The Premier League Paper

Engineering question papers have a typical Style of setting the question paper.

If we had a subject called premier league, we would have a paper something like this.

Here it goes

Premier League

Note: 1. Question number 1 is Compulsary
2. Figures to the right indicate marks
3. Attempt any 4 out of remaining 6 questions
4. Any assumptions made should be clearly stated.

1. (a) Why the only good thing about Liverpool is their history? Answer with reference to 18 titles overall, No title in 20 years. (10)

(b) Money cannot alone buy you trophies, Explain. Also, compare Man City with Chelsea (10)


2. (a) Describe the incredible success story of Harry Rednapp from 17th position when he took over to the top 4 finish. (10)

(b) Describe the revenge of Leeds United over Man United (10)

3. (a) Explain Chelsea’s misfortunes in Champion’s league semis with the mention of Luis Garcia and Tom Overbo (10)

(b) Average age of Arsenal Squad is currently 23 years and 3 months which is decreasing at an average of 5 months per year since Wenger took over. How many more years will it take for the average age of squad to be 16 years. (10)

4. (a) Describe the legendary Champions league final where Milan beat Liverpool with no mention of Istanbul. (10)

(b) Who are better, Hicks and Gillett or the Glazers? (10)

5. (a) Distinguish between Liverpool minus Gerrard and Torres and Wigan Athletic (10)

(b) Why is every successful manager in the world tipped to replace Alex Ferguson? Jose Mourinho, David Moyes, Martin O’ Niall to name a few. (10)

6. (a) Why do most of the players leave Arsenal at the peak of their career? (10)

(b) Why is the Istanbul game the only one for which Benitez will be remembered for? Can you name any member of that team still surviving in Liverpool squad? (10)

7. Write short notes on.

(a).Burnley at home with and without Brian Laws. (5)
(b). Birmingham’s 12 match unbeaten streak. (5)
(c). Italy, a retirement destination for premier league players. (5)
(d). Van Der Saar, Still going strong at 40. (5)

The final Countdown

(Warning...long, slightly boring post ahead...)
College term in coming to an end; a 4 year wonderful journey will soon be over. With incredibly talented people around me, I’ve transformed quite a lot in these years. From being a quiet, low profile schoolboy who was comfortable talking only with a closed group of people to somebody who has decent interaction with each and every person of the class.

Few days back, I saw my junior k. g. class photograph. I could recollect a lot of faces in it, but couldn’t identify who they were. One thing that I regret about my school life is not having interaction with a lot of people (interaction beyond the hi-hello). In college, I’ve distinct memories with almost everyone that I can never forget.

There are many reasons behind these interactions, the most important one being that you clear the misconceptions about people that you had in your head. People are sometimes a lot different than you think they are. Secondly, it’s interesting to listen to a variety of people living life very differently; People watching champions league till 4 in the morning and coming to college at 9 and people running from college at 5 to catch their 7.30 pm TV show.

Also, these interactions will remind people about me (hopefully) and I’ll remember them by the same incidents. Many people see this socializing habit of mine as some kind of flirting or friend circle improving exercise. Let them cook stories. But the truth is I am not in it to expect something back in return. I would be more than glad if I’d be in contact with 2-3 people from the class ten years from now.

I’m terrible at maintaining friendship. I’ve lost two of my best friends to the degree that we feel awkward being around each other. The reasons for both I know and I had an opportunity to correct things. But I didn’t feel like doing that. That’s how weird I act at times. But yes, the first time, losing a good friend had created a big void in my life. From talking almost daily on the phone, to never seeing each other for 3 years, the transition was difficult.

Luckily, I’ve not done things to alienate friends this time around in college. I want to end things on this happy note. The last day of exams would be the last time I would be seeing many of my college friends. It is going to be an emotional day for me. For I know, I’d be missing a lot. Ideally, I would like to leave the college as soon as the exams get over, amidst the cheer of the crowd and go alone to one of the beaches, switching off the mobile. Walking with the breeze and bringing back the memorable moments from 4 years to mind and relishing them.

But, I know I might end up in college doing exactly the things that I wouldn’t want. 68 people trying to get an individual photo with all others, then the group photos. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t need photographs to remind me of the good times with my friends. I mean we already have roughly 100GB of photos from last 4 years, when are you ever gonna watch them. After the photographs, couple of hour’s discussion about which place to go, where to eat, what to do kinda crap….. some side planning....some other side planning…some more side planning….some heads turning here, some there…..A Hundred bye-bye’s. Possible night-outs. I’m actually looking forward to the final day stories.

