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