SCENIC BEACH ROAD...

...thats how an advertisement said, which I saw today on the East Coast Road. It said "own a house on the beautiful scenic beach road".

That might have been true earlier, but today till Kelambakkam you see very little of the scenic beach from the main road - ECR. I remember those days (around 10 years back), when right after Tiruvanmiyur, you get to see those lovely sea waters traversing with you the whole stretch up to Mahabalipuram. All I get to see today are hoardings, high-rise buildings.

I am not finding fault, everyone wants to have a slice of what ECR has to offer. Am just wondering, are we getting over-enthusiastic, and over-grandeur about everything and spoil the simple fun in our life here at Chennai. [Few more examples would be MRTS stations, flyovers, shopping malls]

Why do we do, what we do?

This post is not connected to the title of this post. Nor is the post bear any relevance to the state of my mind or the status of my philosophy in lie. Actually this is not a post at all.

In fact, this entry is merely to keep up with one of my "resolutions". I dont want to break my resolutions right on the second day itself, especially when Chakra thinks I will break the resolutions only after 2 months, and asks for a status update then.

So, this post stays.

(And, my darling wife, please note: Today morning on my way to the office, a Police Van carrying a bunch of overgrown policemen honked continuously behind me. So that, they can break the RED signal. As I decided not to interact on the road, I didn't give way. All the while they honked loudly using air horn well within city limits, and very near to a hospital. Despite that, i didnt complain to the nearby Traffic Police. I did not curse at the auto driver who came riding very fast in the wrong direction. I didn't even bother. And today those 21G bus drivers, whose fidelity and their vamsavali which is doubted by me, actually received a smile from me, even after they overtook me from the wrong side and didnt bother about the signal.

Note that DETERMINATION)

The year resolutions

Yeah, I know they are coming in a month late. But heck, who cares! I am a lazy guy, so lazy not to make resolutions at all. At least now, I am a bit surusuruppu and making some resolutions even when they come late.

Ok, now down to the list:
1. Almost no interactions with auto, bus, Govt vehicles and those coming on the wrong side in full speed, on the Chennai roads. I say "almost", because I intend going for six-sigma standard. By interactions, I mean, all those swearings, I give - "naayay, poramboku thayoli...kannu engada, seatku adila vachi iruukiya" so on and so forth.
2. Post something every day on my blog
3. Revamp my blog layout and the links (most of the people in the link have closed thier blogs or moved)...{yes, that much somberi!}
4. Cut down on my travelling distance to my workplace by atleast 60% (how I will accomplish later!)
5. Donate for www.schoolsforindia.org
6. Revive acquaintance circle and keep in touch atleast once a month
7. Visit relatives, friends atleast once a month
8. Spend at least 3 hours with my kids
9. Save enough to buy a new house next year
10. Walk total 25 km every week
ippothaikki avlothaan

Sai Baba and the Wannabe Baba...

No, no…am not talking about the fall of pagutharivu at the feet of aanmeegam. I just happened to notice these two billboards on Anna Salai. While traversing towards Teynampet from 1000 Lights on the Anna Flyover, somewhere when you cross American Consulate, look to your right. There are two billboards adjacent to each other.

 

One featuring a photo of a “Wannabe Baba” aka the 3-fingered salute of Rajnikanth in his movie Baba being imitated by a Baba look-alike. Right next to that is the billboard of Sri Satya Sai Baba.

Cycle Race - ICR on ECR- 19th Jan 2007

 

Attractive prize money!

Fundraiser for an ambitious schools project (6000 schools by 2010 in remote reaches of India)!!

(For more information on Schools for India, log on to: www.schoolsforindia.org)

(A further post by another blogger, Kiruba, on the rally and his impressions about the project and the man behind the project can be found at: http://www.kiruba.com/2007/01/icr-on-ecr-cycling-race-at-chennai.html )

 

 

Schools for India

 

Proudly Presents

 

ICR ON ECR

 

In Association with Cycling Federation of India

 

International Cycle Race on East Coast Road

 

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

 

 

Introduction:

 

• ICR on ECR is an international cycle race-cum-rally planned for the 19 January 2007. Cyclists of global repute and participants from across the country, professionals and amateurs alike, will be invited for the ICR on ECR. The event targets 2500-3000 cyclists who will cycle through a distance of 150 kms from VGP Golden Beach (Start point) to Pondicherry (finish point).