Motorcyle diary

It was late at night and I was driving back home on my bike on the S.V. Road. The road was largely empty with cool breeze blowing. I love riding the bike at night, no signals, no traffic, good weather et al.

A guy was riding a Bajaj Discover alongside my bike and an empty truck with speed of around 60 kmph was behind us. I usually give way when high speed vehicles are behind, but at that time, I was in no mood to let someone overtake. Neither was the guy on the Discover.

I remember exactly what happened next. This guy looked into the mirror to see how fast the truck was approaching. While doing this, the front wheel of his bike got stuck in a pothole, he applied brakes; the back tyre did a little wheelie, while the truck was still approaching with fairly the same speed. I took my bike to the side of the road, turned to the mirror praying for the biker. He pulled his leg out from under the bike and took an incredible 5 feet long jump. Next moment, the bike was thrashed by the truck.

In 3 years of my driving, I’ve seen people die in accidents, people severely injured, badly crashed cars, lots of bikes skidding in the first rain, but I have never seen such a miraculous escape. This was the best real life stunt that I’ve ever come across. The description seems like one of Akshay Kumar’s movie scenes, except that it is highly predictable with Akshay in it. Our life is no movie. Trust me; you would never want to see such a thing in real life.

I stopped my bike; the truck driver had driven away without stopping, nobody was around. The biker lay on the footpath, absolutely numb, cold as a rock, not knowing how to react, wondering how he came out of all this. His body was shaking and couldn’t speak for couple of minutes, eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t believe that instead of being in a pool of blood, he was in a pool of petrol which came out of the broken tank of the bike.

2 very different types of people live in this world. One who cannot bear the troubles in their lives, succumb to them and commit suicide and the other kind, who are ready to put themselves through all kinds of trouble just to be alive.

Moments like these make you realize how precious life is.

Westlife

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see….

I heard this song playing on the radio a few days back. It brought back wonderful memories to my mind. Memories about the times when the only English songs I had listened to were party tracks like Who let the Dogs out, the Vengaboys, Escape, Un Dos Tres, Living la vida loca, It's my life et all. One day, out of the blue, I thought of buying an audio cassette of any random English Songs and listen to it for a change.

I happened to pick out the album ‘Turnaround’ by Westlife, and I am so glad I picked that one. I’ve listened to that cassette for atleast a 100 times before it finally broke a couple of years ago. Each and every song is amazing. Struck gold with the first cassette!

Now, many people will say Westlife is not that famous a band. They are not that great. Many people wouldn't even have heard them apart from songs like 'My love'. But for me it’s never about famous. It doesn’t really matter that the thing that I like must be famous. Also, it’s not necessary to like what everyone likes! Infact, I prefer Westlife songs over other famous Boybands like Blue, Backstreet Boys, MLTR, Boyzone etc.

I’ve listened to every song that Westlife has sung and everytime I listen to them, I get a different feeling. The feeling that no other song can give. I can very much relate to the lyrics, they are the best!

Many people feel, the problem with a lot of Westlife songs is that they are not original compositions. I still feel that Westlife has done a good job with them too. It’s not that I am in favour of remixes or something, but sometimes the same song in a different way, feels good. Infact, I’ve liked the Westlife version of ‘Uptown Girl’ more than the Billy Joel one. There are people who hate Guns and Roses for remaking the ‘Knocking on Heavens Door’, but what’s the problem if they have done a great job. Infact, if you search for it on you tube, firstly you’ll get the GnR version.

Also, Westlife have a lot of original compositions, some of which went unnoticed, yet were pretty amazing. These songs have helped me cope up with some of the dullest moments in life till now, during the tough times. They continue to be special for me. I am still looking for the ‘Turn around’ cassette in every music store I visit. The day I’ll get that one, it will remain with me for life.

In the end, I would like to mention a list of the best Westlife songs that I feel every music lover should listen to:

• Home
• On my Shoulder
• Fool Again
• If I let you go
• World of our own

Addiction

You like something, you start with it, you keep doing it and sometime later, bang! you are addicted to it. The worst thing is, you don’t admit it when people say that you are addicted. Or rather you don’t realize that you are addicted.

Addiction can be about anything, absolutely anything. About playing Counter-strike, playing cards, facebook, chatting, bowling, and watching movies, anything. Getting addicted to a girl also counts here!

The general idea about addiction that when you are hooked on to something for a long time, it’s addiction. It’s not my way of looking at it. Addiction is when you find it difficult to live without that something. It’s like when you play computer games for long time, that's not addiction, but if you feel restless when you don’t get an opportunity to play computer games, that’s addiction and that’s bad.

