Sports Fiction - The Redemption That wasn't

 Year 2008 – India vs Australia, 5^th ODI, Mumbai. Series Decider

*This match is going down to the wire. 9 required now of the last over. Sachin Tendulkar has played a lone hand for India, yet again. Can he finish things off? It will be Shiv though facing up to Brett Lee, Here we go* rung Ravi Shastri’s voice

Shiv was sweating and nervous. The manic crowd atmosphere wasn't of much help either. *Sachin, Sachin clap clap clap* echoed around the stadium. The pressure was on him to take an all important single and give Sachin, his God the strike. To make matters worse, it was his debut. He was 27 years old. A late debut for an Indian Cricketer, but he had finally made it to the big league. He had given a decent bowling performance picking up 2 wickets for 45 runs. But this was much more than he had bargained for. He had hoped the batsmen would finish the job, but no. Shiv checked on his gloves, adjusted his helmet, took a deep breath, tried to calm his anxiety and took guard.

Brett Lee was charging in. Shiv had seen this on TV before. He was used to sitting with his friends and watching in awe as Lee charged in towards the batsmen. But now, he was facing THE Brett Lee himself. No, there was no way he could do this. He backed off from the delivery at the last instance. *Sachin, Sachin* had now changed to *Booooooooo*. Shiv wasn’t sure what was going on. Sachin walked up to him, kept a hand on his shoulder and said “Don’t worry man, You will be alright. Just put bat on ball, and run. Go for it, Let’s do it for our team”. Shiv nodded meekly.

Sachin walked back to the non-striker’s end. It was only then something struck Shiv. Sachin had just told him it will be alright. SACHIN had told him. Everything had to be alright then. With a new found confidence, Shiv took guard. A charging Brett Lee now looked like a Mozart's piece in motion. It could do no harm. With each of Lee’s steps, Shiv’s confidence bolstered. Lee unleashed one of his lethal bouncers. Shiv closed his eyes, semi-ducked and semi-swayed away from the incoming ball, lifted his bat above his head, shouted “jai mata di” and wafted his bat in the air. And ran. In spite of all his theatrics, the ball had dropped just behind the stumps. He ran, Sachin ran, Lee ran, Wade dropped his keeping gloves and ran, David Warner, from point, ran.

*A Nasty bouncer from Lee, Shiv gets his bat on ball. The ball drops just behind the stumps. This could be a tight run*    

Shiv saw nothing but the non-striker’s end. He had never run this fast. For that instant, he looked like an Indian Olympic hopeful. As soon as he neared the crease, he put in an almighty dive and made it. He felt relieved, kind of elated. Sachin was going to be on strike now. 8 required of 5. Easy that. But the relief was only for a wee bit. The crowd was hushed. There were a few celebratory calls, but they sounded foreign. He checked the stumps at his end, the bails were intact. "Oh Damn, don’t tell me what I think has happened",

*That is a massive blow*

Shiv got up and turned back ever so slowly.

*Shiv, on debut, might have just cost India the match here*

The Australians were mobbing Wade and ruffling his hair.

*Sachin is gone for 97. India in deep trouble. The Australians will think this is in their hatchet. But as they always say, It aint’ over till the fat lady sings*

Yes, That man with Jersey No.10 was walking back to the pavilion. The crowd was stunned. Sachin Tendulkar was run out trying to attempt a non-existent single. Shiv, on debut, had run the Little Master out.  In Mumbai. Sachin’s home ground. He hung his head in shame. Shame was too soft a word. He was standing there at the non-striker’s end feeling like digging a ditch right beside the pitch and burying his face in it. The fat lady had sung for him. 

Year 2018- India vs Australia, Bengaluru. T20 World Cup Final

*The crowd is electric here as the match has come down to the wire. 10 required of the last over for India to lift the T20 trophy. Shiv in his final match, will it be a fairytale ending for him?*

Shiv was standing in the non-striker’s end. This was his final match. He had called it quits. He had quite an accomplished career. His batting had improved drastically since his horrific debut match and had a decent bowling record to go with it. He was India’s long impending answer to the “Who after Kapil Dev” question.

