March 30, 2011

The manjutis, maybe

It's just a match after all. Therefore, here's a shortlist of things to do during the afternoon/evening today, while Pakistan plays India in a World Cup semifinal, because it's just another cricket match.

* Visit the lady in the neighbourhood who owns a Rhodesian Ridgeback, because you once had one of those and he was a handsome, spirited member of the family for years and you have fond memories of him.

* Hold a "Numbers are fun" session for the kids and their friends, aimed at ridding them of their wariness of mathematics, getting them excited about the joy of numbers.

* Go see a film, secure in the knowledge that tickets for pretty much any film will be available by the bucketful today.

* Take a walk on the seaside promenade; if it's low tide, walk out to sea on the rocks. It's a good bet that even the lovelorn couples usually found cooing on those rocks will be home today, convinced that cricket comes before kisses.

* Bike through the local fishing villages, where you can sometimes still catch glimpses of Bombay as it once must have been.

* Get out on the tennis court and hit some balls. By yourself if there's nobody else to hit with (as is likely) -- after all, your serve can always use some practice. Plenty of practice.

* Take the kids on a trip collecting manjutis, the small round red seeds.

* Get down to that practice session that you've been postponing for days, with the harmonica or piano or sitar or other musical instrument of your choice.

* Watch the parrots. And the crows. And the kites. And the sparrows. And the barbets. And the stints above the waves. Maybe the flamingos. And the mynahs. And the innumerable other feathered charmers out there.

It's just another match. Believe it.

7 comments:

Yamini said...

I know this sounds harsh - but I am pretty disgusted with the Indian media and the hype being created around this match. I am sure there are better things to spend your bandwidth on and cry hoarse about.

Jai_C said...

i wonder if the final will have such a star attendance. since its just a game and Indo-SL ties could do with this kind of help as well, I look forward to seeing both PMs at that match, and Rahul G and Sonia G as well.

thanks,
Jai

Partho P. Chakrabartty said...

It WAS just another match. And I, for one, and many others, did not watch because of peer pressure... while the alternatives you offer are lovely, for a writer of such deep insight, I'd have hoped you looked a little into what sporting rivalries, and high-profile derbies, are like. They are an intimate part of the human experience. And you will forgive us for taking pleasure in it.

Dilip D'Souza said...

Partho,

But sporting rivalries/events do intrigue me! For example, I was fascinated by "Playing the Enemy" (the book that was turned into the film "Invictus") - the way Mandela realized the potential of this sport to unite a fractured, wounded country was something fantastic.

Some of the same applies to yesterday's semifinal too. (Though given some of the abuse I've seen and heard, I'm not sure how unifying it was).

For me, I just was a little tired of the hype, and wanted to treat it as another match, just for myself. It was a nice chance to do some other things. Maybe I'll look into the rivalries and so on another time!

And I'm so glad you took pleasure in the match! (I forgive you too).

Anonymous said...

A writer's block or a blogger's bottleneck? This blog is drifting.

Dilip D'Souza said...

It is drifting, I'm aware. Some other preoccupations in recent weeks, haven't had the patience to write here like I should. I need to regroup and resume. Soon.

Anonymous said...

We await your new course heading, Captain. Perhaps you will seek the sage advice of Counselor Troi to help you overcome the unusual lethargy experienced in the proximity of this changing planet?