Which Is Better?

Samara recently got some of her "flab" removed - need you to tell me which looks better :)

Movie Review: The King's Speech

It's the 1930s, and Europe is on the brink of war, with Hitler's histrionics unnerving an increasingly worried England. With King George V dead, and his eldest son abdicating the throne in order to marry his commoner, divorcee lover, England desperately needs a charismatic King to lead it into battle. The man next in line to the throne is the younger brother George ("Bertie"), the future King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II. Suffering a dreaded stammer and considered by many as unfit to be king, Bertie takes treatment from a speech therapist, Lionel Logue. Will Lionel's unorthodox techniques break the barriers between the commoner and the royalty, and will the King find his voice?

Colin Firth puts in an Oscar winning (and deserving) performance as the King, while Geoffrey Rush as Lionel is outstanding too. While the movie is slow, the performances are brilliant, and coupled with some fantastic screenplay, gives an outstandingly intimate look at the lives of England's royalty, a romance with which has been unshaken, inspite of not so inspiring examples in recent times.

A definite watch for serious movie aficionados.
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Revolutions

As Egypt comes to terms with a new order, searching for the promised freedom post Mubarak under an army and institutions ruled pretty much by the same old order, Libya's embattled people are fighting for survival against an increasingly maniac Gadaffi, who has vowed to fight till the end, and for whom sending air fighters to bomb his own cities is a very acceptable strategy. The Saudis and the Sheikhs of the oil rich gulf are pumping in billions of dollars in social schemes, aiming to quash any revolutions before they take unmanageable proportions, like they threatened to do in Bahrain. China, having already blocked Facebook and Twitter, is ensuring that any online calls for meetings and demonstrations are quickly overwhelmed by a huge show of force, with police officers completely outnumbering any potential trouble makers. Iran has also responded in a pretty similar fashion. After Tunisia, Ivory Coast and a bunch of other smaller nations threaten to follow suit, but the governments there have responded with ruthless show of brutality and power. The next few months will tell if this is good or bad for the world - will we see the rise of true democracy and human rights in the Middle East and Africa, or will these nations degenerate into a boiling cauldron of terrorism and fundamentalism? Interestingly, the US, its faithful alliy UK, and pretty much all of the West, is uncharacteristically quiet - concerned, but unsure how to engage in the region.

In India, another revolution is quietly but surely taking place. From religion and caste based politics, the focus is shifting to corruption. A resurgent Supreme Court, a revitalised BJP, and a very involved common man is ensuring that corruption is top of the agenda. Kalmad is facing intense scrutiny on the CWG scam, and is likely to be arrested any time soon. The high rollers of Adarsh society are nervously waiting for the inevitable demolition. Raja has spent close to a month in jail now, while head honchos of dozens of corporates are very worried about the fall out of the 2G scam sucking them in as more and more skeletons fall out of their closets under investigations by the CBI, CAG and a bunch of other enforcement agencies under tight supervision of the SC. The PM and his government, unfortunately, seem to be clueless on how to tackle this, unable to read the minds of the people, allowing blow after blow to sully the government's image, and allowing the BJP to resurrect itself from near extinction. With the CVC's appointment being quashed by the SC for his involvement in earlier corruption cases, the PM has had to suffer a very public humiliation, given his open support to the CVC and his feeble attempts at justification of the appointment earlier. How many of these cases will ultilately go to closure, how much of the black money will eventually be recovered, and will the BJP be able to wrest control is yet ot be seen... but the departure from religion and caste is a result well deserved by this country!

And finally, the WC continues to lumber along, the pace slowly picking up... but into its nth week now, the excitement and passion is yet to really explode, the minnows ensuring that most 50 over matches end up finishing faster than T20s! Yes, Ireland beat England and Indians will have just that additional crease on their foreheads today when they take on the Guiness guzzlers today, but come on, if ODIs are to survive, we need a lot more of the India-England action from last week.

And finally, Mazda is recalling thousands of a popular model on fears that a particular yellow spider might have built nests in its fuel tanks. It's a spider's world!

Ireland Blanks England

What an incredible match today - chasing 327, Ireland beat England by 3 wickets with 5 balls to spare. Kevin O'Brien scored the fastest century in WC history (off 50 balls), and John Mooney chipped in with a chanceless run a ball 30 odd runs in the end to take the very calm and cool Irish to their first historic victory in the WC.

Finally, the minnows are making heads turn!

Surprises

The best surprises are planned in advance :) And then you just have to act it out!

Budget

Another year, another budget. The India story continues... a strong 9% growth projection, reduction in fiscal deficit by 0.4 percentage points and as the honourable FM put it, it's a path breaking budget in the sense that there was nothing path breaking in it - the sign of a strong, mature economy that knows what it is doing!

Mechanic

Ever since the Bhandardhara trip 3 months back, Samara had picked up a very irritating intermittent rattling from the underbody.. and it seemed to come from the sidesteps. There was nothing obvious, so I lived with it - but every time it rattled, it hurt :(

Yesterday, finally, I decided to explore it a little more, got down and dirty on my back and slid underneath to investigate. A little thumping and I realised the sound wasn't coming from the sidestep, but rather from the thick metal plates protecting the underbody. And guess what! It wasn't a lose screw - it was a large metal stone, kicked into the thin space between the plate and the engine :)

What a relief!

Tale Of Two Autos

I had the chance to jump into two autorickshaws today, getting around the parking problem in the HDFC building I needed to visit... the first one charged me 11 Rs, and since I didn't have change, simply smiled and waived off the change.

