Life's like that

2013 Summer reading list

2013-07-06T11:16:00.002-04:00

Two unfinished books and two other books that I have just started and look promising. Ya, that should do it for the summer. (Although I am tempted to throw in a classic in the mix - The Brothers Karamazov)

The Elephant Vanishes (Genre: Short Stories)

Thanks to S to recommending this to me. I was already floating in the Murakami world having read his two epic tales - The Wind up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84. Part fantasy, part sci-fi, part Japanese contemporary fiction and whole parts entertainment! I read them in a span of 2 weeks, mainly because I couldn't umm, put them down. This happened to me after a really long time. I don't remember when I strongly felt like this for fiction - I had stopped reading fiction and now am catapulted into the genre again, thanks to Murakami.

So I was happy (and surprised) at The Elephant Vanishes which is Murakami's collection of short stories :-) Sample one of my favorite stories from the book, on S's blog - On seeing the 100% Perfect Girl

Stephen King on Writing (Genre: Non-fiction)

Part autobiography and part advice on the craft of writing, this book is turning out to be such a required reading. With fascinating insights into his own process of writing, who else but Stephen King can pull together a powerful book on the practice and skill of writing. This one is for keeps. I am definitely grabbing my own copy soon.

A Fine Balance (Genre: Indian fiction)

I am not sure how I let this masterpiece pass me :-) I have heard too many good things about this Rohinton Mistry book. It specially interests me since I love Indian fiction spinned around historical and political events. As a kid, I have heard stories about the 1970's emergency period in India from my dad and it intrigued me. I am determined to read through this and it has been a gripping narrative so far.

The Price of Inequality (Genre: Non-fiction, Economics)

A day doesn't go by without a reference to the rising inequality in India. And after so many powerful videos made on what inequality actually means and why we should care, I wanted to read more and understand it better. Specially because India is hanging in such a dangerous balance right now, I am taking upon myself to read this book and hopefully explain/share what I learnt once I am done reading.

As one Amazon review reads:

One sentence basically says it all: "The top 1 percent of Americans gained 93 percent of the additional income created in the country in 2010, as compared with 2009." Now think of that in terms of a party with 100 people and big pizza with 100 slices. Basically it means that one rich guy gobbles up 93 slices of pizza. The other 99 get to divvy up the other seven.

Five Things: Five B&W classics you wish you had seen!

2013-07-03T02:17:00.001-04:00

Field tested atleast two of the five movies I am going to recommend, on my boyfriend (who is new to the B&W era). And with very satisfying results. So I am picking these five movies that will ease you to explore more B&W classics :) And this deliberate picking is across five different genres to add variety. Go!

Safety Last! (Genre: Silent Comedy)

Harold Lloyd, you beauty. The only feeling I am left with after watching this movie - can I see it again? And again? Best known for the famous clock dangling scene immortalized by Lloyd and later cloned in numerous movies (latest being Martin Scorsese's Hugo). But don't just gloss over it yet - with an incredible repertoire of gags (several clever ones in fact) and "thrill" sequences - Safety Last is the landmark movie on physical comedy, an act that has almost vanished in modern times. (See New Yorker's piece on The demise of physical comedy). This is laugh riot at its best - the pure kind of comedy, devoid of any pop culture references or vulgarity.

Watch yourself laugh out loud like a kid. My money's on this one.

And oh, Harold Lloyd glasses, anyone?:)

12 Angry Men (Genre: Courtroom Drama)

When I was a kid, one of the first classics I read was To Kill a Mocking Bird. I picked an abridged version and I fell in love with law. I day dreamed and fantasised myself as a lawyer. And then, of course, adulthood happened. 12 Angry Men is a movie shot entirely in a tiny room filled with 12 men on the jury, sweating, debating and cross-examining evidence to reach a decision on a young teenager accused of murdering his father. This movie took me back to the time when I harbored the same feeling while reading MockingBird - to pursue the passion of law. Of course, this might not be the case with you - but watch, just for the unfolding of an intelligent plot and a take at how humans are generally prejudiced.

Like the first review on IMDB says: If you ever see a Black & White movie, make it this one.

The Seven Samurai (Genre: Warrior/Samurai Action)

Seven Samurai is required viewing. Period. There is enough said about good cinema, great cinema, but very rarely you come across cinema that just cannot be remade. It makes The Magnificient Seven, Sholay and other inspired western classics look like cheap imitation. Just like the difference between a genuine Armani and a fake one. There is so much complexity involved in the story that every time I see this movie it blows my mind. Akira Kurosawa, respect. Frame after frame after frame, it is a thing of beauty. Action sequences so brilliant, I am yet to find a word that can befittingly describe it. See here for a short review I wrote on an earlier post.

Although, this requires no review to guarantee that it will be the 3 hours of your life, well spent.

Rififi (Genre: Heist/French Noir)

Jules Dassin makes me giddy with anticipation with every movie of his. And that makes it so hard to pick a best one from his movies like The Naked City, Brute Force etc., that I would love to own them all as DVDs and keep them at arm's length for repeat viewings. Watch the 30 minute long silent heist sequence, (see below clip) the best bang for your buck. The genius of this movie is in its subtlety, execution (beautifully shot!) and low key acting. I don't know, like a beautiful mural perhaps, you can't tell what about it is so overwhelming.

Indeed, this set the path for future noir movies.

Paths of Glory (Genre: War Drama)

I don't care how much you hate B&W movies, but this is a must-see. Ok, I said that for all of the above, I know. I just couldn't resist repeating that, specially since this is Stanley Kubrick we are talking about. (I was torn between choosing Paths of Glory and The Killing, but since I already suggested a noir movie, I went with Paths of Glory). I wouldn't tell this about any other movie but for this: I don't find a single thing that can be changed in this movie to make it any better (ok, perhaps you might disagree on the ending).

Hands down, the most technically shot movie made on trench warfare in World War I! All I can say is this is no ordinary war drama. If you haven't watched this, you are doing yourself a great dishonor.

Animated Short: Head over Heels

2013-06-29T05:43:00.001-04:00

"A husband and wife. How do you rise above your differences, when you can't agree which way is up? A marriage turned upside down, hangs in the balance..."

Head over Heels - a 2013 Oscar nominated short from the National Film and Television school that explores the relationship between a long married elderly couple who have drifted apart - illustrated by one living on the ceiling and another living on the floor (great metaphor for the rift we create in our relationships). The couple can't agree which way is up. One day as the husband tries to rekindle the lost romance between them, they must find a way to balance the upside down and put their marriage back together.

PS: Cant seem to get enough of it, I have watched it so many times! Reminds me so much of my favorite Pixar movie - Up :)

A field guide to spending 24 hrs at Singapore's Changi Airport

2013-06-23T08:31:00.001-04:00

Ok fine, I cheated. I stayed about 17 hrs at the airport - that's just 7 hrs short of 24, but that's not the point right? Now you would ask me what possibly could be there at the airport that can keep you entertained for 17 hrs! Well, for starters we are talking about Changi Airport here. Not your average airport on close observation. Plus, I wouldn't be exaggerating if I say that 17 hrs still didn't seem enough time to "try out" everything Changi had to offer. So yeah, read on.

2.55 am (local time) - SLEEP!

My red eye flight lands at Terminal 3; 17 hours of layover ahead of me, I stand unperturbed. The airport didn't have any buzz; nobody at the information desk, no crowds and no air trains; save for the 24 hour joints/shops that were open. I promptly found the Snooze Lounge on Terminal 3 and plopped myself on one of the lounge chairs. I opened my laptop and killed time by browsing the Internet - a side effect of being a news junkie. It was 4 am already so I gave up, threw the valuables from my backpack into a small handbag, held it close (who knows? you gotta be careful with your stuff), pulled over my hoodie (they have the lights on, always) and dozed.

Side note: On Terminal 2 and 3, you also have transit hotels (if you seek the comfort of a bed) where you can book a block of 6 hours to take a shower, sleep, watch TV and whatever else you aim to do at a hotel. Isn't that cool? No immigration hassles as the hotels are right on the terminal.

I contemplated taking off to the transit hotels but I recommend you use the free services on the airport like the Snooze Lounge, if you are not completely wiped out. You can save Singapore $$$ to splurge on something else...and there are a lot of "something elses" in Changi, trust me.

8.15 am - WAKE UP, BRUSH, CHECK EMAILS

I wake up (with the noise). The airport seems alive now. Few whispers here and there, breakfast buzz and announcements are on. I head down to the ground level and walk into the most exquisite "Powder Room" - a fancy name for a ladies toilet cum changing rooms cum vanity chairs/large mirrors to do your makeup. Too bad I didn't snap a photo here - toilets so shiny clean I could sleep on the floors. No kidding. Complete with a touch based rating system at the exit where you can rate how the toilets are. Of course I rate it a high-five! I quickly brushed, washed my face and off I went.

9 am - DO THE IMPORTANT THINGS FIRST!

I see the information desk is manned now. And I needed to do that little important thing first. Changi Airport has this special transit program for those who transit via Singapore - they basically give away 40 SGD worth of coupons that you can use anywhere on the airport on anything - food, shopping, services. So I got my coupons and headed down to the Free Singapore Tour booth (available both on Terminal 2 and 3). More freebies I know :-)

This is a free 1.5 hour tour of Singapore that is offered to anyone who has minimum of 5 hr layover at Changi. A good thing to know is they get filled REALLY FAST! So yes, get in line there and get yourself a reservation. Sooner the better.

But a little problem happened here - the woman sighed when she saw my visa (Japanese temporary visitor visa). She says to me, "Umm I don't know if you will be allowed to go out see the city on this visa". I roll my eyes and tell her "Of course I can, your tour is for people who don't have a transit visa. Why else would I register with you if I had a transit visa to go out to the city?". She didn't seem too pleased that I started an argument. So I just said - "Look, its ok I can explain to the immigration if they ask me, can you just get me a spot please?". She relented and gave in.

