I Love Bangalore. I never thought I would say that, but I do love Bangalore. I was so glad to commute to my office, after I returned from Chennai.
I had been to Chennai for 2 days. Nice place. Huge billboards, different ads and good quality pictures. Only Tamil and absolutely no trace of Hindi. Good chunk of traffic, but it was totally smooth-flowing with no jams anywhere. They have lots of flyovers and have made good use of them. All that I have said is mainly in contrast to what I am used to seeing. No comments on the weather. I didnt feel much difference. Reminded me of Bombay though. Not sunny, but definitely lukewarm hot.
And I should higlight this. There is something very ah, Chennai people are very courteous to ladies. I dont know if this is universal or it stuck in my mind, because both the times I was having a bad time. But its definitely something. First time, a security guard, whose job it was to keep the waiting crowd away from a gate and who was doing a good job at it. He very courteous asked/allowed me to take a seat near there, when I was very very exhausted. And this time, when I was travelling to Chennai, I had to exchange my seat with a guy so he could sit with his wife (who would be in the seat besides mine). I did so and an old couple were now next to me. But this seat headrest was damaged and no way could I complete the journey with my sore painful neck. So instead of me going back, the elderly gentleman exchanged his seat with mine. Nothing amazing to read, but it definitely mattered.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Hum Tum
Monday, June 13, 2005
Movie Day - D \ Mr. & Mrs. Smith. \ Parineeta
Last week was a movie week for me. And especially after a long drought. Tuesday night we saw "Bunty Aur Babli".
And Saturday was spent in just one multiplex. Hubby, me, a couple friend and their 5 year old daughter. We saw D, followed by lunch. Then came Mr and Mrs Smith. Followed by evening coffee and golguppas. And by now we were emptying our purses and wallets for money - as the theatrewallah refused to take cards. Anyway, we collected enough for the night show of Parineeta.The whole experience was so college time-ish.
Nightout was at the friends place. I ended the day with a late night show of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge on TV. Wow !
D: Randeep sported cool ray-ban and style, and spouted management lingo/jargon. What a new recruit needs? Not experience, but training and will to learn. How to increase revenue ? How to start from the scratch in a new area and make it to the top? Etc etc. Only this thing involved guns and underworld. Not bad and nothing special either.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith.: Now this was a movie about a married couple, who discover each has been hidding a secret life from the other. And so, after the first shocks, get immensely mad at each other and into a big fight. After the fight reaches its peak, when there is nothing else left to do except kill each other, they make up - like any other married couple wanting to be together inspite of anything. Nothing unusual. Except that here they use guns (very sophisticated types) and hand-to-hand combat for their fight. Both these elements make this movie an immensely watchable. That plus the witty barbs and cool looking pair.
Parineeta: Now this is a drama. All characters acted well. Lolita in love (for Shekar and her family), Shekar's jealousy, Naveen Rai's greed, Shekar's Mom as mom's usually are, Girish the gentleman, Koyal's crush on Girish, the extremely crisp talkative Bhabhi and her pretend-suffering husband, naughty Charu. All of them combined with beautiful sets and interesting location (Calcutta & Darjeeling) and few good songs, made it a watchable movie. One higlight, in climax when Shekar's mom goes "Sach beta"; here the entire hall exploded in a laugh. And instantly bounced back to the serious mood of the scene. Hmm also, this movie makes me want to start using all hair jewellery again :) Best songs here: Kaisi paheli zindagaani, Piyu bole & Kasto Mazaa (the train song). Sonu Nigam, Sunidi Chauhan & Shreya Goshal excel here.
And Saturday was spent in just one multiplex. Hubby, me, a couple friend and their 5 year old daughter. We saw D, followed by lunch. Then came Mr and Mrs Smith. Followed by evening coffee and golguppas. And by now we were emptying our purses and wallets for money - as the theatrewallah refused to take cards. Anyway, we collected enough for the night show of Parineeta.The whole experience was so college time-ish.
Nightout was at the friends place. I ended the day with a late night show of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge on TV. Wow !