The second was even more fun. This time, the charge was 19, so he took my 20 and said, "Sir, I don't have change so let me keep the extra 1 - I will give you a free round when we meet the next time!"

Lol, yes right!

It's A Tie!

It was billed as the game to watch for in the WC - the first real encounter between two strong teams, after more than a week of relatively one-sided matches. And what a match it turned out to be! India powered themselves to 338, on the back of a brilliant 100 by Sachin, and useful contributions from everyone in the top order. India seemed on course for 350, but the last 3-4 overs saw India lose all their wickets in a large collapse, adding much lesser runs. And the last ball was even more critical... trying to max the scoring, they went for a double, got run out, and then the umpire signalled one run short! In the quest for the second run, Zaheer had run the first one short. But 338 seemed more than enough...

Or so we all thought!

But England had other plans for the evening. Powered by a chanceless 150 score from captain Strauss, and another 50 by Ian Bell, England cruised through the overs, dashing all hopes of even the most optimistic Indian fan. An LBW decision went against India, even when the Indians referred the decision to the 3rd Umpire, and when replays and Hawkeye clearly showed the ball hitting the middle of the stumps, he was still given not out since he was forward of the crease! At one stage England needed 58 from 45 balls, 5 PP overs and 8 wickets in hand. That is when the Indian spirit kicked in... Zaheer came with a gem of an over, scalping both the danger men, a few more wickets followed in subsequent overs, and the tide had turned. At 29 runs needed in 12, Indians were celebrating, and I was preparing to take Samara out for a victory lap.

It was then that the match turned another corner. Piyush Chawla was hit for 2 sixes, but came back with a wicket in the last ball. 14 to win in the last 6, and their bowler Shahzad at the crease. And the first ball went for a six! It finally boiled down to 2 in 1. The ball was hit hard, and fielded by Pathan at mid wicket. England had taken 1, and the match was tied.

Remember the last run Zaheer missed?

Fantastic match, a bittersweet ending, and while India's batting and comeback was heartwarming, the bowling is worrying... and needs to quickly come together if India want to win this cup.

Slow Start

Almost a week after it began, the first real match of the WC kicks off today, with South Africa taking on West Indies. In the age of T20, this is definitely not good for the 50 over format. ICC's decision to restrict the WC to the elite 10 next time is already late in coming. While there are some individual flashes of brilliance - the Dutch gave a good scare to the British couple of days back - the rest of the matches have been completely one-sided and are doing nothing to improve the profile of the game.

End Game for Corruption?

With Kalmadi's left and right hands, Bhanot and Verma now in jail, questions are being raised now - will Kalmadi be next? With Raja already in jail, and the Adarsh scam very much on the boil, corruption is finally on the BJP's agenda, and one can only hope that they continue to play the role of a mature opposition and help clean up the system.

Unless, of course, they have their own skeletons to hide!

After Egypt, What Next?

We are witnessing history unfold in the Middle East.. after Tunisia and Egypt, we have popular uprisings in Iran, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen. Even China is feeling jittery... is this good for the world, will this ring in democracy, or will the void created by the downfall of these authoratarian regimes be filled by unrest and Islamic fundamentalism? Very interesting developments indeed! We can only wait and watch.

Meanwhile, the Bahrain Grand Prix has been called off... not surprisingly

Hindi Commentary

In the good old days of DD, one had to undergo the most excruciating pain of listening to the Hindi commentators... parajai ke baadal mandhara rahe hai and all that. I thought things had changed since the advent of satellite channels, but apparently some things never change!

Here are some gems from today's Canada vs Sri Lanka match commentory on Star Sports:

Vivek Razdan: Cricket mein kuch bhi asambhav nahin. Aakhir asambhav se a nikaala toh kahin na kahin sambhav chupa hai!
Sushil Doshi: Arre wah, acchaa laga ke aap jaise cricketer bhi aise hindi bolte hai!

Sushil Doshi: Aur ye beheterin shot aur ball seedha boundary ke pass chala gaya (lol, mind you, it did NOT cross the boundary!)

More...

Lagta hai unko kisine ne nahin bola ki apni disha sambhalein, kyon ki Canada mein woh league mein khelte honge toh baaki ballebaajoan ko woh daravne lagte honge!

Agar aap disha se hatke gendbaaji karenge, toh aapko padenge fatke!

A few seconds later,
Aur yeh hatke balling ki, par fatke nahin pade iss baar!

In the 4th over of the first innings,
Lagta hai Sri Lanka ka yahi prayaas hoga ki woh pure 50 over khele!
Really?

While on the match, the Canadian team has only one native Canadian on the team. The rest are all from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka! Wonder what goes through the minds of these exports, when they play on their "home" soil!

Canine Salute

Cat Nap

Orchid Towers

We bought a new apartment the other day, something more like a holiday home in Baner... a nice, quiet neighbourhood with excellent connectivity to Aundh, Kothrud and Hinjewadi. If you are interested in renting out, let me know! :)

Mumbai Vistas

The sun rises over Goregaon West, as seem from Chandan Bhai's living room at 630 am

Antilla, the multi million dollar "mansion" of the Ambanis. A very interesting building, no doubt, but doesn't win my competition of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring mansions.

In a cricket crazy country, it's no surprise these buildings look like wickets :) But I wish there were the bales too!

Guts

A 1500 gm beauty taking on a 3000 kg beast... every morning, I wondered who put the paw prints on Samara's bonnet and windscreen, and this time, I had my evidence! This is Catrina's baby, Casatta's brother, Chocobar.

