Day 5-11

Time is flying by...and it has already been 11 days in the US for me. 3 more to go :( And what a trip it has been. I know it will be a while before I meet M again, but then there are so many sweet memories to take back from the visit. 10 months of separation are over, the remaining 8 will quickly pass.

So what have I been up to in the past week? A lot. Which includes staying away from the Internet for days at a stretch- which is quite uncommon (and difficult) for me.

Some quick highlights from the past week:

Wednesday

1) Lazed around at home spending some quality time with M
2) Prepared some shrimp and Rajma for a friend we had invited over for dinner

Thursday

1) Trip to the beautiful town of New Haven, which also happens to be the home of one of the most prestigious universities of the world- Yale

Friday

1) Roamed around Boston downtown, visiting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Prudential center etc etc
2) Went clubbing to celebrate the victory of a friend who got elected as the President of MIT' s student body

Saturday

1) The D day- My first wedding anniversary!
2) Had lunch with the family of my manager from my previous job- brought back all the sweet memories of SC and its wonderful people
3) Dinner with M at the Cheese Cake Factory to celebrate one year of togetherness and marital bliss

Sunday

1) Headed to New York City early in the morning
2) Travelled..Travelled...Travelled the whole day, exploring this wonderful city full of energy and diversity with so many different colours and flavours
3) Key highlights: 3 hour cruise across Manhattan island, times square, statue of liberty, empire state building, little Italy, central park south, 5th avenue, Harlem, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, NY skyline from Brooklyn...
4) Stop over for the night at my Dad's friends residence in Hicksville ( a suburb which takes an hour by train to reach)

Monday

1) More of New York (but the weather was really bad as it was raining most of the time!)
2) Key highlights: Lunch at china town, NYSE, holding the balls of the wall street bull!, UN headquarters, Rockefeller centre...
3) The bus back to Boston in the evening

Tuesday

1) Visit of a dear friend who came all the way from the west coast- sweet, isn't it?
2) A very heavy (and delicious!) home cooked lunch (prepared by M) with him - Burrrrp!
3) Dinner at Mela with my friend and his other friends
4) Ready to sleep after I complete this blog ;-)

This is about it for now. More later...

Day 3 & 4

I know. I skipped a day in between. Friends have been hurling abuses- reminding me of my neta like ways of not sticking to a promise (of blogging every single day during my vacation). So without making lame excuses, I move on.

The last two days have been amazing. And if I have to pick one fabulous experience which stands out amongst the many, it definitely would be my visit to the Harvard University and the Harvard Business School.

The highlights from Monday and Tuesday:

Monday

1) A tour of the MIT campus, its so huge and spread out. You walk..walk...and walk.....till your legs hurt..and then realize that you haven't even covered 1/4th! But the sights, sounds and aura of the place just take you over.

2) A visit to the Boston Harbour (which happens to be one of the most romantic places I have ever been to!!) in the evening and dinner at one of the most renowned restaurants in Boston- Legal Sea Foods.

Tuesday

1) I walked up to the Harvard square, and took a left on JFK street to be enthralled by the beauty of the Harvard undergrad campus. On the other side of the Charles River, right across the Anderson bridge lies the sprawling campus of the mecca (arguably :P ) of business education- Harvard Business School. Everything, right from its beautiful campus, to its friendly (this was a surprise as I was expecting a lot of snobbery) students simply put me in awe. Bottomline- I LoVeD it!

2) During the day, I got acquainted with a German guy who was travelling alone in Boston. Seemed pretty lonely. So much to the dismay of M, I invited him for a dinner with us :) We had a lovely American dinner at Cambridge Brewing Company along with a few glasses of locally brewn beer. My German friend seemed pretty happy, I was thrilled, and M didn't seem to mind much - end to a puurfect day!

Travelling tomorrow to New Haven. More later....

Day 2

Yesterday was really hectic. I think I am having a great time here. Time is flying.....Its 9 in the morning and I am sitting in the Stratton student centre (while M is away attending class!) making the most of the comfortable sofas and the free wifi connection!

Its a wonderful feeling watching students, professors and staff - each lost in their own world- walking around, having a quick bite to eat, a hot coffee to drink, grabbing a warm donut to relish.

