...are on Travel and Living, and while Indian television degenerates into the senseless and shameless amalgamation of prime time slander of juveniles into endless soaps, T&L will offer you some absolutely wonderful programs that will entertain, excite and educate you at the same time!
Check out Overhauled, a beautiful program where they "steal" an old car from the "victim", then spend a week turning into some of the hottest wheels on the planet. The transformation is amazing, and it's such a joy to see the pride and commitment shown by the team - and the happiness it brings to the lives of the "victims". Just awesome. And you know what's the best part? The hardware that goes into the car, and the companies that provide them, go for subtle or very passive advertising - none of the shamless promotions that could have made such programs a boring extended TV commercial!
Or "While You Were Away" and "Monster House" - transformations of simple abodes into beautiful designer homes. Again, the key principle - do it for someone else, do it quick, and do it beautiful!
It's really all about awesome creativity, and the pure pleasure of doing something for someone else!
For a different flavour, check out the travel shows - from Six Degrees to Lonely Planet, the programs bring you the flavours and experiences of some really beautiful places around the world, in the comfort of your drawing room. The experience is so rich, trust me, at times, I have actually smelt the aromas and smells, and felt the chill and rain on my face!
Or another of my favourites, Amazing Vacation Homes - it's about beautiful houses, in beautiful locations. Such an inspiration! And for the engineering or architecture minded, it's just such a tremendous learning experience!
I wish we had more such shows from India... and yes, NDTV Good Times may just be the channel to track in the future...
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Magic of Minimum
Pune Times ran an article today on the renovation we did at our place, titled, The Magic of Minimum. Do check it out - attached scan looks small, but if you download and magnify it, you should be able to read it!
Movie Review: 26th July at Barista
Based on the Mumbai rain deluge a few years back, all I can say is that the movie is a perfect example of a beautiful idea with terrible execution. The cast, the direction, the dialogues - plain and simple amateurish. I stopped watching after 15 mins.
Don't waste time on it - go to a Barista and catch a good coffee instead!
Don't waste time on it - go to a Barista and catch a good coffee instead!
Movie Review: Made of Honour
Made of Honour is a remake of My Best Friends Wedding, but this time the maid is a very sexy Patrick Dempsey, who decides it's time for him to step in and "steal the bride" Michelle Monaghan, his very platonic friend of 10 years, before she gets married to her Scottish love of 45 days.
The first half is hilarious, definitely worth a dekko. The second half is cheesy, a little boring, and very predictable.
My advice - watch till intermission, then get out - it would have still been worth it!
The first half is hilarious, definitely worth a dekko. The second half is cheesy, a little boring, and very predictable.
My advice - watch till intermission, then get out - it would have still been worth it!
Movie Review: Get Smart
Definitely the best movie I have seen in a long time! "Get Smart" is a very smart spoof on James Bond, but way smarter than the Hot Shots series.
Steve Carell plays an analyst in the CIA who finally gets his chance out in the field, saving the world from the nukes of the Russian group of terrorists called Chaos, along with the very sexy Agent 99 played by Anne Hathaway. Our very own Khali also has a role, though the dialogue writers seem to have forgotten him (for good reason!).
The dialogues are a delight, and will keep you laughing till you fall off the chair.. and surprisingly, some of the action is top notch stuff too! Anne is the icing on the cake...
Definitely a must watch, a couple of times!
Steve Carell plays an analyst in the CIA who finally gets his chance out in the field, saving the world from the nukes of the Russian group of terrorists called Chaos, along with the very sexy Agent 99 played by Anne Hathaway. Our very own Khali also has a role, though the dialogue writers seem to have forgotten him (for good reason!).
The dialogues are a delight, and will keep you laughing till you fall off the chair.. and surprisingly, some of the action is top notch stuff too! Anne is the icing on the cake...
Definitely a must watch, a couple of times!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Change of Scene
We did some renovation of our apartment recently, and though some of the work is yet to be taken to it's conclusion, here's a sneak preview of how it's coming up...
The living room is dominated by the very comfortable sofas that invite you to sink in, and the low diwan by the window, just perfect for that early morning sun-bath. The brown and black color scheme brings earthly warmth into the room, and the soft yellow sheer curtains add a dash of brightness against the brown-brick wall paper against the far wall.
The center table is pretty large, and doubles up as a good place to serve some light snacks or breakfast. We ditched our dining table - it took up a lot of space, and never really got used!
