegory symbolises the intrinsic value of the historical event that was unfolding – the lowering of the Union Jack and hoisting of the Tricolour!

India will always have a special place in history. Not only because the Indus valley civilisation was much advanced than the contemporary world but also because it has resolutely but subtly had its effect on the entire world. UK would not have been such a roaring economy (pre-crisis I mean) but for the gold that was looted from India. Bangladesh would not been born if not for Indira Gandhi’s timely intervention in the erstwhile East Pakistan. So also South Africa would have taken a few more years to rid itself of the apartheid that was prevalent therein if the Mahatma had not stood against the whites. These are the few direct impacts we have had on the world. But we still continue to prop up the IT industry of the world and many of NASA’s scientists are Indians.

But now India needs to reclaim its lost glory – lost because the current glory is but a mere shadow of its original being. India needs to assert itself on the world stage. By assert I do not mean that it should disturb world peace or disrupt the democratic systems around the world. But a point needs to be driven home that we shall not take things lying down. Indian diplomacy needs to rise to the occasion and re-engage with like-minded countries and untie to fight the scourges of terrorism, violence, corruption and similar global vices. Using the platforms of multilateral platforms a refreshing change needs to be brought in the way systems function. From expansion of the UN Security Council to giving impetus to the Non-alignment Movement, from establishing channels of communication with the African nations to building bridges with the South American continent, from playing a meaningful role in the Middle Eastern crises to taking decisive action to arrest global warming – the time has come for a nation to reawaken.

National interest should be at the forefront of any decision, political or otherwise. If anyone falls short of the patriotism that is needed to support India in nation building, well, simply tune in to the numerous patriotic songs that are playing around. The heart-wrenching voice of Lata Mangeshkar singing Vande Mataram instantly makes one teary eyed. It affects you because somewhere within you know you are falling short of doing your bit for your country, your motherland. It is time you wake up to the nation’s call. Take a pledge to serve your country in whatever way possible. Be a responsible citizen. And remember – we are all Indians first and lastly we are Indians!

The Irish House

For all those who wanted a Mclarens kind of bar to hang out at, here’s a great option – The Irish House at Phoenix Mills. Yes, it’s inside Phoenix Mills. In case, you are wondering how come you missed even though you Phoenix mills is your second home on weekends, join the club. JFYI, it’s up the stairs next to Smoke House Deli and Noodle Bar.

Conspicuousness apart, the place has great ambience. They've got the typical bar look just right with brick walls, bare wooden tables and high chairs. Just the right mix of the classy and the casual. The walls are interspersed with TV screens playing the ongoing  sport events. What takes your attention away, and I mean this literally, is the huge roll down screen. If you want to enjoy a match with buddies over beer, this is the place to be. Gives the place a sports bar-ish feel. I ve heard they also have a Karaoke and stand up comedy too. Should check that out sometime.  There’s something about the place and one liners. You’ll find one liners “Ask not for what your country has done for you, ask whats for main course” and “Reality is just an illusion caused by the lack of alcohol”J all over the place right from walls to the coasters. The crowd quality is also pretty good (Read between the lines!).

 Anyway, the ‘must try out’ as far as food is concerned would be the Grande Nachos. Cheesy and saucy, it forms the perfect munching option .There is another heavenly dish full of cheese rightly named ‘Heavenly Cheese’ - a delight for cheese lovers. In general, the place has yummy appetizers are quite good. Vegetarians are not really left with too many options as far as main course is concerned though I would recommend the Meditteranean Sandwich for veggies. The pastas and spaghettis are nothing special but then hey it’s an Irish pub and not an Italian restaurant. My carnivore friends say that the shrimp bucket was excellent so you may want to try that out.  If you are a lover of cottage cheese, then you got to try out the Double Double – An ultimate delight consisting only of cottage cheese. They serve most beer brands and also a decent variety of cocktails though the mock tail menu leave doesn’t really leave you spoilt for choices.

The menu is slightly overpriced but worth it I would say considering the quality (and quantity) of time that can be spent there. If you believe that “Beer is the answer ... who cares about the question!!” or you are a sports aficionado or you are just looking to chill post work, just grab hold of a couple of friends and go Irish.