A quick recap of the last 36 hours:

Saturday

1) It was a rainy day and the weather was extremely chilly! Nearly 3 degrees C. Went out to the Harvard square and enjoyed a LONG lunch at Fire and Ice

2) It was dark (and still raining) by the time we came out and jet lag was gradually setting in. Reached home at around 6:30 PM and just crashed. Woke up on Sunday at 6 AM :D

Sunday

1) Went on my jog. This time across the Harvard bridge, running against the strong chilly winds which made the run tougher but more exciting!

2) Left home at around 8 to meet a senior from my college. Spent the entire day at his house, eating, drinking, chatting and playing with his cute son!!

3) It was 9 by the time we reached home and there was not an inch of place in the stomach to have dinner. Watched Roadies (on the Internet) and slept.

Another day awaits today...lots to do...too less time. Lets see how it goes. Till tomorrow..Ciaos!

My 2 Week Vacation- Day 1

After a long time- in fact nearly an year- I have got a chance to go on a long vacation. As some of you already know, I am visiting my wife in Boston. And since blogging had taken a back seat for sometime now, I thought this is an apt time to start writing again. So......I have decided to blog every single day while I am here. Without wasting more words in setting the context, H E R E...I... G O.

Day 1

I set off for Boston (from Mumbai) on 10th morning at 5:10 AM (India Time). Though I knew it would be a long journey, I never thought it would be so tiring. A quick recap of the journey:

Mumbai- Doha ( 3 Hours)

Doha Transit (2 hours and 30 mins)

Doha-New York (13 Hours)

New York- Boston (4 hours and 30 mins by Bus)

So it took me nearly 27 hours to reach the final destination.But I enjoyed every bit of it. The key highlights of Day 1 follow :)

1) The commotion and crowd in New York. I just love bheed bhaaad....in fact in terms of energy, I found New York very very similar to Mumbai. I found the vicinity, en route my train journey from the airport to the bus station, ejjactly like it is around Indian rail tracks. Graffiti, slums, construction etc etc

2) On reaching the bus station, I found out that all buses going to Boston were full because of the long weekend rush. So I was placed on something called a standby line. Luckily, just like it happens in Multiplexes in India, since I was alone and needed just one seat- I managed to get into the bus. many couples and people in groups were left behind..he he he

3) The bus journey was really uncomfortable. I was already tired by travelling nearly 24 hours and add to it the very little leg room in the bus. The 4 and a half hours in the bus seemed to be longer than the entire journey so far. However, I got some respite from the fact that the bus passed through very beautiful surroundings and there was a movie playing.

4) Reached M's hostel around 11 PM and there was some excellent food awaiting! Pork Ribs...Rice....Baked Beans..and some white and red wine. Dozed off after a sumptuous dinner.

5) Thanks to the jet lag, got up at 6 AM. And I really thank the jet lag for it. Coz I experienced one of the most beautiful mornings of my life. Since I was up early, I decided to go on a jog. The weather was cold, and for a minute I decided to go back to the room and get a cap. But then I thought, "what the hell" and started running- and within a few minutes I was totally immersed in the surrounding and was enjoying the chill in the wind. Cambridge is just so beautiful. So calm, so peaceful, so scenic. The run down the charles river was just so refreshing. The cool breeze rising from the gently flowing water, the sight of ducks floating in harmony, and the thrill of watching the ongoing rowing race between MIT, Yale and Harvard sucked away all the pain and tiredness of my long trip.

6) After the run, I deserved a heavy breakfast! So eggs, bacon, toast and juice it was :D :D

I have promised my self 3 things:

a) I will run every single day in the morning while I am here
b) Will eat and cook a lot
c) Will blog everyday

Till tomorrow..ciaos!

Poker Faced

Its only now, that I understand, the logic behind this commonly used term.


Last thursday, friends were home and one of them happened to be a good poker player. Upon his insistence, all of us decided to try our hand at Texas hold'em poker. After about 20 mins of real time poker lessons, we were all set to begin. Infact I was extremely excited because apart from a few technical differences, I found the game to be extremely similar to our very own teen-patti.


Since we didn't have poker chips, we decided to bet on paper and then settle the dues (which eventually never got settled!) . But our friend (the Poker champ) seemed to be offended by the fact that we were not using chips- in Poker world, you either use chips or just don't play! Somehow, we managed to convince him and so began our round (or shall I say multiple rounds) of Poker.


