zinedine zidane!

France will win the FIFA World Cup, I announced as I saw the clock ticking away towards end of regular time. They were dominating the second half & looked unstoppable. I wanted them to win. We were all glued to the TV & anxiously waiting for France's second goal, when out of nowhere they started showing replays of Zidane headbutting the Italian dude. Huh! OK...it was funny until the refree showed him the red card. A what!!

Now I start to panic....Henry is nowhere in sight & neither is Zidane. GASP!! At this point, I begin to doubt all I was hoping for. They lost him at a crucial point & I started preparing myself. I was supporting French & to see them lose was disheartening. They deserved to win that match. They played better. Fought harder. All, but till the end....sigh...what if Zidane didn't knock the guy down...would France have won it? I'm quite certain that they would have. The question lurks....why did he do it!!



* update: this is the funniest thing: http://www.addictinggames.com/zidaneheadbuttgame.html
:P I scored 1560..

persevere

She walks the walk,
but something's amiss
She wishes upon a star,
to bring her bliss.

She sets her goals
but never achieves,
A mist of confusion
hinders what she perceives.

She digs a burrow
a hole so deep,
A corner for herself
a place to weep.

Days go by
she sits alone,
the world is spinning
all on it's own.

Angered with herself
the self-pity & tears,
She brushes off the dust,
the pain she bears.

She's found her hope
sets her sights again,
Today is the day
she wants to begin.

the school bus

The feeling of nostalgia is taking over me this sunny mid-week morning. I recently heard from a classmate of mine, from what seems like ages ago. Things start to seem surreal when you dive into your past. The moments, the things, the people you remember after that time has passed you by are often what you took for granted.

I was surfing my school's web site & saw a link to the bus routes. Ah! The blissful morning ride to school, infused with energy from the excited teenagers 'n the tender tots who believed they could achieve anything. The atmosphere in each society is unique, but there is something about the adolescent experiences that makes the memories special. I am sitting amongst my colleagues today & thinking about something that was so routine a decade ago that I didn't give it a second thought.

Most people in our colony (yes, it's a colony not neighbourhood not community but colony) were in the same age-group. Our parents were almost same age, and us - the kids were also in the same age-group going to the same school. No effort was required to "fit into" a crowd, we were just born into it. The bus picked up 60+ students from 4 school bus stops, and more than half of them were in my class. That's a special bond!

The morning ride was an event in itself. Everyone gathers at the bus stop, we line our bags on the street to preserve our position in the queue. Often times, it's so hot that we leave our bags on the street 'n find ourselves a sheltered area to huddle under. We see each other, we see each other's parents...it was a social event, a chance for parents to interact with their kids' friends & their families.

Not to mention all those times when I was late & missed the bus. I'd go running after the bus 'n most times someone in the bus would spot me running towards it & tell the conductor to stop. Aha, I had celebrity status....the bus pulled over, just for me!

Once inside the bus, most people had their favourite seats where they always sat. The teachers were special. Their seats were never marked, but you always knew they're reserved for them. Not everyone got a seat, of course. The aisles in the bus would be packed with students, mostly older ones as they always ensured the little kids got their seats first. The back of the bus was reserved for the coolest bunch....the senior-most students who were the unelected leaders of the bus, the ones you respected 'n always wanted to be.

You yapped your way to school, waving at your friends in other school buses and rickshaws. Picking up your friends day-after-day, getting to school 'n meeting more friends. The world was my school and it was a happy place.

You repeated this on your way back, of course. Waving good-byes to friends as another day has passed 'n promised them to see them again the next day.....until the day comes when you must bid farewell 'n enter a different world.

deutschland downed

Aww...I was rooting for Deutschland to win. The see-saw game finally ended with Italia scoring in the last minute. It was a shock. I had already prepared myself for the penalty kicks...and it was so close. I always wonder what it must be like to compete at an international level. The pressure...the adrenaline...the thrill...the glory...the fire to win it all...to play like it's your last chance. The joy of winning such a coveted series must light up the world for the players.

Both teams had their chances though 'n it was anyone's game. Italy just snuck up 'n the timing of the goal couldn't have been better for them, leaving the Germans bewildered.

One must lose, for such is the game....but lose graciously as fighters, for there will be a chance again.