A Melodramatic First Year

I remember when I was a small kid, I used to wish I skip school and go to college directly. I watched my cousin step into college and I wished I join him too. Then I watched my own brother get into college and I longed to go too. So desperate I was to get into college. The reason was not because my school life was dull and boring, which was so not true, I did have a splendid life at school but I thought college will be even more fun because I would have turned 18, My friends would have turned 18, limited restrictions and a carefree life. It was then a utopian dream.  

The hunt for colleges begun, indirectly, when I started my 12^th boards. It continued for another month or two and finally it was decided, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. On checking out the images and later the college itself, I thought, alright cool college.

My first year begun unofficially on July 30^th and officially on the third of August. It was not a great beginning. Like everyone I was homesick and kinda raped by the shit rules in the hostel. I was kind of lucky to have had some company from my school. Classes were pretty boring and dry. I was dozing off in every damn period and every time I would think if I used to do the same at school. Then I realized that I had perfect company at school, set of friends to have fun with which never made me sleep in school.

By the end of my first month I did find myself friends but it was not that welcoming. Entering into the second month, I made more friends and I started feeling at ease. My homesickness completely went off as I found proper company, yet classes were still boring and irritating. The most fun part would definitely be the hostel life. Group of people gathering in a room and bragging for 2 or 3 hours with eatables and all that, it definitely was fun, that too knowing about each one’s past etc.

There were certain topics which were redundant, few of them being , girls, movies etc.Talking was never boring; we came to know about each other more.

Semester II started in the month of January. It was bloody awesome.

Cage football, practice, vetti talks, anokha, bunking classes for anokha, Green-I conference, Krishna hut, Aleez Dhaba, Boomerang, RHR, City passes, Home passes, Thunderbirds comedy, more vetti talks , fights, patch ups, kalais, birthday bumps, the so called group studies, the renaissance, cage cricket, hand cricket, Sandy dudes, movies, Brookefields, atm walks, the tree outside the hostel, warden mishaps, swimming in the morning, kovai express, cheran express and not to forget the champions league victory…

What a semester it had been! The fun and action packed in one semester and it was indeed awesome.

First year was a combination of fun and annoyance. Semester I was annoying and Semester II proved to be just the opposite.

After a n awesome first year, YB will definitely be missed.

ENDING THE DROUGHT

The season 2011-12 officially came to an end with Chelsea and City claiming the glory. The season had lots of twists and turns.

The Premier league winner was decided in the final few minutes, big guns like United and City being eliminated from the Champions league without even qualifying for the round of sixteen, clubs like Newcastle and Spurs finishing above Chelsea etc.

I wouldn’t include Liverpool here cause they have been performing bad consistently, wait probably I might include their Carling Cup victory.

The Blues started their campaign this season under a new manger, Andre Vilas Boas, who seemed promising and vibrant. AVB started off by winning the Barclays Asian Trophy with a victory over Aston Villa. The BPL begun for the blues with a draw against Stoke in an away game. Four months into the season, Chelsea was fourth in the table and AVB heavily scrutinized. After a couple of bad performances, Chelsea dropped a position and was fifth in the table. With the Premier League out of the vision, qualifying for the Champions league became an issue. Owing to these problems, AVB was sacked on March 4.  It was Roberto Di Matteo’s job eventually, interim manager. He stepped into the shoes of Vilas Boas and took the responsibility. He started off as the Manager for the club having securing a Semi-final spot against the mighty Barcelona with a victory over Benifica in the Champions league.

The first leg of the Semi-final took place at the bridge. Chelsea started with a defensive formation ultimately to play the entire match preventing Barcelona from scoring after securing a lead in the 45+2min. With a 1-0 victory at the bridge, they marched into the second leg at the Camp Nou. Chelsea was completely dominated upon. Everything was going against Chelsea’s way till the 40^th min, a controversial red card for the Chelsea Captain John Terry and two quick goals from Busquets and Iniesta. It takes special stuff for a team down to 10 men trailing 2-0 to produce something sensational.  In the 45+1 min, Ramires equalized the margin with Chelsea having an away goal advantage. Petr Cech was put to test continuously by the Barcelona attack. In the 90+2 min, Fernando Torres took a long run and rounded the keeper scoring a winner confirming a ticket to Munich. Beating Barcelona was not only secured them a finals spot but also got their revenge for the 2009 Champions league Fiasco.

Chelsea was to play Bayern Munich in the final at Munich. With Terry, Ivanovic, Ramires and Meireles out of action due to suspension and doubts over Luiz and Cahill due to injury, the odds were against Chelsea. A week before the match it was declared that Luiz and Cahill were fit and were set to return.

There was a ray of hope for the fans as the whistle was blown signifying the start of the match. Again Chelsea was being dominated upon with Bayern having the maximum possession, number of shots, corners etc. The first half ended nil-nil. The second half saw no difference; Bayern was helplessly trying to break the Chelsea defense which they finally succeeded in the 82^nd min with a brilliant finish from the German ace Thomas Muller. With only 7 minutes on the clock, it was thought this was the end for Londoners until the 87^th min. With a fabulous header Didier Drogba silenced the Bayern fans.

 1-1 at the end of the 90 minutes.

The game went into extra time with each team trying to capitalize on their opponent’s mistake. Drogba gave away a penalty after a poor tackle on Frank Ribery. Robben failed to use this opportunity to take the lead for with Petr Cech producing a good save. With no goals in the extra time, the game went to penalty shoot-out.

Bayern Captain Phillip Lahm started off with a good strike taking a lead. Juan Mata stood in front of Neuer with lot of boos from the Bayern fans. He failed to score with his shot being saved. Next to strike for Bayern was Gomez. He made no mistake. Then smashed David Luiz in the top left corner. Neuer scored a sitter and in response the Chelsea stalwart Lampard sent the ball straight down the middle. Then Cech made no mistake producing a fabulous save to prevent olic from scoring. Ashley cole equalized sending the ball to the low left corner. The scores being level with each team having a kick more, in walked the star against Madrid, Bastian Schweinsteiger, only to hit the post. Walking to the D box  to take the decider kick was the Ivory Coast forward Dider Drogba.

// I was praying, holding hands with the fellow fans with sweat and tear dripping, hand shivering as Drogba took steps. //

The Ivorian coolly placed the ball low and into the bottom right-hand corner as Manuel Neuer was deceived and dived the wrong way. Chelsea were crowned the European Champions 2011-12 being the first club from London and the fifth English club to have their name in the cup.

What a night it was!

The season was a complete chaos. 

Finishing sixth in the Premier League, losing the carling cup, another manager sent off,

Yet after all this a champions league, F.A. Cup Double.

t was said that Bayern was the team that dominated throughout the match and missed a lot of chances and that they were not lucky. Moreover players like Thomas Muller claimed that it was they who deserved to win and that the deserving team never wins.

Well Bayern might have dominated throughout but ultimately what matters is the final result. Okay they had loads of chances and they missed sitters.

But who cares. This just shows they just didn't deserve to win. 

KTBFFH.