Quote For The Day

Victory Loves Preparation. "The Mechanic".

Quote For The Day

Good judgement comes with experience and most of that comes from bad judgement. "The Mechanic".

India Take Revenge

India exorcised the ghosts of the 2007 WC game loss against Bangladesh after burying the hosts under a mountain of runs, mercilessly piled up by an extraordinary Sehwag with 175 and a cool as cucumber Virat Kohli on 100 NO. Chasing 370 was never going to be easy, and after Shreesanth allowed the Bangladeshi openers to get a good start hitting him for 25 in one over, the experience and variety in the Indian bowling came to the fore. Munaf and Zaheer hit back with some controlled swing bowling, and Harbhajan was at his usual best, and the RRR quickly piled up into double digits.

A great start to the WC campaign, after very comfortable victories against Australia and NZ in the warm up games, India continue to be hot favourites this time to bring the cup home. Of course, it's going to be a long and tough journey over the next 45 days, but even the most pessimistic Indian fan will feel more than a little optimistic this time!

Movie Review: Yeh Saali Zindagi

Pretty dark, but with two positives - a super stunning Chitrangda, and 2 steaming sexy Endeavours :)

Other than that... pretty stretched and uninteresting. Avoidable.

Movie Review: Patiala House

Bad. Very bad.

Akshay is getting on my nerves now with his sad, stupid roles. Anushka is pretty but type cast. The songs are very forgettable, the story is lame, the screenplay absurd.

Completely avoidable.

Movie Review: The Mechanic

This Statham movie has some good action... but is pretty predictable. A good one time watch, but if you miss it, you won't miss too much!

Movie Review: Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji

Supposed to be a romantic comedy, DTBHJ lacks punch. Emraan doesn't get to kiss, Ajay is lacklustre as a 35 something divorcee looking for new love, and the third idiot Omi is wasted. So is Shruti Haasan. Shraddha Das gets repetitive, and the eye candyish Shezahn finally gets on your nerves with her over-the-top kiddish behaviour.

Overall, could have been much better...

Good Morning

Good morning world from the Maximum City, looking forward to an exciting weekend here!

Series Leveled

The Invicibles lost to SA in a run curtailed chase last night after giving away too many runs in the last overs to Duminy, to level the series and set up an exciting final encounter of one of the most keenly competitive tours in recent times.

Impressive CM

I am attending Microsoft TechVista at the Westin in Pune. Sat through a very impressive and inspiring speech by our CM Prithviraj Chavan. Being a masters from Berkely, you can expect him to be well versed in technology but what was really impressive was his ability to relate technology to social needs in a country like India and the way he answered queries raised by eminent but boring speakers in earlier speeches on issues like state of research in India. Very impressive guy, wonderful personality. With politicians like him, no wonder India is shining.

Incredible Invincible Unbeatable India

Yet another cliffhanger, yet another win snatched from an almost impossible situation by an Indian team that simply seems to have forgotten how to lose! Chasing a tough 220 by SA, on a difficult to score pitch, India seemed to be in deep trouble with most of the side back in the pavilion and more than 100 to go. That's when Yusuf Pathan played a fantastic fifty with some lofty hits into the crowd, and one landing outside the stadium. However, once Pathan lost his wicket to a brilliant catch, it was all down to Zaheer, Harbhajan and then Ashish Nehra to steer the team to safety with well over 50 to get... the recently-reinforced die-hard fan in me however decided to stick on, setting up my new Win Mobile 7 phone while keeping fingers crossed...

What a win! Cheers, India!

Balaji Temple Near Pune

Went to the Balaji temple near Narayanpur, around 40 km from Pune, yesterday. Built a few years back as a replica of the Balaji temple in Tirupati, we'd heard a lot about it, but it was a disappointing anti-climax. The temple is crowded and noisy, with loud speakers blaring chants and slogans, the barren land, dusty parking and gravelled paths doing nothing to add to the ambience. Temples should be peaceful, allowing one to sit quietly and retrospect and feel at one with god and himself. This felt like being part of one and only one endeavour - make money from those who cannot go all the way to Tirupati. The "business" is expanding...

Stampede At Sabarimala

Yet another temple, yet another crowd, yet another stampede, yet another tragedy. Over a 100 killed in the latest terrifying episode in Sabarimala in Kerela, more than 900 have now been killed in similar stampedes in the last 9 years. Is god really forgiving, or is god taking revenge? Or is it just one of those small things he cannot be bothered with?

India Level Series at 1-1

After a big defeat in the first ODI, India came back with a heart-warming bowling performance in the second ODI to beat SA by one run in Johannesburg. Choosing to bat first, Dhoni's men succummed to pace and were bowled out for a not impressive 190, with only Yuvraj Singh putting in some resistance with a fighting fifty. SA, led by Smith who scored a fluent 77, started the chase strongly, and were cruising to victory when Munaf castled Smith making it 152/5 in the 33rd over. Munaf led India's fightback with 4 for 29, ably supported by Zaheer who scalped 2.

Yet again, this Indian team has proved they are no pushovers, and has sent out a strong message for impatient fans like me who go to sleep long before the last ball has been bowled!

Simple Pleasures Of Life

Pesarattu and Aapes at Wadeshwar
Movies at E-Square and Inox
Shopping at Shoppers Stop
Arguing and fighting over stupid topics
Making up
Taking Samara for a drive

Simplest pleasures of life are the most precious...

Miss you!

