what's missing in bangalore?

what do you miss the most when you move cities?

your friends? your colleagues? your favourite movie halls? eating joints? your house/ flat/ apartment? the temple in the neighbourhood?

i recently moved out of mumbai. and i miss the shoe-shine boys! and the beggars in mumbai! (i don't miss the smells and the sights! thank you!)

i used to take the local trains every day to office and would get my shoe shined from the ubiquitous shoe-shine boy at the railway station platform! in mumbai you will find a shoe-shine boy at every railway station at any time of the day! (i have not seen a single shoe-shine boy in bangalore till date! and i've been here a month already! anyone knows where you can find them?)

so i now have to shine my shoes every morning before leaving for work. not that i'm cribbing, but the pleasure of getting your shoe shine from a shoe-shine boy in mumbai is something different altogether ! any true-blue mumbaikar would confirm that.

i also miss the beggars & the homeless people of mumbai. in bangalore if there is excess food left over after dinner we don't know what to do with it! it doesn't feel right to throw it in the trash. in mumbai we used to pack the food in containers and drive out into the night and hand over the food to the scores of beggars and homeless people you saw on the roads.

i'm not saying there are no beggars on the streets in bangalore, but they are definitely not as many and as obviously 'in-your-face' as they are in mumbai! and for me, that's definitely an indicator of the economic status of a city.

p.s. i am not missing natural's ice-cream! they have arrived in bangalore! :P

big move!

and i'm back again!

this must have been the longest time i've been away! and even i never thought i would ever come back. but then i guess i was missing seeing my own posts out there! i'm such a narcissist! :P

there have been some big changes in my life... actually, big would be an under-statement.

for starters, i have changed jobs! and when you change jobs, or take up a real job after 15 years of doing your own thing, it is big thing! and especially when you have taken up a job which you have never done in your life and is not exactly your area of 'expertise'!

and because of this job, we've all moved out of mumbai! again, a not-so-small change, when you consider the fact that i was in mumbai for over 23 years! and the big boss has been there for even longer!

so we're now in bangalore... and its a whirlwind affair of school admissions, house hunting, maid hunting, furniture hunting, finding your way around, meeting people... its almost like starting life all over again!

the kids are having a gala time... we're finding new eating joints, shopping malls, complexes with swimming pools, and TELEVISION!!!

we're temporarily staying at a dear friend's place. he stays at this place only for a few days each week. ever since our brood moved in here, the tv set has been used for more hours than he ever used it over the last 5 years that he has been here!!!

p.s. every morning when i slip on my shoes, i miss the shoe-shine boys of mumbai!

a pound of flesh!

i picked up this movie just on a whim. i had never heard about it before nor had anyone recommended it to me. the very brief story-line on the cover jacket got my attention and i decided to check it out.

and i was glad i did!

if you analyze the film you will find many loop-holes. you would also probably be uncomfortable about some of the moral aspects of the film.

but i would very strongly recommend this movie for all film-lovers. its not a classic or oscar material. but what i liked about the film, apart from the good acting by will smith and rosario dawson, is how the movie keeps you guessing till the very end. and the best part is that you already have an inkling of what is unfolding, but you are still hoping it turns out differently. and that is disturbing. and that is what makes this a very interesting film.

seven pounds is a 2008 film directed by gabriele muccino (who also directed 'in pursuit of happyness'). the film is all about an individual who is reaching out to seven complete strangers and trying to change their lives drastically. and you keep wondering about the motive behind his seemingly bizarre actions. you can clearly see that he is punishing himself very severely and the story slowly unfolds to give you an idea of what's happening. the film has many loose ends which all tie up pretty nicely in the end.

go out and rent the dvd tonight. you will thank me for it! :)

mission junk!!!

most young parents would have read 'what to expect when you are expecting' and some would have even read the ones that follow...

but none of these books tell you about some of the perils of parenting, especially fathering!

