The precious little somethings...

OK,enough of amateur movie reviews on my blog. My friend sent me an sms saying - "The biggest comedy of this century - we are ENGINEERS!" Oh yes, what a joke! Four years have just gone by. Whoooooosh! Just like that! Ofcourse, memories remain and thankfully, the sour ones dont even form 1% of the ones i really cherish. As it sit and think, at the fag end of this ethereal experience, I can't really narrow down on one incident or one person or one day or one thing or one issue to talk about. Its the total package that makes it extremely special. But those memories shall be talked about later, making us cherish them all the more. No, I am not going to talk about how great college was, and not definitely about how badly I am going to miss it. This is about a weird practice of mine, a kind of confession in a way. Not many of my friends, even the closest know this little thing i have for saving little things, saving photos and smses - simply for the memories that I attach to them.

The person I am, I get close to people very easily, i get comfortable with different kinds of people, or atleast that's what i have been made to understand about myself for so long, whether or not it's true. But there is a serious flip side to it. I also end up missing the people very very badly once we take different directions in life, and it somehow happens that meeting them again doesnt seem very plausible often. The result is that I start treasuring little trinkets, ranging from tissue papers to photos to smses to small cute keychains, little gifts, certain dresses, etc etc etc.. Most importantly, chat archives ( I literally had tears when my computer crashed and all my chat archives were gone with the yahoo messenger) Not necessarily because, they were the best moments that had radically changed my life, and not because they were from exceptional people or the most important ones in my life, but because I really felt different at that moment, and living through that experience gave me a unique kind of feeling. And every time i see/touch/feel/read each of the memorabilia, I relive that moment. For similar reasons, sometimes i feel i need to pen down things, so that the feeling that the experience gave me stays evergreen. And i have, written down a lot of such things that I wouldn't dare let anybody else read. The vulnerable me, with all my innocence and longing for a small, contented happiness intact is the author and that's the simple reason I wouldn't let anybody else read it.

As years roll by, we might remember an incident, a person who made a difference and probably that feeling when we felt hurt. On the other hand, the small, little, cute nothings and those fleeting moments wherein you experience absolute bliss go uncaptured in time. As they rightly say in VTV, 'andha nodi' just slips by, even though you might remember in vivid detail what happened that day. This writing and memorabilia freezes all those little nothings and gives you a wonderful high when you recount them. And this happens not only to the sweetest of memories, but to the not-so-sweet ones that made you learn a lesson as well.

So right now, this thought has been running through mind. Am i right in doing it? After all, it has been giving me absolute happiness all these years, nothing has happened that I would want to stop doing it. On the other hand, am i over-burdened by these memories? As the memorabilia accumulate, does it stand for nothing else but clutter in my cupboards? Add to it the pain of guarding it and reasoning it out to people who discover it. Is it really worth it all?

Does everyone else treasure memories this way? Or is it just me? Is there any other way you remember things, places, people, hang-outs, get-togethers? Tell me please, because, the present was shaped by the past and memories then, can help you face the present in all courage and infuse in you that indomitable spirit to look up to a brighter future. And the past, has taught us something or the other always, if only we care to look out for the lesson.. It might be as simple as what makes you happy or otherwise.. As simple as what kind of people you go well with and those that you don't... These trinkets and little somthings that i treasure make the memories surface again, indeed, they make a time machine... I am not going to stop doing it. After all, nobody else in the world has such a better time machine at their disposal! Comments?

Will you cross the skies for me?

I finally broke my unlucky stint with widely anticipated movies. After a patient, but very eager and a hugely talked about wait - for ex: "waiting for feb 14 status" on fb! :P For the first time, I made alllll the effort against alllll the odds (some were real big to just dismiss as normal odds, the people concerned would know :P ) to watch a hugely publicized movie on the first day! Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya! I know how much I wanted to watch it and how eagerly I was waiting for it, colleting every single bit of information/gossip/interview/trailer that came along. AND – What an experience it turned out to be! I run out of words at such moments. Wowww is all I can say! Life’s sometimes very beautiful.

