Whats you score?

The Telegraph has published a list of 100 novels that everyone should read. The list is quite intersting, and it is nice to see Rabindranath Tagore and R K Narayan represented in there. But not for Swami and Friends, its for Waiting for Mahatma...haven't read that one. Also missing from the list is Joules Verne. The father of sci-fi was not a great writer? His novels are not must erad. One has to just erad Juorney To The Center of the Earth and Around The World in Eighty Days to find out just how imaginative and entertaining thay are. Not adding his novels in the list is a great oversight. Another oversight, if you include graphic novels, is The Watchmen by Alan Moore. anybody who thinks that graphic novels or comics are for kids shoud read this novel. It is anything but a kid read. It is rightly called the greatest graphic novel ever.
I know of two people who visit my blog who are avid readers, so come one you two, whats your score? As for me, I have read a solid ten of these hundred novels, and am in the process of reading an eleventh (Ulyses, for the past eleven years :-P).

More Random Humor

Another joke, filched from the intar-nate:

What did the bolt of fabric tell his daughter when she threatened to run away to India?

“Go ahead … you’ll be sari.”

If one day I vanish, please assume that I have been sued by people for steling their jokes, and am hiding in the Himalays...and I have a Big Foot..

Happy Diwali...

Heres wishing my regular viewers (4 at the last count), the occasional bhatke hue log and googlebot a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year!! May you get what you wish for.


Send a picture Scrap - 123orkut

Life is Good...

* What a day!! I quit my old job, and a hired by another company, all within a minute!! Economy doesn't get any better than this!!

* I was craving for dark chocolates for the last few day, and my company's diwali gift is, yes, you guessed it, dark chocolates!!

* People worth following on Twitter, Homer Simpson...sample this... Memo to Bruce springsteen: you rock!

I'm Tweety...

I have been micro-blogging on Twitter for the past few days, and it feels like I am updating my status on a social networking website. Micro-blogging is over-rated.

Wake Up Sid - A Review

Wake Up Sid is a simple story of an clueless boy finding his meaning in life. It is Lakshya, but less violent and patriotic. The premise is simple, straight forward and predictable, but that does not make it any less fun. Quite the opposite, Wake Up Sid is a sweet, refreshing coming of age tale, told with a light touch, with able actors and a love for Bombay (yes, its Bombay, not Mumbai).
Right from the first shot, we are introduced to Siddharth, aka Sid, a clueless rich kid. He does not know what he wants in life, for him, its just from one moment to another. One look at him, and you know that he does not know where he is going. Any more attempt at looking clueless, and he would look stoned. We witnesshim trying hard to prepare for his exams and getting distracted while studying, only to flunk in his final exams. But it does not seem to worry him, and all he wants to do is hang out with his buddies. While at a farewell part, he meets Aisha Banerjee (Konkana), he opposite, a new girl in the city, out to make a career for herself and gain independence. Over the course of the movie, the opposites gel, Sid finally wakes up to life and responsibilities.
As with other Dharma Productions movies (K3G, Dostana), this movie is also quite unreal in its outlook. The Bombay they exist in is clean, hip and rich. Sid seems to be too rich to be true, everyone seems to speak in only English. Loaded with such unrealities, the movie was bound to suck, but the fresh approach to the subject is what saves it. Full marks must go to the director for that.
For one, there's the view of Bombay, seen in movie after a long time (after Kaminey, lol). There's the necklace, the bombay skyline, the night sky. Without going into specifics, the movies manages to capture a slice of Bombay.
Performance-wise, the actors do a commendable job. Ranbir is spot on in his portrayal of the clueless Sid. Konkana as the no-nonsense Aisha is perfectly cast as his exact opposite. Anupam Kher as Sid's frustrated fater seems bored as the rich businessman, but redeems himself when he scolds Sid for failing his exams. There is pain in his voice as he scolds at him for talking back at his mother. Supriya Pathak as Sid's mother gets on the nerves when she tries to speak to him in broken English. She is meant to be an endearing character, but fails to do so. The rest of the cast of friends are one dimensional in character development. All are true friends, eager to help.
The music of the movies gels with the going-ons. It sets the mood for the tone of movies. Of special note are 'Ek Tara' and 'Shaam Tanha' by Agnee. If you havent heard that song, hear it, its a very nice soft number.
And then theres Bombay. I did not notice it initially, but on reflection, the entire movie is shot in Bombay. This makes it the second move after Kaminey to be shot entirely in that city (there was Sankat City as well, but that was before Kaminey, and really, that movie does not matter). This Bombay is not the gritty Mumbai of Kaminey, rather it is pleasantville, People here are rather good natured, things happen on time, a girls can come to this city and get invited to a collgege farewell party, meets a guy who walks her back to her hostel, later finds her a place to live, sets her place up, and later moves in with her. Totally unbeliveable, but there are certain shots of the city which make it worth it. Theres the shot of the city at night as Sid and Aisha sit on the rooftop, the shot of Bombay rains, the Ursula apts (did i get the name right?).
Overall, the premise and execution of the movie tende to make it unrealistic, but the finer points like the music and the locations and the actors lift it to above average.
Recommended viewing.

Nitpick: Its Not Just Jazz By The Bay, not Jazz By The Bay.

Persepolis

A story about a girl.

A story about a girl growing up.

A story about a girl growing up in Iran.

If I were to choose the line that would interst me the most, it had to be the third line, a story about a girl growing up in Iran. Now to make it more enticing it.

A story about a girl growing up in Iran during the revolution.

And the final enticement,

A graphic novel of a story about a girl growping up in Iran during the Cultural Revolution.

The last line has me in. I love graphic novels, or comics, in common sense, I like stories about the Middle East, I am a bit of a history buff. And while I do like girls, stories about girls doing girly things bores me...sorry, girls.

So it was with great expectation that I started reading Persepolis by Marjani Satrape. Here was a celebrated novel about a gutsy woman growing up in Iran, and I was sure I would like it. Nothing like stories of revolution to stir you up. The novel turned out to be nothing like what I expected it to be. The protagonist is a small girl, who only hears her elders talk about the revolution, goes to Europe, come back to her roots, and goes back again. But I am glad it turned out to be not what I was expecting. It far surpassed my expectation!

Lets start from the begining.

The Story.

Marjani Satrapi recounts her childhood in Iran during the cultural revolution. The story begins just before the revolution, proceeds to the early days of the revolution, right through the Iran-Iraq war. Ms Satrapi gives a honest account of growing up during that time, but instead of the fear and uncertainity that prevails during such times, she shows the frustrations as well as the lighter moments of living in those times. The perspective is totally personal, so we are not told about the events as in a history book, but rather how she received the new about them, lacing them with her perspectives.

The story spans from 1980 till 1994, in which time, Ms Satrapi went from a 10 year old girl to a 24 year old woman. During this time, Iran went from being a secular republic to a theocratic state. But its not all politics, as when she leaves for Europe for further studies, the focus shifts from her rebelling against the mullahs, to her misadventures there, and when she does return, the changed Iranian society is viewed through her eyes.

The book is an honest, heartfelt, funny, tragic memoir of a woman. It is at once a biography, a coming-of-age book, a look at history as it happened. Highly recommended to everyone, espically for women. A chicklit a man would love!!

Yeh Hai India...

While waiting for my office cab today evening, I heard drums outside. Went to to terrace and saw a procession being taken out. This was a long one, nearly one km long. There were tall statues being taken on tempos, pretty girls (at least they seemed pretty from the terrace!) dancing in formation, then an other statue on a tempo followed by a brass band, then a tempo with a statue again with a statue, followed more girls dancing, again followed...this time by a baail gaadi!! Two massive oxen pulling a massive cart, which had some monks sitting in it. The girls wore colorful ghagharas, and the men wore mostly white, with saffron turbans, doing a bored twirls. From the looks of it, it seemed like a Rajasthani Jain procession. I went down to have a closer look. From the ground level, the sight was even better. For all my Indian-ness, my years of living in the Gulf have distanced me with my Indian-nes to an extent, and I tend to search for the exoticness in such events. I probably come out of it, looking silly and wide eyed...a desi firang.
This event did turn out to be a Jain event. It was a long procession, with three brass bands and also music playing on the sound system. In short, it was a very noisy procession, but was well managed. The ladies didn't seem pretty from up close. Right at my doorstop, the procession stopped, and across the road was a pandal set up to serve drinks. What caught my attention was the sight of ladies offering artis to the baail gaadi monks in the middle of the road. It was nice to see people practicing their religion in total freedom, and causing a commotion in the process. I walked all the way to the begining of the procession, observing as I went, the statues of the naked gods, the brass band musicians playing the cacophonic music, the girls doing unenthusiastic garbhas. It was evening time, and I was enjoying the sight. I wished I could show this procession to me bhanja and bhanji. They would've loved it. The procession viewed, I turned to go back to my room.
Just when I was about to reach my building, I witnessed a fight take place on the road.
It started off from the pandal, when, from a distance, I saw two men pushing and shoving each other and other people surrounding them. I took them to be men playing around, but when I came near, I noticed that it was two persons from the society flats shoving and pushing a single man in a black t-shirt. Suddenly, one of the men took out his shoe and started hitting the man in the black t-shirt. In the crowd were also ladies, hitting him. The man in the balck t-shirt was clearly out numbered. He was taking all the punishment. My sympathies were with him, the underdog. The ladies were shouting in a shrill tone, saying that he was a goonda. But the underdog did not give up easily, he kept going back to the pandal, threatening the prople before getting clobbered again.
Suddenly, from behind me, came another man with a hockey stick, and went charging at the society flat people. I saw him hit a fifteen year old boy hard, and also hit a girl as well. He also charged at the society flats man who had hit the man in black t-shirt with the shoe. The man defended himself for some time, but eventually he too sustained injuries. In all this scuffle, a small girl, maybe twelve, snatched his chain and ran away. The man was distracted and ran after him but he slipped and fell on the road. this gave the other men enough time to come charging at him with hockey sticks. He sustained a lot of injury. the hockey gang drew blood from him as well as a girl who, it seems, was his daughter. There was a lot of shouting and crying. Suddenly, my sympathies had shifted, after I saw the fifteen year old boy being hit, crying and folding his hands to the hockey stick gang. He is too youg to be doing that. As for the girl, it seems that she was the root cause of the trouble.
Both these events happened one after the other. It made me think about what living in India was all about, after all. India can amaze you, cheer you, tease you and crish you, all in the same breadth.