At night, the orange glow from the lamp in the corner really gives a very different character to the room. It's soft dim lighting converts the room into a meditation corner, perfect for relieving the day's stress and tensions!
This is the view from the diwan. The opposite end of the hall has been converted into a study, a place for reading, and working. The comfortable floor sofa can also double up as a couch, and in the extreme case, as a bed! There's enough space for my best books - and some more! And hidden behind the sofa, is my favourite toy - the paper shredder :)
One of the cool artifacts we picked up at Ishanya - I just love this character :)
And this is the SRK corner - along with another of my favourite, the tea cup man!
"Oye, I might look old, but man, can I talk! Try me!"
We got this chap from Mumbai... and yes, it does work!
This is not just a smiling buddha, it's a smiling buddha whose gaze follows you as you move around the room! Almost eerie, until you get the hang of it :)
We also got the basin corner done up - here you see the detailing on the basin - pretty neat, huh?
And finally, the basin corner - the stones and the lamp provide a "natural" look, while the detailing on the mirror provides continuity with the decor in the living room itself.
The living room is dominated by the very comfortable sofas that invite you to sink in, and the low diwan by the window, just perfect for that early morning sun-bath. The brown and black color scheme brings earthly warmth into the room, and the soft yellow sheer curtains add a dash of brightness against the brown-brick wall paper against the far wall.
The center table is pretty large, and doubles up as a good place to serve some light snacks or breakfast. We ditched our dining table - it took up a lot of space, and never really got used!
At night, the orange glow from the lamp in the corner really gives a very different character to the room. It's soft dim lighting converts the room into a meditation corner, perfect for relieving the day's stress and tensions!
This is the view from the diwan. The opposite end of the hall has been converted into a study, a place for reading, and working. The comfortable floor sofa can also double up as a couch, and in the extreme case, as a bed! There's enough space for my best books - and some more! And hidden behind the sofa, is my favourite toy - the paper shredder :)
One of the cool artifacts we picked up at Ishanya - I just love this character :)
And this is the SRK corner - along with another of my favourite, the tea cup man!
"Oye, I might look old, but man, can I talk! Try me!"
We got this chap from Mumbai... and yes, it does work!
This is not just a smiling buddha, it's a smiling buddha whose gaze follows you as you move around the room! Almost eerie, until you get the hang of it :)
We also got the basin corner done up - here you see the detailing on the basin - pretty neat, huh?
And finally, the basin corner - the stones and the lamp provide a "natural" look, while the detailing on the mirror provides continuity with the decor in the living room itself.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday Plan - Updates
Wake up late - done
Do the CEO Portal updates - to be done, not up to work yet!
Read mail - done, to be done
Send some mail - done, to be done
Blog - done, being done, to be done
Do some gandhigiri - clean the spit marks from the staircase walls - done
Clean the car - to be done, carpenter took priority
Get carpenter and get the new mirror and artifacts hanging on the wall - done
Eat fish - to be done, not yet had lunch
Play with cat - done, to be done, cat sleeping now
Do some shopping - to be done
Eat more fish - to be done, of course, can't be done before doing the earlier fish task
Watch TV - to be done, Pogo rules for now
Sleep - to be done, separate from the earlier related task
Do the CEO Portal updates - to be done, not up to work yet!
Read mail - done, to be done
Send some mail - done, to be done
Blog - done, being done, to be done
Do some gandhigiri - clean the spit marks from the staircase walls - done
Clean the car - to be done, carpenter took priority
Get carpenter and get the new mirror and artifacts hanging on the wall - done
Eat fish - to be done, not yet had lunch
Play with cat - done, to be done, cat sleeping now
Do some shopping - to be done
Eat more fish - to be done, of course, can't be done before doing the earlier fish task
Watch TV - to be done, Pogo rules for now
Sleep - to be done, separate from the earlier related task
Sunday Plan
Wake up late
Do the CEO Portal updates
Read mail
Send some mail
Blog
Do some gandhigiri - clean the spit marks from the staircase walls
Clean the car
Get carpenter and get the new mirror and artifacts hanging on the wall
Eat fish
Play with cat
Do some shopping
Eat more fish
Watch TV
Sleep
Do the CEO Portal updates
Read mail
Send some mail
Blog
Do some gandhigiri - clean the spit marks from the staircase walls
Clean the car
Get carpenter and get the new mirror and artifacts hanging on the wall
Eat fish
Play with cat
Do some shopping
Eat more fish
Watch TV
Sleep
Gossip
There was a lady who loved to gossip. After starting off one particularly nasty rumour about the new girl in her village, she was over-taken by a strange sense of guilt, and decided to go meet the village sadhu for advice.