Meanwhile, a middle aged Indian couple seemed to shove me because you know that's what some of my fellow countrymen do - jump queues - I had to just let it go because I was already in an argument here. Sigh. Couldn't wait to get out of that place. So I got booked for a 2.30 pm tour (yay!), and the reporting time was 1.30 pm (so you get your immigration and other logistics done)

9.30 am - FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND BAG STORAGE

At this point my back started to well, hurt. My backpack was heavy with the laptop and other assortments. I found the "Left Baggage" (a paid storage place where you leave your baggage) and dropped my backpack there after retrieving my camera, wallet and passport packed into a small handbag. For 2$ I could store one piece of baggage for 24 hours. Sweet!

I felt like I could breathe now. I walked over to the money exchange counter, converted most of the leftover Japanese yen to SGD. Ready to splurge now!

10 am - NOSH!

So I am still loitering at Terminal 3 and suddenly my hunger pangs set in. It was rather late for breakfast and I could use some heavy lunch now. Headed up to the Food Court. The first name that hit me was "Kaveri" - umm, smell of the dosas and idlis was enticing. I had to fight it off.

Because, come on, I am in Singapore now - gotta taste the local specialities no? I find my way to Prima Taste and order a Laksa La Mian, a lychee drink and a pandan chiffon cake for dessert (all local favorites). This Laksa La Mian was like an orchestra of things going on in my mouth - burst of flavor from the coconut seafood broth, fried tofu, chicken, shrimp and spicy seasoning. Just incredible! This was comfort food at its best. Just what I needed. Without a shadow of doubt, my best noodle discovery by far.

And the best part? I paid for the meal with a 20$ voucher - thanks Changi transit program. LOL.

Laksa La Mian and Lychee Sling

Pandan Chiffon Cake

10.30 am - BUTTERFLY GARDENS & KOI POND

If you didn't know already (from all those colorful brochures and signposts around you), Changi Airport has a whole garden trail to unleash on you. They have 7 gardens in the airport - each different from the other. Since I was still on Terminal 3, I wanted to finish this up before I head over to another terminal. And I think I could use little greenery for my tired eyes.

The place was truly a butterfly heaven. I got some good shots. Learnt a bit about butterflies and their habitat. Spent a good 20 mins here. This is a must-do at Changi.

As you exit out of the butterfly garden, on the right side is the Koi Pond (bright colored ornamental fishes). You can even feed them at designated times (9am and 4 pm). A must-see again, it was very relaxing to just gaze at fish. This place gets crowded, specially with kids :)

Koi Pond!

11.30 am - SHOWTIME

Now how can a movie nerd like me pass an opportunity like cozy movie theaters with a choice of free movies? Hell no. I gotta have it. In my giddiness to get up there and soak up a good movie - I forgot to snap a picture of this place - well, you gotta see it to believe it. It was the best movie lounge I have seen. You could totally mistaken it for a real movie theatre.

Btw, I made a quick call to Mr. boyfriend - he must think I am lost or something - while I seem to love this airport adventure, he had no idea. Haha. So I call him up to say I am alive. And then he asks me the most critical question of the day - "Have you gone to the Fish Spa yet?"

It is the most unique thing to do at Changi. And am like "Oh good timing, let me find out."

12.15 am - FISH SPA!

The friendly information desk tells me the Fish Spa is on Terminal 2. I take an air train to T2 (3 mins ride) and get distracted by other sign posts as soon I get down at T2 (a lot of gardens here apparently!) but hey Fish Spa first, I remind myself.

It is sort of easy to get disoriented at Changi terminals - so make sure you don't go too far before realizing you are on the other end of where you are supposed to be. Always stop to check out maps or just ask information desk folks.

A good question to ask me right now is - what the hell is a Fish Spa? Ya, so apparently a therapist popularized this concept of a fish spa - he found these small fishes (Garra Rufa or Doctor Fish) that nibble away at your feet and eat the dead cells of your skin (gosh!) to give you shiny new feet. It is kind of like pedicure. Of course I had to experience it to believe it.

So, at this point if you are still loitering (like me) and cannot find this place it is because this spa is invisibly tucked away behind a huge Starbucks. I make my way and pay 22$ for the 20 min session (20$ voucher + 2$ of my own) with the fishes. A smiling guy leads me inside, hands me a towel and water to wash my feet. I pull up my jeans to my knees and I go right in. Make sure you tell him if you prefer warm water or cold water (they provide both). And then like magic the fishes huddle towards my feet, nibbling away. It tickles me for a good few seconds, haha. And then I get over the sensation.

It was well, unique. I kept zooming in on them with my camera lens to see if they umm, really eat away at my skin? And boy they do! It was so amusing. I sat there for a good 30 mins (although it was 20 min only...hey, nobody was checking on me right?), until the guy came in (still smiling) to give me some green tea:) Ok, I guess that was a sign to wrap up. What a polite way of doing it. Alright so I wash my feet again and clean them dry (I do see little things peeling out of the gaps between my toes. Nicely done fishes!).

12.45 am - ORCHIDS & WOODBLOCK PRINTING

Pop quiz - what is Singapore famous for? Gardens of course. Orchids to be precise. Heading to the other side of T2, is the most intricate setting of Orchids, replete with colors and a few Koi Fish in the pond. Definitely a photo-op if you are with the loved ones. As for me, I took a whole load of photos here until I was satisfied that I captured the colors well:)

Then I walked over (right beside the Orchid Garden) to the Woodblock printing zone. Picked up a white sheet and red crayons and went about tracing Changi's exterior - since I was so much in love with Changi now. I folded the sheet and put it in my bag to carry home (my own souvenir from this place - how cool is that?)

1.30 pm - TOUR STARTS!

By now I forgot to keep track of time and as I was lost in the art installations (such as this tea pot), the adjoining air train station bolted me into reality.

Oh gosh, it was the tour reporting time! So I jumped into an air train, got back to T3's Singapore Tour booth, just in time. Phew. They led us (a group of about 20) to T2 where we went through immigration and popped into a bus. The tour guide (a woman in her 40's) picked up the mic, introduced herself and gave us a full blown account of Singapore's history and culture as the driver zipped us into the city. A paltry 20 min ride and we are already at the famous Fullerton Road. Neat!

So we have a 20 min photo stop here we are told; so we can have our fill of the Great Merlion statue and the Marina Bay Sands overview.

After this, we are drifted to the Chinatown area. I was amused to find the oldest Hindu temple located in the heart of Chinatown. I am told that Singaporeans are the most harmonious when it comes to respecting other religions. How neat! We are dropped back by 4 pm at T2.

4 pm - NOSH!

This time I gave in to my Indian cravings - so I headed straight to Kaveri in T2 Food Court., for a masala fix. Ordered a Ragi masala dosa and a masala chai - for 9$ in all - not bad. I looked around to find all the airport authorities of Indian origin dining here, so this place seemed legit. Good. The ragi dosa was decent and the chai was an instant hit, given how tiredness started catching up with me. A quick call to boyfriend and dad and debated if I should pick up a Vodka or stick with some premium wine from DFS.

4.30 pm - DESSERTS, MORE GARDEN TRAILS, PHOTO STOP!

Ya, by now you must know I hunt down for food pretty hard. LOL. But a must-do at Changi is to try out the Kueh Lapis and Pineapple tarts at Bengawan Solo at T2. I sampled their desserts (they give out free food samples) and settled for a slice of their classic Lapis cake. I contemplated about buying home this cake and then let go as I felt it was too steep a price (26$) for a tiny portion of the cake. They also have other regular fares like cookies, muffins, nuts etc. But the pineapple tarts and lapis are a definite must-try (you can buy a slice or a tart for yourself but I made the most of the free food sample and they didnt seem to mind. Wink, wink.)

Sunflower Garden

Hexagonia Garden (great architecture!)

Cactus Garden

5.00 pm - BOOZE & SOUVENIR SHOPPING!

And then I had to get some liquor shopping done. I usually don't spend more than 10 mins at a DFS shop since I decide beforehand what I want. This time though I couldn't decide on a red wine and I struck a conversation with one of their salesmen. About 30 mins later I picked up a medium bodied Pinot Noir, made in New Zealand (45$) and a 3-pack Tiger Beer (a cheap 5$)

I hopped over to the Discover Singapore shop and got a Merlion statue for 10$ and two Tiger balms for 10$ (they smelled real nice, haha)

6.30 pm - (FREE) FOOT MASSAGE

No way in hell am I missing a free massage. And since my baggage was at T3, I hopped back there. The free foot massage machines are installed at T3 (these are right below the Snooze Lounge). You simply power them on, stick your feet in and the machines do their thing. They got like 4 ways of massaging your feet and you can adjust the heat and vibration modes. It really works!

7 pm - COLLECT BAGGAGE AND GO THRU SECURITY, SIGH :|

Need I explain? But FWIW, the security was lightening fast (what a relief!). If you have visited HongKong airport, you know how much of a nightmare it is to wait for security (an hour easily in line).

THINGS I MISSED AT CHANGI:

Yeah, you would think 17 hrs was enough to cover them right? Wrong. So I missed some really cool things like the Game Center (they have an uber cool setup rife with Xbox, Wii and a bunch of game DVDs to go with). I also missed out on the Slide and an Aviation Gallery both at T3, but in public areas (so you need immigration to get to them). I guess there is always a next time. Btw, if you want to ride down the slide, keep a purchase receipt (minimum 10$) from any of your shopping/eating from the airport. This serves as your ticket to the slide.

This is one airport you wished you got stranded.

So long Changi. You treated me well :-)

Brief lapses of friendship

2013-06-15T10:21:00.002-04:00

Sometime you meet people, you become more than just acquaintances and then you move further apart. And that's that. End of story.

Some days I wonder where X is and what X is doing? You wonder what it meant to spend so much time with X only to end it all abruptly, one day. Once such notable Miss X was a roommate I had for couple of months while I worked in New York.