take monday as a case in point! i was getting back home by the local train (my preferred mode of commute in mumbai) after a late evening in office when i got an urgent call from the big boss... i was asked to pick up some stuff which could be used as examples of junk food...

now before you wonder why she was so keen on junk food articles let me clarify! we had to send some examples of junk food pasted on a cardboard sheet which our son had to take to school the next morning...

most of the kids' assignments are completed only a 'jit' basis which ensures that we optimise our effort and put in the least time and get the maximum output to input (time) ratio on the projects! :P
and this is nowhere as efficient as some of the other parents who manage to complete it on the day of the submission before packing off the kids and their bags and snack boxes to the school bus... we still have a long way to go! :P

so as part of my clandestine assignment, i had to get off the train a couple of stations before my destination, get into a mc'donald's outlet near the station, order a value meal for myself, eat the 'junk food' instead of dinner... now comes the nest part...

i had to carefully and surreptitiously squirrel away the plastic glass, the plastic and paper containers in which the fries and burgers are served and leave the outlet hoping that none of the other patrons noticed!!!

i managed to breathe easily only after i reached home... i then felt like i had thwarted some major evil operatives and pulled off some major clandestine operation successfully!

"mission junk" completed successfully... ready for the next adventure! :)

girls are smarter!

girls are so much smarter than guys... about certain things... (yeah ok, about the most important things in life... there, can i continue now?)

the big boss and i hired another movie tonight - duplicity (which i will write about later)

my son didn't even pause to look at the cover... i guess that's because it had nothing to do with cricket or football or guitar (his latest favourite musical instrument) or narnia or harry potter or any of those things which would hold his attention for a few seconds...

but our daughter doesn't miss a thing... especially when the picture on the cd cover looks something like this...

she promptly wants me to tell her what the couple is doing... (look closely at the picture of julia roberts and clive owen in the middle... missed it? she didn't!)

i knew that she knew, but that she wanted to hear it from me...

i tried talking about some other things... i don't remember but i must've tried talking about the weather... that didn't work... she listened to me patiently and then asked me again...

i then read out the synopsis of the movie on the back cover... she heard me intently and then asked me again... i realised that i am not getting away...

so i looked closely at the picture and told her that it looks like the man is trying to tell the lady some secret! she promptly curled her lips and said 'nah'... so i asked her if that was not it could she then tell me what they were doing? she said she wanted me to tell her...

i then told her that they were about to kiss... she then grinned and said yuck and went away... i thought i saw a smug look on her face as if she had scored a winning goal or something!!!

i tell you... girls are much smarter than guys about the most important things in life... and my daughter is just 5.5 years old! i'm sure the stories are only going to get more interesting with time! :P

films galore!

its been an orgy of films over the weekend... and i'm going around with a smile that would make you think that i've had a heavy sunday lunch or something! (btw, i did have a heavy sunday lunch too! :P )

i watched an old 2001 film serendipity'... nothing exceptional... fairly predictable, but nice... in a soft, mellow, feel-good kind of way, if you know what i mean...
the film revolves around two people (john cusack and kate beckinsale) who accidentally meet while shopping and click off very well... but they part ways without him knowing her full name... and she says that if they are meant to be together then life will bring them together! the movie after that is about how life finally brings them together, obviously! :)

i like the word serendipity which means 'a fortunate accident' and it actually has a very interesting history! you can read all about it here.

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i then watched 'ninja assassin' late saturday night... this is a must-watch for action aficionados... the action sequences are choreographed and executed ... but if blood, gore and chopped-up body parts are not your cup of tea then i would strongly advise you to keep away... you could end up losing your dinner in a very unpleasant way! :)

the film is produced by the wachowski brothers of the matrix fame, directed by james mc teigue (v for vendetta) and the lead role is played by rain (a korean pop star actually! :) )...

the film gives you the impression that the action sequences were put together first and then they interspersed some kind of a story-line into it! :P

like i said, watch it purely for the poetry in action, the subtlety in the violence and the calming numbness of the blood and gore!

