I guess that is what a lot of people will say about life. At one point in time, I might have agreed. But some telling experiences later, I can safely say that 1) Life can definitely be simple 2) A simple life definitely rocks!
Maybe I have been just plain lucky, but I have always been able to remove the people causing complications in my life out of my orbit. It might not have happened immediately but there has always been a distinct change in the presence of such events or people in my life. So if they were around earlier, well, they no longer are.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
KITES: Ew!!
The first thought that crossed my mind halfway through this movie was: Thank God I did not watch it in the big screen! In the comfort of my sofa at home and with other channels to flip to on the TV, Kites was bearable at best.
First off, while it is an accepted fact that it takes hard work to make a good movie, Kites demonstrates that it takes a spectacular effort to make a bad one as well. Starting with the name. Kites?? What is the relation to the story? I didn't get it. The most credible reason is of course, that it starts with "K". Well, so does "Katastrophe". And that might have been more apt.
Then the plot, or the lack of it. The first 30 minutes was interesting. The rest is eminently forgettable. The lead pair is lovey-dovey one minute, and running for their lives the next. People appear and disappear on screen like apparitions. The editing is tacky, with connections between some scenes missing, leaving you clueless for a minute or so. Only one song is worth mentioning: Zindagi, do pal ki.
Even the action scenes are sad. Fake, stage-set and ekdum thanda. Finally, since I am neither in love with Hrithik nor Barbara Mori, I was not moved by all those tantalizing close ups of their faces, striking as they are. Some more screen time on the story at large would have definitely helped.
If this movie was screened to international audiences and dubbed as a "crossover" movie because it was shot in US/Mexico and had a Spanish-speaking lead actor, I would be ashamed to acknowledge the Indian part of it.
First off, while it is an accepted fact that it takes hard work to make a good movie, Kites demonstrates that it takes a spectacular effort to make a bad one as well. Starting with the name. Kites?? What is the relation to the story? I didn't get it. The most credible reason is of course, that it starts with "K". Well, so does "Katastrophe". And that might have been more apt.
Then the plot, or the lack of it. The first 30 minutes was interesting. The rest is eminently forgettable. The lead pair is lovey-dovey one minute, and running for their lives the next. People appear and disappear on screen like apparitions. The editing is tacky, with connections between some scenes missing, leaving you clueless for a minute or so. Only one song is worth mentioning: Zindagi, do pal ki.
Even the action scenes are sad. Fake, stage-set and ekdum thanda. Finally, since I am neither in love with Hrithik nor Barbara Mori, I was not moved by all those tantalizing close ups of their faces, striking as they are. Some more screen time on the story at large would have definitely helped.
If this movie was screened to international audiences and dubbed as a "crossover" movie because it was shot in US/Mexico and had a Spanish-speaking lead actor, I would be ashamed to acknowledge the Indian part of it.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Take it or leave it
An article in the Speaking Tree last Sunday spoke about equanimity. The context was that of emotion. It said that all of us want happiness, but without the sadness; joy, but without the sorrow. The essence of emotion is that everything comes in pairs. The balance of this pair causes equanimity in our lives. If you want happiness, you must be prepared to undergo some measure of sadness. Alternatively, without sadness we cannot appreciate happiness as an elevated state of emotion. Same goes for joy or satisfaction. Either we accept that circumstances come in pairs, or we live in equanimity-without either emotion.
On a personal level, this article took me back to the basics, so to speak. A few years ago, in a particularly emotional time, I swore to myself that I would detach from human relationships rather than get involved in them. The pain they caused did not seem worth the intermittent happiness. In time I realised that it was not so easy; it seemed far easier to love and get hurt than to not love at all. And what is life without emotion? It's like watching a movie without sound or eating food without salt. If Life was a fruit, emotion would be the juice that dribbled down your chin as you bit into it. It is an intrinsic part of living. Without emotion there is no life.
Take it or leave it.
On a personal level, this article took me back to the basics, so to speak. A few years ago, in a particularly emotional time, I swore to myself that I would detach from human relationships rather than get involved in them. The pain they caused did not seem worth the intermittent happiness. In time I realised that it was not so easy; it seemed far easier to love and get hurt than to not love at all. And what is life without emotion? It's like watching a movie without sound or eating food without salt. If Life was a fruit, emotion would be the juice that dribbled down your chin as you bit into it. It is an intrinsic part of living. Without emotion there is no life.
Take it or leave it.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Motichoor ke Laddu
Partly because I have a sweet tooth, partly because motichoor ke laddu is one of my all-time favourites and partly because what I'm about to blog is something I wouldn't want to forget anytime soon, I have the named the post so.
It's been a while since i put the finger to the keyboard "for the blogging purpose" (inspiration for the use of this phrase to be revealed in a while) so I'm thrilled to have finally got inspired. After nearly a month, the perfect motis (pearls) are just popping out of the keyboard, it seems. So here goes.
