Aboltabol Unlimited

55

2006-09-01T00:31:00.000-07:00

This is quite addictive, have been following the weekly 55s for sometime now, but never had the enthu to link it here - but this story i think is turning out to be quite interesting.

In response to this from b'lore bytes and this from Chamique.

***

The Captain smiled wryly on seeing the couple go in, when the blonde joined them discreetly, he couldn’t resist turning on the newly installed lavatory surveillance camera.

Two masks came out from pockets; the blonde slumped down unconscious on the floor.
“It’s working, lets kill ‘em all”.

The Captain knew he had seconds to act.

***

Pls to continue...

aboltabol unlimited

2006-08-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

when its drought in assam, the heat is so bad
while the sabarmati overflows in 'dry' ahmedabad,
when the father of indian reforms bows to quota raj politics
as leftist bengal says 'yeh dil maange more' to MNC pesti-cola mix,
when india pip saudi in soccer on shots on target
but the scoreline still makes it a game to forget,
when saurav's inclusion in a squad of 30 is intensely debated
all you can say is sab maaya hai, its all Aboltabol Unlimited.

what do you do...

2006-08-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

...when you've got a long weekend ahead- which could be extended by two days by taking a day off - but no plans, when your PC has crashed and you don't know how many of those priceless claptons and knopflers you would be able to recover - oh yes and the best ".dat"s from campus as well, when you don't like KANKy movies but nothing better seems to be playing anywhere, when you can't even manage tickets for the said movie because apparently there are enough and more people who love to KANK with Karan, when the EPL is still a good week away and not much of sports for company over the weekend either, when you know its likely to be another boring Chelsea-dominated EPL season to look forward to, when the only indian cricket action on tv is a greg chappell interview, when terror and fear seem to outweigh joy and patriotism as we approach yet another Independence Day...
You sulk.

on the subject of subjects...

2006-07-29T02:37:00.000-07:00

My cousin brother, who's in Std 12 and on the verge of college-hood, recently asked me for some gyaan on which subject he should take up for graduation. Now I don't consider giving random global gyaan my forte, but its a sign of the times - it tells me that from being 'one of them' I'm fast becoming...well...one of 'the others' (people you ask for gyaan).
And there are other pointers as well. When Ma's 'daily nag' changes from "so have you thought about higher studies...a Ph.D maybe" (thats a part of the Bengali psyche i think, the 'higher' the better) to "so have you thought about when you want to marry...should we start looking", when reviews and filing tax returns are things top of mind on a breezy July morning, and when the most valuable (well, almost) files in your home comp are MP3s you know you're past 'Brahmacharya'.

Anyway, i digress. This post is supposed to be about how to help my confused li'l bro on choosing the right subject for him. The reason this has me confused is that its a very difficult choice, for me it was almost a trial-and-error, and my favourite subject has changed so many times in school that I lost count. And I've realised its very difficult to figure what you're best at, or what you'll enjoy doing the most, very difficult indeed.
Here's my list of fav subjects, or how they have evolved-

Class 1 to 4: I don't remember subjects, only remember I used to get punished a lot for not doing homework; my most vivid recollection of these years are the games classes - we had this huge football field with some twenty boys running after the ball and tugging at each others' pants and shirts at any given point of time. Goes without saying, I was terrible in studies these years.

Classes 5 and 6: I really started liking Maths, the only two Maths exams in my life in which I scored a 100/100 happened in Class 5. My Dadu (grandpa) was delirious, he used to be my principal tutor at home and the raison d'etre of my numeric abilities. Anyway, I got a whole box of Fruit n Nut chocolates from Dadu...i still dig after those...after the Class V finals and the nuts must have gone straight to my head coz that was the last I saw of the magic three figures in my answer sheet.
My fav in Class 6 was probably Algebra, we had a good prof who made a+a=2a and a*a=a^2 sound really very interesting - I was almost dazed by his magic.