(i never knew that the human body could spew out so much blood and with such ferocity!)

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and last night, the big boss and i decided to pick up a rental movie... and we both liked the brief description on the jacket of 'state of play' which is a 2009 american political thriller... its quite a power-packed film with russell crowe, ben affleck and rachel mc adams...

its actually a film adaptation of a 6-part 2003 british tv series by the same name... the film is directed by kevin macdonald (last king of scotland)...

the movie is tight, and moves at a fairly rapid pace and keeps you hooked on till the end of the 2 hour length of the film...
the script is very impressive with twists till the end, corporate conspiracies, some racy dialogs and humor...

the cinematography and the background score maintains the tension all through the film... and the actors deliver a punch with their performance... russell crowe as an old-fashioned journalist is a pleasure to watch in this film...

a must-see for everyone who likes a good film with drama and mystery!

all i do is wait

all i do is wait
for a twist of fate
or a turn of events.

i seem to be standing
at the edge of a bottomless canyon,
waiting for a circumstantial nudge.

i expect cataclysmic events will unfold:
the cosmic soup will be bubbling
the infinite oceans will be seething
and the universe in my head
will go into labour.

new stars will be born
destinies rewritten
fortunes will be foretold
empires will crumble as i watch
and my sun will be on the ascendant.

but i am clueless
when it will all begin
and what will trigger it
and how.
all i can do is wait
for it to unfold,
spiral outward to the end
and beyond.

and then finally settle down
into an ocean of calm
where i watch my reflection
and see you smile back at me.

a birthday gift!

i got this poem from a dear friend on my birthday... had to share it here with all of you! :)

(i won't blame you if you think i'm going through a narcissistic phase here! :P )

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I tried it all!

Shopping at the mall,

Another painting for your wall,

But liked nothing at all.

So I thought,

And I thought

And after thinking a lot,

This brilliant idea I got!

If not a book or a tee,

Or a tie or CD,

The least I can do,

Is write a b’day rhyme for you!

So! Uncle Guru,

Your 40! It’s true.

Don’t feel so blue,

For you haven’t caught the flu!

Soon enough though

Your hair will no longer grow

But don’t be so low,

For your bald head will glow!

Even when it’s bright,

You may feel that it’s night

And Thanks to faulty eyesight

You’ll want to put on the light!

when Prasann your son

is playing in the sun,

he’ll beg you to join in the fun,

but you’ll say, “Oh! My backache’s begun!”

“Sunanda! Where is my cane?

Walking is a strain.

It causes my body such pain”

You’ll sigh in vain, “I wish I was 20 all over again!”

Memory loss will come soon

You’ll leave your keys in the bathroom.

And wonder whether it’s April May or June

While heading to the clinic, in a party costume!

“I can’t seem to find the other shoe!

Where ARE you Niru?”

“But it’s time for bed, Guru!

Look at the time, its true!”

And Alas! To read,

A pair of thick spectacles you’ll need,

They’ll be sitting on your head,

Still you’ll reach for your wife’s instead!

Breathe! I’m only kidding!

Don’t look so forbidding!

To take your case is my thing,

Read ahead, cuz I’m still writing…

I can’t do this anymore,

I fear it might become a bore,

I stretched the truth, and even lied

But I can’t insult you anymore, I tried!

So listen to the other side,

Take this in your stride,

For 40’s a milestone

And not a reason to groan!

You’re twenty away from 60

And already feeling 50

But you’re a young man of 40

Who at heart is only 30

You’re talented and poetic,

At your age you’re so energetic!

A movie buff, a music lover

There’s so much u still have to discover.

You are a great sport,

A constant support.

You’re a teacher, a guide

And just knowing you fills me with pride.

There’s so much you’ve taught…

Such joy you’ve brought..

