Boyz Nyt Out !!

Last night was a special to me - being with the boys and friends who have been true with you since the past many years, you can just be yourself. And so I was :))

College years may have elapsed,but there are friends through the passage of time who remain in touch. And two such friends of mine are John Rodrigues and Jaffrey Diniz. While the former is based in Mumbai, the latter moved to Bengaluru for better prospects few months ago, and with them back in town, and in Margao, I could not let the opportunity go by and not meet them.

John & Jaffrey

Myself

So there these guys were outside my place at tenish last night to pick me up, and from whereon we drove to Curtorim at a nice, rather quiet bar and restaurant which we had to ourselves. Catching up on our good old college days being one thing, we moved though the years talking about our professional and personal lives over a few beers and lovely food. We particularly loved the sorpotel (A Goan speciality of pig meat). 


From thereon,we moved at a place in Gogol-Margao, where we continued with our fun & masti with singing, playing the guitar, dancing and bingeing a lil more of 'The King of Good Times.'

By the time, we wound up and I was dropped home it was past 2 am, with hopes to meeting up sooner than later doing the rounds.

An Evening with Brett Lee

A year back, on this day - November 15, the first day (Monday) of the working week I took a day off from office. Through a relatively new friend, Milroy Goes who had worked with the star fast bowler, Brett Lee  in an ad shoot in Goa earlier in the year, I got an opportunity to meet the affable Aussie cricketer for the very first time. 

What was to be a meeting down South (Goa) earlier in the day, happened to be much later in the evening. I was picked up from my residence in Margao at around 4 pm, and a short distance up the road, a friend from the neighbourhood,  Nicole Suares was picked up as well by my friends, Milroy and Ashley Moraes, and we then proceeded up in overcast weather by car to the North (Goa), passed my office in Porvorim at around 5 pm to reach GCA Indoor Stadium, Porvorim. It was my first visit to the relatively new cricket stadium, and what better a way then to glimpse the star international pacer, 'Binga' as he is fondly addressed to start with. 

At the indoor nets, he was busy going through the paces against the local Ranji batsmen, and even imparted bowling tips to our seamers as Saheel Dhuri and Saurabh Bandekar (both friends). He even did a Warney in jest later on. An evening with Brett Lee was to bear fruition for our local Ranji cricketers over the next four days as they registered an outright innings win against the visiting Jharkhand team in the four-day Plate encounter. The visitors had players of the calibre of  Team India-capped Saurabh Tiwary, talented top-order batsman Ishank Jaggi and the rising quickie, Varun Aaron in their ranks. 

                                                                  

          With the gleaming ball .... To Binga's right is Goa Ranji seamer all-rounder, Saheel Dhuri 

   

Doing a 'Warney' 

     Binga with Goa Pace spearhead and former India U-19 World Cupper, Saurabh Bandekar

While he practiced with the Goa cricketers, the fortunate cricket fans present got the opportunity to take photographs of the Aussie pacer. And after the indoor nets session was down, the fans got an opportunity to  take photographs with him and get his prized autograph. I had these wonderful opportunities later. And I did not have to wait too long for that.

A few media persons had the golden opportunity to have interviews with him. And in the ten minutes I had with another journalist (Nicole from Goa Plus, TOI), I asked most of the questions in the interview session.

Present in the room at that time were my friends Milroy (with my digital camera), Ashley (with my camcorder), enthu photographer, Ashish Kamat, and Binga's manager Mark and his body-guard as well. It was nice on the part of Brett to give his consent to be videographed at the interview. Though I had come prepared with several questions and one pertaining to the God of Cricket, I had to tactfully get through my interview with limited time and by asking the most relevant questions. Outside cricket, I asked him about his musical tour to India with his band 'White Shoe Theory as two days on, he was having a concert down South (Goa) at Pearls Oceanique Resort, Colva).

