31 December 2013 | By: Writing Buddha

STATUS OF 2013 RESOLUTIONS!!!

1008th BLOG POST -->>


   There is something about New Year that fascinates all of us- RESOLUTIONS!!! Well, calling it Resolutions would be like insulting many of you so I better call it Resolution. Or you can read Resolutions by keeping the last "s" silent. Haha! But after 10 days of the first month passes, we realize that we are unable to retain the momentum we had in the last week of December the last year to start some new good habits in our routine. But somehow I changed myself from the year 2011 and started taking a calendar year very importantly because I wanted to achieve some targets in the specific 365 days. Seriously speaking, such challenging and disciplined attitude towards life came to me only because of this Blog that I maintain. I started realizing after 2010 that the readers expect continuity and regularity from only me in comparison to other bloggers. Reason: Normally Indian Bloggers publish a blog post once in a week or twice while there are very very rare ones like me who believe in writing.. and.. writing.. and.. writing. Some people call us desperate idiots to keep their Blog Counter moving on while some say that we do it for showing off. I have no targets as such. If it would have been, I could have completed 1000 posts in a year itself by writing any shits. But if you will check I have bunked for 15-20 days quite a time but as soon as I come in form, I post 15 posts in 10 days itself which keeps the average intact. With this post, I have completed 261 posts that's my best performance equaling 2010's 261 blog posts in a year. :-) 

           Coming back to my topic- Resolutions. I am not going to talk much as I already have a picture that will tell you almost everything I have to. Let's share it with you and then move ahead. 


           This is my dear diary which I use to note down all the positive events of my life. Every year, I write my resolutions and try to complete each one of them. The moment I achieve any of them, I mark a tick before them. These were my resolutions that I wrote on 2nd January, 2013. Today, I feel very happy to announce that I achieved almost 99% of them. The only three that I have missed are: I am done with Geeta but I haven't started up with Bible. It is again a resolution of this year too. Another one is completing the manuscript of my first novel that is my aspiration. Well, I am not sure if I am going to achieve this even in 2014 hence I will keep it due for 2015. Still, I will mention this resolution in my 2014 as you never know. :-) The last resolution that I didn't accomplish is winning a certificate from my college by participating in any of the events but I got "Babaji ka Thullu". :|

            Though I played Anchor in two of the events in college- Fresher's Party and Teacher's Day but didn't get any mention for it. Koi nahi, opportunity matters, reward doesn't. I also played Manager in a skit that took place in my class. It was another confidence-developing event for me. Another moment that I cherished a lot this year is celebrating my parent's 25th Marriage Anniversary the same way as I dreamed about it. Another has been that I mentioned one of the resolutions to at least meet or see a celebrity this year but I have managed to meet almost 30+ which made me feel quite inspired and motivated. Who thought that one day I would be called in events that make me eligible to witness such celebrities from so close. Honored! Another great experience that I am having is exercising in a gym near to my house. It has seriously made me stronger and tougher. My parents say that I don't look like a small child of theirs anymore. Haha! Now I look quite toned up and I am happy with the way my stamina is increasing every single day. 

             This is all that I wanted to share with all of you in the end of 2013. I have managed to achieve my resolutions on time and some times, before time. Lot of times have been used in the last sentence better I go before it's my time up. Haha! Seems as if only I laughed on my joke. :| Main sabhi beijjati ko bhulaate hue naye saal mein jaa raha hoon. All of you can continue doing whatever you want to do. Ok, sorry Salman Khan's fans. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

And the year taught us some more lessons!!!

1007th BLOG POST -->>

     
 It’s time to say good-bye to the year 2013- A year that has been so fruitful and gainful to me that I will always mention it in the timeline of my life whenever I would be telling about it to my children or grand-children. I, as an individual, always take responsibility of my life but there’s only certain things in my hands to execute, rest happens the way it wants to. But I make it sure that whatever is in my control does not see an underwhelming performance. I am a human being and therefore I even fail incessantly but that’s what makes life risky and worth living. If God comes tonight and says,”My Dear Child, Let Me Tell You That 2014 For You Is Going To Be Throughout Success. Even If You Won’t Write Anything in Exam Papers, You Would Be Given Highest Marks In The University”, I’ll just sleep down for the next 365 days. Because it would be no fun in enjoying the success that you get without slogging down and struggling. Therefore, the main reason that the thing I love the most in my life is my Blog because this is the only thing for which I have spent many sleepless nights.

        There are so many things that I learnt in 2013 about being a better human being that I feel I am a better person who is going into a new year. And there can be nothing better than this to celebrate tonight than anything else. I have learnt how to deal with close people and how to knock those down who have been just toys in life. Friends are something that everyone in their life has. If they do not, they actually keep remembering those days in school when they had that particular boy or girl sitting beside them on bench which whom he/she shared some beautiful moments of life. But everyone needs friends. Many people disturb and spoil their life for friends while many use them as magic wand for success. You automatically identify the friends who wish betterment for you and others who pray illness for your life. There would be many who, on your face, would show how much protective and careful they are for you but actually, they are not. I have got this learning in quite an easy way this year. Accordingly, I have filtered people in my life and now I find myself smiling freely without any glitches or hatred for anyone.