There are people around us who would call it a dull day if they weren’t to play some stupid game on facebook or talk hours and hours on gtalk. People who would get frustrated if their favorite IPL or EPL team is playing and they can’t watch it. People, who would not be able to bear the thought of not watching their favorite director’s movie on the first day, first show and so on.

Addiction is bad because it takes control over your life and moreover, you don’t even realize that. It’s like the boss who dictates you the terms. People are so addicted to chatting or texting or phone convos that they do not acknowledge the people around them.

I never want to be addicted to anything in life and I’m pretty sure that I will never be. I might get a hundred good things from life, I might buy another hundred good things, but there will be nothing that I will not be able to live without. I remember a good line I once read.

I would like to earn so much that I could buy whatever I want. I would like to grow up so much so that I could live life without all of it.

Nice sentence. It’s also true with all the things money can’t buy. Like close friends. If tomorrow the person whom you love gives you a cold shoulder, your life should not become a disaster; instead you should have the courage to move on.

Life is all about making the best of what you have, not about what could have been the best for you!

Problems

Problems, everyone has them, but the way we approach them makes us different. It is good to be a spectator sometimes, listening to the problems of people around you and how they tackle them.

At times you are hearing about people who feel the pressure in handling the smallest of the problems. On the other hand, there are some who will never let the gravest of the problem tear them apart. You learn from both the type of people. One teaches you what not to do while handling a crisis, other one tells you how to face the crisis.

But, it’s not so easy always. Sometimes you see people stuck with a problem not handling it the right way. You feel had you been there yourself in that situation, you would have done things differently. But, one fine day, the same problem strikes you. You fare no better in handling it. Weird, but true!

I admire one of my friends when it comes to facing problems. He tells me, ‘Most of the things that we consider to be problems aren’t problems in the first place’. I feel he’s right. Problems are there for a reason. They make us who we are, how our lives shape up depends on how we handle them. If it is something that will shape our lives, then how is it a problem?

I’ve never seen this friend of mine succumb to any pressure from problems around, not cribbing about any of them. Not running away from them either, sometimes going from one defeat to another with no loss of enthusiasm. He was once consolidating someone who has just dropped from 80 percent to 70 percent saying things would be fine, whereas he himself had 60 percent marks in the exams. He was a person who would give in his best and then accept what the scoreboard says. This guy didn’t even get pissed off when his girlfriend of long time dumped him. He instead gave us a break-up party!

A week before the 12^th board exams, he fell of the staircase, fractured almost half his body, the left side, was bedridden and still appeared for the boards without a writer. His scores were affected badly, but he never cried about it. Maybe someday his scores will ruin his chances of getting admitted into a premier educational institute, agreed, still how is crying about the situation going to help? Making the most of what he could achieve was the thing he should’ve done and he did exactly the same.

Life is not a disaster when you are plagued with problems. Life is a disaster when you stop fighting the problems around you. Nobody could’ve known a certain Lance Armstrong if he didn’t have the fighting spirit.

These and a few other examples make me want to reflect on my own life. I’ve sometimes let problems dominate me, acted weirdly in situations, freaked out. But that won’t be a problem anymore. The world is full of people fighting millions of problems. I’ll face my share of problems, that too in a sporting way!

Optimism

I feel like a jerk today. Told someone that he/she is being excessively optimistic. Being an optimistic person myself, I should’ve never said that. Never crush the ray of hope people have about things turning the way they want them to be.

I think the word ‘reality’ is now-a-days more closer to me than ‘optimism’. Optimism sure drives you a long way. It tells you if a certain Ambani who came in with 500 rupees and made billions out of that in this city, but it will never tell you the story of millions of people who came to the city with 500 bucks and left with nothing.

By no way I’m talking negativity, but sometimes by choosing optimism, you make yourself ready for only one result, that’s called victory. Thousands of people come to Mumbai each year to become a filmstar, unfortunately, not everyone can become one. Raising your hopes high is good, but when the dreams crush, you should be able to handle it the right way.

I think the best approach would be about being optimistic throughout the journey and accepting the reality dose in the end. What’s wrong in thinking you can achieve massive things, thinking that you can be the best? But when it comes to the final outcome, you have to take it sportingly. You’re going to win some, lose some and accept whatever comes your way.

Optimism may tell you that you can climb Everest, reality might keep you happy with Amarnath yatra. Still, if this optimism would’ve gone missing, nobody would’ve climbed it till now.