Last evening, once again I heard the flutters in false ceiling of my office - somehow, a pigeon had gotten in through the ducts. After tolerating it for a day, I decided to call in house keeping, and a few mins later, the scared baby pigeon was in our hands.
It didn't feel like it could fly off the fourth floor gallery, so we decided to take it to the ground floor. We let it go, but it just went round and round on the floor, unable to fly. Leaving it there would have made it a nice feast for one of the Persistent cats... so we got it back in a box, and it spent the whole afternoon in my office. I let it free, but instead of walking around, it just rested against the box, switching legs, resting on one and then the other, dozing off.
By 645, I left for home, the pigeon in the box in the back seat. We had a long weekend coming up, and I wanted to take care of it, and let it go once it grew some strength. The vet had suggested it might simply be scared, and a night's rest would be all that it needed.
As soon as I reached home, I took out the pigeon - I hadn't informed Sanam she would have a new pet soon.
The pigeon lay dead in the box.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Best Friend?
Friends are those who stand by you in good times and bad, but when the world turns against you, they ask you, are you guilty? A best friend fights with you every single day, at every possible chance. Becomes unreasonable, demands too much. Calls you names, hates you. But when the world turns against you, your best friend will stand by you - without question.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Quote for the Day
The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best - and therefore never scrutinize or question. Stephen Jay Gould.
Trust
Little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand." "What's the difference?" Asked the puzzled father. "There's a big difference," replied the little girl. "If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Movie Review: Vantage Point
1140 pm for me is the only time I can catch a movie when I am in Goa - there are too many other exciting things to do rest of the time :)
Vantage Point is good movie though, and definitely worth sacrificing some sun and sand for! The story is different, the treatment is fantastic. The action is fast and sleek, and the car chase sequence is one of the very best.
The movie starts with the visuals of an anti-terror summit in a small town in Spain, and the American president is shot while on stage, followed by a deadly bomb attack. We then rewind to the start of the event, as seen from the eyes of the television crew chief. We rewind again, this time seeing it from the eyes of one of the stars of the movei - a secret service officer. Then we rewind again, this time seeing it from the eyes of a bystander who catches it on camera. And it goes on.. the same event, from different perspectives. And each time, an interesting new twist, an interesting angle.
Was also an interesting eye opener - not really a new truth, but definitely reinforcing a learning I had pretty early in life. No matter how clear something is to you, there's always a different perspective! After all, it's not about the truth really, it's about which version of the truth you are looking at!
Vantage Point is good movie though, and definitely worth sacrificing some sun and sand for! The story is different, the treatment is fantastic. The action is fast and sleek, and the car chase sequence is one of the very best.
The movie starts with the visuals of an anti-terror summit in a small town in Spain, and the American president is shot while on stage, followed by a deadly bomb attack. We then rewind to the start of the event, as seen from the eyes of the television crew chief. We rewind again, this time seeing it from the eyes of one of the stars of the movei - a secret service officer. Then we rewind again, this time seeing it from the eyes of a bystander who catches it on camera. And it goes on.. the same event, from different perspectives. And each time, an interesting new twist, an interesting angle.
Was also an interesting eye opener - not really a new truth, but definitely reinforcing a learning I had pretty early in life. No matter how clear something is to you, there's always a different perspective! After all, it's not about the truth really, it's about which version of the truth you are looking at!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
T20 WC, U19 WC and now the CBS!
India beat Australia in the 2nd final in Brisbane today to lift the 3-nation Commonwealth Bank Series, dislodging the Autralians from their throne yet again. And while this young team celebrated their hitoric win, the U-19 team was parading in Bangalore, fresh from the U19 WC victory!
Sachin hit devastating form in the final two matches, hitting an unbeaten century in Sydney and then following it with a stunning 91 in the second final today. And while other batsmen including Gambhir and Rohit proved their mettle, the real punch came from India's super-young pace battery - Ishant Sharma, Pravin Kumar, Pathan and Shreesanth. And remember, we didn't even have Zaheer and RP Singh!
It's been an awesome phase for Indian cricket - and Dhoni's team truly represents the brave, fighting spirit of the new India!
Chak De, India!
Sachin hit devastating form in the final two matches, hitting an unbeaten century in Sydney and then following it with a stunning 91 in the second final today. And while other batsmen including Gambhir and Rohit proved their mettle, the real punch came from India's super-young pace battery - Ishant Sharma, Pravin Kumar, Pathan and Shreesanth. And remember, we didn't even have Zaheer and RP Singh!
It's been an awesome phase for Indian cricket - and Dhoni's team truly represents the brave, fighting spirit of the new India!
Chak De, India!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Miyou
Miyou (mee-you) is the newest addition to our family. And before you ring up and call me to wish me on this pleasant surprise, let me assure you there was no accident!
Miyou is our beautiful golden brown & black cat.
Miyou started dropping by a couple of weeks back with the lady who comes to pick up the garbage every morning. Scavenging the garbage was obviously a lucrative activity for Miyou, and our house with it's fishy dinner remnants seemed a strong favourite!
Sanam and I both love cats, and it wasn't long before we ended up offering her milk. As days went by, Miyou became more regular, until one day, she literally walked into our apartment demanding her breakfast.
Our days begin with Miyuo now... by seven thirty or so, we are all awake waiting to hear her meouw outside the door. Her milk is ready, and now, a place (usually Sanam's jacket!) for her snuggle into after she's had her fill. She knows she has a right to demand her milk now, and Madhavi scrambles to get her dish ready as soon as she shows up. After the milk, it's a nice sunbath at the window, or depending on her mood, a snooze in the corner. By 930 or 1000, we leave for office, and so does Miyou.
She's right there waiting to greet us when we are back - and runs up the stairs in front of us, meouwing loudly but patiently till we open the door, and she gets her second helping of milk for the day :) Then it's time for a quick survey of the house's nooks and corners, then a quick siesta, and Miyou bids us adieu for the night - and the wait for the morning meouw begins in earnest!
From a scared and tentative visitor just a week back, Miyou is now a rightful owner of her new home!
Miyou is our beautiful golden brown & black cat.
Miyou started dropping by a couple of weeks back with the lady who comes to pick up the garbage every morning. Scavenging the garbage was obviously a lucrative activity for Miyou, and our house with it's fishy dinner remnants seemed a strong favourite!
Sanam and I both love cats, and it wasn't long before we ended up offering her milk. As days went by, Miyou became more regular, until one day, she literally walked into our apartment demanding her breakfast.
Our days begin with Miyuo now... by seven thirty or so, we are all awake waiting to hear her meouw outside the door. Her milk is ready, and now, a place (usually Sanam's jacket!) for her snuggle into after she's had her fill. She knows she has a right to demand her milk now, and Madhavi scrambles to get her dish ready as soon as she shows up. After the milk, it's a nice sunbath at the window, or depending on her mood, a snooze in the corner. By 930 or 1000, we leave for office, and so does Miyou.
She's right there waiting to greet us when we are back - and runs up the stairs in front of us, meouwing loudly but patiently till we open the door, and she gets her second helping of milk for the day :) Then it's time for a quick survey of the house's nooks and corners, then a quick siesta, and Miyou bids us adieu for the night - and the wait for the morning meouw begins in earnest!From a scared and tentative visitor just a week back, Miyou is now a rightful owner of her new home!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
One Such Day..
Sometimes in life, we come to a cross road, where we need to choose between alternatives which can mean the difference between life and death for someone special... when you need to decide whether you want to keep your loved ones on life support a little more, or pull the plug on them.
Your decision at that time cannot be based on arguments and facts.
It has to be based on your heart.
Because once you take that decision, there is no going back. You have to live with the consequences for the rest of your life.
Your decision at that time cannot be based on arguments and facts.
It has to be based on your heart.
Because once you take that decision, there is no going back. You have to live with the consequences for the rest of your life.
Movie Review: Sunday
Perfect for a Sunday, Sunday is a movie with some great music (I LOVE the title song - Mahua has given it some fantastic treatment!), a highly under-rated actress Ayesha Takia, some rib-tickling jokes from the ever-awesome Arshad Warsi (and surprisingly, Irrfan Khan is not bad either - watch out for him in the dog sequence - hilarious), and some boring moments from Ajay Devgan, adding up to nice mixture of fun and suspense.
Watch it, and reclaim your one day, your Sunday!
Watch it, and reclaim your one day, your Sunday!
Movie Review: Hostel
Yes, OK, I know this is an old movie - but when I am upset or frustrated, I like seeing these movies with a lot of blood and gore and horror... makes me happy I am not one of them, and life looks much better!
Hostel is about two American back-packers in Europe, on the lookout for the "best girls in Europe", who end up in this remote, Slovakian hostel. Things look great at first, until they learn the deadly secret of the hostel!
Lots and lots of blood and cut up body parts, this is not for the faint hearted!
Hostel is about two American back-packers in Europe, on the lookout for the "best girls in Europe", who end up in this remote, Slovakian hostel. Things look great at first, until they learn the deadly secret of the hostel!
Lots and lots of blood and cut up body parts, this is not for the faint hearted!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Quote for the Day
A little more moderation would be good. Of course, my life hasn't exactly been one of moderation. Donald Trump.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Movie Review: Rambo 4
Go watch it, and swoon over the 60+ Stallone putting all of us young and healthy guys to shame with his sheer stamina, his fitness and his sex appeal. Yes, SRK did his 6 packs, but really, Stallone at 60 is just unbelievable. I mean, 60? That's when most people buy walking sticks!
The movie itself has awesome action and photography, with some really shocking scenes of bodies being torn apart by bombs and bullets. Rambo is a boatman this time, and helps a group of missionaries upstream into strife-torn Burma. When they are captured by the Burmese military, Rambo accompanies a group of mercenaries in a dangerous mission to rescue them. That's all it is really.
But trust me, totally worth the watch!
The movie itself has awesome action and photography, with some really shocking scenes of bodies being torn apart by bombs and bullets. Rambo is a boatman this time, and helps a group of missionaries upstream into strife-torn Burma. When they are captured by the Burmese military, Rambo accompanies a group of mercenaries in a dangerous mission to rescue them. That's all it is really.
But trust me, totally worth the watch!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Fit and Fine at 33 :)
Yes baby, I got my medical tests done and guess what, I am fit as a fiddle :)
Blood pressure 140/90 (yes, yes, I know it sounds a trifle high, but not when you understand that a year back, it used to be 165/110 and my life's only got more stressful!) Random blood sugar is 106 (normal < 160), Cholesterol is 152 (normal < 200), Hemoglobin 14.1 (normal between 13.5 and 17.5) and pulse 72 (just perfect for a male of my age!).
I do not really exercise, I sleep the wierdest possible hours, and eat a lot of crappy food outside. So what's the secret?
I don't know, but I'd like to believe it's a little bit of hope! ;)
Blood pressure 140/90 (yes, yes, I know it sounds a trifle high, but not when you understand that a year back, it used to be 165/110 and my life's only got more stressful!) Random blood sugar is 106 (normal < 160), Cholesterol is 152 (normal < 200), Hemoglobin 14.1 (normal between 13.5 and 17.5) and pulse 72 (just perfect for a male of my age!).
I do not really exercise, I sleep the wierdest possible hours, and eat a lot of crappy food outside. So what's the secret?
I don't know, but I'd like to believe it's a little bit of hope! ;)
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
India Win at Perth
India rose from the ashes like the Phoenix, putting behind the horrendous umpiring decisions at Sydney, racism allegations and a 3-match ban against Harbhajan, and a 0-2 scoreline, to beat the "invincible" Australians comprehensively in the third test at the WACA at Perth, stunning Ponting to admit his side hadn't been good enough for the young Indian team (whose three pacers are all younger than the youngest member in the Australian squad!).
India also ended Australia's 16 match unbeaten streak, just like India had done it earlier in Calcutta, stopping the Australians in their tracks from going on to set a new world record.
Some more interesting snippets...