Two more other things I want to point out:

This happend on Gandhi Jayanti

The Jains wore scraves that read "Ahimsa Param Dharam"

The Irony is not lost on me.

Out And About...

First of all, a Happy Dusshera to every one!!!

Its a good time to be in Delhi during festivals. The city celebrates all festivals with equal vigour, be it Diwali, Eid, Baisakhi, Christmas or even Chhatt. The city reverberates with excitement, and yesterday (Ramnavmi) was not different. Me and my friends visited CR Park to visit the pandals there. Looked like there was a pandal for each block, and people were visiting every one of them. What was welcome there was the orderliness, as they patiently stood in the queue to be frisked and to be admitted. Once inside, there was the HUGE protima (thats how the Bengalis say it) of Durga maa, with every body praying and taking pictures. But unlike in the temples, where there is a tussle to kneel before the God, people were a little more patient there. Perhaps it was the festive mood, people were in a mela, so they were in their mela moods. Unexpectedly, I met our old cab driver, a mad sardar named Daljeet. We chatted a little, made enquiries, it felt nice.
From there, the plan was to head to Kalibari (the fact that I was with my Kharagpur born and bred friend and my Assamese friend and his wife had a lot to do with our visiting all the Durga puja pandals), but it was cut short as we passed by the Bangla Sahib and I remarked that I had never been there. Turns out neither had they, and so the plan was detoured to Bangla Sahib, and it was a good detour.
Bangla Sahib is a must visit for everyone. Right in the middle of the chaotic city, the place still exudes calm. The sight of the huge mass of people going silently to the Gurdwara was quite welcome, as was the sight of people voluntarily scrubbing the floors and offering water and also manning the shoe stall of the Gurudwara. Once inside, people moved silently in devotion, without minding the others. The thirty minutes we spent there were peaceful.
Next up was the inevitable trip to purani Dilli. Eid was over, and it was back to business as usual there. But even without the festivities, the place is a magnet for me. It love to just stroll in the narrow lanes there, windows shopping. This time around, I finally tasted tandoori chicken from the place where it was invented, Moti Mahal restaurant. Again, the ambiance of the place is a little old world, and the prices are steep, but a visit to the place is still worth a visit once. The dish in question was not bad at all. In fact, it was quite good, the meat was tender, the spices spread evenly, though I thought that the taste was geared more towards western tastes (read, not spicy enough).
Yesterday was a realization for me that Delhi is a varied city. Theres lots to see and visit in this city. Its which aspect of the city that suits you. For me, it definately the historical ones. The sight of Purana Qila excites me, even though I have been there many times, I want to visit Hymayun's Tomb one more time, search out the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah and also the tomb of Mirza Ghalib.

Early In The Morning, 6 O' Clock

Got up early today at my home, and was able to view the Ghaziababd morning for the first time. It is so different from the mornings in Mayur Vihar. Indirapuram is a concrete jungle, and the mornings there are a play of shadow and light. The sun struggles to shine in the mornings here. And theres this silence. Silence as in no sound of vehicles. Its quite, except for the chirping of birds. Yes, in spite of all the concrete structures, the birds still manage to get themselves heard, at least in the mornings. This is something we don't have in Mayur Vihar.
Lying on my bed at the crack of dawn, I looked at the whitish blue light outside, and heard the birds. Their sound early in the morning is very soothing, though they may be shouting their throats off. It was enough for me to get out of my bed and go to the balcony to view the morning. It was so dull, no sun, lots of bird noises, morning haze (pollution?), cool breeze. I had to hav a better view, so I made my way to the terrace.
From the top, the view was different. The visibility was definitely low, and all I could see around me was buildings in all shapes, sizes and color. It so reminded of Doha which was another concrete colony in desert. But here, there were green patches. While not visible from the ground, Indirapuram has a lot of greenery, though most of it is untended shrubs. But is enough for the birds to make a dwelling. And its not morning haze, its pollution. But still, the mornings here are optimistic. They're all about getting up an going to work. Good Morning to you all.

Temptation Resistant...

What is the height of peity? visiting purani dilli on the day of your fast and not eating the non veg delicacies on offer. Even if you discount the fact that watering of mouth is an involuntary thing, I would still give myself a solid 80 out of 100. I am proud of myself. And sad that I missed out on the food there. Is this what they call phyrric victory?

Being Hungry...

The Navratris have begon, and I am fasting today. I wasn't intending to, but since everyone in the household it fasting, I had to join in, and I am glad I did. Foregoing food is not a nice feeling, but when you do it with family, it feels nice. A starving family is somehow a pious family...never figured that about religion till now. Anyways, for me the winter has started arriving. It begins with the mellow sun, advances to Dusshera, followed by Diwali, coming of cold, hot parathas, hot food, blankets, freezing floors. The last two I hate, hoping it gets over soon, but unfortunately, those two take the longest time. And then, its time for spring. It starts with Makar Shankranti, or Uttarayan as we call it in Gujarat. It then advances to warming of weather, bloom of colors, golden evenings, followed by Holi and then we are in the middle of summer. I have this theory that more than the seasons, its the change of seasons that excite us. When the seasons change, we start expecting things, new things. Daily life itself is boring, and when seasons change, its natures way of telling us that life is not boring, as long s you expect a bit of the same. Think about it, we expect the same things every year during the festivals, but it still makes us happy, expecting the same is strangely comforting.

Whoa!! My train of thought just changed multiple tracks, best I stop now.

Anyways, Wishing all of you Happy Navratris!!

He Said She Said...

Flicked from some place on the internet:

She: Our love is like turtle. Humble and simple, enduring by virute of perfect design.
He: Our love is like a Brontosaurus. Recognized as a mistaken combination long ago, lingering only out of misplaced affection for an imagined past.

Just dont write it on your valentine day card.

A Drastic Change...

My brother left for US today. Going to pursue further studies. I am proud of him. It takes guts to leave a steady career and go for a whole new career. I showed that guts when I chucked my job, and went solo to follow my dreams. But it takes a special kind of smarts to go about it in a planned manner. This is where my brother scores over me. While I am more of the impulsive kind, he keeps a sane head over his shoulders and takes informed decisions. I really believe that when god went about creating me and my brother, I was the version 1.0, and he is version 2.0. This is a career that he wanted for a long time, and he went about following his dreams step by step.

Step 1: Take inspiration from people around you.

Step 2: Learn as much about the trade as you can. Give it a critical look.

Step 3: Know the routes to achieve your dreams. Choose on the path you wish to take.

Step 4: Know the best places to learn you desired trade.

Step 5: Strive to get admitted to that place.

Step 6: Know that this will take time, so arrange to be in good resources till you achieve your dreams.

Step 7: Trust in God. Keep faith.

Step 8: If you you don't succeed, try again.

My brother really scored on the last step. I have learnt the valuable lesson of perseverance once again in my life. As I am writing this post, its been one hour since his plane left. He said he needed a drastic change in his life, and as I saw him off, I could sense his enthusiasm and his nervousness at the same time. I know this feeling and its a wonderful feeling. This is the way pioneers and entrepreneurs feel.

Right now, separated by time and space, I can only wish the best for him, and I know he will achieve what he dreams.

"

Me

"

Winter's here

After three days of non stop rains, theres sunshine in Delhi once again. With it, it brings the fist signs of a change of season. The harsh summer sun is gone, the mild winter sun is coming in, bringing with, the cool, mild breeze. This weather makes you want to go on a holiday to some place nice...some place where theres nature, rivers, greens, mountains. A nice afternoon stroll in the sun, cool wind blowing, talking to someone you love...makes you think your life is made. But I digress. Even if you dont have someone special in your life, this really is the season for being outdoor. Its that time of the year when everything seems fine. The summer is on its way out, the winter is coming in. I love the change in seasons, so life affirming. Its nature's way of surprising you. You start expecting good things thins time of the year, cold nights, hot food, Diwali, garba (if you happned to live in Gujarat for any amount of time), warm clothes, Christmas, new year...After the hot summer months. Nature rewards you with cold nights that are so welcome. Heres looking forward to a memorable winter!!

Recap...