And apart from learning how to play poker, I was exposed to some Poker terminology. Flop, turn, river, fold, burn, call, raise, check...


End result: I lost rupees 140, we ended up playing till nearly 2 AM on a Thursday night, and I realized that from next time onwards, I better learn to keep a poker face if I intend to win some moolah in poker!!

Whats goin' on...?

...well the last couple of months have been eventful, crazy, happy, sad and "LAZZY". My wife tells me that I used to be much more enthusiastic and proactive in college! And I know that she is right. But more on this, some other time.

Now since I haven't blogged in 2 months, I thought it would be a good idea to scribble down some of the happenings in my life during this period. So without wasting more words- here I go!

• Morning aarti at Sidhi Vinayak and visit to Haji Ali, with Sushant, at the wee hours of the morning after a night of wild revelery ;)
• Blast at Avlesh's wedding with Maadoo, Raaja, Arun and Sanjiv...it was so refreshing to meet Sanjiv Ranjan (IITian!) after a long time- as expected, his hospitality floored me
• Impressive (huh?) gyaan imparted by Arun, Maadoo and me to JEE aspirants at Sanjiv's coaching institution in Patna!!
• Wonderful hospitality of Kevin on christmas eve, and...........
• ....most importantly Varun and my "Gravity" (undifferent attitude!!), when we met Carol Gracias
• My wife's visit- blissssss..............
• My little sisters engagement- happiness and satisfaction
• New years eve with Kevin, Varun, Greg, Rabeeya and my sweetheart! A night to remember
• M's trip back to the US- heart crunching :(
• My little bro's good performance in MBA entrance exams- a sweet reward for all his hardwork
• Baba's Hibernation....
• Balan and Raaja's visit to Mumbai- Had a great time guys!!
• Bhavanjay's awesome new look and mindblowing dance moves in Blue Frog
• Balan's 15x optical zoom SLR put to full use at Blue Frog!! I loove those hooott pics ;)
• Fabulous (road + ferry) trip to Alibaug with Madoo, Raaja, Bhavanjay and Balan
• The perinially refreshing heart to heart with Balan in Hiranandani
• Wait for Nadal's win tomorrow against Federer in the Australian open- Tiger and Kevin are sure gonnna crrrry!!!

So this is a snapshot of what has been going on in my life lately. Till we meet again- shubhraatri, shabba khair!

Small.....

Sometimes in life circumstances make you contemplate- "Am I really worth any good?". You feel shallow and small in front of those who have the courage to lay down their lives for others without any expectation of an incentive (money, publicity, so on and so forth.........).

Since the past few days, I have also been undergoing the same thought process.

Mumbai was held hostage by terrorists. Many innocent people lost their life. Politicians played the blame game. Media exhibited courage and sensibility. Commandos fought valiantly to bring the situation under control. Two of them lost their lives along with 14 policeman. Their children lost their father. Their mothers lost their sons. Their wives lost their husbands. While I followed news like I had never done before..........

As events unfolded...hotels burnt...death toll rose... I felt shocked and angry. But not too sad.

Why? I don't know.

But every time I heard of a policeman or a commando laying down his life- I had goose pimples. My heart sunk. My eyes were moist. And I felt small. I might me making more money than them. I might be leading my life in much more comfort than them. But still their life has been more worthwhile than mine. I aspire for the kind of courage these martyrs had. And salute the valour with which they sacrificed their lives for the safety of a nation which in all likelihood will forget them in a matter of months.

Shaheedon ke mazaaron par har baras lagenge mele...vatan pe mitno walon ka yahi baaki nishaan hoga.....

The 35 things I miss about you.....Bengaluru

It has been more than a month since I shifted to Mumbai and my schedule has been totally crazy over this period. I owe this craziness greatly to two factors. First, the entire "Change Management" thing associated with any move and second, to my childhood habit of not managing my time very well.

However, this blog is not meant to discuss any of the above. Below, are a few things which I really really miss about the city (and its people) I have been in love with for nearly three years- Namma Bengaluru.

