So...here I am

After Amrita (the better half) gave me the Brilliante Weblog award for what I think is a rather non-existent blog, I figured I needed to do something to deserve it.

First up on the menu is passing on the award to 5 blogs that I enjoy reading!

1. Namita - A fellow traveler with a rather sharp sense of humour that is refreshing and delightful. Unless of course that wit is being exercised on you! She cant seem to find time to write too much anymore but here's hoping she does!

2. Adi - The kid bro. Started reading at a belated age and has easily overtaken in me in both reading and writing style. For the most part, his blog is about daily observations (not always pertinent, mind you :-)). His love for "saapad", music and Sachin (in that order!) comes through in his blog.

3. Karthik aka Wimpy - This guy does not know of my existence and I only know of his blog. He is held in high esteem for his precise definition and treatise on the state of NED - a common state of affairs for a software engineer in Bangalore. His posts have a rather matter-of-fact-ness about them that I like.

4. Amrita - the person who started me on this of course! Fabulous writing style and all such. She is the better half truly and is poised for success as she completes her doctoral thesis soon.

I cant think of a 5th at the moment...the 4 I have spoken about..continue the good work! and pass on the awards..


Last on this post (phew! this is a long one..)
2 movies I watched over the weekend - with their places at the opposite ends of the "viewing-pleasure" spectrum.

The fabulous one was Wong-Kar Wai's "In the Mood for love" (yes I know! I cant believe it took me this long to watch it either!). I enjoyed the subtlety and the nuanced texture employed in portraying emotions. The judiciousness exercised in introducing new characters was interesting - they were introduced only if they had a purpose. Impactful presences yet seemingly shadowed. This interesting juxtaposition captures the viewer's attention far better than actually establishing them as solid characters. I enjoyed the moments of serendipity portrayed in the beginning of the movie - as the 2 lead characters are seen walking next to each other as complete strangers and yet you know that something is waiting to happen. The magic, at times tangible, at times mercurial makes itself omnipresent throughout the movie. Yumeji's theme has a haunting yet lyrical quality that ensures that it is etched in memory well after the movie. Watch it if you havent already.

The ghastly one was "Kabhi Kabhi"( yes I know I shouldn't have expected much). My love for Gulzar's lyrics was a significant factor in ensuring I watched this.Mom being a big AB fan also ensured that it was the thing to do on Sunday evening. Aaaaargh! the oblique references that Gulzar uses in his poetry was jarringly opposed by in your face hysterics. When the character portrayed by Waheeda Rahman tells her husband that she has a love child, the shock on AB's face is marred by the visual image of a bomb exploding (so that the user is able to see the shock that is absent from the actor's due to his ineptitude or some over-editing). I think AB has an expressive face (which looks awful when seen with a moustache and sideburns borrowed by force from a rater reluctant Kamal Hassan Im sure!) and the bomb imagery was an unfortunate instrument to convey his shock. The movie is peppered with such irrelevant visuals and I shall not relive my horror by duplicating them here.

The other recurring ghastly visual in the movie (yes there was one more) was Neetu Singh. Aaaaaaargh..even as a non-fashionista (yours truly!), I was positively groaning..wide bottomed bell-bottoms on an already unflattering figure. Red shirt with white trimming (I think I had something like that when I was 3!). Mom, a seasoned veteran with this generation of movies tells me that this is the norm rather than the exception with Neetu Singh movies. So be warned!

I end this long post here and shall endeavour to keep you posted on my return to cultural wakening as I have actively started reading and movie watching (like there is no tomorrow!)

A trip to Pondicherry over the weekend promises a travel post next week...All of you have a fab weekend...