Stochastic Musings

Final Post

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 07:59:00 +0000

Folks, don't let the title fool you. I haven't decided to stop blogging. On the contrary I have resolved to blog even more often. But this will be my final post... on Blogger.

I started blogging as a means to publish my views in cyberspace for the the benefit (and critique) of the world. It started with small diary like entries. Later, and for a LONG whole, my posts were all about movie reviews. Gradually I began expanding my topics for blogging and eventually found a groove that I am now comfortable with.

The very first blogging platform I used was Yahoo's 360 Blog. It exists only as a faded memory in the archive of cyberspace since Yahoo pulled it off the Internet. Versatile as it was, 360 wasn't truly a blogging platform. So i decided to explore serious blogging platforms. Since I had begun using a lot of Google products, Blogger seemed like an obvious choice to leverage for my blogging needs.

It's been a great 7+ years journey on this platform and I have gained a significant amount of followers and views on my posts through this medium. However I feel it is time for me to move on. Don't get me wrong, Blogger is still a pretty decent blogging platform, just that I have begun to see some shortcomings that caused me to consider a switch. The switch to Wordpress.

For a while now I have been eyeing Wordpress as an alternative to Blogger. I did my research and read through a number of blogs and opinions. Although the jury is still out on which of the two is the best platform, at this point I feel Wordpress suits my needs better than Blogger.

I'm not gonna bore you with a lengthy comparison or a list as to why Wordpress is better than Blogger for me. After all it's subjective and personal.

Thankfully I was able to import all my previous posts from Blogger into Wordpress. This was a big sigh of relief since I wasn't able to do so when I moved from Yahoo's 360 to Blogger. So it's not like my Wordpress blog is gonna be starting from scratch. Although in the one week that I have had my blog active, I have churned out two posts (see I told you I was gonna blog more often!).

Before I say my final goodbye to Blogger, I will love to have you, my audience, continue to retain access to my blog posts. So here is the link to my Wordpress Blog - http://mystochasticmusings.wordpress.com

So Long. And Thanks For All The Fish

Conversations with a Singapore Taxi Driver: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 02:55:00 +0000

Having stayed in Singapore for over 4 years, I've had the pleasure (and sometimes privilege) of sharing my cab rides around the island with some truly unique Cab drivers. The list of said interesting folks grew to the point that I felt compelled to put pen to paper and write about these fellow humans in a blog post. SO here goes my very first post in what will hopefully be a lenghty and colorful series of posts -
The Couple Detester
My earliest recollection of an interesting cabbie is probably from my first year here of a taxi driver who spoke about a lover's spat that took place in the back seat of his vehicle. The couple in question apparently were already quarreling when they got into his cab.
Things only escalated once they were en route to their destination with tempers flaring further and the woman getting a tad louder than her male companion.
Things took a strange turn when the beleaguered male decided to end the spat prematurely by opening his side of passenger door and rolling out of the (pretty fast) moving cab. At this point the woman shrieked and our narrator, the cabbie, brought the vehicle to a sudden halt. Fortunately injuries to the man weren't severe.
However the poor cabbie had to cease all work for most of the day as he was required to be available for statements to both the hospital authorities as well as the police. His lament was obviously over the lost fares as well as the added trouble of having to be part of this rather outrageous situation which didn't concern him to begin with!
Till today, our friend is overly cautious when picking up passengers who are a couple!

The Bridge.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 08:38:00 +0000

Alan had seen this view before. He'd loved this view every time he did. The view from the Helix bridge summed up his entire love life.

To the right near the Esplanade theatres is where he had first met his wife. They both enjoyed the concert performance that evening with their friends. Alan and she stayed back for a few drinks. Their conversations revealed that both were orphans who had worked hard to succeed in life. There was a mutual admiration which turned into affection.

The Promontory to the far left was where they had enjoyed the fireworks in the Bay Area on one of their earlier dates. He remembered that the place was packed with people and that gave all the more reason for her to stay really close to him. They walked back home that night and were walking around through the next morning. That was when he realised how much he loved her.

Towards the left behind him was the giant carrousel, the Singapore Flyer, where he had popped the question to her. The setup was planned by him with close friends present while he went down on one knee and asked her to spend her entire life with him. Her answer had been a resounding Yes! Her tears had been those of absolute joy that evening.

To the right behind the theatres he saw the plush Mandarin Oriental where they had their wedding reception. With only their friends in attendance they had a small intimate affair. He remembered the crazy photos they had taken that evening. Even when she was making funny faces, his wife looked gorgeous.

Their favourite Italian restaurant was at the centre of this view. The last time they were there was to celebrate their wedding anniversary. He remembered they had shared a sinful dessert at the end of their meal, compliments of the restaurant. She looked radiant that evening!

Yes, his life with his wife was almost summed up entirely with the view that lay before his eyes as he stood on the Helix bridge.

But that life was now only a memory. His wife had passed away last week. He lost her in a car accident. Alan had been devastated since then. But now he was calm as he stood their admiring the view. He had walked down from his office to the bridge after a day's work and was still in his business suit.

Alan stood their motionless as he saw his life with her flash before his eyes. After what seemed an eternity to casual observers, Alan moved to take support of the railing of the bridge as he lifted himself up.

It is then that people around Alan noticed a handcuff around his left hand chaining him to the briefcase he was carrying. They realised what he was about to do. But before anyone could react, Alan had already taken the plunge into the Singapore river below and was propelled all the way to the floor due to the weight of the stuffed briefcase. An hour later when his body was recovered, his life was long gone.

Earlier that day Alan had decided to end his life. But wanted to have one last glimpse of all the places where he had enjoyed a happy life with his now late wife. He left a simple note on his work desk which read -

"Headed to The Bridge, one last time."

Shingeki no Kyojin

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:45:00 +0000

Thought I'd post a random update on what's got me excited recently. Last week I got hooked onto a pretty popular anime called Attack on Titan. For those of you familiar with Reddit, 9gag and the Internet in general have probably seen references to this anime for a while now.

Well last weekend I began binge watching season 1 of the anime and I have to admit I am now a fan of the series eagerly awaiting season 2. So impatient was I that I ended up reading the original manga on which the series is based to see how the story progresses!

The story is set in a post apocalyptic world where humans are living within the confines of fifty feet walls protected from the menace of mindless humanoid giants, called titans. After a century of peace suddenly one day a titan taller than the walls suddenly appears and kicks a hole into the outermost wall allowing the other titans to breach into the human city. What follows is humanity's battle for survival against the renewed threat of the titans along with many other internal struggles.