Friends are my strongest link to sanity. Truly. In my world there are currently 2 people - Me and the Rest of Them. That's what it feels like most of the time - like I'm fighting a lone battle with the rest of the world. It's those gtalk chats and phone calls stolen during work hours, the SMS rallies in the middle of the night, the occasional but raucous dinners in swanky restaurants in the city and the even more occasional surprise cross-continental calls, that make it all worth the while.
College life is now this distant memory, almost like as if it happened in another life. The world seemed so much simpler then, almost like a toy world. Things were either black, or white, or any other colour which someone seemed to have figured out and told me.Barely a year into the corporate world and I find my settings changing hues so rapidly, I feel stunned and clueless most of the time. Far from being able to share my true feelings, I have to contend with having to figure it out on my own. It's a dog eat dog world. Nothing is what it seems. At last I understand what these phrases mean!
As I quoted to someone recently, "it was the best of times and the worst of times". An oft repeated quote by a senior guy at work, I find it to be quite apt to describe my current state of life. I can safely say that I am leading a very exciting life currently. Hundreds of new things happening every day, tons of learning to be done, decisions to be taken, impressions to be made.. it seems that 24 hours are just not enough! Sometimes better gets better; sometimes worse gets worse. The peaks are as stark as the troughs in this sine wave. Neverthless, I know that twenty-odd years later I will look back at these times and say "Those were the days."
It's been a while since i put the finger to the keyboard "for the blogging purpose" (inspiration for the use of this phrase to be revealed in a while) so I'm thrilled to have finally got inspired. After nearly a month, the perfect motis (pearls) are just popping out of the keyboard, it seems. So here goes.
Friends are my strongest link to sanity. Truly. In my world there are currently 2 people - Me and the Rest of Them. That's what it feels like most of the time - like I'm fighting a lone battle with the rest of the world. It's those gtalk chats and phone calls stolen during work hours, the SMS rallies in the middle of the night, the occasional but raucous dinners in swanky restaurants in the city and the even more occasional surprise cross-continental calls, that make it all worth the while.
College life is now this distant memory, almost like as if it happened in another life. The world seemed so much simpler then, almost like a toy world. Things were either black, or white, or any other colour which someone seemed to have figured out and told me.Barely a year into the corporate world and I find my settings changing hues so rapidly, I feel stunned and clueless most of the time. Far from being able to share my true feelings, I have to contend with having to figure it out on my own. It's a dog eat dog world. Nothing is what it seems. At last I understand what these phrases mean!
As I quoted to someone recently, "it was the best of times and the worst of times". An oft repeated quote by a senior guy at work, I find it to be quite apt to describe my current state of life. I can safely say that I am leading a very exciting life currently. Hundreds of new things happening every day, tons of learning to be done, decisions to be taken, impressions to be made.. it seems that 24 hours are just not enough! Sometimes better gets better; sometimes worse gets worse. The peaks are as stark as the troughs in this sine wave. Neverthless, I know that twenty-odd years later I will look back at these times and say "Those were the days."
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Me and My Nike
Through the last 6 months, I've faced some trying times, exhausting times and seemingly never-ending times. This post is a tribute to a silent but constant companion, having been the proverbial dependable shoulder whenever required and therefore now having become an inseparable part of my daily life.
My Nike.
I walked into a Nike showroom to replace my worn pair of shoes (not Nike). I was just starting on an assignment that required me to be on my feet the whole day. That meant upto 8 hours of standing and upto 6 hours of continuous walking. And yes, I do get paid for it :P
I knew I had to be suitably armed. What I was not armed for however, was the price tag that "the" shoe came with. It fit like a glove and cushioned my feet. In short, it was perfect. Except for the cost. No prizes for guessing the outcome though. I parted with a cool five digit sum and bought the pair.
My friends reacted with "Ew, it's flourescent yellow! Didn't you get any other colour?"
I was resigned to wearing it, reactions notwithstanding. Irrespective of weather, trouser colour and day of the week. And the funny part is, it went quite decently with most of my clothes. As luck would have it, my work took me to many shoe outlets and my choice of footwear has worked in my favour many a time :)
Six months later, the only change in me from using Nike is weight loss. My feet were.. still around, despite the insane amount of walking I had done. In shape, fresh as a flower and stout as ever.
I owe it to My Nike.
My Nike.
I walked into a Nike showroom to replace my worn pair of shoes (not Nike). I was just starting on an assignment that required me to be on my feet the whole day. That meant upto 8 hours of standing and upto 6 hours of continuous walking. And yes, I do get paid for it :P
I knew I had to be suitably armed. What I was not armed for however, was the price tag that "the" shoe came with. It fit like a glove and cushioned my feet. In short, it was perfect. Except for the cost. No prizes for guessing the outcome though. I parted with a cool five digit sum and bought the pair.
My friends reacted with "Ew, it's flourescent yellow! Didn't you get any other colour?"