This is Ponting's first defeat as skipper in Australia
Australia was undefeated at home for 25 tests all the way back from Dec 2003. The last time they lost at home was also to India in Adelaide
Autralia have lost only 17 tests in the last decade, and 7 of those have been to India
This was also the first time since 1999 that Australia lost a test within 4 days
And probably one of the few examples where India won without a significant contribution from Dada ;)
India also ended Australia's 16 match unbeaten streak, just like India had done it earlier in Calcutta, stopping the Australians in their tracks from going on to set a new world record.
Some more interesting snippets...
This is Ponting's first defeat as skipper in Australia
Australia was undefeated at home for 25 tests all the way back from Dec 2003. The last time they lost at home was also to India in Adelaide
Autralia have lost only 17 tests in the last decade, and 7 of those have been to India
This was also the first time since 1999 that Australia lost a test within 4 days
And probably one of the few examples where India won without a significant contribution from Dada ;)
What Would You Do?
You and your best friend have gone sailing. It's been a beautiful week so far. Great weather, great fishing, great scenery.
Then the clouds darken, the wind grows fiercer by the hour.
You were sleeping when it happened, your best friend was on the deck. He should have radioed for help, but he didn't know how to! Your friend should have woken you up, but he let you sleep, thinking he could manage on his own. By the time you wake up, the sea is throwing the ship around - huge fifteen meter waves are threatening to swallow the ship.
YOu stumble onto the deck, pissed, frightened and upset. Upset at your friend for screwing up, for not knowing how to use the radio, for letting you sleep.
And as you stumble onto deck and try and regain control, a huge wave hits the deck, washing your friend off the side - your friend clutches the guardrail desperately, legs flailing below, desperate to hold on.
What do you do?
Teach him how to run the radio, scream at him for being stupid, or do you reach out and grab his hand and pull him to safety? You have 3 seconds to make that decision.
It's the difference between best friends, and people who can only aspire to be.
Then the clouds darken, the wind grows fiercer by the hour.
You were sleeping when it happened, your best friend was on the deck. He should have radioed for help, but he didn't know how to! Your friend should have woken you up, but he let you sleep, thinking he could manage on his own. By the time you wake up, the sea is throwing the ship around - huge fifteen meter waves are threatening to swallow the ship.
YOu stumble onto the deck, pissed, frightened and upset. Upset at your friend for screwing up, for not knowing how to use the radio, for letting you sleep.
And as you stumble onto deck and try and regain control, a huge wave hits the deck, washing your friend off the side - your friend clutches the guardrail desperately, legs flailing below, desperate to hold on.
What do you do?
Teach him how to run the radio, scream at him for being stupid, or do you reach out and grab his hand and pull him to safety? You have 3 seconds to make that decision.
It's the difference between best friends, and people who can only aspire to be.
When the Going Gets Tough...
...the tough get going. You've heard that before. Here are some more...
...your best friend drops everything else to be with you, the others run away under the pretex of giving you "space"
...those who really believe in their dreams stick it out and emerge victorious, the others wake up and chase new dreams
...I behave stupidly
...and when it gets worse, I go shopping
...your best friend drops everything else to be with you, the others run away under the pretex of giving you "space"
...those who really believe in their dreams stick it out and emerge victorious, the others wake up and chase new dreams
...I behave stupidly
...and when it gets worse, I go shopping
Friday, January 18, 2008
Quote for the Day
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. Dorothy Nevill.
Quote for the Day
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.Dorothy Nevill.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Nurturing Relationships - Key Rules
1) Relationships are like partnerships - unilateral decisions, or worse, decisions taken for the other person without involving the other person in the decision making process, are a sure recipe for disaster
2) Talk, talk, talk - breakdown in communication is probably the single most and yet, most easily fixed, factor in troubled relationships
3) It should always be about "us" - never about "you" and "me"
4) The goal of any argument or fight should be the betterment of the relationship and a strengthening of the basics and the foundation of the relationship - never to prove a point
5) Ego has no place in intimate relationships
6) The only time you should use "I" is at the head of "I love you" or "I miss you". Any other use of "I" is probably a manifestation of rule 3 breaking down
7) Sorry should never be needed, and yet, is the easiest and simplest way to break the tension - a sorry should be an immediate and ultimate weapon against ego
8) Never doubt the basics - every time you doubt the basics, you are destroying the cornerstones of your relationship
9) Every small gesture adds to the strength - and most gestures take less than 15 seconds
10) It's all about the small gestures - a reassuring SMS goes a much longer way in strengthening a relationship, than a candle light dinner at a five star restaurant or a diamond
2) Talk, talk, talk - breakdown in communication is probably the single most and yet, most easily fixed, factor in troubled relationships
3) It should always be about "us" - never about "you" and "me"
4) The goal of any argument or fight should be the betterment of the relationship and a strengthening of the basics and the foundation of the relationship - never to prove a point
5) Ego has no place in intimate relationships
6) The only time you should use "I" is at the head of "I love you" or "I miss you". Any other use of "I" is probably a manifestation of rule 3 breaking down
7) Sorry should never be needed, and yet, is the easiest and simplest way to break the tension - a sorry should be an immediate and ultimate weapon against ego
8) Never doubt the basics - every time you doubt the basics, you are destroying the cornerstones of your relationship
9) Every small gesture adds to the strength - and most gestures take less than 15 seconds
10) It's all about the small gestures - a reassuring SMS goes a much longer way in strengthening a relationship, than a candle light dinner at a five star restaurant or a diamond
Tata's Nano
The Tatas, currently bidding for Ford's premier brands Jaguar and Land Rover, also unveiled their 1 lakh car - the Nano, in Delhi today! The world's cheapest car may look tiny, but has all the trappings that might make some of it's bigger cousins hide for cover.
The only question now is, where will all those cars be parked? I don't see that much more space left on the roads any more!
The only question now is, where will all those cars be parked? I don't see that much more space left on the roads any more!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
What is it that Indians have?
Capital Suggestion
By Dr Farrukh Saleem
12/9/2007
Twenty-five thousand years ago, haplogroup R2 characterized by genetic marker M124 arose in southern Central Asia. Then began a major wave of human migration whereby members migrated southward to present-day India and Pakistan (Genographic Project by the National Geographic Society; http://www.nationalgeographiccom/). Indians and Pakistanis have the same ancestry and share the same DNA sequence.
Here's what is happening in India:
The two Ambani brothers can buy 100 percent of every company listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) and would still be left with $30 billion to spare. The four richest Indians can buy up all goods and services produced over a year by 169 million Pakistanis and still be left with $60 billion to spare. The four richest Indians are now richer than the forty richest Chinese.
In November, Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark Sensex flirted with 20,000 points. As a consequence, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries became a $100 billion company (the entire KSE is capitalized at $65 billion). Mukesh owns 48 percent of Reliance.
In November, comes Neeta's birthday. Neeta turned forty-four three weeks ago. Look what she got from her husband as her birthday present: A sixty-million dollar jet with a custom fitted master bedroom, bathroom with mood lighting, a sky bar, entertainment cabins, satellite television, wireless communication and a separate cabin with game consoles. Neeta is Mukesh Ambani's wife, and Mukesh is not India's richest but the second richest.
Mukesh is now building his new home, Residence Antillia (after a mythical, phantom island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean). At a cost of $1 billion this would be the most expensive home on the face of the planet. At 173 meters tall Mukesh's new family residence, for a family of six, will be the equivalent of a 60-storeyed building. The first six floors are reserved for parking. The seventh floor is for car servicing and maintenance. The eighth floor houses a mini-theatre. Then there's a health club, a gym and a swimming pool. Two floors are reserved for Ambani family's guests. Four floors above the guest floors are family floors all with a superb view of the Arabian Sea. On top of everything are three helipads. A staff of 600 is expected to care for the family and their family home.
In 2004, India became the 3rd most attractive foreign direct investment destination. Pakistan wasn't even in the top 25 countries. In 2004, the United Nations, the representative body of 192 sovereign member states, had requested the Election Commission of India to assist the UN in the holding elections in Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah and Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan. Why the Election Commission of India and not the Election Commission of Pakistan? After all, Islamabad is closer to Kabul than is Delhi.
Imagine, 12 percent of all American scientists are of Indian origin; 38 percent of doctors in America are Indian; 36 percent of NASA scientists are Indians; 34 percent of Microsoft employees are Indians; and 28 percent of IBM employees are Indians.
For the record: Sabeer Bhatia created and founded Hotmail. Sun Microsystems was founded by Vinod Khosla. The Intel Pentium processor, that runs 90 percent of all computers, was fathered by Vinod Dham. Rajiv Gupta co-invented Hewlett Packard's E-speak project. Four out of ten Silicon Valley start-ups are run by Indians. Bollywood produces 800 movies per year and six Indian ladies have won Miss Universe/Miss World titles over the past 10 years.
For the record: Azim Premji, the richest Muslim entrepreneur on the face of the planet, was born in Bombay and now lives in Bangalore.India now has more than three dozen billionaires; Pakistan has none (not a single dollar billionaire).
The other amazing aspect is the rapid pace at which India is creating wealth. In 2002, Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh and Anil Ambani's father, left his two sons a fortune worth $2.8 billion. In 2007, their combined wealth stood at $94 billion. On 29 October 2007, as a result of the stock market rally and the appreciation of the Indian rupee, Mukesh became the richest person in the world, with net worth climbing to US$63.2 billion (Bill Gates, the richest American, stands at around $56 billion).
Indians and Pakistanis have the same Y-chromosome haplogroup. We have the same genetic sequence and the same genetic marker (namely: M124). We have the same DNA molecule, the same DNA sequence. Our culture, our traditions and our cuisine are all the same. We watch the same movies and sing the same songs. What is it that Indians have and we don't?
Indians elect their leaders.
(The writer is an Islamabad-based freelance columnist)
By Dr Farrukh Saleem
12/9/2007
Twenty-five thousand years ago, haplogroup R2 characterized by genetic marker M124 arose in southern Central Asia. Then began a major wave of human migration whereby members migrated southward to present-day India and Pakistan (Genographic Project by the National Geographic Society; http://www.nationalgeographiccom/). Indians and Pakistanis have the same ancestry and share the same DNA sequence.
Here's what is happening in India:
The two Ambani brothers can buy 100 percent of every company listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) and would still be left with $30 billion to spare. The four richest Indians can buy up all goods and services produced over a year by 169 million Pakistanis and still be left with $60 billion to spare. The four richest Indians are now richer than the forty richest Chinese.
In November, Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark Sensex flirted with 20,000 points. As a consequence, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries became a $100 billion company (the entire KSE is capitalized at $65 billion). Mukesh owns 48 percent of Reliance.
In November, comes Neeta's birthday. Neeta turned forty-four three weeks ago. Look what she got from her husband as her birthday present: A sixty-million dollar jet with a custom fitted master bedroom, bathroom with mood lighting, a sky bar, entertainment cabins, satellite television, wireless communication and a separate cabin with game consoles. Neeta is Mukesh Ambani's wife, and Mukesh is not India's richest but the second richest.
Mukesh is now building his new home, Residence Antillia (after a mythical, phantom island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean). At a cost of $1 billion this would be the most expensive home on the face of the planet. At 173 meters tall Mukesh's new family residence, for a family of six, will be the equivalent of a 60-storeyed building. The first six floors are reserved for parking. The seventh floor is for car servicing and maintenance. The eighth floor houses a mini-theatre. Then there's a health club, a gym and a swimming pool. Two floors are reserved for Ambani family's guests. Four floors above the guest floors are family floors all with a superb view of the Arabian Sea. On top of everything are three helipads. A staff of 600 is expected to care for the family and their family home.
In 2004, India became the 3rd most attractive foreign direct investment destination. Pakistan wasn't even in the top 25 countries. In 2004, the United Nations, the representative body of 192 sovereign member states, had requested the Election Commission of India to assist the UN in the holding elections in Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah and Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan. Why the Election Commission of India and not the Election Commission of Pakistan? After all, Islamabad is closer to Kabul than is Delhi.