In spite of having a career which included a T20 WC win in 2016, overseas test series victories in South Africa and Australia, and 10 test match tons, It was his debut which flashed in his mind as the match approached the last over. It was 10 required of the last over again. He was donning the role of a senior batsman now. No, he was most certainly not thinking of himself as Sachin Tendulkar. That would have been criminal. Nor was the person batting along with him exactly a debutant. He had 10 matches behind him. But, somehow he felt this was similar. He felt a sense of deja vu.

India had lost that match by 7 runs due to his ineptness, and hence had lost a home ODI series. The situation was quite similar today. India needed 9 runs to get of the last over with just 2 wickets remaining. Shiv was on 32 and couldn't take a single of the last ball of the penultimate over.  Prashant was going to be on strike. He had to ensure that Prashant didn't make the same mistake. The single had to be taken first ball. Period.

The stakes were much higher here. It was the finals of a world tournament. Shiv wanted to make his exit in the grandest style possible. He wanted to hit the winning shot. He was probably being selfish, but for all that he had done for Indian Cricket he felt this was pardonable. On second thoughts, he wasn't really being selfish. Shiv facing 5 balls would win the match for India. Where is the selfish here? But this was about redemption. His debut performance had always been hurting him. He could change everything with this match, or so he felt. His mind was clouded with all these random thoughts.

The stadium was buzzing. The final was in Bengaluru. Not in his hometown. Phew! At least one thing that is not similar. He looked back at who was being given the ball. James Pattinson it was. AH! There goes another similarity. A fast bowler. Why can’t it be Glen Maxwell? Shiv met Prashant in a mid-pitch conference. “I am not gonna tell anything different. Just take a single. First 5 rounds is on me tonight”. Prashant just smiled and nodded. Shiv was confident that Prashant will do a much better job of this than he had done in THAT fateful match. He smiled to himself and went back to the non-striker’s end. Edgy, smiling and somewhat confident.

*So, here we go. Pattinson Charging in. It’s the rookie Prashant on strike. Can he sneak in a single from somewhere*

As Ravi Shastri’s voice was rumbling the television sets at home, the Bengaluru crowd was buzzing with excitement and nervousness.  Shastri with his clichés was right for once. Pattinson was actually charging in. Prashant looked confident, but his heart must have been thumping.

It was a bouncer. Another similarity. Prashant brought out his best hook shot. But it was only as good as getting a top-edge. Shiv bellowed “Ruuuunnnnnnnnnnn”. Prashant ran. Shiv ran. The ball flew. Wade ran. Starc ran from Deep Fine Leg and Steve Smith ran from Mid-Wicket.

*The ball has taken the top edge and this has gone really high. Three people converging. Who is going to take it?*

Shiv knew there would be no problem completing the run, but he wanted Prashant to stay with him till the end. Playing 5 balls with just 1 wicket remaining was going to be risky. Keeping one eye on the ball, Shiv ambled on to the striker’s end.

*Would you believe it? The ball has bisected the three fielders perfectly. Superb placement by Prashant. More importantly, that brings Shiv on strike. India would now feel they have one hand on the trophy already*

Yes. Prashant was safe. Somehow, none of the 3 fielder had managed to grab the ball. The run was completed quite safely in the end. 5 balls, 9 runs, 2 wickets, Shiv on strike. Shastri had got it right again; India now had one hand on the trophy. Or at least that’s what Shiv felt.

….

…..

…….

*Shiv finishes off in style. India retains the T-20 trophy. After a humdinger of a contest, India have got the better of Australia. And it is that man Shiv again. Doing it for his team in his final match*

Shiv had done it. If there was ever a fairy-tale ending, this was it. He had slogged the 4^th ball of the final over, through the mid-wicket region for 4. The match was in the kitty. The trophy was India’s. India was now the No.1 team in the world in all 3 formats. Personally, Shiv had just accomplished a perfect retirement. His career was pretty short by Indian standards. Little less than 10 years. But he had a cricketing resume that anyone would have been proud of. Hitting the winning runs in the finals of a global tournament in his retirement match was now going to be the highlight.