D: Randeep sported cool ray-ban and style, and spouted management lingo/jargon. What a new recruit needs? Not experience, but training and will to learn. How to increase revenue ? How to start from the scratch in a new area and make it to the top? Etc etc. Only this thing involved guns and underworld. Not bad and nothing special either.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith.: Now this was a movie about a married couple, who discover each has been hidding a secret life from the other. And so, after the first shocks, get immensely mad at each other and into a big fight. After the fight reaches its peak, when there is nothing else left to do except kill each other, they make up - like any other married couple wanting to be together inspite of anything. Nothing unusual. Except that here they use guns (very sophisticated types) and hand-to-hand combat for their fight. Both these elements make this movie an immensely watchable. That plus the witty barbs and cool looking pair.
Parineeta: Now this is a drama. All characters acted well. Lolita in love (for Shekar and her family), Shekar's jealousy, Naveen Rai's greed, Shekar's Mom as mom's usually are, Girish the gentleman, Koyal's crush on Girish, the extremely crisp talkative Bhabhi and her pretend-suffering husband, naughty Charu. All of them combined with beautiful sets and interesting location (Calcutta & Darjeeling) and few good songs, made it a watchable movie. One higlight, in climax when Shekar's mom goes "Sach beta"; here the entire hall exploded in a laugh. And instantly bounced back to the serious mood of the scene. Hmm also, this movie makes me want to start using all hair jewellery again :) Best songs here: Kaisi paheli zindagaani, Piyu bole & Kasto Mazaa (the train song). Sonu Nigam, Sunidi Chauhan & Shreya Goshal excel here.
Friday, June 3, 2005
Driving lessons
I drove for the 6th time yester-evening. Wow !
My first lesson were the ABC (Accelerator, Break, Clutch). Combined with Steering control. Gears were not new, thanks to my long experience with geared two wheeler. Same continued the next day. We drove in rural area with almost nil traffic on road. It went so well, my coach (my hubby) never once loss his temper. Next there was a huge huge gap. And I got my next lesson, only by incessantly bugging my hubby. Now this was such a disaster; as if I had never even seen anyone drive. Accel screamed at every light touch. Breaks were always sudden jerk. Wheels never went straight. And that was the begining of my hubby's "coaching rage". Fourth lesson was okay. Fifth lesson went smoothly and ended when I reached a deadlock with an oncoming bus, at a narrow stretch.
Yesternight, I drove through wide but sparse-traffic road. And for a long stretch. 40 minutes, I think. There were two close calls. An overtaking lorry nearly touched us and managed to push us off the road. I stopped, without causing any damage to us or others. This was mainly because I was intimidated. The fix ? "Drive in the middle of the road". What ? "Give way only at the last minute, when required. Now START". Spelt out very patiently. Wow. And so it went on, till I was really really exhausted and really could not see anything in the dark. Hmm, well so this class was about being bold and also use of light blinkers.
Well I do want to learn driving asap. I am worried I might cross the learning age. Dad says, after a particular age, it difficult to get the instincts required for this skill. Hmm, why o why did I waste so much time? I should have got started in my teens and thus by now, driving would have become second nature to me. Okay I was busy with the thrill of driving a scooter or in dozing off in bus, for my daily commute. Driving would have been too much of an effort. Thats why. :D
Anyway, its a matter of some more time and I will be flying a machine ! Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooommm.....
My first lesson were the ABC (Accelerator, Break, Clutch). Combined with Steering control. Gears were not new, thanks to my long experience with geared two wheeler. Same continued the next day. We drove in rural area with almost nil traffic on road. It went so well, my coach (my hubby) never once loss his temper. Next there was a huge huge gap. And I got my next lesson, only by incessantly bugging my hubby. Now this was such a disaster; as if I had never even seen anyone drive. Accel screamed at every light touch. Breaks were always sudden jerk. Wheels never went straight. And that was the begining of my hubby's "coaching rage". Fourth lesson was okay. Fifth lesson went smoothly and ended when I reached a deadlock with an oncoming bus, at a narrow stretch.
