My City..My Life..5

Recap: 1 2 3 4

Thud.!! The last of the 'three steps at a time' run downstairs. Still an hour of regulated work hours left and there are some faces to evade before the gate is crossed. The steps slow down into cautious walk out of the gate, then it's a dash to the other office premises.

"Sir".

"Yes, quick tell me"

"I can offer you SDFC Bank's Platinum credit card, would you.."

"No, thanks"

A few seconds of frustrating stoppage. Thanks to the folks outside the office gate, you get everything from telephone connection to pirated Music CDs, but many a times they are very irritating.

Now, it's the three steps at a time climb up the stairs. I have to reach the 8th floor. Why is the elevator always packed, can't the people stay at their cubes and work !!

5 minutes or else punishment. I quickly go to the wash room and change into the attire. 'Gin lai' bow to Master and I heave a sigh of relief.

It's the weekly session of Jeet Kune Do. It's a martial art form 'evolutionized' by Bruce Lee which also has a philosophy. I have been a fan of Bruce Lee and when few weeks back, there was an ad for nominations for Jeet Kune Do classes; I enrolled and started the kicks and punches in a week's time. I have a kid friend whom I meet when I go to my parents. I used to give him some movie-inspired martial arts trainings, which was ridiculous but the kid loved it !! I call the kid 'Jeet Kune Do Kid', that's how his name is saved on my cell phone. Now, it's the time to learn some authentic moves and pass on the knowledge to the kid next time I go home. I can leave the philosophy part till the kid is a little older, innocence does not need understandings.

The Master brings her beautiful daughter with him. She teaches the JKD moves to the females in the class. She is my inspiration for the kicks to be high and the punches to be powerful. Will the Master give her daughter's hand if I win some JKD tournament and get a black belt? aah again dreaming !!

'Your change is approved'

'Thank you'

It's the weekly conference meeting and people from across the globe connect. One has to listen to a lot of unnecessary chatter over the conference calls which gets very long and boring. I have a lot a private fun listening to the courtesy exchanges and weather talks. The best is when the Chinese start, surely the day China learns the English language, it will be a threat to the Indian economy and they have already started. When the Chinese colleagues speak, you have to pick the key words, frame a meaningful sentence and reply !!

Call is over and so is office for the week. It's a dash once again like yesterday, but today I have to reach the Municipality Football ground. Thanks to my Thursdays and Fridays, I am feeling the 'spring' like fitness inside me. The population in this city is mad about the game of football and a regional channel has started a 'Football Reality Show' and has brought in Romario and Branco for it. The city also got a chance to meet the Golden Ball winner of the recently concluded FIFA world cup Diego Forlan. Surely the passion for the game is fantastic here in this part of our Country. I think if a strategy and plan is worked out for 20 years, we can indeed come up with a competitive Football team. Kerela, areas near Bengal and North-East can surely throw up some good players of international standards if given good facilities, training and conditioning. These areas I mentioned have a football culture and a strong willed Football association can certainly work wonders. Speaking of associations, the Commonwealth Games (CWG) baton will be in city on Sunday but the weather and the corruption in CWG has dampened my spirits to join the baton's rally. Hopefully, the games go through smoothly and the corrupt stakeholders are brought to law.

For now I'll finish off my game and look forward to weekend mornings' Jeet Kune Do sessions with Lusi Liew, the Master's daughter !!