The Power of Cricket
I see our PM has made a trip to India to help push the free trade agenda between our two nations. I think it is well overdue that India became a strategic partner for New Zealand - with its growing population and consumerist middle and upper classes - we should have thought about pursuing this a long time ago or at least seen it as important as the Chinese free trade agreement we have already signed.
India, the worlds most populous English speaking country and a democracy - is an amazing country. I spent a few months there in 03 and saw much of the country, experiencing culture and enthusiasm from the people there that extinguished any feeling that we are hard done by in NZ. While I was there, there was a massive commotion at the tiny rooms where I saw staying when they found out a Kiwi was staying there. It came about the NZ were touring India in the cricket in a couple months time and the lads had to come talk to me about cricket stats and get in a few overs on the street.
The kids and adults were obsessed with cricket stats and the game. They could rattle off bowling AND batting figures for Sir Richard Hadlee in their sleep. When I asked who they loved the most from NZ it was Stephen Fleming. Of course I didn't notice until they showed me - there were huge Fleming billboards up around the city! Cricket is a religion there - forget NZ with the rugby or England with the Football... this is something far far greater than that, which I experienced almost every day of my stay and saw first hand when I got to see the first test in Ahmedebad as I had to have a 6 man police escort with me every day of the match due to the fans wanting autographs and to shake my hand simply for being a Kiwi sitting on the terraces with the poor and not going into the stands (I was a humble backpacker). It was up there as one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I highly recommend that travelwise, give India a go.
Seeing Key be overwhelmed by fans of Stephen Fleming on his latest visit would hopefully be a sign that he understands the possibilities of a uniquely special agreement between the countries. I hope the free trade agreement pushes through and we can both reap the rewards that we all know free trade delivers.
India, the worlds most populous English speaking country and a democracy - is an amazing country. I spent a few months there in 03 and saw much of the country, experiencing culture and enthusiasm from the people there that extinguished any feeling that we are hard done by in NZ. While I was there, there was a massive commotion at the tiny rooms where I saw staying when they found out a Kiwi was staying there. It came about the NZ were touring India in the cricket in a couple months time and the lads had to come talk to me about cricket stats and get in a few overs on the street.
The kids and adults were obsessed with cricket stats and the game. They could rattle off bowling AND batting figures for Sir Richard Hadlee in their sleep. When I asked who they loved the most from NZ it was Stephen Fleming. Of course I didn't notice until they showed me - there were huge Fleming billboards up around the city! Cricket is a religion there - forget NZ with the rugby or England with the Football... this is something far far greater than that, which I experienced almost every day of my stay and saw first hand when I got to see the first test in Ahmedebad as I had to have a 6 man police escort with me every day of the match due to the fans wanting autographs and to shake my hand simply for being a Kiwi sitting on the terraces with the poor and not going into the stands (I was a humble backpacker). It was up there as one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I highly recommend that travelwise, give India a go.
Seeing Key be overwhelmed by fans of Stephen Fleming on his latest visit would hopefully be a sign that he understands the possibilities of a uniquely special agreement between the countries. I hope the free trade agreement pushes through and we can both reap the rewards that we all know free trade delivers.
Labels: cricket, free trade, India, John Key
posted by Clint H at
Thursday, June 30, 2011
10 Comments:
India, I've been there, fascinating country, but bloody awful call centres which I refuse to use on moral grounds, if it's a UK based company, it should have a UK call centre staffed by Britons, any company that treats me and the British people with utter contempt by using incompetent, cheap labour isn't worthy of my custom, just how much does India receive in 'foreign aid'? If they can afford nuclear weapons, then other countries shouldn't be chucking money their way when there are far more deserving causes closer to home. Anyway, I've finally worked out why Mr Heine is always so angry.
I am never angry Mr Snuggles. I am laid back and chilled like most Kiwis. But I would love to hear your explanation for why you think I might be "angry" :)
Really, It's off topic but here goes: You state that you work(ed) for an organisation and your job is/was 'getting people into work', it appears you expereienced, shall we say 'difficulties', interviewing people is not my strong point, I have never had any training in it and find it a chore but sometimes it has to be done, on these days, I just leave my supervisor in charge, pull out the first CV's, applications from suitable candidates, if I know them personally, they're in, if not I ask around, I never contact any references given, and the 'interview' is just going through the motions really, it basically consists of 'Do you want the job then?', each 'interview' lasts about 5 seconds and is a waste of a working day, I was told to find people to fill the following vacancies;
Chemical process engineer.
Capital projects leader.
Senior inspection engineer.
Maintainence planner.
Instrument and control technicians.
Mechanical maintenance technicians.
I just went 'Yeah, leave it to me boss', made a few phone calls, handpicked the people I think are best suited and now have to go through the motions of pretending to interview people, all I have to do now is sit there when I could be working, say the job is theirs and spend 20 minutes or so catching up on what's going on in the industry.