The Prized Autograph 

                                                     

Basil Sachinist with Brett Lee 

From L-R: Basil, Ashish, Brett, Nicole, Milroy, Ashley 

Just as found on screen, very humble, friendly and playing the game in the right spirit, off the field, he was warm, cheerful and very forthcoming. He was particularly impressed by my questionnaire to the extent of which he mentioned that 'You have done your homework well mate.' 

Interview done, I took a few of his autographs for myself and his admirers, while I had my pic taken taken my pic along with the dashing speedster, while we had our group pic taken as well by Brett's Manager, Mark. :P As we left the room with  Brett and his boys, he left with a cheerful smile and by saying 'see you at the show'.

Interview Scan which appeared on Gomantak Times, Friday November 19, 2010

And now for the video-recorded interview ....

My life since Wilson Disease

Many of us constantly crib about their lives when things go sour, awry and feel life dealt unto them is plain unjust. But if they were to see the world around them - 'BE ALERT' to their precincts, their city/village ....they will realize that they are actually luckier than a certain few.

There are people I have known whose lives are a misery. There are these two friends of mine, in their early twenties,  who 'Live each day with as much as cheer as they can even after knowing well that their days are numbered.' And their enthusiasm is infectious. Yesterday evening, I was quite upset over a few things, but there was something posted on FB by a friend which found me wear a smile. In their own unique way, these friends, dealing with plightful health issues day-in & day-out make us feel special. 

What follows is a GUEST POST by a 22-years-young female friend who despite being afflicted  with the genetic Wilson Disease, makes the best of what life offers her radiating happiness all around. The post is re-produced through an email sent by her to me with her consent. Read on: 

April 29 2008 My life turned upside down,

That was the day ,

I was diagnized with wilsons disease 

Via a brain MRI ,

I was 69 kgs , very healthy and 5 11' IN height 

Admitted in holy  family hosp,

Doctors put me on penicillamine,

Slowly my voice was fading,

My balance was terrible,

The way I walked,

My body slowed down a lot,

I went into severe depression,

was addmitted in Masina rehab,

There they shaved my head,

All the doctors would hold me,

And the female doctor would inject me,

And later take me for  ECTS, electro convulsive therapy,

I took 14 ects,

Went into comma in the process,

But managed to get out,

MY MOM WASN'T SATISFIED WITH THE MEDICINE,

CAUSE SHE COULD SEE ME GETTING WORSE,

medicines are supposed to make you better,

In my case it was opposite,

so mom finally consulted a doctor in holy  spirit,

Dr Vyas , an elderly doctor,

He told my mother give her  zinc,

And next day mom couldn't get zinc tablets, so she bought the powder form,

And consulted with the doctor,

The doctor approved,

Next thing after dinner my mom gave me the powder,

told me to have it,

I took it,

Immediately I kept on vomitting and shitting,

All my body fluid was drained,

My blood to was out,

I was rushed with an ambulance,

Straight into the ICU , My heart stopped beating,

The doctors had to resussicate me, 

I came back,

My mother lost all hope, 

That I would live,

But when I got discharged,

I was 30 kgs,

Just bones,

Over the days, 

MOM STARTED TO NOTICE THAT MY JAW WAS GETTING LOCKED,

And i wasn't eating well,

I had the rials tube in and out 7 times,

But that too did no good,

Finally I was operated in bhatia,

Surgically they inserted a tube,

which connected to my intestines,

From out,

And my mom would  gimme my food liquidifyied,

in the food bag,

It was there for 7 months 

I am a fighter by nature,

I told myself,

I have to fight this,

I am alive,

So what if I am not normal,

At least I get to live a  life,

You never know how strong you actually are until being strong is the only option you got. 

till date i am dealing with many issues,

But I am living,

Thats the bottom line 

I came to know, learn and understand what the genetic Wilson Disease is all about from this girl coping with failing health with grit and gumption only today. 


For the readers, I looked up the trusted Wikipidea on Google and this what they say: 

Wilson's disease or hepatolenticular degeneration is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which copper accumulates in tissues; this manifests as neurological or psychiatricsymptoms and liver disease. It is treated with medication that reduces copper absorption or removes the excess copper from the body, but occasionally a liver transplant is required.