20000

K3G has crossed 20000 hits since we started counting in Aug 2009, the first 10K taking just above 10.5 months, the next 10K getting logged in just over 6 months... that's an average of 50/day, up from 30/day for the previous 10K. And yes, I also crossed 400 posts in 2010, making it definitely my bloggest year by far!

Thank you, readers :)

Writing a blog is an immensely satisfying activity by itself, knowing it is read and appreciated by you folks makes the experience all the sweeter!

Movie Review: Gair (Marathi)

Marathi cinema has given some great entertainment in the last couple of years, and Gair is another Marathi movie that's worth watching.

A pretty young girl (Amruta Khanvilkar) marries the most eligible bachelor in town, but her happiness is short lived when a number of strange unexplained incidences with her husband (or is it a duplicate?) starts making life a living hell. As the web of duplicity gets murkier, no one is above suspicion.

A fast paced thriller, and except for some amateurish moments in the screenplay, it grips you till the end.

Quote For The Day

For those who believe, no proof is needed. For those who do not believe, no proof is enough.

Herd Mentality

Next time you approach a busy junction with traffic getting into a grid lock, hold back and let others get right of way. Very soon, more sensible minded people will join you, and the traffic will clear soon.

It is possible to break herd mentality. And you can do it too. Try it.

Movie Review: No One Killed Jessica

More than a decade ago, Jessica Lal, a young beautiful model in Delhi was shot dead in cold blood by a politician's spoilt brat for refusing to serve drinks at the bar beyond closing time. The police acted quickly in arresting Manu Sharma and his cohorts, but as the case progressed, witnesses turned hostile, critical evidence was tampered with, and ultimately, a helpless court acquitted the accused for lack of evidence. However, sustained journalistic activism and public opinion slowly turned the tide against political pressure and systemic failures, finally resulting in the Supreme Court over-turning the acquital by the trial courts, and awarding life imprisonment to Manu Sharma. Finally, justice had been delivered. And as I have blogged about earlier, India's free press and democracy continues to kick and kick hard - and that bodes well for this country in the coming decades.

NOKJ is a wonderful adaptation of this shocking incident that threatened to shame the nation, and the subsequent fight for justice. Even though the end is a foregone conclusion, the script is crisp, the screenplay moves at a brisk pace, the background scores create the perfect moods, and the audience is left engrossed till the very end. Rani and Vidya Balan do a good job, getting into the skin of their characters with sincerity. Newcomer Myra Khan as Jessica is a delight to watch, her fresh face, amazing smile and sexy look will open a lot of opportunities for her in Bollywood in the months to come. The most interesting character is the investigating officer, who takes a bribe to keep his hands off Manu in custody, but tries his best to put up a good case. His helplessness in securing the much-needed witnesses from the crowd of over 300 at the disc the day of the shooting highlights the malaise that's gripped parts of Indian society today.

Except for the profusion of avoidable cuss words, NOKJ is a great movie that will grip you and touch you... not to be missed!

Social Networks

Wrote this article on my Musings blog on how there is a profusion of very exciting social networking sites coming up, with some exciting new offerings. I will not replicate the blog here, but please do check it out!

Treatment for Nose Boils!

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, this is my personal blog and this is my personal experience. Please do not treat yourself at home, please visit a real doctor)

Now, I know this really isn't a fun topic to blog about, but after surviving a very painful and scary week with onee, I realised the least I can do to give back to society is write about it :) This is a graphically explicit post, so reader discretion is advised. But yes, it could save your life.

So, what's a nose boil? It's what you get when your friendly nasal bacteria (you'll never meet them in person, but just in case you do, address them as Staphylococcus aureus) decide to infect a small cut, abrasion, or hell, even the hair follicle in your pretty nose! What you then get is a small irritating swelling that quickly grows into an ugly, big fat boil that affects and disfigures your nose, lips and cheeks to a point where your cat runs away on seeing you approach her, even if you have fish for dinner. And if the humiliation were not enough, you have the pain and the fever to contend with.

Now here's where it gets scary. And I am serious. The nasal cavity and face is where blood vessels come on their way to your brain, and any infection on your face or in your nasal cavity can quickly spread to your brain, and the rest of your body, putting you into possibly fatal septic shock.

So, lesson number one, and I am super serious here: IF YOU GET A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE, DO NOT IGNORE IT, RUSH TO YOUR DOCTOR.

The doctor will most probably put you on a dose of anti-biotics, and I would recommend you request a strong dose (like Augmentin 650), accompanied with the usual anti-acidity tablets (like Pan - D) and some pain killer/anti-swelling tablets (like Enzoflam). Also, insist on a topical cream (like T-bact), which will help in controlling further infections and help break the boil more effectively.

If the boil is big and not showing signs of subsiding within 1-2 days, go to a surgeon and get it surgically drained.

Now, what the doctor did not tell me, and I would like to share with you is this:

1) Be prepared to suffer for a week or so, at least. But again, it's important to go to the doctor AS SOON AS YOU HAVE THE FIRST INDICATION OF A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE. It can be fatal if allowed to fester.
2) Using a warm water press (simply douse a clean hanky in hot water and use) provides great relief from the pain and swelling, and helps bring the boil to breaking point.
3) DO NOT try and squeeze, press or prick the boil - the infection can spread further inside your body instead of getting out, and that can kill you.
4) After the boil starts to soften, you will start feeling all the liquid built up in your upper lip region sloshing around. It's painful and scary, but it's the good news - you are ready to deliver your baby!
5) Avoid all tendencies to pick, squeeze, prick or coax! It will happen when it has to happen. Wait for the moment when global warming and terrorism will seem like problems once again!