The Comedy Store

Friday 21st July, 2012 -- The Dark Knight Rises... Well, he rose and continued to thrill the audience but we suffered through an hour and twenty minutes of traffic from Apollo Mills to Phoenix Mills (I'm led to believe it’s less than 5kms), to reach just in time, in complete snitty moods, at the perfect place - The Comedy Store. As part of a multinational company few perks that we get are corporate events and laughs if not a healthy pay-check. So a group of 26 odd 'corporate slaves' headed to The Comedy Store & we all needed a couple of laughs !

This rather short show of two hours was hosted by Kunal Rao, an ex-Chartered Accountant who quit his job to become a stand-up comedian. As part of his short opening act, he got a few chuckles from the crowd and generally warmed them for the acts to follow. Kunal also had the opportunity to reacquaint himself with our colleague, the Consultant - Vivek. Vivek was the enthusiast from the audience who got picked on all through the show for having a few funny liners of his own. Note to all - don't mess with comedians in their element. They are like bosses out to get you! 

Kunal and all the other comedians for the night did the standard lines of 'First time to comedy store?' and 'Why would you sit in the front row if it’s not your first time here?' Fortunately for them there were 3 pretty girls in the front row...

Next on stage was Abish! This guy was good and had some brilliant material. From how terminator would sound in Bengali 'Asta Livista Dada' to what actually happens on the cricket ground - his enactment of MSD in slow-mo was simply brilliant! His song to irritate his 'mallu' uncle and auntie is worth memorising - you never know when you need to get those off your back! He also made jokes about how Indian names are derived and how his simply rhymed with his brother’s - Anish. Well Abish is definitely worth watching again. This guy from Delhi was on fire and kept going at it all throughout. His personification of cities when given characters and voices was simply superb.Yes the Maharashtrians are still angry and will stay so !

After a rather long twenty-minute break (you can carry your drinks inside) Kunal was back on stage talking about comprehensive condom machines and jokes on CA’s and as such his spontaneity was not to be missed. There was a lot of interaction between the comedians and the three pretty girls in the front row and a young guy Pratyush. There was a special feature by Ahmed Sharif (he has apparently shared the stage with the likes of Vir Das) but as Kunal forewarned us - have no expectations. Though he had good material, Ahmed’s jokes fell flat, maybe because of his timing or otherwise, but there was something amiss. However, worth mentioning were his jokes on Al-Qaeda, Dumbledore and how Indians are so fond of shortening names - poor Gandalf will never visit India.

Post a very anti-climatic stint by Mr. Sharif the mood definitely was very glad to have Kunal back only to introduce Rajneesh Kapoor, yet another Delhi-ite. I was a little apprehensive but this guy’s simple jokes had us in considerable stitches (After the show our sides hurt from all the laughing). He talked about flying and superstition and about kids and how stupid they are these days with their low IQs. He did the classic ‘my Punjabi mom’ has two solutions to everything - get married or else eat something. It solves all !! J Rajneesh apparently wastes a lot of time googling/surfing the net and shared his insights about people’s comments on Youtube. Funny it seems, but a war between India- Pakistan can/does start on youtube. He observes that every third comment is 'to view pictures of girls click on this link'. We ended the night clucthing our sides.

All in all, the 25 CA - consultants left the Comedy Store very happy. All the comedians were very certainly on their feet and think rather fast, their spontaneity and interaction with the crowd makes the evening very memorable (if you are with Vivek).  So, The Comedy Store is a must visit - because any wo/man who can make you laugh till your stomach hurts a little is certainly worth the 600 bucks. You can also watch the shows by Vir Das and international comedians at NCPA, Sophias, Bhabha Hall and etc.

The Comedy Store: (website link) http://in.bookmyshow.com/events/Abish-Mathew-Kunal-Rao-Rajneesh-Kapoor/ET00010232
http://www.thecomedystore.in/


P.S. - Just to test Rajneesh's theory lets see if the third hit/comment on this blog is ..'to see pictures of girls ...' 

