Walking the thought

Yesterday, I walked to office. It felt very refreshing. I also had a dekko at Rajinder Dhaba--of course, being a vegan I was not keen to sample its wares.
Today, I walked in Deer Park. I saw the deer there for the first time today. They have such beautiful, soft, speaking eyes. A crow had parked itself on a deer's back, and the burdened deer was still peaceful:)
Nothing Authentic/No Escape/No Mercy may be different views of the same thought. Changes of air help blow the cobwebs of our minds clean. Or else, spiders trap flies in parlours with chilling regularity.
Nanotechnology, here we come.

Shine, Shine like a star

I went to a stargazing lecture at IHC. This little girl asked some extremely interesting questions. She asked whether if we put on all the lights in the world, will it equal the light of the sun?
She then proceeded to ask whether each star had its own black hole.
Our teacher then shot back that her black hole would be smaller than his:)
Charming.

On Living Free

Too many people compromise on their ideals as they age. Security fears that exist as a child too often impact the adult. Too many people run from the dark side of the moon to embrace illusions.
It's never too late.
We live in our minds, live with ourselves before we meet the world.
It is hence important to do.
Or else, you die.
To forever hold your peace.

Due Diligence

Today was another first-I overslept. Feel so refreshed I think I may subconsciously of course end up doing this more regularly:) Skimmed through No Logo by Naomi Klien--made much sense, specially when coupled with The Long Tail.

Jo dikhta hai, woh bikta hai

On my way to IHC, a bookseller accosted me. I as usual, bought and then was broke. Even at halfprice these editions of The Namesake & The Inheritance of Loss are not worth the paper they are printed on:( Ah well-- guess I will just shut my eyes tight the next time I see a bookseller on the road.
At IHC, a gentleman who had met Faiz Ahmed Faiz delivered a talk on him. He also played recordings of the poet reciting his own poetry.
Blissful:)

On Being Blonde

Marilyn Monrow, Jane Fondaha
Britney Spears, Americana.
Freedom to be what you want me to be
Queendom of me, azaadi dil ki.

S&M, Anyone?

The Internet is a dominatrix
Everywhere you click, it says submit, submit, submit.

Ah, Poetree

I absolutely adore Wendy Cope's work.

Viral marketing is most insidious
SuperCaliFragilisticexpialido.Cious.

One of my favourites

http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/bait.php

Da Simpsons

I liked the movie- although as they pointed out, it was like watching TV on the big screen. There were so many kids in the hall--somehow the idea of kids giggling ( and they did) at Simpsons felt niggingly incongrous.
Ah well. One lives, one learns. Then hopefully, earns:)

Indian Idol

I started actively following the show to understand a fellow blogger's review of their performances. now I'm hooked. An unexpected side benefit is an enhancement of my knowledge of Hindi film songs. Of course, having never seen the films in question I tend to associate the said song with the Indian Idol singer rather than the original singer.
I have a soft spot for Ankita. I remember when she got voted out she sang even though she was voted out. That's chutzpah.

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows

The way she kept killing characters reminded me of the finale of Hamlet :)

Osian Cinefan

I liked Raami. It was an impressionistic, lyrical sketch that was short (75 minutes) and bittersweet.
Rekados, with three generations of women, who impact each other and their Weltanschauungs through food also touched a chord.
My personal find of the festival was Vanaja. Although I tried to use the synopses on the website to decide which films would be worth a watch, I must admit most turned out to be a different feel from what their writeups suggested. I thought Vanaja would be melodramatic, hackneyed, moralistic. It was none of these. It managed to be funny, shading its characters in grey and the degree film of its director. No wonder it won him an award. The hero did show she was attracted to the son of the house. He does display affection later for her and their child. His mother does berate him and shelter the girl.
I also enjoyed Yojimbo. The score when he walks, his masterly Carpe Diem tactics and Robin Hood acts, toppped by sly digs at cowboy flicks showed a very different side of Kurosawa.
The Birds, too, was a welcome break from "reading people's stomaches."

Koff..koff

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar on Koffee with Karan reminded me strongly of another couple I know. The man too, is a "hiran" as Javed Akhtar called himself, not a "man about the house" as Shabana Azmi wanted. They toil not, neither do they spin, they are but lilies of the field.
Nine generations of poets.
Some family.

Surf's up

While flipping channels I saw Rakhi Sawant being interviewed on Aap ki Adalat. Rajat Sharma's blushes when that redoubtable selfmade ( literally, by her own admission) woman was flirting with him cracked me up.
India TV then proceeded to air the fake encounter video. Whodunit? And why did not the said who raise a finger to announce his/her presence, to save a life and thereby become part of a positive film instead of a horrific one?
As Juvenal remarked, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Who will guard the guards?
Many hands would make light work. And water, too :)

The Simpsons in India

Homer visited India and corrupted/ educated us. I loved the attention to detail- the Indians were actually speaking Hindi in a charming phirang accent. I crosschecked the subtitles. The piece de resistance was the end- which had the Simpsons dancing, with boss and Indians to 'Pal bhar ke liye koi hame pyar kar le. Jhoota hi sahi..." Methinks a bit of a thud results when the jhuta pal is over, both for the lover and the lovee. But they shook a mean leg, one must admit.

Literally

ImPatience. Pushy P.
Pray who does she
Think she be? What if
WE ALL ROSE?
Status Quo.
Not Quite.
Noise level: Up.

Sister Act

The Eco Times is visibly pink
Blushing ( I like to think)
For TOI's being obviously saffron
Using I-Day as an excuse
To stuff us with refuse
In the name of news, it's views
On & on & on ad nauseam.

Words require their spaces too.
Alphabets, lonely, mix, match
Separate, seek a patch
Of land. Here? Timbuktu?