That it’s impossible to say

How grateful I am, in just a day.

it’s your birthday today,

and I wish and pray,

that you find your way,

smiling, each day.

forgotten melodies

everything seems larger than life

nothing seems normal anymore
every minute detail seems too close for comfort
and screaming without a sound.

maybe i need to step back from the peeping glass
and look around and see
the landscape spread as far as eye can see.

and see that day follows the darkest night
and spring follows the coldest winter
while life keeps moving on
whether i stand still or race ahead.

come hold my hand
and let's walk this last stretch together
we then have a lifetime more
once we reach the end of this road.

sing me your songs
so that i can sing along
and not think of 'could have beens'
or forgotten melodies.

i have learnt

i have learnt
that today is what i have
to live and to learn from.

yesterday is long gone
leaving memories
not always sweet.

and tomorrow
is too uncertain
and often packs surprises.

i have learnt
that love is not just a feeling
but is a state of being
in love.

and that willingly
i yearn forever
and smile through pain
and yet not want it to end!

rascals!

this might be slightly late in the day for many of you, but for those of you who haven't watched the movie 'kaminey' here're some words of advice :

GET OFF YOUR BACKSIDE AND GO WATCH IT!!!

this was my first vishal bharadwaj (vb) film (yeah, sacrilege, i know!!!) and it is not considered as his best film by far... infact a friend who's a vb fan sayd that this film was very 'main-stream commercial' as compared to his earlier films... but i still enjoyed it thoroughly!

i'm not going to bore you with another review here... there are so many reviews out there already...
but i'd like to share some kaminey and vb trivia here with you...

- the song 'dhan te tan' was actually not made for this movie... it was used by vb in a tv serial in the 90s...

- there was apparently much choreography planned for the song dhan ten tan... they just went out there and moved to the music and some of that was captured (i find this hard to believe though)

- vb himself has sung the title track 'kaminey' and his wife rekha bharadwaj (she has sung the catchy 'gendhe ka phool' song in delhi6) is one of the singers of the song 'raat ke dhai baje'

- vb has directed, composed music, written the screenplay and sung for the film... its unhealthy! so much talent concentrated in one person! :P

- he bought the script for $4000 from a nairobi-based writer who he mentored in a scrip-writing workshop in uganda

- this is the debut film for amol gupte who plays the role of one of the key villains - bhope bhau. amol gupte wrote the screen play for the award-winning taare zameen par.

i have now decided to catch up on all the vb movies that i have missed - maqbool, omkara, blue umbrella and makdee. the big boss shudders at the thought! :)

a peep into my feverish mind

boundless hope
unbridled desires
untamed passion
fervent prayers

primal needs
basic wants
ardent longings
urgent cravings

sharp pangs of hunger
parched throat thirst
and then this great urge
a deep inexplicable yearning

so many thoughts
swirl around in my mind
but i ride an ocean of calm.

rhyme's not for me

i fret and i fume

and feel out of tune,

and against all my efforts

fate seems immune.

i fall and i rise

for i am unstoppable

...

nah,

rhyme is not for me

it just doesn't have soul,

when telling it as it is,

is actually my goal.

i let you know how i feel

as i lay myself bare,

and if it doesn't fit into a metre

i really don't care.

here we are, you and i

so here we are
you and i
connected to each other
with unseen bonds
stronger than our own fears

savoring each other
living the moment
reaching out across
and touching
just for the joy of feeling you

blinking and noticing
that you are still there
not an apparition
flesh and blood
my love coursing through you

the intensity engulfs me
and i close my eyes
in sheer ecstasy
only to notice you
are now merged within me

man vs. animal

there's this funny anecdote i had heard about why men are behaving more and more like animals... and why animals so much more humane than most of the specimens of our species!

