All in the Dark

Imagine a situation while you are having dinner, the lights go off. No candle is available, no torch or emergency lamps, you are compelled to carry on with dinner in the dark. I guess you would rely on your hands to feel what is on your plate, you would use your sense of smell and taste to figure out what you are eating and perhaps your memmory to recall what was where on your plate when you last could see. It would be an interesting test of your non –visual senses.

Some time ago, I had traveled to Vienna, where I had the opportunity to visit an interesting exhibition called “Dialogue in the Dark.”The exhibition was a one hour guided tour in pitch darkness where one traverses through undulated terraine, narrow pathways, twists and turns, obstacles and varied experiences with just a cane and a lady guide’s voice to lead you. If you survived the hour, you ended up in the bar where you could relax with a drink in the dark.

We were about 8 of us who visited the exhibition. We had to stand in a queue to get our entry tickets.There was a choice between an English and a German tour, of course all of us opted for English. Once we were inside, we were ushered to the basement where we met our guide, a slim tall lady. Her accent told us that she was either Austrean or German.

Each of us was handed a cane, like the ones blind people use. We were told to hold the cane in front of our bodies andfeel our way forward In addition, we were asked to constantly listen for our guide’s voice. Seemed easy to begin with, however as we moved into the dark, we started bumping into stones, walking into bushes and stumbling over each other. It took each of us 5 to 10 minutes to get used to the discipline of feeling our way using our canes. We also did find the guide’s voice very reassuring.

During the course of the tour, we were asked to recognize the sounds of streams flowing below us, smell and recognize flowers, feel and identify fruits and vegetables, recognize the textures under our feat. We had to cross bridges, ascend and descend stairs, board a bus, cross a road, negotiate winding corridors till we finally arrived at the bar

I felt my way to the counter and ordered a Lemon Aid, for which I needed to pay 2 Euros. I pulled out my purse and handed out an India 5 rupee coin which feels like a 2 Euro coin. The lady across the counter took one look at the coin and told me that she did not recognize the coin. I appologised and put a 2 Euro coin on the counter.

I took the bottled drink and a glass and slowly felt my way to a table across the room from where I could hear the voices of my companions. The next challenge for me was to open the bottle and pour out the drink into the glass without spilling its contents. I managed the task by touching the mouth of the bottle to the rim of the glass
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The lady seated next to me confessed that she had opted for a coffee simply to avoid the messy possibilities while pouring from the bottle into the glass. Good thinking indeed I said, but How were you to know if there was a fly or a dead insect in the coffee, ha ha ha!

We were told that dinner was served on weekends. Diners preferred to use their fingers while they ate to be sure of what they were imbibing. Forks and knives were not to be trusted. Menu cards were called out and diners took their pick.

The one hour in the dark clearly sent out one loud message to each of us”even if we don’t see, we still can get on with life”. There is a great deal of ability in each of us. We only use a small part of it.

“Dialogue in the Dark” is a commercial venture that has been traveling from country to country drawing huge numbers of visitors. The venture is by and large managed and manned by visually impaired people. The “Dialogue in the Dark” is an experience that helps people take cognisance of the fact that there is life beyond blindness. Besides the profound realization , the experience is great fun and an exciting exploration of human ability.

George Abraham

A fast bowler that wasn't

As a 11 year old, I did fancy myself as a tare away fast bowler in the mould of Jeff Thompson and Dennis Lillie. I could not see the wickets at the other end. I could only see a human figure at the far end and would go for it. More often than not , it would be the man or his wickets that I hit. Either way, my captain was happy.

Cricket has been an obsession with me from early childhood. I see the game as a mystery thriller that captures your imagination right from page 1 till the final paragraph. Once you begin, the game tends to draw you in and fully engage you with a plot that is tantalisingly unpredictable, characters that are exciting and action that has its fascinating highs and lows.

A cricketing experience puts one through all conceivable human emotions, right from happiness, excitement to anger, frustration and disappointment. It is an experience that transports one into a simulated World of fantasy that very often seems to be very close to reality.

The England-Australia series of 1972, saw the emergence of the dynamic Ian Chapel as captain of Australia. His positive, aggressive approach of taking on the adversary head on was inspiring. He not only inspired a bunch of out and out losers but transformed them into World beaters. His philosophy of facing the problem rather than running away from it has been very meaningful and real to me.

My dream of becoming a fiery fast bowler had to be consigned to the file of childhood fantasies as I grew older and began to realise the physical limitations of being visually disabled. However the passion for the sport remained.

Many years later, I was woken up by the loud noise of children playing cricket in the ground just outside my window. I heard a shrill voice scream out”Kapil Dev moves into bowl to Azharuddin, outside the leg stump, Azhar flicks through mid wicket, four runs.” Obviously the stars were missing. But the passion , the skill , the thrill and the enthusiasm was certainly there in ample measure. A small white plastic ball that rattled while in motion, underarm bowling and audio signals and the blind boys were well on their way with their game of cricket.

