Mangalore Calling...

This one promises to be a great journey for it marks my first trip to the Western Coast. So, here it is, Mangalore-Udupi-Dharmasthala and a bunch of other places and beaches, tour is just around the corner. Tour dates...25th-28th Dec...

Will soon blog about the whole journey as soon as I am back....:)

Signing Off,
Hemanth

When People Go Bonkers....

Life is a funny thing. There are those who sit on one side of the prism and say, life's colourful and some sit on another side and say, life's got too much variety and so on. So, what happens when all these perspectives culminate? Well, I don't know...quite frankly, I think, either people go crazy, or we see a whole new set of species who are more sensible and intelligent.

We in Hyderabad, have been grappling with a new wave of disease called political fever. And in this madness, a code has been set to reach each and every one of us through enormous publicity. Look around, and you will find trillions of small party flags, thousands of vehicles claiming to support some or the other party and hundreds of cars labeled as " MLA/MLC" and yada...yada. I must add that, some are leaving no stone unturned to make their presence felt, so much so that the basic ideology of electing a leader is questionable. These days, I have been coming across hundreds of hoardings of countless youth who have put there "100 watt glowing and smiling" photo along with their friends, claiming to be supporting some "God Knows Who" political leader. I am sure I will bear witness a lot more action in the coming days, and have every intention of writing something about it. Here's one such poster I have come across...have a look.


For those of you who cannot understand Telugu, here's the translation of the content in the poster...

"World is beautiful.
And without eyes it is meaningless.

....Pic...

On the Occasion of Jagan's Birthday, please donate your eyes.

Jagan Charitable Trust"

By the way, Jagan is the son of the current Chief Minister of A.P, Mr.Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy. Correct me if I am wrong Mr.Jagan, I went bonkers, when you (or atleast people supporting you) appealed to the public to donate their eyes on the "occasion of your birthday". You couldn't ask for a better birthday gift?!...:D...What next? You want people's blood, kidneys, liver, heart for several of your family member's birthdays?! It's a very noble intention to run a charitable trust, but it would be even great if you were more sensitive to people. Maybe next time, you can try to appeal to a broad set of audience sans your name on it, atleast not in the body of the poster...let people judge you for what you are. I have already seen some communities on orkut, which have termed you as the equivalent of "Rahul Gandhi" in A.P...and I wish you good luck for that!

I think, this is only the beginning of what promises to be a great election in the state this time. Already three lions are showing their prowess across the state, but we will have to wait a watch who stands up to be the fourth of the lions. It's funny, because, an election which is soon assuming a strong flavour of caste, political affliations and bias cannot be fair! Unless we, the people, stand up for what we truly believe in and try to make a difference. I think God has a plan for us this time, He's playing this mind game to see how far can people go to make things happen...and as we go on constructing our Tower of Babel, He's watching us...waiting for the moment when we forget what we are and who we are....and then...He will strike upon thee with fury and great vengence.

P.S: I am not a supporter of any political party...am just a ghost around...am just a common man!...:D (I know, I contradict myself!..)

The Persistance of Perseverance

One of my favourite movies, V for Vendetta, has a beautiful monologue about a man trying to kindle a sense of hope and optimism in the imagination of his fellow brothers and sisters. And it goes something like this...(An excerpt from the movie, V for Vendetta)

" V: Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine- the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration, thereby those important events of the past usually associated with someone's death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, a celebration of a nice holiday, I thought we could mark this November the 5th, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat. There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to end that silence. Last night I destroyed the Old Bailey, to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament, and together we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever be forgot. "

The above passage has a great sense of pragmatism associated with it. And if you read closely, you will see that the speaker has appealed to what we believe in and what we subsequently end up doing. Take any great speech for that matter, and you will find the aroma of hope and at the end of it, a sense of relentless will to do something. Al Pacino's speech in "Any Given Sunday", is another example of words having an impeccable impact, so much so that, I can't sleep without listening to that clip atleast once! Over the past few years, I have come across video and audio clips of some influential speeches, out of which, Steve Jobs speech at Stanford's commencement, James Nachtwey's speech while accepting TED prize, and Barack Obama's Victory speech stand out. I would like to point out a bit about Obama here, since he's the man who seems to have captured the imagination of millions of people across the world.

A lot many things have been said and written about Obama, but nothing compares to the feeling which you undergo when you hear him talk. He doesn't say great things, but I have always wondered why some speeches become the talk of town and sometimes of the country, world as well. And after having listened to his Victory Speech in Chicago and another speech in 2004 in Illinois when he was campaigning for John Kerry, have cleared all doubts in my mind about the power of words. I have realised that no matter what, a simple phrase will reach people's heart if you utter with utmost sincerity and belief. No wonder, his political meetings bring such huge cheer and crowds from all walks of life. Probably, the next thing I am gonna do is to listen to all his debates and speeches to inject a dose of hope and optimism into my otherwise banal life.

