southerndown

southerndown
Originally uploaded by Archana's.

Jo, the countryside w/o the road! English countryside is beautiful....but I had been to the Wales coastline :( The picture is a bit dark cos of the sun...it was just a lil after noon!

if you've got a minute why dont we go? talk about it somewhere only we know....

if you've got a minute why dont we go? talk about it somewhere only we know....
Originally uploaded by Archana's.

when you flow

when you flow
Originally uploaded by Archana's.

Reason # 3 and Wales

#3 Emotion is thy name.....emotional to an extent that its both an advantage and a disadvantage to the opposite sex! Guys realise this....you can, both, get away having done anything/everything and you can also be caught for some nothings !
Ex: My friend's boyfriend cheated on her for her best friend [and I pray that none of them ever discover this blog!] They did break up just as one can expect. But what happened later came as a big shock. He spoke some extremely sentimental words on how much he loved her and voila...she forgives him!! Mind you, the other girl [her best friend] remains unforgiven and she is the only loser here. She's called a 'temptress', tempting our poor and innocent hero!

Reason # 2

I'm off for two days....but before I go...
#2 A few days ago, I met a 'guy'friend of my best friend. I've met him once when he visited us for dinner and he had a nice hair do. This time he had cut short his hair, you know, to wear his yankee cap. His girlfriend was with him [my best friend informs me that she's a Japanese]. When you meet someone you tell them something warm....and thats called being nice, isnt it? I was trying to do exactly that!! Since i didnt know him all that well I commented on his new style "Hey!! Look at your hair.......you look cooooool!!" As always, my voice sounded a lil excited. His girlfriend did one thing that she shouldnt have done [atleast not in front of me!] She looked at him with a "uhhh...how do you know each other? have you gone out with her? how could you.....". Poor that guy....how insecure can a girl feel about her boyfriend!

war again

After you read this, if you feel like kicking someone, Jagan should be the one! He holds full responsibility for this post! While we were talking last nite, his [probably idle, bored and tired mind after that flight] mind came up with something very true. "You know, lets make another statement [I made the first one and it was "Indian men are smart" for sure I didnt mean this, not at all!]......90% girls are dumb" said Jagan. My reply was "I agree! but maybe 75%". He then says "I'm quite surprised.......you should put it on your blog, you may become famous overnight!!" [so now you know who's idea it was!]
Let me try to substantiate Jagan's statement and why I agree with it....
Examples I can think of, for now.......
1. Looking pretty.....why does it matter so much? Layers of make-up measured in cms - trying to look better than other girls? Trying to impress the opposite sex? Looking pretty and feeling confident is super.....its whats being a woman. But too much of it turns me dead off. Shiseido skin care [swear by it], Lancome's perfume [so flowery!], Mango/Zara clothes [in fashion!], Gucci watches [stylish!] fancy me a lot......I can spend a lot of time getting dressed too but wearing makeup to school? like everyday? at 8 in the morning? I better spend those 10 minutes tossing on my bed! Running to the bathroom after every class to apply more uh??

More reasons to follow........one by one

ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವದ ಹಾರ್ದಿಕ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು

November 1, 1973 - The day when our state was transformed from the Mysore state to Karnataka......bringing the Kannada [one of the oldest languages in India....comes only after Sanskrit and Tamil] speaking population together to form a state. Worst comes, we, our language and our identity are a minority in our own land now.....but not forgetting the day, I bow to all those people [the poets, writers and theatre people] who strive day after day to keep the language and the spirit of the state alive. Specially to those people from outside of Karnataka like one Mr. Maththew [my Kannada teacher in high school], who inspite of being a Tamilian, didnt let us feel like he's one..... Mrs. Catherine [my Kannada teacher in primary school] with a Tulu mother tongue, I didnt know that she was a Mangalorean until about the last day of school. The knowledge they have about Kannada, I can only lighten up my eyes to look upto them. One can actually feel their love for the language when they speak. Its not difficult to draw inspiration from such people.....and I cant thank God [if there's one] enough for bringing them into my life.
You can actually disregard or even dispose the way the day is celebrated by some extreme 'porkis', film stars and politicians or people who limit the language to the film industry only.....the one's who collect 'chanda' to celebrate it on a high scale on a street, the one's who dont mind playing "Kenchaalo machaalo....hegavro nin duvgalu?....aahaa!!" as loud as possible the first thing in the morning and "Raaa Raaa.....Sanihaku raa raa" as late as 12 in the night!! Its highly enjoyable and we enjoyed it a lot too.....mainly laughing and dancing to the tunes but ohoyeeee......Kannada elli banthu illi??!!

Ps : If this day is just another holiday for you, hmmm.....

the coloured one

DSCN1937
Originally uploaded by Archana's.

no sunlight here......but it goes down as a favorite cos of the empty road.....I had to wait long for the road to be empty and when it was empty, I got exactly what I wanted!

and Jo, this ones on sepia.....sorry, couldnt get a coloured one with the sunlight......but I do have a coloured one without the sunlight  

Jo, the B&W picture 

Yet another Bigben's

Yet another Bigben's
Originally uploaded by Archana's.

Seasons...

DSCN1023
Originally uploaded by Archana's.

Autumn.....just before winter

The birthday update

Days ago, Jo had a post on snakes. Now why I mention this is because, as much as I can think, I am scared of two things...1)Snakes- I've never ever seen them for real and I cant watch them on TV too.....once on TV the channel will be switched to something else after a loud shriek. They not just frighten me but I dislike them to an extent I cant explain.
2)Age- 19 is old! very old!! This is my 20th year.....I'll complete 20 years next year....and thats too old for me! Its beyond my world of imagination that I'm on 20 now.....and yes, its scary!
But somehow, this before and after fear was seperated by one day. Thursday was so full that I didnt think about this. The first hour of thursday Mi and me celebrated in the company of an instant fruit cake. I was woken up at 10:00 in the morning by a phone call of wishes from home. Received lots and lots of mails from friends back home....one's I never thought would wish. People whom I least expected called in one after another to wish me. Spent about two or three hours talking to a college friend. How content I was that I had to thank someone called God for all the people around me. A perfect day where I felt a little more than special. The chocolate cake , the french champagne to go along with delicious dinner from home and the loud peppy music that got us dancing which btw, also got our neighbour's dog barking..... the evening showed almost no sign of ending. The day goes in as one of the most memorable days I've had.......love you all who made it so!

The day I was born!

Cake 2 : Thornton's moist luxury chocolate sponge with layers of truffle and continental chocolate [when people are on a high, pictures tend to be blur.....so blur the blur!]

Birthday report to follow......but for now, good night!

Instant cake 1 

On a high!

Janmon Ke Vaade Har Baar The Kasam

Kabhi Jaan Kahnaa Kabhi Kahnaa Sanam

Aur Sau Sau Baar Ye Kahnaa

Hamein Pyaar Hai Tumhi Se

Le Aayeinge Hum Taare Zamin Pe

Jo Kahoge To Jaan Bhi Deinge

Vaise Pyaar Ke Naam Pe To Yaaro Sab Huaa Hai

Ab Ye Pyaar Bhi Ho Jaaye Bas Itni Duaa Hai

In Lamhon Ko Rokne Ki Vo Naakaam Koshishein Karnaa

Jo Guzrein Hain Saath Unko Phir Yaadein Banaa Ke Rakhnaa

An update to follow.........