After being burnt one too many times, I simply avoided going beyond anything than a courteous relationship with roommates. This was simply a code of conduct I established for myself. I didn't want to fiercely associate or disassociate with roommates. Roommates are like passengers, they come and they go - I would repeat to myself.

So it was really somewhat unlike me, when I broke this rule one summer.

X was a short, dark and chubby girl from Jharkand and was on a one year work assignment at New York City. At the time I was part of a rather strange living arrangement (not strange for those who lived in NY/NJ area) - Each room in a high-rise apartment was separately rented out by the owner, so you essentially pay by the room. It will not be an understatement to say the owner made heaps of money off us. But we couldn't be bothered - we couldn't afford to pay for the entire apartment by ourselves and also signing a long term lease was such a hassle. So this arrangement worked out well for both sides. Except for the tiny little hitch - we would end up having to live with random roommates like passengers on a train. They come and they go and we had no say on who or how our roommates would be like. The only decisive factor was of course, they would be of the same gender i.e females only.

Oh and one more thing, I had paid the top dollar for my room since it had the best view (so the rent was not split equally). What was I thinking? That I would sit by the window all day, sipping mojitos and watching the sailboats and cruise ships? Although I could've potentially done that. Needless to say, I never did.

On a pretty day, it would look like this from my bedroom window

One fine day X dropped in to survey our apartment (one of the girls had moved out of her room and two other girls lived in a double bedroom in the same apartment). She would potentially become the fourth member of the household. The next day she decided to move in - four suitcases in all. That night she promptly walked into my room and asked me to help her out with the curtains.

I was in the middle of a conversation (more like a fight) with my boyfriend over the phone. At the time, I was in a long distance relationship and we were having our turbulent times. And it was also late in the night.

For a split second I contemplated reminding her to knock on my door before barging in unceremoniously. But as you could guess, I was neither in the mood nor had the energy for another drama. "Ok, I gotta go now; call you in a bit", I hung up on my boyfriend.

"Sorry, I am too short. I can't reach even when I use the chair", she said, pointing to the tall chair near the windows.

Hmm, it wouldn't have hurt to sleep without curtains for one night. Right?

But I didn't tell her that. I simply went and helped her with the curtains. "Thank you", she said. By which time, I was already storming out of the room and didn't even turn around to acknowledge that I heard her. This time it seemed I was too eager to establish my rules of disengagement quite early on. No time to lose, I thought to myself.

The next morning (I used to get up as early as 5.30 am everyday to get a head start to work) I swinged into my usual routine - Cooked up eggs for breakfast, made coffee and packed my lunch box. I stuffed my work shoes into a spare bag, wore my sneakers (extremely mismatched with my formal trousers and white blouse) and grabbed my trench coat to head out to work.

"Good Morning", she cheered after me.

"Ya, umm, morning", I said, undecided. I didn't think much of it the rest of the day. And it completely missed me I had a new roommate. New roommate meant having to put up with another eccentric personality and having to wrap my schedule around theirs - when do they take bath? when do they cook in the kitchen? which rack in the fridge is theirs? which one is a vegetarian? who is going to take the garbage out? And on and on...

It was like chaos in my calm, organized world. As evening dawned, so did the realization that I had to "figure it out" with the new roommate. One could argue that maybe I was giving this too much thought than required. But years of living with random roommates had built up this anxiety in me. That evening, I came back and as usual hung my coat and changed into my dirty pink pajamas (that I didn't like to wash. I loved it dirty and crumpled like that for no reason).

Over the years, I also became somewhat of a kitchen nazi - I always insisted on the kitchen to be pristine clean. I had gotten into the habit of cooking every day and a smelly, unorganized kitchen would turn me off. I was, by no means, a cleanliness freak however. You could catch me with a pile of new and old laundry sitting on my bed, while I sat on the the same bed working away on my laptop. And that wouldn't frazzle me one bit. Even the bathroom being dirty was ok, but with the kitchen it was different - one dirty plate or abandoned spoon in sight was enough to drive me nuts.

So as I slowly walked to the kitchen in my pajamas, I was embracing myself for a mess. However, things caught me off guard. Surprisingly, in a good way.

There she was. X, stirring some curry and making a cup of tea. And the sight around her took me by surprise. Everything was in its place, she had wiped and dried clean every tiny hint of yellow (i.e turmeric) or a speck of rice grain there could be. Spoons, pots, pans, cups and plates in their designated places. It was a rare sight - in short a miracle.

"Hey, do you want a cup of tea? I also have rusk biscuits to go with them", she said.

"Umm sure", I heard myself say.

What am I doing?! I am not supposed to be friendly with her. Damn it. The next thing you know she will exercise her privilege over your stuff.

"I don't think you take too much sugar. From the looks of you, you seem to be on a diet", she chuckled.

"No I am not on a diet. I just strictly exercise everyday. There is a difference."

"I see", she said nodding.

"So who are the two other girls? I didn't meet them"

"I don't know. I think one works in a bank and other is in insurance or something"

"Ok. Are we going to share that bathroom?", she asked pointing to the one that was visible from the kitchen.

"Yes."

"I saw you leave at 7 am this morning. I usually get up much later than that. So I don't think we need to sort out our bath timing"

"Yes". I let out a sigh of relief. "Also, please take out the garbage when it is full. We don't have a schedule for that because sometimes it just gets messy to wait", I said curtly.

"Of course, I will", she said.

We spoke for a good 15 mins after that and she had switched off her stove, fixed her dinner plate and left.

The next few days went uneventfully. One rare day I had taken off from work. I was tired and it was raining all day and I didn't have much of willpower to come out of my sheets, so I called in sick. I pretty much lay around in the home in my dirty pink pajamas and tried to catch up on some reading and fix myself a hearty lunch. This was in fact, a day I had fantasized - To laze around in my pajamas on a work day.

That rainy day - the view from my room overlooking the Hudson River - often turned into an ominous Armageddon like movie set.

That day, I realized X got back pretty early from work - 4 pm, the clock showed. I was pretty disappointed that such a day I fantasized had to end so early.

"What is it, half a day for you?", I asked sarcastically.

"No. I come back at this time"

"Really?" I couldn't contain my jealousy.

"Yes. I really have no work. I pretty much just surf the Internet all day. They are yet to assign me on a project"

"Wow"

"Say, do you want to take a walk outside?", she asked me.

I stood transfixed. Like someone had just held me at gun point. It was awkward to take a long pause like that to decide on a simple thing as this.

"Dont worry the weather is better now. And it wont be long, I swear", she said

"Sure. Lets go", I gave in.

So we had a cup of tea and headed out. We did spend a long time, on the contrary. She spoke of how her parents didn't want her to go overseas because they thought she had to get married soon and this work assignment would get in the way. She went on about the kind of guys she talked to everyday on phone, on her mother's insistence, who was trying to set her up with some guy. She just opened up. Like in one single night!

Although we were wide apart in our likes and dislikes and in personalities and the kind of topics we would discuss elsewhere, we sat that night on the benches, by the waterfront overlooking the Manhattan skyline, discussing the anatomy of "arranged marriages", family pressures, homesickness, dreadful work hours and other such inane topics that would bother a non-resident Indian.

It was unbelievable, we were so different from each other and yet we had things in common, things we agreed upon. In her grievances, I found my willingness to talk and lend a ear, patiently.

"You know, there was this guy from IIT once whom I spoke to. He had this sarcastic tone to his voice all the time. It was annoying. Like an air of dominance. If I didn't pick his call on the first ring, he would ask me if I was so busy to even pick his call. And this when I have barely even spoken to him like 3 times so far.", she said

"What a jerk! Why didn't you just ask him to f*** off?", I asked

"Ya, I did. In my own way. I think I had had enough. So after his call, I rang my mom and told her can you call them right now and say I rejected this proposal? See, I wanted to humiliate him more. A simple f*** off wouldn't have caused him so much pain as an official rejection."

"He must think what just hit him. How could you even reject him?"

We laughed together.

"He was so much of a Maa ka Laadla. My mother approves everything for me, he tells me. I wouldn't have much of a future with a man who cant take his own decisions."

I nodded in agreement. That night we headed back after the supposedly short walk that stretched to 4 hours.

On one of those walks by the waterfront. (Seriously, I have nothing but grainy pictures like these)

For a few weeks after that, I would head back from office anticipating "short walks" with her. Like some sort of renewed enthusiasm had been infused into me now. I had strangely taken a liking to our conversations and somehow I felt I could really talk and be friends with her. I started subconsciously craving for these long conversations. I would wrap up my work as fast as I could, head out and catch the first subway home in frenzied anticipation. It was ridiculous.

We shared cups of tea. Sometimes when I couldn't sleep I would knock on her door and we would continue our conversations over late night snacks. As if we had to catch up on episodes of one big soap opera. It was incredible, really. This went on for a brief period of 3-4 months.

And then the day had come when I had move out. It happened quite suddenly and without warning. I had decided to move out of New York. I told her about it, one night as we were prepping dinner.

"You know Vinay Pathak, the actor from Bheja Fry?", she asked me, glossing over the topic of my leaving.

"Ya of course, I love his movies"

"He is my distant cousin. We grew up in the same village. He was like a big brother to us. He was this guy who loved only theatre, films and writing. His family pretty much gave up on him because he wasn't interested in pursuing anything else."

"Oh wow"

"Ya, but he is the same as he is in movies today. Simple and full of gags - such a talented guy. He really could make anyone laugh with his tales."

I listened silently.

"When are you leaving?", she asked me, suddenly switching tracks.

"I am undecided at the moment. It is up to me. But I think it will be two weeks."

"Oh, that is quick."

"Yes, I had no idea", I added suddenly feeling guilty that I never once hinted her on my intention of leaving.