if you believe in the hindu theory of reincarnation you will know that the soul is imperishable and is reborn in differnt forms depending on their accumulated past actions... now given the way in which most of us live our lives we should be reborn as animals... but then we human beings have not spared too many of the animals either... in fact we've driven many of them to extinction!

so some of us come back as human beings because there were no animal forms available at the time we were born... so we were accidently born as human beings when we should have actually been born as some animal!

so maybe that explains why most of us behave more and more like animals... sometimes more than the animals themselves!
(now some of you might say that i'm only 'monkeying' around here! but i'm not passing off some 'cock' and 'bull' story here... and i'm not going to 'chicken' off by your threats! :P )

there was this very interesting discussion about the key differences between human beings and animals that i read in this slightly bizarre book called 'fierce invalids home from hot climates' by tim robbins.

the list of characteristics that differenciate man and animal include - imagination, rebelliousness, aesthetics, spirituality, eroticism, and humour.

now when you pause to think about it, you tend to agree with this list... and it leaves you wondering if there was anything else you could add to this list... (i couldn't think of anything, can you?)

i then flaunted this list to the big boss on day... i felt she too would feel humbled by this list and wonder if she could add something to complete the list...

she heard me out and then summed it all in obe single sentence - "all of these have to do with the intellect... and that is essentially what differentiates a man from an animal!"

suffice to say that i was humbled and struck speechles... which people who know me will certify is an extremely rare occurence! :P

tagged and delivered!

i normally don't do tags... where i have to talk about the 12 things i would like to do by standing on one foot; or the 23 things i would do with a cricket ball; or the 6 continental dishes i absolutely hate; or the 9 smelliest people i have ever come across...

i just can't get myself to do these things... but today i decided to break this self-defined rule and do this tag which preeti tagged me here

so here are the 5 things i love about being a dad :

i am sure there are many more relevant and esoteric reasons for being proud of being a dad, but here are the first 5 that come to my mind...

1. i love having my kids falling asleep while lying on top of me... not any more of course... they weigh quite a bit... but earlier when they didn't weight so much that they squeeze the breath out of me! :P

2. i love hearing my son tell me excitedly about how he scored a beautifully executed goal or catch someone out in cricket or win a chess game... ((most of the time he doesn't get chosen by the other boys to play because he can't kick a ball to save his life... but he makes up for it with all his enthusiasm... and its fun just to hear him describe it all... i always tell people, even if he doesn't become a cricketer, he has a future as a commentator! :P )

3. i love it when my daughter comes and whispers a secret in my ear and doesn't want me to tell her mom... and then the minute her mom walks in the room she can't hold it back for even a couple of seconds... she just has to blurt it out to her! :P

4. i love it when my daughter is scowling and moping (usually because she hasn't gotten her way for once) and tries to maintain a stern, serious expression while i am trying to get her to smile... and finally she can't control herself anymore and ends up grinning or bursting into laughter :)

5. what i love most is watching my kids walk hand in hand, while the older brother is leading his younger sister by hand across the road to the waiting bus on their way to school... :)

space: the final frontier

"Space: The final frontier
These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise
Its 5 year mission
To explore strange new worlds
To seek out new life and new civilizations
To boldly go where no man has gone before"

so many of us have such nostalgic memories when you hear these lines... of the eagerly awaited star trek series on sunday morning on television (on the solitary doordarshan channel in those days)...

i have never watched a single star trek movie after the tv series... i couldn't even bring myself to watch the new series which did not have william shatner as capt. kirk and leonard nimoy as spock... (i remember all the girls in school in those days being completely smitten by capt. kirk... yeah yeah, i know i studied in an all-boys school and you are wondering how i know this about the girls... well, i am not telling!)

but i finally decided to watch the latest star trek movie which is a chronicle of the early days of capt. kirk and his fellow uss enterprise crew members...

all of us trudged off for the sunday morning show... the big boss and the kids... the kids actually enjoyed themselves... and i don't mean just the popcorn and the fizzy drink... they actually enjoyed the film... though the younger one (daughter) did get a little frightened during some of the scenes... it was their first sci-fi film on the big screen...