I was resigned to wearing it, reactions notwithstanding. Irrespective of weather, trouser colour and day of the week. And the funny part is, it went quite decently with most of my clothes. As luck would have it, my work took me to many shoe outlets and my choice of footwear has worked in my favour many a time :)
Six months later, the only change in me from using Nike is weight loss. My feet were.. still around, despite the insane amount of walking I had done. In shape, fresh as a flower and stout as ever.
I owe it to My Nike.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
I want to
1. I want to get up every morning and look forward to going to work
2. I want to spend a day off without answering the phone or checking email even once
3. I want to watch a movie without getting emotionally involved with it :P
4. I want to spend one hour each reading newspaper and other sundry stuff, everyday
5. I want to live near the sea so that I can watch the sun rise every morning and end the day with a walk along the beach
6. I want to visit all the places where I have friends, just to relive old times
7. I want to recall all the songs I learnt since I was introduced to music
8. I want to lower my expectations from myself. The disappointment is killing sometimes
9. I want to stand up for myself, once in a while
2. I want to spend a day off without answering the phone or checking email even once
3. I want to watch a movie without getting emotionally involved with it :P
4. I want to spend one hour each reading newspaper and other sundry stuff, everyday
5. I want to live near the sea so that I can watch the sun rise every morning and end the day with a walk along the beach
6. I want to visit all the places where I have friends, just to relive old times
7. I want to recall all the songs I learnt since I was introduced to music
8. I want to lower my expectations from myself. The disappointment is killing sometimes
9. I want to stand up for myself, once in a while
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Margazhi
Margazhi is the Tamil month that begins in the middle of December. The beginning of the Madras Music Season, when even the otherwise difficult weather co-operates, with cool breeze and just-warm-enough sunshine. I was fortunate to be a part of it for 2 days, and those 2 days were one of the best I've had in a long, long time. Great weather, an air of festivity and above all, fantastic music. An out of the world experience.
Although Bangalore is where home (and therefore the heart) is, Chennai as a city has a unique energy to it. You can see it in the wide pothole-free roads, tasteful buildings and umpteen saree and jewelry shops, and you can feel it in the cultural events and happenings. It is elegance and beauty, borne out of years of perfection and adaption to changing times but without losing touch with history and tradition. Chennai is the uncrowned cultural capital of South India, and is at its most beautiful in December.
As quoted by S Ramadorai, Vice Chairman, TCS, 10 things to do in Chennai during the music festival season:
1. Visit Sampradaya music library which has 7,000 hours of music from the great masters, old and rare books, photographs and gramophone records.
2. Go to Ayodhya Mandapam in Mambalam, sit on the floor and listen to religious discourse which blends humorous storytelling of the epics with songs.
3. Get up early and join the bhajan groups marching to the temple; make sure to sing a song at the temple; get pongal as reward.
4. Go to the house of your favourite film star and have a photo taken of you with him or her; all stars employ photographers for the purpose.
5. Don’t fret if your favourite star is out for a shooting. Go to Marina Beach and take a photo with the star’s life-size cutout.
6. Eat chilli bajji at Santhome; drink filter coffee anywhere.
7. Eat “full meals” on a plantain leaf.
8. Spend Christmas at the church on St. Thomas Mount, where the Apostle Thomas was killed in the First Century; also, visit Santhome Church where his body was buried for some time.
9. Shop at Ranganathan Street for trinkets; Nalli Silks for Kanjivarams; Usman Road for jewellery.
10. Have your fortune told by a hawker’s parakeet.
So I have my task cut out for my next visit :)
Although Bangalore is where home (and therefore the heart) is, Chennai as a city has a unique energy to it. You can see it in the wide pothole-free roads, tasteful buildings and umpteen saree and jewelry shops, and you can feel it in the cultural events and happenings. It is elegance and beauty, borne out of years of perfection and adaption to changing times but without losing touch with history and tradition. Chennai is the uncrowned cultural capital of South India, and is at its most beautiful in December.
As quoted by S Ramadorai, Vice Chairman, TCS, 10 things to do in Chennai during the music festival season:
1. Visit Sampradaya music library which has 7,000 hours of music from the great masters, old and rare books, photographs and gramophone records.
2. Go to Ayodhya Mandapam in Mambalam, sit on the floor and listen to religious discourse which blends humorous storytelling of the epics with songs.
3. Get up early and join the bhajan groups marching to the temple; make sure to sing a song at the temple; get pongal as reward.
4. Go to the house of your favourite film star and have a photo taken of you with him or her; all stars employ photographers for the purpose.
5. Don’t fret if your favourite star is out for a shooting. Go to Marina Beach and take a photo with the star’s life-size cutout.
6. Eat chilli bajji at Santhome; drink filter coffee anywhere.
7. Eat “full meals” on a plantain leaf.
8. Spend Christmas at the church on St. Thomas Mount, where the Apostle Thomas was killed in the First Century; also, visit Santhome Church where his body was buried for some time.
9. Shop at Ranganathan Street for trinkets; Nalli Silks for Kanjivarams; Usman Road for jewellery.
10. Have your fortune told by a hawker’s parakeet.
So I have my task cut out for my next visit :)
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