       I have learnt a beautiful art from my mother called HELPING. Even when I am not related to someone and I get a call or message, I make it sure that I do something for them even if I am not able to protect them at unearthly hours. This year I made it sure that I help my juniors with their admission and I cannot represent you the happiness I had as soon as I got the message that all of them have got their respective colleges for next 3 years of life. I never do anything for anyone with a small mission of getting help back when I would need it. I have learnt something called “Self-dependency” attitude and I live by it. My friends often ask me that how is it that I don’t get stuck in something and call them for help. "How is it that you don’t need anyone’s help in this impossible journey called life?" And I reply,”I have the strongest mother and father with me. They are enough to take me out of any shit in life”. And after this I even ask all of them to approach their parents when stuck in some plight. They say that their parents aren't as open minded as mine but when I insist and they share it with them, they come to me and tell how supportive their parents have been last night after listening all dirty realities about their child.


          2013 has also shown me what failing after a long time means. At one point of life when you see only extra-ordinariness happening with you, you get into habit of tasting only success. And suddenly when rejection comes to you, you slip earth off your feet. I saw one such incident in the first quarter of the year which made me believe that no person even with all hard work and utmost dedication can only succeed. Time comes when God tests his patience and for that, he fails the person. I have learnt that whenever I would fail again in life, I will take it as an opportunity to get closer to God because that is what the almighty wants from us. Being near to God is the best that you can do to keep your mind serene, peaceful and happy in the times of failure and calamities. 2013 has taught me lot of things which I am sure can not be described in just a Blog Post. I hope that all of you had a wonderful year.

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

5 People who inspired me in 2013!!!

1006th BLOG POST -->>

     
   It's cool to follow big legends and real megastars, superstars and role models but there are few personalities who become your favorite for a while of time or say, they just get entered in your conscious to stay for a long period of time. 2013 is with us just for few hours and I wanted to talk about few personalities who really made me admire them. I don't really get impressed with someone by their looks. Yes it matters but only when you are hard-working and an achiever in life. If you have been enjoying life on the name of your family like Tanisha(What an idiotic example. Period.) doing nothing to create your own niche, you can never be my favorite even for a second. I love admiring and loving new people whom I love because that gives me variation to be like them or at least be successful in the same way they are. I am just too passionate about the word "Success" and people who undoubtedly relate with them. There are few people who really motivated and charged me this year by their performances whom I think I should mention to avoid any kind of injustice towards them.

            I would like to talk about Farhan Akhtar first. This guy is known for being a director, actor, lyricist, poet, singer, writer, producer, anchor etc. but with his role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag he has inspired many. The story of the movie is in itself an epic but the way Farhan Akhtar has enacted it, makes it the movie that it is. The kind of body and physique that he has build shows the amount of hours that he would have invested. There's a scene that shows Farhan Akhtar skipping rope in stadium and his pumped-up chest bouncing with it. That inspired me to join gym and get a physique like that. And you know what, I did it within a month. My chest is yet to show the flavors of Farhan Akhtar's but at least it has started to push itself out of my body. :-) Haha!

           The second person whom I am going to talk about is "CNN Person of the Year 2013"- Yes, Mr. Kapil Sharma. This guy is unstoppable. After winning, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, he started group act and several gags on Comedy Circus where almost every participant of TGILC ends up being into. But after that, the way he used his money and invested it into launching his own Production House and producing his own show, building the concept and executing it, shows the kind of creativity he has and the amount of challenge he can take. Even after his set got burnt in fire, he didn't let any of his episode get bunked. He kept performing with his fellow artists on another set. Today, every celebrity and superstar needs him but he needs no one to gather audience around him. People are dying to listen him these days.

            The third person I am going to talk about is the nation's sensation and heart-throb currently- Miss Deepika Padukone. When you want to put quality in any of your work, you try to eliminate all the other works of your life and concentrate on only one. Deepika has seriously surprised me with her commitment to almost every work that she has done this year. Even if the work would have been similar, I would have taken it easy but all of them were versatile and needed its own effort. While Race 2 was Deepika in her own avatar- sexy and hot, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani wanted to show her as a conservative and reserved girl which she is definitely not. :-) While Chennai Express made her speak in South Indian accent, Ram Leela showed her in a Gujarati avatar. Greatness has been that she has done all these work together and shown perfectness in almost all the roles. Hope I learn this talent soon.

            The fourth person who have inspired me is Arvind Kejriwal. A man who was just a right hand to the India's most celebrated person in 2011, Anna Hazare, is India's new hope today. The way he kept speaking on behalf of Anna Hazare during movement, how he took the whole initiation of launching the party AAP and the way he won the heart of Delhi's people shows the capability he has. Even after coming in limelight, he didn't speak anything against Anna which media wanted him to say so that they can get a wonderful bite to show 24*7. He kept the respect for Anna intact. The way he took advise of public for his next step shows his love and respect that he has for Aam Janta. As soon as he came in power, he took 2 actions that took away sleep from BJP and Congress's life. I wish to revolutionize even a small segment of people sometime in future. 
 