The condition is due to mutations in the Wilson disease protein (ATP7B) gene. A single abnormal copy of the gene is present in 1 in 100 people, who do not develop any symptoms (they are carriers). If a child inherits the gene from both parents, the child may develop Wilson's disease. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 6 and 20 years, but cases in much older people have been described. Wilson's disease occurs in 1 to 4 per 100,000 people.Wilson's disease is named after Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878–1937), the British neurologist who first described the condition in 1912

I  would like the readers among you to open up and share their health  problems that they may be facing. This could well go a long way in being an instrument to change in inspiring others who are otherwise healthy but go astray with the vices that the society they live in provides them. 

Of Weird FB Friend Requests

Yes, I may be a networking addict and whoever I tend to meet in the offline world on professional grounds or otherwise it would be no surprise he or she may be on my friend list. And the ‘World of Basil Da Bullet’ well knows that!! There are still many others who I may have not met yet or may never meet. But there is every chance that I have connected to that individual online – on FB. 

My interests being varied – I have connected with people from the field of media, authors and authors-to-be, bibliophiles, cricketers and cricket fans, esp. SRT fans (Sachinists), glamour – models, hot-shot fashion photographers, fashion designers, hair-stylists, actors and actresses, singers …so on and forth, the list being endless.

Oh yea, of course, thanks to the social networking tool, I have been able to keep in touch with relatives and maintain contact with classmates from school to college years, colleagues – former and current.

What prompted to writing this post was a shocker friend request I had received earlier this afternoon around 12.45 hrs. And it found me an urge to immediately write a post on the same.

The friend request which I have not yet accepted and not likely to came from a profile bearing the name of Raggu Pickerson from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. His profile states that he has studied at Akita Municipal Junior College of Arts & Crafts. And the intriguing part of his profile says that he works at the municipality (cleaning service) and displays his pic (or is it) as a bearded fellow, not all that unkempt by appearance and quite well-dressed but carrying a partially-filled sack with garbage seen strewn in the background.

I have taken a screen shot of this strange individual’s FB Homepage with the pending friend request and I am sharing it here. Do give your thoughts on it.



The online world can really be vague isn’t it? I am sure you have your own little stories to share on the same. And I would love to hear from you with regards to it.

Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge

Today is the first anniversary of my friendship with one of the craziest girls, I have come to having known, but I am fond of nonetheless. She is a real hun-bun. Edible? That, I would digress from making known :D

A cute girl, right from the outset we have had our fair share of fights. Loves irritating me, not that I am any less :P

Rewinding back to the day I came to know about her – exactly a year back on this day, I was quite upset returning home. Yet another opportunity of watching an International Cricket Match LIVE at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Margao between the home team against the Australians went abegging as playing conditions were deemed unfit.

Back home and switching on t my computer and logging in to FB as is my wont; I had this friend request pending. A cutesy, happy face stared back at me, not that I was taken aback by that but the close to a dozen - and - half mutual friends we shared. And that too my former colleagues at the organization I am with for just over five fruitful years now. I had an inkling at this point where this would lead to.

In my inimitable style, with no courtesy intro message coming in, I did not click the accept friend option. But keyed in a quickie. I asked the gal for an intro and prompt came her reply. And within a few minutes, she became my friend on the social networking tool.  Yes, I am not like the often-found guys on FB (and or Orkut and the like social networking sites for that matter) looking for cute or sexy chicks online to befriend and randomly send requests. Yes, I do send out requests to beautiful girls if I find something interesting about her, but it is always with an intro. Any girl I have befriended online and who I have eventually met or even spoken to for that matter, can vouch for that. I haven’t changed as much. And I stay true to my self.

And that is what this girl came to understand - I can be nice, a real sweetheart but I can also be rude – a meanie. I can be funny, crazy and also can be sarcastic and have my PJs. 

We got to meet sometime before year-end (end December – I think the day was 29^th). I had gone shopping with mom and on my way back home went to meet this FB character of a pal at her work-place behind Grace Church, Margao. Pleasantries exchanged, we did not get to speak much. Alas, she was shit scared of her boss.