Although there are certain central characters to the story, there are a lot of secondary characters that are introduced in subsequent episodes of the anime who begin to gain significant importance in terms of the overall story arc.

Like most manga/anime the series isn't necessarily targeted at young minds as there is plenty of gore and violence to make a grown adult flinch. If you're not comfortable with grotesque images of disproportionate giants who eat humans and some really freaky monstrous ones, this anime/manga isn't for you!

The original manga, on which which the anime show is based, is still being written in chapters. So there are a LOT of plots and subplots that are still waiting resolution. And of course there is the big mystery urrounding the origin of the titans themselves, although there have been some pretty substantial theories stated within the manga.

And now thanks to this one particuar anime/manga I have been turned on to the entire genre. Downloaded a tablet app to read the COLOSSAL collection of manga available and also started adding Anime series to my Netflix queue. If you like complex story lines and are especially partial to the animated/ comic book medium, manga and anime may just be your thing!

Oh and if you're wondering about the title of this post, that's the original Japanese title of the manga and the anime

Aperture Closed. Now What?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 02:14:00 +0000

The inevitable finally happened. Apple's in-house pro photography software, Aperture, is being phased out and will be replaced by their new Photos app come Fall 2014. As a photog enthusiast who has relied on Apple's solution for image editing and cataloguing on my Mac, this news obviously made me a little sad. Although as I mentioned I wasn't completely surprised since there had been no significant updates to the software in a while now.

Logically the next step for me would be to explore other software solutions (ones that won't be phased out anytime soon!) and begin expiring my photos to said alternative. Folks tuned into the image editing realm would know that the direct competitor to Apple's Aperture is S/W behemoth Adobe's Lightroom. So i've been spending the better part of this Saturday morning exploring the various pricing options on this puppy.

Now ever since Adobe introduced their Subscription based service, i.e. Adobe Creative Cloud (CC for short), stand-alone software licences are becoming a thing of the past. In a way it's not entirely a bad deal considering that the subscription gives you a lot more compared to the stand-alone software licence.

However at the end of the day you are going to pay much more for the software in the long run. In Singapore the stand alone software cost is 193 SGD whereas the monthly subscription to Creative Cloud is 13 SGD. Although the latter appears cheaper at first glance, you begin to realise that the stand-alone price is a not time deal which you can consider recovered within a year and a half when compared to the cost of the CC subscription (which requires a yearly commitment or a one time annual fee)

Making matters a tad more monopolistic is the fact that a few key features are not available when the software is bought with a stand-alone licence. The biggest one (at least for me) integration of the desktop software with it's iPad/iPhone counterpart. This was one of the main reasons I was initially attracted to Lightroom (way back in March) as an alternative to Aperture.

So here's my dilemma. Should I spend the big bucks now and get the stand-alone licence for Lightroom or should I bow to Adobe's "Creative" push and go the subscription route. Looking at the current limelight that Adobe has been giving their Creative Cloud solution, I wouldn't be surprised when eventually the stand-alone licence purchase model may cease to exist altogether. So really I believe it's only a matter of time that my decision would be made for me!

Last Night

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 06:24:00 +0000

She woke up with a smile. And why not? Last night was phenomenal! HE was phenomenal! There was a spark that she hadn't seen in a while.

He had just taken her as she lay there,without any warning or any hesitation. She found it brutal and sensual at the same time. That had excited her.

The foreplay. The caressing. The kiss. The lovemaking. All of it felt sublime. Almost surreal but in a fantastic way! She didn't even have time to turn on the lights. And after they were done she just fell off to sleep.

This morning she awoke before he did. He was facing the other way and seemed in deep sleep. She decided to surprise him with some breakfast in bed.

She tiptoed out of bed and into the shower. The shower helped her feel a tad fresh and relaxed. She stepped out of the shower and noticed that he was still asleep. She made her way to the kitchen.

As she stepped towards the kitchen she saw the main door swing open. Startled at first, then completely astonished, she screamed!

The man who walked through the open door was her husband, the man who supposedly was making love to her last night.

Gandhi's 52 in 2014: May Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 31 May 2014 02:54:00 +0000

Woe is me!

I have severely dropped off my planned resolution train in the last few months. Although there are a number of tasks on which I am lagging behind, the ones that truly get to me are the ones related to health and fitness. Gone are the regular walks/runs I went on during January. And I have yet to kick start the tasks pertaining to Travels!

The money challenge this month has been moot, primarily cause I used that money to fund the wife's 30th birthday gifts, all thirty of them! Hopefully I can get back on track starting in June.

On a positive note I am sticking to the tasks pertaining to my photography challenge as well exploring new restaurants in Singapore. Outings with friends and conversations with family back home have also been on the rise. So if nothing else, I'm definitely becoming more out-going and getting in touch with my loved ones.

Almost coming to the six month mark. Guess things need to get into overdrive for results to start showing on some of the lagging fronts. Let's hope I have a better update come June end.

What Motivates You?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 17 May 2014 02:34:00 +0000

Its been five months since I made my new year's resolutions for this year. A lengthy list of 52 items that I want to complete before this year ends. And although I may be making decent progress on a few of those, I am nowhere close to my required goals at this point of the challenge! Mainly the ones involving a healthy lifestyle and a fitter body.

It's no surprise that one of the main reasons for this is the lack of motivation. Goals seem to only mean something when there's something enticing you to achieve them. But the enticement needs to also help you overcome you resounding sense of procrastination.

There's always a sense of excitement and adventure before you embark on any journey. However over time that excitement and dazzle seems to wear off and the spark that had you all gung-ho at the start just extinguishes.

Is it just me who has this issue? I wouldn't think so considering that there's another 7 billion people on this planet and am pretty sure there's someone out there who has faced this before and perhaps overcome this to achieve his/her goals.

So here's my question... how does one get that spark to light up again?

My Thoughts On Taxi Driver.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 13:19:00 +0000

Finally watched the Martin Scorcese classic Taxi Driver from start to finish. Had always seen bits and pieces of the flick in the past and was keen to watch it in one sitting. We'll I got my chance during my recent trip to Mumbai.

Despite being set in the 70s there are certain themes of the movie that ring true even today and in that sense the story of this movie is a timeless one.

Sure some May wonder what's the whole story about considering there is no obvious plot line in the conventional sense. But then again I believe that was the intention of the film maker. To not have a defined story with the traditional first second and third acts of standard story telling. Although one could argue that the movie can in fact be broken down into said conventional three act story.

The story is undoubtedly about Robert DeNiro's taxi driving character Travis Bickle and how his occupation as a taxi driver in the metropolis of New York is affecting him psychologically. The movie is a journey into the very mind of Travis and his interpretation of what is right and wrong. His disdain for society and humanity in General is what we highlights the first act of this movie.