"Oh well. I hope you get to work on something nice, something you love. And you and your boyfriend get married soon and can move in together. You will not have to put up with random roommates any more. It is not really all that pleasant to live like this. I admire you for that. You are so much of a self-made person. I enjoyed our walks together"

I blinked. I had never heard someone speak so many good things about me in a single breath. For few seconds I had an overwhelming feeling. But I shrugged instead and said "No big deal. You get used to situations. But it was really a bright spot to meet you, like this. Randomly I mean. I hope we meet each other again sometime."

And just like that our brief lapse of friendship ended. The last day when I left for my flight, I forgot my credit card at the apartment. It came to me a week later to my new address in a Fedex post. She told me not to bother paying for the shipment and wished me good luck.

I wonder where she is today and if she found her soulmate. And if we will ever cross our paths and be able to talk just like the old times.

What I am reading this weekend

2013-06-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

My Pocket reading queue needs a summer cleaning. So what better way than to systemically get my reading done on weekends - archive the good ones for re-reads and toss out the bad. And along the way, I can suggest the cherry-picked ones for you to read :-)

How to give a killer presentation - by Chris Anderson, curator of TED. If you want to read one single useful article this week, make it this. Packed with all the TED goodness and more importantly timeless advice on pimping your presentation skills.

The scientific 7 minute workout - featured in New York Times wellness section. I try to clock in a similar routine, 30 mins each, three times a week. I stopped using weight machines since 2009 and only do free weight exercises. This is all you need to get a lean, fit body with super endurance and kicking metabolism (I guess nobody listens until something goes viral :)) Give it a shot!

The importance of quick and dirty - by Jason Fried of 37Signals. This is a brief article on how the speed of iteration beats the quality of iteration in software development. Something I talked about in an earlier blog on The Simple Rules to Winning Dogfights

Dear Leader Dreams of Sushi - featured in GQ; a gripping story of a Japanese chef who served North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-il. This almost read like a contemporary fiction replete with power, women, threats, secrets and other royal extravagance. Must read.

Are coders worth it? - a well-written piece in Aeon magazine. I always get asked this question by my parents - "Why are programmers paid so much?" and this article is the answer to it or rather part of the answer to it.

Brotherly Love - by Jhumpa Lahiri in The New Yorker's summer fiction issue, on two brothers growing up in the 1960's Calcutta, India; an excerpt from her forthcoming novel "The LowLand"

What are you reading this weekend?

Men need to talk more about women's issues

2013-06-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

I am not on a feminist agenda. In fact, I don't even have an agenda. For a dreadfully long time I have observed and what I am going to talk about is an opinion I have formed based on these observations (and experiences).

When I was in high school, I used to take the public transport from school to home and back. The school itself is located in a city - the regular kind, bustling with activity. I am talking about the 90's here. One day, as I was walking down the road (like a lot of other school kids in bunches) towards the bus stop, two men, on a scooter came and grabbed by breasts, for a split second. They raced away with a sneer on their face.

For a moment, I was shocked. Then confused. Then shamed.

In an instant, my dignity was broken to pieces. And yet this was just one of the numerous (it bothers me to tell I cant even count) such incidents I have encountered in my life as a woman in India. I chose not to talk about this to my parents, boyfriend, friends or anyone I am close to. Well, flash news, groping is an everyday state of affairs in India - we just shrug about it and get on with our lives.

And nearly 15 years after that incident, I see this problem aggravating and spilling into other forms - savage rapes, brutal assaults and much more. Which makes this incident that I narrated seem so trivial. Every woman in India has gone through some form of abuse. Get me one woman who has not and I will tell you she has been phenomenally lucky. That would be a miracle.

I am not playing the victim card here. Hell no. There is something more deeper that has been nagging me for years. And that is the apparent apathy of men (and women) towards violence, assault and abuse targeted at women.

About 6 months ago, I happened to have a conversation with few of my male co-workers. They were contemplating about taking an offer to relocate to the United States. And hotly debating the pros and cons of such a move. The discussion steered towards "safety" and their conclusion was that USA is less safer than India.

This made me roll my eyes, for obvious reasons. And since I have lived for a considerable time there, I was curious to listen to their side of the argument.

"Why do you think USA is less safe?", I asked

"Well, there is nothing like mugging or gun violence in India. I feel we are more in harmony here and have good family values", a co-worker said.

"OK. I give it to you. Mugging in certain neighborhoods and unpredictable gun deaths are on the rise. But tell me how much of an opportunity you have had to walk at nights here, in the city?", I said

"I have been to plenty of deserted places in the city and nothing bad ever happened", he replies

"You mean you zipped across in your bike or car? That doesn't count. There is a far lesser probability of being vulnerable if you are inside a car with your windows rolled. That is not an anatomy of a mugging or any physical assault", I replied.

"Also tell me if you have gone to these places you are talking about with a woman companion and you felt that comfortable?", I add

"Well, women's thing is a separate issue".

The conversation stopped for me there. I blinked at him. It took me a good few seconds to understand what he meant by women's issues are separate issues. I am appalled at not just the indifference but how little men seem to know about the women in their lives. And this is what nags me to no end.

And in a broader sense, this is reflective of not just women's issues but also other issues in society. Why does it suddenly become a gender issue when it is focussed on a particular section of the society? The same happens to, for example, the LGBT community. I recently happened to watch a Telugu movie in a cinema hall that had repetitive, tasteless jokes on gays. Hey, I love humor but I can smell an offensive/racist remark when I hear one! And yet there we were, sitting in a modern multiplex, with people from qualified and educated backgrounds not feeling the least bit offended or perturbed. On the contrary, they had a good laugh on jokes that kept targeting the gays.

So it brings me to the critical question again - why didn't the audience feel offended? Simply because they tend to compartmentalize the issue as a gay issue.

A lot of Indians need to start having an opinion on things. I am bothered when educated Indians look at the media and newspapers reporting rapes and then pass a useless remark like "Too bad" or "This is so sad". I bet you wouldn't be just sad if it were some family member, would you?

I am not asking us to take to heart everything we see and hear. But at the same time I am appalled at how many Indian men have no clue. No clue at all the kind of things their female counterparts have to face on an everyday basis.

So I ask every Indian man - "Have you ever considered asking your mother/daughter/wife/sister what she felt like walking down the road? Or if she ever had any such problems of abuse?". I bet you didn't even think of asking them that. And why would you? Its a woman's issue not a man's.

For the countless times I have been told by my dad to be careful, "cover" myself appropriately, not to go out in the dark, ignore the nasty comments on road, I would have wanted him to instead ask me - "I am sure it must be hard, but can you tell me what sort of things you have/had to go through in public? I want to know."

If only.

You know that's all I ask - a patient listening and understanding from the men in my life. And why wouldn't I have a right to that? That is what family stands for. We pride about our culture and family values, what use are they for if you cannot even spare some time to get awareness and understanding of your own family's safety and well-being?

We live in an incredibly dangerous India. Where women have to go through humiliation on a routine basis and worse yet, be the victim of more serious forms of abuse. And then come home, only to be on the receiving end for more unsolicited advice from men in their family.

This is not a feminist movement it is called "Stand up for your the women in your life" movement.

Animated Short: The Danish Poet

2013-05-26T12:23:00.002-04:00

Ever wondered what would life be like if your parents never met and you weren't born as a result? What coincidences/accidents might have led them to meet each other? Is life a sequential stream of incidents or is there more to it than it appears?

"The Danish Poet" is an Academy Award winning animated short (15 mins) illustrates happenstance in a beautiful, lyrical narration.

Life is all about taking a chance! Who knows when you will bump into your soulmate? I am sure anyone in love can relate to this. Watch it with your loved ones :-)

The simple rule to winning dogfights

2013-05-24T01:55:00.003-04:00

Below is an excerpt from Jeff Atwood's Effective Programming: More than Writing Code. This book is basically a collection of his blog posts on Coding Horror. If you are lazy like me this book is a one-stop shop for the best programming advice culled from his blog. In short, gold mine for all programmers.

In this excerpt, he drills the value of iterating faster and speed of execution (this is a universal law, in nearly every field - software development or otherwise):

Boyd's Law of Iteration: Speed of iteration beats the quality of iteration

Boyd decided that the primary determinant to winning dogfights was not observing, orienting, planning or acting better. The primary determinant to winning dogfights was observing, orienting, planning and acting faster. In other words, how quickly one could iterate.

Speed of iteration, Boyd suggested, beats the quality of iteration.

Speed of iteration - the Google Chrome project has it.

1.0 Dec 11,2008

2.0 May 24, 2009

3.0 Oct 12, 2009

4.0 Jan 25, 2010

5.0 May 25, 2010

6.0, Sep 2, 2010

Chrome was a completely respectable browser in V1 and V2. The entire project has moved forward so fast that it now is, at least in my humble opinion, the best browser on the planet. Google went from nothing, no web browser at all, to best of breed in under two years. Meanwhile Internet Explorer took longer than the entire development period of Chrome to go from version 7 to version 8. And by the time IE 9 ships, it will be completely outclassed by both Firefox and Chrome.

....

So until further notice, we will be following the same strategy as the Android and Chrome teams: We are going to go that way, really fast. And if something gets in our way, we will turn.

Larry Page responds on high correlation between speed and good decisions:

"There are good fast decisions but no good slow decisions"

Cheers to that!

Why all women need not be overachievers

2013-05-21T06:22:00.000-04:00

Before going any further - I am all for women who are ambitious. So there's no debate needed on that. My problem is with women's movements that focus completely on how women "should be" ambitious, how women are "not doing enough", why women should "aim higher" and yada yada. Specially a plethora of literature of late focusses on how we must catch up with the men, how we should not let go of opportunities in favor of family etc. It just leaves me more fatigued than energized.

Don't get me yet? Read the latest bestseller - Lean-in. For some reason, I wasn't convinced about the messaging in the book. Maybe it is just me but I don't buy this propaganda about pushing ourselves to be ambitious on every turn. That's the first red flag on your way to stress-ville. And it just got worser when it became women specific (it is quite clear that on average, women have more responsibilities in most households than men do). All that argument to be treated as equals with men, in my opinion, is now being abused and creating more stressful conditions for working women.

