This is Advertising!

As I flipped the cover page of the Khaleej Times this morning, my eye caught a clinical-looking half page ad on the front inner-page. Just lots of white space, and a simple dialogue.

---

Right:
Your heart says yes.

Left:
Your head nods in agreement.

To discover more about yourself go to
www.leftandright.me

---

...read the ad.

My being me, sitting with my coffee, the laptop and the television news disturbing the silence in the morning, decide to check out the site. Idle hands, wondering minds, perfect time of the day to get me on the internet. I do have time to spare, so I check-out the site.

A minute later, I find myself with a grin on my face.

Brilliant. That’s what I call advertising.

More Tears for Sri Lankan Cricket Fans?

According to The National – an English daily from the UAE where the ICC headquarters are located – the Sri Lankan cricket fans are in for some more bad news. Quite possibly.

Looks like we are going to miss out on hosting the ICC Championship Trophy, come October.

With Sri Lanka Cricket Committee in total disarray and the growing security-concerns in the island, ICC would be more than happy to take the game away from the alternate venue to a more cosy and comfortable place like the UAE where Dubai and Abu Dhabi are throwing their dirhams around to get some international games in to their newly-built cricket grounds. Australia and South Africa are the other possible, natural contenders; but the UAE has a better chance – considering what money can buy these days.

Instead of trying to swing the ICC in their favour, the Emiratis could easily approach a few Sri Lankan decision makers who would ensure that the games aren’t played here in October. Minister Gamini Lokuge has told The National that there are indications that the ICC wants to stage the Champions Trophy in Dubai, already.

“Some doubts have been raised as far as Sri Lanka is concerned mainly from the weather prospective,” says the ICC’s general manager, Dave Richardson. “Questions have been raised whether it's wise to hold a tournament where rain is often affecting in October.”

Yeah right, take the game away and blame it on the rain..!

It’s March, It’s the Big Match Season!

The Big Match is around the corner. I’m excited, as if I am in Grade 7. There is something magically attractive about this whole affair. It’s not the Stag Night or the final scoreboard that matters – it’s the whole feeling, it’s the whole package that makes one want to cross the seven seas to get there.

My flights are booked, tickets bought, transport arranged. It so happens that I arrive in Colombo on the first day of the match – giving me just enough time to enjoy the rush-hour traffic jam; leaving me with very little time for the ritualistic three S’s in the morning – shower, shave (and of course you know the first one), before dashing off to the grounds.

March, is a significant month in my calendar for two reasons. One, the match. Two, it’s the month of my unofficial anniversary. Things hit a new note between yours truly and the love of his life on the first day of the big-match a few years ago; and this year, the two shall meet one another for the first time: I have decided to take the Mrs to the match.

Apparently, the only sort of “pre-nup” we have is about the match it seems, as she recollects. I had wanted to ensure that I have safe passage to Colombo every March, no matter which corner of the world we would be living in. Yes, for the rest of my life. And she did agree.

I guess that was smart, and I was lucky, to have that sorted out before it ever became an issue to anyone. No woman in her rightful mind would deprive her man of the joy of this wonderful camaraderie of ‘Royal’ life. Aah, the long-lost friends, their adventures with the feminine kind, the wonderful stories, the memories of yesteryear... all cheered and toasted with an ample supply of food and drink – the match is a lot more than just a match.

Enough said. The big match is the Big Match. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.