How Knight Riders did a Chelsea

Back when IPL started, I was a huge fan of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Such was my enthusiasm that during season 2, when KKR had lost 10 matches in a row, I still watched them chase down a massive 188 by CSK in the eleventh. However, somewhere along the way, I lost interest to such an extent that yesterday's final was the first match in IPL 5 where I did not miss a single ball.

Who should Chelsea buy in the summer?

After ticking off the European Cup from his bucket list, Roman Abramovich must concentrate on the next big thing in his list: Winning the European Cup on the offensive. The reshuffling has already begun with Drogba announcing that he would be leaving the club in the summer. With Kalou, Bosingwa, Ferriera and Malouda out of contract in the summer, there is hardly any change of their stay.

Adieu Drogba: The One worth his weight in Ivory!

£24 million. It was a record transfer fee in England back in 2004. Chelsea had just bought Didier Drogba, a 26-year old, who had signed his first professional contract at the age of 21. £24 million for a striker who had just completed a single season in Marsielle, scoring 32 goals? The then manager of Chelsea, Jose Mourinho was questioned. He had a straight forward reply,

Judge him when he leaves the club.

Eight years on, it is time to answer that question. Was £24 million too much or too little?

The Italian Job: How Roberto Di Matteo etched his name in Chelsea's history?

2003, the Russian Rule began. The target one: Conquer Europe. Generals have fallen: Ranieri, Mourinho, Grant, Scolari, Villas Boas. A new leader emerged. His gladiators did what David did to Goliath. And finally, victory was theirs.

An Open Letter to Johan Cruyff

Dear Johan,

As a football fan, I have always admired you. I admit you retired when my dad was in college, but that has not made you alien in my generation. Everyone knows you and respects you, for various reasons, including, and not limited to, the battle with Beckenbauer in the World Cup of 1974, although you ended second best.

Why an Integrated M.Tech. in Earth Sciences from IIT Roorkee?

Another year. Another JEE. Another round of entrances. Another round of happiness (or shock). People wondering what on Earth an "Integrated M.Tech." means, well, you've come to the right place. Those who have a general question about the college, visit this link. There are two courses in Integrated M.Tech, both offered by IIT Roorkee, namely, Geological Technology, and Geophysical Technology. If you look at the counseling brochure given to you, you'd be greeted by bureaucratic jargon, and believe me, it does not speak of what you are gonna experience here.

Petr Čech: The Goalie God

With the Champion's League trophy

People say Casillas. Neuer. Buffon. I scoff. It was the night of Petr Čech, when he proved that he is the king of all the goalkeepers, the one who steps up on the big occasions, standing like a giant in front of goal, stopping every damn thing coming his way. Take a bow.

< / World > | End of the World?

2012. The year when the world ends. Well, I am talking of the movie no doubt, but then, it is based on certain ideas that are not yet (proven) facts. Anyways, people from everywhere are predicting the end of the world. These people also include some 'Scientific Experts'. Well, best of luck predicting the world's end.

The Holy Grail: How the worst season turned into the best?

It was all down to one penalty at the Allianz Arena. The thin line between bragging rights and keeping your mouth shut for the next season. A win and a loss. Down to a single penalty. As Drogba stepped on to take it, my mind flashed images of his days in the Chelsea jersey since his then record transfer...

Jadavpur Diary: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

When I first stepped onto Didi's Shonar Bangla, I wondered if I would be able to survive the two months here. It has been seven days since then. One long week in Kolkata and I am still living, although barely. I seem to be getting used to the climate, and more importantly, the traveling. So, I would like to share my opinion on the pros and cons of the combination of Kolkata, the department of Geological Sciences in Jadavpur University and Me.

Jadavpur Diary: Día Número Uno

The temperature was over forty degrees, but that didn't matter. Believe me, with the humidity of Kolkata, you don't care what the temperature is, you sweat more in a day in Kolkata than in a month in Roorkee. I got down from the auto, with the driver signalling to me that I had reached my destination. There it was, right in front of me: Institute of Chemical Engineers. Well, that's what I saw, bewildered. I just failed to notice something within metres, written in golden characters: Jadavpur University.

IIT Roorkee: What should you know before joining?

So you have cleared the JEE? You think you are the among the greatest minds of the nation. Well, that may be true, but there are a lot of things that you are thinking which are not related to this. For example, you might be wondering what to expect in one of the best technical institutes of the country.

Note: For a detailed post on the department of Earth Sciences at IIT Roorkee, click here.

Cautley Bhawan: Survival Tactics

This post is dedicated to the ones from Mechanical and Civil, who have been allotted rooms in this hostel atleast for the next year.

Until I was dragging my luggage out of the main gate of Cautley Bhawan earlier today, I didn't realise that I would not be coming back to claim my room S-08. In case you do not belong to my college, you might think that I was very sad about the fact. On the contrary, it's quite the opposite. I am actually very happy that I am leaving this hostel for a new one, one which is far better in terms of one important thing: internet speed. In a way, I feel bad for the ones who are gonna get this hostel next year. So, I come up with this blog post saying what exactly to expect here.

Lost in Lakshman Jhula

German Bakery: A pretty common name for eating outlets in Rishikesh. This one had a great a view as well. The Lakshman Jhula was visible from the place where we were sitting; we meaning me and Aditya. An iron suspension bridge over River Ganges, where apparently, Lakshman had crossed using jute ropes, at the place the bridge is built. The apple pie (or whatever it was) was pretty nice, and the shopkeeper (definitely a local) had developed a weird European accent, hoping to attract the foreigners, and it seemed he was quite successful at that.

The Semester I learnt Photoshop

After every semester, I usually end up writing a post on why the semester has been memorable and customarily I'm doing pretty much the same here. However, I would always cherish this semester as the one which taught me many things.

How to screw others in a Social Network: A Dangerous Demonstration

Disclaimer:
This is just for educational purposes. I want to make the reader feel how vulnerable we are while posting in Social Networks. I want to demonstrate with the technology available today, how damn easy it is to screw others. Blogger is not responsible for any actions that the reader may be inspired to do after reading this. This supersedes all previous notices.

Keep The Blue Flag Flying High

Why do you support Chelsea? You did not support them before the Russian Rubles arrived, did you? Money can buy everything but the titles.

Well, being a Chelsea supporter, I often encounter such questions. Very often. And to say the truth, it is indeed irritating at times.

How to skip irritating Adf.ly pages?

Once upon a time, an uploader would put the direct links of the material required in his website. He would be supported by ads in his site. I would use Adblock Plus to block those ads, while getting hold of my links. Then came URL shorteners like bitly. But now, there are services which pay you for shortening your URLs. The catch: they would show ads to every visitor for some time, and only then would you get the link you are actually looking for. Adblock blocks those ads even now, but if your connection is slow, there are chances the "Skip this ad" button would not become active unless you refresh the page and go through the process again. However there is a shorter way to skip these ads if the "Skip this ad" button refuses to show.