About the author: Namrata Mahtani

The first review to have gone public and is pretty ecstatic. Thank you Coffee and a Quill – this is my Oscar moment!! Is paving her way to become a consultant in HR. With a knack for organising and talking too much is also trying to complete her MBA in HRD. You can also follow her on twitter @njmahtani

Virat Kohli – Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man

The memory of Herschelle Gibbs tearing apart the Australian balling line up in the chase of the then highest one score of 434 is still clear. However, after doing all the good work and scoring a mesmerizing 175, he was not able to finish the match. Enter VIRAT KOHLI.  Scoring 133 against Sri Lanka and finishing it in style is something which I will rate higher than Gibbs’ innings. The score was not the only concern against Sri Lanka - the pressure of a failed batting line up in Australia, expectations back home and the ghosts of bouncy pitches of Australia. Virat Kohli defied all odds and did the impossible.

Never before had any player risen to the status of one of the bests in such style, never before had any player scored 13 centuries in just 89 matches and never before did any player cement his place in the side in such an imperious manner !!!

VIRAT PREM KOHLI is a name which would now run shivers in the Sri Lankan side for years to come. Never has one particular player been such a thorn for any side. Virat scored his first ever ODI century against Sri Lanka and has never looked back since then. Scoring 13 centuries over a period of last two and half years, Virat Kohli has undoubtedly been the best ODI batsman for Team India. Scoring 12 centuries in winning causes he created an uproar in the cricketing world.

Critics may always point out that scoring 11 out of 13 centuries in sub-continent doesn’t make a player great. True, very true… Virat has still a long way to go to be called as a cricketing LEGEND. But, there would hardly be anyone who will point out against Virat. He has been in the form of his life and his purple patch has continued for longer than anyone would have expected. Averaging more than 50 for a one down batsman is outstanding to say the least. However, success doesn’t come easy.

At the age of 18, Virat lost his father. A Ranji match between Delhi and Karnataka was going on the day this tragedy happened. Delhi’s then coach, Chetan Chauhan, had relieved Virat from his duties towards Delhi and had asked him to go for his father’s last rites. Despite being up for the most of the night and rising to his duties as a son, he nevertheless turned up for the match. Scoring a gritty 90 which helped Delhi in avoiding follow-on he left a mark of being special. Comparisons were then drawn between him and Sachin Tendulkar who had done a similar thing during the 1999 World Cup - scoring a century against Kenya after his father’s death. The innings shall forever be etched in the minds of those who witnessed it.

Captaining the U-19 Indian team and leading them to World Cup glory now seems just a beginning of an illustrious carrier which Virat seems to very well have. Despite being just 23 he has established himself as an important batsman on the team or may be the “MOST” important batsman.  However, it will help to remember that he began merely as a reserve batsman. After performing decently in his first one-day series he was never given a chance considering the famed batting line up of India. He finally got his chance with a share of luck which every cricketer waits for. In his case Yuvraj Singh got injured. Virat grabbed this opportunity and scored his first ODI century and from there on, as they say, rest was history.

Kohli has been in a domineering form, tearing apart all the famous bowling line ups around the world, burying the ghosts of so-called bouncy pitches. His innings of Hobart where he scored 133 of just 86 balls may have just defined his career (which was already superbly defined before this innings). Tearing apart one of the deadliest bowlers, Malinga, he carted 24 runs of his over and made the chase of 320 runs pretty easy. And then came his top-notch innings - scoring 183 runs of just 148 balls against Pakistan.  Well agreed that the Pakistan line up was new but then Pakistan has a history of producing superios fast bowlers one after another.

Now, after 13 centuries in 89 innings and with a batting average of 52, we can truly say he is the next big thing in Indian cricket. Talent was always there but unlike many players he has not (yet) thrown away his talent. Players with immense talent like Rohit Sharma have let go innumerable chances but Kohli is one of those rare breeds who create their own place in the side. Brought in as a replacement of rested or injured players, currentlyno one can even think of dropping him.

It may seem that Sachin’s golden days have been revived by this Delhiite. Till he is remains on the crease it does seem that anything is possible. Younger players should take a leaf – or even many leaves if possible - out of his book - his determination, his grit, his dedication… Age just seems to be a number for him, because he has played so many wonderful innings under pressure which would seem impossible even for the greatest of greats.

XXX Olympics London 2012 - Let the games begin!