Are you REALLY telling me there is anything difficult about that? I remember in my previous job they wanted a few contractors at short notice, I just stopped off at a pub I used as a teenager on the way home spoke to the landlord and had a crew within 48 hours.
You do insist on doing things the hard way at times, it's so easy to get people into work, one applicant called back and said he is considering offers from Shell in Cheshire and a place I contracted at years ago in Selby but he will weigh things up and get back to me, I put him on the reserve list as another applicant from Sunderland who I worked with years ago said he could start whenever the job was there.
Easiest job in the world really.
I have to say, I love cricket as much as 10cc, it just conjures up images of real English life, my favourite cricket story is Ireland beating the Windies, for once I agree with you, cricket in India is like football in Glasgow, boxing at the Kronk gym in Detroit(where I once visited and will never forget that fantastic experience). Cricket in India? Imagine the Germany 1 England 5 game, the USA v USSR contest at the Munich olympics and when Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson in Tokyo, roll that into one and you're getting there.
Yep, I can't disagree with you on either. I did work for a company doing that interview stuff. I agree with you there, but a lot of people stress about them. They worry too much about interviews and either give up or get too worried. I hate bureaucracy and silly buggers - I want people who understand the language and who understand the clients and culture - who I can leave to work without supervision. You have the right idea - but as you and I both know, the EU directives on employment has completely stuffed up that way of doing things. But as you said, totally off topic :)
As for the cricket, I fell back in love with the game going to India and of course coming to the home of cricket, England. You're lucky your country has some damn cool traditions, sports and culture. We have bugger all - being a young country!
Well you did manage to win the RL World cup, if you're up at the KC for the NZ game, look me up, I didn't realise how big cricket in India is until I went there, name a sportsman and most people say Muhammad Ali, Indians are like walking wisdens, I met barely literate kids who I could shout out 'Geoff Boycott,Brian Lara, Gary Sobers,good players' to and they knew what I was talking about, England might have invented a lot of sports but the passion in some countries is amazing, Indians will talk about or play cricket anywhere, the only other place I have seen such passion was, believe it or not, Acapulco, I was desperate to go there, the town itself was a bit of a dump and the street begging was both annoying but sad at the same time but some of those kids were natural athletes, for anyone reading this: if you've never been to India, have all the jabs etc (probably from an Indian doctor!), be prepared for the dreaded 'Delly belly' but brush up on your cricket knowledge first, nobody should be given a visa into India unless they can name all the Test grounds, just pack a playfair annual in your hand luggage and memorise it on your flight, I'm not saying the average Indian likes cricket but imagine Glasgow on an old firm day for sporting passion and you'll get the general idea, when politicians use sport as tool, they had better know their stuff!
If you know your cricket, 6 sixes off one ball, Gary Sobers, if you go anywhere in India, they will explain that one better than me, I had an Indian GP who had 'Cricket monthly' and Wisden rather than medical journals in his consulting room, that's how much these people are into the game.
Just to emphasise the point, football is a passion in some countries, I have visited the Kronk Gym and will be watching the Haye fight on Saturday and boxing can get the adrenalin going, Athletics when Coe and Ovett were the best in the world encouraged us all to jog, everyone plays tennis at some club just after Wimbledon, and for a few weeks in 2003/04 every English kid wanted to be Johnny Wilkinson but during the cricket World cup, and this is true, every Indian owned shop in my town had a TV tuned into all their games and the entire family crowded around it, you knew when India were playing alright! By the way, England in that tournament?....Same old, same old, inconsistent, one game good, next poor, then average, same old British sporting disease, the basic talent is there but not the consistency, odd flashes of brilliance, lots of above average attempts but too many not good enoughs, maybe we should ask the Indians for a bit of advice.
I like that, "walking Wisdens"! You're right, they are mad for it. They used to yell at me Stephen Fleming!! Richard Hadlee!
Never had jabs or got sick in my 4 months there. Lucky me I guess!
What amazed me was I met some random Indian guy in Goa and he talked me through Gary Sobers six sixes he knew all about Botham's ashes and even the county structure in England bloody hell,most Indians know more about cricket than the average Brit and they all agreed that the Windies team of 1984 was good, that conversation went on for days, I've seen the 6 sixes on TV and watched it on you tube countless times but this guy knew it like the back of his hand, I like to think I know my sport but Indians and cricket are like Brazillians with football, I couldn't believe I met an Indian who seemed to know the English counties better than me, I admit one thing, us Brits know our sport but before India and NZ trade further, I would send a few playfair annuals and old VHS vids to your guy, Cricket is the strangest sport in the World but bloody good fun.
Richard Hadlee? I rated him but my all time favourite was Malcom Marshall, I just liked his style.
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