Classes 7 and 8: This was a period of brief flirtations. I liked Chemistry for sometime, especially balancing equations, but it soon lost charm. I started disliking Maths, and I hated Geometry. Physics was interesting in parts but overall, this was a lacklustre phase were I studied to pass exams.

Classes 9 and 10: I was mesmerised by Shakespeare in Class 9, and we had a teacher who used to make the drama come to life in the classroom - the words were difficult and reference checks too many, but we still loved it. First Julius Caesar and then As you Like it, I had never enjoyed English classes so much before. Oh and the same teacher also taught us poetry - and, I'm serious, I even dreamt of Kubla Khan...of sacred rivers, pleasure-domes with caves of ice and caverns measureless to man. Little boy's dreams.

The other subject I loved was Geography - I didn't like layers of soil or kinds of rocks...stuff we were taught in the previous classes, but I grew really fond of drawing colourful rivers, seas, lakes and mountains in maps. If map-pointing was my favourite, topography came a close second, there was something very un-bookish and exciting about examining maps and terrains.
I also found History interesting, especially the freedom struggle part (a welcome break from studying details of medieval temples and Vedic literature) - but somehow the dates and details marred the effect a little bit.

Classes 11 and 12: Since I aws pretty confused after Classs 10 about what I wanted to do, and since I had somehow managed an A in Science in the Boards, I stuck to the default (it was still, my times) option of Science. I don't regret it but I don't think I was cut out. I hated Chemistry (the physical and inorganic parts were ok...the periodic table part was actually interesting, but how someone could like organic chemistry never ceased to amaze me), Maths was ok, Physics was the only science subject I actually liked, and Bio - apart from the frog-killing bit - was tolerable.

After 12, I was genuinely confused. My sister was watching movies (how cool is that...movies as part of curriculum!!) and studying Black literature...among other things... in JU. Even the names of her text books and lit critics (Goodness gracious...David Daiches, she used to say) started sounding interesting. I also had a sudden impulse to study Architecture.
And then I finally got admitted into Statistics for graduation, soon realised it was not for me and changed to Economics in the same college. And, despite having never studied Eco before, somehow it clicked - or so I think.

So how the hell is someone as confused as me supposed to give gyaan to someone on what subject is best for him??

get up, stand up

2006-07-15T03:20:00.000-07:00

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!

Most people think,
Great God will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. jah!

Get up, stand up! (jah, jah!)
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up!)
Dont give up the fight! (life is your right!)

The Jamrocker crooned this in a very different context, but out in the streets they still call it murder!

rain, i don't mind

2006-07-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

The rains are here, finally. Clicked this snap from my balcony today morning, it was still drizzling although you can hardly see the drops, but the smiling trees and the clean-washed skyline still tell that story.

They say Mumbai has only two seasons - rainy and 'non-rainy' because when it does come, the monsoon lasts for a good 4-5 months. But I can't get enough of it.

You wake up with the sound of rain, its still dreary dark outside and its been raining all night. Most of the clothes hung in the balcony line for drying, are still miserably wet. The newspaper-boy is late, and when you finally get your hands on them the papers are soft and wet. You don't feel like taking a bath in this weather, the water is ice-cold and your wet hair will stay like that, like a coat of heavy fresh paint on your scalp, for the next two hours.
These are the times when you curse yourself for still not having a car, auto-rickshaws make the most of a severe demand-supply mismatch in this weather, and you stand in the rain like a clown, umbrella in hand, waiting for some passing rick to have pity and drop you to office. When you finally get an auto, it feels like winning a lottery, so what if the seat is wet and there's no plastic cover on the sides to shield you from the rain. The 15 minute journey takes longer than usual, the rick inevitably stops next to a puddle in a signal, waiting for a rash biker to splash some more water on to your trousers. Not the greatest start to the day, but...I still can't get enough of the rains.

