Don't stop till you get enuff!!

Pleasant Surprise from Airtel

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:07:00 +0000

I am not a big fan of Airtel's mobile services, especially their customer care. I've heard people ranting about being overcharged by Airtel. I have even had a bad experience with their customer care when they disconnected my post-paid CUG mobile connection without any prior intimation, which ultimately turned out to be a flaw in their process. Sometimes I've had the impression that Airtel treats you nicely only as long as you are their prospective customer. Once you become their customer, their attitude can change quite dramatically. Hence, I was pleasantly surprised when I got this SMS from Airtel.

Thank you for paying your Airtel Mobile bill well before the due date! We appreciate your gesture and look forward to serving you better at all times!

Wow, so is Airtel finally beginning to care about their customers? Are they feeling the heat with fierce competition breathing down their neck? Is number portability forcing them to be nicer?

Whatever it is, I'm not complaining since Airtel made me feel nice, for a change.

Update: I happened to tweet this post and got a response from Airtel within 5 minutes! Now that is fast. Airtel have surely improved their social media presence!

Football fever in god’s own country

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Kerala’s passion for football is well known. It is one of the few states in India along with Bengal, Goa and some North eastern states, that has a substantial football following. Football fever reaches a crescendo during world cup time, once every four years. I happened to catch a glimpse of this enthusiasm and energy during my recent visit to Kerala.

When I was traveling on the streets, I saw large banners and posters of top football teams at almost every bus stop or junction, whereas I could hardly see any movie poster or a political party banner! The overwhelming favorite team among local people seems to be Argentina, followed by Brazil. There are lot of local fan clubs for both these teams. The clubs collect money from their members and put together banners supporting their teams.

The worldwide rivalry between Argentine & Brazil fans seem to find an echo in their banners too. Brazilian banners proclaim they are the greatest team and indirectly take a dig at Argentina. Argentine fans in turn try to put down Brazil players in their banners.

Maradona is undoubtedly the most popular footballer in Kerala. People told me that back in 1986, when Maradona-led Argentine team lifted the world cup, some parts of Kerala virtually resembled the streets of Buenos Aires. People celebrated like crazy as if Maradona was a part of their family! Some crazy fans even offered special prayers in temples while he was playing. Now, almost 25 years later, his popularity remains intact. Here he is seen smoking a cigar.

Lionel Messi is another popular name. Here he takes on wings and becomes an angel!

Brazilian banners had pictures of their great players, such as Pele, and current players such as Ronaldinho, Kaka, Robinho, etc. Che Guevara was also seen, both in Argentina & Brazil banners. Couldn't figure out how Che is connected to Brazil!!

My neighbor told me that flags of Argentina & Brazil are in demand during world cup time. In some areas, fans also paint walls with Albicelestes colors.

Other teams had supporters too, although they were few when compared to Argentina or Brazil. I saw just one or two Spain, German & Portugal banners.

Most people want to see a Brazil-Argentina final on July 11. That would be a dream match up. As of now, both these teams have entered the WC quarterfinals and are on course for a final showdown, unless Germany or Spain has other plans.

I've wondered what makes people love these footballers so much that they spent their hard-earned money and invest time and effort to celebrate their achievements. I think it has got to do with an undying passion for the beautiful game that cuts across all borders of nationality, religion, caste and language.

If you ever happen to visit Kerala during world cup season, try to stop for a moment and savor the atmosphere over there. It is a unique experience, one you can't find anywhere else in India.

Avatar vs Vettaikaran at Chennai BO

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:02:00 +0000

Its going to be an exciting weekend at the Chennai box office with James Cameron's Avatar and Vijay's Vettaikaran clashing with each other for box office supremacy. Both are much anticipated, most awaited movies of the year. Both movies have been promoted well.

Avatar has been in the making for close to 4 years and is reportedly the world's costliest movie ever. It is releasing in both 3D and 2D versions. It boasts of never-before-seen advancements in 3D and CGI technology. Most importantly, the director of Avatar is James Cameron whose previous works include Aliens, Terminator, Terminator II, True Lies, Abyss and Titanic. The movie has already generated lots of positive buzz around the world. Those who got the see the paid previews are raving about the movie.

Vettaikaran has also been in the making for a while now. Sun Pictures are releasing the movie and they have been hyping it up for the past few weeks. Some people say Vettaikaran is make or break movie for Vijay as his past few movies have not exactly set the cash registers ringing. The storyline of Vettaikaran is unknown as of now. If initial reports are to be believed, Vijay is playing a college student (yet again!). This time around he is a plus two student who fails over and over and finally reaches college. He gets to romance Anushkha and also fights off the baddies in his own style. Vettaikaran songs are already a hit with frequent playtime in FM radio stations. With Vijay's mass appeal and aggressive promotion by Sun pictures, Vettaikaran should bring in the crowds in large numbers.

