Where is this heading to?
I was surprised to find that the "Bhaji-Monkey-Symonds" issue was still being seriously debated in India and Australia. For knowing the current status, i looked at rediff and as i was going through the article covering the controversy, i found an interesting piece. This was from Justice John Hansen's judgement, which was released by ICC:
"Mr Tendulkar heard nothing he told me he heard a heated exchange and wished to calm Mr Singh down. His evidence was that there was swearing between the two. It was initiated by Mr Symonds. That he did not hear the word "monkey" or "big monkey" but he did say he heard Mr Singh use a term in his native tongue "teri maki" which appears to be pronounced with a "n". He said this is a term that sounds like "monkey" and could be misinterpreted for it"
Why am i unable to stop laughing!! Mr.Gavaskar, are you listening? :)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Jack and Karen
Normally i go to bed at about 11 PM, but these days, i am staying awake till midnight just to watch "Will and Grace"! I used to watch this sitcom few years back and i dont feel tired watching it again! The best part in "Will and Grace" is not about Will or Grace, but about Jack and Karen! Those two are simply awesome in their acting and dialogue delivery, their sheer presence on screen makes you laugh! Here is a scene from the "Hocus Pocus" episode, which made me LOL!
This was a scene where Jack is pissed off about Karen's "innovative" ideas during his usual stage show at a gay bar. The scene takes place in a dressing room.
-------------------
JACK: Ok. What the hell were you doin' goin' off book tonight?
KAREN: What are you talking about? Honey, we killed!
JACK: I'm talkin' about that cruise ship comedy you did with your drink. My show is planned down to the smallest detail. From the arch in my eye, to the limp in my wrist, and you pulled some cheap comedy bit we've seen 1,000 times? God!
KAREN: Oh, honey, who cares? I was a big hit, and you know-- Oh, I had another idea for our next show.
JACK: You don't get to have ideas. This show is called "That Old Jack Magic," not "That Old Assistant's Magic."
KAREN: [SQUEAKS] Oh! Old?! Well, how do you know that? There are parts of me that were just a twinkle in a scientist's eye three weeks ago. Besides, I was just trying to help.
JACK: You wanna help? Then remember your place. You're the assistant... And let's not forget where that word comes from-- Latin, meaning "ass of an ant." So keep your ideas to yourself and assist. It shouldn't be that hard. It's what you do. Get it?
Normally i go to bed at about 11 PM, but these days, i am staying awake till midnight just to watch "Will and Grace"! I used to watch this sitcom few years back and i dont feel tired watching it again! The best part in "Will and Grace" is not about Will or Grace, but about Jack and Karen! Those two are simply awesome in their acting and dialogue delivery, their sheer presence on screen makes you laugh! Here is a scene from the "Hocus Pocus" episode, which made me LOL!
This was a scene where Jack is pissed off about Karen's "innovative" ideas during his usual stage show at a gay bar. The scene takes place in a dressing room.
-------------------
JACK: Ok. What the hell were you doin' goin' off book tonight?
KAREN: What are you talking about? Honey, we killed!
JACK: I'm talkin' about that cruise ship comedy you did with your drink. My show is planned down to the smallest detail. From the arch in my eye, to the limp in my wrist, and you pulled some cheap comedy bit we've seen 1,000 times? God!
KAREN: Oh, honey, who cares? I was a big hit, and you know-- Oh, I had another idea for our next show.
JACK: You don't get to have ideas. This show is called "That Old Jack Magic," not "That Old Assistant's Magic."
KAREN: [SQUEAKS] Oh! Old?! Well, how do you know that? There are parts of me that were just a twinkle in a scientist's eye three weeks ago. Besides, I was just trying to help.
JACK: You wanna help? Then remember your place. You're the assistant... And let's not forget where that word comes from-- Latin, meaning "ass of an ant." So keep your ideas to yourself and assist. It shouldn't be that hard. It's what you do. Get it?
The Brown box
"Good evening Mr.Sidharth! You have a parcel sir, please collect it from the front desk. Have a great weekend!"
I was surprised to hear the voice mail message that evening, after coming back to hotel from work. As I dropped my suitcase on the sofa, I played the message again to make sure that I wasn't dreaming, especially after officiating a quarterfinal match between two of the hottest stars in the women's tennis circuit.
I have been a nomad for the last 8 years, shuttling between US, Europe and Australia on refereeing duty. The name Sidharth Kapoor is now a well established "brand" in Tennis circuit, being the first Indian referee to officiate in all four grand slam finals. The only people who knew my whereabouts are my parents, who lived somewhere in Amritsar. I wasn't used to getting a "parcel", especially at a hotel in New York. Tall, well built, handsome, chain smoker, vodka addict, divorcee - these are some labels with which I am usually tagged. Tennis, of course, was my first love, which lead to the break up of my second love, Neena.
After changing to casuals, I rushed to the reception to collect the parcel from the receptionist. It was a brown box, with just a label on top which said "Amazon.com". I also noticed a tracking number beneath it.