My mother thinks its because I was born on a rainy, stormy night in the middle of an intense Calcutta monsoon, my sis thinks I was a Mongolian from Gobi desert in my last birth (but she enjoys the rains as much as I do) and my 'childhood friend' puts it down to an unusually long hangover of watching Raveena shake it in 'Tip tip barsa pani', but I just continue to lust for the monsoons year after year.
Some of the most lingering images and memories I have...of places, people and phases in my life...feature these wonderful 'monsoon moments'.
Every major place I've lived in have these moments.

Kolkata: of course has too many of these, rainy day-offs in school (best part- the ride back home in the school bus), swimming in the rain when officially the swimming pool was closed but the guard grudgingly relented because you promised you'll be in for only 5 minutes and he's too sweet to break your heart, afternoons of Pujobarshiki and coffee - a drink for 'elders' allowed to bachhas only on these special days, later - bunking school to watch 'A walk in the clouds' in New Empire (or was it Lighthouse!) in pouring rain, coming late for the first class in college every day for three months- and flashing a dripping wet umbrella by way of explanation to the prof, and of course...countless adda sessions in the canteen over steaming tea and shingara. Oh yes, and how can one forget that tram ride over Red Road with a breathtaking view of a freshly green-coated Maidan.

Ahmedabad: the dry soil absorbs rain like a magnet, the neem trees are moist and the branches - which stay gloomily still for the most part of the year, dance madly in joy in the strong breeze, together the smell of the moist earth and the soaked neem leaves creates a magic you can't describe in words, little puddles of water appear on what used to be a dusty patch of barren land, the Sabarmati flows again below Ellisbridge and reminds you of a great river that once was,the drive from Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar suddenly feels like a forest expedition and the road seems to be running through a jungle of greenery, rain-dance, dunking, more dunking, the scary cry of a peacock in the dead of the night takes you back in time.

Delhi: The wide rain-washed roads in Central Delhi are picture-perfect,the North Campus is beautiful and fresh and there's a spring in the step of students who are going to give lectures a wide berth, the aloo-paratha tastes even yummier, CP to Dhaula kuan to Gurgaon - the early morning ride which usually reminds you of the (lack of) road-manners of Delhites suddenly becomes the most beautiful ride in the world, lawns of Hotel Ashoka where some random exhibition is happening suddenly come to life on a sunny winter morning as unseasonal rains have people running helter-skelter: most are only pretending to run away from the rain and looking busy trying to find shelter in the makeshift stalls - they're enjoying every bit of it.

Mumbai: a big 3 day adventure called 26/7, getting wet against the waves in Worli seaface, a quick run along the wet brown mud path in Joggers Park during a sudden burst from the skies - 3 laps is all you get before the jogging track is too muddy for them to allow you to continue, 3 laps to remember for a long time to come, coffee on a wet & breezy Bandstand, drive to Khandala - a Walk in the clouds revisited, pleasant surprises at office - rains equal to early chutti (reminders of a 26/7 that Mumbaikars haven't still recovered from psychologically).

And there's more: a wet chilly evening in Cubbon Park - and then Brigade Road - in Bangalore during a short visit, a ride in the Konark-Puri seaway in the middle of a cyclone - with the surging sea never going out of sight for long, the 14 km climb up to Kedarnath from Gaurikund along a wet slippery trail with mortal fear of a landslide just around the corner - but the best trek of my life...and I can go on.
Here's welcoming monsoons with two open arms...may this year's stay be as memorable.

perfect World Cup...gone wrong

2006-07-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yes its heartbreak time, first Argentina, then England and now Brazil knocked out of the quarters. At the start of the WC, Brazil vs England looked like a dream final (although that was always impossible if both topped their groups, as they did), then Argentina sparkled and we saw flashes of '86 in their attacking game and the dream final one hoped for changed to Brazil-Argentina, and now - in a span of just over 24 hours, both teams are out of the World Cup. Its all gone very wrong.