 

Start Point: VGP Golden Beach

Student Race Break Point: Muttukadu

Corporate Rally Break Point: Y point that splits to Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry

Amateur Race & International Cyclists Finish Point: Pondicherry

 

Primary Objectives – ICR on ECR:

 

The International Cycle Race-cum-rally on the East Coast Road is being organized by Schools for India, a non-profit charitable organization registered under the Indian Charitable Trust Act in December 2005. The ICR on ECR is being conducted by Schools for India to capture the attention of corporate bodies and individuals to participate in the commencement of the Pilot Project. (For more information on Schools for India, log on to: www.schoolsforindia.org)

 

Pilot Project: Thiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu, India

Area: 14.5 acres for the school

Facility Description: State of the art school building with latest building technologies with pre-fabricated building materials, with the following and not limited to features:

Perimeter fencing, playground, staff quarters, community facing facilities like dispensary, grocery shop, multi purpose shopping area, Modern kitchen, Information Technology lab, Science lab, library, music room, training halls, rest rooms, storage area, security and alarm systems, Community hall among many others.

 

Secondary Objectives – ICR on ECR:

 

(a)      The ICR on ECR is expected to act as an orientation to the society about Schools for India.

(b)     The ICR on ECR is planning to rope in students from various schools and colleges across the country to participate in the rally for education for the rural poor.

(c)      The ICR on ECR also plans to rope in corporate individuals to join the organizational framework of Schools for India as members.

(d)     The ICR on ECR also aims at diverting a portion of the proceeds of the cycle race and rally in to the pilot project.

 

 

Simplicity and Determination:

 

Schools for India has ideated the ICR on ECR for the commencement of its pilot project for two specific reasons:

(a)     Simplicity: The rural poor in India and cycles hold simplicity as a synonym.

(b)    Determination: The concept of a race-cum-rally tempts the determination of any participant as much as education tempts the future of India, especially in the rural segments of the country.

 

 

Pre-event School Student Rally:

Date: 12 January 2007, Friday

Venue: Rajaratinam Stadium, Mount Road, Chennai

 

-         Participation open to XI and XII standard students (Chennai only)

-         First 500 registrations only

-         Cycles will be provided to the participants

-         Prize Money: I Place: INR 20000

 II Place: INR 15000

III Place: INR 10000

-         Registration Fee: Rs.50 per student

-         Celebrity participation in flag off ceremony and prize distribution ceremony

-         Press participation and coverage

 

Prizes:

 

Professional Rally and Amateur Race:

Participant cyclists will be registered members of International, National and Regional cycling federations.

Registration by invitation only.

Prize Money: I place: USD $10000

                    Runner up prizes – 15 prizes @ USD $1000 each

 

 

Corporate Rally:

-         Participants will encompass corporate staff and sports persons.

-         First 500 registrations only

-         Cycles will be provided to the cyclists

 

First Registration Fee: INR 1000 per participant

Prize Money: I place: INR 2,00,000

                    II place: INR 1,00,000

 

Students Rally:

-         Participants will encompass students from various colleges from cities including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Pune and specific cities across Tamil Nadu.

-         Cycles will be provided to all participants

-         First 1500 registrations only

-         One-way fare shall be provided to outstation candidates.

-         Registration Fee: INR 300 per participant

-         Prize Money: I place: INR 1,00,000

 II place: INR 75,000

10 Runner Up prizes – Rs.20000 each

Over 2500 students from various city colleges will make a human chain by being placed in the various stables lined up enroute to cheer the cause of education. The event is expected to attract maximum press attention owing to the magnificent scale of the same.

 

 

 

 

Saddam Hussein's Execution

Yes, I know Saddam Hussein was a dictator, and he was hanged as part of capital punishment for the mass murder crimes committed by him.

It is also apparent that USofA had an influencing role in the execution, if not directly, atleast indirectly. It is indeed incorrect.

But my point, why all this stupid arguments like “didn’t George Bush groom Saddam or for that matter, Bin Laden? Wasn’t it America that sponsored money for armed terrorism? So, why not Bush be hanged?”

I am not defending Bush or America. But merely questioning why all this pseudo-humanitarianism and that too at wrong place. Where were you guys when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was just like that hanged after a simple court martial? And why all this sudden love for Saddam? We all know he was worse than a “Chickungunya on a Piles patient.”

And another thing that beats me is, why so much perverse pleasure in seeing a man being hanged every 10 mins or so on a TV? Isn’t that too gross?

When you people love seeing a murder up and so close so many times like as if it was Nameetha’s kuthu-paattu, why so much fuss about the actual death of this person?