And until you have your first nose boil, happy picking!

Private Holiday Home in Goa - Xanadu

My cousins and I have recently launched a couple of private holiday homes in Goa, perfect for a large family, a group of professionals or college students, looking for reasonably priced luxurious accomodation with the freedom to cook your own meals, live in a real home, and have all the privacy and freedom you need!

Tastefully decorated living room - relax with the morning newspaper, or catch up on your TV serials!

The beach atmosphere follows you into the bedroom!

Wooden flooring, lush bedding - perfect for your nth honeymoon!

Two fully furnished, luxurious apartments on the same floor, each with 2 bed rooms and huge living rooms, cable TV, and fully equipped kitchen, located in Panaji within walking distance from Miramar beach, with breathtaking views of the Arabian sea, perfect for up to 6 families, or groups between 4-8 per apartment. Closely connected to the tourist hubs of the Calangute-Baga stretch, equally close to the commercial hubs of Margao and Vasco, and conveniently close to the Old Goa church or the temple belt of Mangeshi and Kavlem, this is one awesome location that will suit any purpose!

Like Lothar and Mandrake's Xanadu, this one promises you a lot more fun on your vacation than you can imagine!

But it's not just the accomodation that will excite you! On request, we promise to help you with the travel arrangements to and from Goa, pick up at the bus/train station or airport, local commuting, rental cars/bikes, insider tips on where to eat, dance and shop, and any other help you need to make your Goa holiday a complete experience like never before.

Our endeavour is to have scores of happy tourists enjoying Goa as our special guests, going away with beautiful memories, and wanting to come back again and again!

For inquiries and reservations, leave a comment on this blog or call +91 9822126306, and we will get back to you in a jiffy!

Delivery

First, the pleasure. A mistake. A seed implanted. Slowly, the swelling. Unbearable pain. And finally, after the gestation period, the break. Slowly, painfully at first, releasing the pressure. Then a gush.

No, I didn't have a baby. Just riddance from a week of a very painful nose boil!

Tejas Inducted

India today joined the select club of countries making a fighter jet from scratch with the Indian Air Force providing operational clearance for the lightweight indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The supersonic fourth generation fighter will form a 200-strong fleet for the IAF to replace the ageing Russian-made MiG-21 fleet.

Series Leveled

Indian batsmen kept off a listless SA attack on the fifth day, ensuring a draw and extending Dhoni's run of undefeated series. If not for Kallis's fighting century yesterday, India had a great chance of winning this test, but to Kallis's credit, the South Africans put up a fighting 340 target for India on the last day.

India retain their number 1 position, and more importantly, silence critics who dared them to perform in SA's difficult conditions.

Movie Review: The Blair Witch Project

Supposed to be a trend setter in horror, this movie was the precursor to the Paranormal kind... filmed in typical home movie style, it's touted as the footage discovered a year after the disappearance of 3 young film makers documenting the legend of the Blair Witch in the Maryland woods.

The movie starts slow, building up nicely to the finale.. but then ends with a thud. Nothing.

Very disappointing. Needed a lot more punch at the end.

RIP Casatta

Closure

Casatta's been missing since we came back from Goa. It's infinitely depressing, not being able to hear her running around, at the door in the morning, talking to us.. And in a terribly depressing way, it's almost more painful not knowing what happened to her, is she dead or alive, is she hurt somewhere waiting for me to find her and rescue her... did she get run over, did she get poisoned?

There's no bloody closure, and it's tearing me apart...

Casatta's Missing :(

Casatta's been missing ever since we came back from Goa - it's been almost 36 hours now. And according to our housemaid, she wasn't seen the day earlier too :(

She was always the risk taker, exploring a little too much - just hope she's safe, and hope she's back soon. Love her too much to give up so easy...

Pune (No)Bandh

The Shiv Sena called for a Pune bandh yesterday to protest against the shifting of a statue of Shivaji's tutor, and thankfully, once again, the people of the city made it clear they weren't going to be distracted any more by such non-issues. Except for small shops and establishments which closed down to avoid trouble, and opened by early evening, most other offices and businesses remained open, and traffic was almost normal. Autos plied too, except for some belonging to unions affiliated to the Sena. The police were out in force to prevent any untoward incidents, and except for stray incidences of stone pelting on PMT buses, life was just normal!

When will political parties finally get the drift, and start focusing on corruption, malnourishment, education and other real issues facing the country, instead of wasting their energies on frivolous politically motivated issues?

India Level Series

India came back with a fighting bowling performance for the second time today, to bowl SA out and clinch the test, levelling the series 1-1. After a less than impressive first innings total, Zaks on his come back from injury, and a fired up Harbhajan Singh had skittled out the South Africans for 130 or so, to grab a very valuable first innings lead of around 70. With Laxman contributing a fighting 96, India managed to put up a sizeable 300 run target, in spite of losing early wickets in the second innings. Then it was all up to the bowlers, and they did not disappoint.

India started the day needing 7 wickets to win, and by the time I went through a small meeting with my team, that had narrowed down to 3! A couple of short partnerships ensued as the South Africans tried to put up a fight, but the end was inevitable.

For all those sceptics out there, India had just one message today: now you know why we are number one!

It's been a great end to a fantastic year of sports for India.

HDFC Home Loans

We were at HDFC today for final disbursement of our home loan. Must say, HDFC really exceeds expectations every time.

Some special mentions...