First of all, all you love skeptics out there, please do not watch this movie, this is a very very elegant celebration of love and being skeptical takes away everything from the movie. If u can say there is anything close to a solid storyline in the movie – it is only that of a boy falling head over heels in love with a girl, and ermmm yes, sort of vice versa in a way too! What makes it an adorable one despite that is the fact that it is intelligently shot, with very little of zero probability events that never happen. Ofcourse, there are exceptions to this in the movie, but on the whole, it left me with such an impeccable feel good mood that I thought Gautam Menon has got it right, bang on! He is really the hero in the movie, in every sense of the word. His wit sparkles all through, though you could sense a lot of threads from vaaranam aayiram, minnale etc., That still doesn’t take away much from the creditworthiness of the movie. Yes, it might be a clichéd younger boy loving elder girl story, yes some scenes strikingly remind you of scenes from earlier films, but it still is truly wonderful for the simple reason that everything that you see, hear and feel is beautiful – that is the word that describes the movie best. Right from Trisha, the music, the absolutely stunning visuals, the manoj paramahamsa’s camera with white being the theme, the dialogues, and most importantly the dubbing voice of trisha- chinmayi – every single thing is sheer beauty.

Then the music – this was the first movie for which I knew all the songs and the lyrics by heart before the release so well that I could sing along every one of those lines completely in the theatre. The music was absolutely mind-blowing, just fitting enough for an ARR. I was very curious about how it would be picturised and all. But somehow, the one that I liked most was the way Anbil Avan was picturised – call it peppy, say its because of chinmayi’s voice, the importance of that moment in the movie, the suuuuperb chemistry between the lead pair – as a package, it’s the best!

Then Silambarasan, what a revelation! Guess the character name karthik and romance go ver well together! (Remember Alaipayuthey?). There is one thing I really wanna say here. Today romantic hero automatically translates into chocolate boys and those typical lover boy faces. VTV was a welcome change as this movie finally showed the manliness of a die-hard romantic, a rare thing to find these days, nevertheless, something I find extremely attractive. Sigghhh! :P Yes, a guy would utter expletives at some point of time, and yes, he would say things that normally chocolate boys don't tell on screen. I think that’s how guys are wired to react, so those chocolatey boys either don’t exist, or maybe whoever is close to that image are extreme flirts, the kind you wouldn’t wanna trust! So, for the record, yes the same simbu who declared “ enakku cut sonna nadika theriyadhunga, apdi dhan enga appa solli kuduthirkaru” has a different dimension, if not an entirely different persona as I expected and that’s where he scores. <3 <3

Trisha. I seriously run out of words, I would rate it her best, if at all the rest of her movies would qualify to even compete! I have always been a huge fan of women of substance and I strongly think those oh-so-sexy and drop-dead-gorgeous but totally dumbass ladies you get to watch on screen don’t exist in the real world(Maybe I should meet the blondes?! It's popular belief, no?). So this was a refreshingly real avatar of the heroine. I loved her look in the movie, I guess everyone did. Then the ascendas Polaris connection, the roads, the inox and sangam theatres that kept coming - the detailing was wonderful too and added to the feel good factor!

What I liked about her was that the confusion in her, the fight within her, the passion of her soul, the confusion that her better sense gave her and her double-mindedness, all that was so real.Every girl at some point of time goes through all that, and yes, it takes a Gautam menon to say, girls live in a gray area with millions of shades between the black and the white. And that, is a very difficult area to survive on without sliding on to either side. Then comes the USP- Chinmayi’s voice, I go weak in my knees with this aspect in every single movie, be it a worst movie like asal for Sameera reddy or the idol-like Meghna of Vaaranam Aayiram @ UC Berkeley and here in VTV, oh my gawd! Her voice is something that bowls me over with an intelligent and witty dimension to it, every single time!

The locations and camera angles – (a relief, now that I missed the wayanad and goa class trip) – it had plenty of marvel on screen. It was outstanding, for want of a better word. That contributes maximum to the feel-goodness. Elegance comes through simplicity more often than not and somehow, we have learnt to embrace clutter and still search for elegance in it! It is very difficult to match the storyline with, rather tailor-make it for the locations and the visuals you wanna show on screen and I think Gautam is just excellent in that!