           The fifth and the last person is Virat Kohli. This man has almost become a role model for one trait in my life- Consistency. I have never ever seen someone as consistent as him in performing extra-ordinary. Mediocrity can be easily maintained and sustained but doing the same with extra-ordinariness is something that not everyone of us can. He bats and fields on the field with utmost dedication and aggression that he ends up being the best performer of the team again and again. Good thing is that even after he has so many eyes on him, he doesn't lose himself. The biggest problem that we have noticed in younger players is momentum. They lose it as soon as they start getting attention but he is different. He knows his priority and he has kept it strict and straight. Amazing! Powerful!

           I don't know whether you agree with the 5 persons I mentioned as someone who inspired us with their activities but still, I am interested in knowing the rising personalities of 2013 according to you. 
 
 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!
30 December 2013 | By: Writing Buddha

Best Ten Books read by me in 2013!!!

1005th BLOG POST -->>


          Friends, I know how much irritated all of you get when you ask me to name some good books that you can purchase blindly and I send you the link of my Book Review's blog, "DNA of Books". Actually it's hard to remember the name of some specific books out of plethora that I read. This year I had an objective of reading 75 books and I have completed it just today. I am quite happy with the books that I read this year. Now I am getting away from those college-romance-and-love-stories book and reading something really worthy and knowledgeable. Hence, I thought of mentioning the best 10 books according to me that I read specifically in the year 2013. And yes, it has nothing to do with the order in which I am mentioning the book. 

1. Headley and I by S. Hussain Zaidi (HarperCollins Publisher)

For most of his childhood, Rahul Bhatt did not know a father's unconditional love a vacuum that the advent of David Coleman Headley filled for a while. David Headley: the dashing, intriguing Pakistani with one brown eye and a green one, a man who could pass himself off as American quite easily, a charmer of men and women alike. 

Headley inveigled his way into Rahul's simple world and, in no time, swept him off his feet. It is only when ten men made a mockery of Mumbai in a well-planned act of terrorism, that Rahul realized how close he had come to being a part of the careful plotting and the innumerable recces that Headley carried out. 

This is a complex tale of human relationships and the deceit therein. It is the story of Rahul Bhatt, an aspiring Bollywood actor, and his encounter with David Coleman Headley, the man who was responsible for a ruthlessly executed carnage, in which 166 people were killed and over 300 injured in the fifty-nine hours that brought Mumbai to heel and shook India. A pulse-racing narrative, told in the voices of Bhatt and Headley, Headley and I traces the months leading up to the horrors of 26/11 and the long months of interrogation that followed.

2. Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho (HarperCollins Publisher)

There is nothing wrong with anxiety.
Although we cannot control God's time, it is part of the human condition to want to receive the thing we are waiting for as quickly as possible.
Or to drive away whatever is causing our fear....
Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it-just as we have learned to live with storms.

* * *

July 14, 1099. Jerusalem awaits the invasion of the crusaders who have surrounded the city's gates. There, inside the ancient city's walls, men and women of every age and every faith have gathered to hear the wise words of a mysterious man known only as the Copt. He has summoned the townspeople to address their fears with truth:

"Tomorrow, harmony will become discord. Joy will be replaced by grief. Peace will give way to war.... None of us can know what tomorrow will hold, because each day has its good and its bad moments. So, when you ask your questions, forget about the troops outside and the fear inside. Our task is not to leave a record of what happened on this date for those who will inherit the Earth; history will take care of that. Therefore, we will speak about our daily lives, about the difficulties we have had to face."

The people begin with questions about defeat, struggle, and the nature of their enemies; they contemplate the will to change and the virtues of loyalty and solitude; and they ultimately turn to questions of beauty, love, wisdom, sex, elegance, and what the future holds. "What is success?" poses the Copt. "It is being able to go to bed each night with your soul at peace."

* * *

Now, these many centuries later, the wise man's answers are a record of the human values that have endured throughout time. And, in Paulo Coelho's hands, The Manuscript Found in Accra reveals that who we are, what we fear, and what we hope for the future come from the knowledge and belief that can be found within us, and not from the adversity that surrounds us.

3. Bankerupt by Ravi Subramanian (Penguin Publisher)

A university is an institution for higher education and research. It can also be a place where academic brilliance leads to overinflated egos, bitter politics and finally, murder. Cirisha Narayanan, a professor at MIT Boston, who has risen meteorically, stumbles upon a cryptic message. Aditya Raisinghania, her banker husband, sets up a highly innovative financial hoax. Her profiteering father harvests Australia's largest bird, the emu in India. The US elections are on and the debate on gun control has reached a fever pitch. Set in Mumbai, Coimbatore and Boston, Ravi Subramanian creates an impeccably researched world where everyone has a motive to kill. Nothing is as it seems in this cunningly vicious thriller where the plot turns on a dime.

4. A Survival Guide for Life by Bear Grylls (Random House)

From the world-famous survival expert,learn how to make everyday an unforgettable adventure

Life in the outdoors teaches us invaluable lessons. Encountering the wild forces us to plan and execute goals, face danger, push our "limits," and sharpen our instincts. But our most important adventures don't always happen in nature's extremes. Living a purpose-driven, meaningful life can often be an even greater challenge. . . .