The one anchor that could have possibly brought some stability in his life, Betsy the presidential campaign volunteer, shuns him due to his awkward social demeanor, viz. his choice of date venue (an adult movie).

Things begin to take a different direction when he realizes that vigilante justice isn't a bad thing after all and so he acquires an arsenal of weapons and begins training himself to dispense Sid vigilante justice.

The third act encompasses his efforts to free an underage prostitute Iris (an unrecohnizable Jodie Foster). And this is where we see his psychological behavior taking shape and finally culminating in his version of justice s eh guns down not one, but three men (of which one is a mafioso type dude) on order to liberate Iris from her forced prostitution.

The climax is in fact one of the most ambiguous ones in cinema history as there is speculation that everything tht follows the shoutout is in fact inside Travis head and that he is possibly in coma. This theory I feel is further cemented when we see that after his Tiamat the hospital his fare is none other than Betsy, the stable anchor who had shunned him earlier in the movie.

Taxi Driver isn't a movie that you would enjoy watching for entertainment alone. It's a movie with layers that need to be appreciated for their simplicity. If you enjoy movies that deal with the human psyche and offer more than what's shown on screen, Taxi Driver is a definite must watch.

Gandhi's 52 in 2014 Challenge - March Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 02:11:00 +0000

It's been a while since the last update and since weekly updates became a tad difficult to post I switched to a monthly one. I know I know this was one of the tasks in the challenge.

It's been a stagnant two months in terms of the health tasks. Haven't gone for the planned walks three times a week! And not much movement on the weight loss either. So obviously these need to get pushed into overdrive to catch up on the lost time.

Have also been a tad behind schedule with the learning new things routine. Have cooked only 2 out of the required 3 new recipes for the year. And only one cocktail of the 3 new cocktails. This will probably be not too difficult to catch up to, hopefully.

On the books reading challenge am behind by two books. But at least due to the challenge I have read more books in the first quarter of this year than I did in the entire previous year.

About the only task that I have been able to execute consistently are the weekly photo challenges and the selfie project. Well at least something is going as per plan.

Did begin spring cleaning of electronics in the house and the first items to be sold were the old iPad 2 and the Galaxy Note 8 tablets. Although I did use the money from that sale to buy myself a shiny new iPad Air. Well at least there's one less tablet in the house, so that's progress.

Have taken a keen interest in my forgotten hobby of sketching. Even started sketching on the new iPad (bought recently, thank you very much)

So far it's been a slow start. But there's still time to catch up and get back on track. The next three quarters may offer some respite and hopefully I am able to recover lost time and of course get back on track.

Another Book Read - The Great Gatsby

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 06:48:00 +0000

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll admit the only reason I picked up this book to read was after watching the ostentatious movie adaptation by Baz Luhrmann. The story set in a continent in an era which isn't very familiar to me did put me off initially. However I'm glad I decided to read this classic after all.

The first person narrative is without a doubt the highlight of this book with Nick Carraway's observation forming the entirety of the story telling. The book is as much as about Carraway as it is about Gatsby.

Through Nick we traverse the diverse landscape of America from the mundane and boring Mid-West to the Ultra Jazzy and exciting East. His daily routine describes how Americans lived during the age of excess - long commutes from lavish country homes to the boisterous metropolis of New York working in high paying Wall Street jobs. His extended family, viz his cousin's lifestyle provides a glimpse of how old money lived and how new money - Gatsby, was looked down upon by them.

The book isn't just about the humans but also about their environment. It's a great insight into the heart of a country that was just coming out of a world war and reaping the rewards of victory. The contrast of the Long Island landscape against that of Manhattan as well as the purgatory-like region in between is brilliant.

This book was written at a time when language and prose meant something. When the use of fancy words was not a fad but the norm. Reading this book is a delight for those who enjoy such rich prose albeit it can get a tad confusing and a re-read is called for. It's no wonder this classic is a staple for most middle and high school reading courses.

If you enjoy good writing, simple stories but rich complex interpretations of text, this is your book. At 180 pages it's an absolute quick read.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Last Train To Istanbul

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 04:30:00 +0000

Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Picked up this book last year with the intention of exploring stories from the Middle East and European regions. The title sold me since I have been somewhat fascinated by the country of Turkey. And the backdrop of the second world war was an added bonus.

The story primarily revolves around two sisters, Sabiha and Selva and their families during the German occupation of France in the second world war. Sabiha is the wife of a Turkish diplomat living in the Turkish capital city of Ankara while Selva is living with her Jewish husband in Paris.

Separated due to a past and by conflicting national boundaries the eponymous train seems to be the only chance of the sisters and the families of reuniting and reconciling their differences. The train also provides hopes for many Jews trapped in German occupied France to return to neutral nation of Turkey and beyond to the promised land.

Apart from the poignant tale of the two sisters and their families, the book also touches a lot on the geo-political situation of the region during WW II. Turkey's diplomatic situation with the allies and the Axis powers is well explained and that too on a un-boring fashion. We are introduced to a few other secondary characters that aren't all that important( or required in some instances) but I presume these were fashioned out of the true accounts of Jewish people who undertook this arduous and treacherous journey from France to Turkey via German and German occupied nations.

The writing is very fluid and simple with each chapter flowing effortlessly. I found myself gobbling up numerous chapters in single sittings (A major achievement for me!!) Perhaps it's the fact that the book is translated to English from Turkish and maybe some of the more "purple prose" passages got trimmed down.

At around 360 pages this is a short read and good one too. The only complaint I would state is the length being a tad too short for the scope of the story that is being told. Especially with the myriad characters that get introduced throughout the book. But the last chapter somewhat makes up for that with a rather touching revelation.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Shantaram

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 07:08:00 +0000

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Almost everyone I know has read this book. And their reviews have been unanimously positive. Suffice to say that was enough to get me to read this pseudo-autobiographical account of an escaped Australian convict who called India (and specifically Bombay) his home.

Our protagonist (for lack of a better word), Lin, is on the run from the local authorities back home in the land down under and is just arriving at the Bombay International Airport in the early 80s as the story begins. From there begins his humorous, at times bizarre, uncanny and ultimately spiritual journey through Bombay, India and beyond.

Lin's journey, as penned in the book, spans five parts with forty-two chapters across the slums of Bombay, a village in Maharashtra, shady hotels in Africa, the mountains of Afghanistan and finally comes full circle to an enlightened end at the slums. The experiences he narrates are often interlaced with philosophical teachings as well personal observational conclusions which at times do sound kinda as though he's some sort of Guru. But if you remove the prejudicial thought from your mind, the experiences do provide some truly pearls of wisdom.