They say, the simple and most beautiful things in life are free. Like a smile, tears, love, anger, fear, joy...ideas, perspective. And if we have to fight for them or even struggle to be able to catch a glimpse of them in our life, then be sure that there is something wrong with your life. It's not what your mirror shows you, but it's that brief moment of doubt in your mind, which makes you stand (or not stand) infront of a mirror for a longer time...that is a sign that things aren't what they have to be. People write tons of random stuff (including this post!..:P) to address how to resolve the crisis under such circumstances, I say, bullocks! How does one know what's with your life? How does a doctor know what's wrong with your head? There might be a cure for a lot of things, but is there a cure for hopelessness, the void in your life, the isolation...? Things like this can stay for a long time, consuming you from within, but life works in a magical way. All you need is a perspective called...Belief! God knows what sort of endorphin is released in our brain, but it's true! Things seem brighter and more chirpy when there is belief in our mind and heart. And what can be more beautiful, than seeing this sense of belief cure the dogma, that we cannot stand on our feet unless we have a helping hand!

At the end of the day, I wonder, how much of a changed person I am. Few years ago, when someone asked me, what do I want to be? I said, I wanted to be a respected person in the society. I didn't have an iota of knowledge what meant or how can I achieve it. And now when people ask me (after having seen how out of place I am in my current profession) what do I really wanna be and do? I say, I want to be a writer. And they laugh...See, this is what I call "The Persistence of an uncurable dogma". I now see a clear path ahead and as far as I can see, there's no one around. And I just walk alone...with a hope that, others will smile and rejoice when I reach my goal one day. Right now, I am in the middle of nowhere! Probably I would need a lot more Steves, Obamas, David Mitchells, Al Pacinos, Pete McCarthys, friends, strangers, movies, books, videos, blogs, ideas, thoughts, perspective, belief...to believe that,...."Yes, I can."

To put an end to this endless stream of consciousness, here's a modification of another quote from "V for Vendetta"...
"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, my friend, and ideas are bulletproof."

Amen,
Hemanth

The Good Doctor

Weekends are always reserved for the best of things I suppose! No wonder every week, a new movie or concert happens to be on a weekend. Over the past few weeks, after having grounded myself to the confines my room, I felt a void growing in me. A void of not having done any activity which some of my fellow countrymen would say, "Fun Stuff". So, there I was, aimlessly going through loads of books at a second hand book sale and ended up picking four books. I came across, a David Mitchell's book named "Number9Dream" and another book by Pete McCarthy titled "The Road To McCarthy" and both promise to be genuinely fantastic books owing to all the great reviews the respective books have got. Sunday, 14th December has been an unusually short day for me. After having slept till 12 PM, there was little time to do anything else, so I ended up keeping my promise and landed at NIFT, Hyderabad to see, "The Good Doctor" a play performed by "Dramanon"-a theatre group.

The Good Doctor:

Based on a play by Neil Simon of the same name, "The Good Doctor" is an anthology of six stories. The story set in Russia during the 19th century, has a distinct style of Chekhovian comedy. It is composed of a series of scenes in which the only connecting thread is the character of the Writer. The writer while giving his reason behind taking up this profession suddenly comes across an idea which he feels will be a good short story and bingo...we enter that scene. And thereafter six stories are enacted one after the other with only the writer as the narrator. They are about a working class man feeling the pressure being an underdog, a Casanova taking a class on the art of seduction, a liberal father wanting his son to have a stint with a prostitute, banker being harassed by an unknown lady, a tramp willing to entertain for a few rubles and two aged strangers meeting in a park.

Of the six plays, I liked the story of the underdog, father and son's discussion, banker's story and the aged strangers meeting in a park for the sheer energy and honesty in engaging the audience. To be honest, I have never been able to understand the Russian writers. Tragedies are more difficult to understand and to interpret them in a way that makes sense, requires a degree of careful thought. Likewise, at the end of first story, the writer mentions a possibility of "Alternative Ending" and the story of the tramp who attempts a drowning act to entertain a gentleman are brain-teasers! Why did the man forget to shout for help? Were the old couple in the park able to express their emotions to one another? Why does the writer choose to cast a spell of gloom on the Casanova when everything was going great for him?! I might turn into yet another Chekov if I knew the answers to all these...:D. But the fact that the play left me and (hopefully) few others like me thinking is in itself a success. If only the movies were engaging as this...a well spent two hours I must say!

The director, R K Shenoy, who I have realised is the soul of the unit, needs special mention. Not only does he bring in a style which is so distinct but also the characters of a veteran stage actor are clearly visible. And how can I forget his rendition on the guitar!!!..Somehow, he reminds me of a senior of mine from college named, Anshuman Bagchi...both have an impeccable aura of bringing a smile onto your face. Of the rest, Madhu (as the lady who harasses the banker) is a gem of an actress! She was brilliant and hopefully we theatre enthusiasts will get to see more of her in future. Utsav, Anshu are well cast in their roles and so are the rest of the cast. After having seen couple of plays by "Dramanon", I am not surprised that they have been identified by "India Today" amongst the top five emerging threatre groups in India. A well deserved recognition I must add.