In A Survival Guide for Life, Bear Grylls, globally renowned adventurer and television host, shares the hard-earned wisdom he's gained in the harshest environments on earth, from the summit of Mt. Everest to the boot camps of the British Special Forces:


What are the most important skills to learn if you really want to achieve your maximum potential? How do you keep going when all the oddsare stacked against you? How can you motivate a team to follow youin spite of apparent risks?
Filled with exclusive, never-before-told tales from Bear's globe-trekking expeditions, A Survival Guide for Life teaches every reader—no matter your age or experience—that we're all capable of living life more boldly, of achieving our most daring dreams, and of having more fun along the way. Here's to your own great adventure!

5. The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri (Srishti Publisher)

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..
When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..
They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

6. The Test Of My Life by Yuvraj Singh (Random House)

A personal account of Yuvraj Singh’s journey through cancer with the 2011 World Cup victory in the background‘

That day I cried like a baby not because I feared what cancer would do but because I didn’t want the disease. I wanted my life to be normal, which it could not be.’

For the first time Yuvraj Singh tells the real story behind the 2011 World Cup when on-the-field triumph hid his increasingly puzzling health problems and worrying illnesses. In his debut book The test of my life, he reveals how—plagued with insomnia, coughing fits that left him vomiting blood, and an inability to eat—he made a deal with God. On the night before the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final, Yuvraj prayed for the World Cup in return for anything God wanted. In this book, he lays bare his fears, doubts, and the lows he experienced during chemotherapy— when he lost his energy, his appetite, and his hair—and his battle to find the will to survive. Poignant, personal, and moving—The test of my life—is about cancer and cricket; but more importantly, it is about the human will to fight adversity and triumph despite all odds

7. Someone Like You by Durjoy Datta/Nikita Singh (Penguin Publisher)

The hum of a motorbike.
The uproar of the crowd in the stadium.
The cheering and clapping.
All fell silent…

Just the thumping of their hearts remained and a question—were they going to lose him?
Thanks to the makeover by her sister’s friends, the nerdy Niharika entered college more confident, more attractive. She meets the sweet, shy Tanmay, and the spoilt but lovely Pia and they become best friends. And when Akshat and she began dating, life finally seemed to be falling in place. Except that it wasn’t… Tanmay’s success in football had begun to change him. Akshat’s perfection seemed like a front for something dark and sinister. And their college senior Karthik? His aggressiveness was a cover for his mysterious past. Someone Like You is a powerful and touching story of friendship, love and betrayal.

8. Amidst the tides lies a beautiful island by Mangala Nagarajan

Life is full of surprises and struggles. It is the positive attitude and hope that makes life successful. This story is about life and struggles of two single mothers. We generally accept blindness and physical handicap as problems, but when it comes to illness in the mind, we do not understand or try to understand the people afflicted. If I have to tell what the story is about, I will say it's life as I see it. My husband, after reading the chapters, said that there isn't any suspense or thrill. That's why I said, "I call it life-it happens. It isn't a story."

9. Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi (Tranquebar Press)

Smuggling, gun-running, drugs, terrorism for many decades, Mumbai has lived under the shadow of the Underworld. Dawood Ibrahim, Karim Lala, Varadara- jan Mudaliar: these are names that any Indian would recognise. Analysed in print, immortalised on film, their lives, their gangs, their 'businesses' are out there for anyone who wants the information. But there have been women, too, who have been part of this murky side of the city, walking along side, sometimes leading and manipulating men in the Underworld to run their own illegal businesses. Here, for the first time, crime journal- ists S. Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges explore the lives of some of these women, and how, in cold blood, they were able to make their way up in what was certainly a man's world. From Kamathipura to Dongri, from assassins to molls, this is a collection that tells the stories of women who have become legend in Mumbai's streets, lanes and back-alleys. Absorbingly told, impeccably researched, Mafia Queens of Mumbai reveals a side of Mumbai's Underworld that has never been seen before.

10. Faster Than Lightning: My Autobiography by Usain Bolt (HarperCollins Publisher)

The autobiography of the fastest man of all time and a superstar whose talent and charisma have made him one of the most famous people on the planet.


Whether you know Athletics or not, and even whether you know sport or not, chances are you know Usain Bolt. The fastest man on the planet, not just now but ever, Usain has won the hearts of people everywhere with his mind-blowing performances and his infectious charisma – uniting supporters around the world.
In this, his full autobiography, Usain tells his story in his own words: from humble beginnings in Jamaica, to international stardom at Beijing and on to the new heights of superstardom he has reached since lighting up London 2012.
Full of the charm and charisma that has made him the most popular sporting figure of our time and a universal celebrity, this is a book that Usain’s millions of fans will love.

   And I would like to specifically mention nothing but Amish Tripathi's The Shiva Trilogy comprising of The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of Nagas and The Oath of Vayuputras. It was an amazing experience getting into that story because I read all the three books in continuity. I actually felt that I was at Mount Kailash in those moment.

 I hope the post would have helped you.

 Thanks a lot.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Aisle Be Damned by Rishi Piparaiya (Book Review- 2.5*/5)!!!