The author bases the anecdotes and stories based on personal experiences and his knowledge of the land is undeniably first hand. One of the elements of the book that really made me re-read certain chapters was the brilliantly detailed description of the geography of my home town of Bombay (Mumbai if you want to sound politically correct!)

Another aspect of the book that made it entertaining (and also run over 900 pages) was the author's attempt to vividly describe every single character, minor or major, on every page. Barring a few descriptions that were completely uncalled for, this approach does provide a great visual interpretation of the characters you are reading.

At 933 pages, this is no simple read and took me a good amount of time to complete (but then I'm a slow reader!). But the long reading journey will reward you with the experience of an absolutely unprecedented journey into the life of Linbaba aka Shantaram. And who knows, his journey may inspire you to embark on one of your own!

View all my reviews

Gandhi's 52 in 2014 Challenge - Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 06:54:00 +0000

Firstly, I've got to apologise for the miss on last week's update on the task. Returning from the holiday in Vietnam we were so exhausted that logging my weekly progress was the last thing on my mind! Hopefully this doesn't repeat in the future.

Additionally it would appear that the holiday was a little too good since I ended up gaining a significant amount of weight on the trip and am considerably behind my target (Damn!!!). The holiday also has me off my weekly walking and kilometres target. Bottom line, on the health and fitness front I am really in the RED! To track these misses I am now tracking the tasks with the colour RED and will do so till I am able to make amends and come back on the required weekly target.

Achievements wise I did make some progress on a few tasks. Despite all the negative impact the holiday had on my health objectives, it did provide me with multiple photo-walks and as a result I have over 2000 pictures that I will be sorting and processing. The flickr set for that photo walk should be up by the end of the coming week. The holiday also helped me score some journal entries, one each day! My total journal entries till date are quite impressive and the ones from the trip also have great polaroid pictures accompanying the hand-written entries.

Last week I also celebrated my birthday (February 5th) and since I was turning the big 30, the wife helped me with one of the items on my 52 in 2014 list, viz. the Mac Mini. Woohoo!!! So with that I have my first official item crossed off the list which also means that I have been able to kick start my task to give my self $10 for every completed task.

Although I haven't seen any of the movies on the list, I did indulge in some new series and will be updating that list soon to reflect the additions.

The first month of the challenge officially ended last weekend but let me recap the progress in this week's post. Overall I am in the RED on the health and fitness front, but seem to be making decent progress on all other fronts. Guess I know what needs to be the priority for the next few weeks.

Until next week!

Link to the list

Gandhi's 52 in 2014 Challenge - Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Another week, another update on my 52 in 2014 challenge. This week onwards instead of adding the list in the post, I'll simply provide the link to the page (within this blog as well) where I keep the list updated. Saving space you see!

The post is a tad earlier than usual (well just a day earlier really!) cause I'm flying out to Vietnam with the wife for a week long holiday! As you'll see from the updates below, obviously the excitement of the impending holiday has been a small factor in some of the slips this week.

Kinda lagging on a lot of tasks this week. Was able to only for a walk once in the entire week so am going to have to catch up on the target in the next few weeks. Unfortunately am also on holiday next week so that means I'll have to catch up on a whole lot of walks!!! Ah well, it shall have to be done.

Also was unable to complete my 5 journal entries for the week (only managed 2). Aaargh, and this despite the fact that I had SO much to vent about and talk this week. Next week's holiday should provide for some truly memorable and picturesque journal entries though.

On a bright side, the weight loss task saw a positive turn this week with the excess baggage dropping another 0.6 kgs (it's not much, but it's still something!)

Also had another great evening out with friends (second one this month) mid-week (Thursday to be precise) with drinks, food and sheesha at Istanbul Cafe. Although it's also a new restaurant that I've tried, I'm not really chalking it up against my task to dine at 12 new restaurants.

Completed re-watching all 8 seasons of That 70s show this week as well. Bittersweet feeling when you watch the final episode of any series you've enjoyed watching. Although I must admit the final season was a tad lacklustre and was all over the place with plot lines and stories. I can see why it didn't get renewed for a ninth season.

Also watched another critically acclaimed flick - There Will Be Blood. A tad different than most movies I usually watch, but then that's what this challenge is all about, experiencing new things!

All in all not a completely bad week, but I'll need to really work hard in the coming weeks to catch up on some of the slips of this week and the potential ones of the next week owing to the holiday.

Till next week!

Link To The List.

Gandhi's 52 in 2014 Challenge - Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 02:21:00 +0000

Hello folks! Here's the status as of week 2 of Gandhi's 52 in 2014 challenge.

Progress on all fronts as per the weekly quotas were manageable to achieve this week. Finally finished reading my first book of the year and was also able to write a short review. You can read it here.

However it wasn't all that great since I also had my first miss on a target this week. This one is for Task #29. Also had a reverse movement on the weight loss task. Need to ensure that I focus on this one a little harder!

Thanks for all the motivation folks!

Green = Completed
Orange = In Progress
Blue = Not Started

Health/Well Being

Reach my target weight of 85 kg. Need to lose 20 Kg (1/20).
Log a 500 km cumulative walking distance on RunKeeper (23/500)
Sign up and run a 5K event.
Go for a ~~morning~~ walk at least 3 times a week (6/156)

Travel/Treks

Go to Hong Kong/Macau.
Go to Cameron Highlands.
Go on a cycling trip to Pulau Ubin with the wife.
Go for a trek to Bukit Timah with the wife.
Go for a trek to MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
Visit LegoLand in Johor Bahru
Visit 5 new attractions in Singapore (0/5)

Finances

Spend no more than $5 for lunch for an entire week. Have at least 12 such weeks in the year (0/12).
Complete the 52 Week Money Challenge (2/52).
Complete the Monthly Money Challenge (0/12).
Pay myself $10 for every task completed in this challenge. (0/52)
Pay all my Credit Card Debt

Family & Friends

Go on intimate date nights with the wife more often. One every month at least (1/12)
Get a professional couple photograph taken of the wife and I.
Host at least one movie marathon at home.
Call/Skype with family back home at least once a week (2/52)
Go out with friends at least once a month (1/12)

Hobbies & Interests

Go for a photo walk every month (0/12).
Submit my photos to a contest.

Reading

Read 24 books (1/24).
Complete the following books before buying any new ones
1. A Dance With Dragons
2. Shantaram
3. The Wolf Of Wall Street
4. Matterhorn
5. Last Train to Istanbul
6. Trojan Horse
7. Dongri To Dubai
Read at least 6 Non-Fiction books (0/6).

