Growing Up or Growing Old?

Recently, one of my very good friends, L, told me that I had changed a lot since first year(for the uninitiated, I'm a final year student). I asked her in what way. And her reply just sent me into a spiral of despair; she said I had become more serious, more mature and I laughed a lot less. And, everyone else seems to agree, including me.

I remember the kind of person I was in school. My friends and me were wee bit mental, but that was the fun of it! I mean, we used to laugh at almost everything. We never took anything seriously. Even exams :D

I remember this one time, when we all had hardly studied except Jinx(nerd of our group). I think it was Chemistry and we had like 21 lessons or something. Most of us had studied just 5-6. And that's the truth. So, we are all sitting silently in the class with 10 minutes to go to the exam and suddenly, if I remember correctly, Jass started humming the first line of the song Right Here Right Now from the movie Bluffmaster. And the effect of what followed was almost magical because each one of us - Munch, Jass, Pri and me- started singing, producing a very very good version of the original. Obviously, Jinx was staring at us like we had gone bonkers because we were interrupting her third revision.

Now, my gang loved this song for many reasons:

1) Even the bad singers could take part in the song, that is the Abhishek Bachchan part.

2) We all LOVED imitating Priyanka Chopra and her trying-to-be-sexy-but-failing-miserably act.

3) Pretty models in skimpy clothes + a bed still equals a very very effeminate Abhishek. Only possible in his case :D

Sigh...good times!

Anyways, I have decided to stop mopping around like the entire world is on my shoulders and just be happy!

By the way, the reason this post came up is because last night my brother T and me were laughing till we had tears in our eyes. It has been really long since that happened! Oh, and we were laughing over Malcolm in the Middle...it's awesome. Highly recommended!

Funny.

One of the best comics I have ever come across.

Funny, right?

P.S.: Alright, you got me. I had no writing to do in this post. It's difficult to post everyday!

And the award goes to...

Recently, our very own Mozart, A.R. Rahman, won two Oscars for his brilliant music direction, in Slumdog Millionaire. This got me thinking. We Indians do have an ear for music, but do we have an ear for words, rather lyrics? Take a look at the follwing.

Disclaimer: Take a breather and sit down. These songs might cause cardiac insomnia.

-> Cow dies,

Man eats,

Take the skin,

Beat the drum

Naaku Mukka(x14) - I'm ain't kiddin' here.

Yep, one of the biggest hits of the year. Got all of Tamil Nadu(dare I say India) on the dance floor. When there are lightning fast beats, who gives a damn about the lyrics!?!

-> When I close my eyes,

and I'm about to sleep,

My bedroom fan comes down,

And wakes me up,

And tells me to think of you

If you have a broken-hearted friend, who has a really big nose and atrocious spectacles and bugs bunny teeth, this is the song for him. Guarenteed to make you commit suicide after you hear the ghastly rap from Blaaze(who in my opinion might just be your friendly neighbourhood bathroom singer, nay, rapper).

-> Light a cigarette,

From the liver,

There's a huge fire,

In my liver.

This might be because Bips has a lotta bile(pun intended).

And to think that India once produced great poets like Rabindranath Tagore, Kalidas among many others.

I leave you with the best one.

-> Where is the party tonight?

(low pitched grunt)

It's in your house.

Where is the party tonight?

(yet another low pitched grunt)

It's in my house.

Where is the party tonight?

(low pitched grunt, again)

In the middle of the road.

Where is the party tonight?

(the last low pitched grunt)

In Tamil Nadu.

Lemon

So, I promised a post everyday, and here I am. In my previous post I had mentioned that I have started cooking. The title of this post might seem confusing right now, but I guarantee that by the end of this post, you will know what I am talking about. Oh, by the way I have tossed in a few pictures to go along with the post, so keep a napkin ready...you might want to wipe that drool :D

Last night, I pushed my poor, poor mother out of the kitchen and claimed the territory. Though my mother was screaming bloody murder, I being the stubborn person that I am, decided to make a side-dish to go with the amazing chapatis that my mom had prepared. So, I popped into the fridge and decided to prepare what I proudly call "Cauliflower Zing".

And here are few pictures(Caution - they might cause drool):

Look at the rich beautiful green peeking between that golden yellow and yum brown!

And, for your information, it was delish!

And no, you may not request the recipe! It's a secret....muhahaha!

Am I forgetting something? Oh yeah, the name of the post. Well, I may have gone a tad overboard with the lemon juice :P

Guess who's back...ta-da-da....Back again!

The title of this post is inspired by Eminem's song "Without Me".

So I know I haven't been writing regularly. And this time I have no excuse at all. I mean, it has been more than 10 days since my vacations started!

So what have I been doing all this time? Good question. And the answer is: not much. Or that's the answer I give my friends. Truthfully speaking, I have been doing a little more than 'not much'. I have watched 13 movies since I came home, I have cooked 2 dishes entirely by myself without any help at all from my mother, I have almost finished reading a book, and I have started watching Frasier. Jam-packed schedule, huh?

Point is, I have decided to write more, so here I am. I promise(and I hope not to break it) to write a post everyday. That's right. Every single day. So help me God!