1004th BLOG POST -->>


      I have just kept "Aisle Be Damned" aside after reading it for straight 3 hours. If you say what actually made me read this book, I can easily say its the cover page. It's quite sexy I would say. :-) The way the publisher of the book, Jaico, has promoted it every well shows the hype that they created around this book. Many have read it and said that it's a book that will make you ROFL throughout- from the first page to the last. But if you ask me, I would say not more than 7-8 incidents have made me laugh. And that too- not something you call ROFL, just Haha! Well, I am not judging those who laughed out loud while reading the book but I am just saying "book could have been FAR better". It's Rishi Piparaiya's first book and hence there should be little strictness been swayed away while criticizing a book. Debut authors don't really know what would be accepted and what not. They write their best while experimenting something new but some times it does not work or it turns into 5 Point Someone. 
         
As soon as I begun reading this book, I got a feel that I am reading a book that I have never before read. Author has surely experimented a new kind of a book- a satire on everyone related to traveling by aeroplane. He has taken dig at almost everyone- starting from captain to air-hostess to passenger to celebrity to industrialists. He has mentioned almost everything that happens while flying in the air but may be I didn't find it that funny because I have never been on flight. I am sure that if I'll travel even once in a flight, I'll rate this book more than what I would be rating it today. Because what I have drawn from other reviews on Goodreads and Flipkart, almost all the people who enjoyed this book has traveled by airlines; as they have mentioned it. I have been a victim of being middle-class. Well, some day I can say that this book would become funny even to me but for now I am quite taken aback as I have great trust on Jaico Publication and I didn't expect to feel underwhelmed after reading any of their book.

        Author has divided the incidents appropriately which makes it easy to understand them. He has even depicted few of the gigs through pictorial representations that's interesting. He has made several references of live events that we have heard in news which makes it little interactive. Author tells how one has to deal with air-hostess, celebrities- if by chance they sit besides you, normal passengers, how couples see each other if they are to sit in different rows etc. It covers almost every aspect of air traveling which I loved reading. He has even discussed the confusion that one meets at airport while searching for their luggage and baggage etc. In all, I would say it's a fine attempt and hence I will give it 2.5/5. I will just ask everyone to read this book only after you have traveled by flight once else you may not enjoy it in the same air in which author has written it. 

 About the Book:

A HILARIOUS TAKE ON JUST ABOUT EVERY-THING ASSOCIATED WITH AIR TRAVEL.
This book provides invaluable perspectives on some of the most common situations encountered by fliers.

Awesome icebreakers to start conversations with attractive co-passengers
Getting seamlessly upgraded to Business Class
Sure shot strategies for winning the affections of flight attendants
How a water bottle dramatically improves flight safety
How smart executives deal with the “Walk of Shame” to the economy section
Action plans to counter the airline’s “technical snag” routine
The hows and whys of micro-managing the pilots
Breezing through immigration, customs and always making your flight connections
And a whole lot more…
Rest assured, your flying experience will never be the same again. A must read as you prepare for, or take your next flight!
About the Author:

RISHI PIPARAIYA is an over-worked and overtravelled corporate executive based in the skies, 38,000 feet over India.

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Faster Than Lightning: My Autobiography by Usain Bolt (Book Review-4.75*/5)!!!

1003rd BLOG POST -->>

       
     "Believe me, my time isn't up just yet"- That's how one of the epic autobiographies has just ended. Usain Bolt's autobiography named "Faster than Lightning" is another biography by a sportsman that I loved after Brett Lee's. While Brett Lee's was published by Random House, this one is published by none other than HarperCollins's print- Harper Sports. They have some amazing names in their autobiography section and I am happy that I picked up this book initially to start with. According to my memory, this is the 3rd book from HarperCollins that I have read and I have liked almost all of them till now. Surely, a publisher I will look forward every time I am ordering books online. More than authors, its time we start looking up at which publisher has published a specific book. Because authors can lose their form in one or two but publisher always maintain their quality. Even the publishing quality of HarperCollins is wonderful; their book can stay intact for years.

About the Book:-

       Whether you know athletics or not and even whether you know sport or not, chances are you know Usain Bolt. The fastest man on the planet, not just now but ever, Usain has won the hearts of people everywhere with his mind-blowing performances and his infectious charisma uniting supporters around the world. 

In this, his full autobiography, Usain tells his story in his own words: from humble beginnings in Jamaica, to international stardom at Beijing and on to the new heights of superstardom he has reached since lighting up London 2012. Full of the charm and charisma that has made him the most popular sporting figure of our time and a universal celebrity, this is a book that Usain's millions of fans will love.

About the Author:-

           Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter widely regarded as the fastest person ever. He is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since 1977. Along with his team-mates, he also set the world record in the 4 x 100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, the first man to win 6 Olympic gold medals in sprinting and a five time World champion. He was the first to achieve a 'double double' by winning 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Olympics (2008 and 2012) and topped this through the first "double triple" (including 4x100m relays). His 2009 record breaking margin for 100 m, from 9.69 (his own previous world record) to 9.58, is the highest since records began.

     Coming to the review, I must say that this has been one of the best autobiographies of all time. The best thing is that Usain didn't try to show that he is someone who sees his records as another number or time but he acknowledges each and every success that he has achieved. The way he has described each and every victory of his shows how much he is enjoying the grand success that he has achieved. He even clears in the 2nd half of the book that he doesn't know even the history of athletics down 1980s or even 90s. This honesty has worked out quite well with this novel. He even calls himself "Living Legend" and "Legend" most of the times which pissed me off because we know it buddy and that is why we are purchasing your book to know how you became a phenomenon in this sports and in Olympics but that's what shows the honesty he has shown while scripting his life. 