Blogging

Write at least 2 blog posts each month (2/24).
Additionally blog weekly about the progress of “Gandhi’s 52 Things In 2014 Challenge” (2/52)

Self Improvement

Journal 5 times a week (7/260).
Take a selfie every-week (2/52).
- Link to Flickr Set
~~Create a time-lapse of selfie images.~~ Participate in a 52 week photo challenge (1/52).
- Link to Facebook Group
- Link to Flickr Set
Go a week without eating any junk food. Have at least 6 such weeks (1/6).
Go to bed before 11:00 PM for a week.
Don’t stay in the same role at work by the end of the year.

TV & Movies (This list may grow as we go along)

Catch-up/ Complete watching the following TV Shows -
- Boardwalk Empire
- Breaking Bad (Currently on Season 2)
- Californication (Currently on Season 1)
- Downton Abbey
- Dexter (Currently On Season 7)
- White Collar (Currently On Season 4)

Re-Watch all episodes of the following TV shows -
- That 70s Show (Currently on Season 8)
- The Practice (Currently on Season 2)
- The Wonder Years (Currently on Season 2)
- The West Wing (Currently on Season 2)

Watch 12 new movies released in 2014 (1/12)
- Dedh Ishqiya
Watch the following critically acclaimed movies -

Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Wrestler
Raging Bull
Lawrence Of Arabia
Amadeus
Annie Hall
Fargo
Taxi Driver
My Left Foot
Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
Trainspotting
The King’s Speech
No Country For Old Men
Rush
Traffic
Full Metal Jacket
Once Upon A Time In America

Charity

Donate Blood.
Sell/Donate excess electronics and gadgets

New Experiences

Eat at 1 new restaurant every month (1/12).
PAUL
Watch at least 1 musical.
Get a Tattoo.
Learn to mix a new cocktail every month (0/12)
Sketch more often.
Cook one new recipe each month (1/12).
- Fettuccine with Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Link to Flickr Set
- Link to Recipe
Learn to play poker
Learn to make mulled wine.

Purchases & Collections

Get a Mac Mini
Build Blu Ray disc collection with one new addition each month (0/12).
Upgrade to a new DSLR camera body.

Make a new List for 52 Things in 2015 Challenge!

Book Review - The Wolf Of Wall Street

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 14:07:00 +0000

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Disappointed.

The book starts off like a Hollywood screenplay and does hold some promise in the first few pages. Alas this isn't a book about Wall Street! What ensues is a repetition of a series of anecdotes about drugs, hookers and illegal money making schemes of a rather dysfunctional individual.

This is an autobiographical account of trader from the late 80s early 90s yuppie generation who believed the world was his playground and anything that made him more money and brought him pleasure was his for the taking. It's a rather comical account of his life with some truly bizarre incidents that sound that they were totally written for a movie.

There are a few chapters that deal with really gritty financial dealings and probably only those well acquainted with that world would truly appreciate them. Yep, I did enjoy those portions of the book!

The author obviously is recounting his glory days which he later admits weren't his noblest. Nonetheless the absolutely insane shenanigans and over the top experiences of the protagonist are kinda too much to handle.

The last few chapters provide a tad relief from the drug infused lifestyle of the protagonist, but not enough to rid you off the sour taste of the remaining book.

I chose to read this book after catching the trailer of the Martin Scorsese movie adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio. So obviously I pictured the talented actor as I was reading this book. However there are a number of chapters in the book where I find it hard to visualise Leo enacting them on screen, but then again he's a great actor, so who knows!

Overall, I'm kinda disappointed with the book and wouldn't recommend it unless you're in the mood to learn how different drugs (prescription or otherwise) can be combined in a perfect balance while you are being given a blow job by a set of high priced hookers aboard a private jet headed to Zurich. On second thought, maybe you'd like reading about that kind of stuff!

View all my reviews

Gandhi's 52 in 2014 Challenge - Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 00:23:00 +0000

Here it is folks, the very first progress report of "Gandhi's 52 in 2014 Challenge". Glad to report that I did manage to kick start quite a number of the listed items this week.

Started maintaining Flickr sets as well for posterity and easy reference of the selfie and food challenges. Links can be found against the respective tasks. Plus the week's selfie and other relevant images are also available for viewing at the bottom of the post.

A few changes/modifications to the list -

Task #4 was slightly modified to accommodate walks both in the evening and in the morning, mainly because I'm not a morning person, yet.
Added the total weight to be lost for task #1 to better track my progress.
Added a few more titles for task #38 and #36
Task #31 has been changed to now include a 52 week Photo Challenge. The Facebook group link and the Flickr set links are next to the task.

Some notable achievements this week -

Went a whole week without eating any junk food (WooHoo!!)!
Cooked a new recipe for lunch based on a recipe sourced from the internet with a few personal touches.

You can check out the details of the progress using the colour legend listed below. Thanks for reading and motivating!!

Green = Completed
Orange = In Progress
Blue = Not Started

Health/Well Being

Reach my target weight of 85 kg. Need to lose 20 Kg (1.2/20).
Log a 500 km cumulative walking distance on RunKeeper (12/500)
Sign up and run a 5K event.
Go for a ~~morning~~ walk at least 3 times a week (3/156)

Travel/Treks

Go to Hong Kong/Macau.
Go to Cameron Highlands.
Go on a cycling trip to Pulau Ubin with the wife.
Go for a trek to Bukit Timah with the wife.
Go for a trek to MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
Visit LegoLand in Johor Bahru
Visit 5 new attractions in Singapore (0/5).

Finances

Spend no more than $5 for lunch for an entire week. Have at least 12 such weeks in the year (0/12).
Complete the 52 Week Money Challenge (1/52).
Complete the Monthly Money Challenge (0/12).
Pay myself $10 for every task completed in this challenge. (0/52)
Pay all my Credit Card Debt

Family & Friends

Go on intimate date nights with the wife more often. One every month at least (1/12)
Get a professional couple photograph taken of the wife and I.
Host at least one movie marathon at home.
Call/Skype with family back home at least once a week (1/52)
Go out with friends at least once a month (1/12)

Hobbies & Interests

Go for a photo walk every month (0/12).
Submit my photos to a contest.

Reading

Read 24 books (0/24).
Complete the following books before buying any new ones

A Dance With Dragons
Shantaram
The Wolf Of Wall Street
Matterhorn
Last Train to Istanbul
Trojan Horse
Dongri To Dubai

Read at least 6 Non-Fiction books (0/6).