Its been a long time since I posted...years, infact. A lot has happened in this time. I got a job, got a girl, lost the girl, lost the job (in that order), went solo, liked a girl, girl didnt like me, could not continue solo, got a debt, got a job again, am sticking to it for now. In hindsight, this seems like a lot of activities, but there were times I was at a complete stand still. Times when I felt like going on long walk, just to bring some motion in my life. These past three years have been a rough, interesting ride that i am not likely forget ever. I feel I actually grew up in the last few years. Got a little more introspective. Boring. But that's life I guess...c'est la vie. Looking ahead, my goals are different from what they were a few years ago...views change, goals change, its how well you handle the change, how well you adapt to the new you that shows how mature you are. That's a lot of free running for one day...hopefully, this exercise of writing my thoughts will help me in thinking more clearly.

Here I am!!!

First things first, a big shout of welcome to Joydeep..Welcome to blogging!! Believe me, its a medium for people like you...a agreat communication tool!! Hope to hear some nice foodie ideas/stories.

As for me, my attempts to start blogging are seriously hampered by my laziness...but a lot has been happening in my life, it is finding a direction, or heading towards what seems like a direction, so its a nice time to let any and sundry know of my jouney...hope to keep it up this time. Touch wood!

Note: Lisa Ray has a blog!!! its lisaraniray.wordpress.com.if you ever come across this page Lisa....I LOVE YOU!!

Trying...

sitting here on my laptop, thinking what to write...
its difficult to pick up a habit long after you've left it

Hard...

Getting back in the blogging habit is hard...theres lots to say, but cant get myself to write about it...

Nothing To Say...

Still got nothing to say...actually, I have got lots to say, but cant...its this crippling writer's block...

No Entries...

Got nothing to say today...

That Time of The Year...

The weather's changing, and the feeling that Diwali is approaching is in the air. It is alos helped by the fact that my landlord is getting my apartment whitewashed. Hope you enjoy this feeling too.

Reannouncing Myself...

Its been a long time since I wrote anything here...So Here I am, re-establishing this broken link
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HELLO WORLD!!

Rainfall...

Evening time. I am out, having a cup of tea, when SPLAT! something falls nearby. i notice something wet on the green marble, fallen from th sky. 'Birdshit', I think, and move on, when SPLAT! theres another one. I think, the birds are having an upset stomach. Then there is a third, and then a fourth SPLAT! I look up and I see some clouds passing by. Then dawns on me. Rains!!! Yes, real rain, in Delhi (well, technically, its Noida, but who cares?). And then there are some more splats, and then it stops, three minutes after it started.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Rainfall in Delhi (Technically, Noida)

Getting Used To It...

I am getting the hang of the BPO industry, which means, i am getting more and more shameless at selling things, and also have started getting veiled insults my way from the firangis. The general policy is to get used to it, to just not let it get you, but how??? I mean, how does one just let slip the thought that the person who you just called would want only someone from Britain to contact them, and if we try o explain to them, they are not ready to listen.

A New Rajesh....

Theres been a lot happening in my life, its taken a new turn altogether, with me getting into the BPO field, but sadly, that has meant that all my pervious habits are changing as well. Take the case of blogging. I just dont feel like blogging anymore, even though theres lots i can say, but just dont want to....must cure this...

Strange Days...

This time, the winter seems to be strange. I mean, the cold and the rain...its just not Indian winter, yaar.

Rain!!!

Winters finally arriving in Delhi, and not too soon either. But so are the rains. Yes, after deluging nearly the rest of India, the rains have found their way to Delhi. Cold, sweet rain...I say, let the rain begin!!!!

Phela Din...

Today was my first day as a customer care executive, and not a bad one at that. I wasnt any great shakes, but I wasnt bad either. I took the calls, and managed to get a few payments from the erring parties, so not bad. But really, the rationed breaks are a pain, really. Half the time, one is just looking at the watch, to see how much time remains, and the other half in just running to get back on time. But still, it feels nice to be one of the crowd, to go with the flow. Previously, when we were in training, it just felt like we were just drifting, that we did not belong there. But now, I enter the office with a sense of purpose-a misguided one, but a purpose nonetheless.
Our process is a UK based one, and our client is BT. The good part about this is that we don't have to put on an accent, or take on an alias, which is what happens in a US based process. So I jsut introduce myself an Rajesh, and not Jack or James. But the tough part is making a sale. See, its been a long time since I tried selling anything to anyone, and to be frank, i was not a success earlier as well. But still, I guess life is a learning curve. So far, my impressions of this industry have been a little ambivalent. Lets see what our future holds...

Long Time...

It's been a long time since I posted anything here. I would have thought that the viewership to my blog would have petered down, but no, there are people still coming here, albeit by accident, but coming here all the same Welcome to one and all.
A lot has happened since I last posted. For one thing, i got a job at a call centre making me one of the coolies. But frankly, so far, it hasnt been too bad. Also, I have been in training till now and havent really worked, so there might be a correlation there.
There has been general greying of the BPO industry, in my opinion. It is not an industry filled with college going students anymore. The average age here is 29 years, way more than the age of your average college kid. People here now have around four years of call center experience. A far cry from th time when one year exp was more than enough!! There are also mid career people and also people from other fields, yours truly included. So far,I have met three people from the pharma industry, one teacher, one person from the press...and thats just a few of the people I know!!
Other than that, nothing new has happened. Been away from teh news for a long time now, cant be bothered, actually. Not watching too many movies either..........Whats happening here????!!!!????!!!

A Beautiful Game...

Flicked from Great Bong

Movie Review - The Inside Man...

First off, I did not know that it was a Spike Lee film till the credits started rolling and it said, 'A Spike Lee Joint'. So this was to be my second Spike Lee film after Girl 6, which completely wooshed me. So I wasn't really looking forwards to it then onwards.
The movie is about the perfect crime. It begins with four people taking hostages in a bank. But what appears to be a routine (???) crime, is really something else altogether. You see, the thieves are not after the money, r so it seems. They don't break open any of the locks, nor touch any money in the bank. It seems they are after something more valueable. but what could it be.....
And while all this unfolds, there is a polica officer outside the bank, trying to convince the bank robbers to give themselves up and also trying to read their minds as to what their next move will be. Over the next 129 minutes is a battle of wits between the cop and the robbers.
The movies is quite gripping, and builds up a nice tension about what the thieves could possibly be after. But alas, all this is shattered by the ending, when the reasons and the thing they are after are revealed. From being smart crooks, the theives turn out to be pretty ok guys, having justified their robbing. Noble thieves, if you please. It just felt that like in the end, everything must be alright. And I found the whole premise that the thieves were able to hold an entire bank hostage using fake guns, and without killing anyone. Just doesn't compute. The climax is a let down, but all the parts leading up to it are quite interesting. All in all, an ok movie.

Movie Review - Fanaa...

First things first, Amir looks very old in this film, and Kajol looks very fresh. Also, Amir can't do a convincing loverboy act anymore. To repeat, he looks really old. That said, on with the review.
This being a Yash Raj production, it is bound to push the right buttons to entertain. Ergo, the girls are vivacious, the guys are smart talkers, fathers are yuor buddies, and mothers are aa girl's best friend. Just like in a Sooraj Barjatya film only with less jewellery and more sophistication.
The girl Zooni (Kajol), a Kashmiri, wants to go to Delhi to attend a government function at the CM's residence, but her parents are apprehensive, they being the protective parents. Finally they relent to her going to Delhi without her even raising a fight about it, them being progressive parents as well. So off she goes, wishing to 'see' the world, and promptly falls in love with a shayari spouting tour guide, Rehan Khan (an ancient Amir Khan). Really, do girls fall this easily for people? A simple shayari is all it takes? But our girl is not sure about whether to love him or not, she having been always sheilded by her over protective parents. About the only intersting part in the whole affair is Vrajesh Hirjee as the comic relief. I persoanlly found the shayaris a real groaner. Amir totally fails as a loverboy, and really looks like Kajol's pervy uncle. But loved his shirt in the song, though. Finally, she takes an independent decision and falls in love, only to recover her eyesight and lose her man. What a trade-off!! That's the first half of the film.
In the second half, we learn that Rehan is not who he claims to be. He is, in fact, a terrorist, associated with a secret terrorist organization that seeks freedom from both, India and Pakistan. And he is also James Bond, an international man of mystery. Flash forward to seven years, Amir now has a nuclear trigger, which can fire a nuclear missile. While escaping from the army, he is wounded, and takes refuge in, u guessed it, Kajol's residence, who is living unmarried and with his kid named Rehan (her parents are very broad minded). In the time he spends there, his love for her is rekindled, and he thinks of giving up his life as a terrorist and settle down with his wife and kid. But as things turn out, he ends up dead, thanks to his wife, who is an India supporter, but not after accidently killing his father-in-law, who too is an India supporter.
Personally, I like the second half better than the first one. The first half is too predictable, and all the shayaaris grated on my nerves. And, I say it again, Amir looked like Kajol's pervy uncle rather than a lover boy. Everything was so hunky dory in the first half, that it reminded me of a Sooraj Barjaty film!! In contrast, there is a little story in the second half, and Amir looks the parts of a tired, hardened terrorist. And Kajol looks fresh too. The second half shows promise of developing into an arresting tale, but sadly, all is sacrificed for the sake of political correctness, and not stepping on people's toes.
In the end, who could have been a pretty good story ends up being an ok story.