Shiv was letting the moment sink into him .His team-mates had mobbed him and the celebrations were on. Shiv was struck between being emotional and elated. It was a wonderful place to be in. “Not just the first five rounds, the entire party will be on me today”, Shiv thought to himself.

…….

…..

….

"Man, why do I think so much. Shut down your freaking mind. Yes, this match is ours. Just finish it off dammit”, Shiv muttered to himself.

The Australians were taking a bit too much time to get their field right. This was the only trophy that had never adorned their extensive cabinet. They couldn't let this one slip.

Shiv took a few deep breaths. He had done this before. He had won matches for India on his own. But somehow this felt different. One, he had never done it in this kind of a tournament. Secondly, he had put himself in an undue pressure of this being his final match and all the redemption thoughts. 

*The Australians have finally managed to get their fields right. Here we go, Pattinson to Shiv. Where is Shiv gonna make this one land?”, Shastri was in his element that night. This kind of a situation was made for him*

Shiv dug his bat on the pitch. His mind was still cluttered, but he knew what he had to do here.  The fine leg was up, and he was going to scoop this. Regardless of where the ball was pitched, the ball was going up, over and between the keeper and short fine leg.

Pattinson looked menacing as he began his run-up . Prashant was in all readiness to take a cheeky single or convert the single to two. But Shiv had made up his mind; he was not going to run. The ball was going to the boundary. Pattinson in his delivery stride, Shiv made his initial movement and crouched a little. 

The ball was delivered.  145kmph. By the looks of it, It was going to be on a good length, just around the line of off-stump. Shiv made his moves, the bat now resembled a ramp and he was just waiting for the right moment to direct the ball to the boundary. The ball kissed the bat, as Shiv tried to hoick it over the keeper’s head.

*What has Shiv done here? This is disaster for India. The middle stump has gone for a walk*

The ball did not hit the meat of the bat. It did not get the elevation that it needed to. It just followed the path it was destined for and hit the middle stump at the top. The bails flew and the stump cartwheeled.

*Shiv let the pressure get to him. You got to question the shot selection here. India are now 9 down. With 9 required of 4 and the main batsman back in the hut, this should now be Australia’s game to lose*

Shiv had screwed it up again. This was everything that he feared. He had messed it up for India yet again, albeit in a completely different way. He stared away at the cartwheeling stump and sensed an elated Pattinson pass him to celebrate with the keeper. The crowd was hushed. The Indian dugout had their heads in their hands, visibly stunned. Shiv began the longest 70m walk he had ever taken/will ever take in his life. Fairy-tale endings are not as frequent as they should be. Shiv finished his career just the way he started it. Redemption was not his solace.

*But as they say, It isn't over till the fat lady sings*

Yes, few things don’t change. India had lost the match by 7 runs.  Australia had lifted the 2018 T20 World Cup.

Konaki Sumo - Japan

This post is a part of the A-Z April Challenge.

From beautiful places to Weird customs. And where better to look than Japan. Sumo is a traditional wrestling form that originated In Japan. Sumo wrestling is considered to be the national sport of Japan, Japan is also the only country where it is practiced professionally.

Give this sport a bit of a tweak, well actually a big one, and we have Konaki Sumo. Konaki or Nazikumo is a 400 year old tradition that still continues in many a Japanese temple. The biggest of these confluences takes place in April in the Sensoji Temple.

Super Baby: Leave me, Krypton needs help.

So, this is how the festival works. Two sumo wrestlers complete in their wrestling attire hold a baby each in their hands and face each other. And they wait. They wait for at least one of the babies to cry. There is a priest who usually tries to scare off the kids by waving and shouting. The wrestler holding the baby which cries first is deemed the loser. The wrestler with the most baby friendly hands and the non-fussiest baby has his hand held high in the end.  

This festival is actually the time for praying for a baby’s health. Based on a Japanese proverb “naku ko wa sodatsu”, i.e. “Crying babies grow faster”, it is believed that the louder a baby cries, the more blessings God shall shower on him or her.  So, the Sumo Wrestler holding the loudest baby might be knocked out of the competition, but the baby is a winner all the way.