Update update :

I turned 19 today! Was talking to my dumbo friend after a very long time. V3 went to college together...... memories came flashing back. Our adda that we named 'Titanic', the chapel we went to skipping our classes, the steps where we spent hours and hours chatting, the tikki-puri-wala who provided us lunch every afternoon, our dreams set asail at the 'after hours' small store, the first time I went to a movie ever with my friends w/o telling my parents, the watchmen chasing us when we actually jumped over the fence to escape to Majestic to watch Saathiya.....the time we had in a crowded theatre when we stood on our seats to sing "Reheneko Chodo bhi jaane do yaar....Hum na karenge pyaar" amidst DilVil Pyar Vyar.......everything came right back......

On my Birthday, I'm not done with it yet.....more to follow!

Just in a mood....

Its out of focus and beautiful!

Found these verses match beautifully....

"There came a soft and gentle breeze
Followed by a ray of light
As all the other roses fell into darkness
The solitary rose began to shine

Shining with a special light...
And watered by a gentle cascade...
A cascade of love
A cascade of selfless affection

"I do... not now but forever..."
Said the rose to the sunlight
And there they remain
A rose in full bloom
With her sunshine smiling down on her..."

......Zahra Ahmed

Just another FABULOUS day!!!!

I was to write this yesterday, but by the time the movie finished it was 2:00 AM..
Plan 1 : To sleep and relax the whole sunday......mission failed. Woke up at around 10:30/11 and changed plans.
Plan2 : Was to go to Manchester.....we went to the train station and missed the train!
Plan3: Didnt change much, we were to catch the next available train and that was an hour later!
Plan4: No more Manchester! Who wants to wait for an hour.....at a train station.....when the temperature is about 9/10 C
Plan5: To come back home and activate 'Plan 1' . So we start walking towards home.
Plan6: There's Cineworld on the way. So why not watch a movie? We dropped in only to be disinterested in all the movies.....seriously, who wants to watch Pride & Prejudice again? So we went to 'Nandos', the restaurant I had mentioned before....to eat......and we ate!! Walked to the city centre and found just one store open and that, thankfully, was a Virgin megastore. I finally bought a special edition of the famous ' Shawshank Redemption' and 'The Godfather' [I had not watched both of them....not until yesterday!].
Walking back we pass by NMPFT [National museum of Photography, Film and Television] . This is the best in UK and living in Bradford for about a year, it was bad enough that I hadnt cared to step inside.....not for once atleast even though we've walked by it several times. If you ever visit Bradford, it should be because of this museum! There are about 3 cinemas inside...Pictureville, IMAX and the Cubby Broccoli Cinema. After visiting the gallery to look at Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, we decided to watch 'Oliver Twist'. For those of you who are unfamiliar, 'Oliver Twist' is a novel by Charles Dickens and the movie is directed by Roman Polanski of 'The Pianist' fame. Roman Polanski was a reason enough to watch the movie. After watching, I couldnt make out whether it was Charles Dickens or Ronald Harwood......but if you are movieless after watching Pride&Prejudice, this is the one to go for.....there are no good movies this season : ( And the best part of the movie, Ben Kingsley makes you want to punch him on his face!
Time for IMAX, and time for India........Mystic India! Caught up with the IMAX experience of Mystic India.....an awareness documentary about SwamiNarayan and his journey. I went in to catch glimpses of an unseen India, which btw I did to a very less extent, and I came out knowing about Swaminarayan! I would have been more appreciative if the title were to be something like 'YOGI' instead of Mystic India!
We left IMAX and NMPFT at around 9:30 in the night and walked back.....the sky was the clearest....I could see the stars and the walk back home was.... beautiful specially cos its autumn! Late in the night we watched 'Shawshank Redemption' and I have this to say about it...........

If I didnt care
More than words can say
If I didnt care
Would I feel this way?
If this isnt love
Then why do I thrill?
And what makes my head go round and round
While my heart stands still?

Lunch was deliciously satisfying, the first two movies were less impressive but largely enjoyable, the walk was quarter moon-lit and finally Shawshank Redemption was Shawshank Redemption! This week, life will be like this.....inefficiently planned but eventful......very eventful!!!!

Me again!

This one's a quick update kind of a thingy......"Utky" somehow thinks that I have huge problems in something sinfully colourful called life and thus I am kept away from my blog by all those, you know, problems [grrrrr..........]. Apparently, he also believes that the posts are losing all their weight[.....unconsciously!!]......but fact is that extra weight should be lost!! I dont want my blog to be overloaded with all unwanted saturated fat now do I? Okay.....that was probably the worst or no explanation whatsoever!! But hey, no reasons for me to be sad/ depressed/ low in spirit /mentally dispositioned......or etc etc.....
My Mi hasnt left, I donot have a witless boyfriend to breakup with and to cry over, I am not 100 years old and most importantly, I have not been kicked out of my university [not yet!] and no, I dont suffer from an over sensitive MPD too!!
But for all you office goers or students or house wifes [I havent come across any!]for whom, my blog along with numerous other blogs provides a work long commitment of companionship, I promise you for this one week, I will post regularly.....atleast once in two days :D However people, beware , I am not good at keeping promises!

what happens next?

Right.......there is this xxxxx hospital in Bradford. Just abt a 5 min walk away from home. It is a huge hospital, looks bigger than Manipal Hospital in Bangalore. The board at its entrance reads :

XXXX Hospital
This is not an emergency hospital
All accident cases should go to YYYY Hospital

And I always thought, whichever it is, a hospital is a hospital...and every hospital should be equipped/prepared to attend emergency cases. What if a case suffers death on the way to YYYY Hospital??

not missing him........ 

"Sometimes the last person on earth you want to be with is the one person you can't be without."

People who have seen the previous version [1995 - Colin Firth's hit] of this Jane Austen's adaptation would love to disagree with me, but if you're watching Pride & Prejudice on screen for the first time [disregard the desi version], you will find Joe Wright [the director]'s version a romantic delight!
The movie / novel is a story set in medieval England, Keira in the role of a senseful, independent minded woman Miss Elizabeth Bennet and the very handsome Mathhew Macfayden in the role of a pained young gentleman Mr Darcy. The story spins around the Bennet family where Mrs Bennet is desperate to find rich suitors for her daughters. Step in Mr. Darcy.....a friend of Mr. Bingley, an eligible enough bachelor for any of Mrs. Bennet's daughters. Miss Bennet finds an insensitive jerk in Darcy but destiny brings them together and how this happens along with a lot of other things is the movie!!
Now the technical part...The screenplay by big screen debutant Deborah Moggach is extravagant and splendid at times and weak at other times....the sunshine mountain scene with Keira was found completely baseless and inappropriate. But other parts......the scene when Darcy first proposes to Lizzie flows naturally.....the rain, the tears in Macfayden's eyes....awesome it is! Another scene is when Liz is on the rope swing, round and round she goes, world changing just like weather..... rain, sunshine, wind.....everything right there, infront of her.....just as she goes round and round and round. I personally thing Joe has done complete justice to the script.....though the script is nigh incomparable to the novel. The script tries hard enough to fit in all the characters and the scenes but fails to deliver......you wont find much of Miss Bingley or even Mr Darcy....you'll actually miss Macfayden much on the screen.
But, finally [[I have to say this], its a Very VERY WELL MADE movie......probably one of the best that I've seen in recent times. Its put together brilliantly.....Macfayden...he takes over the screen completely, exactly the same for Brenda and Donald [Mrs & Mr Bennet]. It is a paisa vasool movie and if you like good movies at all, you SHOULD go watch it.....COMPULSORY!!!! All you lovers too.....go watch the movie [with or without your sweethearts' ....thats completely left to you]

pride and prejudice [image from yahoo!]

