Gunners are Back

Lot of people accuse me of only posting updates on this blog only when Arsenal register wins.

Well that's why I am back here again :D :D

Arsenal 6: Everton 1

Arsenal 2: Celtic 0


Great start to the season.....hoping to post a number of new posts here over the course of this season :P

Cheers,

Wayne

Country Duets

Wrote about how I love Country songs some time back. ..and this time i'll link to a Duet by two of my favourite Country Artists ...Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline. Both of them died young under tragic circumstances...but their songs still live on after all these years.

Linking to a couple of duets sung by them called 'Have you ever been lonely' and 'I Fall to Pieces" ...in my opinion probably the best i've heard...give it a listen. :)




The beauty of the above songs is that these two singers never sang together...this duet was electronically generated years after their deaths...but try giving it a listen again and see if you can spot any inconsistencies..it's perfect :)

Cheers

Arsene Wenger

I remember when i was giving the mock interviews for my B-School entrance tests...a favourite question for the interviewer..was "Whom do you idolize" ..or "Which business person do you most respect?". Try as I might i could never really identify with that one single person who possessed qualities that were worth aspiring for. So at each practice interview I chose a new person and tried to justify why I chose him.

Today if i am asked that same question...i know that there is one person with whom i really identify with ...and for those of you who know about my love for football...the answer will come as no surprise :) ...that one person is Arsene Wenger.

And no i am not being biased because of Arsenal being my favorite team....if you take football out of the equation completly..i would still be able to identify with Wenger.In a football world where money is being poured in and players are being sold to the highest bidder ...Wenger is one person who still plays by the rules.

From a purely business standpoint..his philosophy of scouting for the best youth talent and giving them a chance in the Arsenal first team..and ensuring that Arsenal are still able to compete inspite of the financial constraints is simply brilliant.

He's had chances to manage bigger clubs having much bigger budgets and possibly bigger salaries as well..but he's opted to stay..honour every contract he has signed and grow with a relatively smaller team like Arsenal..and that speaks volumes of where values reside on his list of priorities.

True he's not a perfect..and does have his weaknesses....as some Man Utd fans will be only too willing to testify...but that does nothing to diminish the respect I have for the man.

The picture below from yesterday's match against Man Utd typifies what Wenger is all about...the previous 3 games when Arsenal were playing poorly and the entire world were criticising the lack of 'commitment' from the players...he was the only one who stood behind the players ..encouraging them and telling the press that they should judge the team only in May and not after every single match. And boy did they respond when it was more required ..well played Gunners! :)

Country Music

Have become a big fan of country music these days...and keep listening to some of the classic country songs of yesteryears.

George Strait is one of my personal favourites ....i think the ballad "I Cross My Heart" is absolutely brilliant ....lovely lyrics and beautiful melody. Truly what music should be.

Linking to a music video of this song ..and lyrics below :)



I cross my heart

Our love is unconditional
We knew it from the start
I can see it in your eyes
You can feel it from my heart>from here on after
Lets stay the way we are right now
And share all the love and laughter
That a lifetime will allow


I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all Ive got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
Youll never find
A love as true as mine

You will always be the miracle
That makes my life complete
And as long as theres still breath in me
Ill make yours just as sweet
As we look into the future
Its as far as we can see
So lets make each tomorrow
Be the best that it can be

And if along the way we find a day
It starts to storm
Youve got the promise of my love
To keep you warm

Farewell Gilberto

Coming back from a long hiatus from blogging. Just wanted to put up a farewell post to one of my all time favorite Gunners .. Gilberto 'Invisible Wall' Silva.

The personal tribute on Arsenal.Com sums up what Gilberto was all about. In particular the below lines...fitting tribute to one of the last true professionals in the game of football

"In a football world awash with ego, hype and sensationalism, Gilberto was a breath of fresh air.

The Brazilian never courted controversy and never spoke out of turn. He arrived quietly, he left quietly and, in between, he was quietly efficient. While emptier vessels made more noise, Gilberto just got the job done."