Readers, prepare yourselves for lot of reviews, pointless posts and (maybe) a broken promise, because I am back(cue theme music)!

My First Common Crush

Well, this was one of the more prominent ones. I still remember how my close, close friend Jass and I used to hang on to the remote, switching between music channels at the speed of light...waiting to catch a glimpse of 'Him'. Who is 'He'? 'He' is the most good-looking guy, the most awesome dancer, the most talented singer and the best music composer...well at least 'He' was at that time...to be more specific regarding the time=>when I was in 11th grade. Who is 'He'(this is the last time I use quotes)? See for yourself.

Yeah I know, he is not even that cute. He's a bit of a douche, really(see 0:38 in the video). Actually J loved him more than me. Much more. There was this one incident I cannot forget when she was walking down Rolla Square at 6 PM(rush hour).

Oh by the way, this is how Rolla Square looks when it's NOT crowded.

Anyhoo, she is about to cross the street when she sees this poster of him outside some shady video rental store and she stepped in front of a Hummer and nearly killed herself. But of course, the first thing she did after returning home was punch in my number and let out squeals of glory regarding how cute he looked, how awesome his hair looked, etc. Yes, she is mental.

I saw the video again a few days back, and I don't know why I had a crush on this guy in the first place! But I've to admit, he dances well :) He is the classic example of a person whose talent overshadows his looks. But more than this, more than anything else, the reason I still like this video is a memory I have. A memory in which two silly 11th grade girls swoon over their first common crush :)

The Placement Treatment

So, I haven't told my readers yet...I'm placed :) *applause* Yes, keep sending me those lovely bouquets! It was a huge surprise actually...my tests were 2 days away and the moment I came to know that I got placed, my books somehow repelled my eyes(not that I was inclined to pick them up earlier but whatever). I finally feel I've accomplished something after 3 years of doing almost nothing :) Life has been good, people.

Anyway, the fun part is what comes after someone gets placed. In my hostel(Opal), we have a wide range of options to choose from...weather-dependent and what's-in-the-mess-dependent of course.

Rainy Weather

Pick up the placed person and throw her mercilessly into the extremely dirty puddles that crowd our quadrangle. Note that these puddles are a party venue for bacteria and red ants. You think it's over? Not so fast! Surround the placed girl and start kicking her, brutally. What about the girls whose boyfriends got placed? Throw them in as well! Someone's feeling left out...jump right in!!! I got this treatment, and boy, it was fun!

Thayir Saadham Day

Thayir Saadham/Congealed Goo lying solitarily in the mess? No problemo! Just ladle generous amounts onto the plate. Lure the placed girl out of her room stating some phony excuse. Surround her like a bunch of vultures around a baby harp seal. Scream...Aim...Fire! Combine this baby with eggs and she's bound to stink for a week!

Bumps!!!

The classic bumps treatment...no introduction required. Just wear your strongest shoes and kick the placed girl non-stop. She will be walking sideways for a week...guaranteed ;)

These are some of the decent things that I could put up for public viewing :D Geez, I'm gonna miss hostel :)

You have to push boundaries to make discoveries!

Well, the title of this post was the 5th and final question in my Creative Writing paper. I had to write an original story revolving around this title. Now, you've to know something about me. I hate writing in exams. I keep my answers short. Very short, in fact. Whilst people complain about taking only four extra sheets in addition to the 18-sheet booklet that they already have, I rejoice after filling up 12 sheets with crap that no one cares about. Also, I love looking at the ceiling during exams. Somehow, the answers just drop into my head. This is, however, time-consuming and suspicion-inducing. So, I had about 5 minutes left to complete a 5 mark question. No time to look at the ceiling. And then I thought about my trip to Delhi-Jaipur-Fatehpur Sikri-Gurgaon and I decided to write the following original story...of course, I toned down the language in the paper :)

Jaipur was hot. It was hot, stuffy, and full of people. And forts. Every fort was a stone's throw away from another fort. And as it turns out, I couldn't care less for forts. I don't see the difference in the architecture of a fort built in 1800 and a fort built in 1810!

And the tour guides were just irritating. They claimed to take us "phree of coast" and give us "ejclujive tour" of the forts. While they gave us facts that were too unbelievable to be facts, we stood around drinking water, juice, kulfi(it melted)..pretty much anything to keep ourselves hydrated. By the end of the second day, we were too tired to lift a finger.

So on our drive back to the hotel, it was with great difficulty that we decided to see one more fort. And that, my friends, was one of the best decisions ever. When I walked into the fort, it noticed that it was empty, with the exception of a jolly old man sitting in a corner. He told me to look around; he didn't insist on giving me a tour. I liked him for that :)

I noticed a wide staircase and started climbing it. The walls were lined with faded paintings, but there was something so beautiful about the paintings. The paintings were so lonely, but so very expressive.