Going Way-Back...

My friend, N, was finally getting engaged, and this provided me an opportunity to attend his engagement, which was held at Dehra Dun, the place I once studied.
Now, the Dehra Dun that I remember from my childhood days was a typical small town, falling apart, with an irresponsible administration. The only thing it had going for itself was the nice weather, which wa salways welcome when one arrived from the plains of Delhi.
So, when I visited D. Dun after almost 15 years, I was in for alot of surprise. For one thing, D. Dun is now a capital of the state of Uttaranchal. That, by definition implies that special attention is being meted out to it by the administration. As a result, its boundaries are being widened, what was once the outskirts is now within town, and it will soon get an airport as well. Within the city as well, the roads have improved a lot. Gone are the potholes, replaced by smooth tar. Quite a few time, I felt they were better than the roads in Delhi, which is no comparision, really, but still.
Previously, the center point of the city was the three theater points near the Ghantaghar, and it still is, but not in the real sense anymore. What was once the cultural center of the city, where everyone came to hang out, is now just one of the points. The three theaters have been renovated, but one doesn't see crowds there, and a fourth one, Capri, has been turned into a shopping center, which is just as well, 'cos it used to show adult films there, and was really run down. And where there were just a few small shops or kirana stores, there are now fancy stores selling prepackaged food and designer stuff. Yes, liberalisation and globalisation has touch the small town India in a major way. Another thing was the number of Nepali street hawkers selling momos and chowmein. These wernt there earlier. And the momos were better, and cheaper than what one gets in Delhi.
The two places I visited were Chukuwala and Tapkeshwar and Garhi cantt. I have very fond memories of both places. Chukuwala, because I used to go there every Sunday and have a nice home cooked meal at a friend's place. And Tapkeshwar, because during our 2 km morning jog there, we were allowed to rest there. And it was nice to seethat both these places haven't changed much. The area around Tapkeshwar has become more crowded, with more villas coming up, it otherwise remains quite peaceful.
The Tibetian market, which was again a very busy spot, has become less crowded. One can't find too many 'Free Tibet' stickers there anymore.
Another landmark of D. Dun, the Anandpuri restaurant is, I am told, no more, being a victim of a family feud among brothers. Think Ambani family feud.
That's all I could do in the less than one day I spent there. But all in all, a very happy tri[p. In fact, any truip outside of Delhi in the midst of the heatwave is a happy trip.

An Unfortunate Review - Ankahee...

Unfortunate because I had the misfortune of watching this movies. In theater. With my own money.
That the Hindi movies require you to suspend your beliefs is a given, can we please have some limits to these suspensions of beliefs?? I refuse to believe that Aftab Shivdasani and Amesha PAtel with dyed hair are the parents of a grown up Hrishita Bhatt. Or that Aftab's voice is manly. Or that Amesha Patel cannot speak in a higher tone. Or that any of the actors in the movie are even worthy of being called an actor.
And there in lies the problem with the movie. It tries to be a 'hatke' kind of movie, but ends up being nowhere, really.
All those stories of it being inspired by Vikram Bhatt's real life dalliance with Sushmita Sen are unfounded, but there are some parallels. For one, Esha Deol is a Miss World. Also, ger hair style and dress sense seems similar to Sush.
So anyways, the movie begins with 'old' man Aftab being on his death bed and wanting to meet his 'daughter' Hrishita Bhatt, whom he hasn't seen in sixteent years to clear up all the misunderstanding between them. Her 'mother' Amesha too feels that she should go and meet her father.
What follows is a lengthy flashback, in which we learn that the dad was basically a prernially bored doctor who was married to an ever-smiling wife. Now, obviously, air and water never mix, and neither do boredom and smileys. So he goes ahead and has an extra marital affair with a wacko patient of his, who at first just seems bored (or maybe it is just a lure for the doctor - tum bhi bore, main bhi bore, chalo ek ho jaate hain) Maybe the doctor was too bored to notice that the girl is a wacko, even when his shrink pal explained it to him.
And this is supposed to elicit sympathy from the viewers, who are very bored themselves, exactly thirty seconds into the film and want to literally run out of the cinema hall.
To anybody reading this, give the movie a miss. You owe it to yourself.

And I Thought It Was Just English...

Apparently, I speak a mishamsh of American accents. Must be all those American serials that I saw as a kid...

Your Linguistic Profile::

55% General American English

25% Yankee

15% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Great New Finds...

Here's a webcomic for all the physics haters, who couldn't make out a neutron from a neutrino or a proton from a positron. A really funny way of looking at atomic level science, with humor. I always say, Physics Rules!!!

And for the comic geeks (or more specifically, Marvel geeks), heres a webcomic featuring all your fav marvel characters as kindergarten kids.

Not Dead Yet...

Not dead yet... am in the midst of things...a manthan, if you may. Things are moving, and I gotta keep moving, just to keep up...

Anurag Ka Satya...

For Indian film buffs, Anuraag Kashyap occupies a special place. He Who Nearly Made It. Or maybe, Genius In Waiting. People have seen his work before, be it Satya, Kaun, Shool and many more. He is the one who brought in the realistic dialogues in Hindi movies in these films. Plus, there is the issue with the films that he has directed, Paanch and Black Friday, both stuck in the censors for a long time. My brother, when he was in Mumbai, told me that this guy simply watches english movies and copies them, kind of like Deven Verma's character in Saheb. A caricature justified, if you may.
So there is an interesting interview with him on Naachgaana.com, where in he talks about movies, movies and movies. Comes across as a total movie buff. Even if you don't really care for his moves, the articls is intersting, thuogh. Read it.

Nice Game...

A nice game for all you daruwalas

Heat is on...

The mercury hit 42 today, and as i was driving around the city, I saw black smoke coming out from at least two places (the media says fire broke out in four places in delhi), in addition to three cars stalled in the middle of the road. Yep, summer is here. Summer, cruel, harsh, unforgiving Indian Summer. And to think that a restaurant in our locality had the guts to call itself Indian Summer!!

Rude...

Outlook runs a lead story that will no doubt put it in hot water, namely, the rudeness of the city of Delhi. Now, I am no lover of Delhi myself - I am more of a Bombay - oops, Mumbai guy. But I will have to admit, Delhi is more of a macho city than Bombay or B'lore or even Calcutta. This largely due to the Punjabi/Haryanvi culture that it inherited, and the UP/Bihari culture that is seeping in nowadays. As a result, there is a certain amount of testosterone out there in the way people deal with each other.
But really, calling Delhi a rude city is a hyperbole, in my opinion. Callous, yes, un feeling, yes, but rude, no. Not with its predominant babu culture and the bhaiya culture. People can't afford to be rude here, lest they end up offending the friend of the nephew of the son of a tuchcha politician. No sir, Delhi is not a rude place. On the contrary, it is a meethi katari.
Do bol meethe bol, har maal becho kam tol ke

My Space Is Reserved...

I have been lured by the charm of My Space...not!!! Actually, out of morbid curiosity, I joined the tribe. Have a look. Just a word: I wasn't feeling too imaginative about choosing my name here.

Tekken 5...

The more I play Tekken, the more I am forced to compare 4 & 5. While 5 is good, there are a few things wrong with it. for one, the super boss, Jinpachi is too difficult to beat, what with him having two mouths, one in the abdomen that throws fire!!! Also, while the moves are better, the movement of the characters is a little difficult in any direction, so they just keep standing in harm's way.
Onthe plus side, increasing the number of levels to nine is good, and so is the addition of mini-movies in level four. And the characters are a lot beter, though they could do with more lines, or even newer lines.

Tekken...

Day two of playing the games, and I am pretty impressed by Tekken 5. Its just more of the same, but the novelty of the Tekken series is in the characters, and this one has mo characters than Tekken 4. And more characters mean more story lines, and more snappy dialogues. Xiaoyu is sweet and deadly as ever, and my fav character, Jin Kazuya is still looking to remove the devil gene from within him. I seem to have lost mastery over Steve, thou, as I am still finding his combo moves. And Panda is by far the silliest character...
Still discover though...

Impulse...

Impulse buying, its called. It is 'the act of making unplanned or otherwise spontaneous purchases.' Which is what I did today, when I purchased two console games today, Tekken 5 and Rumble Roses. Now, I already have Tekken 4, and I like it, but it was just curiosity that got the better of me. I just wanted to see if they did a nice follow up of the franchise. And Rumble Roses, well it was just the man thing to do, what with it being a game about chicks wrestling...
I gotta curb these impulses.

Gujju Bahi Greatest...

Indian television is the pits. Its just one family drama after another, all looking alike. Kyonki Saas..., Kahani Ghar..., Kahin To Hoga, all of them are regressive, vommit inducing manifestations of the same source (avtaar, anyone?).
Into this mix come the Gujarati soap opera. The saviours, really. Cos unlike the punjabi soaps that are high on histronics, the Gujarati soaps do tend to focus on the story as well. And this is not a recent development. I used to watch the soaps in Gujarat as well, and they were certainly a cut above the texisting Hindi serials of that time.

Continued Cerebral Malfunction...