My gut feel is that both movies will take a bumper opening at the BO. How they fare eventually will depend on the quality of the movie and the word of mouth generated after the initial weekend. Lets see who reigns over the Chennai BO this weekend!

Se7en

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:51:00 +0000

Happened to watch Se7en on TV yesterday. A dark, disturbing film, gripping till the last frame.

The movie stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey and is directed by David Fincher. This is the second time I am watching this movie and this time I was able to follow the dialogues better, thanks to the sub titles.

The plot is about 2 detectives, played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, trying to solve a series of murders that seem to be inspired by the '7 deadly sins'. There have been many movies with similar themes in the past, but what makes this one different is the picturization. The director employs a dark visual tone almost throughout, with frequent visuals of dark alleys, rooms, and constant rain in the night. Music by Howard Shore blends with the visuals very well. There is a lot of strong language throughout along with some gory scenes, so the movie may not be ideal for kids.

Casting is another area in which the movie scores. Brad Pitt, Freeman and Paltrow are very aptly cast. Although Kevin Spacey has very little screen time, his character is well etched and remarkable. Watch out for the climax, its totally unexpected and shocking one. The movie is a must watch, especially if you like the drama/mystery genre.

David Garret 'Smooth Criminal' cover

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:37:00 +0000

Was blown away by this amazing performance by David Garret - a cover version of MJs Smooth Criminal.

Before viewing this video, I never thought anyone can play a violin version of this song. This could be one of the best tributes ever!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXkEMwrNjyk

R.I.P Murali

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:18:00 +0000

Malayalam actor Murali passed away yesterday. He was 55 years old.

Murali was one of the finest actors to have graced Malayalam cinema in recent years. He started off with theater and small roles in movies, went on to play leading man, and turned to character roles later on. He has performed in a variety of roles in his movie career, except for comic roles. In some of his earlier movies, he played villain or the villian’s side kick. He then moved on to play the friend of the protagonist in movies such as Lal Salaam, Amaram, etc. It was in the early 90s that he got a break as a leading man. I think Aadharam was his first movie as hero.

I still remember watching Aadharam in theaters. He was so good in the movie and the movie was a hit during the early 90s. After Aadharam, for a brief period during the early 90s, Murali was even considered a threat to the Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammooty. He had a couple of memorable years with movies such as Venkalam, Champakulam Thachan, etc. However, he could not sustain the box-office draw for long and subsequently went back to donning character roles.

For me, some of his memorable roles in Malayalam are Aadharam, Lal Salaam, Amaram, Dhanam, etc.

I had a feeling he was kind of dormant for a while in Malayalam for the last few years. Did not hear much of him since 2004. May be its because I’m not following Malayalam cinema as much as I used to do before. And now suddenly I hear Murali is gone. His death is a huge loss for the Malayalam movie industry. This year seems to be really bad one for Kerala stars. Murali is the third talented personality from the Malayalam movie industry to bid adieu in the last few weeks, after Lohitadas and Rajan P. Dev.

The man may be gone, but movie lovers will remember him through the many roles he portrayed on screen. May his soul rest in peace!

The triumph of willpower over adversity

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:04:00 +0000

Saw this video and felt truly inspired. This woman may not have arms, but she has what it takes to survive - "willpower"

Amazing Photos of Indian Wildlife

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:37:00 +0000

Came across a couple of web sites which deal with Indian wildlife photography.

http://www.thejunglelook.com/
http://kalyanvarma.net/

I was always a fan of breathtaking photographs and was impressed on the first look itself, especially the kalyanverma site. Great set of photos of rare wild animals and birds. Its a pity we can see them only in photos nowadays!

Big Day for Indian Music at World Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:58:00 +0000

AR Rahman wins BAFTAS for best music score for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Zakir Hussain wins Grammy for "Best Contemporary World Music" for his "Global Drum Project" album. Two more Indians were nominated for the Grammys but they didn't win.

Wow! What a day for India & Indian music at the world stage. It seems to be raining music awards these days in the Indian sub-continent. Reminds me of the idiom "When it rains, it pours"!

Bring da Kala Bandar

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:46:00 +0000

It wasnt me i swear
everybody's looking for the monkey out there
Bring da kala bandar
bring da kala bandar
everybodys looking for the monkey out there ..

and so goes the lyrics of the new song 'Hey Kaala Bandar' from Delhi 6. Its a cool & funny song at first listening, but looks like it has more depth to it. The singers have done a good job with this song. Rahman's music is very catchy and funky. Prasoon Joshi's lyrics are fantastic!