As I reached to top of the staircase, I saw a circular room. The walls were almost reduced to rubble. But they left a window that stretched on for half of the room's perimeter. And as I looked out of the window, I saw something that I'd never seen in Jaipur before. The dwindling streets, the quaint houses, the colourful shops - it was such a breathtaking view. I felt like I was in Utopia. I was glad that I decided to visit that fort. If I hadn't I wouldn't have believed that Jaipur was truly a beautiful city :)

18 things to do before I hit 25 :)

It has taken me quite some time to think about the things I want to do before I turn 25 (This post has been a draft for more than a month!). In fact, it was initially "25 things to do before I turn 25", but I fell short of 7 :P


I would be happy if I did at least a few! Some of the things on the list don't make sense. It's just crazy stuff that I would like to do to have fun! Some of the things on the list are wee bit sensible. Here's to hoping I manage to do atleast half on the things in the list :)

• Go Bungee Jumping!




• Get blue highlights(and shock parents out of their wits).





• Watch Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag. Must. Watch. It.

• Learn juggling!







• Somehow convey to George Clooney that I'm in love with him. Sigh!

• Get a pet turtle or pet tortoise.








• Learn the difference between turtle and tortoise.

• See the Dead Sea!

• Watch a cricket match live. Preferably Aussies against England.

• Win a pani puri eating contest.

• Visit Machu Picchu. It just looks so beautiful in pictures!
  



• Go on an all-expenses-paid-by-me trip to USA with Appa, Amma and Tarun :) Oh and I hope that Tarun doesn't get food poisoning and ruin the trip (like he did when we went to Singapore in 2000...first and last time we ever went on a trip...)

• Watch all the James Bond movies. Especially the Roger Moore ones. My god, he is awesome!







• Say either one or all of the following: "How do you like me now, bitch?", "Oh no she di'int!","Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!" :D

• Buy an Audi R8. *drool*

• Get a tattoo! Maybe some sexy arabic calligraphy or a dragon.




• Pick up a cockroach -wait for it-with my bare hands -here's the kicker- without screaming.
  
  



• Plant saplings. Go the Captain Planet way.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Well, not right now but exactly one week from now, my father would be accusing us of delay. See, this is how it works in our family.

while(journey)
{
switch(time)
{
case 9:00 A.M.:
Appa: We should leave at 8:30 P.M., maximum. Train is at 10:00 P.M.
All: Ok.

case 3:00 P.M.:
Appa: We should leave at 9:00 P.M., maximum. Train is at 10:00 P.M.
All: Ok.

case 6:00 P.M.:
Appa: We should leave at 9:15 P.M., maximum. Train is at 10:00 P.M.
All: Ok.

case 9:30 P.M.:
We actually leave home.

case 9:59 P.M.:
All: Yay! We made it.
Appa: Reeeeally...you people...next time, I'm telling youuuu...
}
}

So hell(NIT Trichy) beckons and I must be there no later than 12th. Yeah, bull. I'm gonna be there on 18th. I seriously don't want to go back this time. I mean, usually at the end of other vacations I say the same thing. But this time is different. This time, I really don't want to go back. See how I put 'really' in bold?

I'm most comfortable at home. At home, I'm an annoying, irritating, over-confident, loud-mouthed know-it-all. At college, I'm nothing like that. Maybe annoying and irritating. But everything else goes down the drain. I know it seems like I adhere perfectly to the character sketch even in college, but seriously, I'm nothing like that. This semester is going to be the worst yet. I'm absolutely 100% sure that my self-confidence level is going to be on the negative side.

I've observed that there are two kinds of people:

• Chilled out-> I love these people. They're genuinely chilled out and they don't give a shit. How amazing is that!

• Freaked out-> I love these people. They're genuinely freaked out and they are open about it. How amazing is that!

Then, there's the third kind.

• Chilled out on the outside, freaked out on the inside-> I hate these people. They act like they've got their shit together. But one day, their pent-up frustrations give way to the freaked out persona.

I'm the third kind. And believe me, next semester is going to be full of mood fluctuations. Oh Genie, I just want one wish from you. I wish I could stay home :(

R.I.P. M.J.

A little over a year ago, the King of Pop, the ultimate entertainer, the philanthropist and the benevolent human being , Michael Jackson passed away.

When I woke up on June 26Th, 2009, my grandmother came to me and said "I didn't want to tell you the moment you woke up, but Michael Jackson is dead". It's incredible how my grandmother who doesn't even listen to English music, knew who Michael was.

I was not a very big fan but I did like his music. And I know I'm probably a few days too late to pay him a tribute, but I'd like to try! So here's a list of my favorite Michael Jackson songs. Some obvious ones, but all amazing ones.

-> Thriller

An obvious one. I love Thriller. I first heard this song in the film '13 going on 30'. I've never met anyone who doesn't like this song. And the music video is just epic. You can watch it here.

Note: There was a Telugu version of Thriller. It was horrible...horribly funny after being subtitled by Buffalax(of Benny Lava fame). You can watch it here. Don't tell me I didn't warn you :)

-> They don't care about us

This song is brilliant. Just brilliant. I mean, with a song so controversial, MJ actually tried to unite people against racism.

-> Remember the time

I love this song. Seriously, of all the songs that MJ has sung, this one is my favorite. The music video consisted of various wizards trying to entertain the Pharaoh(Eddie Murphy) and his Queen(Iman). When it's Michael's turn, he starts singing to the Queen asking if she remembers their time together. The music video was actually marketed as a 9-minute short film.

