Arvind Ashok; Interaction Designer » Uncategorized

Some (sports) related stuff that I’d like to accomplish this year

Arvind — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:37:11 +0000

Am not really one for resolutions. But then, every year, I feel I should do a few things and then the year goes by. So, this time around, am going to put this out in a public forum and hopefully that will spur me on to do these things. Here they are, in no specific order and probably not comprehensive

CrossFit. squat 2x my body weight: Squatting is one of the best tests of one’s strength. I’ve long been a weakling, so this should be a lofty goal to aim for.
complete CrossFit level 1 certification
Figure out my diet and see what my body responds to, what works for me and stick to it.
complete a “sprint” triathlon: Swimming in open water, hmm. But hey, one has to try.
run a sub-6 minute mile: This is definitely possible.
run 10 miles in under 75 minutes: This one’s probably the hardest. Considering that my average running speed is about 9.5 mins per mile for 10k to 20k, and 8.5 for sub 10k, running 10 miles/16km at 7.5 mins is going to be close to impossible. but then again, where’s the fun in running slow?
learn to surf: Another am pretty confident about. No way am going to be doing what surfers do on TV but am definitely confident of doing the beginner stuff.
Ultimate: This one is a hard goal to set. A sport that I love but never play continuously. So, no goals for this just yet.

And hopefully lose most of my tummy fat along the way. What are your goals this year?

How can ManUtd rebuild their squad?

Arvind — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:44:34 +0000

About two summers ago, I blogged that United needed to buy Ribery. Instead, we ended up buying Nani. I never understood the logic of that. Coz they both ended up costing approximately the same amount. But on one hand, you had the finished article in Ribery. On the other, you had potential – another Ronaldo maybe. But why buy potential at that moment for that steep a price?! Especially when buying Ribery would’ve meant Benzema might’ve been tempted! Ignoring Torres was another mistake that SAF made (so did I!) but that is sorta acceptable because that could’ve gone either way. Just look at Jose Reyes etc.
Apart from the 80 million pound irreplacable hole, United has a bunch of places that need filling. So, who does Fergie buy this Jan, or this summer?
First and foremost, Marek Hamsik. We need to replace Scholesy, one of the best central midfielders of his generation. And from the little of Hamsik I’ve seen and the hype others have created, I think he is the guy! An attacking midfielder and playmaker, capable of surging runs. With Hargreaves, Fletch and Anderson, think our central midfield will be very capable with the addition of Hamsik.
Second, the wings. We need to dispose of Nani and Tosic. Even though I’ve not seen Tosic play, it is obvious he is not good enough if he has not started in almost a year. Angel Di Maria is an (expensive) option. But there are other options as well – Mesut Ozil or Juan Manuel Mata. Maybe even David Silva. But we definitely need one solid winger down the left-hand side. Obertan and Park are good back-ups.
Third, up front. We need to play around Berbatov and Rooney. Like we played around Ronaldo the last two seasons, the gaffer needs to structure the formation so Berbatov can do his magic. No signings are needed here as we have two great prospects in Macheda and Wellbeck. We just need to extract the best out of Dimi and Wazza.
Fourth, in central defense, we need another young centre-back. Giving up Pique was necessary as I felt Fergie was limiting his potential. And boy has he improved since going to Barca! In fact, he might develop into a fine libero. Fancy that! Anyways, we need a solid 19 year old to provide backup.
Full backs, probably the only position we will not need strengthening in a while.
Finally, the goalkeeper conundrum. The easiest thing would be to buy Igor Akinfeev. But I think in Tomasz Kuczsak, we have our future #1. Ben Foster, am not so sure about. But Fergie’s blind faith in him might hamper this situation and lead to Tomasz leaving, Foster failing and us eventually buying Akinfeev.
Overall, I think we are two people short of a great team and of course, a formation and style of play to extract the best from Berbatov and Rooney. So, here’s to buying Hamsik and a left winger. And Glory Glory Man United!

comparing “green” space between Madras and SF

Arvind — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:02:25 +0000

One thing about the US is that land conservation and national parks are taken seriously. The amount of green within a city is pretty high. Growing up in Madras, finding an open spot to play is one of the biggest ordeals. I was lucky I grew up in an apartment complex with a ground in the middle of it. But others are not. Check out the two images, screen captured from Google Maps at the same scale. Even though the SF image has a lot of water in it, the “green” in it is substantially higher than in the pic of Madras, where it is non-existent!

a new home

Arvind — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:24:19 +0000

Maybe I will start blogging a bit more regularly now. Still need to update my portfolio and resume.