Brazil and England never looked good enough to be world-beaters, with Brazil a change of gear is always possible, or so we hoped...right down to the last minute against France. With a defense as poor as that, its a wonder how Brazil have conceded just 2 goals in the tournament. In Brazil's opening match when Cafu was caught off-side in one of those trademark counter-attacks, the commentator had remarked "When a right-back is caught off-side, you know its Brazil playing". Yes, goes well with the spirit of Samba magic, only the defenders seem to have forgotten their primary responsibility is to defend - how Roberto Carlos could allow Henry a free header, completely unmarked, can never be explained. I won't shed tears for this Brazil team.

Its different for Argentina. We were watching the Argie-Germany match yesterday at a pub in Khar and when the match ended we just came out on the road and trudged along silently in the rain, totally blank, none of us fell like going home. So much talent in one team that Messi and Saviola had to warm benches, and they still lost!
Some feel the turning point of that game was the injury of goalkeeper Abondanzieri, the reserve keeper looked a bit out of sorts and was no match for his seasoned German counterpart in the penalties. But the real clincher in this game has to be two bad substitutions by Argentina coach Pekerman. Riquelme is Argentina's midfield game-maker, no one makes as many goal-making passes as he does, Cambiasso coming on for him was a surprise. But a ruder surprise was Crespo being replaced by Julio Cruz: if you had to substitute Crespo, why wouldn't you bring on Messi, or Saviola - probably two of the best ball players in the tournament. And when we have already seen Messi and Tevez combine so well with their tricky pace in previous matches. Beats me. I'm sure the explanation would have been that Julio fits a center forward description more cleanly than the others who are primarily wing-players, so he's the right one to replace Crespo. Bullshit. Pekerman simply chickened out in the crunch and went in with the tried and tested, putting experience over talent.

Everyone knew Germany would win if this went into penalties, Lehmann is an expert penalty saver - Arsenal vs Villarreal was not that long back afterall - but with all respect to Germany and the wonder-duo of Klose and Podolski, this game shouldn't have gone into penalties. It was sad that the two best teams in this tournament had to meet in the quarters, but I'm sure the Argies will come back stronger in South Africa in 2010.

Tonight's England-Portugal match was not so much of a heartbreak - I was actually rooting for Portugal. The English had the best defense in the tournament, which is why they have progressed this far, but they simply didn't have enough magic in the midfield or incisive firepower upfront to go any further.J Cole and Lennon were good along the flanks, but Lampard and Gerrard looked strangely off-colour throughout - maybe because their legs are too heavy after a long and busy club season (it isn't funny how the best players who score goals by the dozens for their clubs - Rooney, Ronaldinho, Nistelrooy are the names I can think of in addition to Lampard and Gerrard - have let their fans down this WC).
Yes Rooney's red-card was a bad decision, but remember Portugal got a raw deal as well in the last match and were forced to play without Deco (their best player) and Costinha. Overall, I think Portugal will pose a bigger challenge to France now than England could possibly have. Wth Deco back in the middle Portugal will be a tough team to beat.

But the Cup is now Germany's to lose. How sad is that?

bhartiya rail: loo(ny) history

2006-06-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

I got this fwd from a friend today at office, and almost fell off my chair laughing...

Okhil Chandra Sen wrote this letter to the Sahibganj divisional railway office in 1909. It is on display at the Railway Museum in New Delhi. It was also reproduced under the caption "Travelers' Tales" in the Far Eastern Economic Review

Okhil Babu's letter to the Railway Department :

"I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefore went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with 'lotah' in one hand and 'dhoti' in the next when I am fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on plateform. I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station.

This too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him. I am therefore pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report to papers."

Any guesses why this letter was of historic value?
It apparently led to the introduction of toilets on trains.

hard times - telly, beer belly and other things

2006-06-24T02:32:00.000-07:00

Now that the World Cup has hit a mid-life crisis (sure to be soon revived once the pre-quarters start though), its time for me to take stock of how footie-mania has impacted my professional life, personal life (!) and social life (??).