-> Pretty Young Thing

This song was released in 1982. JabbaWockeez danced to this song in 2008. I watched the JabbaWockeez video in 2010. And 28 years after this song was released, it still managed to hook me onto it. I could not stop listening to it for 2 days straight!

-> Smooth Criminal

I love it. It's fast-paced and I'm not sure if I'm right, but it was the first time anyone in the world saw an anti-gravity lean.

-> Beat It

What an amazing song. And the video is awesome too. Michael brings two rival gangs together through dance.

MJ was an amazing artist. He gave the world of music so much. He really was the King of Pop.

Happy Birthday...to me :)

Yes yes, it's my birthday today :) My 21st. So legally, I'm allowed to get married, get drunk, get laid. But I will not do any of those things, no siree! I shall spend my time at home, eating all my favorite dishes that were made by mom...ah, homemade food! I love this kind of "good girl"celebration too, mind you!

So, last night, I was on the brink of Dream-land when my friends started calling in succession. It was so nice to speak to them...though there was more of slurring as opposed to speaking on my part. And there were few messages that made me smile so so wide. It was amazing. I'm so glad to know I've such wonderful friends :) Love you guys!

And this morning, I was treated to so many notifications in Facebook. Man, it was so nice that people remembered my birthday, although I tend to forget everyone's birthday :P
And this afternoon, my sweet, amazing brother ordered a pizza and played "Happy Birthday" on the keyboard, while I substituted a cake cutting ceremony with a pizza-cutting ceremony :D

All in all, an amazing birthday! Here's too an amazing 21. Hope I do something worthwhile this year!

OMG :)

OMG I've 6 followers :D Actually I've never had the guts to go public with my blog. I don't know why. Truth be told, I'm my worst critic. But recently, I felt something: why am I writing these things if I do not have the guts to share it with people? And that's the exact feeling that prompted me to go ahead and say "Oh yes I have a blog and you can read all of it at http colon backslash backslash blah blah blah". Do keep reading. I will blog more often :)

Oh, and I rarely use the abbreviation OMG. I just don't like it. And I know it sounds irrational but when guys use "OMG", it just seems so gay.

The Auto of Death

7:00 P.M show. Toy Story 3 at Sathyam. Awe-freakin'-some. My brother and I are standing outside our building, waiting for an auto at 6:15 P.M. You see, I'm a stickler for punctuality in every situation except when it comes to classes. Anyway, after haggling with about 5 auto-rickshaw wallas, the 6th one agreed to transport us for a measly price of 90 Rupees only(Saligramam to Sathyam...yeah yeah I know I got ripped off!).



Auto no. 6 looked like all other autos, except it wasn't. We knew that the auto-rickshaw driver was a big fan of the movie Aethiree the moment he started driving. Remember how the comedian Vivekh, an auto-rickshaw driver in the movie, does all kinds of stunts with the auto? I couldn't find a video online, so just imagine an auto on a roller coaster circuit. While watching the movie, I did laugh at that silly scene. But ladies and gentlemen, sitting in such an auto takes away all the laughter from you. I guarantee that.

The driver kept humming and whistling Annamalai songs. No problem. The driver had Rajnikanth photos covering the entire inner surface area of the auto-rickshaw. Still, no problem. The driver starts driving like a drunk crazy monkey and screams obscenities at others, ie, sane people. Problem. At one point, he missed a Swift by an inch. It was so close my brother thought he'd end up on top of the Swift. Or under it. After 25 torture filled minutes, we jumped out of the auto and paid the guy. Oh, and when he was driving away...sorry, RASH DRIVING away, we noticed that the number on the number plate read "6666" which is almost as good as "666". Coincidence? I think not!


The movie made up for the auto ride though. Toy Story 3 was awesome! Seriously, the second sequel of most series end up being damp squibs. But this one was brilliant. The plot is simple. Andy is going to college. He has to decide what to do with all his toys. He decides to put them in the attic. However, his mother donates the toys to daycare by-mistake. Though Woody wants to come back and be there for Andy, the other toys decide that it would be better to stay at a place where they'll be played with and loved. After Woody leaves to unite with Andy, the toys realize that there may be more than meets the eye when it comes to the other "friendly" toys at the daycare center.

Superb storyline, amazing animation, and lots of laughs - Toy Story 3 is a thoroughly enjoyable watch.

New...yet again!

Yeah yeah new template again..I think this new one is a nice fun one :)

Hope my non-existent readers notice...seriously no one ventures into http://thepursuitofnormalcy.blogspot.com/. Is it that hard to remember or stumble upon? :P

What I did Yesterday + A Review Of Singam

7:00 A.M.:
Dad(speaking at a volume so low that even bats wouldn't hear him): Wake up...Wake up...
Me: ZZZ
7:10 A.M.:
Dad: Wake up...Wake up...
Me: ZZZ
Mom comes into the room and in one swift motion pulls the blanket off my head.
Me(sitting bolt upright and screaming) : I'm awake I'm awake!
7:15 A.M.:
Me(still sleepy and nearly slurring): Zo why are allofus up so *yawn* early anyway?
Grandfather, Grandmother, Dad, Mom: In my day, if we slept till 7, we were reprimanded.
Me(talking to myself): Really?! In my day, we never even use the word "reprimanded"...

