Nothing much has changed now, has it?

We are back at our old haunt again after, now, let me see, some 15-16 years now. Back in the day, we would hang out there for EVER. All of the evening for sure, right after the hostel tea (something horrid, like bread pakoda or something), till the mosquitoes finally drove us away as night fell (and even that we could tolerate, back then, somehow). Yes, my friends. The basketball courts at the old alma mater.

The good thing is that now, when we show up, we are (both) referred to as 'Captain' - especially me, because, you know, I am cooler. They switch on the lights for us if it gets dark. There used to be no floodlights back then. Our game, at least mine, is definitely better, despite the age and what He may have to say about 'my potential' and my lack of exploration of it thereof. I still run around more than necessary; move too much; but I am also smarter and my shooting percentage is definitely better.

But seriously, people. Wooden boards? In this day and age? Even the high schools have fiber glass. And the net is all tattered and torn. Plus they insist on stocking women's size basketballs (I hate them. They feel like mini-balls. Yes. That is an acceptable term that is used to refer to basketballs meant for children and definitely not meant to be offensive to any male readers here). Furthermore (I must miss writing my regular work things enough if I am insisting on using that word on my blog. Ha!), they dont have any new, shiny, leather spaldings. Just some local bald rubber basketballs. They even look fuzzy from long use.

So that way not much has changed. The world has moved on. Magic and MJ and Shaq have come and gone. Some twenty batches of kids have graduated from here after us. More and more girls are seen being masochistic enough to choose to study here. But I bet that, even now, the girls basketball games are held at 3 pm, in Chennai. So that the stars, the boys, can play at prime time, at 5:30, and have a sizeable audience to encourage them. All of the action happening on the mishapen concrete courts with the old wooden boards with the broken nets.

Heck, I don't care. Its their problem, their battle. I am happy to walk in in my brand new Black Air Jordans, child in tow (carrying, but never playing with, a small tiny yellow basketball), wearing my Dry-Fit clothes and shooting a few hoops every once in a while there. My life has changed, thats for sure!