"Hey Jane, do you have any idea which parcel service delivered this brown box to the hotel?"
"No Mr. Sidharth, I wasn't there on duty when it was dropped off"
"Ok, No problem, Thanks!"
"You are welcome!"
What a useless conversation! The brown box weighed around 3 lbs and the size of the box was pretty big. I didn't expect someone to send a parcel of this size, especially when I am abroad. I decided to guess who it might be, before I even open the box. Who knows, it might be WMD or anthrax too. This is America, land of opportunities, where some college freak might want to try something new and play some prank.
"Mamma couldn't have sent this here, she normally sends gifts to my Delhi address" I was trying to figure out who might have sent the parcel.
"Will it be from Neena?"
I immediately looked for my dear ex-wife Neena's number in the Addressbook and gave her a ring.
"Hello Neenu, how are you honey?"
"I am fine. Are you drunk?"
"No, why?"
"Its 1 AM here darling and you seem to have no idea about what time zone others are in! Get lost asshole! Click!"
I could feel the fumes coming out from the receiver's ear piece the moment I heard the handset striking the floor. She is till angry with me I guess. Neena will never change; so will I!
So who else could've sent that parcel? Rishabh is still in Canada but that bloke won’t do such things in his entire life! He is the kind of a person who chose an ipod nano over ipod touch for his girlfriend, just after seeing the price tag; I cannot imagine a kanjoos like him ship gifts to New York.
This leaves me with very little options. It cannot be Rick or Steve or Ryan, all three are bit too formal and they are not the ones who can give a surprise to their friends. It can't be Joe, Rajath, Reema,Parna, Anant... Wait a minute! Will it be Ritu?
Well, it might be Ritu! In fact, I wish it was her. Ritu was my girl friend during my college days in Pune. Tall and slender, blue eyes, long hair and a sweet voice, Ritu was the perfect girl which any man can dream for. We broke up due to some personal reasons, but we still remained good friends. The last I met her was some 4 years back, at a friend's wedding. She was still looking lovely then. Marriage makes women even more beautiful, perhaps. We had a nice long chat then and she promised to surprise me some day. Well, she is one rare species who keeps up her promise, so this might very well be the day she kept her promise!
I frantically began searching for the file in my laptop, where I had noted down her mobile number. After some time, I successfully located it and dialed the number. My heartbeat was racing as I dialed Ritu's number.
"Click, Click, Click...Please check the number you have dialled!"
What a bummer! I tried the same number a couple of times, but the result was the same. I finally decided to open the parcel only after I hear any further information from the sender. I left the parcel on the sofa and headed to the fridge to get a beer. I switched on the TV to divert myself from this brown box episode.
"Tring Tring! Tring Tring! Tring Tring!"
"Hello, Sid here"
"Sidharth?"
"Yeah, who is this?"
"Arre Munna! How are you beta? This is Sonu aunty and Shibhu Uncle here, Remember?"
Sonu Aunty? Oh yes, that aunty with think glasses and a long ugly nose, who once beat me up just because I spoilt her garden with my skateboard adventure! How can I easily forget a stupid neighbour?
"Haan Aunty, aap kaise ho?"
"I am fine beta, it has been so many years since I spoke to you. I have seen you on TV so many times"
I couldn't control my "evil" grin.
"Aunty, you still have a garden? Should I bring along my skateboard to your place?"
"Nahin beta, those were fun earlier. Now I hardly have any interest in such things"
"Haan. So where are you calling from?"
"Beta, I am in New Jersey right now. Listen, I saw that you were in New York for the US Open. I was just looking for someone who will be heading to India shortly, to carry some clothes and toys for Pinky, my one year old grand daughter. Have you met her? She is a wonderful baby. I called up your Mom to..."
I immediately figured out the purpose of the conversation and the mystery behind the brown box!
-------------------------------------
Dedicated to A and S for being such a wonderful host! You guys are awesome!!
And to S who actually sent the parcel to my address, without even informing me!!
"Good evening Mr.Sidharth! You have a parcel sir, please collect it from the front desk. Have a great weekend!"
I was surprised to hear the voice mail message that evening, after coming back to hotel from work. As I dropped my suitcase on the sofa, I played the message again to make sure that I wasn't dreaming, especially after officiating a quarterfinal match between two of the hottest stars in the women's tennis circuit.
I have been a nomad for the last 8 years, shuttling between US, Europe and Australia on refereeing duty. The name Sidharth Kapoor is now a well established "brand" in Tennis circuit, being the first Indian referee to officiate in all four grand slam finals. The only people who knew my whereabouts are my parents, who lived somewhere in Amritsar. I wasn't used to getting a "parcel", especially at a hotel in New York. Tall, well built, handsome, chain smoker, vodka addict, divorcee - these are some labels with which I am usually tagged. Tennis, of course, was my first love, which lead to the break up of my second love, Neena.