Jeita Grotto - Lebanon

This post is a part of the April A-Z Challenge.

Now that we are talking about caves, lets stick to it for sometime. From Iceland to Lebanon. And devoid of Ice. Still quite beautiful.

Located about 18 kms from the capital city of Beirut, Jeita Grotto is an extensive cave system. It is a combination of 2 different cave systems with a combined length of nearly 9 kms. These limestone caves were inhabited in prehistoric times and now attracts tourists. It is a big attraction in Lebanon owing to its stalactite formations and bright colours. This system is home to the biggest stalactite on earth.

There is also a lower cave which can be visited only by boats. The reason being it is an underground river which provides the million lebanese with fresh drinking water.

Jeita Grotto was one of the nominees for the New 7 Natural wonders of the world. It is quite obvious why it got that distinction. Lebanon is apparently not just famous for having the most beautiful girls. There is abundant natural beauty a well.

Ice Cave - Skaftafell, Iceland

This post is a part of the A-Z April Challenge

Caves are always an exciting place to visit. But if the caves are made up of ice, they become doubly exciting. And simply put, Gorgeous.

Ice caves are temporary structures that form usually at the edge of Glaciers. Iceland, as if it didn't have its share of jaw-dropping beauty already, is home to this cave that is located on the base of the Svinafellsjokull Glacier, in Skaftafell. The old ice, which could possibly be centuries old, that comes down the slope of the glacier has matured into Ice that is under high pressure and has virtually no air bubbles.

The lack of air leads to it absorbing almost all visible light, giving it a bluish tinge. The blue ice is visible mostly in the winters when there has been significant rainfall and the surface layer of the glacier has been washed away. The cave has a 22 foot entrance and gradually squeezes down to a mere 4 foot exit. The cave is safe to visit only in the winters as the ice then will be hard. You will hear quite a few creaky sounds anyway. Don't be scared, Its just the glacier moving.

Enough of Science behind it, just enjoy its magnificence. There are a few ice caves around the globe, but this one with its blue ice takes the cake. Iceland has become a part of the Euro-trip now.  

Hell's Door - Turkmenistan

In one of the Tom and Jerry episodes “Heavenly Puss”, Tom is given a certificate of forgiveness and one hour to get it signed from Jerry. If he manages to do so, he will be headed to heaven. Else he would be banished to Hell, where Spike waits eagerly amidst a hot cauldron and lots of glowing coal. You would be lying if you say you did not feel sorry for Tom there. That place looked quite scary even though it was just a cartoon.

We need to be more scared now, for a place very similar to it exists on our planet Earth. Oh Yes, Hell’s door has opened in Turkmenistan. Located in the Kara-Kum desert, in the village of Derweze (Or Darwaza, i.e. door) this place has been burning for about 40 years now and bears the look of a humongous cauldron.

Spike awaits you

So, how did this Door to Hell open up? Turkmenistan has a fair share of oil fields. The Soviet Union scientists discovered substantial oil reserves in this particular site and started with the drilling. The scientists did find the natural gas they were looking for, and hence started storing it. However, Nature decided to troll the humankind and the ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, opening up a huge crater. Though no lives were lost in this accident, Methane gas was released. This gas had the potential to be an environmental threat as well as a threat for the people in the nearby village.

Fearing the obvious, the Scientists decided to burn the gas off. This was done because extraction of the gas from deep down would have been an expensive and not the most feasible option. It was expected that the gas would burn off in a few days, but it is still burning. The reason could possibly be natural gas from nearby deposits finding its way to this reserve and fueling the fire constantly.

The sight is pretty spectacular during the nights. The glow from the fire and ember can be seen from miles away. Though It is possible to go till the edge of the of The Hell’s door, the heat from the burning carbon is so intense that one can’t stay near it for more than a couple of minutes. 

So, who’s in for a trip to Turkmenistan?          

Great Blue Hole - Belize

This post is a part of the A-Z April Challenge. 

Ill keep this one short. Staying in the Americas but going a bit down south. Belize. Some 70 kms from the city of Belize, lies this beautiful "Great Blue Hole".