Yesternight, I drove through wide but sparse-traffic road. And for a long stretch. 40 minutes, I think. There were two close calls. An overtaking lorry nearly touched us and managed to push us off the road. I stopped, without causing any damage to us or others. This was mainly because I was intimidated. The fix ? "Drive in the middle of the road". What ? "Give way only at the last minute, when required. Now START". Spelt out very patiently. Wow. And so it went on, till I was really really exhausted and really could not see anything in the dark. Hmm, well so this class was about being bold and also use of light blinkers.
Well I do want to learn driving asap. I am worried I might cross the learning age. Dad says, after a particular age, it difficult to get the instincts required for this skill. Hmm, why o why did I waste so much time? I should have got started in my teens and thus by now, driving would have become second nature to me. Okay I was busy with the thrill of driving a scooter or in dozing off in bus, for my daily commute. Driving would have been too much of an effort. Thats why. :D
Anyway, its a matter of some more time and I will be flying a machine ! Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooommm.....
Dus music
"Deedar De" is good, zingy. The shenai or maybe some other wind instrument, it's delicious. In some portions it sounds Arabic. And then reminds of some south Indian folk tunes. Sunidhi Chauhan is growing at speed of light. She was good to begin with, and so has a lead. Sunidhi and Shreya Goshal are truely this generations top female singers. I like Alka too. She is also very skillful in playing with her voice. But now she does belong to the prev-gen.
"Dus bahane" is more foot-tapping yes but also, ah I am not getting the term. Its something which makes you move your shoulders to the beat ! The way Abhishek & Zayed do. And a special edge with a left-dominant hand movement. Good peppy, with the background going "Hyena, Hey now" something :D The drums are good. Music is the highlight, and KK simply goes "Dus bahane karke le gaye dil" while the background sounds carries it forward. Though his voice is a definite plus.
Nothing much to say about other songs. Except they are ok good.
"Dus bahane" is more foot-tapping yes but also, ah I am not getting the term. Its something which makes you move your shoulders to the beat ! The way Abhishek & Zayed do. And a special edge with a left-dominant hand movement. Good peppy, with the background going "Hyena, Hey now" something :D The drums are good. Music is the highlight, and KK simply goes "Dus bahane karke le gaye dil" while the background sounds carries it forward. Though his voice is a definite plus.
Nothing much to say about other songs. Except they are ok good.
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Women scientists
In a radio debate this Saturday, kids innocently said, "Boys are more intelligent than girls, because all great scientists are men."
How incomplete is this info ! For that time, all I could do was wage my finger and declare to my husband that most of the useful inventions were by women and how men stole idea from their women subordinates (ex. DNA double helix). "Wait, wait, I will dig out all info and blog asap".
Everyone knows about Rosalind Franklin. No ? Well now you know. She was the British biophysicist who took the actual x-ray photograph of DNA double helix, in course of her research of nuleic acid. Wilkins, Watson and Crick basically stole that and other info, and published it in their name. And for which they were later awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. The structure of DNA was a basis on which many major discoveries to come were based and basically opened wide the doors to genetic. More here.
Well, here is my list of inventions by women and important lady scientists. This is an important records and I wish it could seep into popular mindset.
Ada Lovelace: Wrote a scientific paper in 1843 that anticipated the development of computer software artificial intelligence and computer music.
Grace Murray Hopper: the Mother of COBOL and one of the most important women in the history of computers.
Marie Curie: also known as Madame Curie discovered radium and furthered x-ray technology.
Mary Anderson: was issued a patent for the windshield wipers in 1905.
Automatic dishwasher was invented by woman named Josephine Garis Cochrane in 1893.
No doubt women have been inventing since the dawn of time without the deserved recognition. These are only a few. There are so many more.
How incomplete is this info ! For that time, all I could do was wage my finger and declare to my husband that most of the useful inventions were by women and how men stole idea from their women subordinates (ex. DNA double helix). "Wait, wait, I will dig out all info and blog asap".