I understand where this is coming from - there are still plenty of women facing equal opportunity issues at work. I don't deny that. And so far as this movement is aimed at helping women realize their strengths and moving forward, I am all for it. The problem comes when it conflicts with family and personal health.

When did we last have fun and do something just because we enjoyed it?

When did we last sleep a full 8-9 hours without anything about work/personal issues on mind?

When did we last prioritize family over work or other personal pursuits?

In short, when did we women, last feel like a human and less of a robot?

As it is being a woman, and supporting family and kids and doing a great job at work should get us gold stars.

So in this context I want to ask the Sheryl Sandbergs of the world who are hell-bent on "doing it all" - "Why isn't being good enough, good enough?" Going after something and pushing ourselves is a matter of personal choice. If that works for some, that's good. If that doesn't work for some, that's good too.

An average working woman might not have the money nor the inclination to put her child in a day care. She (hopefully) loves her children as much as she loves her work. And she wants her time to be divided equally. Nothing wrong with that. It is that tad little thing called balance and women are hardwired for it. Making compromises is not necessarily bad either, if you know what you want. And in such cases it is a healthy choice to make. Not all of us have supporting partners, families or kids - so it is quite clear that every woman's life is distinct and doesn't need to revolve around maximizing career prospects.

Instead of recognizing the already fantastic jobs that women do, we suggest she start focussing on work & career (regardless of whether she wants it or not) and put herself up as a leader. I want to ask - is being a mother less of a leader? Is rearing a family a chore? Some women find meaning in taking care of their family. They want to spend time with parents, spouse and kids, they want to keep their home happy, healthy and joyful. They are celebrating life just like other women who love their lives in a high flying corporate job. And there is nothing wrong with either. It is a personal choice we make.

Women shouldn't feel less of a leader if they are not overachievers or ambitious. Like anyone else - men or women - they should aim to do what makes them happy. It serves as a good reminder that life is not a competition, it is a celebration. If being good enough makes women happy, so be it. If living a contented life and doing meaningful work and investing in family is what women like to do, so be it.

So to all the women out there, I want to tell you this - You are doing a great job!

Because guess what is the single most important leadership job (performed under incredible pressure and constraints and the most hard to perfect)? Its motherhood.

Get busy living or get busy surviving

2013-05-18T14:10:00.001-04:00

Yes, I know that line from Shawshank Redemption. But wait, there is probably a more horrible thing than death - the act of surviving. Because honestly you or me or anyone who is alive has no idea of what death really means. Maybe few of us do. But that's just that.

We go through our daily grind trying to survive. This is what we call the "busy work". What can be worser use of our time on earth than that?

Each of us are capable of so much more valuable stuff - but we are getting busy - surviving. We create the false hope that someday we will break free and build a life we want. We assure ourselves, every single day of our lives this: It takes only so much saving up of money, or sacrificing love or time with family and friends. But we miserably fail to get out of that rabbit hole we have dug for ourselves.

What are we afraid of? Why only so few people inhabiting this world, have the courage and willpower to be honest with themselves?

Many times it is that job you don't want to quit, the marriage you are trying to keep afloat, the society you don't want to offend. Who are these fictional people and why does their importance vaporize when you are faced with death?

What does it really take to follow your passion? Or make your days exciting? Or appreciate the beauty around you? Or live in the moment and forget about retirement?

What's stopping you? What's terrifying you?

This is because we are taught and drilled into our heads again and again that wealth, status and fame are the only "values" worth living for. Everything else, well, we have no place for that. And suddenly just like that happiness evades us, because we are in a mad pursuit of such shallow values. We are constantly bitter about things around us that we fail to embrace who we are and of what unique things we are capable of.

You live only once and for that you owe yourself an explanation about why you are busy surviving and not busy living, creating wonderful things.

Movie Recommendation: The Great Dictator (by Charlie Chaplin)

2013-05-17T13:19:00.000-04:00

Note: Ok, after a dose of Chaplin movies, I can honestly say - How the hell did I miss his movies? They are incredible! Each one of them. But this one stands out on its own. The Great Dictator is a genius satire on the Nazi era - only Chaplin can combine comedy with an intense subject like that. This is what cinema should be like! Available on YouTube here (yay!)

IMDB Entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032553/
Genre: Comedy, Drama

This movie is laugh-out-loud, poignant, sad - all rolled into one. You take a serious topic - as intense as the holocaust and the anti-Semitism - and turn it into a political satire/comedy? Well, who but Chaplin can put a fictional spin to it and delight us with a such a piece of art! This is the greatest risk ever taken by a filmmaker in my opinion (the movie was released when the Nazis were in prominence and during World War II!)

Chaplin stars in a dual role as a bumbling Jewish barber and a ruthless dictator (a direct satire on Hitler). After returning from war (World War I), the Jewish barber is admitted into a hospital and loses memory of the war. He is released from the hospital during the time when Jews are persecuted, only to be mistaken as the dictator himself (due to his resemblance to the dictator)

The best part of the movie? The impassioned and powerful speech given by the Jewish barber at the end of the movie. And just for that, this movie should be elevated to the status of a cult classic.

The Speech in words:

I'm sorry but I don't want to be an emperor.

That's not my business.

I don't want to rule or conquer anyone.

I should like to help everyone: Jew, gentile, black man, white.

We all want to help one another.

Human beings are like that.

We want to live by each other's happiness, not misery.

We don't want to hate one another.

In this world, the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone.

The way of life can be free and beautiful but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into bloodshed.

We have developed speed but have shut ourselves in.

Machinery has left us in want.

Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness, hard and unkind.

We think too much and feel too little.

More than machinery we need humanity.

More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.

Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost...

The airplane and radio have brought us closer.

These inventions cry out for the goodness in man, cry out for universal brotherhood, for the unity of us all.

Even now my voice is reaching millions, millions of despairing men, women and children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me I say, do not despair.

The misery upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.

The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took will return to the people.

So long as men die liberty will never perish.

Soldiers, don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you, enslave you, regiment your lives, tell you what to think and feel, who drill you, treat you like cattle and use you as cannon fodder.

Don't give yourselves to these men, machine men with machine minds and machine hearts.

You are not machines, you are not cattle, you are men! You have the love of humanity in you.

Don't hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural hate.

Soldiers, don't fight for slavery, fight for liberty! St Luke says, "The Kingdom of God is within man." Not in one man nor a group of men, but in all men. In you! You have the power to create machines, the power to create happiness.

You have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

In the name of democracy, let us use that power.

Let us all unite, let us fight for a new world, a world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age security.

Promising these things, brutes have risen.

But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will! Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise! Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance.

Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to the happiness of all. Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us unite!

Movie Recommendation: Okuribito (Departures)

2013-05-05T02:40:00.000-04:00

Note: If you are in a mood to reflect on life, death and family and relationships, this is it. This movie is available on YouTube (yay!) with English subtitles.

IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1069238/
Genre: Drama, Family, Japanese

Jumping right in. This is the story of an unemployed cello player Diago, who leaves Tokyo and returns to his hometown to find himself a job. He mistakes an ad in the local paper for a job in a travel agency only to find out later that the job is of a "Nokanshi" or NK agent - a professional who prepares deceased bodies for funeral. He is despised by his wife and friends for taking up such a forbidden job. But in this job Diago finds himself, reconciles with his dad and understands the true meaning of life, relationships and death.

Before I continue, a fair warning that this movie can be slow in parts - but rightly so. It is only by taking time to reflect you tend to appreciate both the beauty and sorrow in life. This movie is in the same genre as Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru" - a poignant reflection on the meaning of life when you watch death in the face. This is also a story of loss and how painful it is to realize you no longer have that privilege to spend life's cherished moments with your loved ones.

The movie has a soulful background score that elevates the mood in the story. There is also plenty of good old-fashioned humor (specially in the first half of the movie). The movie also uncovers some of the deepest Japanese beliefs and customs on the after life of the departed. I was really surprised by the whole notion of a life after death and how the deceased are carefully prepared for a peaceful journey after death in Japanese tradition. Unlike movies that deal with death with a lot of melodrama, this one is a lot more subtle and less cliched.

The movie also explores in part Daigo's own battle with returning to his origins and his despise for his dad who left him and his mother when he was young. In life we always hold a lifetime grudge and cant reconcile with it, and yet we realize that to forgive and let go of the past is the only way to free ourselves. The movie benefits from some of the fine acting by the cast, stunning direction and beautiful depiction of relationships.

Only in Japan, even a death ritual can be a form of art. The more I see and learn about Japanese culture, the more I am inclined to believe how rich and traditional their culture is. We have all lost or remember someone whom we love and miss and this movie is a tribute to those who have left us. A reminder that life is not all about ourselves, but also the beautiful and long lasting relationships we form.

How to find fulfilling work

2013-05-04T10:11:00.000-04:00

"Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation" - Aristotle

Because finding fulfilling work is a bit like finding a lover...

Movie Recommendation: The Kid (by Charlie Chaplin)

2013-04-27T01:18:00.002-04:00

Note: Got 50 mins? Never seen a Charlie Chaplin movie? Want to see a silent movie? Ever seen a dramedy or don't know one? Got kids and want to watch a movie with them? Then this is the movie to watch! It is available on YouTube here

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012349/

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Children, Family

I am not sure what took me so long to watch full length Charlie Chaplin movies. Perhaps the stereotype that it is more suited for kids? Or his buffoonery is not for the mature? Or just that Black & White silent movies are not really the trend today. Whatever it was, I am happy I am not under that spell anymore. Because Charlie Chaplin my friends, is a cinematic genius. To really appreciate the dark humor you must watch his movies - trust Chaplin to mix melancholy with slapstick so beautifully. He might as well be called the Father of Dramedy.