i simply loved the movie... even if you have never watched star trek you will really enjoy this film... and if you are even a fringe fan of start trek and don't consider yourself a trekkie you would still be comiting an unforgiveable sin if you do not watch this film!

the movie has leonard nimoy playing the old spock (i am not telling you anything more) and he still can make you smirk with his logical dialogs delivered with a punch...

but for me, just like for another die-hard fan i chatted with earlier today, the most 'goose-bumpy' and emotional moment in the film was during the end credits where leonard nimoy says 'space: the final frontier....'

ah! that was the bestest moment in the film for me... but you have to watch it understand what i am saying...

i will sign off by borrowing spock's customary farewell line (accompanied by the vulcan hand salute of course) - "live long and prosper!"

not so simple

this is the first poem i received in response to my tag... a really nice poem from manasi
here's the link to her blog and the actual poem below :
http://forevermanasi.blogspot.com/2008/09/not-so-simple.html

ओ आसमान में उड़ते पंछी,
कभी मुझे भी अपने साथ ले जा.
खुल कर निडर मुक्त गगन में,
एक उड़ान की चाहत जो है.

बैठी है जो टीले के पीछे,
वो बुढ़िया जो अपना चूल्हा फूकती.
बताया उसने कि तुम ले गयीं थी उसको,
एक सूखी रोटी के बदले.

मैं होमवर्क पूरा कर लूंगी,
दूध वाले को तंग भी न करूंगी,
उस गुरजीत से नहीं लडूंगी,
एक उड़ान की चाहत जो है.

a different kind of tag

i got a beautiful poem from a dear friend which i am reproducing here.

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i wonder..

will there be a storm,
with howling winds,
and torrential showers,
when you come..

will the earth separate,
with molten lava
swirling at your feet,
when you come..

or will the mountain peaks,
lift their heads higher,
and roar to the world,
that you have come?

maybe, the trees will march,
with creatures of all sizes,
in the parade,
on the day of your arrival.

i wonder, if the brooks and streams
will join hands,
and create a wreath,
to welcome u with..

i wonder, whether this lil flower,
with petals so tiny and blue,
that just fell into my hands,
is actually you..

- riddhi shah (mumbai)
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i am sure there's a poet in each one of us. now what i'd really like is for you to send me one of your poems. whichever you like. either its one you have already written before or you can write one now. send it to me and i'll publish them here. why should you do this? just so that others can enjoy reading your poems.

i'll give source credit! :P
which basically means i won't pass them off as my creation... you'll get mentioned with a byline and with the url to your blog .

so go on, don't hesitate... let the creative juices flow and share it with the rest of the world...

(there's no deadline for entries... i'll keep posting them as i receive them)

naming cyclones

ever wondered how they come up with these names for the cyclones and typhoons that hit coasts across the globe? (and ever wondered why most of them are named after women? aptly so, some might say!:P )

most of you would know that the latest cyclone which hit the coast of india and bangladesh was called 'aila' (no, its not a marathi word :P ) and it means fire in the dhivehi language of the maldives.

ok, now check this out... let me mess with your minds a little bit! i can predict what the next three big storms which hit this part of the world are going to be called! hold your breath... they will be called - phyan, ward and laila! got you there, didn't i? i love this! :)

well, this is the point where i let you into a little-known secret... cyclone names across the world are fixed in advance! this is apparently done by the WMO (world meterological organisation) which is an inter-governmental body that collaborates on everything to do with weather... they also make a list of names for storms & cyclones!

in the us (trust them!) they apparently used to use only women's names for the devastating cyclones they are regularly plagued by... until 1979... feminie protests made them amend their ways and so now they name them with male and demale names alternately! that's like sharing the blame equally for all the mess we create in the world! :P

read all about the naming of cyclones on livemint here.