Then my company for today – aarthi, lalitha, keerthana and mathangi with me. Was loads of fun. Especially meeting my jackpot friend after sooo long and going out with aarthi n lalitha after that eventful Delhi Sangam outing! Looks like we are meant to go out only to Sangam theatres, be in RKP sec 9 or in kilpauk! :) And how can I forget that lovey dovey couple that defeated the on-screen chemistry, sitting next to me. Oh it was way too much for me to decently handle, both on and off screen! BP, japesh and Vishnu were there too, but they were quite far from us to even get involved in any of our discussions, well, consciously so in a sense!

And then the most important part – my precognition! I don’t really know why – but 30minutes into the film and I started telling people the climax. No,it wasn’t the least predictable, not one in the theatre except the craziest me would have thought, but I did – in the interval too I kept talking about it. Somehow I felt it and I even guessed dialogues that came out to be surprisingly correct. The climax finally was very close to what I predicted, but just in a different way though! Glad to be thinking on the lines of Gutam Menon :P But, how I wish I was wrong! Oh God! You would know what I am talking about, once you watch the movie! No more spoilers here!

There are also a number of scenes that stayed in my mind vividly – I wouldn’t describe them coz I have warned myself to be cautious of using too many spoilers in this post! Okie, let me record here one safe thing – it was the Pittsburg temple that invariably finds a place in every tamil movie shot in the US. Trisha in that beautiful brown saree in anbil avan song! Oh, at that moment I really really really, from the bottom of my heart wished I was there at Pittsburg! I might have to wait a month to know if that’s feasible, but if I do get to do it, I don’t know how many more births I would thank God for! Please come to my rescue Lord, God help me! In a way what triggered, rather gave momentum to this US higher education idea was, UC Berkeley in Vaaranam Aayiram! And now, this one! Fingers crossed!

So.. the last word.. This is hoping, this first day movie watching stint of mine continues, hopefully with such good movies and my precognition continues too! Greed, eh?! Then ofcourse, please, let me look back on this blog post with a smile, sitting in Pittsburg.

In short, every single person would have the strength of his will in being single tested with this Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya or it would make you sit up and count your blessings in love! And please, do not believe the reviews that say the screenplay is this way and the length is 23 seconds longer, the movie is slow, this half could have been better etc etc., We have been waiting for such a feel-good movie all along, put yourself on the romantic groove and go catch it! :)

When being an idiot became a fancy...

Let me clear the air - as of now, I am sane, no doubt. I am talking about 3 idiots the movie here. I'm not a big movie buff really. I don't know movies and their nuances as much as i know all the add-ons and the flings, the off-screen romances and every other useless gossip. Frankly, i haven't really seen so many movies as to start reviewing them. But, this one was pretty good, good enough to write about it, though this post is coming really late. Infact, I was a person who had an aversion to full-length movies as a kid, someone who wouldn't let mom watch a movie when I was around, and indeed, old habits die hard. It is still a very passive thing to do for me, a movie is the last thing i would do if i want some positive energy or i would want to have fun with people i meet after quite a long interval of time.

Now coming to my fate with films - the ones i want to badly watch, go mad over the music, somehow manage to smell the story from every little bit leaked to the media, go around saying i would watch it the first day, NEVER happen. Recent examples being avatar, ajab prem ki ghazab kahani, and the biggest - 3 idiots. I watched them so late, and repented for not having watched them earlier.

Well, the first thing that attracted me towards 3 idiots was, no prizes for guessing, Aamir Khan. Then there was this 5-point someone take-off connection to it, then there was Madhavan and then the most important one - Aamir's disguised India-wide odyssey as part of the promotion. This man is simply great with incredible ideas, no wonder IIMs have made his Ghajini promotion techniques part of their curriculum.

Then there was the music release, I absolutely loved it. Especially when Shaan goes 'Behti Hawa Sa Tha', I went insane. I knew the basic plot, I knew that it was being shot in Ladakh, i started imagining how it would be picturised and all. With a terrible hindi, all i could do was get some help from translations on the web for this song especially. Then there was Aal izz well, and Gimme some sunshine that were absolutely amazing too. Jaane Nahin comes next, love it in bits and pieces, only for Sonu Nigam and his mesmerising voice. Zoobi would be the last one, don't know why i didnt like it.