 Here we are; a fortnight before the biggest sporting event falling in this calendar year kicks off - Games of the XXX Olympiad or the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Don’t take me wrong but it’s the first time since 2^nd April, 2011 that I am looking forward to the display of patriotism in India when it comes to sports (including me). Let’s be true to ourselves, we have always fought over Rafa, Djoker, Roger or Chelsea, Liverpool, ManU or Spain, Portugal, Italy and not to forget MI, CSK, KKR and the likes. The most exciting part of the next 17 days is the fact that 81 athletes from India will be competing against the likes of Jamie Dywer, Wang Yihan, Roger Federer, Dani Samuels and many more – the best in business to be more precise. However, this is one event where we let go our favoritism and support athletes from home irrespective of their rankings. Every Indian, avid sports follower or not, will come out and support that team or athlete – the one that belongs to India. Now, this is the beauty that makes Olympics not only the biggest sporting event of any year but THE biggest sporting event there ever was, is or ever will.

Liu Xiang

Roots of the Games date back to the 8^th century BC better known as the Ancient Olympic Games which saw a series of competitions held between representative of several city-states and kingdoms in ancient Greece. However, with shift of ruling powers, the Games experienced their demise by 5^th century AD.  By the 19^th century, the interested and wealthy were instrumental in the revival of the Olympic Games. Although the first games on revival took place in 1859, Pierre de Coubertin was influential in forming the governing body for the Games – International Olympic Committee (IOC). The first Games held under the auspices of the IOC were hosted in the Panathenaic stadium in Athens in 1896.  Growth of this event in the past 116 years can be understood by one factor alone – the number of participants in one edition of the Games. They have risen from 241 participants representing 14 nations in 1896 to just over 11,000 competitors from 204 countries at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Mo Farah

Looking back at Beijing 2008 will give us a fairer view of the fireworks we can expect in London. Taking into consideration the gold medal tally, China topped the list with 51 gold medals, followed by the USA with 36 and Russia with 23. However, taking into consideration the tally of total medals, USA topped with 110 medals followed by China with 100 and Russia with 73. China and USA clearly had a competition of their own. When it came to India, with both the men and women hockey teams failing to qualify for field hockey, the nation’s hopes rested on the tennis duo of Bhupati and Paes and Athens silver medalist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Both events failing to make a mark, Abhinav Bindra was the first surprise for India by winning us our first individual gold medal till date. This was followed by one bronze medal each for Sushil Kumar and Vijender Kumar in wrestling and middleweight boxing respectively. Thus, with three medals, the last edition of the Games was the most successful till date for any Indian contingent.

The world experienced 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records in Beijing. The most notable performances in Beijing were those of American swimmer Michael Phelps who broke the record for most gold medals in one Olympics and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt becoming the fastest man on the planet. These men remain favorites to defend their events in London. However, there are a few who have impressed over the last four years and have emerged as a threat.

  Ryan Lochte (left) and Michael Phelps (Right)

Michael Phelps, who has 16 Olympic medals to his credit including 14 gold medals, is clearly ‘the’ man to beat in his pet events. However, he faces a serious threat from his countryman Ryan Lochte who was named the 2011 World Swimmer of the year. Lochte won 5 gold medals in the 2011 world championships in which he beat Phelps in 200-meters freestyle and 200-meters individual medley. Although Phelps has withdrawn from 200-meters freestyle, keep an eye out for a final showdown between the two in 200-meters individual medley. Lochte will give Phelps a run for his money preventing a clean sweep in what Phelps has announced will be his last Olympic appearance.                                                                                                  

     Usain Bolt (left) and Yohan Blake (Right)

From one favorite to another, Usain Bolt – very difficult to look beyond this name in 100-meters dash and 200-meters. Another Jamaican bloke named Yohan Blake, just 22 years old has already proven Usain Bolt is good (ok maybe an understatement) but not God. Yes, Blake did beat Bolt in 100-meters in the world championships held at Daegu in 2011 for which he may be claimed lucky because of a Bolt false start, however he backed his performance by beating Bolt in both 100-meters and 200-meters in national championships. The finale of these two legs is going to be one of the best moments of London 2012.                                     

Yelena Isinbayeva

Moving on to one of my favorite sports, field hockey – couldn’t be more excited that India (well at least the men’s team) has qualified for the Olympics. India has a relatively inexperienced team with a coach who has not been with us for a long time either. India in pool B has tough competition in defending champions Germany, one of the best performers Netherlands and New Zealand. Going into the knock-out stages, India needs to put in brilliant performance to stay in the game. Realistically the tournament favorites have to be the world number one Australian team (more famously known as Kookaburras) which is led by five-time ‘hockey player of the year’ Jamie Dwyer. This team consists of a number of World All-Star team players and has won every major competition since 2010 (including the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, 2010). Netherlands or Germany will be their likely rivals in the finals. Among the women, it is going to be a battle for gold between the Dutch and the Argentines. Netherlands will try to retain their gold while Argentina led by Lucina Aymar (referred to as he Maradona of hockey), seven time player of the year, will try to bring home the gold before she calls it a day.