Imagine, 12 percent of all American scientists are of Indian origin; 38 percent of doctors in America are Indian; 36 percent of NASA scientists are Indians; 34 percent of Microsoft employees are Indians; and 28 percent of IBM employees are Indians.
For the record: Sabeer Bhatia created and founded Hotmail. Sun Microsystems was founded by Vinod Khosla. The Intel Pentium processor, that runs 90 percent of all computers, was fathered by Vinod Dham. Rajiv Gupta co-invented Hewlett Packard's E-speak project. Four out of ten Silicon Valley start-ups are run by Indians. Bollywood produces 800 movies per year and six Indian ladies have won Miss Universe/Miss World titles over the past 10 years.
For the record: Azim Premji, the richest Muslim entrepreneur on the face of the planet, was born in Bombay and now lives in Bangalore.India now has more than three dozen billionaires; Pakistan has none (not a single dollar billionaire).
The other amazing aspect is the rapid pace at which India is creating wealth. In 2002, Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh and Anil Ambani's father, left his two sons a fortune worth $2.8 billion. In 2007, their combined wealth stood at $94 billion. On 29 October 2007, as a result of the stock market rally and the appreciation of the Indian rupee, Mukesh became the richest person in the world, with net worth climbing to US$63.2 billion (Bill Gates, the richest American, stands at around $56 billion).
Indians and Pakistanis have the same Y-chromosome haplogroup. We have the same genetic sequence and the same genetic marker (namely: M124). We have the same DNA molecule, the same DNA sequence. Our culture, our traditions and our cuisine are all the same. We watch the same movies and sing the same songs. What is it that Indians have and we don't?
Indians elect their leaders.
(The writer is an Islamabad-based freelance columnist)
Saturday, January 05, 2008
New Zealand is Safe, Mate!
Believe it or not - New Zealand has no snakes, bears, aligators, wild cats or scorpions! It does have spiders, though none of them are dangerous!
In contrast, Australia seems to have the most dangerous and poisonous of all the world's creatures!
In contrast, Australia seems to have the most dangerous and poisonous of all the world's creatures!
Friday, January 04, 2008
Three Lessons
Three key lessons I learnt from my uncle as a kid, lessons I never forgot, lessons that have had a profound impact on my life...
1) No alcohol, till at least you are forty
2) United we stand, divided we fall
3) Don't kill that ant - you gain nothing, but it loses it's only life
Amazing how simple one liners become the most important learnings in your life!
1) No alcohol, till at least you are forty
2) United we stand, divided we fall
3) Don't kill that ant - you gain nothing, but it loses it's only life
Amazing how simple one liners become the most important learnings in your life!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
When the law assumes an accused is innocent until proven guilty, even in the most horrendous of crimes, why is it that we consider near and dear ones, our lovers, our friends, our partners guilty until proven innocent? How is it that we love and trust someone so much, and yet, give that same person absolutely no chance to present his or her case, to speak out?
Why do the strongest of relationships die because of a simple failure to have a dialogue?
Why do the strongest of relationships die because of a simple failure to have a dialogue?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Not Trying is Worse Than Failure!
Since last night, I am haunted by the sight of a cat, struck by a passing car, lying in the middle of the road begging for help.. looking up at me, into my eyes, pleading to be rescued...
And instead of stopping right away, I swerve to miss it, then go ahead, hesitating... thinking, should I stop and move it to the side? But it was bleeding, maybe broken bones..
And by the time I stop, I have already moved ahead a couple of hundred meters.. and I keep moving...
I can still feel her eyes looking at me, begging for help...
I love cats, and I would love to help.. but I didn't.. I thought, and I debated.. and I lost the chance... and the cat lost it's life...
I know I am responsible.. my friend tried to convince me it wasn't my fault.. maybe it lived after all, maybe it was already dead...
But I know I killed it.. by not trying...
And instead of stopping right away, I swerve to miss it, then go ahead, hesitating... thinking, should I stop and move it to the side? But it was bleeding, maybe broken bones..
And by the time I stop, I have already moved ahead a couple of hundred meters.. and I keep moving...
I can still feel her eyes looking at me, begging for help...
I love cats, and I would love to help.. but I didn't.. I thought, and I debated.. and I lost the chance... and the cat lost it's life...
I know I am responsible.. my friend tried to convince me it wasn't my fault.. maybe it lived after all, maybe it was already dead...
But I know I killed it.. by not trying...
Law of the Garbage Truck
Got this in a mail forward.. pretty nice, though!
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what's important.
Learned it in the back of a Harare City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Westgate . We were driving when all of a sudden a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! Here's what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any Zimbabwean , some words in Harare come with a special face.
Now, here's what blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, " The Law of the Garbage Truck." Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personal. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did. I guarantee it.
So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore." I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
One of my favourite Football players of all times , Ronaldinho, does this every day on the football field.With a smile he always jumps up as quickly as he hits the ground after being tackled. He never dwells on a hit. Ronaldinho is always ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.
Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present,and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? You'll be much happier.
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what's important.
Learned it in the back of a Harare City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Westgate . We were driving when all of a sudden a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! Here's what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any Zimbabwean , some words in Harare come with a special face.
Now, here's what blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, " The Law of the Garbage Truck." Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personal. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did. I guarantee it.
So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore." I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
One of my favourite Football players of all times , Ronaldinho, does this every day on the football field.With a smile he always jumps up as quickly as he hits the ground after being tackled. He never dwells on a hit. Ronaldinho is always ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.
Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present,and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? You'll be much happier.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Movie Review: 1408
Suspense & horror in the first half, pretty well done, but gets a little boring and over the top in the second half. Good if you have nothing else to watch!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Movie Review: I Am Legend
I like imagining the end of the world, I like visualizing a city stopped dead in it's tracks by a deadly virus that eliminates the people but keeps everything else intact - been one of my favourite macabre pass times in the past times :) Frankly, it helps me better appreciate what we have today!
That's what attracted me to I Am Legend. The world celebrates the successful cure of Cancer, before the mutated virus goes bonkers, finishing off the world's population, with most of the 6 billion dead, and a few million survivors who lose their human sensibilities and turn into animals of the dark - coming out to hunt and eat the remaining humans who had somehow survived the virus. Will Smith is the one survivor left in New York, living a very lonely life with his dog, hoping to one day meet other survivors.
The second half gets taxing, but if you share my macabre hobbies, you will certainly enjoy the first!
That's what attracted me to I Am Legend. The world celebrates the successful cure of Cancer, before the mutated virus goes bonkers, finishing off the world's population, with most of the 6 billion dead, and a few million survivors who lose their human sensibilities and turn into animals of the dark - coming out to hunt and eat the remaining humans who had somehow survived the virus. Will Smith is the one survivor left in New York, living a very lonely life with his dog, hoping to one day meet other survivors.
The second half gets taxing, but if you share my macabre hobbies, you will certainly enjoy the first!
Movie Review: Dus Kahaniyaan
In the age of T20 and MacD's fast food, it is perhaps non-evitable that we will also have shorter versions of movies coming up! The question is, do I want a good, short movie, or do I want 10 back-to-back short movies, with no connection to each other?
Dus Kahaniyaan is a compilation of 10 short stories, back-to-back, with no connection or common thread. Watch out for some good twists in the tale at the end of each story - especially the first one with Mandira Bedi and the beautiful tale of a mom (Amrita Singh) and her daughter (Minissha Lamba). Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah dazzle in the Rice Plate, Masoomeh looks really hot in the Highway story, and there are some other interesting momemts too, including the music in the last story. Half of the stories though, including Sex on the Beach, the Earring on the Train, The Bar Girl and Gubbare, are simply a waste of time!
Disclaimer: I do not remember the names of the stories themselves - but these seemed pretty good descriptions :)
Dus Kahaniyaan is a compilation of 10 short stories, back-to-back, with no connection or common thread. Watch out for some good twists in the tale at the end of each story - especially the first one with Mandira Bedi and the beautiful tale of a mom (Amrita Singh) and her daughter (Minissha Lamba). Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah dazzle in the Rice Plate, Masoomeh looks really hot in the Highway story, and there are some other interesting momemts too, including the music in the last story. Half of the stories though, including Sex on the Beach, the Earring on the Train, The Bar Girl and Gubbare, are simply a waste of time!
Disclaimer: I do not remember the names of the stories themselves - but these seemed pretty good descriptions :)
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Movie Review: Khoya Khoya Chand
Khoya Khoya Chand is the story of a struggling actress Nikhat (Soha Ali) in the 50s, her producer-lover (Rajat Kapoor) who she uses to achieve stardom, and who dumps her at the time of marriage, and her subsequent relationship with the guy who steps in when she is alone - Shiny Ahuja, himself a budding writer. Their relationship then goes for a toss in the arclights of their careers, and Nikhat takes to drinking and B grade movies, before everything falls into place for a happy ending.
KKC is a visual treat with it's excellent cinematography, with the beautiful 1950s sepia look. Soha shows that she can act, and plays the role of the oppressed 50s star Nikhat well, but could have been better. Shiny looks good, with an excellent wardrobe, but frankly, his roles and look is starting to look pretty similar in all his movies - he needs a makeover! Saurabh Shukla is awesome once again, and has some very good dialogues, including my favourite, "Different People, Different Stories!" The real attraction of the movie for me though, was the music. Absolutely beautiful - especially "Khoye Khoye Chaand Ki Talash..." and "Tirak Tirak...". Some really soulful music in a long, long time.
It's a short movie, just around 2.15 hours, but the secod half drags on nevertheless - another 15 mins cut on the editor's table, and this would have been a masterpiece.
KKC is a visual treat with it's excellent cinematography, with the beautiful 1950s sepia look. Soha shows that she can act, and plays the role of the oppressed 50s star Nikhat well, but could have been better. Shiny looks good, with an excellent wardrobe, but frankly, his roles and look is starting to look pretty similar in all his movies - he needs a makeover! Saurabh Shukla is awesome once again, and has some very good dialogues, including my favourite, "Different People, Different Stories!" The real attraction of the movie for me though, was the music. Absolutely beautiful - especially "Khoye Khoye Chaand Ki Talash..." and "Tirak Tirak...". Some really soulful music in a long, long time.
It's a short movie, just around 2.15 hours, but the secod half drags on nevertheless - another 15 mins cut on the editor's table, and this would have been a masterpiece.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Dada: Man of the Match and Man of the Series!
Dada followed up his 239 in the first innings with a smashing 91 in the second, coming so close to being only the 7th person in history to get a double and a century in the same test, as India wrapped up the 3 match series against Pakistan 1-0. Rightfully, with more than a 1000 runs this season, Dada also bagged the man of the match and the man of the series awards - all this from a man who was not even sure of his place in the side a year back!
Way to go, Dada! Way to go!
Pakistan down, Australia, here we come!
Way to go, Dada! Way to go!
Pakistan down, Australia, here we come!
Monday, December 10, 2007
My Plane's Shadow...
This is one of my favourite photos - the shadow of my plane down on the cloud below, surrounded by a halo - taken through a duplicate non-digital Yashica camera worth less than 2000 bucks.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Rare Cricket Shots!
Check these awesome photos - one probably from the bodyline era, the other in 2001. How often have you seen something like this on the field?
Dennis Lillee and his Australian side, against the English maybe?
Once again, Australia against Zimbabwe in 2001
Interestingly, I had seen the earlier photo just a day or two before this one came in the newspapers! Talk about coincidence and timing!
ps: I would love to know more on the situations surrounding these photos - should be easy to find on Google, but just too tired to do it myself!
Demolition Man in Dancing Shoes
That's how I can best describe the Maharaja today - mercilessly crushing the opposition, and making the carnage look like art!
Dada Gets 200
A sell out crowd at the Chinnaswamy, and millions of fans across the world, stand up to applaud one of the biggest ever comebacks, in cricket and in life, as Dada gets his 200... and over 1000 runs in the last 10 tests, since his comeback to the Indian team.