After changing to casuals, I rushed to the reception to collect the parcel from the receptionist. It was a brown box, with just a label on top which said "Amazon.com". I also noticed a tracking number beneath it.
"Hey Jane, do you have any idea which parcel service delivered this brown box to the hotel?"
"No Mr. Sidharth, I wasn't there on duty when it was dropped off"
"Ok, No problem, Thanks!"
"You are welcome!"
What a useless conversation! The brown box weighed around 3 lbs and the size of the box was pretty big. I didn't expect someone to send a parcel of this size, especially when I am abroad. I decided to guess who it might be, before I even open the box. Who knows, it might be WMD or anthrax too. This is America, land of opportunities, where some college freak might want to try something new and play some prank.
"Mamma couldn't have sent this here, she normally sends gifts to my Delhi address" I was trying to figure out who might have sent the parcel.
"Will it be from Neena?"
I immediately looked for my dear ex-wife Neena's number in the Addressbook and gave her a ring.
"Hello Neenu, how are you honey?"
"I am fine. Are you drunk?"
"No, why?"
"Its 1 AM here darling and you seem to have no idea about what time zone others are in! Get lost asshole! Click!"
I could feel the fumes coming out from the receiver's ear piece the moment I heard the handset striking the floor. She is till angry with me I guess. Neena will never change; so will I!
So who else could've sent that parcel? Rishabh is still in Canada but that bloke won’t do such things in his entire life! He is the kind of a person who chose an ipod nano over ipod touch for his girlfriend, just after seeing the price tag; I cannot imagine a kanjoos like him ship gifts to New York.
This leaves me with very little options. It cannot be Rick or Steve or Ryan, all three are bit too formal and they are not the ones who can give a surprise to their friends. It can't be Joe, Rajath, Reema,Parna, Anant... Wait a minute! Will it be Ritu?
Well, it might be Ritu! In fact, I wish it was her. Ritu was my girl friend during my college days in Pune. Tall and slender, blue eyes, long hair and a sweet voice, Ritu was the perfect girl which any man can dream for. We broke up due to some personal reasons, but we still remained good friends. The last I met her was some 4 years back, at a friend's wedding. She was still looking lovely then. Marriage makes women even more beautiful, perhaps. We had a nice long chat then and she promised to surprise me some day. Well, she is one rare species who keeps up her promise, so this might very well be the day she kept her promise!
I frantically began searching for the file in my laptop, where I had noted down her mobile number. After some time, I successfully located it and dialed the number. My heartbeat was racing as I dialed Ritu's number.
"Click, Click, Click...Please check the number you have dialled!"
What a bummer! I tried the same number a couple of times, but the result was the same. I finally decided to open the parcel only after I hear any further information from the sender. I left the parcel on the sofa and headed to the fridge to get a beer. I switched on the TV to divert myself from this brown box episode.
"Tring Tring! Tring Tring! Tring Tring!"
"Hello, Sid here"
"Sidharth?"
"Yeah, who is this?"
"Arre Munna! How are you beta? This is Sonu aunty and Shibhu Uncle here, Remember?"
Sonu Aunty? Oh yes, that aunty with think glasses and a long ugly nose, who once beat me up just because I spoilt her garden with my skateboard adventure! How can I easily forget a stupid neighbour?
"Haan Aunty, aap kaise ho?"
"I am fine beta, it has been so many years since I spoke to you. I have seen you on TV so many times"
I couldn't control my "evil" grin.
"Aunty, you still have a garden? Should I bring along my skateboard to your place?"
"Nahin beta, those were fun earlier. Now I hardly have any interest in such things"
"Haan. So where are you calling from?"
"Beta, I am in New Jersey right now. Listen, I saw that you were in New York for the US Open. I was just looking for someone who will be heading to India shortly, to carry some clothes and toys for Pinky, my one year old grand daughter. Have you met her? She is a wonderful baby. I called up your Mom to..."
I immediately figured out the purpose of the conversation and the mystery behind the brown box!
-------------------------------------
Dedicated to A and S for being such a wonderful host! You guys are awesome!!
And to S who actually sent the parcel to my address, without even informing me!!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Chennai - 600028
Last year, from Cricket perspective, it was both good as well as bad year for India. India couldnt cross the first round in ODI World Cup (a.k.a 50-50?) but managed to win the 20-20 World Cup. The movie Chennai 600028 was released just after the 20-20 World cup victory and it became a big hit not because of the cricket frenzy at that time, but because every single soul in the audience could relate to some characters in the movie. Almost everyone in the 20-40 age group, who have seen India's world cup win and India playing host to the 1987 world cup, must have had awesome fun in their youth playing street cricket!