Ok, staying up till 2.30, and having to get up at 7 next morning, is fine for 1 or 2 days but it gets to you when you stretch it beyond that. Now what do I do when England plays Sweden (what a match, and what a shot by J Cole!), its Argentina vs Netherlands night after at the same bloody time 12.30 am, and there's a Brazil match (I didn't regret seeing this Ronaldo comeback match though) the following night! Simple, you can't resist: first you promise yourself - okay only till half-time. Then England suddenly play well after ages, or you get to see Tevez and Messi combining together like a dream, or see Ronaldo score a goal in the WC (after...what! only two matches...whatever). Now there's no way you can dump that match, so you reconcile yourself to getting up next morning bleary-eyed once again.

Worst part about that is you're inevitably late 'morning after' coz you wanted to sleep for 15 more minutes, your trusted maid who's your emergency alarm-bell doesn't turn up (tells you later she rang the bell twice but you didn't respond) and you're ready to shout at anyone who comes your way, the traffic signals always seem to be conspire against you and, this is the most irritating part, most people in office look perfectly cool and composed when you finally huff and puff to your desk. One look and your boss knows it was another late night and the look screams 'oh grow up child, get a life'.
Ok now on my boss. He's a nice guy. He even followed sports - mostly cricket, but football also - till recently. He can rattle off the jersey nos of almost everyone who played in the '86 world cup. But something has changed - he got married last yr and...well, is totally domesticated now, I'll leave it at that.
So you slog through the day, controlling post-lunch yawns is a big fight but you valiantly march on!
6.30 pm: you're thinking about sneaking out early today, when you're unexpectedly called for this meeting (ya Q1 is the time for plans and reviews and more crap) which carries on for...yes I'm lucky... only one hour. Off for the day!

8 pm: the gym usually doesn't let you down - good music, more bleary-eyed people like you who discuss soccer and abuse their bosses, relaxing workout, and usually some more relaxing...err...inspiration of a different kind. All is well till the instructor remarks "Umm, that li'l belly you're putting on...is that because of all the pubbing you're doing lately?". This guy knows me too well - I valiantly argue to prove 'beer-belly' is a concept that has long been written off by scientists as baseless: case in point - European countries where the per capita beer consumption is highest don't have more overweight people than other countries. Plus, I'm not really a hardcore beer-guzzler who drowns a pitcher all by himself! I stop at 2 mugs, and I drink only when I'm out on weekends: nothing doing, I'm subjected to the tread-mill which I genuinely abhor ! While sprinting with a scowl on my face, I do a lazy recollection: actually, that was four times in the last eight evenings - all with friends over soccer matches; worse, I can't stop eating when I'm drinking - and pubs have a great non-stop supply of chicken wings, french fries, peanuts and popcorn just for people like me! I run some more to feel better.

PS: The newspapers say Ronaldo at 1.83 m and 90.5 kgs, is just 500 gms above the ideal weight for his height. I have much reason to cheer - I'm a Greek God.

cause and effect

2006-06-17T03:30:00.000-07:00

Effect: Messi is back and Argentina rocks, Ronaldo can't move and Brazil shocks

Cause: Thats called Sweet-zer-landing into trouble

Disclaimer: I'm still a Ronaldo fan and think he will make a strong comeback after all the flak he received on the Croatia match...just weight and watch man.

what a start!

2006-06-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous soccer weekend this was! And so far the Boys in Blue have rocked. I'm a loyal Man U fan but Mourinho's boys have showed over the last 3 days just why Chelsea has made the EPL such a painfully one-sided affair in the last 2 yrs.
Consider this: Crespo and Drogba both scored in the Argentina-Ivory Coast match, Robben single-handedly won the game for Netherlands yesterday, and Lampard was the one English player who looked like scoring. Thats a lot of strike power from one club!

