Champ

Somebody recently said to me that “thinking it certain way makes his/her life easy.”

This line has just stuck with me. Perhaps being selfish is human nature, everyone is selfish up to certain extent. We shut our eyes to reality because it makes us feel better. But this is bizarre way of thinking!

My interpretation of this statement was “I think in certain way because it doesn’t make me feel guilty. I think in certain way because it stops me from seeing that there could be another interpretation of events. I demolish other person’s credentials because it makes me look good. I paint other person dark because it makes me shine.”

Yes, it does suit everyone right now.

But how long can you live like this? Will you never face your demons and continue to live a lie? How can you base your entire life on denying the truth? I am not the best guy around, neither have I claimed that. Somehow, whenever I went out of the way to help someone, it always backfired. And the best part is every one of them lapped-up the help I extended and blamed me for whatever went wrong.

Does it happen with you guys as well? If it does, what do you reckon is the best way to deal with situations?

I think lot of things in life are governed by perceptions. Image matters. Despite being the most calculative person if you manage to project that you are a simpleton, the burden of guilt never comes on you. This is was my first lesson in life. Come to think of it, it doesn’t really matter what people think, but you feel cheated because you were also enamoured by that image.

Secondly, the person you went out of the way to help can screw you, anytime. Again, it depends how you look at it. From a certain point of view, it doesn’t really affect me much. But at times it hurts. Interestingly they lapped-up what was being offered, but then make someone else villain, because “it makes my life easy”!!

Tonight I went see the Australia v. Japan World Cup tie at the Federation Square —
big screen, bigger crowd, lots of beer and my favourite sport. Quit a heady mix!

But what a fabulous game it was!

Now that I am in Australia, I was rooting for this lovely country and the Socceroos obliged with three goals in last 14 minutes. Interestingly, there was a huge bunch of Japanese in blue Samurai uniforms, singing and chanting for most part of the games. The 1-0 lead,which lasted deep into the second half, kept them on their feets for most part of the game.

What I really love about Australia is that you can support any country/side you want to without anything nasty being said to you. The bigger Australian supporters were very sporting, reacting only to the game. There were a few jokers, 2 to be more precise, who yelled f#*@ a few times, but fortunately, both Japs and Aussies ignored these twisted buffoons and party went on.

However, the moment John Aloisi netted the third goal, the Aussie supporters starting singing “sionara, sionara… goodbye, goodbye”. Again, just a harmless Aussie banter.

What followed was a typically Aussie character — play hard, party harder. The entire crowd gathered in the middle of the Flinders-Sawnston crossing and danced till the early morning. And why not — Australia, the football nation has arrived.

While dancing with this totally mad crowd I was thinking which country I am going to support in the next game. On the one side it will be my all-time favorite Brazil and on the other side my new found love Australia.

Heck, who cares, party tonight, we will see when the game comes (Australian influence, is it?).