Lots of energy, fun, youthfulness in this song. i'm loving every bit of it.

The book I'm trying to read now

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:30:00 +0000

is "Hegemony or Survival" by Noam Chomsky. Its Chomsky's take on America's pursuit of total world domination.

This book is new territory for me - reading wise. I've only read fiction/suspense thrillers so far. This is my first political work. Lets see how it goes...

Bindra's gold makes his blog popular

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:13:00 +0000

http://abhinavbindra.blogspot.com/

This must be the most popular blog written by an Indian sportsperson ever, judging from the number of comments each post is attracting. Just look at the number of comments for the last few posts:

143 81 74 256 183 894

The 894 comments are for a blog post titled 'The day after' which is the first post Abhinav made after winning his Olympic gold. They are full of congratulatory messages from patriotic Indian sports fans. I'm joining the chorus too. Congrats Bindra, for making every Indian proud.

Hope your blog remains popular for a long time to come, and hope some of that popularity rubs off on some non-cricket sports in India!

Amazing concept car from BMW

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:34:00 +0000

Engineers at BMW have come up with a new concept car called GINA. Well not exactly new, because the car was developed 6 years ago, but for some strange reason BMW chose to keep it under wraps for so long! May be they were waiting for the right moment to unveil it.

Whatever be the reason for the delay, GINA looks amazing. Check out the video here. Its metal body is covered by some kind of a fabric which allows the driver to change its shape as per his wish.

You won't be able to see this car on the roads because this is not meant for mass production and will probably be confined to the BMW museum in Munich.

my sprout

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:11:00 +0000

Listening to 'My All'

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:37:00 +0000

I'm currently listening to 'My All' from Mariah Carey's Butterfly album. It is one of my favorite Mariah songs.

I first heard this song when I saw the music video on Channel [V] way back in the late 90s. It was shot in black & white and had its own artistic charm. The video subsequently moved off the shows on TV and I kind of forgot about it for sometime. Then I happened to get the mp3 of this song from my office colleague about 3 years ago and thats when I started listening it again. I must say I'm able to appreciate this song much better now than before.

Great vocals by Mariah Carey, the right kind of music to set the mood and good lyrics make this song an endearing one.

I'm thinking of you
In my sleepless solitude tonight
If it's wrong to love you
Then my heart just won't let me be right
Cause I've drowned in you
And I won't pull through
Without you by my side

I'd give my all
To have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life
To feel
Your body next to mine
Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all
For your love
Tonight

Baby, can you feel me
Imagining I'm looking in your eyes
I can see you clearly
Vividly emblazoned in my mind
And yet you're so far
Like a distant star
I'm wishing on tonight

I'd give my all
To have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life
To feel
Your body next to mine
Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all
For your love
Tonight

I'd give my all
To have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life
To feel
Your body next to mine
Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all
For your love
Tonight

Give my all
For your love
Tonight

Indian Premier League - is it the death knell for non-cricket sports in India?

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:12:00 +0000

I've been wanting to write on this for quite a while, but couldn't find time so far. The first ever auction of cricket players for the Indian Premier League was conducted last week. It was a historical event, one of its kind, never before heard of in cricket history. Players from all test-playing nations except England have been auctioned and sold to the different IPL franchises. Some players like Dhoni & Symonds have fetched astronomical prices while legends such as Shane Warne and Glenn Mcgrath went for lower prices. Well, I'm not bothered much about the price each player commands. I feel its all part of the game and one shouldn't worry too much about it.

I'm worried about something else now. There is lot of hype already about the IPL. Every news channel is covering it. Every print media is featuring it prominently. Yes, the IPL is something new and different. I agree. It is modeled on soccer's English Premier League. Good enough. But what will happen to other sports in India?

Even before IPL was announced, India was a downright cricket crazy nation. All cricket matches featuring India had excellent TV viewership and were followed frenetically from start to finish. Other sports, however, were always given a miss by the audience, by the sponsors and everyone concerned. As Steve Waugh wrote last year, all the money, all the marketing and all the effort are being put into a single game. Nobody spares a thought for the other sportspersons. They suffer in silence. Some of them live in abject poverty. They don't get any recognition from the media or the public.

Corporate sponsors promote only cricket at the expense of other sport disciplines. Just look at the money poured into IPL. Look at the salaries for these players. If a fraction of this money is used for promoting other sports such as football or volleyball or some Olympic event, these games will also improve and non-cricketers can make a life out of it as well.