I didnt have much expectations as the movie began.Infact i got confused with the faces of the characters while watching the movie (almost every guy looked the same in the movie, couldn't figure out the difference for quite sometime and was lost), soon i could "feel the fever", especially during their practice sessions, "Inter Area fights" over petty things and the semifinal match between the rival teams. All the actors in this movie were pretty cool and they displayed that "innocence" (or immaturity?) which was typical in such an age group. This movie was also the first to spoof "Enna koduma sir idhu!" [that guy rocks] dialogue from Chandramukhi.
Fast forward 5 months, i have now become a big fan of the movie's sound track! I somehow missed the songs when i watched the movie. Each song has some different feel to it, be it "Natpukkulae" [Yuvan, soothing melody with a nice acoustic piece in the background], "Jalsa pannungada" [Ranjit, Karthik, Tippu, Gana Ulaganadhan, peppy number], "Oh! Oh! Ennanamo" [Anoushka, titillating voice!]. Yuvan Shankar Raja has scored the music and i should say it is one of his best albums! Highly recommended!
Last year, from Cricket perspective, it was both good as well as bad year for India. India couldnt cross the first round in ODI World Cup (a.k.a 50-50?) but managed to win the 20-20 World Cup. The movie Chennai 600028 was released just after the 20-20 World cup victory and it became a big hit not because of the cricket frenzy at that time, but because every single soul in the audience could relate to some characters in the movie. Almost everyone in the 20-40 age group, who have seen India's world cup win and India playing host to the 1987 world cup, must have had awesome fun in their youth playing street cricket!
I didnt have much expectations as the movie began.Infact i got confused with the faces of the characters while watching the movie (almost every guy looked the same in the movie, couldn't figure out the difference for quite sometime and was lost), soon i could "feel the fever", especially during their practice sessions, "Inter Area fights" over petty things and the semifinal match between the rival teams. All the actors in this movie were pretty cool and they displayed that "innocence" (or immaturity?) which was typical in such an age group. This movie was also the first to spoof "Enna koduma sir idhu!" [that guy rocks] dialogue from Chandramukhi.
Fast forward 5 months, i have now become a big fan of the movie's sound track! I somehow missed the songs when i watched the movie. Each song has some different feel to it, be it "Natpukkulae" [Yuvan, soothing melody with a nice acoustic piece in the background], "Jalsa pannungada" [Ranjit, Karthik, Tippu, Gana Ulaganadhan, peppy number], "Oh! Oh! Ennanamo" [Anoushka, titillating voice!]. Yuvan Shankar Raja has scored the music and i should say it is one of his best albums! Highly recommended!
Monday, January 21, 2008
10 Things i miss at the moment
This is not a "Tag war" post, i am not going to pass on the baton to anyone, so chill! Just a psenti post to list down what all i am missing at the moment.
1. Cothas coffee
Perhaps the best filter coffee i have tasted in my life. Available in Jayanagar 4th block.
2. MBA classes
Might sound strange, but i really miss those sessions that happen on Fridays/Saturdays. Almost every weekend I get to learn something new (ofcourse, they dont do a re-telecast there:) ), and i get to interact with my friends!
3. Radio Indigo FM
The very reason why i chose Creative Zen Vision over Ipod! It plays the right kind of music at right frequency (unlike the "too specialized" channels here that suck big time!)
4. My Bike
My precious :), even though i have to ride it in the terrible Bangalore traffic.
5. Cable TV
Well, i dont watch any specific channel on Television (VH1 interests me at times), but i atleast get to surf through around 85 channels. I get only 32 crappy channels here :) :(
6. Warmth of the Sun light
For the first time in my life, i am facing "cold" rays of the Sun! If it is bright and sunny outside, it means it is damn freezing cold out there! I am sure by the time i get back, i will get more than what i wished for :)
7. Good Food
Doesn't mean that i am a bad cook ;) I cook really well, but i do miss that "professional" touch! Especially the ones that i find in Krishna Kafe, Home meals Millenium (Jaya nagar) and Grameen
8. Cell Phone
Makes me realize its importance when i dont have it here. Many a times i have struggled without a cell phone here, especially when trying to reach someone from a public booth, when stuck outside in the damn freezing weather!
9. Books/Landmark/Forum
I hardly find time to read here. Most of my recent purchases are still in Bangalore, waiting to be read :) Barnes and Nobles is miles away, so cant afford to visit a bookstore every weekend!
10. F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Not the sitcom! My fellas out there in Bangalore and Chennai, looking forward to meet/talk to you all once i am back!
This is not a "Tag war" post, i am not going to pass on the baton to anyone, so chill! Just a psenti post to list down what all i am missing at the moment.
1. Cothas coffee
Perhaps the best filter coffee i have tasted in my life. Available in Jayanagar 4th block.
2. MBA classes
Might sound strange, but i really miss those sessions that happen on Fridays/Saturdays. Almost every weekend I get to learn something new (ofcourse, they dont do a re-telecast there:) ), and i get to interact with my friends!
3. Radio Indigo FM
The very reason why i chose Creative Zen Vision over Ipod! It plays the right kind of music at right frequency (unlike the "too specialized" channels here that suck big time!)