Vikrant Garunge, for all his help, and complete support in the application and documentation phase, he went out of his way to make it easier for us. Yogesh, from HDFC Realty Services, for dedicating countless weekends in our quest for a good property, understanding our needs very well, and being super patient all through. And finally, Akshada from the Shivajinagar HDFC office, for her quick, friendly and extremely efficient service during the cheque disbursal today morning! Her meticulousness and attention to detail was very impressive!

Quenching Thirst

Sons of the Goan Soil

Baby Banana Plants

"Bimlaa" - a very khatta fruit that's a great source of vitamin C, great for pregnant women :) Have it with salt, or make some awesome "lonche" (pickle)

My favourite - the huge bamboo shoots

Coconuts rule Goa :) These ones have been "solla"

Kulagar (Plantation)

On Sunday, we went to one of our areca nut and beetle nut plantations near Ponda. A beautiful place, untouched and unchanged for decades. A Goa that most tourists never get to experience. In the picture below, you see channels developed to carry water from the stream gurgling at the foot of the hills, down into and through the plantation. When we reached there, all the townsfolk were up at the stream building a small dam using planks provided by the government, and mud.

On the way back, we stopped for chai at a small tapari run by this old lady and her son. Two of the three glass cupboards in the "hotel" were bare, and so were all the glass containers that usually have laddoos and other stuff. The third cupboard had a few biscuits and some chocolates. How do you run a hotel when you have nothing to share except love?

Innovation

A unique way to keep the showering dogs away!

One AM at Baga

One AM at Baga and there's  a sea of party goers under the watchful eyes of the police. A must visit this season!

Corus

Foodies visiting Goa, make sure you don't miss Corus, a fine dining restaurant on the Panaji to Dona Paula sea side road. Try the chicken with almonds and asparagus, the masala squid, or even the veg gratin. The red and white prawns are also wonderful!

Movie Review: Tis Maar Khan

AVOID IT. EVEN SHEELA CAN'T SAVE IT.

In any case, she finishes her song in the first fifteen minutes.

This is the seventeenth minute now and like all those before me, I'm ready to leave!

Perfect Holiday

Great food. Awesome  weather. Soothing massage. Perfect holiday.

Santa Comes Visiting!

Sign Of The Times

This bus has a cell charger outlet in every cabin!

Win Mobile 7

Got my hands on a HTC Win Mobile 7 device, and must say, right now, I love it! The UI is super cool and very responsive. Yes, we need some applications - but at the end of the day, if I can chat and FB in addition to taking calls, I will be more than satisfied!

The best part of it is the people-centric approach - you have an all integrated application that begins with a person, and allows you to email, call, sms, update Facebook, and what not, all from one interface. Absolutely awesome!

Email is great too - the look is clean, it's fast, and with support for Office 2010, what else can I ask to make my life more interesting?

Cattalk

Overhead my maid talking to Casatta today, "Don't sit on that (the dryer), sit on the ground!"

Yeah, right!

Movie Review: Band Baaja Baaraat

BBB is a light-hearted, feel good movie about a 20-something Shruti Kakkar (Anushka Sharma) and her friend and partner Bittoo (Ranveer Singh) and their struggles and victories in setting up Shaadi Mubarak, a wedding planner business. Both hit it off as good friends, and their chemistry and sincerity quickly propel them to the top of the charts in the business, until one day, in a moment of drunk celebration, they break their cardinal rule - no pyaar in business. Awkwardness and rejection take their toll, and finally, one day, they part ways. Both set out to outwit the other, but soon realise that without each other, they quickly start losing their good will and customers. Until one day, the ultra-rich Sidhwani offers to sign them on for a multi-crore marriage contract, under one condition - Shaadi Mubarak needs to be what it was earlier - united.

Anushka looks beautiful, as always, and puts up a good performance. Ranveer is a surprise package - starts off looking pretty ordinary, but by the end of the movie, you will like him for his innocence, his sincere acting, his comfort and chemistry with Anushka, and his dancing. Overall, a great debut!

The soundtrack is fun, and while some camera work is too much close-up and shaky for comfort, the movie has a beautiful eye-candy feel about it. The dialogues are crisp and fun, and story simple, the cinematography uncomplicated.

Overall, a nice movie, and probably good for a repeat watch too!

World's Smallest International Bridge

This is the world's smallest international bridge, between Canadia (larger island), and America (the smaller island) - in the 1000 islands! Such a wonderful world we live in!

Fairytales

Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know dragons exist. Fairytales tell children that dragons can be killed.

Trip to Bhandardhara and Shrirampur

Another weekend, another awesome trip around Pune... this time, 6 of us piled into Samara and set off for Bhandardhara. We left early this time, leaving Aundh by 630 am, hitting Nashik Road by 700.

A rare sight for me, the sunrise!

Half an hour later, we stopped at Navnath in Rajgurunagar for some delicious misal pav - highly recommended.

The road is in good condition, but most of it is 2 lane, and with heavy traffic, average speed quickly drops to 45-60. Not good if you are on a tight timeline, but we had all the time in the world - and folks in the back even managed to squeeze in some card games.

Our plan was to go through Malshej, so at Ale, we left NH 50 and caught NH 222. Just before Malshej, near the village of Madh, we came across an absolutely beautiful location at the banks of the Pimplegaon Joga reservoir. It was time for a break, and some pictures.

The innocent looking banks of the lake weren't as innocent after all, and it took all the power of the 4L mode to get us out of the sticky clay mud! A few anxious seconds passed before the Endy backed out of the trap.