Gilberto- Personal Tribute on Arsenal.com

Cheers,

Wayne

Gunning for Arsenal!

A quick update :)

This time it's an article from the Mumbai Mirror :D ...not sure about the quality of news on this paper...but reading this article made my day :)

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?Page=article&sectid=8&contentid=20071013200710130330521584e4bfe8

Cheers,

Wayne

September Update :)

I haven't been too regular on this blog...but i'll try to average atleast one post a month :)

Slowly starting to get used to work life. Now that the training period is over it's down to some real work now. First few days of work were a bit overwhelming with all the new terms and concepts and procedures...I am still trying to get to terms with everything but as the days pass i'm beginning to get more and more comfortable.

Have been watching a few movies as well...'Dhamaal' and 'Chak De' being the most recent one's.
My attention span when it comes to watching movies is very very limited and i'm surprised if i manage to get by 10-15 minutes of a movie without taking a break, but when it comes to the out and out comedy hindi movies..i'm rooted to screen just like as if i'm watching a absolute thriller :)

Coming to Football...Arsenal are topping the league and are doing great in all competitions that they are playing in..nothing more to ask for :). It's great to see all those critics becoming absolutely quiet :D . Long may this run continue.

Have managed to get my hands on a few DVD music concerts from stars like Daniel O'Donnell and Al Grant......have been listening to them a lot over the past few days. Also managed to transfer some of them to my Creative Zen....with them the long train journeys don't seem quite as long these days :)

Lastly...not reading anything new these days...have taken a break these days.....However, managed to find a library next door to my office today....so i might think about becoming a member there and getting my reading habit back on track

Looking forward to getting back to campus for the Alumni meet..if only for a day....will be good to be back....have a lot of great memories of the place :). The next update from me will probably contain a description of the events there.

Cheers,

WAyne

Game 1: Arsenal 2: Fulham 1

The football season is back after more than a 2 month break. Must say the weekends were just never going to be the same without the regular dose of the English Premier League and the umpteen discussions taking place with each match.

Thankfully..things are back to normal again with the season 07-08 getting underway this week.

Arsenal started out with a home match against Fulham and as matches go..the last 10 minutes of this match was as about exciting as things are going to get this season.

Fulham took a shock lead in the first minute of the game with Lehmann making one of the errors of the season. In front of 60,000 people this has got to be really embarassing.

As the match progressed it was back to the usual wasteful chances with Arsenal missing a number of golden opportunities to get back into the game. Finally in the last ten minutes of the game they finally go their act together with Toure and Hleb creating and finishing off the chances.

At the end of the game i was dancing around after having lost hope for the first 80 minutes. And this was the first game of the season :)....Hoping that Arsenal prove all their critics wrong this season. Good luck to the Gunners!!

Henry to Barcelona

Just read the shock news that Arsenal's biggest star ever Thierry Henry has agreed a deal with Barcelona for a transfer fee of 16 million pounds. Still to get over it :(

But time moves on i guess....Arsenal could well come out next season and give an effective reply to all the critics and the naysayers who are saying it's the end of the road for the Gunners. I for one believe so. Here's hoping for the best next season and a couple of new signings to add to Wenger's bunch of super talented kids.

And to Henry..Thanks for the eight years at Arsenal and for all the memories....especially the last minute goal to get the double over Man Utd this past season :)

Cheers

Football, Work, Music, Books....Updates :)

Here I am back again after nearly a month of no posts :)

For a change no post about Football considering the fact that the league is in the midst of a 2 month break. So no updates on football till we get started once again or unless Arsenal make a really big signing :). In any case i think the coming year Arsenal will finally regain the League Title and win the Champions League (No surprises rite? :D)

To matters other than football

(1) Work: Have been working for nearly a month now. Finished with the first week of induction and now in the midst of my 6 weeks of Branch training. Have been assigned to a branch just 5 minutes from my residence so enjoying the luxury of a 5 minute journey to work every day. Too bad it will last for just a month though :D.

