We're moving!

This blog has moved!

We are now over at theredpencil.wordpress.com

Look forward to seeing you there.

I'm a New Health Crusader

I remember a debate in a staff room over colas, ice-cream and other 'junk' like pizzas and cheese sandwiches and whether we should allow them in the canteen.

Colas were definitely out at that time due to the raging controversy over pesticide content. The fate of the others hung in the balance and hence remained on the menu.

I'm a recent convert to the ranks of those who value fitness and health. Just finished reading a book called "Eat, Drink and be Healthy" by Walter Willett, professor at Harvard. If you're interested in kids and nutrition at school or just plain interested in learning more about health eating for yourself and your family, you just Have to get this book.

For those who, like me, didn't know about their carbohydrates from their proteins, its a great start. I wish I had this book in that staff room that day. I don't know whether it would have pruned our menu a little more, but it definitely would have made the teachers more aware.

The Right Way

The lot of cricket has fallen in India since we were unceremoniously booted from the World Cup in the Windies having lost to Bangladesh. I however, remain a loyalist and every time there is a match on, dutifully keep a tab on the score.

India was to play Pakistan in Glasgow today. The match was rained out. Instead, I watched some old footage of batting greats like Tendulkar, Ponting, Dravid, the Waugh Brothers, KP and Ganguly go about their craft.

I noticed none of them stood the same way while taking guard (which was glaring apparent), nor did they have a similar grip or even follow-through. All these batsmen have test averages over 50. Which means every time they have gone out to bat, they've hit 50 runs, a substantial score in the game.

I thought back to my days as a school-boy and the harangue I got for not holding the bat 'the right way'. Our coach, an ex-services man insisted that we'd come to naught, if we didn't get the grip correct. Some of us did come to naught in cricketing terms, but messers Tendulkar at al definitely didn't.

In fact, Ganguly would be a whipping boy for many coaches, bowling as he does with his right arm and batting with his left.

For those of us who teach and 'coach' teaching - maybe its better to say 'This may be a good grip for you" as opposed to "This is the right grip."

I'm Back!

How many blogs have you seen where the author, taken in by all the wonderful, independent, exciting writing on the net decided to start his own blog, found it high maintenance and dropped it?

This was one such.

To be fair, lots been going on. I went and got married! That can be a roller-coaster of an experience- most of you who've attended the "Great Indian Ones" know that for sure.

I left work as Principal of a CBSE School in Punjab; started looking after Marketing over at the GEMS Office in Delhi and got a new school off the ground in Jaipur.

Now I'm doing what I most like to: thinking, reading and writing. So I thought I could give it a fair go for a few week since Graduate Studies at Harvard (where I am a Fulbright Scholar) aren't starting till the fall.

So, expect some writing. Hopefully you will chime in.