Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Empathy with English August .
Running felt splendid,clockwork movement,the criss-cross of arm and leg,rhythm and balance,the steady healthy panting,the illusion that the body was being used well.
Running felt splendid,clockwork movement,the criss-cross of arm and leg,rhythm and balance,the steady healthy panting,the illusion that the body was being used well.
Had read English August twice before and for some strange reason packed it on my way to KL. In many ways it turns out Agastya and myself or rather life in Madna ( the town in which Agastya Sen was posted as IAS officer) and KL have so many parallels to draw. The thought suddenly striked my mind as I returned from my jog.For someone who normally doesn't stick to any routine leave alone fitness routine,I have been regularly running around 3-5 kms , around the nearby park,rather been upping my number of laps twice per week , preferring stairs over elevators to reach my 12th floor apartment.
Is this just to get fitter or just to throw a bone to satisfy my mind ,which is feeling not being sufficiently challenged or just an affirmation to prove I am still alive ....
I
Unsui 7:00 PM
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Monday, November 21, 2005
Harry Potter and the catching up with pop culture.
Nearly 5 years ago during the holiday season in Minneapolis, I was witness to kids and grown ups alike standing in a serpentine queue for getting their copy of Harry Potter ,& never figured out what’s the whole fuss about, was witness to another serpentine queue yesterday for the latest movie from the Harry Potter Stable “The Goblet Of Fire” ,luckily my colleague managed to get a ticket of next show and in three hours that followed got chance to catch up with the Harry Potter tale. Though I should say sleek production, computer-graphics etc. The story is worth for all its flights of fancy, Wizards, and witches and the souls from dark worlds, definitely not worth to go overboard and hype and develop crazy.
The movie again raises question that I have raised quite a number of times of late about various hypes and crazes that storm our times.I guess we live in age with media, and information being shared instantly with boundaries across nations doesn’t really mean anything. Result being something that was worth of Gold went unnoticed or rather remain restricted to the specific audience it was targeted at, in post nineties with internet, & TV channels playing key role in influencing the opinion of people ,very ordinary things get hyped as very special and something that can just cut grade becomes all time classic.
So much for rant ……
I
Nearly 5 years ago during the holiday season in Minneapolis, I was witness to kids and grown ups alike standing in a serpentine queue for getting their copy of Harry Potter ,& never figured out what’s the whole fuss about, was witness to another serpentine queue yesterday for the latest movie from the Harry Potter Stable “The Goblet Of Fire” ,luckily my colleague managed to get a ticket of next show and in three hours that followed got chance to catch up with the Harry Potter tale. Though I should say sleek production, computer-graphics etc. The story is worth for all its flights of fancy, Wizards, and witches and the souls from dark worlds, definitely not worth to go overboard and hype and develop crazy.
The movie again raises question that I have raised quite a number of times of late about various hypes and crazes that storm our times.I guess we live in age with media, and information being shared instantly with boundaries across nations doesn’t really mean anything. Result being something that was worth of Gold went unnoticed or rather remain restricted to the specific audience it was targeted at, in post nineties with internet, & TV channels playing key role in influencing the opinion of people ,very ordinary things get hyped as very special and something that can just cut grade becomes all time classic.
So much for rant ……
I
Unsui 3:03 PM
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Monday, November 07, 2005
A brilliant CTRL+H job … taste of India, and gambling vacation
Last week was Holiday Bonanza with Eid following Diwali … and the way I spent it
Angels & Demons
This Dan Brown Novel was written before the famous ‘Da Vinci code’ ,but to those who are aware of Ctrl+H command that’s commonly used in computer world to replace a set of words/characters. Da vinci has too many similarities with A&D ,rather I would put it this way , Dan brown kept the framework of A&D untouched just changed names of characters, & central plot and voila we have a Bestseller that has broken all records of its time. Having said that I should still say Mr. Brown has done lots of research to add enough factual information, for his readers to believe fiction too true and too logically organized to be brushed off as flight of imagination. The process of selection of new Pope, to lead the catholic church, landmarks in Rome , works of Galileo &Bernini. Chronology of historical events have been used with so much accuracy , I won’t be surprised if Mr Brown’s novels are being used by tourists visiting Rome & France.
The Mango Season
A nice novel by Amulya Malladi which captures the story of Indian Girl returning to India on a Short trip after spending seven years in the USA as student and working professional, the flavor of West and the contrast of east and the way she is torn between her ‘Matrubhumi’ & ‘Karmabhumi’ . Nice novel using simple words. It has something for every reader ,while small details like the family politics in traditional pickle preparation session with extended family will be relished ,by those who haven’t ventured out of India, Indepence shown by US returned Priya which rubs off on her Aunts of two different generations ,Rapid changes in Urban India in past few years and present teen generations have been aptly depicted by Amulya
Gambling Vacation
Wasn’t the first time that I was visiting a casino , but this one in Malaysia is located at hillstation resort ‘Genting Highlands’ a very small place with nothing but Resort hotels having theme parks and casino. Just an hours drive from Kuala Lumpur the climate of Genting Highland is world apart watching clouds ascending up the hills and chill in air was a welcome change
Amusement parks and rides don’t amuse me at all so most part of my Genting visit I was lazed in Hotel Room reading the books reviewed above and on final morning went to the casino gambled on slot machines for couple of hours. Tried to understand nittie gritties of blackjack ,dice and whatnots for a while
FYI did come back with some good memories & making some moolah from my gambling trip
I
Last week was Holiday Bonanza with Eid following Diwali … and the way I spent it
Angels & Demons
This Dan Brown Novel was written before the famous ‘Da Vinci code’ ,but to those who are aware of Ctrl+H command that’s commonly used in computer world to replace a set of words/characters. Da vinci has too many similarities with A&D ,rather I would put it this way , Dan brown kept the framework of A&D untouched just changed names of characters, & central plot and voila we have a Bestseller that has broken all records of its time. Having said that I should still say Mr. Brown has done lots of research to add enough factual information, for his readers to believe fiction too true and too logically organized to be brushed off as flight of imagination. The process of selection of new Pope, to lead the catholic church, landmarks in Rome , works of Galileo &Bernini. Chronology of historical events have been used with so much accuracy , I won’t be surprised if Mr Brown’s novels are being used by tourists visiting Rome & France.
The Mango Season
A nice novel by Amulya Malladi which captures the story of Indian Girl returning to India on a Short trip after spending seven years in the USA as student and working professional, the flavor of West and the contrast of east and the way she is torn between her ‘Matrubhumi’ & ‘Karmabhumi’ . Nice novel using simple words. It has something for every reader ,while small details like the family politics in traditional pickle preparation session with extended family will be relished ,by those who haven’t ventured out of India, Indepence shown by US returned Priya which rubs off on her Aunts of two different generations ,Rapid changes in Urban India in past few years and present teen generations have been aptly depicted by Amulya
Gambling Vacation
Wasn’t the first time that I was visiting a casino , but this one in Malaysia is located at hillstation resort ‘Genting Highlands’ a very small place with nothing but Resort hotels having theme parks and casino. Just an hours drive from Kuala Lumpur the climate of Genting Highland is world apart watching clouds ascending up the hills and chill in air was a welcome change
Amusement parks and rides don’t amuse me at all so most part of my Genting visit I was lazed in Hotel Room reading the books reviewed above and on final morning went to the casino gambled on slot machines for couple of hours. Tried to understand nittie gritties of blackjack ,dice and whatnots for a while
FYI did come back with some good memories & making some moolah from my gambling trip
I
Unsui 2:57 PM
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