Dada, you are an inspiration! Thank you!
One day, I wanna write a book on you!
Dada, you are an inspiration! Thank you!
One day, I wanna write a book on you!
Third Test - Dada Rocks
Yet another match, yet another test for the Maharaja of cricket, and yet another time, he rises to the occasion magnificently!
Down in the dumps at 60/4 on the first day of the 3rd test in Bengalore, India were with their backs to the wall. That was before Yuvi joined Dada, the two left-handers taking the Pak attack head on, hammering contrasting and beautiful centuries and putting on 300 runs for the 5th wicket, the test firmly back in their grasp. While Dada was sublime and deft in his offside play, relying on his timing, placement and loads of experience, Yuvraj was youthfully aggressive and played some beautiful shots that had 4 written on them the moment the ball touched his blade.
And when he crossed his 100, Dada hugged him tight, a touch longer than would be expected - and it was a scene that truly warmed hearts - the master hugging his disciple. And as Yuvraj said later, it meant a lot to him that Dada, the one person who had backed and encouraged him all along, was there when he got his landmark.
India ended the day at 365/5, Yuvraj losing his wicket at the fag end of the day. At the time of writing this, towadrs lunch time on day 2, Dada continues the good work - on 166, and is now eyeing his 200. He has just stepped out to hoist Danish over long off for a huge 6.
Down in the dumps at 60/4 on the first day of the 3rd test in Bengalore, India were with their backs to the wall. That was before Yuvi joined Dada, the two left-handers taking the Pak attack head on, hammering contrasting and beautiful centuries and putting on 300 runs for the 5th wicket, the test firmly back in their grasp. While Dada was sublime and deft in his offside play, relying on his timing, placement and loads of experience, Yuvraj was youthfully aggressive and played some beautiful shots that had 4 written on them the moment the ball touched his blade.
And when he crossed his 100, Dada hugged him tight, a touch longer than would be expected - and it was a scene that truly warmed hearts - the master hugging his disciple. And as Yuvraj said later, it meant a lot to him that Dada, the one person who had backed and encouraged him all along, was there when he got his landmark.
India ended the day at 365/5, Yuvraj losing his wicket at the fag end of the day. At the time of writing this, towadrs lunch time on day 2, Dada continues the good work - on 166, and is now eyeing his 200. He has just stepped out to hoist Danish over long off for a huge 6.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Focus and Intent, Really!
Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press "Ctrl Alt Delete" and start all over?
That's what a friend's status message said today.
Made me go back to my earlier post on decisions, and training the mind. It's true isn't it? Life does allow you a chance to "Ctrl Alt Delete" - the question always is, do you want to press those buttons? Most of the times, we don't want to. We live being in limbo, we like holding on to the past, while wanting to snatch at the future. And we do both, half-heartedly.
That's what a friend's status message said today.
Made me go back to my earlier post on decisions, and training the mind. It's true isn't it? Life does allow you a chance to "Ctrl Alt Delete" - the question always is, do you want to press those buttons? Most of the times, we don't want to. We live being in limbo, we like holding on to the past, while wanting to snatch at the future. And we do both, half-heartedly.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Quote for the Day
Hunger is important in your youth. Hunger for success, fame, career, whatever. Failure should not be an option. SRK.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Anonymous Fan :)
I just realised I have an anonymous walking partner (two of them, actually!) who also likes to quote Shakespeare, doesn't understand good poetry, and is so pessimistic about the strength of Shiddat unless accompanied by someone who truly loves you :)
And for sure, this person wins the award for the most irrelevant PJ comments on my blog, and more importantly, takes the credit for making me maro PJ comments in return...
Sigh, Siddhesh Bhobe, what's wrong with you?
And for sure, this person wins the award for the most irrelevant PJ comments on my blog, and more importantly, takes the credit for making me maro PJ comments in return...
Sigh, Siddhesh Bhobe, what's wrong with you?
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Quote of the Day
All of the brothers were valiant, and all of the sisters virtuous.. until proven otherwise. From Robert Ludlum's "The Arctic Event" written by James Cobb.
Dental Tourism
We have all heard of medical tourism - Westerners flying down to India for world class medical treatment at a fraction of the cost. I was in Goa last month, and saw an interesting aspect of this - in a stretch of around 1.5 kms in the Calangute area, I counted not less than 15 dental clinics promising the lastest and the greatest in dental treatment! Considering that dental problems are one of the most frequent medical problems, and that most dental problems like root canals and cavities are easily tackled and can be done at any time, and yet so expensive in the US and Europe, this really makes so much sense!
Also, Tito's now has it's own ambulance and para medical healthcare facilities - run and managed by a foreigner. And apparently, he has a roaring business!
Also, Tito's now has it's own ambulance and para medical healthcare facilities - run and managed by a foreigner. And apparently, he has a roaring business!
Movie Review: Aaja Nachle
Disclaimer: I have not seen the movie yet :)
I don't think Madhuri should have tried a comeback with a movie that sounds like a B-grade flick where mujras follow sex follows mujras. She's an awesome dancer, but she should have come back as an actress, not a dancer. Are Indian audiences willing to sit through three hours of a mother of 2 dancing, if it's not backed by a good story, good action, good comedy or good acting? I am not too sure...
Guess the next couple of weeks will tell!
I don't think Madhuri should have tried a comeback with a movie that sounds like a B-grade flick where mujras follow sex follows mujras. She's an awesome dancer, but she should have come back as an actress, not a dancer. Are Indian audiences willing to sit through three hours of a mother of 2 dancing, if it's not backed by a good story, good action, good comedy or good acting? I am not too sure...
Guess the next couple of weeks will tell!
Trees..
There is something so beautiful about trees.. maybe it's the refreshing green color, maybe it's the way they give so much while taking so less, maybe it's the way they gently sway in the breeze, alive, yet peaceful, serene, calm. Not running away - standing firm, supremely confident. They block out the harsh sun, give you shade, they block out the rains, protect you from getting wet. And yet, they use these same elements to enrich themselves and grow.
Until we chop them off...
Until we chop them off...
India Take Command in Second Test
After winning the first test, India took complete command in the second test at Eden Gardens against Pakistan. After declaring at 616/5 yesterday evening, Kumble struck to reduce Pakistan to 50/1 at stumps, and by lunch on day 3, Pakistan is in a deep hole at 154/5, with more than 2.5 days to go and still 462 runs behind.
Earlier, the Indian run machine made a mockery of the once-dreaded Pakistani attack to put up a mammoth total. Wasim Jaffer struck a masterful double century, VVS Laxman and Dada both got centuries, while Sachin, Dravid and Dhoni got half centuries. Dada's first century on his home ground was the highlight of the day yesterday, with the match being completely one-sided (just like the rest of thr tour has been!) - the huge crowds giving him a standing ovation. Unfortunately, he was dismissed quickly after his 3 figure mark, trying to heave Salman Butt out of the stadium in an effort to further up the scoring rate towards a quicker declaration.
What a comeback/performance this has been by all the seniors in the team, once marked for retirement by the erstwhile Aussie coach!
Earlier, the Indian run machine made a mockery of the once-dreaded Pakistani attack to put up a mammoth total. Wasim Jaffer struck a masterful double century, VVS Laxman and Dada both got centuries, while Sachin, Dravid and Dhoni got half centuries. Dada's first century on his home ground was the highlight of the day yesterday, with the match being completely one-sided (just like the rest of thr tour has been!) - the huge crowds giving him a standing ovation. Unfortunately, he was dismissed quickly after his 3 figure mark, trying to heave Salman Butt out of the stadium in an effort to further up the scoring rate towards a quicker declaration.
What a comeback/performance this has been by all the seniors in the team, once marked for retirement by the erstwhile Aussie coach!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Quote for the Day
"A short walk is so tedious when no one walks with you, but a long journey is just like a few steps when you walk with someone who really cares for you"
I am packing... anyone up for it?
I am packing... anyone up for it?
Quotes for the Day
From U. G Krishnamurthy (http://www.well.com/user/jct/):
"We don't want to be free from fear. All that we want to do is to play games with it and talk about freeing ourselves from fear."
"When the movement in the direction of becoming something other than what you are isn't there any more, you are not in conflict with yourself."
Zephyr, thanks for the link... I am shaken by UG already!
"We don't want to be free from fear. All that we want to do is to play games with it and talk about freeing ourselves from fear."
"When the movement in the direction of becoming something other than what you are isn't there any more, you are not in conflict with yourself."
Zephyr, thanks for the link... I am shaken by UG already!
It's all about Koshish!
Kitni shiddat se tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai..
Ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai..
Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko agar dil se chaho to saari kayanath tumhe usse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai..
Oh really? :)
Ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai..
Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko agar dil se chaho to saari kayanath tumhe usse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai..
Oh really? :)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Decisions..
How do you make those critical choices? How do you decide what to do and what not to do, especially when you have two or more alternatives - usually with emotional ramifications?
Choose heads or tails. Toss a coin. Before it comes down, you will know what side you want to come up.
That's the right decision for you!
Always works for me!
Choose heads or tails. Toss a coin. Before it comes down, you will know what side you want to come up.
That's the right decision for you!
Always works for me!
It's All in the Mind
Do you know who's the easiest to fool? It's yourself. Most people say, you can fool everyone but yourself. Trust me, that's a myth.
Remember this: The easiest person to fool is yourself!
Yes, I know there is intuition. Yes, I know your inner voice, your inner mind, your subconscious, always steps in and tells you what is right and what is wrong, what the truth is. But remember, your subconscious, your inner mind works off data too. It learns, it sees patterns, it processes this and then makes it's decisions - as long as you feed it the right data, you can actually control your intuition and your subconcious.
So let me make it a little easier to say and admit - and actually feel better when you say it - it's always possible to harness your mind to make it think and believe what you want it to!
What implications does this have in our life? How can we harness this? Simple - train your mind to believe what you want to believe.
For example, what is love? It's a state of mind - it's how you feel. Do you really miss a person all the time? Can you really not live without a person? Can you really never every love again? The answer, surprisingly, is - depends on what you want it to be! The truth of the matter is - there is no one answer. Both a yes and a no is perfectly possible - it all depends on what you train your mind to feel! When we are in love, we tell ourselves things we want to be "true", because it's a state of mind we "like". We like saying, you are always in my mind, I miss you, and over time, that's what our mind starts believing! When we break up, our mind keeps reminding us what we trained it to tell us. Result? We miss our love, we feel upset, we cry. We don't want to live any more.
So what can we do? First, decide what you want! If you are not serious about getting over it, your mind will ensure it keeps reminding you how much you miss your ex, and you will forever be miserable. But if you want to get out and get a life, you can actually train (fool, if you want!) your mind to get rid of those "impressions" and "feelings". How? By feeding it the right data. Stop thinking of all the awesome times you spent together - that's not going to help you, babes! Think of all the hurt, the pain, the negatives - make sure your mind flushes it's cache, and replaces it with the "right" data.
What is God? You pray to an idol, you pray to a thought, you pray to an idea - and you tell your mind - when I do it, He will answer my prayers. What are you really doing? You are training your mind to feel the strength, you are "fooling" yourself into believing in God, and that is what gives you the strength. When you are sick, you can "fool" your mind, and your body into actually getting better! (There have been far too many medical studies that prove the effectiveness of placebos)
Are you playing with your feelings? Are you "fooling" yourself? No! Not at all! You are getting your life back!!!
The truth is what you want to believe. What is right and what is wrong is really for you to decide. What you want, is right, and what hurts you, is wrong. That's life!
Try it - it's all in the mind! And harnessing it is just about feeding it the right thoughts! Do you realise what a powerful tool you have, when you can feel, think and believe what you actually want?
Remember this: The easiest person to fool is yourself!
Yes, I know there is intuition. Yes, I know your inner voice, your inner mind, your subconscious, always steps in and tells you what is right and what is wrong, what the truth is. But remember, your subconscious, your inner mind works off data too. It learns, it sees patterns, it processes this and then makes it's decisions - as long as you feed it the right data, you can actually control your intuition and your subconcious.
