Nothing more to write....for now..

Am going to be away... for a long time..

365 and counting..

Today I complete one year of quitting smoking. I have been smoke free for 365 days.
It feels good.

So my dear smoker friends...go ahead and kick the butt!!

My review of I too had a Love story

I too had a Love story – Ravinder Singh

As I have said before, the best stories are the ones which are felt in the heart.
The book is a tragic love story of a common guy who works for Infy. As quoted by Mr.Narayana Murthy, the book is simple, honest and touching. I completely agree.

The book is a must read for everyone who has fallen in love. You can relate to the story easily and you will definitely end up loving your partner even more once you are through.

Thanks to Mr.S.P. for recommending this book.

Me

This is me as described by a dear friend:

http://normally-crazy.blogspot.com/2008/07/dil-dosti-aur-kya-kya.html

My review of Maximum City

Maximum city: Suketu Mehta

Since long I had being hearing a lot of good about this book and being a Mumbaiite, I wanted to read this one. I was finally able to lay my hands on this book last month (Courtesy QA Library). Now that I am through with it, I am glad that I didn’t buy this book (thanks to Vijay who always discouraged me from buying this book). I didn’t like it.

The author is an NRI, who had moved out of Mumbai in his school days. He came back to Mumbai with his family after fifteen years. This is when he did his research and wrote this book. The book is actually a peep into Mumbai (Mumbai, he says is one of kind.), from different angles. Mehta has written about the Mumbai weather, the 1993 riots, politicians, Bollywood (films and people), Mumbai police, schools, real estate, gangsters, bar dancers, slum dwellers, visitors to the city, the spirit of the city, etc, etc.. The only good part about the book is that it is honest and transparent and I would give full credit to the author for his meticulous research (since it would be difficult for an outsider to actually unearth information regarding some of the sensitive issues he has written about). Mehta is also very observant. There are many things which he writes about, which only people who have stayed in Mumbai for long can visualise.

Now the bad part! Since most of the book is based on interviews, most of the data is scattered and lacking continuity. You could read about a topic for five pages, then suddenly there would be something completely new on the sixth page, then again the old topic would resume on the eighth page and so on. There is a clear lack of continuity. Most of the people Mehta has written about are the ones whom he had befriended (some names in the books have been changed… but surprisingly only the names of people who are not famous have been changed.. The popular names are all in there adding to the selling value of the book.. Smart move on the part of the author!). Infact Vidhu Vinod Chopra was quite upset when Mehta included some private information about him in the book, which he shouldn’t have (http://soniafaleiro.blogspot.com/2005/09/twas-me.html).

There are also some topics on the book, which have been stretched. There is also a lot of repeat of material. Some of the topics are just tales of his interaction with the people, which have no connection whatsoever with the ongoing topic. The worst part is the last seventy pages of the book, which are better to be skipped. All in all, only a select few topics in the book.. which is approx 1/3 rd of the book (riots, Mumbai police, bollywood) are worth reading and the rest can be ignored. The good part of the book gets over in the first half, the second half is boring..no other word for it.

Mehta comes across as fearless, if you take into consideration the things he has written about some of the big men here…but its easy to do that when you stay in another continent. I don’t think he will ever return to Mumbai.

Mumbai…where people don’t forgive easy.

More movies..

Hotel Rwanda (2004) - Excellent movie. Must watch!
Traitor (2008) - Good movie. Great first half, but the second half was lame.
10000 B.C. (2008) - Not so good. The movie is a combination of Apocalypto, 300 and Lord of the Rings.
Dodgeball (2004) - Good movie. 3/5.
The talented Mr.Ripley (1999) - The movie is good, but depressing. I didnt like it much.

Note: Deshdrohi...last 30 mins remaining...God, give me courage!!

Soldier of fortune

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=VGHbzP96WWA

I have often told you stories

About the way

I lived the life of a drifter

Waiting for the day

When I’d take your hand

And sing you songs

Then maybe you would say

Come lay with me n love me

And I would surely stay

Now I feel I’m growing older

And all the songs that I have sung

Echo in the distance

Like the sound

Of a windmill goin` `round

I guess I’ll always be...

A soldier of fortune

Many times I’ve been a traveler

I looked for something new

In days of old

When nights were cold

I wandered without you

But those days I thought my eyes

Could seen you standing near

Though blindness is confusing

It shows that you’re not here

Now I feel I’m growing older

And the songs that I have sung

Echo in the distance

Like the sound

Of a windmill goin` `round

I guess I’ll always be...

A soldier of fortune

Yes, I can hear the sound

Of a windmill goin` `round

I guess I’ll always be

A soldier of fortune..

Movies..

A list of good movies that I watched in the last 2 weeks:

The Guns of Navarone (1961)
The Italian job (1969)
Clerks (1994)
The Prestige (2006)
16 Blocks (2006)
Dan in real life (2007)
Mirrors (2008) -- Ok types..not that great
Zack and Miri make a porno (2008) -- Ok types..not for girls.


Note: Finished first 30 minutes of Deshdrohi. Dont have the guts to watch the whole flick in one go. :)

Moments

He flipped the page of his novel and at the same time utilized the free moment to scan the other seats in the coffee parlor. Most of them were still empty, since it was too early in the afternoon to have coffee. He was always here at this time every Saturday, to enjoy the space and silence. And of course the superb black coffee too!
The moment lingered for a little longer than usual as he sipped his coffee and let the refreshing taste please his taste buds. Then he was back to his book. The book was the latest work of his favorite author and it was nearing the climax. Within a few minutes, it was time to turn the page again. This time, since the story was at its thrilling best, he decided to compress the free moment. He flipped the page with one hand, grabbed the coffee mug with his other hand and threw a quick glance at the other seats. This is when the moment froze…
She wasn’t less than a Goddess. Long jet-black straight hair, twinkling mischievous brown eyes, luscious rosy lips… the effect was dizzying. Her face was beautiful. No! Beautiful was too ordinary a word to define her facial features, which were sharp and sculpted with great care by the Almighty himself. She was looking stunning in a black embroidered salwaar kameez. The matching stunning high-heeled sandals also did their part in the whole image. She c across to him as a representation of beauty and grace and much more which couldn’t be put into words.
He tried to take his eyes off her, but they refused to obey. He wanted to speak to her, know her, understand her and worship her. He wanted to love her and wanted her to love him back. He had decided all this in a single moment. A Single Moment!
The very next moment the dream was shattered. A guy with long hair and bulging biceps with two cups of coffee in his hands made his way to her table and sat across her, smiling at her. She smiled back at him.
He returned to his book and his coffee…

Life is made up of many such moments, some good and some bad…. So sit back and enjoy the journey… also enjoy your books and your drinks.

Need a name

My friend and I happened to notice these paintings at a local restaurant. My friend suggested a name which fitted these beauties perfectly.
What would you call them?