You see....I'm not really a morning person until I've had my tea/coffee.

7:20 A.M.(After Tea):
Dad: Get dressed. We're going for a movie.
Me: Wha..?!
Dad(proudly waving 6 tickets): We're watching Singam!
Me: *Groan*

You see....the last few Tamil movies that I watched caused me so much pain that I thought I was suffering from brain hemorrhage.
The last one I watched was Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. I could bring myself to watch only half the movie.


The movie that I saw before VTV, was *sob sob* Villu. In the theatre. In Tirunelveli. After paying 70 Rupees for a ticket. Biggest. Mistake. Ever.


(P.S.: Click on the pictures...not clear enough this way...)

So you will agree that I had a good reason to be apprehensive. But no amount of reasoning could get me out of this.

8:15 A.M.:
The movie "Singam" starts.

8: 20 A.M.:
We enter the theatre. Late. By this time, Surya is bashing up men, men, and men. Oh, and also two women who are actually men but are dressed like women. Weird.

8: 25 A.M.:
We find our seats. Surya saves the day after beating the crap out of everybody.

In the movie, Surya is a gunda-beating, khakhi chattai-loving Sub Inspector. The movie is pretty much like any other movie after that. Surya beats everyone. Surya meets girl. Girl likes Surya. Surya likes girl. Surya beats everyone. Surya hates Prakash Raj, who is a don. Prakash Raj hates Surya. Surya beats everyone.

By the interval, we knew what Surya had to accomplish. Two major things:
1) Marry the girl.
2) Beat up Prakash Raj

The funny thing is, though it was predictable, I liked the movie. Vivekh's comedy was funny at places, but there was the ever-present glitch that all Tamil movies have when it comes to comedy; the movie and the comedy scenes weren't related. I've always thought they shoot the comedy track separately and just merge them with the movie at any point of time. Hmmm.

Surya was hot. No, wait. Surya was HAWT. He has acted pretty well and I liked him much more in this movie, when compared to Ayan. The heroine, Anushka, was fine. She did act(surprisingly) and she didn't look all that bad. Her character in the movie was a pretty strong one, which is what I liked. She was modern, unabashed and open about her feelings. And she even dressed up as a lion at one point in the film. Prakash Raj was good, as usual. But I'm really getting tired of seeing him in these "Don" roles. He is getting stereotyped. And that's bad, because he is an actor of great calibre.

The songs were horrible. At one point I thought my ears would start sprouting out blood. The lyrics for one of the rap sequences(background music) actually went like this :

You cannot stop him, yo!
He is the human Bolero!

The fight sequences were total crap. What really bothered me was everyone time a fight sequence would start, Surya would actually morph into a lion(singam). It was just for a second or two, but it was pretty dumb.

On the whole, the movie was fine. Not bad, not great. But loads better than any other Tamil movie I've seen for a LONG time.

Time Pass...

So as you know...I'm jobless. And I thought...hey instead of stalking cute g...ahem I mean instead of wasting time on Facebook, why don't I try out some new languages. We We(That's english for Oui Oui in French...). And I wound up with this:
I just had to blur a few details so that my stalker club does not increase in size :D







Oh yeah...I did it with Paint...what!?! Me no know photoshop.
The one on the right in English(Pirate). Ahoy Mateys :P Check out my DOB and the prefix "saucy wench"...








And the one on the right..is English(upside down).
Seriously...who would need this!?!

Why...

Apparently, lots of people have this question on their mind. I was surfing...scratch that...searching
Google just now and I typed "Why" and at that precise moment I tore my eyes away from the keyboard. And I saw this(click the picture to get a clear picture :P):







P.S.: Courtesy Nevermind I came across this amazing question here.

Guess who's back :)

Yep...it's me, your friend, philosopher and guide...well probably not but what the heck?! Wanted to introduce myself with a flourish.

Now, back from where, you wonder?

The answer is: back from the deepest of the deepest chambers of hell, back from the place where hope and happiness cease to exist, back from NIT, Trichy. Don't smirk and raise your eyebrows....I know I'm being a drama queen. Truth be told, it ain't that bad. What makes it bearable is friends; what makes it unbearable is, well, everything else actually! Somehow sitting and eating shrivelled slivers of what we can only describe as "cabbage pakoda" in the mess with friends almost seems fun :)

So what am I doing right now?

Well, I'm surfing the waves of joblessness, I'm walking the path of uselessness - in simple words, I'm doing nothing. While many of my batchmates are doing projects in various IITs, and still many others pursuing internships in companies, I'm sitting at home wondering if I should re-read(for the 6th time) the Harry Potter series or watch Star Movies. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Sigh.

So what have I been upto since my vacations started?

Well I've mainatained a balance between reading and movies. I've already read the first 5 Harry Potter books and currently I'm nearing the end of the 6th one. As far as movies go, I watched August Rush(good movie, great music), Flash of Genius(great acting by Greg Kinnear), Badmaash Company(I liked it; word of advice though..do not watch with family. Watching Shahid and Anushka smooch is pretty embarassing when your grandparents and parents are on either side of you. My head was buried in the popcorn for quite a long time.) and Hot Fuzz(I watched it for the umpteenth time. It's so funny :D). And I also finished watching 1 and a half seasons of 2 and a half men :)

What plans for the rest of the summer?