So let me make it a little easier to say and admit - and actually feel better when you say it - it's always possible to harness your mind to make it think and believe what you want it to!
What implications does this have in our life? How can we harness this? Simple - train your mind to believe what you want to believe.
For example, what is love? It's a state of mind - it's how you feel. Do you really miss a person all the time? Can you really not live without a person? Can you really never every love again? The answer, surprisingly, is - depends on what you want it to be! The truth of the matter is - there is no one answer. Both a yes and a no is perfectly possible - it all depends on what you train your mind to feel! When we are in love, we tell ourselves things we want to be "true", because it's a state of mind we "like". We like saying, you are always in my mind, I miss you, and over time, that's what our mind starts believing! When we break up, our mind keeps reminding us what we trained it to tell us. Result? We miss our love, we feel upset, we cry. We don't want to live any more.
So what can we do? First, decide what you want! If you are not serious about getting over it, your mind will ensure it keeps reminding you how much you miss your ex, and you will forever be miserable. But if you want to get out and get a life, you can actually train (fool, if you want!) your mind to get rid of those "impressions" and "feelings". How? By feeding it the right data. Stop thinking of all the awesome times you spent together - that's not going to help you, babes! Think of all the hurt, the pain, the negatives - make sure your mind flushes it's cache, and replaces it with the "right" data.
What is God? You pray to an idol, you pray to a thought, you pray to an idea - and you tell your mind - when I do it, He will answer my prayers. What are you really doing? You are training your mind to feel the strength, you are "fooling" yourself into believing in God, and that is what gives you the strength. When you are sick, you can "fool" your mind, and your body into actually getting better! (There have been far too many medical studies that prove the effectiveness of placebos)
Are you playing with your feelings? Are you "fooling" yourself? No! Not at all! You are getting your life back!!!
The truth is what you want to believe. What is right and what is wrong is really for you to decide. What you want, is right, and what hurts you, is wrong. That's life!
Try it - it's all in the mind! And harnessing it is just about feeding it the right thoughts! Do you realise what a powerful tool you have, when you can feel, think and believe what you actually want?
Sanjay Dutt is back...
Sanjay Dutt is back home today, after his stint in Yerawada. Frankly, I think the guy has been punished enough - he has been stupid at times, reckless too, but I think he deserves his freedom now.
Moreover, I can't wait to see Munnabhai in the US!
On a different note though, I think instead of putting celebrities behind bars, they should be "reformed" by making them contribute to society - use their presence, use their power and popularity, and get work done...
Moreover, I can't wait to see Munnabhai in the US!
On a different note though, I think instead of putting celebrities behind bars, they should be "reformed" by making them contribute to society - use their presence, use their power and popularity, and get work done...
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Delhi Fire Service
Watching a documentary on Nat Geo, on Delhi's Fire Brigade. Very interesting... it focuses on the bravery, determination, training, camaraderie and innovative spirit of the firefighters in the face of resource limitations and low technology.. very inspiring stuff!
At the end of the day, it's not about giving excuses for why not, it is about finding how you can make it happen! Just like Delhi's firefighters!
At the end of the day, it's not about giving excuses for why not, it is about finding how you can make it happen! Just like Delhi's firefighters!
Chak De, India!
Just saw Guru on TV.. awesome movie, but the best part is Gurubhai's speech at the end of the movie.. why should we be satisfied being India's biggest company, we want to be the world's biggest. And then his laugh.. clear, happy, almost devilish.. the world at his feet.. waiting for him to come and rule it...
Our army always made us proud... still remember Kargil.. never once did the army make us citizens feel threatened, young army officers fighting on the fronts, shoulder to shoulder with the foot soldiers, giving up their lives, ensuring we slept peacefully while the enemy paid a terrible price for daring to lay eyes on us.
Our cricket team is world T20 champ, it has learnt to win, to be number one. To take on the Pakis and the Aussies, on their own turf, and win.
And now the Reliances and the Tatas are living Gurubhai's dreams. The Ambanis are the world's richest today, easily putting behind once-untouchable-even-in-our-dreams Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. How long before India takes her rightful place at the helm of the world's affairs?
Move aside, world, India is waking up...
Our army always made us proud... still remember Kargil.. never once did the army make us citizens feel threatened, young army officers fighting on the fronts, shoulder to shoulder with the foot soldiers, giving up their lives, ensuring we slept peacefully while the enemy paid a terrible price for daring to lay eyes on us.
Our cricket team is world T20 champ, it has learnt to win, to be number one. To take on the Pakis and the Aussies, on their own turf, and win.
And now the Reliances and the Tatas are living Gurubhai's dreams. The Ambanis are the world's richest today, easily putting behind once-untouchable-even-in-our-dreams Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. How long before India takes her rightful place at the helm of the world's affairs?
Move aside, world, India is waking up...
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Childhood Memories....
Standard 2 - flanked by friends I haven't met in atleast a decade, in some cases, two
Still feel the pain of the cats claws - memories very fresh and vivid in my mind!
Still have this tie with me!
Interestingly, Sanam has a pic taken in almost the exactly same position, at the same place!
At my Moonj ceremony in 1983
Saturday, November 24, 2007
In the Dark...
Interesting Animals
This cute baby monkey joined us on the boat ride to Dubbare...
This HUGE pig, a first we saw with a leash, was an absolute stunner on the road from Dubbare.. inspired by the elephants?
A beautiful spider web...
And it's very scary occupant.. didn't hesitate a bit coming out to scare me!
The Coorg Tree Blog
Huge bamboo clusters on the Coorg-Mysore highway... the early morning sunlight filtering from behind
Vines curling up, forming bonds, holding firm..
Dense forest lines the path to Abby Falls
Lovely blue skies frame these beautiful trees
Hold me tight, says the tree to the vine, and the vine obliges... 
Dark and serene, peaceful forests against the late evening sky
These beautiful trees have interesting triangular, wedged trunks
Pecked by the woodpeckers!
Reaching for the blue skies, this thin tall tree is one of the beautiful millions dotting the Kodagu forestsMeeting the King Khan
Shweta and Siddha actually met the King Khan yesterday, in the backdrop of the IFFI at Goa. Not only did they talk to him and shake his hands, the King Khan actually forgot to return Shweta's pen - she's going wild just thinking about it
SRK is truly the King of Bollywood and Indian Cinema lovers all over the world... from the cute kid in Fauji that we all loved to wait a whole week to see next (we were in 9th-10th then, I guess), to Circus, and then in movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Duplicate (my last movie as a bachelor - saw it alone at Mangala the day before I left for Goa to get married :)), SRK portrayed the perfect romantic hero in the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenges and the Kuch Kuch Hota Hais of the early 90s. He inspired a whole generation of us with the Kal Ho Na Hos, and movies like Chalte Chalte continue to bring tears to my eye with his special brand of "I am not afraid to say I shamelessly love you" love. In the recent past, SRK has dished out one special movie treat after another - Kabhi Alvida Na Kehena, Swades, Don, Chak De and now, Om Shanti Om. Movies that will make us smile, cry, make us proud, inspire us, entertain us, and make us proud to be Indian. For ever and ever.
A true entertainer, and a very big inspiration for me in so many ways, SRK, here's a salute to you! We love you!
SRK is truly the King of Bollywood and Indian Cinema lovers all over the world... from the cute kid in Fauji that we all loved to wait a whole week to see next (we were in 9th-10th then, I guess), to Circus, and then in movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Duplicate (my last movie as a bachelor - saw it alone at Mangala the day before I left for Goa to get married :)), SRK portrayed the perfect romantic hero in the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenges and the Kuch Kuch Hota Hais of the early 90s. He inspired a whole generation of us with the Kal Ho Na Hos, and movies like Chalte Chalte continue to bring tears to my eye with his special brand of "I am not afraid to say I shamelessly love you" love. In the recent past, SRK has dished out one special movie treat after another - Kabhi Alvida Na Kehena, Swades, Don, Chak De and now, Om Shanti Om. Movies that will make us smile, cry, make us proud, inspire us, entertain us, and make us proud to be Indian. For ever and ever.
A true entertainer, and a very big inspiration for me in so many ways, SRK, here's a salute to you! We love you!
Movie Review: Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
DDDG is the story of a poor desi football club, Southall in London, struggling to win the league to retain ownership of their stadium. A "disgraced" coach (Boman Irani) tries to mould a bunch of rag-a-tag "players" into a team that can compete with the best. The problem is they need a good striker - the coach approaches their old foe Sunny (John Abraham), who turns down the offer. However, Sunny is the victim of racial discrimination, and is left out of his Aston club team, and finally joins Southall. Southall goes on a winning spree, inspite of cropping differences between the captain Shaan (Arshad Warsi in a role that wastes his comic talent) and Sunny.
Someone then plays dirty, offering Sunny an attractive contract - with one condition - he should immediately stop playing for Southall. Being the ruthless professional that he is, Sunny agrees. Southall lose their penultimate match, and desperately need to win the final to win the league.
Then there's a bit of drama - Sunny realises that his father has been Southall's biggest fan, that he always wanted his son to realise his dream of winning the league. He rushes to the stadium, and in the face of grave risk to his life (yes, life), he plays for Southall, hits the winning goal a few seconds from the whistle, and the dream comes true.
A few months earlier, one might have appreciated the movie for its story. Coming after Chak De, the movie is nothing but a huge disappointment. The only saving grace - John Abraham. Watch it only for his dimples and his smile. Else, just stay away! Or, watch OSO instead!
Someone then plays dirty, offering Sunny an attractive contract - with one condition - he should immediately stop playing for Southall. Being the ruthless professional that he is, Sunny agrees. Southall lose their penultimate match, and desperately need to win the final to win the league.
Then there's a bit of drama - Sunny realises that his father has been Southall's biggest fan, that he always wanted his son to realise his dream of winning the league. He rushes to the stadium, and in the face of grave risk to his life (yes, life), he plays for Southall, hits the winning goal a few seconds from the whistle, and the dream comes true.
A few months earlier, one might have appreciated the movie for its story. Coming after Chak De, the movie is nothing but a huge disappointment. The only saving grace - John Abraham. Watch it only for his dimples and his smile. Else, just stay away! Or, watch OSO instead!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Bangalore Impressions
Bangalore comes across as a mega city, struggling with traffic problems. In a city getting stretched beyond limits, frustrated drivers flout rules left, right and center, jostling for right of away with the thousands of autos.
The awesome flyover on airport road is a sign however, that the city is willing to take it's problems head on, and succeed! Automated parking meters and high police presence (again, with the upturned hats), and great road signage give a unique feel to Bengaluru.
The autos don't go by the meter, but continuing with the "be good" image of their rural counterparts, Karnataka's autowallahs are almost endearing in the way they plead with you to give them those extra 10 bucks. And yes, you usually give in!
Some great shopping, great eat-outs, and a bustling, young populace make Bangalore an exciting, young city. But would I trade Pune-Mumbai for it? Naah, yenna rascala, I have toh Mumbai-se-pyaar.
The awesome flyover on airport road is a sign however, that the city is willing to take it's problems head on, and succeed! Automated parking meters and high police presence (again, with the upturned hats), and great road signage give a unique feel to Bengaluru.
The autos don't go by the meter, but continuing with the "be good" image of their rural counterparts, Karnataka's autowallahs are almost endearing in the way they plead with you to give them those extra 10 bucks. And yes, you usually give in!
Some great shopping, great eat-outs, and a bustling, young populace make Bangalore an exciting, young city. But would I trade Pune-Mumbai for it? Naah, yenna rascala, I have toh Mumbai-se-pyaar.
Karnataka Trip Diary
11-Nov-07
At 10.30 pm, we left by taxi for Margaon station, the beginning of our tour down South. We picked Siddha-Shweta from Panaji, and reached the station at 12.00. The train was delayed by almost 3 hours, and we spent the time waiting in the lounge. We didn't have confirmed tickets, and spent some anxious moments standing between carriages in the non AC sleeper sections, before the TTE helped us get 4 berths in our 3 tier AC compartment. Finally, at around 4, we crashed to sleep.
