Games CEOs play

This is regarding a piece by the same title in the day's Bangalore Mirror (Sun, Dec 19, 2010).

Seems that a CEO plays Table Tennis to gain "perseverance and patience", another plays Snakes & ladders to understand that "the only person that can make you quit is you" and to top it all, a CEO of a marketing company feels "cycling helps him set targets and go after them".

As far as I knew, one played a sport to either have some fun or make it big professionally, in which case, you inch towards perfection (I guess, even this is only about fun... You tend to do some things for life because you love those things, yes?).

When you want to 'learn' stuff from every darn thing you do... I can only offer you my heartiest condolences.

Ah, I am a reductionist these days. Pity.

Land-marking...

If you have been a Bangalorean for more than a year, chances are that you've been to the Landmark at the Forum mall, even if you have no reading habit at all. If you are reading this now, it means that you have friends like me. Ergo, you have been at least dragged in there.

Now that my book-writing hormones are at an all time high, efficiently preventing me from doing anything else at college how much ever I try, I'm actually feeling quite low about my decision to enter a college that would keep me from working on the book idea for even a few hours without any disturbance. So, anyways, to cheer myself up, I went to the aforementioned Landmark yesterday to check out which part of it would house my future book (Yes, I know. I am pathetic!) and was I in for a shock!

I've never looked at the place this way before, so it was kinda unnerving at first to see the hundred plus books (stopped counting after 40) in the new arrivals right at the door in the first floor. Where'd my book go? Would it get noticed? If I were a random visitor, would I pick it up? Boy, it gave me the creeps. I walked in silent fear to the 'Indian Writing' section. A few major houses like Penguin, Hachette and the new-to-me Westland group hogged the place with about 20 copies of each of its books there. I could've comforted myself at the presence of so many other publishers but somehow that only told me that there was heavy competition there as well. I walked on to see more and more books amidst which mine can get lost, if published. Then, I faced my second worst fear in the book-writing sense (first being not getting my book published).

There, in front of me, were some new books scattered among old, used books at the 3 for 99 sale. What if mine gets published only to reach this place? God, I hope not! That would be even worse than not getting published. At least, in the event of not publishing it, people wouldn't be able to prove that my book wouldn't sell. Damn!

Oh wait, did I miss another quiz typing this?

Me: Drat.
Another part of me: As if you didn't plan that, mister.
Me: Ssshhhh...

I love you too

Trees swaying slightly wildly,

This is a little stronger than a breeze but

A breeze at heart nevertheless. 

Drops of rain fall on me at times,

A very mild form of drizzle.

Or is it a strong rain distorted by a stronger wind?

There's the sweet smell of earth, intoxicating me

I just want to walk with you, nature.

The heat around me subsides at an astonishing rate,

As the cool winds gently touch my face.

I relish the two drops of rain in my mouth

And my eyes drink and revel in this natural splendour.

Ah, I can define heaven right now.

This is it.

If this is how Earth shows its love

To us tiny humans living on it,

I would be a fool to miss it.

I love you too, my dear planet.

I love you so much.