Sally Pearson

For the ones who share my enthusiasm of the Olympic Games, keep an eye out for the following names - they will excite you. The journey of Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva would be a very interesting watch. She is the world record holder and looks good to break her own record yet again. A few other names to keep a track of would be Matthew Mitcham (diving), Sally Pearson (100m hurdles), Liu Xiang (110m hurdles), Sir Chris Hoy (track cyclist), Rebecca Adlington (swimming), Mo Farah (5000m) and last but not the least the Dream Team (basketball). Russia, China and USA sure remain at the top of my list for some interesting rivalries followed by USA and Australia in the pool. An interesting catfight would be in the pool between Australia’s golden girl from Beijing Stephanie Rice and their golden girl from Commonwealth Games in Delhi. 

Deepika Kumari - The one to watch

            India is sending her biggest contingent till date to the London Games. Considering our performance in the past 4 years, we have the best opportunities to win medals in badminton, boxing, wrestling, archery, mixed tennis and shooting. My biggest hopes lie on the world number one player in Archery- the 18 year old Deepika Kumari. It is not going to be an easy road to success for any of the athletes. Athletes from around the world will have a huge appetite to be on the podium but it will be the grit and determination over the next 17 days which will make the difference. With London 2012 right at the doorstep, it is safe to say that the Games are a bigger deal than they ever were. Now why am I saying that? It’s not because of the money or glamour involved in the staging of this edition of the Games but the dimensions covered by athletes involved in it. London 2012 will see the fastest man on earth, fastest man in water, highest vaulter, legends on the tennis court, magicians on the hockey field (just a handful figures out of many) ready to challenge the world. Defence versus emergence is going to be the royal battle in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.




(Shweta Vishwanath is an athlete by dawn, equity trader by noon, event manager by evening and blogger by mid-night. She is a sports enthusiast hoping to make a change. 
You can follow her on Twitter: @crazyindie1888 )

Bol Bachchan - The worst that you can get!!

                There are good films, there are bad films. And then there is Bol Bachchan. I generally am very choosy about what I watch and what I don't. And Bol Bachchan definitely came in the NEVER EVER kind of films. But I think it was just one of those days when my choices derailed. Bol Bachchan, in one word, was pathetic. In two words, absolutely horrendous. And this was in spite of the fact that, as advised, I kept my brains at the door step of the cinema hall. Frankly, it was unbearable to sit through the film. Both my brother and I were in a state of utter disgust.  We were at a stage where we were repulsed (and almost hyper- ventilating) that some people around us were actually laughing on the lame attempts at slapstick comedy!      

                At the outset, Bol Bachchan seemed to be a film made to fill in an otherwise dry Friday. With no story line, what the film was basically riding on was senseless comedy. But unfortunately, Rohit Shetty really went berserk with this film. Everything was wrong about this film. From casting to story line to dialogs. I mean, you cannot and I reiterate, CANNOT cast Abhishek Bachchan for a dance role. He is a miserable dancer. And it isn’t as if he has set the world on fire in the comedy genre. I think Rohit should have looked beyond the obligation and cast somebody else. A Sharman Joshi may have been good. Further, if you have Abhishek Bachchan as one of your joint leads, you cannot have Ajay Devgn as a comic lead. With all due respect to his recent successful record (read Golmaal series), he gives Kristen Stewart competition when it comes to his expressions. And he just could not fill up the void created by Abhishek. Mind you, I have not even commented about Krushna Abhishek, VIP and Archana Puran Singh. Prachi Desai and Asin Thottumkal really had no roles to speak about. A well polished table could have replaced them and we all would have been none the wiser (Actually the same can be said for Abhishek considering that a table also has two left feet!!! :P).