Lesson: Never get into a train without confirmed reservations, especially when you have a kid with you.
Corollary: You can always get into a train without confirmations - you are sure to get a seat as long as you can befriend the TTE.
12-Nov-07
We reached Mangalore at 9 am. Our driver had come to pick us at the station with the Innova that will stay with us for the duration of the tour.
We started off with some excellent breakfast at a near by Taj (cakes and pastries, bread and butter-jam, idlis and wadas, dosas and uthappas, omlettes, juices, tea and coffee, and fruit plates - yes, we actually had ALL of that!) and then left for Coorg.
Lesson: Never get into a loo at a Taj, before checking to see if they have water, or rely only on paper.
The journey, just 150 km or so, took us nearly 5 hours :( The roads were terrible, and our driver was slow too.
We checked into Misty Woods, had some snacks on the lawn, then a campfire, and dinner, and went off to sleep, dead tired by the day's journey!
The campfire was awesome, the logs burned for over an hour, collapsing inwards as the top burned off, till finally all that was left was a heap of smouldering coals. I remember a campfire we made during our Konkan trip - took us 15 mins to set up, and it burned for exactly 2 min and 14 seconds.
Misty Woods is beautiful, but we aren't really the type that would love to curl up in bed after dinner at 1030.
Lesson: Unless you are on a honeymoon, or like crawling in bed with all kinds of winged creatures, avoid a "nature resort".
13-Nov-07
In the morning, we visited the Tibetan Monastery at Kushalnagar, a beautiful refuge for Tibetans nestled in the coffee plantations and forests of Karnataka!
The monastery hosts the Golden Temple, an awe-inspiring place with it's huge idols and player hall.
We had lunch at Filaa, and then went to see the elephant training center at Dubbare. It also involved a lovely boat ride.
From there, we visited Orange County resort, and then came back to the hotel. At a min of 10K per night, we weren't really tempted to stay :)
Did a lot of travelling today - and that's a main problem with Coorg. Everything is so far away, and the roads are terrible, that most of the time goes in travelling. Thankfully, we had an Innova and a driver all along!
14-Nov-07
Visited Talcauvery in the morning, the origin of the Cauvery river. Also climbed the nearby hill (some 350 steps) for a magnificant view. Had lunch at East End hotel in Madikeri, then visited the beautiful Abby Falls nearby. The walk through the jungles to reach the base of the waterfall is simply awe-inspiring, tall, majestic trees line up on either side of the marrow pathway, and birds screech in delight as you climb down the steps...
After half an hour there clicking photographs, and desperately hoping to see a rainbow in the waterfall's sprays, we came back to Madikeri and saw the small fort and insignificant Raja's seat (though with a beautiful view). Also took a ride in the toy train - booked the entire train for ourselves, since there were no other passengers :) Came back early to the hotel, had a campfire, and then crashed to sleep.
Yes, we still hadn't figured out a way to keep ourselves awake longer.
15-Nov-07
We left Misty Woods for Mysore-Bangalore in the early morning, at 6.30 am. Reached Mysore by 9.30 am.
Visited Chamundi Hill and Bull temple first, the lovely back road up the hill making me want to throw the driver out of the vehicle and get my hands on the wheel.
Then we went on to the Wadiyar Palace - very, very beautiful and definitely worth a visit. The grandeur of the place, the intricate woodwork and marble engravings, and the interesting (but not very well maintained) "lifestyle" museum at the back of the palace were of high interest, not just to us, but to Sanam as well.
Then we had lunch, before proceeding to Bangalore. Reached by 5.00 pm, and checked into the Melange Service Apartment we had booked for the night.
Later in the evening, we went to MG, Brigade Road, and Commercial Street for some shopping, and much needed look at civilization as we know it, after being deprived of all that in Misty Woods :) The Coffee Days and the Malls and the Multiplexes and the Traffic! Aaah, to be back! Had dinner at the awesome Three Quarters Chinese restaurant, and then came back to our apartment.
Recommendation: Try the prawns roasted on charcoal and marinated in tulsi leaves. Awesome, awesome, awesome suff!
16-Nov-07
Left for Goa by Jet Airways in the afternoon, after some last minute shopping at Cauvery Emporium on MG Road. Reached Dabolim at 4.00, and came straight to Nerul.
Final Lesson: Avoid the cake on the flight, we are pretty sure that was what led to the food poisoning in the next 2-3 days. Although, frankly, we would all eat it again just to see the sweet Jet air-hostesses back in action :)
At 10.30 pm, we left by taxi for Margaon station, the beginning of our tour down South. We picked Siddha-Shweta from Panaji, and reached the station at 12.00. The train was delayed by almost 3 hours, and we spent the time waiting in the lounge. We didn't have confirmed tickets, and spent some anxious moments standing between carriages in the non AC sleeper sections, before the TTE helped us get 4 berths in our 3 tier AC compartment. Finally, at around 4, we crashed to sleep.
Lesson: Never get into a train without confirmed reservations, especially when you have a kid with you.
Corollary: You can always get into a train without confirmations - you are sure to get a seat as long as you can befriend the TTE.
12-Nov-07
We reached Mangalore at 9 am. Our driver had come to pick us at the station with the Innova that will stay with us for the duration of the tour.
We started off with some excellent breakfast at a near by Taj (cakes and pastries, bread and butter-jam, idlis and wadas, dosas and uthappas, omlettes, juices, tea and coffee, and fruit plates - yes, we actually had ALL of that!) and then left for Coorg.
Lesson: Never get into a loo at a Taj, before checking to see if they have water, or rely only on paper.
The journey, just 150 km or so, took us nearly 5 hours :( The roads were terrible, and our driver was slow too.
We checked into Misty Woods, had some snacks on the lawn, then a campfire, and dinner, and went off to sleep, dead tired by the day's journey!
The campfire was awesome, the logs burned for over an hour, collapsing inwards as the top burned off, till finally all that was left was a heap of smouldering coals. I remember a campfire we made during our Konkan trip - took us 15 mins to set up, and it burned for exactly 2 min and 14 seconds.
Misty Woods is beautiful, but we aren't really the type that would love to curl up in bed after dinner at 1030.
Lesson: Unless you are on a honeymoon, or like crawling in bed with all kinds of winged creatures, avoid a "nature resort".
13-Nov-07
In the morning, we visited the Tibetan Monastery at Kushalnagar, a beautiful refuge for Tibetans nestled in the coffee plantations and forests of Karnataka!
The monastery hosts the Golden Temple, an awe-inspiring place with it's huge idols and player hall.
We had lunch at Filaa, and then went to see the elephant training center at Dubbare. It also involved a lovely boat ride.
From there, we visited Orange County resort, and then came back to the hotel. At a min of 10K per night, we weren't really tempted to stay :)
Did a lot of travelling today - and that's a main problem with Coorg. Everything is so far away, and the roads are terrible, that most of the time goes in travelling. Thankfully, we had an Innova and a driver all along!
14-Nov-07
Visited Talcauvery in the morning, the origin of the Cauvery river. Also climbed the nearby hill (some 350 steps) for a magnificant view. Had lunch at East End hotel in Madikeri, then visited the beautiful Abby Falls nearby. The walk through the jungles to reach the base of the waterfall is simply awe-inspiring, tall, majestic trees line up on either side of the marrow pathway, and birds screech in delight as you climb down the steps...
After half an hour there clicking photographs, and desperately hoping to see a rainbow in the waterfall's sprays, we came back to Madikeri and saw the small fort and insignificant Raja's seat (though with a beautiful view). Also took a ride in the toy train - booked the entire train for ourselves, since there were no other passengers :) Came back early to the hotel, had a campfire, and then crashed to sleep.
Yes, we still hadn't figured out a way to keep ourselves awake longer.
15-Nov-07
We left Misty Woods for Mysore-Bangalore in the early morning, at 6.30 am. Reached Mysore by 9.30 am.
Visited Chamundi Hill and Bull temple first, the lovely back road up the hill making me want to throw the driver out of the vehicle and get my hands on the wheel.
Then we went on to the Wadiyar Palace - very, very beautiful and definitely worth a visit. The grandeur of the place, the intricate woodwork and marble engravings, and the interesting (but not very well maintained) "lifestyle" museum at the back of the palace were of high interest, not just to us, but to Sanam as well.
Then we had lunch, before proceeding to Bangalore. Reached by 5.00 pm, and checked into the Melange Service Apartment we had booked for the night.
Later in the evening, we went to MG, Brigade Road, and Commercial Street for some shopping, and much needed look at civilization as we know it, after being deprived of all that in Misty Woods :) The Coffee Days and the Malls and the Multiplexes and the Traffic! Aaah, to be back! Had dinner at the awesome Three Quarters Chinese restaurant, and then came back to our apartment.
Recommendation: Try the prawns roasted on charcoal and marinated in tulsi leaves. Awesome, awesome, awesome suff!
16-Nov-07
Left for Goa by Jet Airways in the afternoon, after some last minute shopping at Cauvery Emporium on MG Road. Reached Dabolim at 4.00, and came straight to Nerul.
Final Lesson: Avoid the cake on the flight, we are pretty sure that was what led to the food poisoning in the next 2-3 days. Although, frankly, we would all eat it again just to see the sweet Jet air-hostesses back in action :)
Coorg - A District, Not a Hill Station!
Oh, and by the way, for all ye travellers, remember, Coorg a pretty big, hilly district and not a hill station a la Ooty and Kodaikanal. So if you decide to go to Coorg, be prepared to spend lots of lots of time on the road - budget for 50-150 kms a day, on roads where anything above 30 kmph is a dream, even on a sturdy vehicle like the Innova. Madikeri is the district headquarters and the biggest town, but the nature resorts could easily end up being 20-30 kms away!
Karnataka - First Impressions of a Tourist
As the sun broke through the darkness of the night, and the first rays filtered out through the cocunut palms, our train hurtled through the beautiful unspoilt, unexploited farmlands and cocunut groves of north western Karnataka enroute from Goa to Mangalore. Looking out, you cannot help but notice that the villages and their people have a beautiful virgin innocence about them. There's no plastic clogging the drains along the road, you don't see ugly concrete structures and garishly painted signboards advertising the material needs of our civilizations. People have genuine smiles on their faces. When you thank them, their faces light up with a genuine happiness and gratefulness that warms your heart and makes you want to hug them.
The jungles are beautiful, the majestic trees framing themselves so elegantly against the blue skies, and dense undergrowth jostling for space with beautiful coffee plantations.
The roads are bad, and the traffic discipline, in the best of times, is pretty horrible. Buses zoom past you on the impossibly narrow lanes that pass off as national highways, the conductor frantically waving his hand out and expecting you to magically make way for the bus to squeeze back in front of you before the incoming traffic reaches you, narrowly missing the collision and leaving you gasping for breath. Unless, of course, everyone is waiting for the convoy of elephants to cross the road. And all the while, the traffic police with their upturned hats do their best to bring method in the madness...
Yenna Rascala, you Kannadiga, take a bow for your beautiful state, and your beautiful people...
Note: I have been to Karnataka dozens of times in the past, but this trip to Coorg was the first time I was in rural western Karnataka in over a decade.
The jungles are beautiful, the majestic trees framing themselves so elegantly against the blue skies, and dense undergrowth jostling for space with beautiful coffee plantations.
The roads are bad, and the traffic discipline, in the best of times, is pretty horrible. Buses zoom past you on the impossibly narrow lanes that pass off as national highways, the conductor frantically waving his hand out and expecting you to magically make way for the bus to squeeze back in front of you before the incoming traffic reaches you, narrowly missing the collision and leaving you gasping for breath. Unless, of course, everyone is waiting for the convoy of elephants to cross the road. And all the while, the traffic police with their upturned hats do their best to bring method in the madness...