Then the not-so-in-your-face subtle comedy in the film - Comedy is the only genre i would safely say i would definitely like, romance and spoof following very closely. Action and graphics don't really work for me everytime. Now and then ,yes. But comedy is a definite winner. So yea, that's the first thing i liked about it.

And then the character of Rancho. This is why i started this post actually. Maybe i think i've always liked such a character - sometime back, I joined this community in fb called "i am sexually attracted to intelligence" and my "ideal match" column on orkut reads "sixth sense preferred over six packs". Well, that's one thing that's true, though this comes from a self-proclaimed die-hard mushy romantic! (atleast for now, this point in time, in which i'm single!) To pull off an intelligent conversation, an interesting one, makes a candle light dinner more worthwhile, doesn't it? Romance is definitely better with some intelligence and wit peppered over it! Coming back to 3 idiots, naturally, I absolutely loved the way Aamir had portrayed it! The fact that he didn't go overboard showing off his intelligence boisterously is the key here. That subtle curiosity is far better than "I-know-everything, what are u doing here?" attitude! Oh I absolutely love the expression on his face when he says " sir why not a pencil?"

Have any of you come across such people, the Ranchordas tribe, in real life? Those kinda people who make you go weak in the knees with a single intelligent word, when you had been contemplating on an issue for hours on end? Those kinda intelligent folks who solve seemingly big issues with a small master stroke of theirs? Those rare people who look at the larger picture and inspire you to do the same? Those made of something extra looking like they have a knack for success? Those who are beautiful/handsome in a weird way that you couldn't figure out for so long? Those who lighten up your day with a witty word? No the setting doesn't have to be very serious or a high-impact issue involving incredible amount of money and definitely, they needn't be that charming as Aamir. Infact, smaller the issue and the more you are stuck up with it, the better is the imprint such people leave on you.

For me, i have been really fortunate to have been close with/seen/met/heard of such people, with different degrees of acquaintance, atleast half a dozen of them! They have this amazingly inspiring air around and that's something I love. And definitely, not all of them are supremely educated or whatever, they are just great in their own chosen fields, big fish in their own small ponds. Maybe, the ponds would grow to be bigger one day. No, I am not going to name any of them here and i agree, they are not Ranchos in entirety. They make up a Rancho in bits and pieces, maybe close to the deglamorised Ryan of Five point someone. Love you all folks and more power to you!

So, how do i finish? I just wish I get closer to that league of idiots. Yes, I wish to chase excellence and let success follow me! And I sincerely hope that I get to meet more such people in life, and I get to stay in better touch with such people I already know. I earnestly hope you, the readers, get such inspirations in real life more often too! Let inspiration flow, let the positive energy take over! Time to walk around with an aura around our heads and spread the cheer! Go watch out for the Ranchos out there!

Long time no blog!

Well, yes. It has been quite a while since I put myself into writing a good piece. To be honest, I did write three posts, very very intense and quite personal ones. Somehow when it was shaping up, it gave me such a feeling of comfort, of having poured out and explored all my feelings, I thought I would treasure it all to myself. A strict no-no for public reading! Lets keep it precious, for atleast sometime now, until my mind and heart say otherwise.

This new year's didn't actually ring in on a very high note, not even a reasonably high one, coz of the really saddening Ramesh mama's sudden death. It gripped me and I find myself going into an unknown thought process once in a while even now. I am probably the least directly affected because of his sudden demise, but it did have such a huge inexplicable impact on me and my thought processes. Given the way i still feel, I can't even think how my folks are going to get out of it and if at all they would, being directly affected by his untimely demise. The world suddenly shrinks into an emptiness and somehow you go on a questioning mode, that infact adds to the worries, than mitigating it.

Maybe a good happening during this period would have changed the gloom, but what followed mama's demise was a cold spring harbor reject and heartbreakingly on pongal - my dream - UT health sci center at Houston reject. Something I assumed that would have a probability of 1 - I was so sure of getting it. Infact that was the first university I shortlisted. Happy place, wonderful university, a senior there to help me through practical issues, an interdisciplinary course, a considerable Indian population in the city, (translating into good food, obviously) affordable cost of living - just what the doctor ordered! I went to the extent of discovering more about life in Houston and the Meenakshi temple there! But alas, some things are just not meant to be! As usual, I hope something better awaits me.