                Coming to the story line, what was presented on the platter was absurd. The character of Vikrant Raghuvanshi, Radhika Raghuvanshi, Sania Ali were not needed at all (I know I just took out half the characters. I also know that the film should not have been made in the first place. But this is damage control mode!) The insipid English dialogs by Ajay Devgn which were supposed to be the high points of the film were actually an eye sore. (A reference can be made to Sanjay Mishra’s character in Golmaal 3. He pulled off the broken English character to the T and was amusing to watch!) Frankly, after braving 3 traumatic hours of the film I felt that Rohit Shetty felt obliged to make something for his Comedy Circus comrades. I believe the writing credits should have been given to Krushna & VIP (the story genuinely seemed to be a rip- off from the stand- up acts that these two perform). It was senseless for sure, but contained no comedy.

                At the end of it all, I felt really disappointed with the kind of movie that was made. I know that it has been declared as a Box- Office hit. But in reality, such kind of films are an apartheid for Hindi Cinema. We, the viewers, really have to demand a better product from this industry. Eventually we are going to buy the same 100 - 150 rupees ticket. Why not spend it on some quality film? Films like Bol Bachchan are the reason why we are nowhere on the worldwide movie scene. We can get better from this industry. We deserve better from them. Let’s make this known to them. Let us not tolerate such asinine set of films. Only then shall this miserable condition abate.

Hoping that my film choices are back on track next time on.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing out!!!
     
(Pranav Vaidya, who goes under the pen name The Sciolist, is an avid reader, food enthusiast, zealous blogger, Lord of the Rings fanatic, Android addict, fervent writer and sporadic poet. To follow his other work, visit Sciolism, which is an advocacy of his perspectives.)

Goa in Monsoons

Goa. That piece of land with abundant sunshine, fresh sea breeze, gentle waves, cheaper-than-water alcohol and yes everything nice. Now picture this. Goa. The same piece of land but this time with a sun playing hide-n-seek with the clouds, light drizzles to heavy showers, sometimes a bright sunny day, roaring waves, the same old cheaper-than-water alcohol and yes everything resplendent in every possible hue of green. That my friend is Goa in Monsoons for you!

                The Europeans, desperate for some sunshine, throng Goa in the summer and winter seasons. It’s during the monsoons that Goa is much neglected. And that’s your chance to enjoy Goa as God made it – lush green grass, tall palm trees dotting every road, the fragrance of fresh wet soil, the beautiful sea made even grander by the rains and yes the more than benevolent Sun God! Take my word; this is the season to visit Goa! And as it has always happened, it didn’t rain on 2 out of the 3 days we went there. So you have the benefit of a crowdless and dearth cheap Goa but with added benefits of being closer to Nature than you ever can imagine here. Goa in monsoons transforms itself into a rare combination of Kerala and Uttarakhand. It’s sheer brilliance.

                So first you need to get your place of stay right. The North is the more popular one. The South is more on the calmer side. Never and I mean never stay at the Central Goan beaches as they are way too much in the west. So every time you need to go anywhere, you end up travelling 20kms by default.  My suggestion would be to either stick to the extreme South beaches or the extreme North beaches. Personally I feel South has not been much explored. So that’s a better place to stay as there are many places close by from there which are more than just beaches.

                Now that the location is sorted, let’s get down to business. Goa has seriously more things to offer than just the beaches. Yes beaches are important but one needs to realise that all beaches have the same water, the same sand and are pretty much the same. So what matters is you choose a cleaner, a less crowded beach. Go try the Palolem, Butterfly or the Colva beaches in South or the Candolim in the north. In monsoons, most shacks are shut and so also the water sports. So there is no point in going to Baga or Calungute or the likes as they won’t have anything more to offer in monsoons.  Butterfly beach has this nice little island and is quite a secluded beach.  Candolim is just besides Calangute but is still unadulterated. There is a permanent shack there called ‘Sunny side up’. It’s a must go for lunch. Good food coupled with a breezy table by the beach. That’s heaven!

                Try out good food places in Goa. ‘Martins’ is a very famous joint and the one very easily approachable is the one at Madgaon.  Then there are the local khaanavals which will serve you authentic Goan Konkani cuisine at really cheap prices. Try locating the one at Madgaon or any other town in Goa and you’ll be glad. The signature dishes to try are the Pork (or chicken if you don’t consume pork) Vindaloo or the Sarpotel. Fish is always welcome so try out some fresh salt water fish. When it comes to alcohol, you don’t have to go far. It sells so cheap there that it’s actually almost cheaper than water. The local feni made from cashewnuts is worth a try.