The hole is exactly circular in shape, about 300 meters wide and 124 meters deep. It was formed over years of Quaternary Glaciation when sea levels were much lower. The Great Blue hole is a part of the Belize Barrier Reef system and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also one of the world's best scuba diving sites.

Though this place is extraordinarily beautiful, I would't necessarily like going here. I should have learnt swimming when I was young.

To know how this was formed, read this. 

Fly Geyser - Nevada, USA

This post is a part of the April A-Z Challenge

There are a few places on Earth which quite literally look Out of the World. They will not feel out of place in a Martian landscape. This next place is one of those.

Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA. Next Stop in the A-Z world tour. This place looks otherworldly. There are 2 things that make it much more unique – It is semi man-made and it lies on private property.

Yes, all this beauty on a private land owned by Todd Jaksick. It is a small geothermal geyser located in Washoe County, Nevada. It is large enough to be seen from the road, but only a few select researchers and photographers have ever been to this place, with permission of course. Owing to its secretive location, it is not a well-known tourist attraction. Which is quite a shame.

Let’s go a bit into its history. There were initially 2 geysers on this property. The first one was created way back in 1916. The owners of the place drilled into the land, looking for water, hoping that it would make the desert area into a farmland. And they were lucky, they did hit water. However, due to some odd stroke of luck the drill hit a geothermal packet of water, resulting in a geyser.

However, this is not the geyser which is spewing away currently. In the 1960s, the hot water somehow got diverted to a place about 100 meters from the original geyser, giving birth to a natural geyser. The first one has gradually subsided, and the younger geyser is still active.

This geyser has now developed into a beautiful multi-coloured hillock surrounded by a slushy pond. The colours are due to minerals, a whole wide range of them, mixing with oxygen in the air. It is surrounded with thermophilic algae, which thrives in such hot environment adding a green and red tinge to the surroundings, accentuating the otherworldly look. The place has developed an ecosystem of its own. With its vivid canvas of colours, many an organism would be willing to hop in there.

Many organizations have attempted to buy this land and open it for the public, but the owners have not budged. The land is bordered by a fence and a locked gate, with spikes adorning it. So, don’t attempt trespassing. There is one alternative though. If you are ever driving your way to the nearby town of Gerlach, look for Bruno’s Restaurant. They can help you reach the owners of this land, who do day tours seasonally for 25-50$ a day.

Bucket-list updated.  

El Colacho - Spain

This post is a part of the A-Z April Challenge

Staying in Spain. Let’s go from Lloret de Mar to Castrillo de Murcia, a 7 hour journey if Google maps is to be trusted. Quite a small, sleepy village which won’t catch the attention of a weary traveler. It has all the traits of being an ignored, lost town in the near future if not for El Colacho.

The world has a fair share of weird and crazy festivals, but none can be jumping over babies dressed in bright clothes weird. El Colacho in Spanish means Baby jumping. And that’s exactly what happens during this festival. A man dressed in weird clothes, that make him look like a Telugu movie Elvis Presley, jumps over babies who were born over the last 12 months.

El Colacho is a traditional Spanish festival that dates well back to 1620. It is celebrated annually to celebrate the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi in the village of Castrillo de Murcia. The brotherhood of Santisimo Sacramento de Minerva (Don’t ask me what that is) organizes a week long celebrations for the people of the village.

The final day, usually a Sunday, is when the El Colacho comes to town. During this event, a person dressed as the devil(Or Colacho), in bright yellow clothes with a bit of red, jumps over babies, who are laid down in mattresses in the street. There is usually a route that traverses the village, and mattresses are laid along it. The act is known as El Saito del Colacho, or just El Colacho for laymen.

Say Hello to Colacho

How exactly did someone give birth to this idea of baby jumping is unknown, but the reasons for it are apparently well defined. It is said to cleanse the babies of the sins committed in their previous birth and also ensures their safe passage through life, guarding them against illness and evil spirits. Brilliant I must say.

The Church considers this act abominable and has asked the Spanish priests to stay away from it. It believes Baptism by water and not jumping over babies by a random person dressed as the “Devil” is what cleanses the “Original Sin”. It has clearly fallen on deaf ears in Castrillo de Murcia.