 
Now a word of caution - follow Google maps at your peril. We soon found out that the promised road from Malshej to Bhandardhara through Vihir and Kotul doesn't exist. The road from Malshej goes along the dam to the base of the imposing hills, and stops there. And probably continues a few hundred feet above from top of the hill. So we had to double back to Otur, then take a picturesque but badly maintained internal road to Brahmanwada, Kotul and there on to Rajur and finally, our destination, Bhandardhara.

Puneites, unless you are brave enough to put your sedan through hell, or you have a SUV, please take the route via Sangamner and Akole.

We checked into Anandvan, taking a 3 bed room cottage for an outrageous 25000 per night off season rate. But unless you are terribly lucky to get a booking at Yash, the only other decent property we found in the area (and it was full), you really do not have other good options, unless you want to try out MTDC or some of the other shadier options. And though expensive, the resort staff is extremely friendly and went out of their way to accommodate every request we had.

Bhandardhara offers some stock tourist places - Wilson Dam, Amriteshwar Temple, Konkankada, and good hiking/trekking options - Ratangad and Mt Kalsubai. We went for a big drive all around the dam waters, a 50 km round trip that covers most of the key tourist spots while allowing you to immerse yourself in the beauty of the unspoilt surroundings.

At night, folks dances regaled us, and a warm campfire lightened up the mood, before we retired for the day.

The next morning, we loved simply driving around, off roading in the pristine and clean meadows and hills in the adivasi reservation around the dam catchment.

After lunch, we left for Shrirampur - passing Akole, Sangamner and Loni.

At Shrirampur, we gorged on the delicious pav bhaji and dahi puri at Shri Saikrupa, washed it down with Cream Cold, and then finally slurped some amazingly refreshing lassi at Parijat.

At 800, we left for Pune via Nagar, the 100 odd km detour to Shrirampur, really having paid off! At 1200, after multiple mini stops along the way, we were back home.

A beautiful trip, with loads of memories to cherish for a long time, had come to an end. Next weekend will be another story...

Kiwis Trampled

5-0, another clean sweep by India. I wish spectators were treated to more than a T30 though, the Kiwis folding up for 103 in 27 overs, and India needing just 21 overs to overrun the miniscule target.

Next stop, SA! Apparently the Proteas have prepared bouncy tracks - but given the form our pacers are in, I hope it doesn't end up being a case of Shekhchilli for the Africans!

Pathan Has Kiwis For Dinner

4-0 in Bengaluru. Playing a second string side of wannabes against the Kiwis in the Bangalore one dayer, after already winning the series 3-0, India seemed to be in trouble with more than 100 to win in 13 overs, 5 wickets back in the pavilion, and Yusuf Pathan and Saurabh Tiwary trying to up the scoring rate which was fast falling behind, especially with the rains threatening to bring D/L into the picture. But this Indian team is not to be denied :)

Yusuf completely demolished the Kiwis, smashing 4s and 6s by the dozen, with Saurabh providing a great foil at the other end.

Earlier, far away in the UK, Ponting finished biting the rest of his fingers, after succumbing to a humiliating innings defeat against the English in the second Ashes test.

CNN - Insights or Spoilsport?

CNN ran a news item on the French president's visit to India, and how he signed deals worth billions of dollars, especially in the nuclear energy space, and immediately followed it up with a tidbit on how India is ranked 88 in the corruption index, with China doing better at 78.

Insightful analysis, or just being a spoilsport?

No Screaming

My cat did it again yesterday.. I was giving Sanam a mock scolding, the cat woke up from its slumber on the door mat and came straight to me with a meow - and other than asking for food, she never really talks to me. We couldn't really believe she did this in response to my scolding, so a few mins later, I tried it again. And once again, Catrina came straight to me with a meow, and  this time, jumped on the center table between me and Sanam, and looked straight into my eyes, as if daring me to do it again!

If this wasn't enough, the other day, Casatta wanted to be let out. I was sleeping on the sofa, so Sanam opened the door for her. But no, she refused to go out unless and until I woke up from the sofa, opened the door for her, and let her out! Sanam couldn't stop laughing...

Gardening

There's something very fulfilling and satisfying about gardening - is it about nurturing a life? Seeing the green shoots, the fruits and the flowers blossom? Or is it just the chance to become a kid again, and play in the mud?

Me thinks, it's both :)

Terror Recruits?

Harsha commented on the movie to me in person, and I thought it was pretty insightful...

How different was AB's character from the scores of so-called terror recruiters brainwashing and using small  kids in the holy jihad against "occupying" forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kashmir, for that matter? He used innocent school kids barely in their teens in a poorly planned plot, and really, leaving them to their fate while he himself escaped and took refuse for months with his sweetheart, until he was finally captured and killed. I'm not belittling the sacrifices, nor am I in any remote way justifying what's happening today, but I think we do need to question history sometimes!
 
Sometimes, it's all about a different POV!

Break From History

I think it's time India stopped teaching its kids about our freedom struggle, especially failed mini-revolutions from places like Chittagong, which only remind us how we were slaves under the British for so long, and instead instill pride and a sense of power by focussing on more recent history - like Kargil. I want my daughter to grow up feeling like a queen, part of a powerful civilization that is ready to rule the world, and not be continuously reminded about our not so glorious (and very long) past as a poor, torn country unable to stand up to a handful of goras. No, I do not want her to go to Kasab and say, you killed my brothers and sisters, that's ok, we will peacefully protest while you kill again. No, I want her to go slap him, and tell him, enough is enough, we will fight to protect our happiness and our freedom, so don't push me, because if you do that, I will over run you and destroy you. I want my kid to grow up being proud of how our security forces fought terror for 3 days and nights in downtown Mumbai, ensuring not a single bastard got away. Teach them about our nuclear subs and power plants, our IT prowess, the names and lives of all those Indians that have made America what it is today, teach them about how we're fighting climate change.

