Football fans, read on. Others, better luck next time :-)
I’ve been a fan of Manchester United ever since I started following football seriously as a teenager. Needless to say, I was over the moon when they did the coveted ‘double’ this season. I could go on and on about the laurels, the trophies and the history of the club, but that’s what Messrs Wikipedia are for.
Let us talk about the fans – they are the real backbone of any club. To me, a true football fan is like a dog – loving yet demanding, faithful yet fidgety. He gives his all and expects much less in return, sticks by his team through thick and thin, watches every match like it’s a matter of life and death. One look at the majestic stadium at Old Trafford, and you’ll know why it’s known as the theatre of dreams. The faithful flock the stadium, expecting nothing less than a convincing win for the home side. Admittedly, the beer-guzzling, prawn-sandwich-eating fans of United are among the better behaved and docile in the premiership. But boy, can they intimidate the opposition if needed.
If all this doesn’t turn you on, maybe you are not a football fan. But don’t lose hope yet, there’s a little something for everybody here. Let us say you are an average heterosexual male, who isn’t interested in watching 22 other men running after a giant round object. Turn your attention to the hoards of female fans at Old Trafford. Sure, Chelsea or Arsenal have more glamorous/fashionable/cosmopolitan fans. But are you suggesting that you wouldn’t go weak in the knees when you hear a female fan scream “Manchsta Unaitid Fubol Kloob” in her Lancastrian accent? Gentlemen, start your engines!
It’s hardly surprising that watching United play Arsenal at Old Trafford remains one of the top items on my ‘bucket list’. I hope to be there soon, but until then, as a true United fan would say “Lets party like it’s ‘99”. Go United!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A Mid Summer Night’s Dream
Elvis is back, back in the building, with a resolve to write more often.
Saturday was Election Day in Bangalore. The roads had a deserted look and it seemed like responsible citizens were cooling their heels at home after having cast their votes. The slightly irresponsible ones chose to stay indoors as well. Why? Well, maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was a dry day.
Let me set the scene more elaborately. Imagine a bunch of 5-6 bored souls. I’m talking about a close-knit gang of mechanical engineers who spent 4 amazing years together at college. They are now in their mid to late 20s - some on the verge of tying the knot, some far from it. But all of them have a common thread running. They dream big, hate routine, get bugged with monotony and they all swing between the responsible/irresponsible categories, depending on the direction of the wind.
Now here’s a series of no-brainers, if ever there was one:
What do you think happens when old pals like these get together on a quiet Saturday night, with nothing much to do? Do you think they would get a little twitchy? Hell yeah.
So what does it take to turn this yoga class kind of setting into a rock concert? Not much really. A car, some stocked ‘refreshments’ and G’s room - equipped with guitars, a music system, a computer and an awesome balcony. A fridge would have been the icing on the cake, but we were more than happy to ignore the minor inconvenience.
What followed that night is anybody’s guess. Philosophical discussions squeezed in between loads of trash talk. Politics (keeping in tune with the day’s proceedings), sport, the environment – you name it. It was almost as if the exuberance of youth (creative use of the phrase) was making a statement on democracy’s showcase day – we are FREE, and we love it. Should there be more to it than just celebrating our freedom, without contributing to its sustenance? Maybe that’s a question for the ‘responsible’ citizens to answer. That night, we were just happy to be there - looking back and looking ahead at the same time, and happy to dream on. Perhaps it is just a matter of time before the winds will blow in the right direction. It’s about time too.
Saturday was Election Day in Bangalore. The roads had a deserted look and it seemed like responsible citizens were cooling their heels at home after having cast their votes. The slightly irresponsible ones chose to stay indoors as well. Why? Well, maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was a dry day.
Let me set the scene more elaborately. Imagine a bunch of 5-6 bored souls. I’m talking about a close-knit gang of mechanical engineers who spent 4 amazing years together at college. They are now in their mid to late 20s - some on the verge of tying the knot, some far from it. But all of them have a common thread running. They dream big, hate routine, get bugged with monotony and they all swing between the responsible/irresponsible categories, depending on the direction of the wind.
Now here’s a series of no-brainers, if ever there was one:
What do you think happens when old pals like these get together on a quiet Saturday night, with nothing much to do? Do you think they would get a little twitchy? Hell yeah.
So what does it take to turn this yoga class kind of setting into a rock concert? Not much really. A car, some stocked ‘refreshments’ and G’s room - equipped with guitars, a music system, a computer and an awesome balcony. A fridge would have been the icing on the cake, but we were more than happy to ignore the minor inconvenience.
What followed that night is anybody’s guess. Philosophical discussions squeezed in between loads of trash talk. Politics (keeping in tune with the day’s proceedings), sport, the environment – you name it. It was almost as if the exuberance of youth (creative use of the phrase) was making a statement on democracy’s showcase day – we are FREE, and we love it. Should there be more to it than just celebrating our freedom, without contributing to its sustenance? Maybe that’s a question for the ‘responsible’ citizens to answer. That night, we were just happy to be there - looking back and looking ahead at the same time, and happy to dream on. Perhaps it is just a matter of time before the winds will blow in the right direction. It’s about time too.
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