4. My Bike
My precious :), even though i have to ride it in the terrible Bangalore traffic.
5. Cable TV
Well, i dont watch any specific channel on Television (VH1 interests me at times), but i atleast get to surf through around 85 channels. I get only 32 crappy channels here :) :(
6. Warmth of the Sun light
For the first time in my life, i am facing "cold" rays of the Sun! If it is bright and sunny outside, it means it is damn freezing cold out there! I am sure by the time i get back, i will get more than what i wished for :)
7. Good Food
Doesn't mean that i am a bad cook ;) I cook really well, but i do miss that "professional" touch! Especially the ones that i find in Krishna Kafe, Home meals Millenium (Jaya nagar) and Grameen
8. Cell Phone
Makes me realize its importance when i dont have it here. Many a times i have struggled without a cell phone here, especially when trying to reach someone from a public booth, when stuck outside in the damn freezing weather!
9. Books/Landmark/Forum
I hardly find time to read here. Most of my recent purchases are still in Bangalore, waiting to be read :) Barnes and Nobles is miles away, so cant afford to visit a bookstore every weekend!
10. F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Not the sitcom! My fellas out there in Bangalore and Chennai, looking forward to meet/talk to you all once i am back!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
A Torture called "Bheema"
It was a freezing friday evening. Friday night show movies have become a kind of routine here in Chicago. I had two options last night, one was "Bheema" featuring "Seeyan" Vikram and the other was "Kaalai" featuring "Little Super Star" Simbu. Having watched couple of dumb scenes from Simbu's best movies earlier, i decided it was safe to stay away from "Kaalai" and decided to head for "Bheema". Little did i know that i would be facing the worst torture in my life that night...
First, as i approached the ticket counter, the guy selling tickets spoke in Tamil and asked me "How many?" with a wry smile. I was so glad to hear someone speak in Tamil here, but only later i realized that the smile indirectly was at the "five bakras" who had come to watch this movie.
And then the comedy of errors! We entered the theater and took our seats. As the movie started, we were all puzzled! Why does the movie doesn't start with the titles? What is Raghuvaran and Prakashraj doing right in the beginning? Why does Vikram get so angry with Raghuvaran? Above all, why is the audience so silent? Didn't they get puzzled with the start? No whispers? No gasps? We turned back and asked the couple behind about this weird start and they told us that we entered the theater post-Interval! We just rushed out of that hall and we realized we had entered a wrong hall! Atleast those 5 minutes should have given us an indication of the horror facing us and we should have made our way out. Sadly, the $75 we had paid for the movie guided us to the correct hall and forced us to sit! The movie started and for the next 3 hours, it was a pain that i had never faced before in my life!
We were told that it was an action movie, but within the first 10 minutes, there was so much of laughter in the movie! They way Vikram expresses his interest in Prakashraj makes me feel that this movie is perhaps the Tamil version of "Brokeback mountain". But enter Trisha! Here is the confusion, why would a good looking, well educated girl fall for a pistol weilding rowdy, just because he fell on her one night? Why does she chase him as though she has never seen a male in her life? Like this, there are so many unanswered questions. By the time the screen gets frozen for interval, almost the entire audience just jump out from the seats and run out! I heard some of them even started vomiting inside the rest rooms!
Post interval, Raghuvaran, who was supposed to be a big shot, who has some 100 goondas working for him, gets lifted from his home overnight and is moved to some unknown location in Kanchipuram! What the f*** is this? Does the director think the audience are fools? Why the hell Prakashraj and Vikram dont kill Raghuvaran when they had him on his toes?
Whats funny (well, the entire movie is fun, this is probably one of it), is that almost all the goondas carry a gun, but they still end up beaten up by some rod or wooden piece. Why cant they use the gun when Bheema is around? The movie gets funnier(by this time people are almost standing on their seats and laughing out loud) as Aashish vidyarthi enters the scene as police commissioner from Mumbai. He wants to set up a special task force and the next scene we see a team of five guys, just dressed up as "Anbu chelvan's" team from "Kaakha Kaakha".Everybody in the theater wonders whether they missed the other spoof elements in the movie and start wondering where all this was heading to! Prakashraj gets to do a bit of romance, thank god, he didn't have a song sequence! The only saving face of this movie is the climax, which was much different from most tamil movies. But ultimately, it was such a stupid climax which didn't fit the other pieces of the movie. It looked as though the director framed the climax first and asked the assistants to write the rest of the story.
The movie got over at 1.30 AM, as we walked out of the theater, the -15 deg C weather outside was so pleasant that we stood for sometime to gasp some breathe and then we rushed to the car. This was perhaps the worst movie i have ever seen in my life, in theater. Aag perhaps comes a close second! If you want to know how it feels to have your head sliced by a Guillotine, watch this movie!
For once, i am happpy to be alive!