Once and for all, let's forget those chapters from the past, and write a new history for our kids. Please.

Planet Ford Impresses

Samara had picked up a persistent and niggling sound (which seemed to come from its bonnet or glove box) after our last weekend trip, and I finally took it to Planet Ford for a check up today. I was hoping it would be something like a lose screw in the glovebox, because I really didn't want to have to give it for a complete pat-down in the garage, nor could I imagine having to live with the noise. Parag, the engineer who attended Samara in the Quick Service Bay was amazingly committed to the cause, spent more than an hour with me, patiently eliminating possibilities, came with us for a couple of test drives, until he finally isolated and fixed the problem - a lose screw deep under the air filter box.

And the best part, they didn't charge me. It's never about the money, of course, but when a service engineer understands the importance of getting a small niggle fixed for a customer, no matter how long it takes, irrespective of the "ROI", that's great customer service!

Movie Review: Phas Gaye Re Obama

A delightful comedy, Phas Gaye Re Obama has a very special script that takes the poignant issue of recession in America, and weaves an entertaining story around it, using Obama and his "Yes We Can" slogan as the perfect props, making you laugh and yet touching you immensely. The cast is perfect, the dialogue crisp and witty, the story moves along at a fast clip, beautifully using Wall Street's asset jugglery as its core theme, and wraps up to a very sweet ending at the just right time.

Totally, totally worth it - not once, but at least a couple of viewings!

Movie Review: Khelenge Hum Jee Jaan Se

1930. Chittagong in undivided Bengal. A small group of young men, mostly in their teens, hatch an outrageously daring plot to take on the British. Block the rail lines, capture the British officers and ladies in the European club, smash the Telegraph office, attack the police lines and armoury. With Gandhiji's one year of non-violence not giving results, it's time to fight fire with fire for freedom. The plan moves switfly, but the revolutionaries make two fatal errors in planning. One, it's Good Friday, and none of the officers are in the club, they've all gone to church and from there, home. Two, the armoury has weapons, but no ammunition! The revolution is quickly crushed, and over the next few months, the revolutionaries are tracked, captured, tortured, and many killed.

Life's short, and after reading all you ever really needed to know about the Chittagong uprising, there is absolutely no excuse for you to waste another 3 hours enduring the movie.

So, what's wrong with the movie? Everything, and trust me when I say that. The first half is too slow, the "build up" quickly looking like endless retakes of the same shot with different actors that never saw the editor's knife! The second half sees the British trying so hard to capture the revolutionaries, one by one, that I never imagined I would see a movie and actually clap when one of our own is captured by the English! On to the next one, get them and finish them, you hear yourself pleading with the British soldiers. After all, it's been a long time since you got some fresh air! The dialogues are immature and unrefined ("Kya woh aapke gehere dost hai?" "Woh paas aa rahe hai, ab woh aur paas aa rahe hai"), an uncomfortable mix of Hindi and Bengali, the actors forcing their mouths into pouts to get the rounded Bengali names right. The opening scene itself should prepare you for what is to come. A bunch of "chikna" boys in sparkling clean white dhotis and starched cotton kurtas, each of  a different color (from M&S?), acting and talking like overgrown six year olds. A I-can-show-only-one-emotion-on-my-face chota big B and a I-told-you-I-wouldn't-be-able-to-pull-this-off Deepika looking sick and emancipated in two chotis and a saree add absolutely nothing to the movie. The sound track is jarring and repetitive. And finally, the unnecessary blood and gore towards the end, using sensationalism and shock where subtlety and emotion should have done the trick. The only saving grace is the authentic and beautiful setting, including the quaint houses, and the quainter vintage cars.

At 3 hours, it's criminal. Avoid it. Read a book instead.

Indian Juggernaut On The Roll

3-0 in Baroda today, another completely one-sided match, the Kiwis never in the reckoning. India, with a second string side, still in a completely different zone from its competition!

Go India Go - 5-0!

Nano No-No?

My first impression of the Nano was - hope this doesn't go the way of the Hero Honda Street (wasn't that the name of the scooter-mobike crossover that also failed miserably?)! Sometimes, when someone breaks into a completely new market, you might want to ask yourself - why isn't this market already occupied? Maybe there is a reason!

The problems, as I see it with the Nano, were multiple:

1) Over-hype, leading to over booking, but inability to deliver on time - if you are not geared up to grab the opportunity, people will quickly move on. As you said, most people became stars with their Nanos, but the novelty factor washes off pretty quickly.
2) 1.5 lakh on road is still a lot of money for a car, and for people shelling out that much, maybe a second hand Maruti was a much more reliable option!
3) Safety concerns and bad press - multiple instances of cars catching fire is scary!
4) Cars need parking space (unlike a bike, you can't park it in your verendah!), petrol is expensive, and it can't double up as a goods carrier!

Some possible solutions:

1) Target the youth - for the Indian middle class, make it the option of choice for the daughter going to college, a much safer option compared to a two wheeler
2) Target it as replacement for autos/taxis
3) Offer it on a hire basis - Tatas continue to own and maintain the vehicles, but rent it out by the month