It's still early days at work and mebbe I'm speaking too early but I can't help feeling that after all that agonizing and thinking about where I should finally join...and the final decision.. I ended up making the right decision :). Anywayz..let's see if matters change sometime down the line
..I hope not :)

(2) Gymming Sessions: This is my 3rd attempt at trying to get some regularity into my gymming routine and ensuring that I continue the sessions once i start. Hope I'm 3rd time lucky.

After my last attempt at Gymming a couple of months back...had to take a break due to my visits to Chennai and Mangalore...and when I came back to Mumbai was too lazy to join back..so the 10 day break...extended to 1 and a half months :D. Finally decided to stop procrastinating and join back..and yeah the first week was filled with the usual aches and pains which have thankfully subsided now.

(3) Books:Currently reading fantasy....The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.....Have finished the first book and it's been a great read....If you like Harry Potter or the fantasy genre then I would recommend you give this series a read.

(4) Music: A big fan of the English Oldies.....and have made a lot of people fans of this genre as well......so beginning from this post..will list down some songs which are my personal favorites..and which I would recommend for a listen :D.

Right now Nat King Cole is one of my Favs..so here goes..

(1) LOVE was made for me and you- Nat King Cole .......Lovely lyrics...(L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one I see, V is very, very extraordinary, E is even more than anyone that you adore can)

(2) Unforgettable- Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole...........Beautiful Duet..Lovely lyrics

(3) Paper Roses by Marie Osmond.............A super Oldie.....but never get tired of listening to it...beautiful lyrics again :)

Cheers

Finally some work :)

Approaching the end of the long vacation which began on March 3rd and ending this week on May 23rd.

Although it got a bit boring towards the end..definitely one of the most enjoyable vacations so far. Have experienced almost the whole range of weather conditions in India. From the biting cold of Himachal Pradesh to some of the most extreme heat in Chennai and Mangalore. But it's been a whole lot of travelling and really enjoyable at that :). Guess I won't be seeing such a long vacation anytime soon.

Get started with work on the 24th with a week long induction program and then followed up with 3 months of additional training. Hope to make the most of it :)

That's all for now. Football season has taken a break for 2-3 months. Been a largely forgettable season for Arsenal but plenty of hope for next season. Hope to see a couple of good signings in the summer and the team finally being able to prove that Wenger's decision in sticking by the kids through these 3-4 years turns out to be the right one. I for one think next year will be our year :)

Cheers

A quick update on the football scene :D

Arsenal are seeing somewhat of a resurgence after my last post.

A 2-1 win over our Bolton was very satisfying to watch :D.

And the Gunners immediately followed that up with a 3-1 win over a in form Manchester City :).

Nice to see the revival and Wenger's faith in the youngsters finally paying off.

Abou Diaby looks like are great find....see him being a immense player in the midfield next year :)

Cheers

Back Again :)

Back again after a long hiatus :)

Enjoying a break after college and looking forward to start work after about a month :D. Thought I'd be able to really enjoy this break but it's increasingly starting to get very boring.

Trying to pass time by

(1) Reading- Have taken to books with a vengeance. Have read some books by Stephen Frey, Fantasy (The Heart of Myrial, Dragonworld), Non Fiction (Only the Paranoid Survive) :D

(2) Music- Have recently chanced upon XM radio's online broadcast channel called 'The Blend' which like it's name plays a blend of music from the 70's right through today. It's Brilliant!. Have been listening to it non stop ever since I got back from College.

(3) Gymming- 2 weeks into gymming and after the initial aches and pains it's actually is a great exercise. Keeps me active and yeah have noticed a marked increase in stamina levels :P . Played football with friends on the beach for a continuous 60 minutes which involved a lot of running. A month back I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes :D

(4) Football on TV- This is the most depressing part. Arsenal have been knocked out of all the competitions they have been playing in :( It's been really disappointing but as a true Arsenal supporter I believe it's just a matter of time before we see a turnaround :D

That's about it for this post. Will come up with some more shortly :)

Cheers

Football Update

Arsenal's form has been very patchy over the course of the last few matches. Patchy enough for even the most die hard of supporters to have their doubts.