The sadhu gave her a large wad of cotton, and asked her to place a small ball of cotton at the doorstep of each household where she thought the rumour had spread, and come back the next day. The lady went back relieved, and diligently did what she had been asked to.
The next day, she went to meet the sadhu and asked for next steps. Well, he said, now go and collect all the cotton balls you had kept, and get them back to me, and the rumours will be squashed. How can I do that, she protested, all the cotton balls must have been blown around with the wind... how can I possibly find them and get them back?
Exactly, said the sadhu.
The sadhu gave her a large wad of cotton, and asked her to place a small ball of cotton at the doorstep of each household where she thought the rumour had spread, and come back the next day. The lady went back relieved, and diligently did what she had been asked to.
The next day, she went to meet the sadhu and asked for next steps. Well, he said, now go and collect all the cotton balls you had kept, and get them back to me, and the rumours will be squashed. How can I do that, she protested, all the cotton balls must have been blown around with the wind... how can I possibly find them and get them back?
Exactly, said the sadhu.
Movie Review: The Happening
Another Manoj Night Shyamalan offering - this time, it's about trees conspiring against the humans, inflicting some deadly mental illness that disables the self-preserving instinct and makes humans suicidal.
The movie starts off extremely well - the scene with the construction workers jumping off the roof will chill you to the spine. There are a couple other great scenes too, but overall the movie promises more than it delivers. After the initial great start, the story loses strength - there are no twists, and it degenerates into an endless attempt to escape from "the trees"!
The actors add another weak link - the horror and fear rarely come across, and the expressions generally seem to be mocking you for being scared! The exception is the little girl who really has some very special moments in the film.
Don't expect too much, enjoy the good parts, and it'll not be that bad...
The movie starts off extremely well - the scene with the construction workers jumping off the roof will chill you to the spine. There are a couple other great scenes too, but overall the movie promises more than it delivers. After the initial great start, the story loses strength - there are no twists, and it degenerates into an endless attempt to escape from "the trees"!
The actors add another weak link - the horror and fear rarely come across, and the expressions generally seem to be mocking you for being scared! The exception is the little girl who really has some very special moments in the film.
Don't expect too much, enjoy the good parts, and it'll not be that bad...
Water and Laser Show at Ishanya
Yesterday evening, we went for this awesome water and laser show at Ishanya Mall, off AirPort Road. Fantastic stuff, something really different, great for the kids. Did not even attempt to click it on my cell phone camera - just wouldn't have captured the experience. Do check it out - every Thur-Sun at 730 pm.
The mall itself is shaping up beautifully - big, spacious, and some great shopping for anything and everything in interiors! And oh yes, very adeqaute parking!
The mall itself is shaping up beautifully - big, spacious, and some great shopping for anything and everything in interiors! And oh yes, very adeqaute parking!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Movie Review: Rocky Balboa
I missed Rocky Balboa when it came in the theatres earlier this year (no partners to see it with!) but thankfully caught half of it on Star Movies the other day... I must say, it's a beautiful movie, and definitely worth a couple of watches.
It's all about Rocky Balboa's attempt to get his life back on track - culminating with a fight with the existing heavy weight champion, a fight he wins after losing... and while Stallone looks much older than in his next Rambo movie, it's the dialogues that are absolutely captivating!
Life's not about how much you hit, it's about how many hits you can take, and be able to carry on. Such an awesome line to live by...
It's all about Rocky Balboa's attempt to get his life back on track - culminating with a fight with the existing heavy weight champion, a fight he wins after losing... and while Stallone looks much older than in his next Rambo movie, it's the dialogues that are absolutely captivating!
Life's not about how much you hit, it's about how many hits you can take, and be able to carry on. Such an awesome line to live by...
Quote for the Day
I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time. Charles M. Schulz
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Back to 50-50
India beat Pakistan comprehensively by 140 runs in their first encounter of the Kitply tri-nation cup in Bangladesh, after setting a target of 331. Interestingly, the Pakistani coach had gone on record saying he'd like to beat India by 150 runs today :)
Coming after the IPL though, the match seemed too long, too quiet, too boring. And with not even the cheerleaders to bring any excitement... I foresee a quick and early death to this form of cricket.
Coming after the IPL though, the match seemed too long, too quiet, too boring. And with not even the cheerleaders to bring any excitement... I foresee a quick and early death to this form of cricket.
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