             The best part has been that Usain Bolt shows he's a normal arrogant guy and no born legend. He also keeps stating that he won his initial matches just on the raw talent and speed he had. It was only after his coach started pissing him off by asking to train regularly that he became physically and technically strong regarding the game. It has been fun reading about his initial successes. I also loved the way Bolt's father disciplined him and made him a down-to-earth man. After he loses one of the races, I loved the way he knocked his coach's door late night and asked him what was happening wrong with him. His narration and story-telling skill of breaking record and running 100 meters in just 9.72 seconds made me jump. His rivaly with 2-3 competitors at different levels is also wonderfully talked off. His high regards for Blake, the fellow Jamaican and later on, hating him for a moment is another beautiful part of this book. His love for his coach is also clearly visible in this book. He even stated that he initially raced for money it was later that he started doing it for himself and others.

            Well, I should stop here or else I'll end up reviewing each and every sentence of the book because it's totally fun. I would give this book rating of 4.75 out of 5. 
 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Headley and I by S. Hussain Zaidi with Rahul Bhatt (Book Review-RECOMMENDED)!!!

1002nd BLOG POST -->>


    The pleasure that non-fiction books give me is indescribable. Though fiction books have another amazing charm to it but the extreme power that a non-fiction carry is unmatched. And if you ask me to be more specific, I would say Autobiographies and Biographies are the best thing to read if ever you want to read and improve yourself, personality and character. The amount of message that such books give can change your life completely. I always credit these books for whatever little bit of kindness, goodness, leadership and loving spirit for life I have. Even if you are reading autobiography/biography of a man who's a villain to our society, even it teach you what not to do in life. I am speaking so much about this genre of writing because I'm just done with reading S. Hussain Zaidi's "Headley and I" that's written along with Rahul Bhatt, the main protagonist of this book. 
       

 About the Book :

       For most of his childhood, Rahul Bhatt did not know a fathers unconditional love a vacuum that the advent of David Coleman Headley filled for a while. David Headley: the dashing, intriguing Pakistani with one brown eye and a green one, a man who could pass himself off as American quite easily, a charmer of men and women alike.

       Headley inveigled his way into Rahuls simple world and, in no time, swept him off his feet. It is only when ten men made a mockery of Mumbai in a well-planned act of terrorism, that Rahul realized how close he had come to being a part of the careful plotting and the innumerable recces that Headley carried out.

       This is a complex tale of human relationships and the deceit therein. It is the story of Rahul Bhatt, an aspiring Bollywood actor, and his encounter with David Coleman Headley, the man who was responsible for a ruthlessly executed carnage, in which 166 people were killed and over 300 injured in the fifty-nine hours that brought Mumbai to heel and shook India. 

        A pulse-racing narrative, told in the voices of Bhatt and Headley, Headley and I traces the months leading up to the horrors of 26/11 and the long months of interrogation that followed.

About the Author :
     
   S. Hussain Zaidi is a veteran of investigative, crime and terror reporting in the Mumbai media. He has worked for The Asian Age, Mumbai Mirror, Mid-Day and Indian Express. His previous books include bestsellers like Black Friday, Mafia Queens of Mumbai and the more recent Dongri to Dubai Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia. Zaidi is also associate producer for the HBO movie, Terror in Mumbai, based on the 26/11 terror strikes. He lives with his family in Mumbai.

           Coming to the review, I must say that the only author whom I trust to love if I pick up his book is S Hussain Zaidi when it comes to this genre. The confidence that he has developed among readers whenever it's concerned with his books is par excellence. He's a genius and knows how to write complicated tales of real world in easy language and narration for his readers. He does not use words that leads a reader to open dictionary and refer. He never tries to show how much he knows about the insight of underworld, gangsters and criminals. Even in his writing style, you will find a humbleness that he carries in his personality too. Extremely unique style of writing and narration. I am proud to have such a writer in my country, India. 

           Coming to the book- It would have been a big injustice if this story would not have come open in public for Indians through this book. This book was indeed necessary for people of India and society. I am happy that author took courage to write it because this book is a reflection of amount of uncountable meetings with various personalities and officials with whom S Hussain Zaidi would have had to sit with and discuss the timeline of events. The way he has written Headley's revelation tells how good the author is. Rahul Bhatt's part tells us about how bad Mr. Mahesh Bhatt has been to him. Rahul Bhatt's hatred towards his father throughout his childhood is quite visible in the words that he has chosen to display it. 

            Another surprise is that Mahesh Bhatt has chosen to write foreword in the book even when it's basically based on his son's hatred towards him for all the wrongs he did with him and his mother. Amazing! Kudos to Mr. Bhatt for this! The anger towards India that got developed in Headley's mind since 1971 war between India and Pakistan, the way Pakistan is involved in collecting funds to attack India openly in public, the way Islam is wrongly constructed by some fake mullah, the way hatred speeches are been given in the masjids over there etc is something that clearly shows the reality of Pakistan to us. The way Headley has used Rahul Bhatt and his friend Vilas, a Shivsainik, shows the intelligence the people involved in terrorist attack does. Even the question whether Headley worked for US in the climax of the book is the best way this book could have ended. 

