First of all, let me tell you that am happy that "Sea of Poppies" has been nominated for this year's Bookers prize :). It really is splendid literature. I was/am bitten with the Booker's bug post that novel, and hence I decided to read "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie. If you don't know this, this novel has been bestowed with the "Booker of Bookers" Prize - so I had/have high expectations.
I am 30% through and initially I found the language and the narration difficult to follow. The language and the continuity seemed unnatural to me and I was almost on the verge of abandoning reading it. But then the children of Midnight have been finally revealed and my interest has been sufficiently piqued. Hopefully when I am done with it, I might find resonance with those who voted it best of the best. So expect me to be a children of the midnight hour, pouring over printed words everyonce in a while... :)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wish me happy watching!
So, like Pi is put up at her brother's place and after my daily dose of Big Boss, I still am not sleepy enough, to try and kill an extra couple of hours. Thanks to a generous office colleague, I have laid my hands on a couple hundred of good movies and every night, when am lounging all alone on the sofa with the lights turned out, am spoilt for choices.
For a while, comedy and animation was my choice (You rock my Kung Fuing Panda!). But the current genre thats literally keeping me awake is HORROR! Thankfully the last 3-4 movies have been top-notch. I started off with:
1408 starring John Cusack, which is about a man who specializes in rebuking paranormal phenomenons, checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel to confront genuine terror. Not bad I would say. Then,
Silent Hill starring Radha Mitchell, which is based on a best selling game of the same name by Konami. It is about a woman who goes to this creepy ash-raining town called as Silent Hill in search of her daughter's ailment. Pretty gripping scary stuff every once in a while too. But the one that rules the roost for me is:
The Descent which is about a bunch of women who go on an undiscovered cave exploration trip when things turn out horribly wrong! I am not lying, I genuinely felt their claustrophobia for a while, while watching the movie. As an honor to them, this will adorn my desktop for a while :)
Some gone, so many more to watch! I have decided that "The Mist" based on a book by Stephen King, might just be the next movie which gets the honor of keeping me awake till the wee hours of the night. So wish me spooky err... happy watching then!
For a while, comedy and animation was my choice (You rock my Kung Fuing Panda!). But the current genre thats literally keeping me awake is HORROR! Thankfully the last 3-4 movies have been top-notch. I started off with:
1408 starring John Cusack, which is about a man who specializes in rebuking paranormal phenomenons, checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel to confront genuine terror. Not bad I would say. Then,
Silent Hill starring Radha Mitchell, which is based on a best selling game of the same name by Konami. It is about a woman who goes to this creepy ash-raining town called as Silent Hill in search of her daughter's ailment. Pretty gripping scary stuff every once in a while too. But the one that rules the roost for me is:
The Descent which is about a bunch of women who go on an undiscovered cave exploration trip when things turn out horribly wrong! I am not lying, I genuinely felt their claustrophobia for a while, while watching the movie. As an honor to them, this will adorn my desktop for a while :)
Some gone, so many more to watch! I have decided that "The Mist" based on a book by Stephen King, might just be the next movie which gets the honor of keeping me awake till the wee hours of the night. So wish me spooky err... happy watching then!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Big BOOS!
Reality can be boring and ennui-inducing sometimes. So what is one to say about reality shows? Me (and thankfully my family) gave up watching soap operas a long time back. But just like trying to have dinner together with family, watching something together on the idiot box also makes up for some family bonding. Currently we are all watching "Big Boss, Season 2". First, the members chosen could not have been lamer. The first qualification for this show should be someone who is atleast an average speaker. There are some folks, who do not have anything to say at all for lengths of time! And then there are some who are at the other extremes (Sambhavna was histrionics personified on yesterday's (i.e. 15th Sept) show!).
But all in all, this is the best fare for me in recent times. There are some people like Rahul Mahajan the Man-Child, Raja of the filmy-rage, Payal the filmy-dame and Sambhavna of the histrionics - who keep up the interest quotient alive. Infact Raja is the surprising package of the lot. From a reticent, non-talkative first-weeker, he has turned into the mischief-maker-in-chief with full force! Most of the rest are as interesting as the storylines of saas-bahu serials. Until something else more interesting comes along, I will stick to this without a lot of boos..
But all in all, this is the best fare for me in recent times. There are some people like Rahul Mahajan the Man-Child, Raja of the filmy-rage, Payal the filmy-dame and Sambhavna of the histrionics - who keep up the interest quotient alive. Infact Raja is the surprising package of the lot. From a reticent, non-talkative first-weeker, he has turned into the mischief-maker-in-chief with full force! Most of the rest are as interesting as the storylines of saas-bahu serials. Until something else more interesting comes along, I will stick to this without a lot of boos..
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
I love weekday holidays!
Don't you just love it when you are wading through work during the week hoping for the weekend to arrive faster and suddenly you are gifted a holiday on a weekday? I love it too! But I typically end up at work on such (optional) weekday holidays, unless the holiday is part of a possible extended weekend. Today is one such day!
If you see me, am all happy and relaxed at work, typing away this post merrily. I have had a smooth ride to office. I was able to actually enjoy driving down to office! My left leg does not hurt today from the constant assault that it puts the car clutch to. My fingers are not too stiff, because of the manic tight grip I usually use it for on the driving wheel. My temper is not frayed, cause I don't have to mutter abuses under my breath, nor hear other drivers' impatient honking prodding me along the way.
Amongst other things, I could actually wander my eyes off the road and check in the city on the way. I could admire small things like watching an autorickshaw driver using yesterday's poodle of accumulated rainwater to scrub clean his conveyance. I could actually check out the roses that the road side vendors push into our faces everyday. On other days, I am all taut at my seat with the socket of my eyes glued in onto the front and rear view mirrors hoping fervently that my car gets away without a bruise or a scrap.
With almost half of the city's population not on the road, I wistfully wish if this was the situation everyday. Hmmm, till the next weekday holiday then! :)
If you see me, am all happy and relaxed at work, typing away this post merrily. I have had a smooth ride to office. I was able to actually enjoy driving down to office! My left leg does not hurt today from the constant assault that it puts the car clutch to. My fingers are not too stiff, because of the manic tight grip I usually use it for on the driving wheel. My temper is not frayed, cause I don't have to mutter abuses under my breath, nor hear other drivers' impatient honking prodding me along the way.
Amongst other things, I could actually wander my eyes off the road and check in the city on the way. I could admire small things like watching an autorickshaw driver using yesterday's poodle of accumulated rainwater to scrub clean his conveyance. I could actually check out the roses that the road side vendors push into our faces everyday. On other days, I am all taut at my seat with the socket of my eyes glued in onto the front and rear view mirrors hoping fervently that my car gets away without a bruise or a scrap.
With almost half of the city's population not on the road, I wistfully wish if this was the situation everyday. Hmmm, till the next weekday holiday then! :)
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