Forgodssake, why do people insist on using the term wardrobe malfunction for what happened? The term got laughed off when Justin Timberlake first used it.
*snigger*
Wardrobe Malfunction

The Block Cometh...

Absolutely nothing to write...whats this, the writer's block is descending on me again?

Being Cyrus Review...

The Indian movie scene is changing with the new crop of experimental moviemakers. The jury is still out on whether it is for the good or bad, but one thing is certain: things are certainly more interesting.
And in this genre of interesting falls Being Cyrus.
Right off the bat, it is evident that Being Cyrus is a different film. And by different, I mean that it is neither your typical bollywood production, nor is it an art house production. It falls somewhere in between.
Saif Ali Khan, playing the titular Cyrus, does justice to it. His performance is really groundbreaking, but to his credit, he does not pull it down either. Maybe it has to do with his stoic expression throughout the movie. Not one expression crosses his face, so one is left wondering what's going on in his mind, which works in favour of the film. But the final shot of the film, which is supposed to convey a lot of what he does later and why, gets wasted due to the same reason. He should be showing a range of expressions in that time, but doesn't, and that kind of kills it.
Of the remaining casts, Naseeruddin Shah is good, playing his role with aplomb. Dimple, playing the naive and scheming wife too does justice to her role despite what the presses say. And it helps that she is still a pleasure to look at :) But the thunder here belongs to Boman Irani who, with his potralyal of the qurallsome Farrouk Sethna, literally eats up the screen. And a special mention also goes to Manoj Pahwa, for his humourous portrayal of the Inspector Mahinder Lovely.
For a movie populated by seven protagonists and one naked chick (Carol Gracias), it still manages to keep the audience interested.
Final verdict: Definately not a family viewing, but definately watchable.

An existential Question....

Is life worth living?
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Depends on the LIVER!!!
*chuckle* *chuckle* *chuckle* *chuckle* *chuckle* *chuckle*

Saajan Ka Ghar???...

And you thought things like this happened only in movies??!!?? ROTFLMAO

The Changing Face Of Ahmedabad...

Its been a long time since I posted anything. For my part, I was away to A'bad for a few days. A'bad and I have a strange relationship. Its the place I was born, and by that account, I should have a very emotional bond with it. But no. I am more ambivalent to it. Sure, it is the place I was born, but it is also the palce I went to college to, the place I started working and also the place I later struggled to find a job, the place I got into fights... The last has really put it in a bad light for me.
But this time around, things seemed different. Different from the time I visited the place last year. I couldnt put a finger on it, the feeling. Maybe the absence was making my heart grow fonder for the place, or maybe I was getting old, hence a little emotional attachment for all things nostalgic. Things just seemed a little different. For starters, my old house seemed bigger, which is not a surprise after living in a Delhi flat and warmer because of all the memories. Fair enough. But what about the place outside? Things just seemed different. People recognise you, which is a nice feeling. But people when you realise that you werent really chatty pals with them. Your equation with them has advanced, and you didn't know that!! But still, all in all, the first two days were good, barring the very dirty house.
A'bad has certainly moved ahead. Its evident everywhere I went. Gone is the sleepy town of my college days. In its place is a town trying to maek up for the lost time spent snoozing. A'bad wants to be declared a metro town, and it is stopping at nothing to achieve this. Roads have been cleared, broadened, dividers have been set up, CNG in commercial vehicles is necessary, there are newer buses...
But it is in the evening that the change becomes evident. It is quite in the evening. And as far as I can remember, A'bad was noisy till at least 1 am in the morning. And now, things quite down by 11 pm!! What could be the reason for this drastic change? could be that the Gujju craze for the US has finally had a social impact as the population is greying and the youth is off to distant shores, leaving the place like a ghost town? After the riots, people have started moving out to places like Mumbai (number two in the Gujju wish list after US), B'lore and Hyderabad. Opportunities have reduced there inspite of opening of lots of call centers. But if the call centers thrived in India due to cost benefits, they are opening in A'bad for the same reason. The labour there is the cheapest, so the rate of attrition is even higher than traditional call centers.
Another factor is the expanding of A'bad. it is slowly expanding to encompass the nearby villages into its limits, and this is where the crowd is headed. As a result, where there was only the CG Road and the Municipal market as a hangout spot, there is now the SG road as well, with newer shopping malls and multiplexes coming up. As a result, the crowd has spread out...
and speaking of shoppin malls, their increase in numbers has not meant an increase in the number of shops there. Usually, there are just a few big shops that are open there, and the rest are shut. Looks like not many are willing to take a chance and open up there and compete with the big boys...
But I am just thinking out loud here. Whatever the case maybe, A'bad is definately changing, and the optimist in me is sure that it is for the better.
I should know. I have the sixth sense for that place

Post Holi...

Post Holi, the normal humdrum of life is back. It's the usual grind. Was it yesterday that I had so much fun? The sky has started being overcast once again. The hide and seek in on. Looks like even God wanted us to enjoy on the Holi day. Fun Guy, the Big One.

Happy Holi!!!

A Happy Holi To All!!!
Just when I had resigned to a grey and drab Holi this year, the sun shone bright today, and it became warm for all to enjoy. The day was saved. Looks like even God wants us to emjoy our Holi!!!

Bura Na Mano, Holi Hai!!!

Looks like this Holi will be memorable to different reasons entirely. The weather seems to be headed south, and cold is creeping in. Heavens are crying, with no respite in sight. So a wet Holi is completely out. Just as well, 'cos I hate wet Holi. But in the spirit of things, Bura na mano, Holi hai!!!

RDB Re-Reviewed

Saw Rang De Basanti a second time, and this time around, my perspective about the movie has changed. No, I did not suddenly find the movie worthy of an Oscar. But a few of my conceptions(is that a word?) about the movie have changed since the first time.
The second time around, the movie seemed more enjoyable. Amir's acting seems more refined on second viewing. See especially, his breaking down when he returns from the demonstration. The way his lips quiver, he has certainly matured as an actor. By contrast, his portrayal of the carefree DJ seems by the numbers, and his Punjabi/Delhi accent leaves a lot to be desired. Also my main peeve, that the characters have not been fleshed out still remains.
Where the movie scores the second time is in the earnestness. Looks like its heart was in the right place. But as with all things with hearts in th right places, it comes of as a little naive. All politicians are evil, the cure for it is to join govt. and so on. Living in India and seen the changes first hand, I can attest that things are a lot more positive now. Sure, things are not perfect, but they are not so down and out either. People are happer than before and they are taking more interest in their suroundings. In this scenario, to say that things are bleak is missing the point.

Sapnon Ka Saudagar...

The net was supposed to offer people anonymity, but it seems to be doing the exact opposite. People, bin their quest for recognition, publish the darndest things, like tablemannered did she when she published her dreams. Don't people realize, that dreams are a mirror into their subconscious??? You could be Mogambo in real life, but one dream interpretation, and people realize that you are just another softie. So, moral of the story, BEWARE, YOUR DREAMS ARE YOUR OWN TO KEEP.

And speaking of knowing about urself, here is a nice Jung test to know just who you are. Me, I am INTP, Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving

Introverted - 56%
iNtuitive - 25%
Thinking - 1%
Perceiving - 44%

So, I am perceiving, and intuitive, but I don't think too much about all that I perceive, which is good, cos I am introverted, and so, don't express too easily :-)

Famous INTP persons:
Albert Einstein (woo hoo)
Thomas Jefferson

Back in Business...

Got my laptop back today, nearly as good as new. Its absence made me realise how much I have come to rely on it...a regular desktop just wont do it for me anymore.
I also have a lot of backlog to clear on my blog (hmm, a backlog on a blog...a blocklog?). Must finish those.

In the mean time, should you want to talk to God...

Weekends...

I went to a sitar concert by Pt. Ravi Shanker and his daughter, Anoushka at the Siri Fort auditorium. Now, normally I can't make the head or tail of classical music, be it Indian or western. To me, both are just tunes without lyrics (I blame Bollywood and Rock for this). But this evening was an eye opener. I mean, though most of the sitar recital went rught over my head, I discovered the sound of the tabla. That's some instrument, the table. It's amazing how much sound comes out of two small coconuts. And the sitar is also quite a percussionist instrument. It gives the effect of the 'wall of sound' so popularised by the Beatles. And the auditorium itself brought back memories when I had come to Delhi in 1999 to collect an award in photography. We had the award distribution there, and the memories just came flooding back. All in all, a nice evening out. It has piqued my interest in Indian classical music.

Long Time No See...

There is a very valid reason for my not posting in a really long time - my computer crashed, and I lost all my data. Stupid viruses @%$$%^^&*%^#$%#%!!! Hopeful, I should be able to get it completely in working condition soon.

Rang De Basanti Review...