• Zipping through town on my KA-51H-8497 with M for company
• Being always prepared to pick up a fight with the Auto-Waalas
• The awesome food cooked by Ramesh Ji (my cook)
• BTM layout
• Watching movies on a high with Raaja at PVR- with both of us wearing dark sunglasses
• Ankur and mine "Kaa Dealing?" greetings
• Tiger's "Budgeddddddddd" right in front of Mc' donalds
• My bakchodis with Baizzy which only both of us could comprehend
• The natkhat KK
• "Just Live life...Kingsize" naarabaazi with Thakur and Preeti
• Working with a team of really wonderful people in the Platform team
• Vivek calling me the "Information Superhighway"
• The prestigious backend teams "Together we can and we will...." motto
• Pulling Cheeku's leg day in and day out
• Singing "Barsaat ke mausam main..tanhai ke aalam main" with Rahul Sharma
• Hitting Charsi's bachelor pad at odd hours, after all the parties were over
• The Kairali lunch marathons with Anish and Vinay
• Our TERRA gang- The masti, the enthu, the fighter spirit, the parties.........
• Soumya's (Medamm's) ability to understand me so well despite all my idiosyncrasies
• Rajesh's smile and silence
• Sharing all my Altus sentiments with Yedi, who always understood
• Making fun of chaks with Raghu Daa and being christened "Priyaks"
• That special bond with Neekhara sahab and our sessions in Aranya
• Ravi Singh's "enthu"
• Poo's bindaaas attitude
• Being the most active "passive smoker" at Sterling
• Weekend getaways of the ISM gang, which always resulted in some mishap
• Firangi Paani
• Madan Pub
• Utsav
• Eating some awesome food at Empire and Paramount at wee hours of the morning
• The numerous mutton sessions at my house
• The first two wonderful months of married life
• Varun's (Sadana) wierd fundaa of not drinking for 6 months of the year (though doping was allowed)
• The amazing bunch of genuine human beings at Sterling Commerce

Disclaimer: The list above is totally random and not in any order of importance!! :)

Jawani Mix.....

On August 8th, Team Terra finally clinched the Altus trophy after having lost it by a whisker on the past two occasions. This was one of my happiest moments at my present company, as my team won (finally!) before I leave. For the uninitiated, Altus is the umbrella under which a series of cultural events are organized over a period of 6-8 months at my present company . All employees are randomly distributed such that they belong to one of the six teams (Aqua, Terra, Lamina, Ventus, Ignis, Itis) which compete for the coveted Altus trophy!

This years Altus concluded with the Music Video Competition. Entertainment and masala being team Terra's forte, we decided to take some cues from the recently released Dasavatharam where Kamal Hassan performed 10 roles. The only catch- given the time and technical constraints at office we could handle only 4.

Our video was titled Jawani Mix (as the blog suggests) and can be viewed here!

Statutory warning: Some might find the video vulgar and senseless! Just like most Govinda movies, please don't apply logic- it will spoil the fun ;-)

What's with a name?

So while M is busy figuring out ways to change her last name, destiny had this in store for me!!It so happened that, while I was getting married, my colleagues at work had other plans. They decided to change my name.....removed my name plate...and instead scribbled "my name" + "M's last name" , with a piece of pen, in the name plate slot.

While I was away on a recent holiday, my super dilligent office staff assumed that I seriously wanted a name change and this was my way of suggesting the same. Without any confirmation from me or anyone in my team, they decided to go ahead and present me a brand new name plate!!

This goof-up, however, has provided me an excellent souvenier towards the end of a highly memorable stint at my present company. This is one memoriblia which will always stay with me, and bring a smile to my face whenever I see it.

Maa Tujhe Salaam....

It is 12:07 am IST (Indian Standard Time) and a friend pings me on IM…..”Maa Tujhe Salaam”. Today is 15th August 2008- 61st year of India’s independence.

This is the first Independence Day of my life when I am not in the country…and I guess this is the reason I am posting a blog on the occasion and suddenly this day feels more special than ever.

I am in Singapore for some time to meet my wife. This is my first day here…and guess what? This experience has already started helping me understand myself better- philosophy huh! Well for the starters, Singapore is a beautiful country. Very well organized, excellent transportation system, clean roads, well mannered people, and a system in place for almost everything. But, don’t know why, all this felt very robotic to me. Suddenly a thought popped up in my mind…Where’s the chaos?

WTF! I have always hated the traffic in Bangalore, the rowdiness of the Auto waalas in Chennai, the “show-off’s” in Delhi, and the chaos of Mumbai. And here I am, in a country sans all this, and I am already missing the madness back home. The noise, the interest of complete strangers in your daily affairs, the honking on the roads, people doing general bakchodi (useless talk?) etc etc etc.

So I have come to the conclusion that without the daily dose of hoch-poch in my life, I can never be completely in bliss.

At this point in time, I really feel like humming a song from the movie Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani….a song which is a personal favourite and whose lyrics I really believe in.

Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani

Jitna bhi tum samjhoge utni hogi hairaani

Apni chhatri tumko dedein kabhi jo barse paani
Kabhi naye packet mein bechein tumko cheez puraani
Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani….

Thode anari hain thode khiladi

Ruk rukke chalti hai apni gaadi

Humein pyaar chahiye

Aur kuch paise bhi

Hum aise bhi hain

Hum hain vaise bhi

Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani

Ulti seedhi jaisi bhi hai apni yehi kahaani

Thodi hummein khushiyaan bhi hain

Thodi hai nadaani

Thodi hum mein sachchaai hai

Thodi beimaani

Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani….

Aankhon mein kuchh aansoo hain kuchh sapne hain

Aansoo aur sapne donon hi apne hain

Dil dukha hai lekin... toota to nahin hai

Umeed ka daaman... choota to nahin hai

Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani

Thodi majboori hai lekin thodi hai manmaani

Thodi tu tu main main hai aur thodi kheecha taani

Hum mein kaafi baatein hain jo lagti hain deewani

Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani….

Chala Murari Hero Banane........

Apart from other great opportunities, my current company has every now and then provided me a platform to keep my creative juices flowing. I say flowing because, more often than not, a few years out of college are enough to subside all your enthu.

In February 2007 I actually got a chance, together with some highly talented colleagues, to make a short movie and act in it too! And was it an experience!

Thirty years down the line, I might not have very many interesting stories to tell from my professional life, but I will always have something to boast about from those cherishable experiences whilst making our movie.

For the curious one's, here is Main Mera Manager Aur Woh . Happy viewing! Please feel free to leave comments- if any!

Ek woh din bhi thhe..........

ek yeh din bhi hai........

ek woh raat thi........

ek yeh raat hai......

raat yeh bhee guzar jaaegi......

raat yeh bhee guzar jaaegi......

Today while digging through some old photographs I stumbled upon the one above- published in Hindustan Times many blue moons ago. Suddenly, vivid memories from the past are flashing in front of my eyes as I am humming this song written by Gulzar.

This may sound cliched, but those really were the best days of my life :)

A lot has changed between then and now. Like? Well.....my weight, my hairstyle, my martial status, my outlook towards life, my misery(yes!!)...... etc etc. And then, there are somethings which time has not succeeded in changing - my friend circle (barring a few additions), my energy, my non-stop speaking, my quest for information (read gossip!), my fighter spirit, and my mood swings.

There were struggles then and there are struggles now. Just that the definition of struggle has changed a bit.

I was happy then and I am happy now. Just that the definition of happiness has changed a bit.

I used to write then(diary) and I write now (diary+blog). Just that the medium of expression has changed a bit.

And before I completely loose track of what I am writing.....here is a toast to life- Cheers!

To friends getting hitched......

Sometimes you are aware and yet choose to be blissfully ignorant. Circumstances force you to keep your trap shut. So was the case with me for a while now......till Harry met Sally.

I simultaneously went through three emotions when the news was broken at Firangi Paani (a pub in Bangalore).

• "Wow! It was always meant to be"
• "WTF! Why didn't she let me know earlier, despite those several indirect hints?"
• "Boy, am I smart? I always knew!"

The third one, of-course, was a big ego booster :) Moreover, the news couldn't have come at a better time- a day before my birthday!

Don't know what future beholds for the new found lovers, but this is wishing them all the very best for the journey ahead.

Disclaimer: The title of this blog is inspired from minimousya's blog!

Missing Her......

Bangalore suddenly feels quiet and empty. M has left, and she is gone for good. She has made me proud and ecstatic by her achievements. Achievements which she never desired......after all everyone is not driven by the same priorities in life.

If it was up to her, she wouldn't have even taken this step (a major decision on our part) and left. It was me who pushed for it really hard and I have no regrets. There is satisfaction, like never experienced before,....and yet there is the emptiness. Every nook and corner of the house (and my heart) is craving for her presence.