It was a freezing friday evening. Friday night show movies have become a kind of routine here in Chicago. I had two options last night, one was "Bheema" featuring "Seeyan" Vikram and the other was "Kaalai" featuring "Little Super Star" Simbu. Having watched couple of dumb scenes from Simbu's best movies earlier, i decided it was safe to stay away from "Kaalai" and decided to head for "Bheema". Little did i know that i would be facing the worst torture in my life that night...
First, as i approached the ticket counter, the guy selling tickets spoke in Tamil and asked me "How many?" with a wry smile. I was so glad to hear someone speak in Tamil here, but only later i realized that the smile indirectly was at the "five bakras" who had come to watch this movie.
And then the comedy of errors! We entered the theater and took our seats. As the movie started, we were all puzzled! Why does the movie doesn't start with the titles? What is Raghuvaran and Prakashraj doing right in the beginning? Why does Vikram get so angry with Raghuvaran? Above all, why is the audience so silent? Didn't they get puzzled with the start? No whispers? No gasps? We turned back and asked the couple behind about this weird start and they told us that we entered the theater post-Interval! We just rushed out of that hall and we realized we had entered a wrong hall! Atleast those 5 minutes should have given us an indication of the horror facing us and we should have made our way out. Sadly, the $75 we had paid for the movie guided us to the correct hall and forced us to sit! The movie started and for the next 3 hours, it was a pain that i had never faced before in my life!
We were told that it was an action movie, but within the first 10 minutes, there was so much of laughter in the movie! They way Vikram expresses his interest in Prakashraj makes me feel that this movie is perhaps the Tamil version of "Brokeback mountain". But enter Trisha! Here is the confusion, why would a good looking, well educated girl fall for a pistol weilding rowdy, just because he fell on her one night? Why does she chase him as though she has never seen a male in her life? Like this, there are so many unanswered questions. By the time the screen gets frozen for interval, almost the entire audience just jump out from the seats and run out! I heard some of them even started vomiting inside the rest rooms!
Post interval, Raghuvaran, who was supposed to be a big shot, who has some 100 goondas working for him, gets lifted from his home overnight and is moved to some unknown location in Kanchipuram! What the f*** is this? Does the director think the audience are fools? Why the hell Prakashraj and Vikram dont kill Raghuvaran when they had him on his toes?
Whats funny (well, the entire movie is fun, this is probably one of it), is that almost all the goondas carry a gun, but they still end up beaten up by some rod or wooden piece. Why cant they use the gun when Bheema is around? The movie gets funnier(by this time people are almost standing on their seats and laughing out loud) as Aashish vidyarthi enters the scene as police commissioner from Mumbai. He wants to set up a special task force and the next scene we see a team of five guys, just dressed up as "Anbu chelvan's" team from "Kaakha Kaakha".Everybody in the theater wonders whether they missed the other spoof elements in the movie and start wondering where all this was heading to! Prakashraj gets to do a bit of romance, thank god, he didn't have a song sequence! The only saving face of this movie is the climax, which was much different from most tamil movies. But ultimately, it was such a stupid climax which didn't fit the other pieces of the movie. It looked as though the director framed the climax first and asked the assistants to write the rest of the story.
The movie got over at 1.30 AM, as we walked out of the theater, the -15 deg C weather outside was so pleasant that we stood for sometime to gasp some breathe and then we rushed to the car. This was perhaps the worst movie i have ever seen in my life, in theater. Aag perhaps comes a close second! If you want to know how it feels to have your head sliced by a Guillotine, watch this movie!
For once, i am happpy to be alive!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Time to change
There are certain conversations, at the end of which you feel that the other person has grabbed your neck, slapped you couple of times and then make you realize the bad side of you. I just had one such conversation (via chat) very recently and it hit me just too hard.
My dear friend, thanks for pointing those things to me. I promise i will change.
There are certain conversations, at the end of which you feel that the other person has grabbed your neck, slapped you couple of times and then make you realize the bad side of you. I just had one such conversation (via chat) very recently and it hit me just too hard.
My dear friend, thanks for pointing those things to me. I promise i will change.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Deal
"You still refuse to convince me Hikachi"
Nodd picked up a Heineken before settling down in his leather recliner. He kinda liked to negotiate with someone in that position. But this time, even though a lot was at stake, he continued to be in his own laidback style while talking to his prospective "partner in crime".
"I have no reason to convince a asshole like you, Nodd. You were the one who were interested in me"
Hikachi hit back with a stern face. Hikachi's parents had settled down in Bronx when he was 2 years old. He looked very unusual compared to other Japanese kids in that locality, he was tall, muscular and handsome. The environment in which he grew up made him strong, both physically and mentally.
"Ok, Ok, Atleast talk about what you have done in the past, that has made you so ffffffamous in the underground"
Nodd was not in a good mood. It was very reasonable to be like that, when one is just out from the prison.
"Well, I am an expert with firearms and defusing bombs. Last year, i sneaked past 20 cops to get the Heiza diamond and..."
"But you still got caught by snoooooooooop, loser!"