                Goa in the monsoons means the abundant greenery. Just hire bikes and roam around absorbing the greens which are such a rare species back home in the metros. Stop by temples in Phonda like Mangueshi and Shantadurga. These are pretty old temples and much revered by locals and tourists alike. The churches of Old Goa are a must visit if this is your first time. If you have the time and the patience to ride for 2-3 hours on the bikes then the Dudhsagar falls are a must visit. These majestic waterfalls right on the border of Goa and Karnataka are an awesome sight in monsoons. And then there are the wildlife sanctuaries in case you are a wildlife enthusiast. Cotigao or Dr. Salim Ali Sanctuary can be converted into a day trip. Also try out the River cruise on the Mandovi in the evening and catch the sunset on the horizon. Just ensure that you carry some spare fuel on you just in case your bike runs out of it. And mind the cops!

So all in all you won’t be left stranded on a beach. Goa gets more exciting in the monsoons and it’s upto you to explore the beauty.  Goa never disappoints. It always has something up its sleeves to charm you and make you fall in love with it all over again. I have been there around a dozen times and always want to go there again. That’s the charisma of Goa. It will bind you in a serene spell of freedom, zest and all things nice. Go Goa this Monsoon and especially in the Hindu month of Shravan as it rains relatively less. And remember – in Goa life is always sushegaat!

         Goa Tourism Site - Goa Tourism

Thank God @ TGI Friday's

TGIF

      Feeling lazy on a weekend? Or do you just want to chill with friends? How about enjoying the game and have some beer with great food? Then why not thank God for a Friday? TGI Friday's aka TGIF is located in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. This place is a superb hangout place where neither the staff nor the patrons at the next table are bothered as to what’s going on (in a good way of course).

       When we went to the TGIF at Palladium Mall, Mumbai we thought we would have to wait for our table. But to our surprise the place is huge and we found ourselves in a very comfy booth in a couple of minutes. It took me some time to take in the ambience and adjust myself to the music. The place was very brightly light with the lamps in their trademark red and white. They had a dedicated smoking room which seemed more crowded than the restaurant itself. The walls contained all kinds of things right from super hero posters, idols, banners, helmets, bikes, jerseys and the likes. The décor really impresses and more often than not you find someone clicking photos of the interiors. The menu is very complicated with same dishes repeated at different parts of the menu.

Strawberry Lemonade

          We ordered a Vegetarian Platter & a Simply Veggie Pizza (SVP) to start with. Since I am a teetotaler I cannot recommend any cocktails but the Strawberry Lemonade was very smooth and so was the Green Apple Slush. Go in for an unlimited refill of Soft drinks which is priced at only Rs125. Although the rules say one can’t share the unlimited soft drinks but they are not so stringent about it so you can always share it with your friends. The Vegetarian Platter comprises of potato skins, fried mozzarella & vegetable pyramids (which are awesome), some salad and sauces. I am not a fan of thin crust pizzas but the SVP was surprisingly tasty and filling too. Caesar Salad is tasty but the size of the portions is not encouraging. The enchiladas were nice and so is the Pasta Arabiata. But the pick of the day was the Veg Garden Burger which I ordered after seeing it served at another table. And that was the best thing I ever did. The burger is huge (you can read about the same in my earlier blog post here ‘How I met the 'perfect' burger!!’). The burger comes with thick golden French fries. You will definitely need a drink and a friend to finish off the burger. For all ‘Snickers’ fans, the peanut butter crumble brownie is a safe and satisfying option.

Red & White theme @ TGIF

TGIF is an expensive place with an average bill for two without alcohol in the range of Rs 1350. The Veg Garden Burger is priced at a whopping Rs390++ but it’s totally worth the money and it easily suffices one. The prices on the menu are exclusive of any taxes, so you can safely add 15-20% to the menu price for taxes and service charges and taxes on service charges.  TGIF is a cool place to hang out with your friends or colleagues but it does leave a hole in your pocket. They are also running a promotion on Mondays – Fridays 7pm onwards. A two course set meal (with a good variety) for Rs299++ per person which certainly is good value for money. All in all I would rate this place an 8 on 10 and surely recommend it.

You can check TGIF out @ TGIF