In time, I considered her to be one of my good friends or perhaps on her way being categorized thus. I even celebrated her birthday out at Dom Pedro’s, Margao, albeit belated by a few days. That she invited me to attend her grand 21^st birthday three days earlier, took me by surprise. Not that she, hardly had known me in person yet, but that she did not invite her odd friend who she had personally known last few years. It is another matter I had not attended her birthday. But I make her feel special on 9^th Feb, or I suppose I did, with a treat and a nice Aquarian gift for the Piscean later that evening.

B'dai Treat at Dom Pedro's 

At the Aquarium where Val got her Eenie & Mienie - lil Goldfish :)

A day short from the anniversary date of our friendship, she came over to my place to present me with a cute kitty who I have named Valie. A delayed cutesy gift, but nevertheless, so sweet, adorable and meowyyy

J J

Cute Cats at my place yesterday 

She has once said, she can be herself around with me, the feeling is thus mutual. Not known too many girls who are as broad-minded as her with whom I can talk A-Zee. 

Love that pissat a lot ;) Val is what I call that Gal :)

Tryst with a book idea

Writing a book had been a thought tried to put into my head when in my higher-secondary by an aunt who lived overseas. But I never believed I had any potential. She was quite encouraging realizing that I used to write 'Letters to the Ed' on the papers and I was on my way to be a journo some day. She even asked me why not compile my published stuff into a book, but I was like naaaa.
Then a few years later, I explored the idea of coming up with a complilation called 'Life Until 25' but I found no takers. Come to the current year, sometime June when I was not having the best of my days health-wise and having recently read a novel 'The Last Scraps Of Love' by Nipun Ranjan which was riddled with grammatical errors right through, I said to myself if this guy could get published, why not I?
It was then I said to myself, may be not a novel, but I could always write an anthology of fictitious short stories themed on love. And I targeted myself with a story to write a month.  And so began in right earnest my effort, and within the first two months I wrote 'A Hope of Love Stays Afloat' and 'Virginity Deflowered' and had a few other story ideas in mind but which did not materialize. Reasons being inexcusable, to be frank. Some weeks ago when I realized my cousin was on her way to be a published author, my happiness from within knew no bounds. Finally, we were to have the first writer in the family. I helped her with my social networking skills, and within a matter of a few days her book manuscript got approved. While she was all  thrilled about the approval, she had been asking me 'Why not I get my short stories published too' (I had told her earlier I was writing short stories)  or alternatively, get my articles published. Hmmmm, while I haven't dwelt on the latter idea, about the collection of short stories, I need time, effort and dedication to get re-started. But when ?! It is another matter altogether but shelved for now.
Reason being over an SMS late 12th October night, I got an offer to write a biography of a girl at  the end of her teens. She kind of told me her poignant story at the point and even mentioned to me that she was penning her story, at 13, when her uncle just tore off the pages and she hadn't the heart to start all over again. This was when I popped up the question 'I could write your story' and she was 'all game.'
To rewind a bit, it was Divine Providence (which she staunchly believes in) that she connected with me on FB and somehow got my cell number and since mid-October we have been texting a lot and she had quite a lot to tell and I was all the more curious to know more and more about her. And I was like 'This is it' - 'I always wanted to write a biography' and I had a willing young woman to reveal her story 'Dil Se'.
Cut to mid-morning - 20th October, I had plans to meet an FB Pal, Sana Krishna - mutual friends with Manasvi Mamgai  Femina Miss India World 2010 which for some reason did not materialize. And I was still stuck in town (Margao, where I live)  beyond 10am. And needed a contingency plan to not let my day away from work go to waste and awry.
Then it immediately sprung to my mind, about the girl who had given her consent to write her biography. Till the day, we did not get the opportunity to meet up for some reason or the other. So  I decided to call up the girl and fix a meet that morning  itself with her and get started on the book. And fortunately, she was up for it on the day as she was still bumming on her bed with little else to do.
While she may have been on her way with her beau (who dropped her off) couple odd hours later, I told her that she would be relating to me about her childhood which would be the 'First Chapter' of  the book-to-be. And hence later mid-noon, we met up at a place in my locality away from any interference or inquisitiveness of any individuals. And she got talking and talking. She expressed her thoughts, emotions and experiences of all she could remember and was told about in relation to her life in an easy and understandable, clear, no - holds - barred manner. At times, I found her story so emotional, that I could not look into her eyes and continued to pore down over my book scribbling away my notes as she divulged her story. At another time, I sensed her voice go a touch quavery, looked up, saw that she was alright and did not require a tissue or two (had that in my bag, just in case).Her open-mindedness, bravura to speak from her heart continued to amaze me.
In the two hours odd spent with her, hearing her out attentively, asking questions and scribbling away her emotional story with a few interesting anecdotes thrown in for good measure, I found her strong-willed, determined, with oodles and oodles of guts and gumption. It is no mean task to pour out your heart, your soul to someone you befriended like about two months ago online and meeting himfor the first time to get the book idea in motion.
Day 1 - October 20, 2011 - 2 hours (approx) on the tentative Chapter 1 was very encouraging. The respondent bared her heart as should be while working on a biography and the content was more than what I had expected. In fact, I expect more to come while I begin work on the skeletal details disclosed to me on the  'First Chapter'.