Well, I really would like to get some studying done. You see, next semester is when I'll hopefully get placed and I can't really say that all I know about programming is that it has got 2 'm's :P

I will blog more often so look forward to a lot of posts :)

The annoying gaga over the saga

Nope, this ain't a post about the very annoying Lady Poke-her-face Gaga. This is a rant about one of the...scratch that...make it THE most irritating books of our time ever: the Twilight series. Hey, I don't hate all of it, mind you. Mindless sentences lie in every page of each book. Considering that my exams are starting in two days, this may not be the best thing to do, but I've selected a few quotes that have left me with a mind questioning Bella's sanity and a stomach ache from laughing too much.

After her break-up with Edward: I tried to act as if there wasn’t a hole in my heart that seemed to ripple.

Stephenie Meyer is a very smart lady. She has clubbed her biography along with the book by giving us facts about herself. Allow me to explain. From the above line we now know that in addition to being a horrible writer, Steph(if I may call her that) was a failure at biology.


When she went to the beach(after her break-up with Edward): I hadn’t ever gotten to go here when I was with Edward. The hole in my chest rippled and I started to breath hard. Slowly my heart beat returned to normal and the hole was patched. For now.

Ah Steph! You've proved your string of Fs in biology. Apparently, when holes ripple, you start breathing hard(holes rippling, hard breathing...Steph does know something about the biology taking place down there, eh?).

Actually I'm not sure if the next one exists in the book or not. But..what the heck..it sounds loke something Meyer would write.

Still at the beach: I wore a blue bikini with a hawaiian flowered sarong on my waist. I’d never worn something so revealing, unless you counted my underwear. I’d never been able to, with Edward and all.

Seriously, WTF!?!

American Psycho-amazing is the word!

I don't like Christian Bale. I have never found him fascinating as an actor. And I maintained that opinion even after watching The Dark Knight, where he was over shadowed by the very amazing and sadly, late Heath Ledger. But I chewed up and spat my opinion in the dustbin when I recently watched American Psycho.

The movie is based on a novel of the same name written by Bret Easton Ellis. I've always believed in the saying "Don't judge a book by its movie.", but in this case I'm absolutely convinced that the book will be as mind blowing as the movie, maybe better.

The movie starts out with the portrayal of the lives of the upper-class in New York. And a member of this class, is Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker at Pierce and Pierce by day, and a murderer by night. 26-year old Patrick Bateman is portrayed as an intelligent, stylish and socially aware person. He works out, gets a tan at a tanning salon and argues with his friends over topics like what the society needs. He is engaged to Evelyn, a person he has absolutely no interest in. In fact, at the very beginning, Patrick himself confesses that he possesses no deep feelings for anyone. Throughout the movie, Patrick engages in casual sex with random women.

His first murder victims, a homeless man and his dog, reveal that Patrick regards poverty with utmost disgust. As the movie progresses, Patrick starts to lose his sanity. He gets jealous of his colleagues if their business cards are better than his and he starts talking about serial killers in everyday conversations. Eventually, Patrick goes on a killing spree. He murders and tortures his victims, mostly women. In fact, Patrick's contempt for women is apparent throughout the movie. Patrick totally loses his sanity one night when he imagines the ATM machine ordering him to feed it a stray cat. That night, he kills everyone he sees and he calls up his lawyer to confess all of his crimes. However, the next day when Patrick confronts his lawyer, he fails to recognise Patrick and mistakes him for someone else. This mistaken identity is a recurring theme in the movie. After the confrontation with his lawyer, Patrick begins to question his own sanity and realizes his confession was a waste. The movie is open to interpretation: whether the murders actually did take place or whether they were just fantasies, it's up to you(I think they were fantasies).
The movie ends with a sign behind Bateman that reads: This is not an exit. Very symbolic.

Christian Bale was just amazing in the movie. Even for a moment, I could not stop admiring the way he pulled off Patrick Bateman. I've been converted into a fan after watching this movie.

Another thing worth mention- this movie gives a lot of importance to music. Bateman chooses songs for murders. Spooky.

All in all, a good watch. You wouldn't want to miss it!

Yinglish Rap in Saangs..

Them hoes and bitches, they drop it like that,
They shakin' that thang,
They go for the bling,
You get what imma sayin'?

If you get what imma...ahem, I mean if you understand what I'm saying then I can safely assume you grew up on the streets and you're from the block. Earlier, rap artists were from the ghetto streets. They had gun shots in their chests, they had bling on their vests, they were hittin' that booty, they were acting all snooty. *Slap* Whew I needed to snap outta the rap *Slap*.

Ah much better. As I was saying, right now, the "in" thing in the Indian Music Scene is Rap. Yep, in hindi movies, in tamil movies, in pop albums. And who's the leading Indian Rapper on da block!?! It's none other than Lakshmi Narasimha Vijaya Rajagopala Seshadri Sharma Rajesh Raman. Name doesn't ring a bell!?! Does Blaaze sound familiar to you? Yep, they both are the same guys. The Tam Brahm Rapper from Zambia has revolutionized the Music scene with his, ummm, rapping.