TIRED!!!!

Second year started on Monday and I already look like I've got exams from tomorrow. The house we've rented is about a kilometer [or more] away from the university.....this means that I walk for almost 4-5 kms a day!! I actually couldnt wait to go back to school, specially when it had been about 3 months......but the fact that I've to wake up at 6:30/7:00 AM, cook, and then walk to the dept makes it all difficult. All that apart, the modules are really interesting....we have more of Medical Engineering subjects now.....something like cell biology in engineering, thermodynamics applied to the human machine etc etc

This one was a really boring topic to blog about........Honestly, I seldom feel like blogging nowadays. I wish I could say I was busy.......but I was not! I had all the time in the world, and all the topics to rant about but with so less interest to write. Nope........not interested to write down at alll.....so lets see how long this goes!! Before you conclude that I am depressed/sad, let me tell you, I am actually the happiest person in the world.....seriously!! Just dont want to blog :(

and this is?

I read this - Encephalitis deaths in Uttar Pradesh and I read this - our dear Amma [u know who's she, dont you?] pleadging one million dollars to Katrina victims! Read the article and you'll hear her saying that its her duty. Our Indian government too has contributed an aid of about 5 million dollars [later in the article]. I completely understand that our government has to repay America for all its help during our bad times.....or maybe it isnt about repaying, our government maybe just trying to help. But what I'm confused about is whether this is right or wrong :-/

More pictures

A) Its been exactly a year and a day that I landed up in UK!! :D
B) No alteration/editing work done with the pictures.......they are original

www.flickr.com

The best of London - London eye,the county hall and the art galleries Saatchi and Dali  

Eros.......my God of Love!  

After having said all that, I think I should have just shut up......good lessons learnt the hard way. "Truth is always bitter" says someone but if that someone's got a frog stuck up in his/her throat, its not my problem!!
As all of you can see.....I'm going through a personal crisis :( :(( I'm taking a 10 day break starting tuesday. See you all when I get back........enjoy!!! :D

To add: 'No entry' - for people who like to laugh [and well...for people going through a crisis like me]......go watch this movie!! Wish there was more of Sallu bhai!

Give me a break!!!

I've got issues.....serious problems with people who actually live where they live and yet complain about it crossing their limits. Not getting it?? Its about Bangalore and yes, you're reading a fanatic's views. Unfortunately there's been a lot spoken about how poor Bangalore is, how bad the infrastructure is etc etc everywhere and I'm growing sick of it. Some amount of criticism is alright but criticism shouldnt be of the sort that undermines what the city has provided to you. These are what I actually read /was told[I'll refrain from mentioning any names/URLs]:
1. Bangalore is stupid [I was confused whether to laugh or shout about with anger]
2. Bangalore sucks [again the same]
3. Kannada, the language, is third class [I swear that this one is true....though it happened sometime ago]
4.Bangalore is not a place fit for anyone to stay
5. Bangalore is developing backwards

Whilst the third one has got nothing to do with this post, I did mention it "kyunki woh baat seede dil tak pahoonch gayi"! But seriously, it did prick my heart :( Next post on that one
Bangalore is a very very very young city just incase you havent noticed. Sure there is a history to back 'Bendakaalooru' but Bangalore doesnt have one. Not much attention was given on the city by the union government about 12/13 years ago. It was just another city...and infact it still is. Even Vidhana Soudha has a history of just about 50 years, being built in 1954. The first flight was operated in 1940 out of the BIA .Bangalore started its development only after Information Technology showed up. If you've lived here in Bangalore during this time, you'd understand what I'm talking about. In just a short span of about 13/14 years, the development that has taken place, the international recognition obtained is nothing short of a remarkable achievement.
I agree that the infrastructure is poor but consider the number of people moving into the city. Was Bangalore prepared for such a robust growth? No less than often, I too complain about the traffic woes, the pollution problems, the roads etc but I was wondering how the government would actually put an end to the traffic problems. Good roads? A number of flyovers? Under-passes? a number of traffic policeman? If none of us follow the traffic rules, the traffic problems are never going to end and finally, Bangalore would be needing a policeman for each one of us.
Enough of that...I'm not going to deviate from what I actually wanted to say. Criticism of the like 'sucks', 'stupid' and 'third class' and exaggerated mails containing quotes of different executives is certainly not what the city you live in, or better to describe it as the one that gives you food to eat, Bangalore, deserves. Give me a break please.....and oh yes! Give 'Banglore' a break.....it surely needs one!!

Miiiii....

Here you may find reasons why you are advised against bringing your mother/father to live with you abroad [please dont shoot me]

1. My mother started laughing at about 19:05 and she hasnt stopped at all !! non stop laughing for 50 minutes....good for health?? And the reason? " I remembered something!!" she says. What is it? God knows!!
2. She hasnt gone out for two days and she's started complaining about how she thinks that living here is as good as living in a prison. This, in my case, is a little embarrassing....have I been living in a prison all this while?? Good God NOO!!
3. I think that she thinks I'm a waste bin cos she dumps lots and lots of food down my throat.....she cooks and cooks and cooks [ not because she has nothing else to do but because she wants me to eat] .
4. She cleans and cleans and cleans [this cos she is bored]
5. She complains on how she is gaining weight when all the time she wanted to lose some: "All i have to do is cook and eat and sleep. How am I going to lose weight"

A day after Independence day

The Rising - would have been perfect to watch it on the 15th of August. Did'nt plan it well before so missed it by a day. Nevertheless, the feeling of watching a Hindi movie [specially if its a patriotic one] outside your country, is quite special. The start of the movie, the elephants, the trumphet and the song 'Mangal mangal' evokes a sense of pride with which I sat head-high for the first 15 minutes. Nothing special later on so I had to rest my head and sit comfortably. At the end of it, whatever took over me, I stood up again, for the last five minutes.
The movie: Between scenes, one takes a second or two to understand whats going on. Ketan Mehta, the director doesnt deliver much at all. Rani Mukherji isnt as special as one can expect her to be ..... she's got so little in the script!! Her wardrobe is unrealistic and soo out of place [she's the heroine...so her clothes are the best among all the other girls in the movie if not exhuberant] Amisha Patel is wonderful when she has her dead husband on her laps....God..she looks amazing!! So does Kiron Kher and the gora guy. Finally, Aamir Khan!! I looovvveee his present hair style...not the one in the movie but the one after that. The guy doesnt look like he is 40! If you'd go to watch the movie then it 60% should be because of Aamir's performance and his dedication towards the movie. 40% for everything else.
Now, is Nandos in UK an Indian Restaurant? Somene recommended Nandos so much for the delicious 'INDIAN' food they make. Now I entered this restaurant right after the movie to fuel my hungry stomach. There's a lot of warmth and coziness inside. Dark-wood furnitures to give it a nice English countryside feeling. I look at the menu and search for familiar words like tikka/kadai or something...but then I discover its a Portuguese restaurant. Its not nice to walk out on the restaurant so I had to sit and eat the food available there and actually, its not bad!