More about the movie now. The opening credits roll: "A comedy with a smile and perhaps a tear"

Now that I have seen this movie, couldn't sum it up better! The movie follows the story of an unwanted baby that is found near a garbage can by a tramp (Chaplin). After unsuccessful attempts to get rid of the baby, Chaplin decides to adopt him (calls him John). Chaplin and his son lead a life of poverty masked by strokes of humor that can only happen in a Chaplin movie - dodging a local policeman, getting into street fights, pulling pranks, running on the rooftops etc. For a moment you forget they are tramps - they don't live comfortable lives. The story takes a turn when the kid's biological mother discovers him and the authorities take him away. What will happen to Chaplin and the kid? Will they get back together again?

I don't know who did the role of the kid or what became of him (it is a 1921 movie, none of our parents were even close to being born at the time), he was nothing short of a great actor. There is an endearing scene where the kid is twisted away from Chaplin and the kid breaks into tears. It was just heartbreaking to watch, specially with the kid acting it out so damn well. That too in a silent movie. Remarkable!

The movie runs barely an hour. Yes, we have seen Chaplin's comedy routines as the bumbling tramp in bits and pieces. But have we watched a full length feature where he also plays a serious role? Nope. For all the lame stuff we pedal to our kids these days, this movie is a far better choice. Do a favor, grab this movie and watch it with your kids - they will love it to pieces.

It is obvious that I am hook, line and sinker for Chaplin after this movie - The Kid is Chaplin's master stroke. If you haven't watched it yet, you should ask yourself - why haven't you?

Five things: My favorite five movies on food

2013-04-24T09:27:00.001-04:00

My favorite five movies on food. Go!

5. Julie & Julia

A witty, feel-good parallel between lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell with a near mystique ending - will Julie be able to cook through 365 dishes of Julia Child, successfully?

Nora Ephron (the director), synonym with romantic comedies and food - what's not to love about that combination? Plus, Meryl Streep impersonating the legendary chef Julia Child (btw what a perfect last name to complement her child like enthusiasm for food) and Amy Adams (come on who doesn't smile when they look at her?) are top reasons to check out this movie. And of course makes you wonder how all that butter is not making the French any fatter? (My only pet peeve with this movie - it tends to drag in parts)

A word of caution: Eat before you see this movie. It is going to make you hungry.

4. Chocolat

Johnny Depp, romance, lots of chocolate. Go figure.

3. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

A poor boy by name Charlie, wins a ticket to tour the craziest candy factory in the world! Now that premise itself should feel intriguing no? It's successor - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - is good too but that would be an overdose of Johnny Depp (or maybe that's what you like? Then go for it). Anyway the whole deal about getting lucky and winning that ticket to magic chocolate land sounds so feel-good, if you ask me. We want the underdog to win after all :) And then their is this deal about whether Charlie will win himself a lifetime supply of Wonka chocolate - keeps you guessing. A great movie to watch, specially with kids:)

2. Ratatouille

I am yet to meet someone who doesn't like Ratatouille - can't say that about most of the movies. This movie makes me want to eat Ratatouille and brings an honest chuckle when I eat one. Remy the rat, winning over Anton Ego, the critic draws me to a feverish crescendo, every single time I watch the movie. And just as inspiring: Remember, anybody can cook!

One phrase that sums up the reason for loving this movie -

"soul food".

1. Eat Drink Man Woman

Yes sir, we have a foodie movie from our beloved, Life of Pi famous Ang Lee. Revolves around a family in Taipei (a chef and his three daughters), their dinner ritual and coming together to face ups and downs in their lives. This movie craftily uses food as a metaphor - sour, sweet, spice, bitter - for the different experiences in life. Watch it and savor it again and again, just like your favorite dish:)

Wait, there are other favorite ones too! Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Tampopo...but some other time:) Although, come to think of it, any favorites in Indian movies? Rajesh Khanna's Bawarchi and Bachchan's Cheeni Kum comes to mind. I haven't seen the more recent Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. Really, that's it for Bollywood?

Bon Appetit!

Tiny Treats: Crepes

2013-04-21T03:10:00.001-04:00

For some time in the past I had been obsessed by crepes. To the extent that I scoured local places for creperies. So after a long time when I made it to a creperie recently, I relived this psycho-obsession.

But first, let me tell you how I pronounced it "cray-pay" when I was first introduced to it. Although I have gotta hand it over to another amateur who read it "creep". Haha.

So I haven't ever visited France to familiarize with an authentic crepe. But I can say this creperie (Lucinda Truck) at Grove Street, New Jersey was the best I have eaten. Their veggie crepe was to die for. I mean I could live there all my life just so I can get a bite at their crepes. Priced at a modest 5$ (and large portions!), I think they won my heart, stomach and mind over. (According to Yelp, this location has been closed down. *Gasp*)

The recent visit I made was dicey, on the other hand. This was a Palo Alto joint called Crepevine.

The first order I made was for a Sunset Crepe. Their fancy name for the basic Nutella, Banana and Strawberry Crepe. It came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate syrup garnish. Now you cant go wrong with such a basic one. Glad to note, they got that right. At $7.5 it was delectable, fulfilling and comfort snack at best. And for hours thereafter, I kept dreaming about going back to eat another one of them.

The second time I went I was really hungry. So hungry I could turn into a cannibal and eat a human being. This time I was ready to devour a savory crepe. My personal favorite has always been a smoked salmon (without cream cheese please!), but I gave that a pass this time because my significant other isn't really into ANY kind of seafood (sad, but true). And so I made the rookie mistake of ordering an Indian fusion crepe. Really, who orders an Indian inspired dish at an all-American joint? Yeah, that should be me.

Like I said, I was too hungry. And you are bound to fail on an empty stomach.

Bombay, they called it. Hmm, ok. It came with the soggiest fries I ever had and a salad drenched in heavy dressing that I felt I was drinking out of a bottle of Hidden Valley.

Congratulations, you just made an already mediocre crepe worser. I mean, did I ask you to make a "meal" out of it? (What is this, McDonalds?). All I asked was a crepe - that salad and fries just ruined it. And to annoy me to no end, they splattered a big teaspoon of god-knows-what-curry-paste on top of the crepe. The appearance of it not the least bit appetizing. The crepe itself tasted like mud (yes, I have tasted mud, so I know).

And with that, it put a dent into my crepe obsession, for now. Although, full props to the chalkboard inspired menu display there. Very creative!

That's why there is a reason why it is believed that a best restaurant is one carrying a consistent taste in their dishes. Of course, there is another valuable lesson to be learnt here - Never shop or dine on an empty stomach. You almost always regret later.

Movie Recommendation: Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon)

2013-04-13T02:36:00.000-04:00

Note: I was specifically looking for a movie that would warm my heart - this one seemed like a custom fit. Thank you Hulu Plus!

IMDB Entry: Le Ballon Rouge

Genre: Children, French

As a kid growing up in an average India middle class family, my source of entertainment (TV/movies) was the national television channel in India - Doordarshan :) Needless to say, I didn't really have a broad exposure to classic children's movies at the time (I think we made do with cartoons then?). Now I wish I had seen a movie, such as this one, then.

The good news is it is available to watch on YouTube (yay to Internet!):

The Red Balloon is a funny, simple story of a red balloon (duh!) that is rescued by a little boy. The balloon dotes on the boy and follows him everywhere through the streets of Paris (to his school, church etc.) and they seem to form a bond that is the envy of the local kids. The kids get fascinated and want to destroy the balloon when it seems impossible to rip it apart from its owner (welcome to the real world! when you cant have it, destroy it). The climax is heartbreaking but also uplifting at the same time.

The camera work is exquisite. I am not familiar with Parisian streets, but it looks like the movie captures a very picturesque 1950's Paris - cobblestone streets, narrow alleys, victorian balconies, old school staircases, little bakeries with delectable pastries and baguettes. The kid - main protagonist in the movie - is charming and effortlessly carries the film with almost no dialogs spoken in the movie. The movie has a background score that brings out the mood in the film. The movie flows like an adventure - very well deserved Oscar for the screenplay. This movie is definitely a treat to watch - and a masterpiece for short movie making connoisseurs.

This movie is definitely recommended for young children (and as well for adults if you are looking for a short feel good film). It stands as a metaphor for hope, love, loyalty and devotion - something we rarely find these days. It is a little reminder that life is all about tiny treats. As kids, we hold on to some things dearly and never let go. Our devotion and love is genuine. It almost melts your heart to see the boy's mother throw the balloon out of the window but the balloon hangs in the air, by the side of the balcony, waiting for the little boy to reclaim it. I think that does dig up our own fond memories of things we possessed as a kid :)

This movie is like eating a warm toasted bread with melted butter on top. Now, who doesn't like that?:)

Movie Recommendation: The Hidden Fortress

2013-04-12T07:25:00.000-04:00

Note: The movie that inspired George Lucas's Star Wars. Enough said.

IMDB Entry: The Hidden Fortress

Genre: Adventure, Action, Drama, Japanese

Well, by now most of you know my addiction to Kurosawa's creations. See here for an initial list of my Kurosawa favorites. Since then I have almost (yes, I am agonizingly close to seeing all of Kurosawa's movies. What am I going to do after that?) seen all of his movies. And it is just too hard to pick a best one from the lot. But Hidden Fortress was like fresh air to me (I haven't been watching movies for a long time now). Ok, enough of my banter.

The movie follows two greedy (and somewhat gullible) peasants who help a man and a woman cross the enemy lines to a friendly province. The peasants don't realize they are the General and Princess (the last of the Ayizuki clan) gone undercover, with a reward on their heads. The General plans the escape route tricking the enemies at every step while the bumbling peasants turn out to be more trouble than help.