Overnight Trip to Surla

Opportunities to have a good time with friends do not come often, especially when in time, we get scattered due to our professional commitments and other reasons.

And when college friends come together after many years, nothing like it – there is a lot to share – how times have changed, and also recall those old college memories that we cherish to this day.

John, one of the ‘Tede Mede Boys’ --- the erstwhile college gang, and  who works in Mumbai was down in Goa and as his enterprising nature saw a few of his friends up with his idea for an overnight outing to the plateau of Surla, in Karnataka, just beyond Goa. The dates were fixed for the weekend of 9^th & 10^th April, earlier this year. As is the case, many a times, I have plans on the weekend, and this was no different. From watching the IPL 4 which was underway to the first-ever Goa Fashion Week that was coinciding on that weekend, I had to make a difficult choice.

But I comforted myself saying I could always know what happened in the IPL action missed later, and glitz & glam event opportunities keep happening. So the decision was taken, a day prior to the outing that I was to accompany my pals to the distant woods of Surla. After all, friends cannot be prioritized over my aforementioned plans.

So it was John, Jaffrey, Terrance, & I who left around noon of April 9 from Gogol-Margao by Alto picking up one of our friends, Shaba along the way at Tisk (9 kms from Ponda).

Along our long drive beyond the Goa borders, to the serene Surla village, we grooved and sang to some catchy beats.

Shaba - our driver with John, up front 

Terrance (in the foreground )

Jaffrey 

We also made stops at Ponda City for drinks, Anjunem Dam to behold the sight and for some clicks and up the Chorla Ghat to enjoy the mystique beauty that it encompassed. I would like to mention here about the prank played by my friends by trooping in the vehicle and continuing to drive farther ahead while I engaged in some photography of the local women-folk walking by the road. I had to sprint after them on realizing the same, to a point at which the vehicle halted to allow a huffing-puffing me to get in. Our drive from the point onwards was to get laborious with the awful roads and it was quite a strain on our unsettled backbones and a bugger to our rocking back-sides.

At Anjunem Dam 

Spidery Shaba scaling the cliff

Jesus Christ !! What was he up to ? 

At Chorla Ghats 

Womenfolk walking by the road at Chorla Ghats

Stupid guys, giving me the slip

Upon reaching Surla village, we parked our vehicle near the temple, and took out our belongings and other stuff that we carried with us to trek our way to the camp-site. One of the villagers, a friend of Shaba’s came along with us, helping carry things.

The other guys in animated discussion on reaching Surla village 

All set to head to our camp-site 

L-R: Jaff, Terrance, John, myself & Shaba

Surla Temple

By twilight, we reached the site where we were to camp. We had to trek quite some distance, as the road leading to it was inaccessible to vehicles as it was under repair. It did give me a good work-out in preparation of the National Himalayan Trekking Expedition that I was to undergo few weeks thereon (in May), as my friends had to remark.