Hey, don't get me wrong but I love Eminem, 50Cent, Usher, Akon and many more, so I find the "rap" in the Indian songs an insult to the above mentioned real rappers. You don't believe me? Take a look at the following snippets from very popular Indian songs which have rap interlaced at every 30-second period of the song.

• Let me break it down, I'm taking the top spot, She doesn't know it, But I've got a soft spot.

Just one doubt here: Is the soft spot in his head? Later in the song, he talks about how he's gonna throw a party and invite everyone to see his wife and think of the beautiful kiss that she's gonna give. Seriously, it sounds like porno. Is this guy for real?

• BABA! That's what they say, B to the A to the B to the A.

Who the hell is the "they" referring to? The FOBs(Followers Of Baba) are super angry that they have been compared to the "they" in the song.

• Mama told me, Don't be talkin' to the stranga, Don't be talkin' to the stranga, Stranga is Danga.

Well, I got to tell your mama that she don't be talkin' to anybody with her habit of eating up the ending letters of words(stranger->stranga, danger->danga). Oh, and her gramma could be betta.

• Everybody in the pardy are you ready, say X! Gotta go with the flow, say P-L-O! Ready for me put the D to the E! E-X-P-L-O-D-E..Explode!!!!

Where do I even begin!?! First of all, he skips the first E. Then to rhyme, he puts in words like "pardy" and "flow". Need I say more?

A Hairy Situation

Depression makes a person do weird things. Those things may not be entirely the solution to the problem that depresses you in the first place, but hell, it does take your mind of the problem. Even if it's just for a little while.


I recently clawed my way through a really rough patch. I needed something to take my mind off the whole saga. So I walk into the saloon and tell the hairdresser to cut my hair so short that they end where my eyebrows start. Unlike me, she hadn't lost her mind so she salvaged the whole hair affair.


Of course, I was not received with much enthusiasm at home. Note to self: Never, ever get a haircut when your parents and grandparents are together. It's annoying enough when the ladies start sniffing and talking about how long their hair used to be. But my dad was the cherry on the cake. I quote him.

In Tamil:
"Naal mudi thaan irruku. Adhuku nee haircut ku ponaya. Hee hee hee hee hee."

In English:
"You've 4 strands of hair for which you needed a haircut. Hee hee hee hee hee."

Sigh. He still hasn't stopped ragging(Oops I used the word ragging. Probably gotta get ready to get kicked out of the college!) me. My granddad added his contribution by saying, "It's almost gender confusing!". Why!!!!!


Luckily, reactions at college seem to be more favourable. They think it's cute...yay :)

PT!

I was going through my blog and I was so surprised that I haven't posted about Porcupine Tree yet. So here goes.


My romance or obsession, whatever you call it doesn't really matter, with Porcupine Tree started in the my 3rd semester. Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band from England. The front man is Steven Wilson. He's the lead vocalist and he also doubles up as lead guitarist. Oh did I mention that he writes most of the songs?! In short, he is insanely awesome. I love PT. Why?

• Every song of PT is unique and different. It's really hard to believe that the band that gave us Lazarus, was the same one that did a Blackest Eyes.
• For me, each song of PT is like a person. It has moods. Beautiful, melancholic, nostalgic.
• Their live performances are just A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I remember watching their concert on my laptop throughout the 3rd semester, to the point that I knew it by heart. Sigh, if only I concentrated this much on academics.
• The drummer, Gavin Harrison, is kick ass!

Naturally, when I came to know that they were coming to IIT Bombay for Mood Indigo, I was out of my mind. I knew that if I didn't go for the concert, I'll never forgive myself. So for about a month or so, I kept checking online if they had opened for booking. It was luck that I got tickets for their concert. I mean, frankly I've never really wished for something and got it, ya know. So I was happy that the tide was changing. Finally, mera number aa gaya!

Oops! Spoke too soon. I didn't get train tickets to go to Bombay and I fell sick. Ah, here's where lady luck brings me back to square one. I thought that all hope was lost, but my mom was not one who takes such things lying down. She convinced my dad to get me a flight ticket to Bombay. Of course, that's my birthday gift in advance but what the heck! Hopefully, my dad will forget about this teeny weeny gift. The probability of that happening is the same as that of Love Ishtory(Himesh Reshammiya's upcoming movie) becoming a super hit.

Anyways, by hook or crook, I reached Bombay. I reached on time for the concert and I was so super duper psyched. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I had seized it. But life is never so easy. I thought I was done with getting myself to Bombay. I did not realize that there would be a line as long as the Great Wall Of China just to get myself into the Open Air Theatre(OAT). While I tried to get entertained by the gentlemen standing behind me, who were talking about how Splitsvilla should be renamed Slutsvilla, a girl came up to me and said "Hey! There's a separate girls' queue so if you have come alone(which meant without a guy, judging by the funny looks she kept giving me like I'm a lesbian or something) you can join there". What's going on in my mind: Thank goodness I'm single and I'm a girl. And guess what? The girls' queue was empty, except for the mosquitoes though. And as you know, only female mosquitoes suck blood. But I reached the OAT with time and blood to spare. I found a few college mates and I got enough space to keep my big toe on the floor.