A sight not so uncommon......my secret hiding place 

This is how we are and this is how we live.....with all the love in my heart for my city and my country.....I love this place for what it is .... raw and untouched just like memories 

I've made my way back to where I was...with my mum this time. Before I get back to blog big time, just wanted to post this one :) 

Here are some pictures from the Scotland trip....

Serving as a background to me is the famous Scott monument

I was allowed to take just one landscape picture.....blame it on Han! 

Han on top of the Camera-Obscura.....with the city of Edinburgh as a back drop 

here goes what?

Its been a busy, busy....very busy week.
Difficulties you face in a flight [specially a long distance flight] : kids, babies crying out loud...screaming until their throat breaks out and so does one's eardrum. Nothing against kids [I was one too] but I just hate it soo when they yell and scream and shout and what not [this when the journey is already tiresome]
When you step out of the flight : make sure your folks are there to pick you up on time [this one, when you are living in a city like Bangalore and when the flight arrives at 9:00 in the morning]. My dad's a bit lazy...infact too lazy that he woke up late in the morning, left home at 8:15 and reached the airport at 9:45. Me, with all my smiles brocaded on my very happy face, run out of the flight, past the immigration....vrrommm...vroooom....and what happened? Sudden breaks!! Nobody there....none at alll. With so much anticipation, I'm sure I looked like a fool with disappointment flooding my face :(( I tell myself "'Okay now....all is well...all you need is a warm hug? but where from?Mi's not here.. ok...hug yourself. You know how bad the traffic in Bangalore is!'" I wait and wait....pull out my handphone to call my dad...but hey... the cell phone needs time to get track of the network..I make my way through the crowd....voices ringing into my ear "Madam, do u want a car?... Taxi ready ide madam...yellige hogbeku madam?" One guy even tries to free my hands from the luggage I was carrying...another says "You must be Jyothi, how are you beti?"......what crap!! I'm Archana and my parents will be here anytime, thank you! I see a telephone booth to my right...I pull myself together and head towards the phone....I call my Dad...his phone is busy! I call my Mi....but she's just changed her number and I dont have the new one with me. I call home and my brother picks up the phone...."they'll be there any minute" he says. Relieved, I wait for them, not forgetting that I've got to pay the lady 4 rupees for the phone. Finally Dad, my Mi, and my step mom come pick me up.....another ray of disappointment.....where are all the other people? Everytime I was here, there were atleast 14/15 people to pick me...

What did I do after coming here? Meeting lots and lots of people.....watching lots and lots of movies :D Eating lots and lots of spicy and greasy food....I've put on 2 or 3 kilos and I feel so damn hot cos of all that I've eaten. Phew...
Alay Payuthey was the last Tamil movie I saw. I was pulled out to watch Anniyan and Chandramukhi.

Anniyan - 'tell me your dreams' adaptation.
1. why did they name the movie Anniyan? The character 'Anniyan' is so very weak. Nevertheless, Vikram was good...loved Ambi's cute face whenever he went "wooaa.....koamaaari...." and R E M O for his stylish rampwalking and hiphop moves. He did it with utter perfection :D

2.The stadium scene with Anniyan made no sense to me at all.

Chandramukhi - a copy of Aapthamithra- a Kannada movie starring Vishnuvardhan and Ramesh Aravind [this one is a copy too]
1. copy-imperfect?? I seriously think the Kannada version of the movie was much much much better.
2. There was no need to bring in extra characters into the movie
3. Soundarya [filmfare best actress] was superb in the movie
4. Rajnikanth is old [no offence meant, I respect him for all his achievements]

But all in all.....movies are made for entertainment and these two movies I enjoyed thoroughly.

So much to blog about....but this one's long enough

Heading south east

.....first south and then south east. I'm heading home after 20 days of vacationing at the University when the university is closed, after days minus the fancy BMW/ Merecedes/ Jaguar in the parking lot with not many nice English men [Han, specially, has this thing for tall, well built English men ;P] around it to look at too :( :(( We shall be shifting to our new home tomorrow which at the moment does not look to have a broadband connection. So after tomorrow, I will see you all when I reach home, Bangalore....I can already smell the soil and the rain, hear my Mi calling me, feel my brother pinching me and look at my sister running for me....Home...here I come......

The face behind those hands is not that of a girl , not anywhere near. The creature in the picture belongs to a very rare species that genuinely dislikes the female sex [except its mother, grandmother and sister ,or so the creature speaks] So no sajnas or sajnis. This creature here is my little brother Yashas. It was his birthday on the 25th of June where he shouted into my ears I'm a teenager now[....yikes!!!] He looks shy but he isnt. He looks innocent which he isnt. Oneday he'll grow to be a tall, dark and handsome dude that I'm sure he'll be. To my fearless devil....Happy birthday.

This one was taken at Nakshatra, a restaurant in Bangalore during my last visit.

The trip

Original plan : Leave on 19th early morning-visit Edinburgh-stay there for a day and night-proceed to Glasgow-stay there another day-move further north to Fort William-conquer Ben Nevis-stay for two nights- travel the next day in the Jacobite train to Mallaig- if possible visit the Hebrides [the north-west islands]

What happened : We did travel to Edinburgh and Glasgow but had to return by the very first train on 21st afternoon due to some very unavoidable circumstances.....I always ponder upon these words "unavoidable circumstances" on what they could mean, now I know it :(Anyways, I'll let your imaginations run wild on this one :P

Scotland is an awesome place and I did'nt quite expect anything from its capital Edinburgh. My jaws dropped down the moment I stepped out of the Waverly station. Could any other city be more picturesque and artisic? People even call it 'the Athens of the North'! Your Scot trip would be so incomplete if you didnot visit Edinburgh. I've visited London a few times now [I know comparing aint good] but I definitely like it better than London. Heritage flows along with nature here.....the Scot monument located in the beautiful gardens of city centre, the museums and art galleries in between, the church [I think its St.George's] and the graveyard next to that looks breathtaking [I dont know why, but my jaws dropped for the second time and a "Wowww....its so beautiful" sang out of my mouth when I saw the grave yards there...] The castle built on top of a hill overlooks the city and is adjacent to the gardens. There is a place called DYNAMIC EARTH, a must visit which has the backdrop of Arthur's seat[a small but elegant green rocky mountain]. Climb up the Arthur's seat in the morning to get an fantastic view of the Lothians. Around the city there are more places like Hopetoun house [which looks to be used in the movie Yaadein].Travelling in train around Scotland is the best option so that you never take your eyes off the window. The one I liked the most was the route from Darlington to Edinburgh via North Berwick [where the sand on the beach shines with the sun]....its over a cliff beside the sea and I hope you get an idea of what it would look like :)
Glasgow is another city 50 minutes west of Edinburgh and I did not find anything exceptional there except the lighted house....well girls might like it much cos they dont call it the shopping capital of UK without a reason!