Blogging

Write at least 2 blog posts each month (1/24).
Additionally blog weekly about the progress of “Gandhi’s 52 Things In 2014 Challenge” (2/52)

Self Improvement

Journal 5 times a week (5/255).
Take a selfie every-week (1/52).
- Link to Flickr Set
~~Create a time-lapse of selfie images.~~ Participate in a 52 week photo challenge (1/52).
- Link to Facebook Group
- Link to Flickr Set
Go a week without eating any junk food. Have at least 6 such weeks (1/6).
Go to bed before 11:00 PM for a week.
Don’t stay in the same role at work by the end of the year.

TV & Movies (This list may grow as we go along)

Catch-up/ Complete watching the following TV Shows -

Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad (Currently on Season 2)
Californication (Currently on Season 1)
Downton Abbey
Dexter (Currently On Season 7)
White Collar (Currently On Season 4)

Re-Watch all episodes of the following TV shows -

That 70s Show (Currently on Season 6)
The Practice (Currently on Season 1)
The Wonder Years (Currently on Season 2)
The West Wing (Currently on Season 1)

Watch 12 new movies released in 2014 (1/12)
- Dedh Ishqiya
Watch the following critically acclaimed movies -

Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Wrestler
Raging Bull
Lawrence Of Arabia
Amadeus
Annie Hall
Fargo
Taxi Driver
My Left Foot
Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
Trainspotting
The King’s Speech
No Country For Old Men
Rush
Traffic
Full Metal Jacket
Once Upon A Time In America

Charity

Donate Blood.
Sell/Donate excess electronics and gadgets

New Experiences

Eat at 1 new restaurant every month (1/12).
PAUL
Watch at least 1 musical.
Get a Tattoo.
Learn to mix a new cocktail every month (0/12)
Sketch more often.
Cook one new recipe each month (1/12).
- Fettuccine with Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Link to Flickr Set
- Link to Recipe
Learn to play poker
Learn to make mulled wine.

Purchases & Collections

Get a Mac Mini
Build Blu Ray disc collection with one new addition each month (0/12).
Upgrade to a new DSLR camera body.

Make a new List for 52 Things in 2015 Challenge!

Gandhi's 52 Things in 2014 Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Jan 2014 19:50:00 +0000

In the last post I started the new year with an intent to make some positive constructive changes and improvements to my lifestyle. Although a noble start, it was in no way a concrete plan of what I needed to do during this year to achieve said goals. While scouring the internet searching for inspirations and ideas to implement my goals I stumbled across this gem of a post.

Basically you list 52 (since there are 52 weeks in a year!) things that you want to do in the new year in a bulleted format and track your progress in achieving said things. Since some of the tasks can be quantified, it's a good idea to set a numeric target to help measure your distance to your goal. The clincher is the fact that you put this list up for the whole world to view and share your progress report (and experiences achieving them) with everyone.

Taking a cue from Lady Kell I decided to publish my own list of 52 things to do in 2014 and intend to share my progress over the course of the year with all my readers.

Each week I'll update the progress on my list and also share my experiences meeting my goals. The following Colour format should help with a quick summary of my progress -

Green - Completed
Orange - In Progress
Blue - Not Started

Health/Well Being

Reach my target weight of 85 kg.
Log a 500 km cumulative walking distance on Runkeeper.
Sign up and run a 5K event.
Go for a morning walk at least 3 times a week (0/156)

Travel/Treks

Plan a trip to Hong Kong/Macau.
Plan a trip to Cameron Highlands.
Go on a cycling trip to Pulau Ubin with the wife.
Go for a trek to Bukit Timah with the wife.
Go for a trek to MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
Visit LegoLand in Johor Bahru
Visit 5 new attractions in Singapore (0/5).

Finances

Spend no more than $5 for lunch for an entire week. Have at least 12 such weeks in the year (0/12).
Complete the 52 Week Money Challenge (1/52).
Complete the Monthly Money Challenge (0/12).
Pay myself $10 for every task completed in this challenge. (0/52)
Pay all my Credit Card Debt

Family & Friends

Go on intimate date nights with the wife more often. One every month at least (0/12)
Get a professional couple photograph taken of the wife and I.
Host at least one movie marathon at home.
Call/Skype with family back home at least once a week (0/52)
Go out with friends at least once a month (0/12)

Hobbies & Interests

Go for a photo walk every month (0/12).
Submit my photos to a contest.

Reading

Read 24 books (0/24).
Complete the following books before buying any new ones

A Dance With Dragons
Shantaram
The Wolf Of Wall Street
Matterhorn
Last Train to Istanbul
Trojan Horse
Dongri To Dubai

Read at least 6 Non-Fiction books (0/6).

Blogging

Write at least 2 blog posts each month (1/24).
Additionally blog weekly about the progress of “Gandhi’s 52 Things In 2014 Challenge” (1/52)

Self Improvement

Journal 5 times a week (2/255).
Take a selfie every-week (0/52).
Create a time-lapse of selfie images.
Go a week without eating any junk food. Have at least 6 such weeks (0/6).
Go to bed before 11:00 PM for a week.
Don’t stay in the same role at work by the end of the year.

TV & Movies (This list may grow as we go along)

Catch-up/ Complete watching the following TV Shows -

Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Californication
Downton Abbey
Dexter
White Collar

Re-Watch all episodes of the following TV shows -

That 70s Show
The Practice
The Wonder Years

Watch 12 new movies released in 2014 (0/12)
Watch the following critically acclaimed movies -

Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Wrestler
Raging Bull
Lawrence Of Arabia
Amadeus
Annie Hall
Fargo
Taxi Driver
My Left Foot
Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
Trainspotting
The King’s Speech
No Country For Old Men
Rush

Charity

Donate Blood.
Sell/Donate excess electronics and gadgets

New Experiences

Eat at 1 new restaurant every month (0/12).
Watch at least 1 musical.
Get a Tattoo.
Learn to mix a new cocktail every month (0/12)
Sketch more often.
Cook one new recipe each month (0/12).
Learn to play poker
Learn to make mulled wine.

Purchases & Collections

Get a Mac Mini
Build Blu Ray disc collection with one new addition each month (0/12).
Upgrade to a new DSLR camera body.

And Finally…

Make a new List for 52 Things in 2015 Challenge!

So there you go. My 52 Things in 2014 Challenge to make me a better person before the next year!

Starting New

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 07:17:00 +0000

Happy New Year All! 2014 is upon us. The first day of a new year is a chance to start afresh. Most of us resolve to make changes in the new year. Some vow to hit the gym more often, others decide they're gonna learn a new skill, and then there are those who choose to get more serious and focus on financial or professional stability.