Moving on, for a person like me, don't know if being wired like this is good or bad, a bliss or bane. I get interested in things I thought I would never give a darn about. Blogging, Tweeting are classical examples. Infact, that makes career choices all the more tough for me. I get drawn into things, varied and sometimes weird for someone of my age and nature, so much, and surprisingly, the interest is sustained very well. The most recent example being some philosophical issues. Indeed, they do have a point. All that we have known all along, seem to assume a whole new meaning sometimes. Exploring this is fun, really, and I never thought it could be the slightest of fun before actually reading up and listening to such stuff. I do notice a change in me, don't know why. My choices and priorities are different from what they used to be, and the world appears in a totally new perspective. Don't know if this change is transient, don't know if really something about me has changed, don't know if i am right or wrong, still, there has been a change is all that I can feel.

So, coming back to mundane talk, life is in a standstill now. Bored beyond description doing non-descript things that seem the least productive. And the to-do list i have would never shorten anytime soon I guess, though I did watch a couple of movies from that list. It's a strange feeling - you want to and you have a million things to be done, you do none of them and feel bored for having nothing to do and guilty for not having done anything. Maybe that's what people call with that four-lettered word - l-a-z-y.! The bioinformatics project, is running, not gaining momentum. Maybe the only reason for this lull might be that I miss a few friends when I need them the most, or maybe, the change that has happened in me is doing bad things to me?? Can't really say if it is good or bad, because the change wasn't a conscious one after all. Let's stop at that.

Right now, hoping, praying and wishing for admits to come my way, to steer clear of all the confusions surrounding me and see a clear picture emerge of what I am doing, sans any confusion or more issues. As usual, In God I Trust. The burden is off your shoulders this way and it is truly amazing! Pray for me brother! Pray for me sister!

Why should boys have all the fun?? - BIKES!!!!!!!!! <3 <3

Life would indeed be good and safe with just teddy bears, barbie dolls and pink nailpolishes around. But there's something about me that gets super excited about travel and modes of travel - the wanderlust inside me manifests in different forms! This conclusion has come upon some real careful observation. I wouldn't say nothing excites me better. Just that this is something that gives some exhilarating experience. So, now you know what the post is going to be about - bikes, my love for them.

I don't know when this love for bikes developed. When I grew up, my mode of travel everywhere was bikes - dad and uncle's, atleast then. Rajapalayam has a bad public transport system and it was only in chennai did i first get a taste of how public transport actually works. So it all started probably with the 'gems' outings - from early childhood (infancy is it?) until 1st standard or so when i ceremonially go almost every evening and get a packet of gems( the little colourful yummy chocoloates) once dad comes home. I simply used to love it - maybe not for the bike rides atleast for the chocolates. Then to school and back, though i might have hated the ride in the mornings as i realise now that i am born to be perenially late, be it 2nd grade in school or final year of college!

And then, it was school bus for some time and my tryst with bikes halted. Then came my scooty. Yes, my automobile knowledge is good enough, i wudnt call scooty a bike, but for all practical purposes, let it be! From 9th standard to this day, its my most intimate, trusted possession, though i have almost stopped using it these days. Getting back on track, my bike friend would be rathika, the only one who trusted me enough to ride pillion, my dearest and most adorable friend to this day. The experience is something inexplicable - the first freedom it gives u, the first leash of fresh boldness to shout at someone on the road, to zoom past someone, to overtake the one who juz overtook you and look back, yes, life's small pleasures give you more happiness indeed.

Then its was the 11th class - the bike show during the sports day - though a group of boys did it, i really used to admire this guy shri ohm, my classmate for his biking skills - just that i guess he tried out the same on my scooty and ended up making a mess of it! He could do awesome wheelies and that super fast turns (oops i forgot the name! what was it?) apart from the usual stunts that every guy on earth probably tries out! He was extremely good at it, probably the best i have seen so far! (Sad, that he had to undergo a surgery coz of injuries due to his antics on the bike!) It was at those moments, for once, i wished i was a boy! Now, that's a confession!