Note : I would love to put some pictures on the blog but unfortunately something is wrong with the USB of my camera. The pictures work on the camera but the camera appears unplugged to the computer whenever I connect it. The batteries are full, I double checked the Nikon guide but its of no use. I checked the settings of the camera too and the pictures are not hidden. I will be grateful if someone could help me out :( The camera is a Nikon 4100, about an year old :(

Roundabout

I'm back...suddenly, unexpectedly :( One fantastic day, one terrible day, one tiresome day and two missed out days. All of it in the post to come :D

One more but first.....

let me tell you all that I will vanish [yes, yes, I'm informing]for the next, say, 1 week. I'm not telling you where I'm going but if I you guys dont see my post on the 24th or 25th of June then you know whom to contact [the nearest police station that is!!]. Gonna have a wonderful time wherever I'm going.....see you all in a while!!

A lot of tagging going on.....is there any record of who started this? Parth tagged me on books. I was away from the non-academic books until just last December when I was introduced to books by a friend. Since then, let me say that I'm quite a bit addicted to reading.

Last book I bought/got : The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [gifted to me]

Last book I read : Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre

Book/s currently reading : Gone with the wind by Maragaret Mitchell

No. of books I own [non-academic] : 19 books

Books that mean a lot to me :
1. Freedom at midnight
2. Michael Palin's Himalaya
3. Nenapina Doniyali by Kuvempu.....I dont know. I havent read a lot. Books that woul d mean a lot to me are yet to be read :)

Most bloggers I know have been book tagged. I'm clueless of whom to tag.

Someone please tell me why...

1. Why is there a 'RED BULL' on every table in the examination hall except mine? I know that its a energy drink but is it that efficient and tasty? Do answers flash like light when one drinks Red Bull??
2. Generally, what is wrong with most F-R-E-N-C-H people? Are they really that dumb or do they pretend to be that stupid?
3. Why do shops close down at 4:30 or 5:00 in the evening? I thought that night-life is supposed to begin at 5:00 or 6:00 PM?
4. Why do people drink so much everyday that they cannot handle?
5. Why do they shout a lot at 3:00 in the morning on the street?
6. Why do people here use the 'F'word [which I consider too filthy to be published on my blog] atleast twice in every sentence or phrase?
7. Why does the University look like a circus-town right after the exams with picnics/barbecue on the lawn, a beer or vodka in every hand, a bikini on a womans body at a temperature of about 5-6 degrees and a few hookahs too??
8. Why do ""STUDENTS"" at the ""UNIVERSITY LEVEL"" behave so immaturely, throwing eggs and cream at each other during 4/5 AM causing nuisance to others?
9. Did I read somewhere that Picasso and Leonardo davinci have re-incarnated so that I see modern-art everytime in the lift?
10.Gosh....why did these people even need University education? To get a good job? Phbbttt....!!!!

Drifting apart

Welcome to the world of reality. The end of the year and I just realised that the words 'goodbye', 'miss you', 'love you' exist in the dictionary. When people you met just a while ago would be leaving, forever. If fate does bring us together again, we're never going to be the same again. We're not going to live under the same roof, share the same food or talk the same trash! People come and people go and unfortunately, we have to get used to it. Sure there would be mails flowing across, talking over the phone, the usual routine of 'do keep in touch', but I know, its going to fade away with time too. All one would have is just memories to cherish.
I would be carrying one such bag of memories, memories of 'once' a 'stranger'. I saw her off at the train-station and it was like something in the movies. She at the window, tears dropping from our eyes, the train moving slowly until the sight of her face is gone. Returned back to walk without her down the corridor. I wont hear her voice echoing inside her room when she talks over the phone or her loud laughs which always caught attention. She's not going to ask me anymore "Archana, would you like to try the soup?". No more movies in the late night with her. No more talks about Osama and Bush now. I knock on her door and I hear no one answer....she's gone....forever.... Melek, the woman with the headscarf.....I'll miss you Melek, I will!

No comments for this post.....I dont want to hear "It'll be alright" or "Its just life!" cos I am sure I will be fine when tomorrow comes and that life will go on.

A tag and a life

Arun got me into doing this. Its a music tag and its tough :( Here it goes :
1. Total Volume [this sounds like physics] of mp3 on my computer : NULL.... ZERO. I'm not happy storing music on my computer.
2.Last CD I bought : lets see....Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma's The Inner Path, Rashid Khan's Voice of India, Mystic India 4 [fusion music anyone?]
3.Song playing right now : 'Somewhere only we know' by Keane [I could go on with the album 'Hopes and Fears' the whole night.....thanks Raghu :D]
4.Five songs that I like a lot [this is not fair.....there are tons of songs I like. I cannot limit it to 5. Songs I listen to depend on my mood :( ] :
International :
a) Dont speak by No doubt
b) November Rain by Guns'n'roses
c) Soul Cages by Sting
d)Dont Panic by Coldplay
e)Leaving on a jet plane by Chantal

Closer home :
a) Ghar se nikalte hi from Papa kehte hain
b) Naguva Nayana from Pallavi Anupallavi by SPB , music : Ilaya Raja
c) Communion by Tanmoy Bose
d) Nanna jeeva neenu from Geeta by SPB, music : Ilaya Raja
e) Tanushree by Ananda Shankar
List goes on but I'll stop. Sheeshers, Sumit and Game....you guys are tagged!

Next........

Finished my 1st year exams --> done with 1/3rd of my Engineering undergraduate [yes the course is not for 4 years, its only 3 unlike in India :D]--> 3 and a 1/2 months of vacation --> Its about time that I start spending a lot of time with me :)
The last one month was heavy on me. My lifestyle changed completely. Wake up at 13:00 in the afternoon, eat at 15:00, study from 21:00, watch the sunset at 22:00 while eating dinner, get back to studying, hear the birds sing at 3:30 in the morning, watch the sunrise and feel the freshness of a new day at 4:00 in the morning [a lot of nature huh?] and then finally at 5:00 in the morning, go to sleep! I just cannot study during the day.....nodi swaami, naavirodu heege! I lost appetite, lost sleep , became sick and.......I think I'm losing a few kilos :(( I hate being unhealthy! I have to do everything possible to keep myself fit and bright. I shall follow a healthier lifestyle from now.

Green-tag

Smyts started a chain blog a few days ago and she tagged me [sorry I'm late Smyts].....this one's about environment....
My fives that I'll try my best to follow for a better environment around me
1. No more non-degradable things in the place I live in....I'll minimize the use and finally try to stop it.
2. I confess I waste a lot of resources - water and electricity included. I will feel the pinch now as I will start paying up bills....but thats no reason. I will try not to waste it anymore :)
3. Papers - I'll use the back of a sheet to work out math or anything. I will not run to Waterstone's to buy a workbook.
4. I cannot stand people who throw rubbish on the street. The next time I'll see someone doing it [specially someone I know], I shall usher them into not doing it.
5. The front of the house we're going to move in is barren. We'll bring in as many plants possible.

Mother Earth is too precious.....save her!
I forward the tag to :
1)Arun [my revenge which you'll be glad to complete I'm sure ;D]
2)Utkarsh
3)Vasu Venkat

Criminals and why?