The movies begins with a promise, or at least with the expectation of whats to come...come on, you weren't expecting a maar-dhaad masala movie with a tagline that says 'A Generation Awakens'!!
The movie begins quite promisingly, with Sue(a British actor) coming to India to film a docu-drama about Bhagat Singh and others. But having been fed on the nationalism of the past, she finds an India that is completely different from what she expected. People here have no sense of their past, they are more looking to the west than within themselves to find pride in being them. In this desolate scenario, she hopes to find actors to portray her protagonists, who selflessly laid down their lives for their country, asking for nothing in return. As expected, she finds no one suitable for these parts. The sequence about her search is quite funny, and as meant to be poignant, hit the mark.
Now, enter the heroes- Daljeet aka DJ (Amir Khan), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi), Karan (Siddharth) and Aslam (Kunal Kapoor). They are basically clueless youth, looking out for the next high in life, with nary a worry about their future. Their only worry seems to be the firebrand nationalist, Laxman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni), who detests the ways of these youth, especially Aslam. And as luck would have it, he fits the role of Ram Prakash Bismil perfectly. So now, they are in this together. As the story progresses, the protagonists find discover a history they never realised they had.
And after the interval, they kill the Indian defense minister (moral of the story: History is dangerous).
A lot is being said about this movie, about how it portrays the angst and the cluelessness of the youth. But frankly, Amir looks old to be playing a youth. Even the explanation the he left college five years ago does not hold true, cos he clearly looks older than thirty five. In fact, none of the characters, barring Sharman Joshi, look like college kids.
As for the feel of the film, well, maybe I'm too far away from my college days, or maybe the college scene has changed, but frankly, I didn't feel the movie had any youthful feel to it. Smart, funny, witty, yes. But youthful, no. Mainly associate youth with a little naivette and josh, both of which were lacking. Amir Khan has done the man-boy routine before, and it didn't come as a surprise.
As for the characterisation, almost no character in this film has been fleshed out. All except Amir Khan, that is. Sukhi is a sweet guy looking to find a girl for himself. Karan is the quite intense and neglected son of a rich businessman. Just why is he frustrated, we don't know. And Aslam is a poet who likes hanging out with his friends and feels suffocated in his home. But other than these facts, we don't know anything else about these characters. Even Amir Khan's character is not fleshed out well. He likes bikes and adventure and is liked by the girls is all we know. dd to that, the characterizations of the supporting cast that includes Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher, Mohan Aghase, Madhavan, Waheeda Rehman etc. Atul Kulkarni's character too isnt given much scope, but it is to his prowess as an actor that he manages to bring out shades in his charter. And special notes for Kirron Kher, who does her Punjabi act once again. Always a pleasure to watch her

Dilli Haat and Chandni Chowk...

It being sunday yesterday, we went to the Delhi festival yesterday at the Dilli Haat.
First things first, I like the concept of the Dilli Haat. It's one place where one can get the best of Delhi and also the whole of India (well, almost) at a reasonable price. Secondly, it is one place where the pace of Delhi changes from frantic to the laidback. one can walk around in peace, have some grub, and generall have a good time. But not yesterday.
Looks like, thinking on similar lines, half of Delhi descended at Dilli Haat. As a result, it was really crowded. There was hardly any place to walk. The only redeeming factor was the presence of the Chandni Chowk food stalls, serving spicy snacks...yummy!!

State of Bollywood...

Coming soon to a theater near you, Mr. 100% - The Real Player. And if you think that this is a B - grade movie with unknowns, then it stars Aryan Vaid (known model), Irrfan Khan (Maqbool), Mahima Choudhary (Miss 'oh-bla-di') and Payal Rohatgi (tauba tauba!!).
And the songs? Well, there is the title track, and then there is 'karta hai kabootar' and 'hont chum lu ya gal'.

Mithunda has got competition in the b-grade category.

Almost Famous...

A look at my Statcounter statistics reveals something interesting. People are stumbling on to my blog from places like South Africa, S. Korea, Germany, Neatherlands, besides USA and UK. So, to all you people (if you do manage to come a second time), A BIG WELCOME FROM THE DEMON. Enjoy you stay, it's nice to have you here. Let's smoke a pipe - wait, I don't smoke. But you can, if you want to. Just don't leave. It's very lonely alone.

Seasons...

Winter is retreating from Delhi. The weather is getting pleasant, though only for a few weeks. But it's good while it lasts.

There Is No Such Thing As Later...

I just had to delete some older posts, that I had thought I would finish laster, when the creative juices were in full flow. But after a long time and countless editings and deletions, I have just realized - there is no such thing as tomorrow. jo bhi hai, aaj hai. Kal ho na ho.

In plain english, one just can't finish a post later.

There is no such thing as later.

Doing Yoga...

I have joined yoga classes with teh Arya Samaj here, and have been attending their prayanam classes since the past three days. So far, I have been taught the exercises, which involve stretching to the rhythm of breathing.
I really can't say if it has had a positive effect on me, cos I still laze around all day, and haven't been able to put all the energy spending to good use.

A City Unravels...

There are layers to Bangalore. Let me explain.
There's the Bangalore that one reads in the newspapers, a hot and happening city, filled with pubs and software professionals. That's very true.
Then there's the city one actually encounters when one reaches here for the first time. It's a young city alright, bursting with energy, on a different beat with the rest of India. A city of big brands, orderliness, good traffic sense (unlke Delhi).
Then there's the Bangalore that reveals itself when one lives here for some time and moves around. Then one find the little gems like the magazine place, the DVD shop, the small but expensive Chinese restaurant that has good lamb.
And finally there's the Bangalore that reveals itself if you take things really slowly, like walking instead of taking an auto. The Bangalore then is the one populate by the small vendors, the chanawala, the naarial-paani wala etc. This Bangalore moves at a differnt pace. Maybe this is the old pace. That's the pace I like.
I am slowly disvocering B'lore on foot. Already, I have toured the whole of MG Road, Brigades (one and the same) and commercial and also the Indiranagar area where I live next up, move out of teharea where I live and discover more.

Weather and Gaming...

The weather in B'lore baffles me. Where I stay, its usually warm to hot. I sleep with the fan on. But I go a little towards Koramangle, which is south, I think, and it starts getting colder. My friend tells me that its because Koramangle is the southern edge of the city, and beyond it is just wilderness, or at least lesser population. Hence the coldness there. I have to wear jackets while I'm there. But this extremes of weather is really baffling.
I have also become a member at two cybercafes, primarily to checkout the games that they have, namely, Reliance and Sify. Reliance, with all the backing of the Ambani fortunes, cannot run even a half-way decent cybercafe. It takes nearly two minutes to log into their system, and then there is the thing about the stiff keyboards, the bad ergonomics of the chairs, the bad speeds (broadband my foot!) and the extremely bad games. Its the usual ones, World of Warcraft, Halo, Need For Speed, etc, but they again take a long time to load. And didn't the person who choose the hardware know that the sleek LCD monitors are not yet ready for gaming yet?? and those small screens....
Now Sify, on the other hand, ave got quite a few things right. For one, their choice of games is moer than Reliance. And it is sorted under different genres, like racing, sports, action, strategy. And under each heading, there are more choices available. Also, the still use the bulky CRT monitors, which can offer better frame rates that the games require. Oh, and Sify is cheaper too...
So all in all, I would much rather spend my gaming money at Sify than at Reliance. Makes for a bette experience.

A Mini-Adventure

What little advnture I had!! I had gone searching for a job, and lost the keys to my house instead!! And a fine day I chose, when all the locksmiths had closed their shops.
This Wipro thing has had me running for two days in a row. Two days of going all the way to the Electronic City and back. That's one way of visiting B'lore, I reason.
The only good thing tcome out of the whole thing is that I got a spend night with Neelu, which is a fine thing. No matter hog big he grows, he isstill the small town boy, aware of where he comes from. Or maybe he doesn't need to put his mask in front of me. Maybe that's what friends do. Put each other at ease. Anyways, it was a time well spent. In fact, he put the whole thing about me losing my key and having to roam the city in a good light when he reminded me about the time I was stranded in Mumbai for three days and had to spend the night at the station. Like he said, I'm still the Adventerous Boy (a name a girl gave me for god knows what reasons).

Places to Visit..

This job hunting is taking me to newer places. I went as far as Hosur today, searching for a job. And it cost me a bomb. Have noted down the bus nos. Will take me around three hours to travel there, but I will say more than 150 bucks.
Will Do.

Ek Alkela Is Shehar Mein...

Ah, B'lore is slowly opening up to me. I trekked through the city today, covering MG Road, Brigades and Commercial street (or are they just different sections of a very big area? methinksso). I even managed to meet a few of my A'bad friends, colleagues whon I started out with. It was nice talking ot them.
But the best part, in my opinion, was a shop devoted solely ot megazines. Just rows upon rows of outdated and current Indian and foreign journals. I doubt such a store exists in Delhi, and lets not even begin to talk about A'bad, ok? Such niche shops are what makes a city, in my opinions. Not malls, not pubs, not big splashy MNCs, but stores that cater to a particular taste. The others are easily replicable, but shops like these require some drive, ome guts, to declare themselves as a niche place rather than a general place.
There were megazine on all topics, for all tastes. When I have a job and some money in my pocket, I will go and buy a few of those. A National Geographic about Saudi Arabia, a New scientists, and a few computer gaming mags.
Will Do.

Caffaine Rush...