The draw with Portsmouth which finished 2-2 was the latest in the series of points dropped at home. On the positive side the team came down from 2-0 down to pump in a couple of quick goals that saved the day.

Don't what to expect this season. We're well and truly out of the Premier League race. We have a chance in the Champions League and the FA Cup. Hoping for the best. I'm hoping that the team doesn't do an encore of the season final day photo finish to qualify for the Champions League for next year. If we are able to do it successfully it will still be a good season.

All the same it's great the see the young talent coming through. Adebayor whom people had slated even before he came to Arsenal is finally showing the naysayers what he is capable of. Still has to improve some aspects of his game but his progress ever since he's arrived at Arsenal has been amazing :) .... Possibly another feather in Arsene Wenger's Cap.

Carling Cup match against Liverpool scheduled for today....the youngsters like Denilson, Merida ,Traore should be getting a tryout...hope it is a good match :)

6th Term

Back in campus for the 6th and the final term of the MBA. With the amount of workload I've been under haven't been able to really sit back and relax. Have planned to do it this term :D

Will get to it as soon as I'm done with the Financial Engineering Exam scheduled for tomm, Fixed Income Project report, Society Business & Management project presentation, Financial Engineering individual and group assignments all scheduled to be submitted this week and of course not forgetting the Treasury Paper due on 30th. Once these are done then maybe i can think of a rest :D

Cheers

Arsenal 3 : Liverpool 0

Forgot to mention this in the last post.

Good win against liverpool with Flamini, Gallas and Toure getting the goals......looks like things are back on track after the hiccups against Everton and West Ham :)

Now for the UCL matches.... :)

Cheers

Ashwamedha 2006

IRIS 2006 ended yesterday with a great performance from Parikrama and Silk Route......I'm not a fan of Heavy Metal but the performance by Parikrama was really good.

Will remember this edition of IRIS for a long long time to come. Being a part of the organising team of Ashwamedha has been a really enjoyable experience......was hard work for the better part of 2-3 months ...but it all felt worth it when everything that was planned went off exactly as per schedule with absolutely no glitches.

Was great working with the Team Ashwamedha .....Thanks guys .....Unforgettable experience :)

Cheers,

PS: Detailed posts on how life has been at I soon :D

Campus Update

Almost halfway through the fifth term now and time is really flying by. The next two weeks promises to be exciting times on campus with preps for our B-School fest going on in right earnest. More details on www.iimi-iris.com

Fifth term will also be over soon and then it will be just one more term before we graduate to become MBA's and enter the corporate world.

When I first came here 2 years seemed a long long time and I wondered how I would manage. Moreso because it was my first time outside Mumbai and also hostel life.But as the 2 years come to a close I must say that these have been some of the best experiences i've ever had.
Had our fair share of hectic schedules, plethora of projects and submissions and exams. But apart from all that campus life has been one great experience and have made some great friends in the process.

Haven't blogged regularly...but probably will compensate for that with a detailed account of the MBA so far .......soon :)

Cheers,

Arsenal 4: Reading 0

After the disappointment of the midweek loss to CSKA Moscow Arsenal came back strongly to demolish Reading 4:0.

Henry (2), Helb and van persie all were on target as the Gunners made light work of Reading. This was a team which gave both Man Utd and Chelsea a tough time but with the kind of form the Gunners are in they did not stand a chance.

It's great to see Rosicky and Helb linking up ever so well. Fabregas has made the midfield his own and the defence looks rock steady. Things have never looked so good :). Hoping the run of wins continues

Football Update :)

Arsenal are on a roll after that horrific start to the season. 6 wins out of 6 in all competitions and the Gunners are steamrolling their way to the top of the premiership :)

Great to see the young talent coming through.....Walcott had a debut yesterday and he looks like the successor to Henry...All the others especially Rosicky, Hleb, Fabregas and Gallas are looking better and better with each passing game.

Here's hoping that the string of wins continues :)