I read in the TOI today about a German lady [47 years of age] being raped in Rajasthan by two guys. Now, since I've read a lot about such incidences in India,I was thinking of why foreigners in India are subjected to such crimes. "Women-hungry-beasts" [I'll use that term whether it exists or not], did we run short of Indian women or did you want try something new? But seriously speaking, tell me men, what is it that you get out of raping a woman? Can't your eyes resist a beautiful woman? Or may be your eyes dont search for a beautiful woman. The lady in that case was'nt young, she's 47 years of age! May be your mum's age! Did you not think of the consequences? Or did you think that you are so powerful that you could get away with that? Now that you are sentenced to life imprisonment, you can spend the rest of your precious life introspecting your past. Maybe you can think of what your family would go through. Maybe you can think of whether your kids will look upto you to call you "FATHER" or whether your father would be happy to call you his son. Maybe you can think about the disgust your wife had to go through or the anguish the victim felt. Maybe you can think whether it was all worth it and feel sorry for what you've done....but its too late now. You've wasted your own life and have ruined someone else's too. Maybe now you can learn to respect women around you.
Of robbery and theft : Since the rate of our Indian rupee is lesser than anything else on earth [or so the criminals think], foreigners , specially westerners, who happen to carry pounds or dollars or euros are robbed off. Listen robbers, a foreigner would carry as much the same amount of money as that of a normal citizen. His/her credit or debit cards are of no use to you because you donot know how to use them or most of them are secure. But that does not mean you have to snatch a desi's wallet!

Ooops...I'm sorry I said that!

Hypocrisy and double standards to the core-
If US President's cat can be named INDIA, if the avatars of Hindu Gods and Godesses can be printed on shoes and t-shirts that are nothing but misused in pubs and on beaches, then why not call America the middle finger? It is of the same magnitude.....I'm not anti-American but whats taken has to be given back. Just as they said....it all depends on the way you take it :P

"Following my remarks to the graduating class of Columbia University's Business School in New York City, I have come to realize that my words and examples about America unintentionally depicted our country negatively and hurt people.

I appreciate the honest comments that have been shared with me since then, and am deeply sorry for offending anyone. I love America unshakably -- without hesitation -- and am extremely grateful for the opportunities and support our great nation has always provided me.

"Over the years I've witnessed and advised others how a thoughtless gesture or comment can hurt good, caring people. Regrettably, I've proven my own point. Please accept my sincere apologies."-- Indra Nooyi

If this is the explanation she provided after the speech, if she's taken back what she'd said earlier, then I take back my support too! If Mrs.Indra is not standing by what she said, then the woman is a hypocrite [sorry Ma'm ...I did not mean to offend or hurt you too!! Uh....what the hell?!?!!] Apparently, some narrow minded Americans have decided to boycott the purchase of any Pepsi co's products until she's fired. And I say what? She must be fired because she's not ready to stand by her own words! Just when I was thinking 'she's made me proud'....

Indra Nooyi's thoughts

It has made headlines in the blogosphere, not much in the newspapers. Wonder if people really lent their ear to this. If you havent read it already then read it here. I second her speech. She could'nt have put it in a better way. 'A thorn can be removed by a thorn itself' - goes the saying in a regional language. What better way to talk to Americans [you can also include Britons here] than to rely on their very own 'middle finger' policy?
CHEERS TO MRS. NOOYI-ONE GUTSY WOMAN!!

BTW, We found a house!! So cheers to Han and Me as well - two tolerant girls!

This you have to read!!

Two young girls, both outsiders, looking for a house to move in....me and Han. We saw an advertisement at our University and contacted the landlady of a house by email....this is what I wrote in the email...


Hi,

We were looking for a self contained flat for the two
of us who are students at the University. We found the
advertisement on the Unipol website where we found some
information about the flat.
There would mainly be two of us living together. One
of our parents will also be staying with us
temporarily for 6 months. We insist that we take a
look at the flat since we are interested in it. Please
let us know of the availibility of the flat. If the
flat is available, kindly also let us know when we can
drop in to have a look.

Thank you,

Archana and Han

NOW YOU KNOW HAN IS A CHINESE GIRL AND WE BOTH LIVE IN THE SAME FLAT

Here's what the land-lady replied....



Dear Archana and Han,

Thank you for your enquiry.

Are you husband and wife undertaking study at the University of
Bradford? [HUSBAND AND WIFE?? Excuse me, but we both happen to be from different countries...Oh well actually, both of us are GIRLS!!!!] What course are you studying and what department
are
you studying in?[We both happen to be a close aid of Osama Bin Laden and we were interested to know how you beings maintain peace and harmony. Thus we are studying peace studies at the peace studies department] What are the start date and end date of your studies?[as if you care...]
What date are you looking to rent accommodation from and what date are
you
expecting to rent too? [We can move in this minute......if you dont mind] Is it possible to state why you would be looking
for
a parent to be accommodated with you for a 6 months period temporarily
as
this is a most unusual request? [unusual?? A mother visiting her 18 year old daughter is definitely UNUSUAL in your country ma'm!!] Where would your parent be arriving
from
and where would they be departing too once the 6 month period has
passed? [She figured out that Iraq would be a safer place to live...so she would migrate from India to Iraq]

Are you both visiting Bradford at present?[Oh yes, we are visiting Bradford beacuse we were kicked out of our countries] Is your parent their too? [Yes, they were sent out too]
If,
so, how long will you be looking for to visit Bradford to find
accommodation?[Have some mercy on the two homeless and countryless girls. We want to stay forever.....is that a problem?? ] If not, are you already residing in Bradford and if so
who
is your current landlord and when does your contract end and has your
parent
being accommodated at present too? [No, actually no-one provided us shelter....so we are street dwellers] If you do not have a current
landlord
where are your staying and do you have a contact number for to reach
you?[No, the phone in the booth aint working]

You state that you insist on looking at my property if you are
interested
and want to drop by to have a look - where are you dropping by from?[I told you, we'd drop in from the street]
And
what timescale are you looking to view accommodation before actually
taking
up any prospective tenancy? [Since we're busy studying and begging during the day, could we visit during 1:00 am in the morning??]

Regards,[I'm thoroughly in need of your regards ma'm]

XXXxxxxxxxxxxx

The lady ended up asking us 14 questions all in all. Han had nothing to say except "Go to HELL you!!!!!" Even the immigration officer didnot ask me a single question when I landed at the Heathrow airport. But this lady, though we haven't met her, thinks that we are from AL-QAEDA, plotting to kill her, as she happens to be the First lady of UK.

Obviously 'me'

There should be a reason I posted so many pictures. All of them taken in India. Okay okay, I'm getting there........CHANCES OF GOING TO INDIA ARE AS HIGH AS THE SKY! But do I really want to go there?
Heart says 'YES : grab the opporunity!'
Mind says 'NO : All you do is spend money there'
Heart again : 'You love that place....besides you have to apply for a course there. Its useful if you go'
Mind : 'What rubbish? All that can be done without you. You've told every being you know that you are not returning back until June'06'
Heart says : 'If you dont go back this summer, chances are that you will not go back until next summer. Also you have an unused oneway ticket!'
Mind says....something.....I'm not listening to anything now!!
I''ll take a break.....let them battle!
Maybe all this happened courtesy of my friendly fellow bloggers....Sheeshers says he will travel in December [he's already started to blog about it]. Chakra, I guess, is leaving today and Parth is already in India!

