Victim of USA date format

It’s all about "garibi mai geela aata" and just because of USA. Yes USA again hit me and this time it is in pretty different manner. It’s all about silly different date format of India and USA. Story began from the month of Nov 08 when I bought a SCJP voucher (Sun Certified Java Programmer) in 4500 bugs. All sun vouchers have a validity date and till date you have to be give the exam else voucher will expire. We all are engineer and our habit is that we can’t prepare for the exam till the date of paper. 07/08/09 written as an expiry date on my voucher. So all set for the exam and I called up to Promatric center to book my slot for the exam. They told me that they don’t have vacant slot for the week and asked me that do I have the voucher. I said yes, then he asked for the validity, I said it is valid till 7th Aug 09. He asked that 07/08/09 is written over there, I said yes. And there it is... :(( it is US date format and according that my voucher has been expiry. Wo kahete hai naa "khaya piya to kuch bhi nahi or glass thoda barra aana". So guys from the next time please beware from the USA date format. L

Welcome to the Hills - Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabaleshwar
Day 1- Actually its Night 1 – 29^th May 09

What a hotly days in Mumbai, you can not stay in room without AC and if your bad luck is on the top and load shading start then you are able to fill a bucket with sweat in fillip. So we guys decided to get out from Mumbai at least in weekends and go somewhere where we can enjoy the Kashmir kold and beat the burning Mumbai. Every thing was planned, we booked the hotel and ordered a cab for the trip. On final day when we had to leave for the trip we got a bad news in the morning and that was, Cab is cancelled!!!. What? No cab, everything is on the place, we all are ready to go, our bag is packed, and hotel is booked but no cab :(. But finally we managed to get a cab in the evening 9 just 1 hour before to our scheduled timing, what a great start.

We started our journey from 11pm and reached to Mahabaleshwar 4.30Am. " Mahabaleshwar is 290 km from Mumbai via Pune, and 266 km via Mahad. It is 120 km from Pune, the nearest airport and most convenient railhead. The best way to get here is by road - bus, taxi and car - on a good, motorable road ". When we were about to reach Mahabaleshwar we all felt sudden change in the climate, wow its fog outside. I can’t believe fog in the month of June. Yes it was there and cool air touching our body and it give us immense pleasure and we feel like we are in heaven.
Day 1 - 30 May 09

Early in the morning we reached at our hotel and got only 1 room of the two booked for the 8 people. Second room is going to be vacant in the 8am. So till that time we have to manage in single room. It was not a big task for 8 bachelors to adjust in one room. I slept at 5 am and woke up 7am. When I went out and open my eyes wow…what a beauty out there, it’s really beautiful. We took some pics in the hotel room as well as outside.
By 9 am we had our breakfast and we were ready to explore the Mahabaleshwar.We all were very much new to the place and didn’t aware the hot spots of Mahabaleshwar. Before coming to this place we took a print out of the spots of Mahabaleshwar. In Mahabaleshwar you will get Guide in every 100 meter but we have decided that we are not going to spent extra bucks on these local guide as we had a list of spot to visit. We only need a map of Mahabaleshwar, and we got it very easily by giving 25 bucks. So now we have map, list of spot and here 8 new guides are ready to explore the Mahabaleshwar.

Old Mahabaleshwar Temple

Our first point was old Mahabaleshwar temple which is 4km from city. We reached there by 10am. " The Shiva Temple in old Mahabaleshwar is the source of 5 rivers, and the water keeps flowing throughout the year. Mahabaleshwar derives its name from Lord Mahabali (Lord Shiva), who is enshrined in the form of a naturally occurring (swayamboo) lingam in the shape of a Rudraksha seed. This lingam is considered more sacred than the 12 jyothirlingams. It is also called Trigunatmaka as it is believed to represent Brahma, Vishnu as well as Shiva.
The Panchganga temple is believed to be the site of origin of five rivers. There is a legend connected to this origin. On this site long ago Lord Brahma along with the Vishnu and Shiva performed a Yagna (religious ritual). Brahma’s consort, Savitri was not present. Brahma forgot to wait for Savitri. Since the presence of his wife was essential for performing the rites, Lord Brahma hastily married a local maiden Gayatri. When Savitri arrived she got enraged and in her fury transformed Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Gayatri into rivers. They also retaliated, turning Savitri into a watercourse as well. Thus, Brahma became the Venna river, Gayatri and Savitri became the rivers of their own name, Lord Vishnu became the river Krishna and Lord Shiva got transformed into river Koyna. " We spent near about 1 hour there and max of them was for clicking the camera.

Arthur Point

Towards the north-west of Mahabaleshwar is Arthur's Seat. Named after Mr. Arthur Mallet, who first built a house here, the view of the valley, Savitri River and the valley of Jor is truly exhilarating. In the summer season, the haze usually obstructs the view but in the months from October to November, these hills are seen to a fine advantage. At a height of around 1470 metres high, the stratification of rocks on southern side of Arthur's Seat is compared to the world famous stratification of rocks of the Grand Canyon in Colorado.
A fun feature of this destination is that any item, like a straw hat or a handkerchief, when tossed down from this spot, never falls directly but floats in the air like a spread out parachute.The main tourist destinations around Mahabaleshwar, Elphinstone Point and Arthur's Seat are not destinations you want to miss out on. Go here for a truly elating and invigorating experience, especially if you’re looking to get away from the maddening crowd in the cities

Back to the Lunch

After having light lunch we planned to move towards some historical place. And what would be better than the Fort of "Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj" if you are in Maharashtra. So next is...

Pratapgad - The Great Shivaji Fort

"Pratapgad Fort is a mountain fort built by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The fort is at a distance of 24 km ghat road from the hill station of Mahabaleshwar. The fort holds a sturdy view of coastal Konkan. The Bhavani Temple and Afzal Khan's tomb are other places of interest. Pratapgad consists of two forts - an upper fort built on the top of the hill and a lower fort immediately below on the south and the east. Surrounding areas can be easily taken guard from the fort on almost all the sides. The southern side is rocky while the eastern side has a strong outwork ending in the Afzal Buruj. The famous minister More Tirmal Pingale on the command of Shivaji Maharaj to control the rebellious satraps of the surrounding Javali Basin built Pratapgad Fort in 1656. It is believed that Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja was blessed with a shining sword at the temple of Goddess Bhavani here. The historic battle between Chatrapati Shivaji and Afzal Khan, the commander of the Bijapur Sultanate fought here. Bhavani Temple and Afzal Khan's Tomb are major attractions where are situated near the fort."

Day 2 - 31 May 09

Wilson Point

Wilson point where you can see the sunrise and sunset. But this point is more famous for sunrise rather than sunset. I have seen a lots of point for sunset but this is first time I am going to get a view of sunrise point. As it is sunrise means we have to wake up early in the morning to make the eye contact with SUN. frankly this is very tedious job for us guys to wake up early in the morning as we had a hectic first day but we managed to do it :).

Wilson Point, located at the highest point in the city of Mahabaleshwar, is a vast plateau, which also goes by the name Sunrise Point. Essentially a vast bare rock with three observation towers erected at different spots, Wilson Point offers the most spectacular view of the sunrise. One can view the sunrise from any of the three masonry round platforms. The second platform, which is about 1 km away from the market area of Mahabaleshwar, is the ideal place to view the sun rise. This particular platform is perfectly located at 4,735 feet above sea level and is the highest point in Mahabaleshwar. Like several other sunrise or sunset points across the country, Wilson Point is also tremendously popular with tourists and even the locals from nearby. Known for its splendid view of the sunrise, it’s not until a visit to this place that one realizes the sheer magnificence of the sigh. It’s not uncommon to find crowds of tourists huddled together in the wee hours of the morning to spot the first ray of sunshine, as the sun makes its way up to the very top of the sky. An utterly breathtaking view, this place is ideal for a quiet moment with your special someone. Do visit!

Veena Lake

Venna Lake grasps the attention of people with its picturesque locale, encircled by trees on all sides. A boat ride in the late evenings of winters makes one just awestruck by nature's splendor. You can also go for horse riding on the path along the lake as we did and its really joyful and thrilled to ride on a horse. And traverse the most-beautiful milieu that you have ever imagined through the roads, apt for nice walks and treks.

Kate's Point - No Cat's here :)

Kate’s Point is a favorite tourist spot about 5 km from Venna Lake towards Panchgani. It is known for the huge and remarkable shape rock which stands majestically on the hills which is 50 m high. Kate’s Point offers commanding view of the Krishna Valley. The place is named after Kate, daughter of Sir John Malcom - the founder of Mahabaleshwar. Situated near the Kate’s Point is the Echo Point, which, true to its name, echoes the words of the speaker.

Water fall

The Lingamala Waterfall is a fantastic sight to watch. It presents an enrapturing view of cascading water. It disperses from the top of a steep cliff. The water falling down looks like thin silver streaks. It encircles with rainbow colors. The tourists and the visitors admire the Lingamala waterfall’s beauty. The Lingamala Waterfall is a glittering waterfall. The water drops into the Venna valley of Mahabaleshwar. The best season for visiting the falls is the rainy season. The water level during the monsoon rises and cascades down. The water which launches from a height of 600 feet from the drop-off extends the most effervescent visions.
How its look like in rainy season

Head to Panchgani –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panchgani

Panchgani is situated 20 kms East of Mahabaleshwar and spreads out over five hills. The name actually means 'five lands' and in this very popular hill station, that bears the Raj stamp all over it, you can have some excellent views of the flat surroundings. It is also famous for its boarding schools, its Parsee Bungalows, the fresh air, tasty strawberries and the rich Indians who like to spend some time here. Picturesque Panchgani has served as the background for several films. From Mahabaleshwar, it takes only twenty to twenty-five minutes to reach Panchgani. It can also be easily visited from Poona or Bombay.

Table Land

"Situated around 60 mts high ,this flat large expanse of laterite rock is the second longest mountain plateau in asia. There are some spacious caves that can be seen from here and one of them is Devil's Kitchen"

So that was the our last point. After that we move towards Mumbai and through out the way i was thinking... wapis se mumbai ki humidity and garmi, oh my god :( . But yes i have the 2 memorable days that i spent with nature.

I suggest to visit at least once MAHABALESHWAR!!!

James Bond - The Boxer :)

Short story about a man who is nescience about Hollywood and we called him SWAMI. Now you think why swami because he looks like swami of Munna Bhai MBBS and even similar kind of risible character and as innocence as like Swami.

One beautiful Sunday I was watching MI-3, suddenly Swami came to my room and asked, hey Mahendra which movie you are watching?

 I said MI-3. Swami got confused but didn’t say anything and started watching movie with me. After some time movie title appear in the screen as Mission Impossible- 3, then swami screamed ohh is it Mission Impossible? I saw this movie, but not this part.

Then I asked which one, he said not remembered.

Then swami saw Tom Cruise and asked is he a Jet Plane pilot?

I said no swami he is not. I asked him why you thought like this then swami said because yesterday he saw a movie in which he was a Jet pilotJ.

Then I said no Swami he is not pilot he is an Agent, Agent Ethen Hunt. Again I made him flummox.

Swami next question, very obviously, what is an Agent? Now I have to make him clear about Agent. I thought let him give an example of James Bond and he will understand all the things. But I was wrongL, I told him Swami he is an agent like James Bond.

Then swami replied and his answer made me laughing till my stomach hurt.

He said ohh yes James Bond-The boxer I saw his movie. I thought even he is not aware of James Bond. I stop the movie, clear his all query and tell him to go and buy a pack of James Bond movie and watch it. J How some one so innocently gives this statement about a character that is very much famous in India even in very rural area. But yes it happens with me recently and I can’t forget this moment till James bond exists in reel lifeJ

Rajasthan Royals script a Super Over victory over Knight Riders

CAPE TOWN: It could not have got better than this! A Super Over contest was needed to identify a winner in the thriller between last year's champions Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders at Sahara Park Newlands on Thursday. After a heady contest in Durban where Delhi Daredevils won by nine runs from Chennai Super Kings, it needed a battle like this to keep the adrenalin flowing in the DLF Indian Premier League. The teams tied scores at 150 each in 20 overs and it was the platform on which a rookie paceman Kamran Khan was launched into limelight.The teenager from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh first took three for 18 in his four overs to help Rajasthan Royals bowl out Kolkata Knight Riders for 150 despite a gallant 46 by Sourav Ganguly. He then bowled a 16-run over and dismissed Chris Gayle to set the stage for Yusuf Pathan to steal the thunder.One of the heroes of Rajasthan Royals' title run last season, Yusuf Pathan struck Ajatha Mendis for two sixes and a four off the first four balls off the mystery spinner's Super Over to clinch a fantastic win for Rajasthan Royals to bring the tournament alive. Here is a blow by blow account of the Super Over contestKolkata Knight Riders Super Over
Ball one: Chris Gayle takes a single to kick-off the first Super Over in DLF IPL history
Ball two: Knee-high full toss hits Brendon McCullum on the finger, but no no-ball called even as McCullum looked around for a signal
Ball three: Wide off the off-stump and was just outside Gayle's reach. Declared wide
Ball four: Gayle send it over the mid-on fielder for a four
Ball five:Gayle thumps to the mid-wicket boundary
Ball six: Gayle pulls again to mid-wicket region for a four
Ball seven: Graeme Smith dives forward on the point boundary to take a catch to dismiss Gayle Kolkata 15 for one (Gayle 13, McCullum 1 not out)
Rajasthan Royals Super Over
Ball one: Yusuf Pathan slams Ajantha Mendis over the cover region for a massive six.
Ball two: Pathan gets under the ball but mistimes it to the straight field. Angelo Matthews dives but in vain. Two runs taken
Ball three: Pathan smashes the ball way over the mid-wicket for a massive six.
Ball four: Pathan sweeps to the square-leg boundary for the winning runs.
Rajasthan Royals 18 (Pathan 18 not out, Jadeja 0 not out)

IPL Bizarre

IPL started and all portend are fail as all super heroes couldn't justify their name. But don’t worry it is going to be a very long series. One thing which creates a small fear for IPL-II is low scoring matches. As you know defender Champ and Runner up not only lost their opening matches but scores were also very low unlike the last year. Rajasthan Royals disappoint me, I support RR, just not because they lose the match but they lost the match very poorly. Even I was expecting lot more from Shane warne trump card Kamran Khan :(. They didn't play like a defender champ.
Punjab Kings XI bowled out by Duckworth Luis Yorker:)
Last year two most criticized player Rahul Dravid and Kumble got the highest scorer and Highest Wicket Taker Cap.
Lets c what else surprises we all will get in upcoming matches. :)

Scores Till Now-

BRC : 133 / 8 RR : 58 / 10
Bangalore Royal Challengers beat Rajasthan Royals by 75 runs

KXIP : 104 / 7 DD : 58 / 0
Delhi Daredevils won by 10 wickets

KKR : 101 / 10 DC : 104 / 2
Deccan Chargers won by 8 wickets

Match 1 IPL-II MI vs CSK

So it was opening match between last year runner up, Chennai Super King, and Mumbai Indians. CSK won the toss and decided to field first. MI started with Jayasurya and Sachin. First 15 overs were very bored because they are playing like a 50-50 over match. MI should give all credit to Abhishek Nayar who played a superb knock of 35 in just 14 balls and create a base for MI to be in the match. The remaining task is beautifully executed by Zak and company. And finally Sachin and team start the tournament, unlike the last year, with a superb win.

Lets c what will happen in the outre IPL T-20 Season II :)
Mumbai Indians 165/7 (20/20 ov)
Chennai Super Kings 146/7 (20.0/20 ov)

IPL - II

Here it is back , last year sensational T20 tournament IPL. last year i planned that i will watch 2009 IPL in stadium but it is still a dream for me. This time also we can not portend that who is going to win the IPL-II. but it is sure that we are going to get the same frisson from all the IPL Team and pulchritude of Cheerleaders.