If you take any non-cricket sport, we have nothing much to show in the international sporting arena even 60 years after independence. There are a couple of individual Olympic medals and a few hockey golds. There is an odd Vishwanathan Anand in chess or a Sania Mirza in tennis. It is not because we don't have the talent. It is because of shabby treatment of players over the years by the government and the concerned sports authorities. Lack of opportunities and lack of sponsorship combined with sheer negligence have nipped many a promising talent in the bud. Now with the IPL and all the money involved, who will want to be a non-cricket sportsperson in India? Upcoming sportspersons will be encouraged to take up cricket by their parents. People in other sport disciplines will switch over to cricket for the money. After may be 10 years, we might have a situation where every young kid born in India knows only cricket. They might not even know other sports exist.

So, is the IPL a death knell to non-cricket sportspersons in India. I'm not sure, but if the attitude of sponsors & authorities do not change for the better, it certainly will be.

Mother of seven at 16!!

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:15:00 +0000

I stumbled upon this piece of news recently. A 16-year-old girl in Argentina became a mother of 7 children when she gave birth to triplets for the second time. The first triplet birth was at age 15. She had her first childbirth at age 14. The girl belongs to a poor family in Argentina and her mother cleans houses to make a living.

This might seem funny and offbeat to some, but it isn't. I'm sure there are many similar cases in India also, but they are not reported in the media or they are hidden from public. This is not just another funny news item that one can read and laugh about. It points to a broader issue of teen pregnancy and exploitation of poor women that has afflicted the modern world. Imagine the pain and agony this girl had to endure at a young age when she herself is a kid. How is she going to look after her 7 children? How long will the government authorities support her? What about her quality of life?

Lots of questions come to my mind, but no answers. May God save her!

My Jodha Akbar 1-hour trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:47:00 +0000

I got to see Jodha Akbar yesterday.

It was totally unexpected. I had just come in to office and was checking emails. Thats when a colleague of mine came and told me he had downloaded the JA movie on his laptop. He told me I can just take it from his system and watch it. He gave me the download link as well. I am no big fan of watching pirated movies. Still, I went ahead and downloaded the movie and saw it.

Well, I didn't quite see the entire movie. I was forwarding some portions here and there so that the entire movie finished within 1 hour. If I'd seen the full movie, it would have taken me around 3 hours and 21 minutes, and I had no time for that. As a result of this 1-hour preview / trailer, I understood the basic story of JA, but not the finer details.

It looks like a grand movie from the settings, the costumes, the music, etc. Hrithik Roshan has portrayed the role of Akbar very well. Aishwarya Rai has turned in one of her better acting performances. The background score and the songs by AR Rahman are good and befitting the movie, as usual. I think the movie should be watched in theaters and not from pirated downloads from the internet. If you watch this movie with an open mind and without any undue expectations, you should be able to appreciate this effort from Ashutosh Gowariker.

Movie seems good enough for at least a one-time watch. I should try and watch this movie before it is taken off the movie screens.

Totally addictive - the music of Jodhaa Akbar

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:23:00 +0000

Ever since I heard Jodhaa Akbar songs last week, I have been hooked to it. I play it on my mp3 player everyday and it runs in an almost infinite loop. This post is by no means a review, as I feel I am not qualified enough to comment on music. This is just a listing of the songs and what I liked in them.

Azeem-O-Shan Shahenshah - I liked this song on the very first listening itself. The song starts off on a set rhythm pattern and it gains pace from around the halfway mark. Slightly reminiscent of 'Ghanan Ghanan' from Lagaan in some portions, but that doesn't take away anything from this song. This songs seems to be praising Akbar all the way.

Jashn-e-bahaaara - I saw a trailer of this song on Youtube even before listening the actual mp3 and liked it. This is a nice 'n' smooth melodious song and it talks about the love starting to build in Akbar's mind. The voice sounds too similar to Sonu Nigam, but it turns out to be Javed Ali. Nice intro to the song. Don't know which instrument is used here, but my guess is Sarod. This is one kind of a song which only A R Rahman seems to able to pull off time and again. Again, I liked this song within 1-2 listenings itself.

Khwaja Mere Khwaja - Any song in ARR's voice is interesting and if it happens to be a Sufi - Qawwali number, its got to be extra special. Before listening to this song, I'd read some reviews saying this song is similar to Zikr from Bose or Piya Haji Ali from Fiza. But I don't see any similarity except for ARR's voice. Needless to say, it is ARR's distinct voice that lends an extra edge to this song. Upon listening to this song, one's mind will be instantly transported to the Durbar of King Akbar. Class.

In Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein - This one is the Sonu Nigam song in the album. The specialty of this song is that it changes form quite a few times throughout the song. Starts off like a melody, then suddenly high-pitched chorus, followed by high-pitched stuff from Sonu himself, and later we can hear him almost whisper a couple of lines, and back to high-pitched singing again. This unusual structure is what works for the song.

Man Mohanna - I read some reviews bashing this song. Most reviews seem to suggest this song is the weakest link in the album. I dont think so. After listening to it 3-4 times, I feel this song has a life of its own and deserves to be seen a good Bhajan type song. Nice melody and overall a classy feel.

Khwaja Instrumental - The first of 2 instrumentals in the album, this song uses Oboe instrument. Can you even think of anyone else coming up with this kind of an instrumental in a movie album? ARR always treads the unusual path and it takes real genius to do that.

Jashn-e-bahaara instrumental - Nice flute played by Naveen in this song. This one is special. There are 2 types of flute in this song. Nice soothing melody and the instrumental version seems to have a calming effect on your mind.

Overall, a very different album from what we have been hearing in recent Hindi movies. Excellent lyrics by Javed Akhtar for all the songs. Although I don't understand much Hindi/Urdu, the usage of words at the right places and the way it complements the music is very good. This is a class album and is apt for a historical movie such as Jodhaa Akbar. I'm not sure how our masses will react to this album. Much will depend on how the movie fares at the box office.

I got a Nokia 6300 in my hand

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:57:00 +0000

After days and weeks of deliberation, I finally traded my old Nokia 3120 for a new Nokia 6300 yesterday. The 3120 had been giving me problems for the past 1 month or so. It used to turn off by itself and then to turn it on I had to remove the battery and put it back again. This used to happen often and at times I least expected.

So once I saw a shiny 6300 in my colleague's hands, I decided I want to get one too. I asked his opinion and he said it was good. Read through some user reviews on the net and most of them seemed positive. That's when I finally decided to give it a try.

So yesterday, in one 'inspired' moment, I called up my friend and asked him to come along. We went to a couple of stores in Velachery's 100 feet road to check out Nokia 6300. We finally ended up buying at Subhiksha mobile store because thats where we got the better deal. However, I came out of the store with some 'not-so-pleasant' thoughts. I'm not very happy with their customer support, but thats fodder for another post. For now, I am trying to figure out what I can do with the Nokia 6300

Most of the holes have limited views behind

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:55:00 +0000

Its been a while since I blogged here. I was sort of dormant for the past 2 months. This is my first post for 2008. So I thought why not start the year on a 'philosophical'note!!

And on that note, here is another great quote from the great Vivekanandan of Andeguys.

'Most of the holes have limited views behind'

Now don't ask me what this means. I am too lame to understand it, leave alone explain it to others. I guess this quote will make more sense when you read it along with the image it was meant for, but unfortunately I don't have that photo with me. Anyway, enjoy the quote.

Ramesh has a collection of Vivek's quotes hosted as Zoho Show presentation.

Read my previous posts on Vivek quotes

If this report is true, most of us are at risk

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:45:00 +0000

of getting cancer of the colon, pancreas, etc.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/31fat.htm

I just hope it is proved false!!

Listening to ATM songs on the new winamp 5.5

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:14:00 +0000

Just upgraded to the latest winamp. It looks cool and seems to have more options than ever before. Will check it out later on.

For now i'm listening to Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (ATM) from ARR. Sounds cool!

Records of MJ

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 19:43:00 +0000

Stumbled upon this wikipedia link which gives a list of records and achievements by Michael Jackson. This is one awesome list. Wow!

This guy has made all sorts of records worldwide, from best-selling album of all time, best-selling artist of all time and much more, and some of these may never be broken. Good read for fans!!

Future perfect?

noreply@blogger.com (Arun) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:27:00 +0000

Argentina's under-20 team win the football u-20 world cup. They beat Czech Republic 2-1. They have now won 5 out of last 7 under-20 world cups. The future looks promising, isn't it?

Argentina current national team of very talented players often start favorites (ahead of Brazil) at every championship they play. But after living up to their billing at the beginning, they seem to run out of steam against tough teams in the later stage. In WC 2006, they lost to Germany when everyone was expecting them to defeat the Germans comprehensively. In Copa America 2007, they lost to a Brazil side sans Ronaldinho and Kaka in the final, beaten fairly easily. All this after dominating previous matches. It must be heart-breaking for Argentinian fans. They seem to have all the talent, but can't seem to win when it matters. Seen in this context, their under-20 team's world cup win is something to savor. Hope this team of future superstars will dominate the world stage in the future.