All posts tagged: Sports

India Has Arrived, Indeed.

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The Common Wealth Games 2010 have been an emotional journey for Indians – we’ve been anxious, enraged, desperate, doubtful, optimistic, surprised, awed, thankful, excited, nervous, exhilarated, proud, very proud. Just before the Games started, many of us were hanging on with dear life to the hope and fact that we wait until the very last minute to execute things, but with all the media bashing and the pessimism it created the world over, it was a long shot. Some of us logged out of Facebook, stopped buying newspapers, unplugged the TV and refused to talk about ‘it’ (think Gandhiji’s 3 monkeys)! Then the day came, and like a pre-mature baby, a tad too soon. We went to the newly-built stadium to cheer the Opening Ceremony, praying to all our gods that nothing will collapse. We tuned in to our TV broadcast, our nails bitten right up to the skin. We opened our Twitter streams, ready to defend our honor. We felt like we feel on a Monday morning. But none of it lasted. We were awed by the …

Climbing Mount Kinabalu

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Climbing the 20th highest peak in the world is probably my greatest achievement thus far! It was exciting, daunting, exhilarating and surreal, in that order. We started our climb via the Timpohon Gate, located 90 km from Kinabalu National Park, Borneo (East Malaysia). The first day’s target was to climb 6 km horizontally and 1300 m vertically. The initial stretch was relatively easy, alternating between clearings and small steps, amid tall trees and dense vegetation. The second half was slightly more taxing, with steeply inclined rocks and steps, where trees were gradually replaced by shrubs and bushes. The trick was to save as much energy as possible by finding an alternative way to climb the steps through rubble and using small rocks as stepping stones. The view became more scenic with height and we were shrouded in mist for certain stretches. I would typically describe it as breath-taking, but I must reserve the term for the summit.     It is mandatory for all climbers to spend the night at Laban Rata or one of its …

The Singapore Grand Prix!

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The Formula One came to Singapore this weekend, made the city glow in the dark, and left everyone awestruck (and deaf) by the sheer speed of the race. Oh, that night race was a spectacle!  Our vantage point was less than five feet from the F1 track! That’s right. The best view we could’ve asked for, without paying a dime! A humble Alonso supporter, I was thrilled, ecstatic, to see him race to victory, after Massa and Kimi crashed. Alonso’s first win of the season, and it had to be the Singapore Grand Prix! Life couldn’t get better!  Force India enjoyed a few laps of fame too, with Adrian Sutil in the third place, until of course, he slipped lower and crashed. Here’s to my first Formula One race, an unforgettable view of the F1 track, the blinding speed of the F1 cars, and of course, Alonso’s long-awaited victory!  The video: The third last lap of the race, with Alonso in the lead, followed by Rosberg, from our vantage point beyond Marina Mandrin, by a …

Bungee Jumping!

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Imagine riding in the sky, with your adrenalin soaring, the wind in your face, your heart in your throat, your stomach somersaulting, your head screaming obscenities. That’s just how it felt, like you were dropping, flying, defying gravity, falling, all in the same instant!  Bungee Jumping wasn’t initially part of the plan. We were only looking for a 7-eleven at Boat Quay, landed instead at Clarke Quay, and got talked into “living the moment!” Carpe Diem, Seize the day. So the next thing the three of us know, we are on the Bungee Xtreme Swing at 1:15 am. It was beyond scary, because the damned thing has nothing you can hold on to. You’re strapped in your seat and that’s about it. Then they raise you real high, and for the fall to start (it’s reverse bungee), you have to press a release lever. It’s a catch, trust me, if you’re entrusted with the responsibility of pulling it, sitting in the centre, shit scared.  The drop was insane! I really can’t think of words to describe it. It was …

Get out of the gym!

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Let’s face it, gyms are boring. They drain the fun out of staying fit. So from here on, I’m running past the treadmill, trashing my 4-day gymming weeks and gathering new motivation to get off the couch.  Cycling Saturday Rollerblading Sunday Gymming Monday Basketball Tuesday Running Wednesday Gymming Thursday Yoga Friday The gym will still be honored two days a week because I can’t seem to find feasible alternatives to weight training. But hopefully, I’ll still be able to break the monotony. Here’s to exer-psyching! Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.

Gold for India [Part II]

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My Olympic obsession continues [see post below]. Well, it’s all that’s been on television today and comeon, we can’t blame them news channels. The Olympics fever is finally spreading its fire all over India. Abhinav Bindra’s victory is a victory for all of India. A victory bigger than the self, as he might put it. I managed to locate Abhinav Bindra’s blog on his road to Beijing, with entries pre-dating his triumph. I admire his humility. Our first GOLD has subtly raised hopes for more medals too. Saina Nehwal has made it to the Badminton quarter finals. Two matches away from stardom. Good luck, girl. Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupati and Sania Mirza are yet to hit the tennis courts and do India proud. Abhinav, in the meantime, has been showered with monetary rewards from the various state governments. And a Golden Railway Pass from Laloo, our Railway minister. And a generous 25 lakh from BCCI. The Cricket Board of India rewards an Olmypics medalist? A little strange, aye. I suppose it’s guilt. The way India has been …

Olympics 08: One world, one dream

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One word. Spectacular. What a display of color, coordination and technology! I can’t help but restate an overused line by news anchors, China was really out to show the world that it has indeed emerged. Whew, the beginning of the ceremony was so magnificient a show of coordinated acts, it was mind-boggling! The sheer number of participants, and I don’t mean the athletes, was impressive. The end was even better. The last runner in the torch relay was air-lifted through 75 feet and impressionated running on a vertical screen around the radius of the stadium! I wish I had witnessed it first-hand in the Bird’s Nest. Anyway, it was rather disappointing to see India send in a really tiny contingent. 57 people. Out of a population of 1.13 billion and counting. Our hockey team didn’t qualify. Our weight-lifter is in trouble. Unfortunately, there’s no cricket. All hopes rest with our shooters and our tennis champs. 4 years ago, it was only a silver. This year, we want more, praythee. It raises a lot of questions …