The festival has been rated as among the most dangerous in the world, for obvious reasons. Personally, I find it more Stupid than dangerous. Spain, you just lost 1 point.  

Disaster Cafe - Spain

This post is a part of the A-Z April Challenge.

How many have experienced earthquakes? What would your first reaction be? Cover your heads and rush to the roads or some open ground. You don’t have that option if you are sitting in one particular hotel in Lloret de Mar, Spain.

Yes, if you find a normal dining experience with your loved ones too mainstream, head to Disaster Café. Where a 7.8 magnitude earthquake will not spoil your meal, but instead enhance the experience. And Of course, you got to pay for it.

From the outside, the Disaster Café looks like just another restaurant and seems like the last place where you would find simulated earthquakes. At the ground level, the Café is essentially an Alien themed restaurant, designed in the form of a spacecraft. On weekends, the kids are treated to Alien shows and loads of other fun activities. Seems pretty normal till now.

For grown ups, this is merely a starter. Customers who are thrill seekers are taken underground in an elevator, where they are welcomed to a cave-like restaurant. The first thing you would notice is the waiters and staff wearing construction hats and safety gear. Secondly, the dishes in which food is served is much heavier than normal. The food as such in the restaurant is allegedly quite good. So, you are happily gorging away and making small talk with your friends. What could possibly go wrong?

And then, disaster strikes. A 7.8 magnitude simulated earthquake shakes up the place pretty good. One can hear people screaming, chairs and tables moving all over the places, the lights flickering and pretty much everything in disarray. One can just wait for the “ordeal” to end. The heavy dishes almost always ensure the food stays put, but one can never be sure with earthquakes. Due to the controlled environment, there has never been any injury in the Disaster Café.

Do ensure that you are not at your best outfits in this restaurant. The café is not responsible for your favourite dress being spoiled by spilt drinks or food. So, that’s one more addition to my bucket-list. Boy, it keeps growing. Sponsors are most welcome. Anyone willing?

Chatillon Car Graveyard - Belgium

This post is a part of the A-Z April Challenge

World War II. The war was nearing its end and the US troops who were stationed in Chatillon, Belgium were given withdrawal orders. The officers were obviously elated to be able to get back home, but there was one dilemma that was kind of troubling them. What to do about their cars?

Lots of the American troops had managed to acquire cars for themselves (How is a different question). Now that they were being sent back, it was going to be tough and expensive for them to ship the cars. Though it was common to have all their goods boarded, there were some 500 cars to be shipped and the logistical costs were too high to be manageable. So, the Officers decided to leave the cars in Belgium. The cars were driven up a hill and parked along the forest, oblivious to the outside world. 

Once in US, the Officers who wanted to ship the cars back home had to do it on their own expenses. Most of them, in fact all of them weren’t willing to part with cash and not a single car was retrieved. Nearly 70 years down the line, the cars are still there. Welcome to the Chatillon Car Graveyard.

Zombie Apocalypse begins with the Cars

Currently, there is just one graveyard which is home to about 100-150 vehicles, some of which are among the oldest car models made while others were added by soldiers in the later years. There used to be 4 graveyards in and around Chatillon with nearly 500 cars, but over time the locals and car collectors have laid it bare.

The spot looks extremely creepy, but appealing at the same time. It is a hit among photographers and explorers. Though the decomposed cars lying together and intertwined with the forest is a grievous reminder of what happened across Belgium and Europe in course of the World War II, it exhibits a surreal beauty which is quite unparalleled. The forest has over the years devoured and gnawed on the cars, while they lie there almost embracing their slow death. Somber, yet an astonishing view.  

The spot would also make a perfect movie set, especially for the paranormal movies. Or it could also be a villain’s abode. Or just to be different, maybe shoot a zombie love duet.

There are a few other similar car cemeteries around the world, including an underwater car graveyard in Legrena, Greece. Must visit one of these sometime. An addition to my bucket-list.  

Check this out for a whole range of creepy pictures of the graveyard. 