Well, this year I have a few resolutions as well. Sounds kinda corny but maybe a list of goals to achieve might be in order to ensure that I have a plan in place to reach said goals. With a little determination and dedication I hope I can see these to fruition. So what are these resolutions you ask? Well here's the list -

Read More!
I am a slow reader. It takes me around a month (sometimes six!) to complete a book. Also I'm kinda easily distracted by the telly. As a result the number of books I consume in a year is abysmal. This year I want to change all that and read loads more. I haven't set a goal yet but I definitely want to aim for more than one book per month.

Get Fit!
I'll be honest, I'm pretty overweight, to the point that my excess weight has caused much concern as my cholesterol levels are through the roof. I sincerely hope my attempts at curbing my binge sessions as well as increased exercise and fitness routines help battle the bulge way before the year comes to a draw.

Learn Something!
They say learning never stops. So here it is, this year I want to learn a new skill. Am unsure what's this new skill. Could be a new language, a new trait or maybe even a new dance style. But something new needs to be added to my (rather small) list of abilities and talents

Snap Away!
I developed a passion for photography in early 2010 and was quite regular in my photo-walks. Unfortunately that momentum slowed in the last 2 years. This year I am hoping to kick start the passion and possibly even make it much more.

Blog Often!
And of course I need to buck up and blog more often. Not only to keep my readers engaged but also to have a creative outlet for my thoughts and opinions. Keeping that in mind I guess I need to start writing more from the heart and not cater to someone else's standards or expectations. So here goes the first of many such personal blog posts.

So that's my small list of resolutions for this new year. Granted they're not too grand but then again all big things start off small. Who knows, if I'm able to stick to these resolutions this year, next year may see me making some bigger, bolder commitments!

Here's hoping that I keep my resolutions intact and also that my blog post inspires you to make some of your own solid resolutions for this new year as well.

The Lucky One.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 15:39:00 +0000

Raj was a having a terrible day, the worst in a line of truly bad ones. All day he'd been the victim of a cosmic conspiracy which was out to ruin his aspirations, goals and everything in between.

Or so he thought all day.

He missed his usual train to work and ended up reaching an hour late to the office. That would've been alright had this not been the day of the big meeting with all the associates. His tardiness caught the bosses' eyes and cost him that coveted promotion he was eyeing all year.

Or so he thought all morning.

Afternoon did not bring any respite with Raj having to skip lunch to work on an absolutely critical presentation. It didn't help that his co-workers were out on a fabulous team lunch at a newly opened fine dining restaurant. He knew they ditched him on purpose.
Or so he thought all afternoon.

As if things weren't bad enough already, Simran, his date for the evening, called up and cancelled on him. He was absolutely certain she was cheating on him and seeing that weasel Prem from management.
Or so he thought all evening.

As the work-day came to an end, Raj felt he was possibly the unluckiest person in the world. He decided to simply call it quits and head to the pub across the street for a stiff drink to drown his sorrows.

As he made his way across the street he noticed a small crowd gathered. Walking closer to the crowd he saw they were witnessing a performance by what appeared to be school kids, no older than 10. Although he wasn't in the mood to appreciate performances, the energetic movements of the dancing children were hard to ignore.

The dances continued for another ten minutes and Raj found himself glued to the ground as he felt overwhelmed with awe of the spirits of these little angelic children. As their performance drew to an end, the children all huddled around one of the performers, the youngest and the most energetic of the lot, and held up a banner with an arrow seemingly pointing to the child who was the centre of attention. Raj began reading the wordings of the banner. What he read made him wince -

"This is Ajay. He is 8 years old. He is HIV+ Please help support him with a small contribution"

Raj stepped back. Suddenly all the sorrows, the troubles, the hinderances he had faced all day seemed inconsequential. Here was a child, who for no fault of his own, was suffering from a disease with no cure and for whom the future held nothing but bleakness. Yet he was smiling, dancing and living his life.

And so Raj thought, for the rest of his life, he was the lucky one.

Wanderlust - Siem Reap

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 18:21:00 +0000

The Angkor Wat Temple at dawn.

Despite not being the capital of Cambodia, Siem Reap is probably more famous than the capital city (which is Phnom Penh by the way!). Why you ask? Well simply because of the world famous Angkor temples that lie a few kilometres on the outskirts of the town. In fact, almost all of the tourist traffic to this town is driven by these stunning testaments to humanity's devotion to the gods.

Interestingly, although the iconic Angkor Wat temple is featured in most travel brochures for Siem Reap, they are but a fraction

of the complete set of temples located in the Angkor archaeological park. Owing to their gargantuan geographic expanse, the temple complex opens its doors even before the sun rises and stay open till sunset. Access to the park is provided using tickets that bear an image of the ticket holder and let you leave and enter the complex for the duration that the tickets are valid.

The Iconic Angkor Wat Temple.

Possibly the second most prominent temple after the Angkor Wat, The Bayon is truly an architectural marvel. Pictures cannot do justice to the grandeur of this structure.

The artwork on some of the temple structures is simply breathtaking. The details are simply astounding.

Most of the temples are still in the state of ruins. However there's a certain charm in the rubble as well!

Owing to the huge tourist crowds that pour into this town all year around, there are a gamut of retail and refreshment options aimed at the travelling lot. Chief among these is Pub Street which is absolutely a must stop after a day long walk in the Angkor complex.

As the name suggests, Pub Street is a street lined with loads of bars, restaurants and lounges intermingled with trinket shops and some massage parlours, the legitimate kind ;)

Just so there are no doubts about the name of the street, they've put a big-ass street sign for all the tourists!

The Temple, the most crowded and noisiest joint on Pub Street. Be prepared to experience deafness!

Madam Wong - One of the recommended bars in the Pub Street area.

And if you've noticed the prices in the menu, alcohol and food are super cheap in the Siem Reap, in fact in all of Cambodia. An indulgent night out with friends won't run beyond 25 dollars per person.

In the same vicinity you'll also find the central local market which houses both the wet market and trinket stores. If you plan to shop for souvenirs, you'll be spoilt for choices here.

These adjoining shops had some great deals on luggage items. We ended up buying a massive suitcase at dirt cheap prices!

This piggy shouldn't have gone to the market.

The town butchers have no qualms on displaying their fresh meat for everyone to see.

The wet market is frequented by locals and tourists alike. It's in fact a stop for most cooking classes aimed at tourists.

You could spend days living in Siem Reap and not get bored. The temples alone can cause your stay to extend for a week. Siem Reap is an absolute must on your South East Asian itinerary. Not just because of the world famous Angkor temples, but because of the warmth the town exudes.