The first drop of the first rain in a new year. It rained a day after Ugadi [when a new year begins in the Hindu calendar]. The picture, taken at Vishwaneedam by my little brother, captures my vision. If you can observe, there is a bird right over the trees and the dark rainy clouds provides a perfect background.

Bangles by the dirt

Fresh and Colourful : spirit of a festive season [taken during Ugadi in Bangalore]

Current news

My state : Happy, stressed out, confused,burried in books, extra time at the library, house hunting, job hunting, C.V writing, everything everything!! Semester Exams in 10 days, so I would be an irregular blogger until the 9th of June.
Blog state: Changed the template. The previous one didnot work well with firefox. Thanks to Sheeshers and Percy, I changed it. It works fine on Firefox and Internet Explorer. If it doesnot work, contact me immediately.
News at the University : Imran Khan, yes, the cricket legend has been asked to take over as the University's chancellor....always admired him.
On the movies front : Watched a lot of movies despite deadlines and exams..
1. Troy : This one got into me....I really liked the movie. The character of Eric Bana is one of the best ones I've ever seen.
2. Life is beautiful : Fantastic movie, Roberto Benigini is awesome!
3.Terminal : Yes the Tom Hanks movie which ends in a typical BOLLYWOOD style! Nevertheless Tom Hanks did a good job as a citizen of "Krokhozia".
4.A few good men : Loved this one the first time I saw it....Demi Moore is perfect.
5. Legally Blonde 2 : Now why the hell did I buy this VCD?Please donot watch this one!

Also watched Braveheart, Gandhi [common element is that these two heroes realise reality only when they faced problems], Good Will Hunting [5th or 6th time - an all time favorite].

See you all in a while....

When things go wrong............blame it on time!

This happened when I missed my flight.....As usual, almost every person that I can recognise, blessed me with their presence the day I was leaving Bangalore again. These included my maternal and paternal grandmothers, my aunts and uncles, a lot of cousins - everyone were at home the previous day itself! Our home was nothing less than a convection hall. Evening flight...no hassles...woke up late, did bits and pieces of packing left from the previous night. I am accustomed to wearing a 'saree' [national costume] and visiting a temple before leaving home. I did so and got plenty and plenty of compliments. I head out for the temple and realised that someone important has "borrowed" MYYY CAR!! I am very much attached to my car .... I love it...I mean, how can I leave home without saying 'goodbye' to my car?? I yell out loudly..."I am not going back without looking at my car!!" Okay...after some consolation from my mother, I catch an autorickshaw and go to the temple. It has been a perfect start until now and guess whats more?!! The temples were all closed at 5:30 in the evening. I return back home dissatisfied. My father arrives and we all leave for the airport ONTIME! God knows what went wrong! The flight which usually leaves at 9:30 is rescheduled to 9:15. After bidding tearful final goodbyes, I check in at 8:25. The guy at the check-in counter says "No Maa'm you are too late to check-in your luggage!" So, I've missed a flight....
Tears were pouring out of my eyes after Dad scolded me for accurately 50 minutes on our way back. I came back home only to see NO ONE ELSE BLAME ME! That was a blessing...thanks to all the ELDERLY and WISE people at home. They blamed the tragedy on time itself and these were the reasons :

1 . Exactly a week before all the pictures [of God Almighty] in our small little pooja room fell off....and nobody was in the pooja room at that moment!
2. I was wearing a blue coloured saree and as my aunt said "Its not your fault...dont worry!! Kisiki nazar lag gayee"
3. I should not have said "I am not leaving without looking at my car"...because I said it at the wrong time and also because I happen to have a few moles on my tongue. This means that if I say something then it is going to come true!!
4. The temples were closed.....this is another reason!
5. My grandmother had terrible dreams the night before...

Well, I am not a person who believes in superstitions. In normal conditions, I speak up against them. But time was against me.....what could I do? I just nodded my head to everything they said!

For you

When I first opened my eyes to see life, I saw you holding me with utmost care, just like a little flower, gleaming your eyes at me.....I didnot know the joy I brought to you but with your arms around me, I knew that I would be safe. You wore a pleasant smile on your face, when you first heard me say "Maa...ma..maaa...maa", watched me over when I tried my first steps. The first birthday we celebrated together; the small cake, the small candle,the small house, the small me ; the first day,when I returned from school, did I not cry "No, I hate school!"? The days when I used to run home after classes "Mi, I'm hungry!" The days when I was mad at you because you picked me up everyday from college. I 'd feel tired only to put my head down on your lap so that you caress me with your hands moving swiftly through my hair. You grew old and I grew up. Suddenly I realised that you were not my mother nor was I your child....we grew up together to be the best of friends.
It was my turn now, at the hospital, by your side, to put my hands around you knowing we could fight together. We were victorious, couldnt do it without you. It was time for me to leave....it was hard, but couldnt do it without you, without your undying trust, without your neverending support. Like all mothers you packed a lot of masala ingredients though I, like all children, insisted you not to! You didnot speak to me the whole day as I was leaving that night. You would cry by just looking at me. You came to the airport to see me off, and what a mess that was...all the 30 of you crying so much!!
I miss the times we hugged and cried together, the situations that made us quarrel with each other, the laughs that we had together when Yashu would complain "you love her so much, nobody loves me!", all the shopping we did together....and what not?
You've done so much for us...you've sacrificed all that a woman can all your life...people call you ' an Angel '
but what do I call you? a strong support? a good guide? a best friend? a wise mentor? a fine example? May be all these adjectives would be included in a word called MOTHER. I dont know if I'd want to be like you but I truly want you as my mother in all my lives. I'm thankful to God to have created me as your daughter...
Thank you Mi, for being a MOTHER to me..

And when he is tired of work, he rests his head down on the hardest stone. How much would he earn these days when the kids in town want high-tech gadgets as toys? May be a rupee or two.. 

Changes that are necessary

On my mind : the new look
Music : Shubha Mudgal in Raincoat........perfect background