Back to my story, towards the end of 12th standard, we (me and rathika) took great pride in how we actually escaped the policeman at a particular signal for four long years - While all the big bad biker guys of class had their stories of what happened to them without a license at the police station! Wow!! We actually had the guts to look at him straight on his face and pass a smile - no dupattas covering the face, mostly in school uniforms which blatantly blurts out that we were still not that legitimately old enough to get a license. But the world has good souls like him! Thank you police uncle! I wish TN police has more ppl like u! :) Now dont book me under any rule, this is not a confession! And rathika was the partner in crime - super cool even when some 5 drunk auto drivers surrounded us and started blasting for something as small as breaking the indicator lamp glass - that too with the impact of a scooty! Very funny!

And then, towards the end of school, the ride became more and more sentimental, how we would miss the ride, how life would become all boring if i get a license, how we would miss the sweet smile of the policeman, how never in life would we be able to get away with minor accidents with a biiiiiig grin and an angelic innocence on our faces, assuming false identities. There's one thing here, in rajapalayam, you can't afford to let your name, especially your family's name out in any circumstance. If i overspeed, my mom would know it even before i reach home. So concealed identities used to be a big thing over there,though not any more, here i am a non-entity! Yes, all that we talked during jan, feb and march 2006 is all true. I really really miss it! I wish i can go back to the maths tution and the physics tution days - when we used to overtake the tution master himself, just to be on time - talk of punctuality! Not to forget the advices that follow - "dont overspeed, especially in such bad roads", and then that becomes the excuse for being late the next day! Sounds like a girl who has never had fun all her life, i know, but that's something very very close to heart and i dont have the power of words to explain it!And then it was college - i had to take the public transport, though it came with its own range of fun during travel. But i havent bothered to take a license until today - procrastination at its worst! So, naturally i miss all that fun of going out, 47A now being my closest friend now!

To this day, my biggest bike experience has been on UP roads - in Noida around midnight! Mostly pillion! Wowww!! I remember it so vividly! UP/Delhi's lack of road law and order adding to the fun! I wish i get it back! The black pulsar! That was also the time when i actually got to try out a looooong time wish of mine - to ride a bike,all by myself! It was the same black pulsar.. Though i never progressed far beyond the 2nd gear, it was a long cherished wish! And, yeah not to mention my ignorance - in scooty the left arm control was the brake and in bikes, it's the cluctch, my mind never took this point seriously and i ended up having a hearty laugh in the end! Half of my love of NCR comes from the love of roads, be it the AIIMS flyover, DND flyway, the loooong flyover in the inner ring road, the most beautiful NH-8, the expressway.. Everything.. If there's something called on top of world feeling, it riding on such roads, minus the irritating traffic ofcourse! No exaggeration!

So yeah, as u can sense, if writing about it can generate so much enthusiasm in me, doing it in reality would obviously do a lot more good to my spirits. Back from the summer fun, life has generally been boring on this front - just tried twice riding arvi's bike and made a mess of my image :P and yeah, saw his antics once near annai - a wheelie that never went beyond a 20 degree i would say, sorry arvi for that dig! I know you have a dubious distinction about wheelies, just that your bike wasnt in proper shape that day! The whole love of bikes story flashes everytime i hear dhoni mentioning a 800cc bike or seeing a launch of a really good looking bike or seeing someone zooming past with the air buzzing on the face, ripping through the wind, when you get a feeling of floating in air! Omg! Why should boys have all the fun! Doesnt mean i would say scooty is no good. It has its own share of fun, no changing gears at signals, you would be the first one to take off, probably you wont rip through wind, you could definitely enjoy the breeze! Gals can indeed have fun! That's probably i luv every ad with this concept - From the silly village gal ad featuring priyanka, why should boys have all the fun, and the more recent, tu peeche baitega ad! Hilarious!

These are things that make life more interesting and i just hope this passion runs alive, though i might not get to ride a bike that very often, and get laughed at by my bro and cousins in the process! Yes, the passion can be kept alive by dragging people to a mall just to catch a glimpse of an all new macho yamaha or a lambhorgini or the breathtaking BMW showroom or even a more accessible volkswagen showroom! Seeing is believing they say, isnt it? :P So yeah, god, lemme own a superbike in the future, and have a good chaffeur friend/bf coz i cant always go through the ordeal of parking lots and traffic jams, hehe.. Long live bikes, bikers and bike manufacturing companies!!!