The playing field is a powerful learning arena. As the former West Indies opening batsman, the late Conrad Hunt once told me” On the cricket field you learn to Dream, develop the Desire, imbibe the discipline, Dedication and the Determination to succeed.” This is the “Mantra” to success.

The National Cricket programme for the blind that was launched from 1990 and the 1998 World Cup cricket for the blind was an effort to provide the blind with the platform to experience and imbibe the 5 Ds. More importantly on a personal note it was a huge outlet for all that pent up passion of years of a tare away fast bowler who was kept out of the game.




George Abraham

Colombo July 2008: Did India miss out on the basics?

Mere reputation and talent are not good enough for a team or an individual to win. I guess this is what the Indian team would have found out after their thumping innings defeat at the hands of the Sri Lankans.

To succeed as a sportsman, a coach, a trainer or as a professional embarking on an assignment there are 4 Ps to be considered.1. Planning: Had the Indian team planned for the series. Did they look at the challenges that might be thrown at them by the Lankans. Did they think of ways to tackle Ajanta Mendis? and so on... When we embark on any venture , planning is imperative. We need to think of the What, Why, When, Who, Where and Hows of the assignment.

2. Preparations: Again the question is whether the Indian team was adequately prepared for the Test series. Were tactics and strategies thought of? Was the right players picked for the task? Was sufficient work put into getting rid of the rust and lack of physical fitness? Was enough research done on the opposition? Even when it comes to non sporting assignments, there is a great need for preparation. Often this preparation involves research, analysis,strategies and definite action plans. This holds good for the playing field, this holds good for market place, this holds good for a surgeryor for a presentation ...

3. Practice: Did the Indian team have adequate practice before the Colombo Test match? Was one warm up game good enough? Geoff Boycott feels that there should be atleast 4 warm up games before a team goes into an important assignment like a Test match. Practice makes a person perfect goes the saying. We need to give ourselves enough opportunities to practice and perfect ourselves in terms of our skills, knowledge and all else before we take on an assignment.

4. Performance: The focus has to be total, effort has to be 100% and the approach has to be professional. There could be question marks on all three counts when it came to the Indian performance at Colombo. 600 runs was no impossible task. Just go back a couple of weeks and take the case of the Lords Test and the brilliant South African rear guard effort. Smith and Co were totally focused and the effort was both 100% and professional. The result is before us to see. The performance has to have a focus and commitment and a focus that is total.

Finally, the entire process has to be relished and enjoyed. So enjoy your assignments and do remember the 4 Ps.

George Abraham

Delhi Police "Zindabad"

It was the 17th of June, I was in a car with my family going to the New Delhi station to catch the train. Scarcely had we entered Delhi, we were stopped by a police constable at the Chilla Check post. He told us that we were not allowed to carry suitcases on the roof of the car.



I was a little surprised but as we were running a little late, I pulled out Rs.100/- note and gave it to the constable and asked the driver to move. As we moved, we saw the constable and his colleagues have a good laugh. I realised that we were taken for a ride. I immediately called 100 and lodged a formal complaint.

On the 2nd of July, we had a visitor from the Delhi Police. Yes , an officer of the Delhi Police had come home to take a statement from me. He told me that all the 4 constables at the Chilla Check Post had been rounded up within 30 minutes of my complaint. They were reporting to the Police Station but were given no assignments, a kind of suspension, I guess.

Well I was suitably impressed and told the officer Delhi Police was not so bad after all.

George Abraham

The special "Kiss" that can change your life

It was a special kiss that woke Sleeping Beauty from a deep slumber. I would like to share with you that special KISS that can make a real difference to your life.

K is for Knowledge. Knowledge is power. It determines your ability to contribute and participate. Infact it is your knowledge that defines your personality to a large extent.

I stands for Independence. Independent living, independent thinking, independent decisions, independent at work.

S stands for Solution driven. Do not focus on the problem, understand it and focus on the solution. It is the quest for solutions that drives you forward in life.

S stands for Superlative. Yes you need to strive to be the best. You need to master your skills and work towards being the best. You should be able to offer the best in what ever you undertake.

It is a combination of the above principles that contributes towards your success.


George Abraham

Amitabh Bachchan: Do I know him?

Do I really know Amitabh Bachchan? No. I first heard of him in the early 70s when he acted in the film Anand. He happened to drive through a place called Hubli. His car broke down and he went to Humphreys workshop to have it fixed. He was mobbed and had to be locked up in Mr.Humphreys office room. The crowds tore the curtains and try to get a glimpse of the star. Later , I remember Humphrey grumbling about Bloody Amitabh and the torn curtains.

Many years later, I had the pleasure of meeting with Jaya Bachchan at a music concert I was organising at New Delhi. But then, I am still waiting my turn to catch a moment with the Big B.

May be some day , he would come to inaugurate one of the blind cricket tournaments I organise.
George