It had started to look all familiar and boring....so I cleaned it up and replaced it with something new. Now I feel the blog looks quite simple and pleasant.
I returned a week ago, yet I feel at home. So, here's a way of experiencing Bangalore.
Assuming that your day starts at 9 in the morning, just freshen up and head towards MTR near the Urvashi theatre for breakfast. Trust me, these people make the best 'Masala Dosa' on earth. You simply cannot resist them.Time for some action and adventure? Let your car be. Try something new...Find the most arrogant rickshaw driver which almost every young driver is and go on a roller-coaster ride of your life through the city. You will be fascinated by the skills of the driver to squeeze his way through the jam packed roads and his ability to break every traffic rule. Chances are, you are going to enjoy it or hate it to the core. Take a stop at Anil Kumble circle and walk on the green filled right side of the road if you are not shopping. Walk on the left side if you wish to be looted by beggars or haunted by little children who urge you to buy red roses. The sight is a pity. I could not say no to them on the first day. This is where you get to witness the best and the worst part of the city. Hungry? Eat at the many multi-cuisines' restaurants situated on and off Brigade/ M.G. road. My pick is Nakshatra on Lady Curzon road that offers the most delicious Andhra dishes. Expensive but worth it. Dessert at Nilgiri's is a must! It must be past 3 now. Closer is the cubbon park, where you can relax reading a book or enjoy watching the world go by....or just walk on the grass, bare foot that is! Avoid watching the nonsense that most people tend to do and instead relish eating Gola or Bhel Puri from a street vendor. Lalbagh [the botanical garden Bangalore is famous for] is an ideal place but the distance is what you have to cover. Evening time : the city has got everything you wish for. If you are a music fan, there should be someone performing. If interested in theatre, travel to Ranga Shankara in J.P Nagar to catch on some well directed plays by eminent directors [the one I wish I could go to was Girish Karnad's 'A heap of broken images' ]. Movies is not a problem here : Bangalore once had the highest number of cinemas in India. Pub culture is at its peak and Bangalore has been named the pub capital of India. A lot of English culture bars, discotheques, pubs have taken their stands....heard and read a lot about them, so I'm sure you can find the one thats best to your interests. A drive out of the city is always a nice choice during 11 or 12 P.M. I'd always choose to drive towards Nandi Hills with Dad ofcourse. Its just heaven to watch the clear sky from the top of your car at this time.
Ground realities you are going to confront : Honestly speaking, with all my love aside, Bangalore is not crowded or polluted, it is over crowded and over polluted. Air is not of breathing quality. Donot be surprised if you donot hear one speak the local language. Too many non-Bangaloreans have presided over that you may find only about 10-15% localites in the city centre.The funniest thing is that NOT even the beggars are localites. Construction works have all started at one go, so you will find a lot of traffic chaos. Heavy pockets are necessary as everything is expensive. All that apart, Bangalore is still better than anyother city in India. It is modern, laid back and undoubtedly the most happening city. But, if nothing is going to change ,then Bangalore is another Bombay in the making.

I am back!

I have made it back to the UK safe and sound after missing an International flight. Irresponsible? Careless? Nothing to ponder over now.....I'm here. I would have been here two days before had I not missed the flight. The brighter side of it is that I got to fly business class!!!! Now thats something I did without paying extra ..... and the experience was quite nice as I got to sleep comfortably all through the journey. A busy last month ahead at the University.....hope to get through this one nice and perfect!

'Lucky' - as it is!

A movie to watch out for! I was waiting for this movie to release for a long time....lot of expectations from the movie and it did live up to my expectations. Awesome performances, brilliant music, superb locations, everything is fine until the last 5 minutes of the movie. Try and ignore the last 5 minutes of the movie and you will agree with me that it is one fantastic debut make by the directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. Salman did not take off his shirt for the first movie ever. Sneha Ullal would not ask for a better launch. An absolute xerox print of Aishwarya, she is eye candy....watch her on screen specially during the song 'Jaan meri jaa rahi sanam..' and she is as beautiful as none. Her screen presence is so much that one would not want take his/her eyes off the screen....be it her innocence in the graveyard or the way she follows Salman during the song 'Shayad yahi to pyar hain' or when she breaks down in the train. Salman has delivered his decent funny self in the movie unlike many of the characters that he has potrayed. Mithun Chakraborty as P.D. made a wise choice for a come back. Adnan Sami has composed melodius music for the movie. Every song is ear catching. Hear to the likes of 'Shayad yahi to', 'Chori chori', 'Jaan meri jaa rahin' and 'Sun Zara'....you will love them all!! Please go and watch this movie atleast once.....in theaters only not in a multiplex! Wheres the fun when it is all nice and cosy without much people around you?? Wheres the fun when your neighbour does not sing a song along with Adnan Sami?? Wheres the fun when a girl behind you does not scream and shout at the sight of Salman Khan??
I would rate 'Lucky' higher than 'Black'.I had a very good time watching the movie . Will watch it once more before I leave...hope you like it too!

The rickshaw harassment

I had heard that auto rickshaw drivers in Bangalore can be unreasonably demanding towards the non-Bangaloreans and more importantly towards foreigners but I got to experience what it all was yesterday. I have to say that I didnot have the slightest idea of how worse the actual situation is. I was anything but helpless to use the public transport system which is a big nuisance as my car was out for a service. Me and my friend head towards ICFAI University somewhere in the afternoon when it was still raining. When we reach the destination, the rickshaw driver takes off without returning the change. We say ' Its alright. We cannot chase him anyways in the heavy rain'. After ICFAI, we continue towards IGNOU. Since we had to search for IGNOU in an unfamiliar area, we were charged an extra over the meter. We left for Commercial street for some shopping and contrary to everything that happened, this rickshaw guy who dropped us off did not ask for anything more than the actual price. Things had just started to happen..... we walk towards a rickshaw stand and asked a driver whether he would take us to Mahalakshmipuram. He charged us an indecent 150 INR which would otherwise cost us only out 50 INR....we chose to complain to the policeman who stood on the other side of the road. We walk towards him and he is walking away from us.

[PS : You are at an advantage if you know Kannada]

Me.....Helloooooo [trying to get his attention]
policeman...[gives a mysterious look at me]
Me.....[pointing towards the auto men] Allaaa,avarella alli mooru sala jaasthi charge madthaa yiddare, auto ge. Neevenu hogi kelodilva???
[They are charging me three times more of what they should..dont you question them at all???]
policeman......Aiyyo Maay-dum, avaranna yenu kelodu? Avarella dodda loafergalu. Neevu eekade iro auto galige hogi.
[Aiyyo Maay-dum, what do I ask them? They are all big loafers. You go to the other drivers]
Me......Adu nanage goththu! Avarige warn madodu athava fine haakodu alva???
[That I know. Why dont you warn them or fine them???]
policeman ..... Illi nodi Maay-dum. Nandu ardha bookke khaaliyagi hogide fine haaktha haaktha..
[Look at this Maay-dum, Half of my book is over fining them.....points towards his fine book]

I return back without doing anything about it...

What am I doing there after the wedding? 

Mi with my sister and my Brother-in-law......why dont they smile at all?? 

Monsoon wedding.......is it monsoon?

5:35 in the evening , the clouds have just started to pour down despite the heavy winds. People heading towards shelter, women picking up clothes from their terrace and the smell of the soil to top it all makes the evening beautiful. The light is not perfect, it is rain dark...not totally dark....The power is off, my brother comes out to switch on the radio which works on the UPS and then, a familiar song on Radio City 91FM ".....duniya mein, logon ko, dhoka kabhi ho jaatha hain"..........what an imperfect song for a perfect atmosphere!

My first cousin is happily married now....I attended her reception yesterday but couldnot make it up for the 'muhurtham' , which is the main part where she actually gets married. I was pretty lazy to wake up at 8 in the morning and when I woke up, the wedding was done with....what a shame!! Some pictures I have posted below. Had a fantabulous time with all my cousins, most of them whom I had not spoken to for 2 or 3 years. Some of the conversations were quite hillarious. Good to know them all this way as most of us are of the same age. Weddings at this part of India can be quite boring though...no music, no dance , drift in traditions [a reception before the wedding], everyone busy with their own things....but regardless of all the shortcomings, this one was not boring because of all the food and the company I had. It was simply great!!!

More occasions to add to my memories.......aww....these are all fantastic!