             The reason of being a fitness buff of both- Rahul Bhatt and Headley generated curiosity in me to read more about them. The America connection and mother's tale of Headley is another intriguing part of the book. The way Headley commented over Mumbai's security and worst security system tells us how insecure and unsafe our country is. The corrupt passport of Headley which could have been easily identified by the Indian officials in the first attempt itself but neglected because of our official's lazy attitude tells how we, ourselves, let 26/11 happen to us. Even Headley had said "Indians are Chutiyas" while telling everything about his journey. The next plan to attack Copenhagen and the idea of killing people, beheading them and throwing their heads down on road from the building tells us how in the name of Islam, certain Muslims are preaching terrorism and hatred. In all, I must say that go and get this book today itself to know what exactly leads into attacks like 26/11. From my side, perfect marks to this book.

 Thanks a lot.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

1001st BLOG POST- Your Support Is My Success!!!

1001st BLOG POST -->>

       
  Well, finally we start Blogging post-1000 Blog Posts. :-) Thanks a lot to all of you for showering umpteenth number of praises upon me. I tried to accept all the comments but it wasn't possible as my website does not have that much capacity hence I ended accepting the comments after 15 of them. I read the rest of them in all these days and sent the mail to the winners of the contest. It was fun interacting with some of you about the journey that continued for more than 4 years. Sometimes when I look back I don't even realize that I have been blogging since such a long time. It seems as if it's just 6 or 8 months and nothing more than that. I have kept counting each day in all these years to maintain the frequency of Blog Posts and achieve my personal targets but still I feel that the journey has been short. :-)

            It's always special to complete a century posts because writing is a job that needs concentration, stability, knowledge, imagination, talent, creativity, statistics, awareness etc. People find it tough to search for a topic for their next post and that's what they keep asking me from where do I get so many topics to write on. :-) Actually they do not know that it's my readers who provide me the topic by continuously pinging me on Facebook and mailing me to write on this-and-this topic. I don't find it difficult in writing on any topic because all of you yourself give me enough knowledge to try my hands in writing on almost any thing. I love reading newspapers, magazines and online articles just because I want to serve all of you with the best of my capabilities. 

            From here, I would like to provide write-ups on the topics and genres I have not yet written about. I have almost stopped writing fictions because I felt that I wasn't providing any variations in it. As soon as I'll start feeling that I have some decent short stories to share with you, I am again going to begin with it. Writing blog has become a habit and I don't think it's going to go soon. It has become a motivation to me. Whenever I find that my academic life isn't stable, I log into my blog account and read the comments that all of you send me, that makes me feel good about my existence. This is a power that no one else have. And the controller of this power is you. The day you shall leave me would be the day when all the glory of this portal will go. Hence, the most that I thank to for my achievements are my readers. Without you, I have no existence on this planet.

            I have also started my 4th BLOG named LAST MINUTE STUDY where I read my academic books and provide easy notes to the MCA students of Mumbai University, currently confined to my batch- 2012-15 only. :-) I have big plans for it and I am sure that it will also execute well with the help of the students from my city. Let's see what happens to this venture. Also I am going to announce something surprising very soon. I had this plan since a year but not getting the appropriate confidence needed to execute it. As soon as a worm within me will scratch my patience and under-confidence, I shall announce the project and begin executing it either through Facebook or some other website. For now, I would like to thank all of you for the amazing HITS that you have given to my 1000th Blog Post. I don't discuss my HITS like other Bloggers but I feel happy about it because that's a secret I want to keep with myself. It's pure till its with me otherwise it will become judgmental and corrupt this Blog space. 

 Thanks a lot.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!
25 December 2013 | By: Writing Buddha

1000* BLOGS in 1608 Days with Lakhs of You!!!

1000th BLOG POST -->>



    And the moment comes to exalt this Blog space and take it beyond cerebration and thoughts. As the last 999 blog posts sink in, I realize what a great honour the magnitude of life exhibits. We do not deserve it, but some feel that we do. Greatness does not lie in what we think but it depends wholly on what others think of us. And so we bow in front of them in all humility and being down-to-earth. And therefore to make people interested in our work, we keep on slogging and slugging to reach that stage where we feel further challenged. Recently, I attended a function where Brian Lara was asked how does he think beyond level that even after he scored 375 in Test once, he went and scored 400* later on. He said that I love pushing myself from what I achieved the last time. And similarly, we accomplish what we may not have been able to surpass. To try, to struggle, to make effort, to move that minute unit in the proper direction. The only defense that's activated is of not getting challenged by adverse critics. The quality of welcoming and accepting all the negative and turn it into motivation and perform to disapprove whatever has been spoken of us. And this, not in revenge but with the view of establishment. 

            After all the balancing, equalization and regulations of 1608 days since this blog has come into invention, we reach what we dreamed of in the beginning- "1000 BLOG POSTS". It has not been a difficult journey because this is what I love. People say that to achieve something you have to sacrifice many things and events. I don't believe in this ideology. I believe that the only thing that I would really be sacrificing in my life is writing. And when I am into my work of writing, I don't feel that I sacrifice anything. My friends know how I start getting uneasy and irritated when I stay with them for long than planned as I start missing my life- life of writing, blogging, reviewing and tweeting. I don't miss hanging out with friends, going out for trips, watching movie every alternate Friday, sitting with my parents and discussing future and listening songs. If I would have done all this, I would have definitely not enjoyed life because I would have missed writing terribly while I would not have really enjoyed these adventures as it doesn't excite me. 
       