Our camp-site was located on a rocky plateau faraway from habitation, but with signs that there used to be habitation here at a point of time with the ruins of a house in close proximity. In the fading daylight and wasting no time further, we took to the task of gathering firewood for our camp-fire. It reminded me of the ‘Age of the Pre-historic Man’ that found it a necessity to shield them from cold, keep wild animals at bay and to cook their meals.

Upon reaching the Camp-site

Gathering firewood for the Camp-fire

John’s culinary skills were on display –marinating the tender chicken so aesthetically that mouth-watering as the smell was, was a sight to behold. Also the shark (mori in the local tongue), was prepared by him which looked so yummy. It was a perfect BBQ, with the grill that we had brought and that I had carried. Terrance, his assistant, helped him in preparing the salad.

Master Chef John at work

Mori being prepared

Marinated Chicken on the BBQ

Mori being needled for the BBQ

Terrance - all focused on the Salad front 

As was with me, I kept myself click-happy until it was time to have our dinner, and the chips and drinks that went with it.

BBQ

And its getting better :)

BBQ - READY !!!

The connoisseur for exquisite cuisine sampling the chicken
8/10

Its food & drinks time !!

We also planned to blast away the nite with amplified music, but that was not to be. Several attempts to get the music going bore futility, as the battery stayed kaput. But that was not to deter our spirits, already on a high. I had my mobile play a host of tracks which was appreciated by the other revelers all of whom danced around the camp-fire, drink in hand.  

Nagoba Dance before Dinner

Yours Truly by the Camp-fire

Full-on

There was a brief scare of the rains, and our anticipation saw us build a tent-sorta structure across branches with a cloth overhead and under which we kept our belongings. But thankfully, it was just a steady drizzle which made its fleeting presence.

Setting up our tent-like structure

Sleeping beneath the open, starry skies to the break of a new dawn was quite an enthralling, new experience to me. I was perhaps the first to go to sleep. 

Terrance (foreground) and Shaba call it a night, while John is having a plantain :)

Jaff with the plantain-eater :)

Not yet asleep, wokay :)

Terrance - fast asleep

All asleep

We awoke to the fresh, clean air of the new morning with the mellifluous tweets of the winged creatures. I was the first to rise and shine. Having freshened ourselves, we cleared up as a troop of langurs in the distance curiously looked on

A new dawn

Amazing crown of the Rising Sun

The Rising Sun cupped by moi from the Surla Plateau, Sattari

Bullet Baba in deep meditation :)

Lazy Boy - Shaba, finally wakes up :)

My four buddies with whom I had a wonderful wicked time :)

Ruins of a House, not too far away from where we slept
the nite thru under the starry skies ;)

We were soon trekking the way back we had come.  Settling ourselves back in the car, we headed to one of Shaba’s friends for a visit who served us tea and biscuits. Over there, I got an opportunity to take in some news and action of the IPL action of the previous night on the telly. 

Trekking our way back 

Getting set to leave the place

On our way back to Goa, still in the Ghats, one of us saw a rustling and a fleeting movement of the elusive Giant Red Squirrel (Shekro) up the trees.  And we took the opportunity for a good eyeful, halted and got out from the vehicle. While one or two of my friends claimed to having got a good glimpse of the furry beauty, I was not too sure.

At the Chorla Ghats on our way back to Goa

As we reached Goa, and at Keri, we stopped at some place for our breakfast and then moved to a canal nearby where we had our bath. Sighting a unique tree in the vicinity, as is my wont, I clambered up the tree for a pic or two.

Up to my antics at Keri

The Kingfisher boys :P

Later that morning, we continued our way back down South Goa.

On our way drive back to Margao

with Shaba behind the wheel

By afternoon, we were back, in Margao carrying back lovely memories of our overnight outing with plans to organize another in the future, sooner rather than later.