Yenna Rascala, you Kannadiga, take a bow for your beautiful state, and your beautiful people...
Note: I have been to Karnataka dozens of times in the past, but this trip to Coorg was the first time I was in rural western Karnataka in over a decade.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
I'm Back :)
Yes, back in Pune after a self-imposed exile of almost two weeks :) Visited Goa for Diwali, then Coorg for a vacation in the woods, then back to Goa... but tell you what, feels great to be back!
Catch you later.. have lots to write about, but first, I have to pop my 1600 pending mails!!! :)
Catch you later.. have lots to write about, but first, I have to pop my 1600 pending mails!!! :)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Movie Review: Saawariya
After an awesome OSO, one could have been forgiven for expecting too much from Saawariya. I went with no such illusions, and even then, came back terribly disappointed at the complete waste of a beautiful Sunday evening in Goa.
I have never liked SLB's over-hyped movies - because I always found them unrealistic, too loud, in-your-face sentimental cry opuses. However, Saawariya really sets new landmarks in perfectly senseless, expensive cinema.
First the story. Boy (Ranbir Kapoor) meets girl (Sonam Kapoor), boy loves girl, girl has already met another boy (Salman), girl has already loved another boy, another boy has gone away for a year, girl waits for the other boy, boy wants girl, other boy comes late, boy almost gets girl, other boy comes, girl goes to other boy, boy carries on with life. The story makes a joke of love and romance. One dialogue will drive home the point - kiss her on her lips, and she will be yours for life!
The entire movie is shot in one hell-of-an-expensive set, where lotuses float in the river in the middle of the town square, and up from the clock tower, you see the entire town laid out below with smoking chimneys and fog, a la Harry Potter. And oh yes, SLB doesn't let go of his fetish for blue and black - everything is shaded in those colors, and juxtaposed with blinking signages, like some giant dance bar. To add to that, the town square is full of prostitutes in gaudy sarees, with faces beaten black and blue, prancing around with the hero in the opening song! Well, if SLB thought that would set the mood for the rest of the movie, he was damn right! By the time you get out of the movie, you do feel your senses and sensibilities have been pounded black and blue!
There are too many songs, and you wonder if SLB fitted in some story in the middle of his songs, or the other way around! The songs are wonderful to hear, and some of them make for good viewing - but the ones with black and blue prostitutes, well, if you enjoy them you need to get yourself checked for a twisted mind!
And a first in Indian cinema - Ranbir actually bares his butt. Yes, you read right. He actually drops his towel, and while I am sure the censors cut off the most digusting parts, there's still enough to give you the creeps - I mean, hello, do we really need men dropping their towels???
Coming to the cast... Ranbir would have made a great heroine, with his red lips, bare midriff (yes, he wears his shirts with the all but the collar buttons off), bare bum (now how can we forget the sight of that???) and his girlish mannerisms and behaviour. Come on, there's only so much cuteness one can tolerate in a grown up man! Sonam looks beautiful most of the times, especially in black. She has beautiful, large eyes, an amazing smile with upturned lip corners, beautiful dark locks of hair, and is the only reason I could actually sit through the torture dished out by SLB. She looks a lot like Sonali Bendre, by the way, and SB used to be one of my most favourite faces! But she really needs to start doing some serious cinema and some normal roles. Acting crazy in love, running around like your saree was on fire, and shaking head like only SLB's heroines and heroes can, is not going to add much to your resume, baby! And Rani - what were doing in the movie playing that silly prostitute and prancing around in garish make up and bared midriffs? Do you really need to do these movies at this stage in your career? And oh yes, Salman Khan with his silly headgear and "I am a devout man" act - we can forgive you for you probably knew not what you were getting into!
Ok, I think I have now managed to get rid of most of the pent up feelings inside me - and can go back to living a normal non-SLB life now! As for you, if you still go and check out the movie, consider yourself to be one of the lucky few who can actually afford to pay to watch it, even when you know what it is going to be! And yes, enjoy the bum!
I have never liked SLB's over-hyped movies - because I always found them unrealistic, too loud, in-your-face sentimental cry opuses. However, Saawariya really sets new landmarks in perfectly senseless, expensive cinema.
First the story. Boy (Ranbir Kapoor) meets girl (Sonam Kapoor), boy loves girl, girl has already met another boy (Salman), girl has already loved another boy, another boy has gone away for a year, girl waits for the other boy, boy wants girl, other boy comes late, boy almost gets girl, other boy comes, girl goes to other boy, boy carries on with life. The story makes a joke of love and romance. One dialogue will drive home the point - kiss her on her lips, and she will be yours for life!
The entire movie is shot in one hell-of-an-expensive set, where lotuses float in the river in the middle of the town square, and up from the clock tower, you see the entire town laid out below with smoking chimneys and fog, a la Harry Potter. And oh yes, SLB doesn't let go of his fetish for blue and black - everything is shaded in those colors, and juxtaposed with blinking signages, like some giant dance bar. To add to that, the town square is full of prostitutes in gaudy sarees, with faces beaten black and blue, prancing around with the hero in the opening song! Well, if SLB thought that would set the mood for the rest of the movie, he was damn right! By the time you get out of the movie, you do feel your senses and sensibilities have been pounded black and blue!
There are too many songs, and you wonder if SLB fitted in some story in the middle of his songs, or the other way around! The songs are wonderful to hear, and some of them make for good viewing - but the ones with black and blue prostitutes, well, if you enjoy them you need to get yourself checked for a twisted mind!
And a first in Indian cinema - Ranbir actually bares his butt. Yes, you read right. He actually drops his towel, and while I am sure the censors cut off the most digusting parts, there's still enough to give you the creeps - I mean, hello, do we really need men dropping their towels???
Coming to the cast... Ranbir would have made a great heroine, with his red lips, bare midriff (yes, he wears his shirts with the all but the collar buttons off), bare bum (now how can we forget the sight of that???) and his girlish mannerisms and behaviour. Come on, there's only so much cuteness one can tolerate in a grown up man! Sonam looks beautiful most of the times, especially in black. She has beautiful, large eyes, an amazing smile with upturned lip corners, beautiful dark locks of hair, and is the only reason I could actually sit through the torture dished out by SLB. She looks a lot like Sonali Bendre, by the way, and SB used to be one of my most favourite faces! But she really needs to start doing some serious cinema and some normal roles. Acting crazy in love, running around like your saree was on fire, and shaking head like only SLB's heroines and heroes can, is not going to add much to your resume, baby! And Rani - what were doing in the movie playing that silly prostitute and prancing around in garish make up and bared midriffs? Do you really need to do these movies at this stage in your career? And oh yes, Salman Khan with his silly headgear and "I am a devout man" act - we can forgive you for you probably knew not what you were getting into!
Ok, I think I have now managed to get rid of most of the pent up feelings inside me - and can go back to living a normal non-SLB life now! As for you, if you still go and check out the movie, consider yourself to be one of the lucky few who can actually afford to pay to watch it, even when you know what it is going to be! And yes, enjoy the bum!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Digging into My Childhood
Have you ever digged into that long forgotten drawer in the attic and found something that meant the world to you years back? Those old photographs, those diaries, those scraps of paper that are worthless to everyone else in the world, but you?
I did a bit of that yesterday - and uncovered some really precious gems!
Like that birthday card I received on my first birthday! Like my coin collection - including some really precious coins from the 19th century that we found while digging the lawn in front of our house, as well as "samples" of coins worth 1 paise, 2 paise, 10 paise and so on from not so long ago! Like the accounts book I maintained as class monitor, noting carefully the 5 paise and 10 paise "fines" we collected for bad behaviour. Like the newspapers from the day Indira Gandhi was killed, or when the Mandovi Bridge collapsed (by the way, I narrowly escaped that collapse - didn't go to school that day because I had got a big broken bottle in my foot the previous day, and my "usual" bus would have been a victim of the crash if it had been just a few seconds early on that stretch of the bridge). Autographed photos of Kapil Dev, Amitabh and Remo, received by mail as response to my letters, autographs of Sudesh Bhosale, Shekhar Suman and Remo taken during meetings with them...
And I found some of my childhood photo albums. Yellowed and faded with age, but still, such an awesome memory bank! I am gonna digitize all those photos put them online soon... so don't go away, I'll take a short break and be right back with lots of exciting stuff! :)
I did a bit of that yesterday - and uncovered some really precious gems!
Like that birthday card I received on my first birthday! Like my coin collection - including some really precious coins from the 19th century that we found while digging the lawn in front of our house, as well as "samples" of coins worth 1 paise, 2 paise, 10 paise and so on from not so long ago! Like the accounts book I maintained as class monitor, noting carefully the 5 paise and 10 paise "fines" we collected for bad behaviour. Like the newspapers from the day Indira Gandhi was killed, or when the Mandovi Bridge collapsed (by the way, I narrowly escaped that collapse - didn't go to school that day because I had got a big broken bottle in my foot the previous day, and my "usual" bus would have been a victim of the crash if it had been just a few seconds early on that stretch of the bridge). Autographed photos of Kapil Dev, Amitabh and Remo, received by mail as response to my letters, autographs of Sudesh Bhosale, Shekhar Suman and Remo taken during meetings with them...
And I found some of my childhood photo albums. Yellowed and faded with age, but still, such an awesome memory bank! I am gonna digitize all those photos put them online soon... so don't go away, I'll take a short break and be right back with lots of exciting stuff! :)
Day 4 of My BIG Break...
So here's day 4 of my big break - and guess what I have managed to stay away from the big bad world of Internet and email! It works pretty easy actually, once you are in a village and the phone line's dead, and you make sure you do not carry your laptop into the city. You feel desperate at times, your fingers crave for the touch of the keyboard, the eyes scan the bottom left corner of every square shaped box for the new mail notifications - but hey, it works!
Hang on... I have some new mail...
Hang on... I have some new mail...
X Sports for My Cell Phone
What happens when you cell, kept by mistake on the top of a car, falls off at high speed, crashing onto the road, and breaking off into components?
You trash it, of course, and buy a new one.
Unless it's a Nokia. In which case, you simply snap the parts on together, restart it, and carry on.
That's what happened to me and my cell yesterday - except that I lost my SIM on the road, and had to scramble to get a replacement. Which I did in the next 20 mins :) Coming less than a month after my cell took a bath in a bucket of water (or was it the loo bowl?), must say my 6300 is totally into adventure sports!
Nokia is great - now, if only their customer care centers could get their act together!
You trash it, of course, and buy a new one.
Unless it's a Nokia. In which case, you simply snap the parts on together, restart it, and carry on.
That's what happened to me and my cell yesterday - except that I lost my SIM on the road, and had to scramble to get a replacement. Which I did in the next 20 mins :) Coming less than a month after my cell took a bath in a bucket of water (or was it the loo bowl?), must say my 6300 is totally into adventure sports!
Nokia is great - now, if only their customer care centers could get their act together!
Diwali 2007
Diwali 2007 was less about lights and fireworks, than it was about torrential rains and lightning! Just before we left for Goa, Pune had a night of stormy weather - so much so that I had to pull off my car into a hotel parking for shelter while the rain died down. We reached Goa the next day, looking forward to a night in town on top of a hired Tata Mobile pickup truck - repeating our Diwali adventures from last year. However, nature had other plans in store - the heavens literally opened up, and booming thunder and lightning threatened to wash off all the Narkasurs. And we were driving around at Miramar when a huge bolt of lightning shot out from the skies, crashing with a huge boom close by, scaring the wits out of us, and sending us scurrying for cover. It was a really scary experience, and very definitely deserved an entry into AXNs "Worlds Most Amazing Videos" - except that, we didn't capture it on camera :)
Only late into the night, the rains eased a bit, and people gingerly started stepping out of their houses, Narkusars, wet and soggy stated peeping out of their tarpaulin covers, and a little semblance of normalcy returned to the streets...