    All the moments of isolation, loneliness and reverie has resulted in bringing this very small space to a portal where people have started identifying it as an object in existence. Whatever I am today in life, I am because of these three words that I created with some belief and idea- "ARB". There are people whom I have never seen and I am never going to meet who loves me the way a best friend loves you. There are friends who would have abused me the way they abuse every friend but instead they respect me for these three words. Whatever opportunity I have got in my colleges of Graduation and Post-Graduation is because of this space. Whatever little bit of pride and confidence that my parents have over me is because what I keep typing on my laptop's keyboard incessantly. Whatever personal interaction my teachers from school, Graduation college and current college keeps with me is because I am known by a term "Blogger". Whatever opportunities I have got in life like attending India Non-Fiction fest, Salaam Sachin, Crossword Book Awards etc is because I have been associated with this specific portal. The support that my new venture- "Last Minute Study(LMS)" got in just 1.5 months is because of my experience with ARB. Summarily, whatever I, Abhilash Ruhela is, is because of this very blog where I am posting a Flagship post. 

            There would have been moments when I would have written banal posts which would have irritated almost every one of you. There would have been moments when I would have confidently given my conclusion to a heated topic which you would have totally disagreed with. There would have been moments when I would have talked extreme nonsense that would have affected your mind badly that would have made you exert more during calisthenics the next morning in fury. :-) There are moments when I would have pretended to be unctuous even when you know how cheap and retarded I am. But still, all of you suffered me from last 1608 days. Never ever have I received a comment or personal message as such which said that they'll never follow my blog because of what I spoke in the last one. Never! And that is why I dedicate each and every post to each one of you for staying by my side since you started off your journey with this Blog as a reader.

             I have thoroughly enjoyed speaking my mind and heart with all of you. There have been moments when my family has scolded me to write something too personal in public but I never ceased because I love sharing my thoughts. I have enjoyed reviewing books because the kind of people who have turned readers after reading the book reviews here is the most amazing thing that has happened to me in life. I never knew that I, at a personal level, can end up making book haters into book readers. If you will ask me one thing that I am very proud of, it is this. :-) I have even loved reviewing movies because that's one thing I do without any stress in mind. I know that even after my review, the people who wants to see a movie will definitely go and if doesn't, will not. :-) Even when I am kind of a Luddite, I have still talked about few mobiles and inventions on this platform, I don't know how. I have even talked about sports but that has always happened in a scurrying manner because I don't think I am a genius in this field. I just love updating myself with statistics. 

            Whenever I log in to my Blogging account to check all the comments that has come for the post written 24 hours ago after finishing all my personal and college work, it makes me enough jubilant that I wake up for unknown hours until it's almost dawn. I hide it these days from my parents and friends sometimes because they scold me for not sleeping much. I don't know what's so interesting in slumber. Huh! I find this place sacrosanct only for one reason that all of you love me so much even after I have been posting sporadically sometimes. That's a totally different thing that somehow I have maintained the consistency of posting a blog every 1.6 days since 4 years and 4 months of my Blogging journey. None of my reader is gullible but still none of you are silent. Whenever I have done mistake, I am been made to realize it which has helped me develop myself and my personality very nicely. I am very grateful to each one of you for being such a beautiful henchmen. 

             Today, with ambivalence, I wish that this space does not die ever even if I turn ghoulish because of self-generated events around me. Haha! Thanks for all the allegiance and gallant support. Thanks for dealing with things in levity even when they were enough serious to cause obstreperous protests. Thanks for the most powerful vista I have experienced in my life. I don't gloat easily but today, I am extremely happy for all of you because somewhere I feel that I have not been absent in the moments you wanted me to stand and speak on my Blog space. I will also specially thank all the Indian authors who keep recommending their readers to read my blog until their next book is releasing. What a selfless support! I would also thank those people who have been sharing my posts through their Facebook and Twitter accounts without my knowledge. And I am no Sachin Tendulkar to retire from what I love and hence, I am going to continue writing all my life in whatever form I would be indulging in. And whenever I would breathe my last, I will have only these extra-ordinary memories that all of you have given me. My love and respect to all of you. And I hope you will keep loving this Blog even in future, no matter how bad I write. :-) 

 Thanks a lot. And a Merry Christmas to all of you. 

P.S.: Friends, as I have written this post on Christmas, I wanted to play a bit of Santa for all of you if possible.  Hence, I have decided to giveaway 5 books to 5 people respectively with best comments(according to me) on my 1000th Blog Celebration. This contest will run till 31st December, 2013. Every day a winner would be announced who can chose any one among these 5 books. As soon as a book is chosen, next winner will be left with remaining books.
The 5 Books are:-
1. The Jadoo of your Love- Shubha Ranjan Saha
2. Life and Promises- Pulkit Gupta/ Ila Garg
3. A Wild Rose- Uzma Jafri
4. It started with a Friend Request- Sudeep Nagarkar
5. Journey of Two hearts- Anuj Tiwari

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!