The movie is a visual treat like most of Kurosawa's creations - sweeping panoramas and amazing landscapes in frame after frame. However, the comedy in the movie came to me as a surprise. Comedy in Kurosawa's movie, really? I a'int complaining. An epic adventure with humor - what's not to love about it? By now, I have a deep admiration for most of Kurosawa's camera techniques, specially long lens shots of battles and duels. Although Hidden Fortress isn't an all-out samurai movie per se, it has some stunning shots of action - the scene between the General and his arch nemesis is so well shot, I had to rewind it and watch a couple of times to savor it fully. Take a look at the chase scene that leads to a duel between them. The long lens panning of the camera is unheard of for a movie in 1950's!

While there is plenty of adventure (journey through the mountains, digging up gold, setting up traps/escape strategies), the film still explores the deep philosophy of Kurosawa i.e What makes humans happy? Greed? Friendship and loyalty? Trust? Scenes where the Princess first finds herself face to face with poverty and ugliness of human's mind are well-shot. This movie is set in feudal Japan and there is an intense class structure and divide that might be a little new to the Western audience.

It is simply an honor to watch Kurosawa's movies. Hidden Fortress is one such gem. Take a bow!

Looking back: Go Cherry Blossoms!

2013-03-02T14:24:00.000-05:00

March is a somewhat of a "nobody" month. I mean really January is when you set resolutions for the year, Feb you fret over them and then comes March. And everything seems to vaporize. Including the month. No holidays either. Ok, we got Women's Day there. But what else. Anyone?

And then today, March reminds me of the impromptu trip I made to Brooklyn Botanical Gardens on one such dull day. Those days I was quite the early riser - 6 am on a Saturday. No joke. Rising early felt like I had so much time at hand! So yeah, got into my jeans and a light t-shirt and trotted from one subway train to another to reach the beautiful gardens.

Let me forewarn you - I am not even remotely a "flower" person. Yes I know what you are thinking. What a thing to brag about huh? I had nothing much to do that day so I thought "Well let's check out this hype about cherry blossoms. They are pink and white. So what? Meh." And so I was there, waiting even before the gates to the esplanades opened - 9 am was opening time.

Boy was I wrong, and how wrong! Let me just say - Brooklyn Botanical Gardens was GORGEOUS! If you have never seen or smelled or walked down a Cherry Blossom esplanade, you couldn't imagine the joy. And that coming from me is ahem, a huge thing. So you got to take my word on it.They apparently have some sort of popular Rose show/display too.

And what better than the cool spring air to break the New York winter season. Felt right out of a Hollywood rom-com.

Apparently Cherry Blossom festivals go by the name Sakura Matsuri (Japanese), so I bumped into several ladies in cute kimonos and umbrellas.

They had a cool lounge and all for family and kids at the entrance. Yeah lot of emoticons!

And before I could enter the esplanade something interesting caught my eye. You see the tree wrapping round that wooden roof? That is a type of Weeping Willow Tree that naturally bends over. I just thought it added so much charm to that roof.

And now...

*Blows Trumpets*

The Cherry Blossom Esplanade. What a sight!

Umm, although not sure what this was about...perhaps a suggestive restroom sign? Pardon my ignorance if this signifies something more important.

But of course, there were fashion models and photo shoots happening at random places. This is New York after all! She looked kinda angelic. I took this one stealthily ;-)

And then there were some genuine candid shots :-)

And of course, the gardens had their fair share of tulips too. Poor man's Seattle?

And one of those pools where you toss coins for luck. They seem to be everywhere I go in NYC, makes me think it is either some kind of scam or just a feel-good thing for tensed New Yorkers.

Next stop: The Japanese Gardens!

Just walking through this landscape felt so zen-like. Just makes me want to take the next flight to Kyoto

More Blossoms (white) and red ferns!

Of course, for those who wanted some activities, there were plenty happening - too many to pick.

A guy on a hot spring day demonstrating Origami to an equally inquisitive audience. Loved it. Made a duck. Almost. *Smiles sheepishly*

Then attended a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. It was done with, umm, so much precision. Almost meditative and relaxing to watch it. I had to climb over a hill top to see this (damn NY crowd!).

And lots of serious board games and Sudoku challenges happened.

Although, I wonder what these guys were up to? Specially the girl who is giving me the menacing look.

And then there were more artists! And more color!

Hmm. I could go on. I hopefully captured all the awesomeness of the gardens and the vibe of the festival. Never in my life I saw so much color at one place (ok maybe Holi :-)). So finally I did come out feeling bright and cheery. Not another dull March day after all :-)

PS: If you are ever in New York City this time of the year, this is a must do. Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is like a mini Disneyland. Lots of trees, flowers, gardens, rock structures, conservatories, art installations etc. I covered ~30% of it. I wish I hadn't been so skeptical in the first place. Too bad I moved out of the city and made no time for repeat visits :(

Lesson learnt: When in doubt, just go for it!

Movie recommendation: The Essential Akira Kurosawa movies - Volume I

2013-02-24T03:37:00.000-05:00

First an introduction to the Japanese legend Akira Kurosawa, one of the pioneers of cinematic excellence. His movies are not your average cinema. This is the compelling kind of cinema - the kind you go back to, again and again. So when Hulu opened up their criterion collection for free viewing on President's Day weekend, I lapped it up. One after another. Like an hungry audience ready to feast. What heaven!

Seven Samurai was my first introduction as a kid to Kurosawa's prolific cinema and storytelling. My dad grunts in disgust whenever Sholay is aired on television and for a good reason - Sholay was inspired from the Magnificent Seven which was in turn a remake of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. So like all conosseiurs of original cinema, he could never really get around liking Sholay. Of course, there is no comparison with Seven Samurai - it is one of the most legit samurai epics every made.

Finding Kurosawa's early works from 1950's and 60's was tough then. But not any more, thanks to criterion and modern day video streaming! I relished four of the best Kurosawa creations and many more to go. There is really no dearth of reviews on his movies; undoubtedly classics and the stuff of the legends. So this is just a teeny overview of the massive impression his movies have had on me.

Seven Samurai (1954)

IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047478

Genre: Action, Adventure, War

Seven Samurai is an adventure-warrior movie set in a village of peasants who hire seven samurai to defend their village from bandits. This movie was the lethal combination of groundbreaking camera work (much ahead of its time) and an intense storytelling (frame after frame) that resulted in a 3.5 hour epic cinema. This movie has all elements going for it - incredible story, technique, characters, well executed battle scenes, story of honor, trust and adversity and at the top of it all, a movie with a soul. You can find influences of this movie in so many Western movies (too many to list). If you want to ever buy a DVD for your life, this should be it. This is required viewing. This is cinematic gold.

Yojimbo (1961)

IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055630/

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

So if you haven't had enough of samurai dose (how can you anyway?), another classic is Yojimbo (Japanese for bodyguard). A samurai comes to a town in strife and ripped apart by two resident gangs who fight each other. He plays them against each other to get rid of them and free the town of bad elements. Yojimbo is entertaining from the word go! A lot of elements and style in the Western movies - like a long lens shot of a cowboy, taut and skillful action scenes and visuals seem to be picked up from this movie. It is entertaining to watch as the story unfolds, as the samurai crafts his devious plans unknown to both gangs and how he methodically takes down each of them. Some amusing scenes and humor are thrown in as well. The movie is such a clever masterpiece and still looks fresh for a 1961 movie. A stroke of genius.

Ikiru (1952)

IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044741/

Genre: Drama

Ok, I had had enough of samurai flicks. I wanted a good drama and I got more than I wanted from Ikiru. Ikiru was on my "to watch" list for a long long time now. It is the story of a bureaucrat who discovers he has stomach cancer and only 6 months to live. He tries to search for purpose in the time left. Yeah, I know, we have seen maybe a dozen movies on this theme by now. But who knew, this movie would be the most "real" of them all. My tiff with other movies in this genre is they never show a terminal patient battling with finding a purpose. All the focus is on his emotions, past, memories etc. Of course, we have all of them here too, but this movie sucks you in because it makes you think beyond your sympathies for a dying man. This movie is relevant even if you are not battling a life-ending disease. It's sole focus is how we do "busy work" and not really anything credible or purposeful. It is also a satire on human behavior. The last 40 minutes just threw me off - it was a fantastic satire on how average humans are influenced by good things but for short time, they are mostly "all talk and no purpose" and do not have the courage to change things.

The opening lines puts everything in perspective

"Ah, here is our protagonist now

(Protagonist is seated on a desk, buried behind stacks of paper in a bureaucratic department).

But it would be tiresome to meet him right now. After all he's simply passing time without actually living his life. He might as well be a corpse."

Rashomon (1950)

IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042876
Genre: Crime, Drama

Rashomon is an experimental movie - four witnesses to a crime tell their own version of what actually took place. Each version differs from the other and is left to the audience to believe which is true. The witnesses testify in a courthouse but the interrogator is never revealed - the camera is always facing the witness. It is as though the witnesses are talking to us, the audience, explaining the series of events that led to the murder of a samurai. The woman who plays the samurai's wife is brilliant. The scene where the dead samurai himself testifies (wtf, i know right!) using the woman's body as the medium, is creepy. Very well enacted by the actress. Other notable features of this movie was the clever camerawork. While each witness's story is played out, the camera is positioned differently to show how a different perspective or angle changes our own perception of the crime. The story takes place entirely in woods and the visuals are so well shot for a 1950 movie.

Apart from the interesting storyline, it was really the underlying theme that interested me more - Why do humans lie? Do we need to be selfish to survive? Like Ikiru, it questions our weaknesses as a human and our faith in humanity.

PS: If you really have to pick your first Kurosawa movie, I would highly recommend to go with Seven Samurai. Can't go wrong with it! While I can't wait to see four other movies of his I picked for my next viewing.

