Youngistan's newest hero:Virat Kohli

As you can tell, I am still in Havana mode. It's really hard to switch off. Which is the reason why Papa Hemingway hung out here as much as he did.
The pics are a mixed bunch. I made friends with the resident peacock who'd stroll through the beachside restaurant and demand banana chips with an aggressive call.
Of course, you know that's Ernest himself, cast in bronze and surveying the scene at his favourite restaurant (El Floradita). And at his favourite bar (Dos Hermanos)where locals claim the Mojito was invented (note: another Che cap! I am a total groupie!)And there's one more Che moment, this time with the 'original' Che cap.And there's the lovely nail art picture of one of the ladies rolling Cohibas.
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This appeared in Bombay Times yesterday....


Youngistan ka new hero :Virat Kohli
It is absolutely extraordinary to see the birth of a new superstar right in front of ones eyes, as it were! Everything about Virat Kohli suggests ‘He is the one’. He has success written all over him. Already, Virat is being talked about as the next captain of the Indian cricket team. Yes, even after Dhoni managed to clinch the dramatic victory over Pakistan in Mirpur on Sunday. All this, while the nation was still on a collective high , reveling in Sachin Tendulkar’s hundredth century in international cricket. For Virat to still steal the show suggests a few things. First, cricket fans are ready to move on. Dhoni is Dhoni. But, hey, Virat is hot! On and off the field. That’s how the game itself has evolved over time. Today, it is not about past records and glorious innings. It is about the here and now. How well you perform… present tense.Not how brilliantly you performed… past tense. With memory spans getting as short as attention spans, cricket lovers are constantly looking for the next big thing. Fans display their impatience and boredom very quickly. There is less sentimentality and more expectation even from die hards who can rattle off scores and records of their favourites effortlessly. But like in every other field, the demand is for fresh blood, for newness, for the dashing outsider, who walks in and wipes the floor with the stalwarts still swaggering around. Bollywood is on a similar ‘khoj’ as well. It’s just that in Bollywood, the stakes are a bit too high to invest millions on a newbie. In that sense, cricket works differently. There is no one ‘producer’ who is taking that big risk by banking on a dark horse. If a film tanks at the box office, it tanks. It cannot be reshot and released again, with all the errors fixed. Cricket gives the boys countless chances to prove themselves. In a crowded, competitive field, it is easy enough to spot a dependable, competent player. There are several of those. But for a cricketer to make it to superstardom, some other qualities are essential. A certain derring- do. Guts. Style. Confidence. Bravado. When Virat is on the field, it’s hard to look at anybody else. He is a crowd puller, who also happens to play bloody good cricket. Strange, how quickly India is ready to kiss Dhoni goodbye as a captain. We can be so horribly fickle! Even cruel. But then again, not everybody on that field is a Tendulkar. India has worshipped the man for twenty-three years. That is one hell of an impressive innings he has played. The country , in turn, waited patiently, even indulgently, for Sachin to achieve his cherished milestone. Today’s restless teenager is not as accommodating.This fan pays for instant thrills and wants to watch fresh players who bring new energy to the game.The very same cricket lover did not wait for even two years after Dhoni triumphantly brought the World Cup home,before looking over his shoulder . Ingratitude? Not really. If the game itself has changed, it is only because the fans have driven the change. Virat has brought the missing oomph back into the team. India is ready for him. Is Virat Kohli ready to lead Team India?