I have just discovered a new pleasure - coffee. Not just any coffee, but filter coffee. Let me elaborate.
I always associated coffee with Nescafe, that all pervasive band that has become synonymous with coffee. One can go into a restaurant and ask for nescafe. And that's what intrigued me. Why, I wondered, did people talking about how good coffee is, how it is better than tea any given day. It's just on taste, I thought, it doesn't change no matter how you make it, where you make. And joints like Starbucks and Barista did not help either. They sold a lifestyle more than coffee. Caffeinated, Decaf, low-fat, all the same. Boring. Yawn. I seriously thought coffee drinkers were loonies.
But that changed when I had my first Hazelnut coffee. I discovered that there was more to coffee than Nescafe. Like there was the strong black one which tasted unlike Nescafe.
And now, I have finally discovered what people mean when they talk about coffee, thanks to the tiny shops that line the CMH road in B'lore. Yes, coffee is best when it is filter coffee, the strong, bitter, supercaf concotion that wakes you up hard. Am really addicted.
But let me make it clear that I am not switching my loyalites over to coffee. I am a tea person and will remain one forever.

Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi

Nothing much happened today...oh, I saw a very good film today, Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi. A Truly memorable film. Even though the film is set in th 70s, much of it is still relevant. Its a real wonder how Sudhir Mishra managed to capture all the angst and frustrations and love and despair into this film...
The film is about three friends, each of whom has different loyalties. Theres Siddharth (Kay Kay), Geeta (Chitrangda) and Vikram (Shiny Ahuja), three friends with differnt outlooks towards life. While Siddharth wants to bring a revolution and change the world order, Geeta is just happy being with Siddharth, whatever hi philosophy be. Vikram, a middle class boy with idealist Gandhian father, is ambitious and feels that all the talk of a revolution is useless and just wants to get to the top. A love triangle in place, the movie traces that path that each protagonist take over the course of a decade.
Siddharth goes from being a man driven completely by an ideology to a person who is able to question the ideology - he is even prepared to postpone the prolitarian revolution because the common people are not ready. He sees the tragedy in Bihar and acquires a human face.
Geeta marries an IAS officer but continues to see Siddharth on the sly, but after leading two lives, gives it up all for love, to live with Siddharth in Bihar, teaching, and in the process, giving up a cushy life. From a clueless person, she becomes a person with a mission.
Vikram becomes a fixer of sorts with the prower-set in Delhi, seeing a meteoric rise, but all this is still empty for him, as he does not have the one things that he really wants, Geeta. He finally gets her, but at what cost?
The film progresses with a purpose, and manages to portray each protagonists point of view without ever taking sides. No one is the bad guy here. Each is driven by his or her motivations.
Of the cast, Shiny Ahuja really shines. He manages to bring out the layers that his character demands. He is cocky with his colleauges and the power-set of Delhi, but before Geeta, he becomes completely vulnerable. All his ambitions come crashing down before his idealist father, who is his anti-thesis.
Kay Kay is given a role in which he cannot but shine. But he manages to do so without going over-the-board is a tribute to his poweress as an actor From being an idealist firebrand student to a budding revolutionary to a war-torn guerilla to a defeated revolutionary, he handles it with aplomb.
Chitrangda too is very good, onsidering it is her first role. That she is also a pleasure to look at helps.
All three are ably helped by a stellar supporting cast. Espically worth watching amony them is Siddharth's father, when he goes pleading for his son's safety.
All in all, a very good film.

On another note, you know your life sucks when the only highlight of your day is watching a movie. Thats life telling you to get a life.

HAPPY 2006

Wow!! Its 2006!! That's one year gone, and no significant blogging done there. Looks like I am seriously losing my touch (or have I lost it already?).
But anyways, whats past is past. Lets begin anew. 2006 sees me in a new city, Bangalore, making a new life for myself. So far so good. All that I had heard about it being the most westernised city in India wer quite true. Am amazed to find stuff like olives and snicker bars even in common supermarkets. these wern't avaiable even in Delhi.
And the weather. Yeah the weather. After the biting cold of Delhi, the mild coolness is a nice welcome. Really looking forward to a nice stay here. But then who knows which way the wind blows...
Ah, chuck it, will enjoy it while I'm here. In the mean time,
HAPPY 2006 TO ALL!!!

Know Thyself...

Are you man enough? Or woman enough? Eitherways, a nice test.

Down But Not Out....

Not been posting, but intend to.

Just that that I'd let you know that.........

My blog is worth $1,129.08.
How much is your blog worth?

Sunil Dutt Passes Away

This is really sad. One of my favourite politicians, Mr. Sunil Dutt has passed away. He was one man who had my utmost respect. A true secularist, and more importantly, a true idealist, his long peace walks have really baffled me. Why would he do it? what was there in it for him, I would ask? In retrospect, I feel thats what true selflessness ks. May his soul rest in peace.

The PS3

Have you checked out the new PlayStation 3??? If not, do it now. Drool... man, I must have this when it is released next year. And while you are checking out the PS3, also check out the previews for Tekken 6 and Devil May Cry 4.

Random Facts About Vin Diesel

Do you like Vin Deisel? Want to know more about him? Your prayers have been answered, for
here
is a website that serves you random facts about Vin the man. Sample a few:

* Vin Diesel always wins at Tic Tac Toe, even if he doesn't have the centre square.

* His feces weigh more than the sum of the food he consumes. Physicist Stephen Hawking- who was actually stricken with MS as the result of a curse placed upon him by Vin Diesel after the two had a heated argument over a minor point of Einstein's theory of special gravity (Vin Diesel was proven correct in a later experiment)- has been quoted as saying that he may hold the key to understanding "dark matter" somewhere in his digestive tract. Carson Daly reported that he didn't see anything suspicious in there.

* If you were to lock Vin Diesel in a room with a guitar, a year later you would have the greatest album ever, it would sweep the Grammy's. When asked why he doesn't do this Vin replied "Because Grammy's are for queers." then he ate a knife to show the seriousness of his response.

* Vin Diesel wrote software to be able to predict the results of the California state lottery. He has won the jackpot 6 times.

* When Vin Diesel created time, he pondered making the hours, minutes, and seconds base 10 for mortals to comprehend easier, however; he chose to suit his own pallet and mix things up a bit.

...and lots more from where that came. Just keep hitting the reload button of your browser. Oh, and take it with a pinch of salt.

Becoming A Drifter...

There's lots happening around me, but I just can't seem to take an interest in them. I am fast becoming a drifter. Not good.

Another Low in Indian TV...

A new low in Indian television programming - Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi has reached the 1,000 episodes mark. Seeing all the people involved praise it to the sky makes me sick in my stomach.

An Observation...

Blogging is a habit, that should be nurtured constantly. One skip, and it will take forever to regain that habit.

Busy Times For TV Channels...

This has been a very busy time for the news networks. First, there was the 'sting' operation which unearthed a known fact, and then there was the passing away of the pope (my condolences to the Christian fraternity) and now there is the cross border bus trips. The TV channels are having a groovy time indeed!!
And speaking of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus trip, I wholly support it.

Remix Blues...

The remixes are getting out of hand, and one unintended outcome of this is that even obscure oldies are becoming fairly mainstream, sadly.
As an example, everyone remembers Deewar for its story, its dialogues (mere paas maa hai, bhai tum sign karte ho ki nahin?), the stars etc. But its songs were nothing extraordinary, rather they were just by the numbers and had died their natural death. But come the 'Kehdoon Tumhe' remix, and suddenly, the orignal has got the airplay again. In fact, I started liking the song too!! But now I have realized my mistake and promptly deleted the song from my iPod mini.
I say again, remix sucks. Death to all the remixers.

Happy Holi!!!

A Very Happy Holi to eneryone!!! May your New Year be as colorful as this day! :)

Collection keeps growing...

My music collection is growing, slowly but surely. The latest additions are Beatles. Recommended hear: Norwegian Wood.

Later:

I knew it, I just knew that the strings on this song had to be a sitar!! This page (scroll down) tells a little about the song. George Harrison was just discovering about the Indian instrument, and without any training, just struck at the strings to make this melody. Speaks a lot about his musical poweress.

Odds and Ends...

The US' refusal to grant a visa to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi has more repercussions that is visible to the eye. How will the typical "I-love-the-US" Gujju react to this? notice that there has been no repurcussions to this news. Even the so-called 'Swabhiman Yatra' did not find any takers, as it was aimed against the US. Nothing comes between a Gujju and the US.
On another not, getting broadband meant that I could download full version movies, games and songs, but I had not counted on the connectivity. A full version game that I am trying to download will take me 11 days!! The size is around 3 GB, ot be sure, but 12 days??!!?? Broadband is over-rated, and I have given up on downloading such stuff now.

Bad News...

The bomb blasts in Qatar are a very disturbing development. The peaceful image of Qatar now lies shattered, especially since next year, they are hosting the Asian games, and are really keen on putting their best foot forward. When I left Doha for good in December last year, I had no inkling this would happen.
I hope things dont deteriorate further in this small, beautiful godforsaken country.

The 'Sting'...