Ok, summary of the first weekend-
Best team: Argentina (what a match!)
Best goal: Frings (Geramny, last goal against Costa Rica, BOOOOMM)
Best Player: Robben (anybody will die to get two left feet...those of Robben that is)

PJ of the weekend: Ya you get to hear lots of PJs when you watch matches with nutcases but the worst one was when this Angola player Loco (the one with the strange haircut) fouled Figo in the Portugal match.
Nut 1: That was a pointless challenge, needless yellow card
Nut 2: Ya but Loco is like that only, no purpose in his game
Nut 1: "No purpose"... what is that supposed to mean?
Nut 2: Think about it, if Loco had a Motive why would he run in a football field?

Aaargh! But what a weeekend.

PS: To the four and a half regular visitors here - no I haven't given up on this blog just yet - its just that my home Net connection is still down, and all the posting I get to do is from office or cybercafes; hopefully more frequent posts in the near future.

a dream WC final

2006-05-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

thats brazil vs england for you (a real possibility i think). this is what i think the teams will be - yes i'm hoping rooney will be up and running by then. if that happens, this england team looks almost final (injuries apart), the brazil team looks more susceptible to change.

and what will be the outcome? we've got two fantastic midfields, but the brazil defense is a clear contrast to england's strong wall of ferdinand, terry, neville and cole. carlos and cafu, on the other hand, are ageing (not so gracefully!) and lucio and juan don't really look all that dependable. so for brazil the funda looks clear: score more than you concede!
although i'll support brazil (like 80% of india will) i think eng have got the edge, at least on paper.

ps: i've assumed a basic formation here, i expect eng to go with 4-4-2 and brazil to go with somethg like a 4-2-2-2.

arjun the rocker...on reservations

2006-05-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

When Arjun Singh decided to be Eminem, he sang this version of “Lose Yourself…”, ok you need to sing this out in your best slim shady voice to really enjoy. Love it.

I am old
But my decisions are bold
Students do what you are told
Can’t u see for votes my principles are sold
I am a minister
Not someone sinister
I wanna give everyone an equal chance
So my chances of becoming prime minister enhance
I can barely stand
Need others to hold my hand
But look what I have done in the past
Divided the nation over caste
With me your future is secure
Reservation is the only cure
My intentions are noble and pure
I will make you leave the great nation
That’s for sure.....................................

feels nice

2006-05-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

...to be back home (only 3 daYS, so what!) & this is what i've done today-

got all wet in the rain- ya it was pouring and pouring and pouring today morning (heck it still is!) & i made the most of it. to add to my 'first time' of the season: a drive through EMB in the rain & listening to Chand Sifarish
Got to read Anondobajar & Telegraph after ages! ya and Buddha is all over the front pages (see it even rhymes)
laid my hands on some nice books courtesy my sweet sis who was also (not entirely co-incidentally) also in Cal. Animal farm and Portrait of the artist...not sure how i wd like Joyce but its like ages since i hv read a good book. ya of late my reading has been limited mostly to newpapers, magazines..incl the likes of Maxim ;)
Indulged in Pet-Puja...ya i don't mind gaining 3 kilos in 3 days

And I still have the whole of tonight and tomorrow...i gotto go now, time flies here.

tantric macbeth and butch cassidy

2006-05-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

Saw Alyque Padamsee's Macbeth recently at tata theatre. they gave it a very interesting tantric interpretation - essentially connecting Macbeth's deriving power and inspiration (albeit for an evil cause) from Lady Macbeth to the source of tantric power (shiva's union with kali or shakti).
What made the play special was the spectacular production values - a combination of the haunting background score - especially in the witches' scenes - superb lighting and stage designs.

that was last sunday, this weekend hasn't taken off so far. i'm humming raindrops keep fallin... all day today - although still no signs of monsoon ( or heck pre-monsoon) here.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin' seems to fit
Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'...

while my guitar gently Sleeps...