The next 18 months will be tough. But I know we will steer through, overcoming all challenges. But at this point, the only thing on my mind is to hear her voice as soon as her flight lands.

This song, I guess, best describes my state of mind. Sometimes it feels it was custom composed for our situation :)

De Taali....Taali De....

Saw De Taali yesterday with maa and M. Apart from the title song being really hummable and catchy, following are my comments:

Aftab Shivdasani: Yeh hero kaise, kab, aur kyon banaa?? Isko hero kaa role kaun aur kyon offer kartaa hai? He is one actor who has survived in the industry for quite sometime now giving the same expression for every emotion known to mankind!

Ritesh Deshmukh: Uber cool! This guy is so damn smooth on screen. There is not one film of his in which I have not liked his performance (yet!)

Ayesha Takia: Chubby atom bomb! She is one of the few actresses in bollywood who has some "Meat" on her. She is hot!

As far as the movie is concerned- nothing spectacular. It is one of those films which is neither good nor bad. Just sit for 2 hours in an air conditioned hall and enjoy the few good moments while sleeping through the rest!

Restroom...huh?

I had been wanting to right this post for a very long time. It is something which has been on my mind for a while now.

When I was in school, I distinctly remember using the term "Toilet" for the place we visited often to part ourselves from all the water we drank from our waterbottles (and sometimes the tiffin which we ate!). I am sure all of us remember using the term "Maam, may I go to the toilet please?"

At home, "Bathroom" it always was.

Time flied by or what..... when I joined my first company there were sign posts all over the place pointing to "Restrooms". Wow! I thought. I have chosen the perfect company to work- they have rooms for employees to actually rest. I hardly knew that I was in for the shock of my life.

Toilet-->Bathroom-->Restroom, they are all the same.

Like most human beings, driven by societal pressure, I make it a point to address Bathroom/Toilet as Restroom in public arena- "Which way is the Restroom please?"

Would appreciate if someone could point out if it was always Restroom for them or I am the only dumb ass around here?

Threadless

I was reading an article today.....and I just got lost. Lost in a world where ideas rule the roost...where people think beyond the routine....where youngsters dream and have the courage to live their dream.

I started wondering about the immense potential the web has in general and the numerous untapped business opportunities waiting to be unearthed by Indian entrepreneurs. Frankly speaking, compared to the countries of the west, Japan, even China...we are way behind as far as using Internet as a platform to implement successful business ideas is concerned.

The more I read about successful web-based business ventures, the more I realize that starting a successful web-based business is more about the innovation, than about the technology. You can either find a gap in people's life and try to fill it or just think of something weird and crazy, yet having the potential to become a rage, and implement it. Trust me (though I am no authority on entrepreneurship!) , if you have the idea, technology will never be an hindrance. Today, there are so many tools and vendors available at highly reasonable or no cost (depending on the level of technical expertise required) that you don't have to be highly tech savvy to take the web route to starting a successful business.

What's stopping you then?

Back to Blogging

It has been 1 year and 4 months since my last blog. Not that I am a rage in the blogger world and people were desperately waiting for my post [:P]........but it feels good to be back!

Why have I been away this long? My name (Matiaoo) suggests it all. Matiaao, simply put, means......lazy. I started blogging in Nov 2005- and this is my 16th post. This makes it nearly 6 posts a year.....man I am lazy!

A friend of mine has started blogging today and I felt that this is the apt time to revive my blog as well. Will try to post more frequently from now on......let's see how long am I able to sustain it.

Cheers to blogging!!

Rocky Balboa(It ain't over till its over)

Rocky Balboa is back!! And I must say back with a bang. There is something about the Rocky series of movies which makes me watch them again and again. I guess its their spirit. Everytime I see a Rocky movie I go through the same set of emotions. With this last one in the series it was no different.

From the moment I entered the hall ( which was like always ,15 minutes late!) and got seated, I was just glued to my seat. Rocky Balboa is someone which we all want to be . If not exactly a boxer like him ,we all want to have that same courage, confidence and a never say die attitude. That's the beauty of these movies, as you watch them you get immersed in your own world(atleast I do :) ). You feel invincible, you want to go after your dreams likeyou never did before.

In Rocky's own words(arguably): It doesn't matter how many times you fall, its how many times you get up and fight back is what makes a man.