The Couple - A Short Story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:09:00 +0000

It had been a long day at work for Divya. Her week long work conference had left her completely exhausted. Fortunately she was able to leave a day earlier. All she wanted to do was reach home and have a glass of wine with Arun. In her haste to catch the next flight out, she missed informing her husband of the change in her schedule and then later decided to surprise Arun.

Once she reached the apartment, she removed her keys to open the door. She was a tad concerned that the door wasn't locked. She figured that Arun must've left in a hurry that morning and missed locking the apartment door. Once she entered the apartment, a few other things caught her eye that raised her suspicions about something not being right. There was loose clothing lying around the living room leading a trail to the bedroom. She began tip-toeing and followed the trail of clothes, all the while trying to keep her imagination from running astray.

Once she reached the bedroom door, what she saw completely surprised her; her husband in bed with Mrs. Kamini Mehta. The adulterous couple froze as soon as they caught a glimpse of Divya. Divya's husband stumbled to get words out of his mouth, anything that could help him with the rather awkward situation he was in. Unfortunately all that he could manage was "What are you doing here?"

Before any other words were exchanged, Divya stormed out of the bedroom and left the apartment. As she entered the elevator, she removed her handphone and dialled a number. The telephone ring at the other end was abruptly cut short as a friendly male voice answered - "Hey!".

Divya replied gleefully - "It's me! Guess who I caught cheating with YOUR wife? Yep, MY husband! Looks like we won't have to worry about the divorcing our spouses after all, Arun."

Wanderlust - Bangkok: A Photo Essay

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:53:00 +0000

The Royal Palace Complex

We (the wife and I) had the opportunity to visit Bangkok over the New Year Eve weekend. Although the trip was about ringing in the New Year in style, we ended up walking around the metropolis exploring the myriad sights and sounds. Here's a compilation of some of the snapshots

from that trip. All pictures here were taken with my handphone, the HTC One X. Enjoy!

Street performances are quite common along the streets of Bangkok and more so at the weekend market at Chatuchak. Beware though, the market is one huge maze and with the scorching heat, you're gonna need something to cool down!

Street Food is Bangkok's speciality. Raw papaya salad such as this one is simply delicious and best enjoyed from the street-side vendors.

The ubiquitous public transportation mode, the Tuk-Tuk. Although we didn't take a ride in one, it sure seemed like a fun way to move around the city.

Another first for me. These small sweet treats are roasted pieces of jaggery sold by street- vendors as a quick perk-me-up snack. Trust me, they are delicious!

The Royal Palace. A tourist hotspot and a photographer's paradise. Be sure to head here as early in the day as possible to avoid both the crowds and the heat.

Another unique Thailand delicacy, the coconut flavoured ice-cream. A welcome treat on a hot sunny day. And the fact that it's served in a hard coconut shell is simply cool!

Probably one of the most iconic idols splashed across all Bangkok travel brochures - The Reclining Golden Buddha Statue

Bangkok by Night as seen from the Sky Bar at Lebua at The State Tower. The view is one of the many reasons patrons frequent the bar. They pack a mean Mojito as well!

The Dome at Lebua. You may recognise the structure from the Hangover Part 2. The famous roof top bar at the Lebua is definitely worth a visit even if you aren't a photog. The views from here are simply breathtaking and best enjoyed with one of their famous cocktails. Pssst, try their Mojitos, they're quite awesome!

The Baiyoke Tower. The tallest structure in the city. The revolving observation deck on the top floor gives one of the best bird's eye views of the metropolis.

Bangkok as seen from the observatory deck of the
Baiyoke Hotel, the tallest structure in the city.

And here's a video of the city view from the observation deck.

Bangkok was a brilliant destination and we hope to visit soon. Till then, we've got a lotta memories captured to help us revisit this beautiful city.

Iron Man Three: A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:39:00 +0000

There's no denying that Favreau's Iron Man was single-handedly responsible for not only resurrecting the Marvel franchise (after Spider Man 3 and Fantastic Four 2, it was kinda bleak) but also responsible for the success of Marvel's cinematic Phase One endeavour.

Iron Man Three is set post The Avengers and incorporates a few sub plots and background stories from the ensemble super hero flick. Primary among them being the anxiety that Tony experiences quite frequently all through the movie. We are introduced to a menacing Bin Ladenesque terrorist leader, The Mandarin, played masterfully (on many levels!) by Ben Kingsley. Guy Pearce plays a scientist colleague from Stark's past who seems to have a hidden agenda.

Comic book readers will already know that the first two movies were partially based on the Extremis storyline. The threequel exploits a huge portion of the same storyline including characters and the virus itself. Although with a few cinematic adaptations and modifications.

It's worth noting that IM3 isn't directed by Favreau, but instead by Shane Black. Now that may not be a huge cause for concern for most viewers. However the movie does echo his style and does become a tad different in terms of style and execution as compared to the preceding two flicks. This may be a good or bad thing based on our affection for them.

There are some truly cool moments in the movie such as the Iron Man suit being donned by none other than the oh-so sexy Gwyneth Paltrow and the kick-ass army of Iron Men being summoned by Stark. But I'll be honest. Overall I wasn't blown away by the movie. The main storyline almost delves into a Fringe/ X-Files kind of procedural investigative drama when Tony sets out to uncover the true perpetrators of the so-called terrorist attacks. And for some reason a few of the anxiety attacks that our protagonist experiences were a tad underplayed and comical IMHO. I understand this isn't Shakespeare, but maybe they could have done something about it.

Another complain I had was with the entire Mandarin storyline, or rather the lack of it. Mandarin is the arch-nemesis in the original comics and fan-boys were probably expecting a substantial plot with the Mandarin being involved, especially since there was an allusion to his existence right in the first movie. So yea, if you're planning to witness some major Iron Man - Mandarin showdown, you'll be sorely disappointed.

The story does put a logical conclusion to the cinematic rendition of Iron Man, which may also mean that we may not see him appear in Avengers 2 (set to be released in 2015). Although the conclusion could have been a tad more full circle if elements from the first movie were used to wrap things up.

Despite it's flaws, I still enjoyed the movie simply because of RDJ. He's the Jack Sparrow of the Iron Man movies. The plot and story may be under performing, but they're bearable simply because the talented RDJ is in the movie portraying the protagonist. It is almost impossible to imagine anyone else donning the Iron Suit for future instalments of this highly successful super hero franchise.

Is this the best Iron Man movie in the franchise? No. Should you watch the movie? Absolutely! Especially if you loved the first two movies and are a comic-book/ super-hero fanatic such as myself.