Everyone knows about Rosalind Franklin. No ? Well now you know. She was the British biophysicist who took the actual x-ray photograph of DNA double helix, in course of her research of nuleic acid. Wilkins, Watson and Crick basically stole that and other info, and published it in their name. And for which they were later awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. The structure of DNA was a basis on which many major discoveries to come were based and basically opened wide the doors to genetic. More here.
Well, here is my list of inventions by women and important lady scientists. This is an important records and I wish it could seep into popular mindset.
Ada Lovelace: Wrote a scientific paper in 1843 that anticipated the development of computer software artificial intelligence and computer music.
Grace Murray Hopper: the Mother of COBOL and one of the most important women in the history of computers.
Marie Curie: also known as Madame Curie discovered radium and furthered x-ray technology.
Mary Anderson: was issued a patent for the windshield wipers in 1905.
Automatic dishwasher was invented by woman named Josephine Garis Cochrane in 1893.
No doubt women have been inventing since the dawn of time without the deserved recognition. These are only a few. There are so many more.
TV Filtering
Filtering can be an alternative. But control is never complete. We can filter what kids watch. Possible upto certain age. But how can you control what other adults in the family watch ? We cannot exert control over them. They have as much opinion of right and wrong, as yourself. Needless conflict can result. If not a one shot clash, then there might be slow simmering and an explosion later on.
This is where personal TV concept comes into picture. Like a book. Watch what you want, where you want, when you want, blah blah.
But I am sure the addicition can be so much, we will loose that member for ever. I mean, I remember the slight irritation I felt when friends visited us, while our favourite regular sitcom is on. Or when a long distance relatives calls up, while an interesting scene is playing on TV. This wont happen if it was a case of book, magazine or newspaper. We know it wont run away, and we can always go back to it, after finishing with the friend or relative. Nothing compares to a written word - whether in print or web.
About information from TV, nowadays it is totally laced with some agenda. At most of the news channels, either a lobby is at work, or the sponsor decides the priority or its total crap we could do without. News channel dont build any global community feeling. They only want ratings. After the initial shock, we become passive viewers to far off tragedies. Crime prevention and awareness work better at local community level anyway. Celebrity opnions do not make a better life. Ad discussions, debates and acheiver profiles, are so tiny part of most new networks, they almost always get skipped.
The overhead are too much with TV. We can do well without a TV at home. There is so much entertainment and information available anyway. Plus for learning and growing there are always books, magazines, newspapers, internet and movies in theatre. We can visit places, visit rural areas, see animals (domestic/wild), meet people (relatives, friends, elders, youngsters, strangers, acheivers, all). Nothing compares to first hand experience of life.
This is where personal TV concept comes into picture. Like a book. Watch what you want, where you want, when you want, blah blah.
But I am sure the addicition can be so much, we will loose that member for ever. I mean, I remember the slight irritation I felt when friends visited us, while our favourite regular sitcom is on. Or when a long distance relatives calls up, while an interesting scene is playing on TV. This wont happen if it was a case of book, magazine or newspaper. We know it wont run away, and we can always go back to it, after finishing with the friend or relative. Nothing compares to a written word - whether in print or web.
About information from TV, nowadays it is totally laced with some agenda. At most of the news channels, either a lobby is at work, or the sponsor decides the priority or its total crap we could do without. News channel dont build any global community feeling. They only want ratings. After the initial shock, we become passive viewers to far off tragedies. Crime prevention and awareness work better at local community level anyway. Celebrity opnions do not make a better life. Ad discussions, debates and acheiver profiles, are so tiny part of most new networks, they almost always get skipped.
The overhead are too much with TV. We can do well without a TV at home. There is so much entertainment and information available anyway. Plus for learning and growing there are always books, magazines, newspapers, internet and movies in theatre. We can visit places, visit rural areas, see animals (domestic/wild), meet people (relatives, friends, elders, youngsters, strangers, acheivers, all). Nothing compares to first hand experience of life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)