Nodd's eyes were still closed, he continued to be in the "floating position", with a beer on one hand and cigarette on the other.
"That was because i was cheated by Akaido and i dont expect my future partners to be a snob like you"
"Whoa, whoa, chill out kid, mind your words!"
"You want my credentials, right? I cracked Wurd's maze and I still hold the key to break it under 10 seconds. I didn't reveal it to Akaido just because he didn't allow me to cross the Bridge of Ataca, while we were playing as a team in the World Cyber Games finals. Else we would have won the tournament. And you know that experts struggle with Wurd's maze"
Nodd opened his eyes, for the first time, there was fear and joy in his eyes. Here is a kid, who knows to crack the toughest part in "Counterstrike" game in under 10 seconds. This was something Nodd struggled with, before going to prison for illegal possession of firearms. With the tournament less than 10 days away, it was too good a deal to let go. But being the runner up of the tournament for 5 consecutive years, Nodd felt this is the best chance for him to hold the winner's trophy. And the cheque, of course.
"Done deal, see you at the underground at 5 tomorrow."
"Ok Nodd, but we will still play the druglords side and share the prize money 50:50. Else, no deal"
"Cool man, its 50:50 ok, and we are still the bad guys, chilloooo..."
As Hikachi walked past the door, Nodd gave him a wry smile, trying to remember where he hid his second pistol, before getting arrested by the police.
--------------------------------------------------
Dedicated to all those fans of diablo and AOE, who really tested Logitech mouse and my patience during my wonderful college years...Hey psychos, you guys still rock!
"You still refuse to convince me Hikachi"
Nodd picked up a Heineken before settling down in his leather recliner. He kinda liked to negotiate with someone in that position. But this time, even though a lot was at stake, he continued to be in his own laidback style while talking to his prospective "partner in crime".
"I have no reason to convince a asshole like you, Nodd. You were the one who were interested in me"
Hikachi hit back with a stern face. Hikachi's parents had settled down in Bronx when he was 2 years old. He looked very unusual compared to other Japanese kids in that locality, he was tall, muscular and handsome. The environment in which he grew up made him strong, both physically and mentally.
"Ok, Ok, Atleast talk about what you have done in the past, that has made you so ffffffamous in the underground"
Nodd was not in a good mood. It was very reasonable to be like that, when one is just out from the prison.
"Well, I am an expert with firearms and defusing bombs. Last year, i sneaked past 20 cops to get the Heiza diamond and..."
"But you still got caught by snoooooooooop, loser!"
Nodd's eyes were still closed, he continued to be in the "floating position", with a beer on one hand and cigarette on the other.
"That was because i was cheated by Akaido and i dont expect my future partners to be a snob like you"
"Whoa, whoa, chill out kid, mind your words!"
"You want my credentials, right? I cracked Wurd's maze and I still hold the key to break it under 10 seconds. I didn't reveal it to Akaido just because he didn't allow me to cross the Bridge of Ataca, while we were playing as a team in the World Cyber Games finals. Else we would have won the tournament. And you know that experts struggle with Wurd's maze"
Nodd opened his eyes, for the first time, there was fear and joy in his eyes. Here is a kid, who knows to crack the toughest part in "Counterstrike" game in under 10 seconds. This was something Nodd struggled with, before going to prison for illegal possession of firearms. With the tournament less than 10 days away, it was too good a deal to let go. But being the runner up of the tournament for 5 consecutive years, Nodd felt this is the best chance for him to hold the winner's trophy. And the cheque, of course.
"Done deal, see you at the underground at 5 tomorrow."
"Ok Nodd, but we will still play the druglords side and share the prize money 50:50. Else, no deal"
"Cool man, its 50:50 ok, and we are still the bad guys, chilloooo..."
As Hikachi walked past the door, Nodd gave him a wry smile, trying to remember where he hid his second pistol, before getting arrested by the police.
--------------------------------------------------
Dedicated to all those fans of diablo and AOE, who really tested Logitech mouse and my patience during my wonderful college years...Hey psychos, you guys still rock!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Jerry McGuire mission statement
As i was channel surfing last night, i hit upon a channel that was playing Jerry McGuire. This was a movie that i have heard a lot about, but never really had a interest to watch, mainly because of the Tom Cruise factor (IMHO, he sucks). Since i had a lot of time at hand, i decided to watch the whole movie and i am glad i watched till the end! There are a lot of moments to treasure, lot of quotable quotes and some great performance by Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr.
The movie starts off with Jerry writing a mission statement for his company. Anyone who is in a job or who will be starting to work, must read this mission statement! Its titled "The Things we think and do not say". Read it here:
http://www.thisisawar.com/PurposeJerry.htm
I am sure it will trigger some thought among some of you! Let me know what you think about it.