And while we couldn't really enjoy the truck top ride that night, we made up for it the next day - driving around town screaming Happy Diwali to the passers by, and probably setting a new trend in the process :)
Only late into the night, the rains eased a bit, and people gingerly started stepping out of their houses, Narkusars, wet and soggy stated peeping out of their tarpaulin covers, and a little semblance of normalcy returned to the streets...
And while we couldn't really enjoy the truck top ride that night, we made up for it the next day - driving around town screaming Happy Diwali to the passers by, and probably setting a new trend in the process :)
Movie Review: Om Shanti Om
Disclaimer: I am a HUGE, HUGE fan of the King Khan, and right now I am totally under the Khan Effect. If you agree with my review, join the gang. If you disagree, GO FISH!
OSO is a story about rebirths, reincarnations, and ghosts. It starts off with "Meri Umar ke Naujawaano" from Karz, a beautiful start to the movie that sends you right back into the seventies. Om is a junior artist, crazily in love with the beautiful superstar Shantipriya. They meet, and share a beautiful evening together. Until tragedy strikes. Shanti is murdered, and Om dies trying to save her.
Fast forward to present day. Om is now Om Kapoor, the son of a well known actor of the seventies. On a visit to the site of the tragedy, he gets flashes of his past life in front of his eyes. And sets off on a mission - get justice for Shanti. He finds Sandhya, Shanti's lookalike, and hatches a plan to punish her murderer. There's another Karz-like sequence - a song that replays the tragedy in front of the murderer's eyes. There's a twist, not too unexpected, and everything works out in the end.
Stupid story. Stupid movie? Let's put it this way. There are some movies I would walk out of - EXCEPT that this one has the King Khan in it. And SRK does not disappoint! And no, I am not just talking about his six packs, I am not just talking about his awesome wardrobe! He does a fantastic job, switching between intense passion, comedy, burning anger, hopeless love, tragedy and revenge effortlessly and proves once again why he is called the King Khan. No one, no one else could have pulled this off!
And if that wasn't enough, there's Deepika. Beautiful and sexy, if her long legs don't drive you crazy, her curls, her lips. her eyes and her smile definitely will. Watch out for this girl, she will go a long, long way!
Need any more reasons? Try the songs - beautifully picturized, each one blends so perfectly with the story line. And as you play them in your mind, they grow on you. Ajab Si is beautifully done and will probably bring a few tears in your eyes. Dard-e-Disco is high octane stuff, and the flashback song at the end is absolutely stunning - a throw back to Karz. And then the mother of all item songs - a tremendous effort with 31 stars (the last time someone counted) - it's a comment on the popularity of the human being inside the star. It would have been worth sitting through a movie just for this one song! The movie is a beautiful flash back to the seventies in the first half, and for all ye 18 and 20 year olds, hey, this is a beautiful decade you just missed :) There's also a lot of spoofs a la theHotshots movie. The scene with Akshaye Kumar in Return of Khiladi is hilarious - the South Indian hero sequence will have you in splits. It's amazing to see how SRK has managed to rope in some of the biggest names in the industry, from the Bacchans, to Sanjay Dutt, to Salman and Hrithik, to Juhi, Karishma and Rekha, from Dharmendra to Jitendra, and blended them so well to create a collage of some beautiful moments.
The technical art work in the movie is superb too. The fire scenes and the chandelier crash are brilliantly executed. And check the way Deepika blends with the heroes of the seventies in the song sequence - awesome. The screenplay and the art direction, the sets, the costumes - the film definitely owes a lot of it's brilliance to the hard work that's gone behind the scenes - or rather, into the scenes!
SRK once said his biggest challenge is surpassing his own earlier movies. And with OSO, SRK once again sets new standards in entertainment, and raises the bar more than a few notches higher. After Swades, Don, KANH and Chak De, OSO is yet another landmark movie that will be talked about and enjoyed for decades to come!
I will definitely watch the movie a few more times - what are you waiting for? Go watch it - you cannot possibly find a better way to celebrate your Diwali! And hey, need company? Just call me - I am all for it, baby! Any time!!!
ps: He uses a Nokia 6300 in the movie - just like me! True style never shouts... now you know why I am so soft-spoken :) :)
OSO is a story about rebirths, reincarnations, and ghosts. It starts off with "Meri Umar ke Naujawaano" from Karz, a beautiful start to the movie that sends you right back into the seventies. Om is a junior artist, crazily in love with the beautiful superstar Shantipriya. They meet, and share a beautiful evening together. Until tragedy strikes. Shanti is murdered, and Om dies trying to save her.
Fast forward to present day. Om is now Om Kapoor, the son of a well known actor of the seventies. On a visit to the site of the tragedy, he gets flashes of his past life in front of his eyes. And sets off on a mission - get justice for Shanti. He finds Sandhya, Shanti's lookalike, and hatches a plan to punish her murderer. There's another Karz-like sequence - a song that replays the tragedy in front of the murderer's eyes. There's a twist, not too unexpected, and everything works out in the end.
Stupid story. Stupid movie? Let's put it this way. There are some movies I would walk out of - EXCEPT that this one has the King Khan in it. And SRK does not disappoint! And no, I am not just talking about his six packs, I am not just talking about his awesome wardrobe! He does a fantastic job, switching between intense passion, comedy, burning anger, hopeless love, tragedy and revenge effortlessly and proves once again why he is called the King Khan. No one, no one else could have pulled this off!
And if that wasn't enough, there's Deepika. Beautiful and sexy, if her long legs don't drive you crazy, her curls, her lips. her eyes and her smile definitely will. Watch out for this girl, she will go a long, long way!
Need any more reasons? Try the songs - beautifully picturized, each one blends so perfectly with the story line. And as you play them in your mind, they grow on you. Ajab Si is beautifully done and will probably bring a few tears in your eyes. Dard-e-Disco is high octane stuff, and the flashback song at the end is absolutely stunning - a throw back to Karz. And then the mother of all item songs - a tremendous effort with 31 stars (the last time someone counted) - it's a comment on the popularity of the human being inside the star. It would have been worth sitting through a movie just for this one song! The movie is a beautiful flash back to the seventies in the first half, and for all ye 18 and 20 year olds, hey, this is a beautiful decade you just missed :) There's also a lot of spoofs a la theHotshots movie. The scene with Akshaye Kumar in Return of Khiladi is hilarious - the South Indian hero sequence will have you in splits. It's amazing to see how SRK has managed to rope in some of the biggest names in the industry, from the Bacchans, to Sanjay Dutt, to Salman and Hrithik, to Juhi, Karishma and Rekha, from Dharmendra to Jitendra, and blended them so well to create a collage of some beautiful moments.
The technical art work in the movie is superb too. The fire scenes and the chandelier crash are brilliantly executed. And check the way Deepika blends with the heroes of the seventies in the song sequence - awesome. The screenplay and the art direction, the sets, the costumes - the film definitely owes a lot of it's brilliance to the hard work that's gone behind the scenes - or rather, into the scenes!
SRK once said his biggest challenge is surpassing his own earlier movies. And with OSO, SRK once again sets new standards in entertainment, and raises the bar more than a few notches higher. After Swades, Don, KANH and Chak De, OSO is yet another landmark movie that will be talked about and enjoyed for decades to come!
I will definitely watch the movie a few more times - what are you waiting for? Go watch it - you cannot possibly find a better way to celebrate your Diwali! And hey, need company? Just call me - I am all for it, baby! Any time!!!
ps: He uses a Nokia 6300 in the movie - just like me! True style never shouts... now you know why I am so soft-spoken :) :)
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Running Away?
I am leaving for a 12 day vacation tomorrow - 430 am is the proposed departure time - Reona is all set, bags are packed, and just 5 hours to catch up some sleep in the middle!
Am I going on a vacation, am I going for Diwali and fun, or am I just running away from life? I don't know. Maybe I do. Maybe I just don't want to admit it.
Either way, I hope to leave some ghosts of the past back in Coorg, and come back fresh and ready to take on more bullshit...
Am I going on a vacation, am I going for Diwali and fun, or am I just running away from life? I don't know. Maybe I do. Maybe I just don't want to admit it.
Either way, I hope to leave some ghosts of the past back in Coorg, and come back fresh and ready to take on more bullshit...
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Shopping
I shop best when I am upset - ended up buying a whole new wardrobe today! I love Shoppers Stop - something about that place that makes me smile, makes me happy, and makes me lose my tensions and worries. If you want me to shop, make me upset. If you make me upset, and wanna meet up, come to Shoppers!
I am serious!
I am serious!
SRK turns 42
The King Khan turned 42 yesterday - and I have exactly 10 more years to develop those six packs if I have any chance of being mistaken for him 10 years later :)
Birthday Surprise
Today was my best friend's husband's birthday - and we decided to spring him a major surprise! So early in the morning (OK, OK, it was 11, but hey, on a weekend, what more do you expect from me? :)) I landed at her place, and while he slept (see, other people sleep on weekends too!), I stole his car - took it to Sunny's Car Boutique, got it fitted with a sexy new MP3/CD player, and got it back, all before he had even woken up and finished his breakfast.
I wish I had been there to see his reaction when he found out! :)
Had a great day till late evening - but hey, that's another story! :)
I wish I had been there to see his reaction when he found out! :)
Had a great day till late evening - but hey, that's another story! :)
Rahul...
Tried out a cool, new restaurant in Aundh today - Rahul. Fantastic ambience, and great food. If you are there, do try the Tom Yom soup, and the Tawa Surmai. Absolutely delightful stuff. We had appams, neer dosa and chicken too. Topped it off with kulfi and casatta ice cream. Came home completely satisfied - what an awesome way to round off a day!
What's Worse?
Ever wondered what's worse... crying because you have no friend, or crying because you had one?
Ever wondered what's worse... losing a fight to save a friendship, or giving up the fight to save it?
Ever wondered what's worse... not knowing whether your loved one will come back to you, or knowing your love will never come back to you?
Ever wondered what's worse... losing a fight to save a friendship, or giving up the fight to save it?
Ever wondered what's worse... not knowing whether your loved one will come back to you, or knowing your love will never come back to you?
Movie Review: Jab We Met
Early 90s: Kajol, Shahrukh, a train in the Swiss Alps, Zurich, a village in Punjab, green fields, DDLJ.
2007: Kareena, Shahid, a train in India, Shimla-Manali, a village in Punjab, green fields, Jab Ee Met.
You get the point!
All said, it's an awesome movie. Yes, it is an out and out SRK script, and yes, Rani could have done a great job, but Kareena and Shahid have never been better on screen, and deliver a beautiful performance that actually makes you feel sad that they have broken off in real life. Shahid comes into his own, and looks pretty cool - and remind you so strongly of the SRK of the 90s. Kareena, for once, is amazing. Maybe all she needed was a good director! The script is amazing too, and is what makes the movie really so enjoyable. The dialogues, the screenplay, is the real charm of the movie. The songs are enjoyable, and the item song at the end of the movie is really worth every second spent waiting for it.
Definitely a must watch this weekend - especially with Om Shanti Om coming up next week! :)
2007: Kareena, Shahid, a train in India, Shimla-Manali, a village in Punjab, green fields, Jab Ee Met.
You get the point!
All said, it's an awesome movie. Yes, it is an out and out SRK script, and yes, Rani could have done a great job, but Kareena and Shahid have never been better on screen, and deliver a beautiful performance that actually makes you feel sad that they have broken off in real life. Shahid comes into his own, and looks pretty cool - and remind you so strongly of the SRK of the 90s. Kareena, for once, is amazing. Maybe all she needed was a good director! The script is amazing too, and is what makes the movie really so enjoyable. The dialogues, the screenplay, is the real charm of the movie. The songs are enjoyable, and the item song at the end of the movie is really worth every second spent waiting for it.
Definitely a must watch this weekend - especially with Om Shanti Om coming up next week! :)
Friday, November 02, 2007
It's Raining!
Yes, it's 1.42 am here, on the 2nd November 2007, and it's raining - the weather is just so beautiful - and I can even hear a few thunders...
But hey, in November???
But hey, in November???
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