Boryeong Mud Festival - South Korea

This is a part of the A-Z April Challenge.

Holi. The festival of colours. A festival that many people dread, especially in South of India. As an ad on TV says “South Indian, No Holi”. I mean who would want to get themselves drenched in multicoloured water and look like an inspiration for psychedelic artists.

There are a bunch of people though who take it a notch higher. Most of them come together in Boryeong, South Korea in July every year. So, what do they play with? Tomatoes? Na, that’s so Spain. Eggs? Nopes, We do that in India. It must be Chocolate then is it? Nopes, too expensive. Alright, blurt it out already.

Welcome to the Boryeong Mud festival. Where you can do anything that’s mud. But, how did one even think of doing something like this? Mud is well, mud. How did a person conceive the idea of having a mud festival where people fling mud at each other and actually have fun doing it?

No, This isn't Takeshi's Castle

Boryeong is a small town in Korea, around 200 Kms from the capital city of Seoul. It’s most prized resource is mud. A good part of 9.9 million square meters of the area here is covered with mud, also known as the Boryeong Mud Flats. But, this is not your average dirty, yucky mud. The mud found here is said to be rich in minerals like Germanium and bentonites, which are supposed to be valuable ingredients for cosmetics and also prevent wrinkles.

Cashing in on this, a South Korean cosmetics company started a range of cosmetics using the mud from the mud flats in 1996. The company was quite small and couldn't afford to spend on advertising and commercials. Hence, the Boryeong Mud Festival was born. The company thought it was a great way to promote their products as their potential customers could experience the benefits of mud firsthand.

The festival started in 1998 and has been an annual attraction since then. The mud is taken from the mud flats to the Daecheon Beach each year in July for the visitors to get dirty in. It is quite famous among tourists, expats and native Koreans alike. It had a footfall of 2.2 million in 2011 and is expected to cross 3 million this year.

For the entirety of the festival, many attractions are erected along the beach area. These include mud pools, mud slides, mud prisons and Mud skiing (Yes, you heard it right). If mud is not your thing, there is live music and lots of competitions running for you. Or you could get acupuncture or treatments done for your skin using that very mud. For people who love to get messy even after the festival, there runs a small market selling the products made out of Boryeong mud. There is also a festival culminating fireworks display which one would not want to miss.

The Boryeong Mud festival this year will run from July 19^th to July 28^th. Book your tickets and indulge yourself. Or does Holi seem so much better all of a sudden?  

Air Guitar World Championships - Finland

This post is a part of the A-Z April Challenge 2013

There are lots of people who would give an arm to be the best Guitarist in the world. But ever considered being the best Air Guitarist in the world?

Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard of USA considered it. And his dream came true. He won the gold medal in the 2012 edition of the Annual Air Guitar World Championships. Yes, you heard it right. There is a world championship for Air Guitarists.

Every year, Oulu, Finland plays host to hoards of hopefuls who fight it out in front of a sellout crowd to be crowned as the ultimate Air Guitarist. This championship was initiated in 1996 as a part of the Oulu Music Video Festival. Since then participants have thronged Oulu from all over the world, to compete among their compatriots in skills of playing Air Guitar. The rationale behind the event as mentioned in their site is to promote World peace. The ideology is that “wars would end and all the bad things would go away if everyone just played air guitar”.  

There are similar regional competitions held in Austria, USA and UK, the winners for which qualify for the world championships. In January, 2013, India and Kazakhstan joined the Air Guitar World Championships (AGWC) network. Prospective air guitarists from these countries will be looking forward to strut their stuff in Finland.

So, how does this Air Guitar Championships work? Well, it’s quite simple. A song, usually with some heavy guitar work in it plays in the background and the participant has to do the best possible impersonation of the actual guitar using his hands.

There AGWC network has now been active for about 15 years and the Championship is in its 18^th year. The network has 20 countries and expanding. This year’s championship is scheduled for 21^st August. Anyone game for it?

An “Oh It can’t be true” Fact regarding Air Guitar: Our very own Sanjay Dutt is an avid Air Guitarist and won gold medal in a similar competition held in New York some 25 years back.