Looking back: All things Chinatown

2013-02-17T06:25:00.000-05:00

When the Lunar (Chinese) new year happened this year, I felt nostalgic. I miss just doing the rounds of Chinatown in any city. And tasting a lot of Chinese delicacies. There is something exotic about their food. Of course, I am not too daring to go overboard with their exotic stuff (eels, frogs and the like). But I love some of their seafood variety, fruits and exotic flavored ice creams. And the dragon masks and decorations :-) And I love dumplings. And their herb teas are great for the palate. You know where this is going - I am such a big foodie. Gosh.

I think a fair share of affinity to street style Chinese food comes from my love for Indian dhaba style food. Give me a plate of greasy chowmein, stir fries and lots of sauce and I am good to go. So I was mildly surprised when I saw the real Chinese food taste so different from the Indo-Chinese fast food that's served in India (sort of like Panda Express). A lot of actual Chinese food is broth baised/steamed/lightly cooked.

I am huge fan of dumplings so I made a trip to Prosperity Dumplings in New York's Chinatown. Of course I went alone ;-) I venture out on my own on explore-as-you-go type of food crawls. Because it requires an appetite for patience and handling stomach upsets. And I am not sure how far my company can push. Hence alone.

They are a hole in the wall. But I wasn't too surprised by the long waiting line (and this was on a weekday late noon). They have about a 1000+ reviews on yelp. I have been to some elite Dim Sum places, but they pale in comparison with the dumplings at Prosperity. They are famous for their pork chive fried dumplings - too bad I don't eat pork. So I just went for their steamed veggie dumplings, duck and carrot stuffed sesame pancake (greasiest!) and a noodle soup. Washed it down with a bottle of cold water. All for a total under 10$. Now who could beat that?!

After that I got two scoops of lychee and black sesame ice cream from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - their asian flavors are the real deal! I then made my way through a whole alley of souvenir shops (btw this is where you should buy those "I love NY" shirts. A lot of tourist end up buying them from Times Square. Not done :-)) And then reached the open markets to buy fruits and seafood. Btw, you can't bargain with the Chinese - not only because you don't understand their language but also because they are very relentless. You are better off trying but wouldn't guarantee a discount. Haha. So I didn't push the lady in the picture too much and got a bountiful of dragon fruits, cherries and plums.

Then I headed to the seafood stores. Oh what heaven! Picked up some fresh shrimp and snapper (their seafood deals are a steal!). But careful not to get cheated. They mix in some stale fish with the fresh ones. I also always walk up and down few stores to compare prices.

A word of caution to the vegetarians, some of the sights and smells at a Chinatown can be really hard to take in. Because there will be, invariably gregarious window displays of slaughtered animals for purchase. Yeah, the Chinese are all out about displaying meat and not shy in this case. I have seen the ballsiest of my non-vegetarian friends go dizzy in their stomachs, on such sights.

As for me, I was born to walk around Chinatowns in every city :-)

Movie recommendation: Dosti (1964)

2013-02-12T11:20:00.003-05:00

Note: I tend to revisit this movie whenever I am in mood for a classic:) This is easily one of Hindi cinema's most cherished but less heard classics. The legendary music and Rafi's voice is just an added bonus.

IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146645

Genre: Classic, Drama

Language: Hindi

First a slightly amusing story about how I happened to watch this movie. When I was a kid, I loved watching commercials (crazy I know!) over anything else. So when this movie was played on the television I got up to leave. But my parents coaxed me into watching it. How you ask, would they achieve a rare feat like that? A little girl in the movie (who plays a small but pivotal role) goes by the name Manju. And presto, I fell for it. I was mighty amused (and proud) that they would use my name in a full length feature film.

Alright, that might not have been so much amusing after all. But anyways. You MUST watch this movie if you are into long lasting friendships and all (who isn't?). This is the single most awesome movie on friendship and will ever be in Hindi Cinema. And please, I don't mean Dosti - Friends Forever, a 2005 Bobby Deol movie. Sigh. This is a 1964 classic with unknown faces but who will melt your face with their acting and emotions. Also, for those who think Sholay is the greatest friendship movie ever - b**** please.

Btw, full movie is available on YouTube (yay!)

The movie follows a rare friendship between a blind boy (Mohan) and a crippled boy (Ramnath) who live in extreme poverty and meet each other by fate. Mohan leaves his village in search of his sister (he doesn't know her address) while Ramnath is homeless and orphaned and has the passion to study. Penniless and poor, they roam the streets of Bombay. Mohan has a gifted voice. Ramnath plays the mouth organ and both of them make little money off their street (singing) performances. Rest of the story is how both brave hardships but find what they want - Mohan helps Ramnath achieve his dream to study while Ramnath helps Mohan find his sister.

If you are an Indian, you would've definitely heard atleast one track from this movie. The music of this movie is legendary and has some of the most melodious tracks rendered by the lethal combination of Laxmikan- Pyarelal and Md. Rafi. You will also happen to recognize a young and bright Sanjay Khan (the guy who played Tipu Sultan in the 90's, remember?) in a miniscule role. The rest of the cast is pretty much unknown.

What makes this movie so endearing is the sanctity of it all - a no frills story, poverty in post independence Bombay, the general apathy towards the poor (yes, this has always been there, not just a modern day malady) and above all the rare friendship between two young men who depend on each other for survival initially but form a strong bond later. You will be really embarrassed for modern day Bollywood - the storytelling in this movie is so pure and human relations are depicted so accurately (no over-the-top drama and no ill-conceived characters). If there was an IMDB list for top 100 bollywood of all time (is there), this should be in it - no exaggeration.

If you want to watch a Black and White Bollywood classic, please make it this one. Worth the 2 hours, if not for anything, atleast for the music. I bet you won't forward the songs in this one.

Getting back to fitness: Week 1

2013-02-11T01:30:00.000-05:00

Last 3 months have been the longest break I have taken from my workouts since 2009. And thanks to my extreme sickness and medications, I struggle with even 5 lunges today. But what seemed like an even bigger shock is it is SO MUCH harder to start from scratch. Hmm..

Now I start to wind down within 5 mins of anything that is cardio intensive (I mean 3 mile sprints were a breeze before so it is very demoralizing for me now). This is so so so hard. Now I get it why people who have never worked out their entire lives shudder at the thought of it.

So I thought why not make it simple and responsible by journaling some of the progressive routines I will be using to gain back all the muscle and stamina I have lost.

Firstly, we need to focus on getting the basics right before starting the routines. This is essential because most of us have very little understanding of the basics of fitness and tend to ignore them. To ease into a fitness regimen it is important to first take care of basics and then build from there (aka everyday diet and well-being). I have skipped many of them owing to my illness but no more excuses. So here goes:

- Drinking plenty of water. I almost always don't do this. Your energy dips when you don't consume enough water. Sometimes when I get a slight headache or I am stressed out, all I do is drink some water. It really helps. Plus, water is the most natural way to flush toxins. The reason we need to drink more water is to get rid of excess sodium or toxics in our body.

- Taking care of your spine. This is another thing I tend to ignore. Owing to long hours near laptop or other gadgets, it is not just your eyes but your spine that will hurt. It is the single most important part of your body. It is very very important to maintain a good posture, regardless of whether you are standing or sitting. Worthwhile to practice sitting straight without back support for few minutes each day like the meditation/pranayama pose. Even better if you can do some back stretches and yoga routines every day for few minutes. You can fix anything in life, except for a damaged spine.

- Getting adequate stress-free sleep. I have been really erratic with my sleep schedule. This is in fact the simplest lifestyle change and yet so tough to stick to, given our "busy" lives. 7 hours on an average is said to be best duration. But things to note are: to keep away from gadgets before sleeping, ease into sleeping i.e relax and clear your mind of troubles, put away lights that might interfere with your sleeping. My bedroom windows face street lights, so it is very annoying. I will need to fix this by getting thicker curtains.

- Getting adequate Vitamin D. Believe it or not! We don't get enough Vitamin D anymore. Yeah, I know that is ridiculous right? Tell me how much time you spend out in the sun these days? Rarely. I don't even see people taking a walk. Half our lives are led in air conditioned rooms and cars. A little sun exposure is all we need.

- Keeping active. Don't sit for too long. Get up even if it is for 2-3 mins once every hour. This will help in the blood circulation and you will feel less sluggish. (In fact, I opted for a standing desk at work last year and it really kept me fit and nimble.) Always take stairs! This is one of the most natural ways to rev up your metabolism anytime anywhere. Apart from that of course, you should aim for intensive cardio routines for a minimum of 20-30 mins, atleast 3-4 times a week if not everyday. I will talk about them in my later posts.

- Eating a well balanced diet. Please don't starve! Rules of a good diet are simple - aim for multiple colors in your food selection. A few greens, reds, yellows. You get the point. Keep away as much as possible from processed foods - fried food, soda, cakes etc. Try to reduce sugar/salt intake in your foods. Don't drastically cut them - you will have a rebound! Instead try to reduce a bit at a time. If your body is used to a certain kind of carbs, you don't have to replace them completely - you will get fatigued. For eg: I am a big fan of rice. I eat generous amounts of rice everyday. Instead of cutting rice completely from my diet, I try not to eat rice for dinner most of the days. This is my way of controlling rice intake. You can also substitute with brown rice, but I really don't care. You should almost always eat what you like, just keep an eye on portion control that's it.

- Practicing to breathe. I have NEVER done this. And sincerely, I always turned myself away from mindfulness or meditative practices. This is definitely a very new thing for me. So I am not going to advice on this like I know it; because I don't. So I am going to start with a 5 min meditation everyday and go from there. Let's see how this goes.

So anyway, this week my aim is to get back to habit with the above and include some easy stretching routines (my next post). Hopefully this helps you all.

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. --Jim Ryuh"

PS: I can tell you how hard it was being sick and miserable for more than a month. I have learnt the hard way that good health is the greatest gift from God and I am definitely taking care of it and being grateful for it, from now on.

The best advice on nurturing creativity

2013-02-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through."

---- Ira Glass, renowned American Public Radio personality

You can watch the complete video of Ira Glass on Storytelling on YouTube: