NEW YEAR GREETINGS
==================
This is the last day of 2004 and I am writing this in the evening. I wish you and your family a happy new year in 2005, as the last few hours of 2004 tick by.
POEM
====
As the year draws to a close, I will end with an inspirational poem that should serve as a balm for the hurt of the old year and at the same time as a hope for the new year. The upper case letters are my embellishment, to emphasize the message.
It is taken from http://www.villagehero.com/motivational-poems.htm.
Don't Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
SO, STICK TO THE FIGHT WHEN YOU'RE HARDEST HIT -
IT'S WHEN THINGS GO WRONG THAT YOU MUSTN'T QUIT.
MY COMMENTS ON THE YEAR
=======================
What an end to another eventful year ! From one perspective, all years are the same : there are high points and there are low points. In the end, one or two events stand out.
TSUNAMI
======
In 2004, considering the recentness and the terrible destruction that it caused, the tsunami in South East and South Asia must be the "stand out" event. In India, on 26-Dec-04 morning, the tsunami caused havoc in its southern provinces. The news media have told the thousand stories : children playing on the beach one instant, swept away minutes later ; hotel walls considered impregnable knocked down by gigantic waves that seemed to mock the solidity of the walls ; cars floating like paper boats ; families ruined ; parents grieving ; loved ones lost .... The destruction caused by seconds of the earthquake is a terrible reminder of how life can change !
If you want to read more, click on the hyperlinks below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake
http://phukettsunami.blogspot.com/
The first hyperlink is a well researched page with good hyperlinks to related sites while the second is a personal experience.
For those who want to do something online, http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/tsunami.aidsites/ contains hyperlinks where donations can be made online. In particular, if you want to reach the International Red Cross or Red Crescent, http://www.donate.ifrc.org/ is the site. It leads to a secure site. However, "caveat emptor" i.e. let the "buyer beware" ! In this case, let the giver beware !
INDIA
=====
Yet, despite the scale of the destruction, the tsunami was not the only news event of the year. Elections were held in India and USA and the results are important for the morrow that has to come. India is the world's largest democracy and the USA its most famous one ! What a curious results the Indian elections threw up ! The ruling coalition marketed the resurgent economy and business sentiment with the slogan "India Shining". However, the people decided that it was not enough and so an old favourite of the people is back holding the reins of power. See http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/29yend1.htm for details.
The Indian economy continues to do well. The GDP growth is good and though inflation is on the higher side, all indicators (and the economic analysts) point to positive tidings in 2005 also. Just today, the news channel here inform that GDP is growth around 6.6% for the quarter from July to September. Similarly, inflation is at a 23 week low. Indian companies have begun to assert themselves on the world stage. If mobile phones' sales worldwide have beat expectaions, one reason is the better than expected sales from BRIC - Brazil, Russia, India and China, the new emerging markets of the world. The rain god has been kind this year to India. It is strange how that factor continues to influence the Indian economy even in the 21st century ! The time approaches when the vagaries of the monsoon should have less impact on the economy of India.
SPORTS
======
If I consider sports, there are high points and low points here as well. I think of the Olympics and the face of Rajyavardhan Rathore kissing his silver medal and the pride and joy in his face come to mind instantly. Next, I remember scenes from the spectacular opening ceremony : Greece, where the Olympics started (and restarted) showcasing its contribution to the world. The low point is that a country with a population of 1 billion has only one silver medal in the Games !
There is a similar story in cricket. An aggressive captain took the battle Down Under. His steady and resolute deputy showed just why he is called the "Wall" when he made a double century and took India to a historic victory in Adelaide. The test series against the undisputed test champions was drawn 1-1, but this was still only an appetizer before the main course ! Before touring Pakistan, the Pakistani team coach commented that his country had bowlers like the new Indian medium fast bowling hope in every street of his country. Well, the team, the young rookie in particular and his smiling new ball partner showed the Pakistani coach just why he is considered such a promising prospect. India won the test series 2-1 and the one day series as well. Irfan Pathan and Balaji, take your bows, lads !
The lows in cricket came later in the year. The Asia Cup and Champions Cup were disappointments for India, but the biggest disappointment was to come later when the Australians toured India and defeated us in a test series at home. This, to quote Shakespeare, was the unkindest cut of all :-)
Well, c'est la vie ! ("That is life")
PERSONAL
========
On the personal side too there are again high points and low. The biggest high point is that I got married on 18-Nov-04. The deepest low point is that I got married on 18-Nov-04 :-)). C'est la vie.
Also on the personal front, the high point of the year was my getting a car. On the other hand, the low point of the year as far as the car was concerned was the first couple of dents on the big, black, beautiful car when I was driving.
Ah well, c'est la vie !
As the year draws to a close and a new one beckons, I hope the year is one that marks a beginning for you - and for the world that you and I share.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged as
the properties of their owners.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
++++++ ENDS ++++++
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
==================
This is the last day of 2004 and I am writing this in the evening. I wish you and your family a happy new year in 2005, as the last few hours of 2004 tick by.
POEM
====
As the year draws to a close, I will end with an inspirational poem that should serve as a balm for the hurt of the old year and at the same time as a hope for the new year. The upper case letters are my embellishment, to emphasize the message.
It is taken from http://www.villagehero.com/motivational-poems.htm.
Don't Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
SO, STICK TO THE FIGHT WHEN YOU'RE HARDEST HIT -
IT'S WHEN THINGS GO WRONG THAT YOU MUSTN'T QUIT.
MY COMMENTS ON THE YEAR
=======================
What an end to another eventful year ! From one perspective, all years are the same : there are high points and there are low points. In the end, one or two events stand out.
TSUNAMI
======
In 2004, considering the recentness and the terrible destruction that it caused, the tsunami in South East and South Asia must be the "stand out" event. In India, on 26-Dec-04 morning, the tsunami caused havoc in its southern provinces. The news media have told the thousand stories : children playing on the beach one instant, swept away minutes later ; hotel walls considered impregnable knocked down by gigantic waves that seemed to mock the solidity of the walls ; cars floating like paper boats ; families ruined ; parents grieving ; loved ones lost .... The destruction caused by seconds of the earthquake is a terrible reminder of how life can change !
If you want to read more, click on the hyperlinks below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake
http://phukettsunami.blogspot.com/
The first hyperlink is a well researched page with good hyperlinks to related sites while the second is a personal experience.
For those who want to do something online, http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/tsunami.aidsites/ contains hyperlinks where donations can be made online. In particular, if you want to reach the International Red Cross or Red Crescent, http://www.donate.ifrc.org/ is the site. It leads to a secure site. However, "caveat emptor" i.e. let the "buyer beware" ! In this case, let the giver beware !
INDIA
=====
Yet, despite the scale of the destruction, the tsunami was not the only news event of the year. Elections were held in India and USA and the results are important for the morrow that has to come. India is the world's largest democracy and the USA its most famous one ! What a curious results the Indian elections threw up ! The ruling coalition marketed the resurgent economy and business sentiment with the slogan "India Shining". However, the people decided that it was not enough and so an old favourite of the people is back holding the reins of power. See http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/29yend1.htm for details.
The Indian economy continues to do well. The GDP growth is good and though inflation is on the higher side, all indicators (and the economic analysts) point to positive tidings in 2005 also. Just today, the news channel here inform that GDP is growth around 6.6% for the quarter from July to September. Similarly, inflation is at a 23 week low. Indian companies have begun to assert themselves on the world stage. If mobile phones' sales worldwide have beat expectaions, one reason is the better than expected sales from BRIC - Brazil, Russia, India and China, the new emerging markets of the world. The rain god has been kind this year to India. It is strange how that factor continues to influence the Indian economy even in the 21st century ! The time approaches when the vagaries of the monsoon should have less impact on the economy of India.
SPORTS
======
If I consider sports, there are high points and low points here as well. I think of the Olympics and the face of Rajyavardhan Rathore kissing his silver medal and the pride and joy in his face come to mind instantly. Next, I remember scenes from the spectacular opening ceremony : Greece, where the Olympics started (and restarted) showcasing its contribution to the world. The low point is that a country with a population of 1 billion has only one silver medal in the Games !
There is a similar story in cricket. An aggressive captain took the battle Down Under. His steady and resolute deputy showed just why he is called the "Wall" when he made a double century and took India to a historic victory in Adelaide. The test series against the undisputed test champions was drawn 1-1, but this was still only an appetizer before the main course ! Before touring Pakistan, the Pakistani team coach commented that his country had bowlers like the new Indian medium fast bowling hope in every street of his country. Well, the team, the young rookie in particular and his smiling new ball partner showed the Pakistani coach just why he is considered such a promising prospect. India won the test series 2-1 and the one day series as well. Irfan Pathan and Balaji, take your bows, lads !
The lows in cricket came later in the year. The Asia Cup and Champions Cup were disappointments for India, but the biggest disappointment was to come later when the Australians toured India and defeated us in a test series at home. This, to quote Shakespeare, was the unkindest cut of all :-)
Well, c'est la vie ! ("That is life")
PERSONAL
========
On the personal side too there are again high points and low. The biggest high point is that I got married on 18-Nov-04. The deepest low point is that I got married on 18-Nov-04 :-)). C'est la vie.
Also on the personal front, the high point of the year was my getting a car. On the other hand, the low point of the year as far as the car was concerned was the first couple of dents on the big, black, beautiful car when I was driving.
Ah well, c'est la vie !
As the year draws to a close and a new one beckons, I hope the year is one that marks a beginning for you - and for the world that you and I share.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged as
the properties of their owners.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
++++++ ENDS ++++++
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
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