So the state of journalism in India has achieved a new high, or is it a new low? The ‘sting operations’ done by the India Today TV were supposed to be a about exposing the ugly side of showbiz to the rest of the world but it has just become another salacious episode in the showbiz saga. Nearly everyone has not even batted an eyelid in India, except those approached for their views by the television channels. That the movie industry is an immoral, sinful place is understood. That’s what people expect it to be. In fact, if the channel wanted a real sting, they could have tried to get a starlet to offer herself to the hero, and the hero instead tells her, ‘You are like a sister to me’!! That would have really gotten people’s attention! But all said and done, this was not a sting operation in any way, in my opinion. Rather, it was entrapment, where both, Shakti Kapoor and Aman Verma were lured into a trap by the girl named Ritu. From the recorded conversations, it would seem like the girl was a babe in the woods, completely ignorant of how the industry works. She played the part of the innocent, helpless girl to the hilt.
The film industry, while being at fault here, is being made a soft target by the media. The current sting operation only reaffirms the people’s opinion of the industry as a vile place. Add to that, the number of eyeballs they attract by having the film industry’s name attached to it (Salman Khan’s escapades, Vivek Oberoi-Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai triangle, Sanjay Dutt’s TADA case, film stars joining politics anyone?). As far as the TV producers are concerned, it’s a win-win situation.
In my opinion, this ‘sting operation’ ranks right up there with the reality shows, in that, both are voyeuristic in nature. The common person sits there, in the confines of his living rooms and watches as other people present their worst profiles to them. They then pass out righteous judgements to them, like they really matter.
In channel concerned has been going to town, justifying its ‘sting operation’. The news presenters keep reiterating that their motive was not to defame anyone, but to bring the truth out. But since when do journalists have to justify their actions again and again? Also, a trial-by-media has begun, with the actors calling press conferences and the news channel repeating the relevant clips to show what the actors actually did.
In fact, these ‘revelations’ has spawned a new mini industry in the press circles. Daily, there are articles, opinions of people who don’t matter, talk shows with the same guests, all discussing this matter threadbare. But really, does it matter? Will girls stop dreaming of the arc lights after watching the clips? I doubt it. Life will go on, people will keep getting exploited by the ones higher up in the hierarchy.
In the mean time, keep watching out for ‘shocking news about a former superstar’.

What a Hoot!!!...

This morning I got the biggest laugh in a long time. And the irony in that is that I had Akshay Kumar to thank for it!!
The song, "Main Khiladi Tu Anadi" from the same film was playing on Channel [V], and to my utter surprise, the channel actually censored the pelvic thrusts of to two male actors!! Yes, that's right folks, the channel cut any scene that had the two of them doing pelvic thrusts, which in this song was 95 % of the time. Come to think of it, now that I wrote this line, does this song in anyway have gay undertones? They do point their thrusts at each other. Hmm...
And are the music channels on the road to self-censorship? I think not, cos the next song had an aadhi nangi firang ladki. Will someone please tell me what is happening?

Woo-hoo!!!...

Hey hey hey, I managed to create a triple post!! Howzzat!!!

Life in Delhi...

The weather in Delhi nowadays is quite pleasant. Not too hot, not too cold. After the freezing cold of USA, I needed this. On top of that, theres a really cool breeze all day long. But people tell me this will change soon, probably towards the end of this month, after Holi ("Holi kab hai? Kab hai Holi KAB, KAB?"). But in the mean time, I'm enjoying it.
Yesterday being Shivratri, the atmosphere around Delhi was different, more festive. I am given to believe that Delhites are Shiv bhakts. But enjoy as I may, all the festivities, one thing does bug me, and that's the high numbers of places of worship here. Even where I like, there are three temples within walking distances of each other. A short walk away, and a Muslim dominated area, there are a number of masjids. There are even three churches of different denominstions where I live!! One would be given to believe that people here are very pious, but just look at the happenings around you, and you misconceptions are corrected. I feel that most outwardly pious people are the most un-Godly of them all. I say most 'cos a few are truly pious.
On to other things, the broadband here is good, but it's only available in the mornings, and it goes down in the evening, which is when I need it the most.

Life in Delhi...

The weather in Delhi nowadays is quite pleasant. Not too hot, not too cold. After the freezing cold of USA, I needed this. On top of that, theres a really cool breeze all day long. But people tell me this will change soon, probably towards the end of this month, after Holi ("Holi kab hai? Kab hai Holi KAB, KAB?"). But in the mean time, I'm enjoying it.
Yesterday being Shivratri, the atmosphere around Delhi was different, more festive. I am given to believe that Delhites are Shiv bhakts. But enjoy as I may, all the festivities, one thing does bug me, and that's the high numbers of places of worship here. Even where I like, there are three temples within walking distances of each other. A short walk away, and a Muslim dominated area, there are a number of masjids. There are even three churches of different denominstions where I live!! One would be given to believe that people here are very pious, but just look at the happenings around you, and you misconceptions are corrected. I feel that most outwardly pious people are the most un-Godly of them all. I say most 'cos a few are truly pious.
On to other things, the broadband here is good, but it's only available in the mornings, and it goes down in the evening, which is when I need it the most.

Life in Delhi...

The weather in Delhi nowadays is quite pleasant. Not too hot, not too cold. After the freezing cold of USA, I needed this. On top of that, theres a really cool breeze all day long. But people tell me this will change soon, probably towards the end of this month, after Holi ("Holi kab hai? Kab hai Holi KAB, KAB?"). But in the mean time, I'm enjoying it.
Yesterday being Shivratri, the atmosphere around Delhi was different, more festive. I am given to believe that Delhites are Shiv bhakts. But enjoy as I may, all the festivities, one thing does bug me, and that's the high numbers of places of worship here. Even where I like, there are three temples within walking distances of each other. A short walk away, and a Muslim dominated area, there are a number of masjids. There are even three churches of different denominstions where I live!! One would be given to believe that people here are very pious, but just look at the happenings around you, and you misconceptions are corrected. I feel that most outwardly pious people are the most un-Godly of them all. I say most 'cos a few are truly pious.
On to other things, the broadband here is good, but it's only available in the mornings, and it goes down in the evening, which is when I need it the most.

Dear injinuity III...

injinuity said:

hmm... your life revolves around me eh?... don't you have anything else to post you imbecile.

ha ha ha. Dude, you crack me up. Your own wife's life wouldn't revolve around you, leave alone anyone else's What I post on my blog in strictly my business, and you being the subject for the last three posts is only incidental, os chill out.

Dear injinuity...

injinuity said:

I definitely feel sorry for you old man you nitwit.. he has made only one mistake... and its you..

and as I said.. if I didn't volunteer your stuff would get thrown out.... someone kick me for waiting 45 minutes outside the airport... grrrr

the only person in need of sympathies is your dad for siring an insufferable, lazy prick like you.
and don't ever be under the illusion that you came to my rescue at the airport. on the contrary, you mucked it up further.

Dear injinuity....

injinuity said:
"You idiot.. I had no plans on sending the luggage at all had it not been for your father.. felt sorry for him.. its not his fault if his son is an irresponsible moron... been almost a month and a half and you still didn't send the passport copy.... I really wanted to keep it here for a year ... and would have done it had it not been for your pops... grrr

anyways hope you are having a blast in New York, catch you later dude.. have fun but be careful."

Reply:
sure, I believe you. you dick, if you didn't know the first thing about sending cargos, then why did you volunteer to do it in the first place, huh? and even when you came to about the passport requirement, why didn't you tell me about it. You write this in all your self-righteous tone, when in reality you were an ignorant ass, and a lazy bastard, thats what you are. And that's the reason I decided on not sending you the passport details. If not my father, then I would have come and picked it up myself.
And you don't need to feel sorry for my father, he doesnt need you sympathies. Your sympathies are not needed.
I had a real blast in NY, and am now back in India. When are you travelling?

On to other news:

I have got broadband in my home now!!! The speeds are prety impressive. In fact, I did a 20 mb download in less then 20 minutes

Back Again...

During my absence from posting, a lot has happened. First of all, I visited the US for an entire month. The trip was quite memorable, in that I visited New York, and Cincinnati and got a first hand perspective of life in the US. In the end, my opinion is that though life in US is quite laidback in comparison to India, it is still no match for the Gulf. The people here are very friendly, and eager to help. All in all, a very fine place. But there is one peeve that I have, at leat where NY is concerned. They have very few rest rooms there. During the week I was in NY, it snowed and rained alternately, and I was either sloshed or drained for the entire time. All this resulted in frequent calls from Mother Nature (“Maa, main aa raha hoon maa!!!”), and I was at a loss for where to go. Thankfully, the golden arches came to my rescue. The convenience of the McDonalds chains, along with the fact that they have restrooms was a big help. The only problem was that it was available only to the persons who purchased something there, which is understandable. So , I was forced to give up my self-imposed boycott of all the joint and order some chicken (to their credit, they were good) and then use their restrooms. At times like these, I missed the convenience of India, with the vast network of Sulabh Shauchalya in place. Score one for India. Go India!!!
Another peeve of mine was the cold….IT WAS MORE THAN FREEZING THERE!!! In fact, the chill of Doha was more then enough for me, and this was even worse. My ears and hands actually froze in the winter!! It’s a wonder that I did not catch frostbite.
The trip to the Statue of Liberty was quite memorable. It started out as a sunny day, but by the time I reached Battery Park, it was pouring. And the view I got the Lady Liberty was one in dreary surroundings, not in the bright sunlight that is always recommended. Will be posting the pictures soon.
The Brooklyn Bridge trip was good too. Hiked up and down, and enjoyed the view from both sides. The construction feat has to be admired, in my opinion.
In contrast, Cincinnati is a very quite town, where nothing much happens. Life moves at a very easy pace there.
Yeah, yeah, I know, this is a boring post. I’ll end it right here.
Will improve later.


Great News So Far:

A Google search for Sweet Demon puts my blog on the top.....Yeah!!!!!!!!!