As i was channel surfing last night, i hit upon a channel that was playing Jerry McGuire. This was a movie that i have heard a lot about, but never really had a interest to watch, mainly because of the Tom Cruise factor (IMHO, he sucks). Since i had a lot of time at hand, i decided to watch the whole movie and i am glad i watched till the end! There are a lot of moments to treasure, lot of quotable quotes and some great performance by Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr.
The movie starts off with Jerry writing a mission statement for his company. Anyone who is in a job or who will be starting to work, must read this mission statement! Its titled "The Things we think and do not say". Read it here:
http://www.thisisawar.com/PurposeJerry.htm
I am sure it will trigger some thought among some of you! Let me know what you think about it.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Humanitarian touch!
Ok folks, if you are expecting an entry on AI/robotics/motion sensors etc. you are on a wrong page! I wanted to talk about the real "Humanitarian touch" which we miss these days! After a very long time, i saw someone (a lady, for all those guys who want some twist/punch in the entry) actually care for others(not relatives or friends, but lets say strangers for the moment) without any selfish motive. She has really impressed me!! Here is the full story!
This incident happened couple of days ago. I had been to the administrative office to meet their staff, to discuss about some procedures. Normally, I pass by the office almost twice every week, but this is the first time i actually went inside their office room. I met the office staff and explained my issue to them. They gave me all the required details and i thanked them for helping me out. Just behind me there was this lady who was patiently waiting outside for the time i was inside. Once i was done with my work, i came out of the room and while i was checking the notice board for updates i hear that lady wishing the administrative staff on the occasion of Diwali. The staff wished her and asked her whether is there anything else for which she wanted help. She replied saying she just came all the way to that office just to wish them Diwali and ask them how they celebrated it. I was totally floored!! I had been in that office for nearly 20 mins, talked to them only about my problems and totally forgot the fact that they had come to the office on a holiday (It was Diwali day, when i went there). I was just ashamed of myself, i didn't even wish them Diwali, where was the humanitarian touch? In our day to day life, we just miss those little things, we care only about our welfare and we have lost the quality of appreciating/wishing others when they do well. In most IT companies here, if the office Cafeteria serves some dhal without salt or under cooked rice, every Ram,Rahim and Ray jump over to the feedback book/bulletin board to criticize the caterer. But some other day, when the caterer serves awesome Sambar or tasty Palak paneer, no one goes forward to appreciate the hard work behind it! We all crib if the IT team delays your tape recovery, but have we ever congratulated them for managing the network well or processing service requests at a record speed? Most of us know only know how to criticize and condemn, we have lost the quality of appreciating others, when they do a good job.
Today, in my office cafeteria, after picking up the tea from tea counter, i appreciated that caterer for serving wonderful tea all through last week. He was overjoyed and was all smiles till i left the counter. Inside my heart, i just appreciated the lady, whom i saw the other day, for opening my eyes and i just wished that she continues to be like that forever.
Ok folks, if you are expecting an entry on AI/robotics/motion sensors etc. you are on a wrong page! I wanted to talk about the real "Humanitarian touch" which we miss these days! After a very long time, i saw someone (a lady, for all those guys who want some twist/punch in the entry) actually care for others(not relatives or friends, but lets say strangers for the moment) without any selfish motive. She has really impressed me!! Here is the full story!
This incident happened couple of days ago. I had been to the administrative office to meet their staff, to discuss about some procedures. Normally, I pass by the office almost twice every week, but this is the first time i actually went inside their office room. I met the office staff and explained my issue to them. They gave me all the required details and i thanked them for helping me out. Just behind me there was this lady who was patiently waiting outside for the time i was inside. Once i was done with my work, i came out of the room and while i was checking the notice board for updates i hear that lady wishing the administrative staff on the occasion of Diwali. The staff wished her and asked her whether is there anything else for which she wanted help. She replied saying she just came all the way to that office just to wish them Diwali and ask them how they celebrated it. I was totally floored!! I had been in that office for nearly 20 mins, talked to them only about my problems and totally forgot the fact that they had come to the office on a holiday (It was Diwali day, when i went there). I was just ashamed of myself, i didn't even wish them Diwali, where was the humanitarian touch? In our day to day life, we just miss those little things, we care only about our welfare and we have lost the quality of appreciating/wishing others when they do well. In most IT companies here, if the office Cafeteria serves some dhal without salt or under cooked rice, every Ram,Rahim and Ray jump over to the feedback book/bulletin board to criticize the caterer. But some other day, when the caterer serves awesome Sambar or tasty Palak paneer, no one goes forward to appreciate the hard work behind it! We all crib if the IT team delays your tape recovery, but have we ever congratulated them for managing the network well or processing service requests at a record speed? Most of us know only know how to criticize and condemn, we have lost the quality of appreciating others, when they do a good job.
Today, in my office cafeteria, after picking up the tea from tea counter, i appreciated that caterer for serving wonderful tea all through last week. He was overjoyed and was all smiles till i left the counter. Inside my heart, i just appreciated the lady, whom i saw the other day, for opening my eyes and i just wished that she continues to be like that forever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