The concert started. It was amazing. When they came out on the stage, it was like this surreal experience. His first words on stage were "Namastey". So cute! They played some really popular songs like Trains, Halo, Hatesong, Lazarus, Open Car, Time Flies, Blackest Eyes, The Sound Of Muzak and a few lesser known ones like Start Of Something Beautiful, Way Out Of Here, Occam's Razor. It was even better to watch them live. Steven Wilson kept the crowd on their feet, which meant I got more place to sit! The band gave a stellar performance. I liked the fact that they had a good mix from older tracks and more recent ones. The crowd was kinda the type you have in cricket stadiums. Lots of whistling and all, ya know. But once the music started they thankfully stopped the irritating whistling. I was just really bummed out when they didn't play Arriving Somewhere and they played only for 2 hours. But as people say, all good things must come to an end. The experience is still fresh in my mind. It's something I'll never forget. And hopefully, I'll get to attend another one of their concerts :)

Idiocy at its best

I read Five Point Someone recently. I mean, of course I've read it before. After all, I'm studying in an engineering college, whose students deemed this book as "a must read for engineering students". It's been written by India's most "loved" author. I needed to read it because recently my results came out, and well, being a Seven Point Someone didn't seem so bad when I read about Ryan, Alok and Hari, as they're Five Point Someones. I'm not saying I like the book or its characters, but I do like the difference in the CGPAs. The fact that they're fictional doesn't matter to me, so ZIP IT!

A few days back, I watched the "movie version" of FPS, the much anticipated "3 idiots". Now, I don't know about you but I was dying to watch the movie. Come on, 44-year old Aamir Khan playing a 22-year old college-going, creative-thinking, gynecologist guy. Does it get any better than this!?! I liked the movie on the whole but the movie did have major flaws.


Pros

• Ladakh. 'Nuff said.
• Aamir. And he looked 22. Is he human or alien?
• College Lingo. ViruS, millimetre, Silencer. Nice touch, added authenticity!
• The song Zoobi Doobi. Very nicely shot and very cute lead pair :)
• The message. The movie highlighted the fact that students are being burdened with impossible curriculum. It also highlighted the fact that those students who can mug better than others, can score better than others.

Cons

• Boman Irani. His gigantic potential was wasted in this movie. ViruS cannot hold a candle to Asthana(Munnabhai M.B.B.S). Shame!
• The fact that Aamir just assumed the identity of Jaaved Jaffrey and never got caught by the authorities/government. Shows that in India if you have money, you can do anything. Just flash the cash, baby.
• Madhavan faked a heart attack to get of the plane and then they can't manage to hold him down in the airport. Oh, come on!
• Gags in the movie that we've read a million times, courtesy e-mails.
• The whole bit where Aamir plays gynaecologist. I was like WTF!

My final verdict is: watch it. In spite of many "idiotic" things that take place in the movie, it still leaves you with a smile on your face. I should mention here that though this movie was inspired by FPS, it did a much better job at capturing the youth. I think Chetan should quit fighting with Hirani for credit, because here's the truth buddy: Chetan should be giving Hirani credit ;)

Habbie Nu Ear!

I absolutely have NO idea why I spelt the title like that. I guess GRE preparation finally got to me and I've forgotten to spell the words I already knew how to spell. For those wondering, I've finished 3 letters in the word list. Oh wait. The letters were X, Y, and Z. That makes it a grand total of 12 words. Man, I got to put that on my CV.


Anyways, in other "new"s(haha...get it!?! News and "new"s :P), the new year has dawned upon us, the old one slinking away with all those resolutions that we made last year still pending fulfillment. But we continue making those damn resolutions. Why? Probably to experience the feeling(even if it's only for a few weeks, in my case, hours) that we will begin the year with a sense of purpose.


So, I've made a few resolutions of my own that I want to share with you. Yes, you, my imaginary reader :) Some of the resolutions are new, some old, both with the expectation that they never have to be made again.

1. To become leaner, meaner and fitter: I actually don't need the meaner bit. I had to add it because "leaner, meaner and fitter" has a nice ring to it.
2. To study: To. Study. Two simple words in writing, but so very, very hard in implementation.
3. To write more, and by extension, blog more: Oh yeah, this is something I have to start doing.
4. To get rid of the accent with which I converse in English: It's kind of a tamilian and mallu accent. I have to get rid of it. Really need to get rid of it.
5. To get rid of the accent with which I converse in Tamil: It's kind of an "English" accent. I know, I know...so messed up that I can't speak even one language well :P
6. To enjoy life: Simple one, ain't it? I just want to enjoy every single moment of life. Squeeze the juice out, you know. However, I don't know if it's possible considering resolution number 2.
7. To read more: I have nearly left the habit of reading after entering college. However, it's going to be back with a bang this year. Hopefully.
8. This isn't a resolution: Ahem, I had to append another point, because I like even numbers. Couldn't stand the fact that my list had to end with the number 7. Oh, the horror!

That's about it, I guess. Hopefully, I'll stick to it and be back writing a similar post at the end of 2010, except on a more positive note :)

Happy New Year, guys. Hope this new year brings more width to your smile, more money in your pocket, more shine in your eyes, and more love in your life.