2006-04-29T04:31:00.000-07:00

Wanted a nice spanish guitar for a comp wallpaper for sometime now...& this is what I found while searching for it. Ya I love it.

lost for words

2006-04-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

sweated in the heat one more day, missed the mezcal jazz show after lot of planning on how not to, argued with my punju neighbour (politely) on why i have every right to play loud music for half an hr every day...or night, and now i must go sleep to wake up on time tmrw.
life is a lemon.

oh and my neighbour plays the jhin-chak mindless punju remixes all day on weekends about which i don't crib, its only music at night that he has a problem with...%^&*#

enough to stir the movie critic in me

2006-04-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

This had to be the most-awaited sequel of the last decade, and what a BIIG letdown! now sequels are known to disappoint, but Basic Instint 2 has to go down as among the worst of the lot methinks.a weak - and by now predictable - plot, average acting, NO action (now although the car-chases in BI-1 were not the most memorable scenes of the movie admittedly, they did hugely add to the thrill and paciness of the movie), almost no sexual tension between the lead pair... all contribute to a bland movie experience.

sharon stone is still super-hot but morrissey is too damn uptight british to recreate the smouldering chemistry we saw in BI-1. and to say that because michael douglas was a detective while poor mr glass here is a shrink so you can't compare the two characters is a real real lame excuse...david morissey has to be the biggest mis-cast of the decade !!

ok so why am i sooo pissed off about what most ppl already knew would be an average movie? because BI was one of those rare 'cult' movies for our generation at school...ya i must have been in class 7 or 8, but going out with friends to watch the much-edited version of that movie has to rank among the highs of my school-days and balak-hood. and such a disappointing sequel to THAT??

all said though, its still probably worth one watch for all fans of BI just to pay obeisance to...ya right...miss catherine tramell.

generally...

2006-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

I am missing Kolkata suddenly, what with people reminding me how the weather this week back home has suddenly become cool and breezy. this after staying out of the city for almost 5 yrs now (ya 2001 was THAT long back). as a kid i used to be terribly scared of kalboishakhis (nor'westerlies), but now i really really wish i could get to enjoy one. bombay is hot and stuffy as usual, and the traffic just keeps getting worse...
anyway, while i'm still at being nostalgic on kolkata, there are a lots of other things come to think of it...to add to that list: kaancha aamer chatni for one (this is just the season),alur-dam and phuchka at vivekananda park (or even putiram would do fine), not to speak of evening adda-sessions - and of course with elections coming up there's enough political fodder to add spice to the adda.

Ya, being a Bong outside Cal, there are lots of things friends pull ur leg about - you are inevitably branded as a die-hard marxist, or a loyal sourav-da fan (no denying this one), or being an art & culture freak 'bhadralok' (esp if you are a bespectacled bong like me), or being a fish-addict (which i'm not, except for ilish and chingri)...and of course you get perenially accused of speaking in bangla every time you meet another fellow bong, of course the tams and gults are accused equally, if not more, of that one at least. But the good thing is whichever city or company or place you land up in, without exception, generally thr are enough Bongs to share an odd round of adda or similar bouts of nostalgia pangs.
Of course, probashi bengalis, i've noticed, are somehow more reserved and toned down...an adda session is incomplete without the odd 'bishuddho khisti' (excuse moi, thats a 'pure abusive slang'...go figure) but thats something one has to get used to...the lack of it that is.

enough ranting for the day, i didn't intend my first real post to be a nostalgia trip on bongs and bong-land, but thats how it will be now...

Yess !!

2006-04-13T03:39:00.000-07:00

Finally i have my own blog...i hv thought about this for a looooog time now but hv somehow been too busy (can't find a better excuse)...but here i am, & here's my first post. Can't wait to press 'publish'. yipee.