But...there is an alternate ending to this post! After having sat there for two hours, I still couldn't comprehend why was it named "The Good Doctor". It wasn't until Varun (also a member of Dramanon) clarified from where the play's name has been derived, that I realise the slow and ubiquitous undercurrent throughout the play, which made sure that we never stop laughing or smiling. Thanks Varun, if not for your explanation, I would be having the number7Dream even now!. The troupe promises to come back in 6 months and I must say, I am eagerly waiting for their next production. And thanks to Srinidhi, Harish, Astha, Gunjan for having accompanied me to this play. I am sure it was a nice experience for all of you!

There it was...yet another sunday....yet another day of my life. And I am still here waiting for an alternative ending!...

PS: Number7Dream is derived from the title of David Mitchell's Number9Dream.

PPS: After having seen NIFT and the crowd, I realise why they are such a hot favourite!..:D

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Title: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (A Couple Made By God)

Language: Hindi

Year of Release: 2008

Director: Aditya Chopra

Actors: Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak and others.

Verdict: 3/5 (Watch it once!)

Before I stepped into the Cinema Hall to watch this film, the new look of King Khan on TV and posters brought a smile onto my face. To sum up my thoughts, he has never looked this simple and hilarious. I mean, who in the world wears "Lotto" brand shoes anymore?! And that too with that ridiculous moustache he has, things are bound to be different. After having seen the movie, I have a mixed feeling, of course I still smile when I think of Shahrukh as Suri but in the end the movie grapples with clichéd scenes and lack of common sense.

The story is set in Amristar where Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan), a government employee with Punjab Power brings his newly wed wife, Taani (Anushka Sharma). As the story unfolds, Suri explains how madly he had fallen in love with Taani and under what circumstances he had to get married to Taani. A day later, when Taani drops the bombshell that she will never be able to love him, Suri decides to never force her into anything hoping that she will soon realise how much he loves her. All's well till here and the story takes a turn when Taani asks her husband if she could attend the dance classes. Suri, who loves her way too much, immediately agrees and he himself decides to go personally and watch Taani dancing. Enter the new cool dude look, Raj...and the rest as they say is...Rab Di Marzi...

The story of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi seems to have been inspired from our general fetish for dance competitions and Shahrukh's ability to entertain the audience. Seriously, no other actor would have maintained the dignity of Suri and flamboyance of Raj at the same time with such ease. The first 15 minutes of the film reminded me of Mani Ratnam's 1986 flick "Mouna Raagam". The void between the newly wed couple and the occasional pendulous interactions between Suri and Taani are brilliantly shot and mark a great beginning to what could have been a much better movie. The people around Suri especially Bobby (Vinay Pathak) are heartwarming in their respective roles so much so that, you yearn for the conversations between Suri and Bobby. Even when Raj, the cool dude avatar of Suri enters the scene with an intention to bring in happiness to Taani's life you are glued to your seats. Perhaps it's the intensity and the silly, mocking body language which Shahrukh has...and it works! It's the second half where things don't seem to fit in...literally. Ten minutes into the second half, you will know exactly what's going to happen next, so much so that I ended up predicting half the lines which are about to come up on screen!...:D (Just Kidding!..:P). But still you can...the whole setting of the Dance Classes/competition is taken off in the second half of the story only to be brought back in the climax. Rajeev Masand on CNN-IBN brings out couple of interesting points of view about the heroine not able to recognise that it's actually her husband in disguise and also her stupidity in not telling Raj that she's already married until the former proposes to her. There's no mention of Taani being unhappy with the man she's currently married to but she doesn't think for a moment when Raj asks her to elope with him! But every story has to have a happy ending in India. Continuing this tradition, the director throws in a clichéd concept called "Divine Intervention" to solve a dilemma. And there it is...a Happy Ending...Happy Audience.

On the other side, the movie works because of its simplistic sets, infact most of the film seems to have been shot in the streets of Amritsar, Suri's terrific performance as an introvert who just cannot express how deeply is he in love with his wife and that funny smile (or expression) that he has on his face. Anushka Sharma delivers a confident performance in her debut film, she surely will go a long way! If only her character and her dilemma were well scripted out, she could have been the USP of this film. But the film truly belongs to Suri and Raj...and Shahrukh rises above the script to bring in the emotion and fun element. Raj's new designer T-Shirts and a blade hanging around his neck could be the new trend in the bazaar. Vinay Pathak as Bobby is an asset, his hairstyle and the clothes make his presence felt even when he's sharing the space with Shahrukh...you just can't help smiling at his look, especially after having seen him in Dasvidaniya. And the other important character in the movie is....The God! Quite literally...the Music in the movie is soothing, "Haule Haule" is the best of the lot and quite a few others have been shot spectacularly. But most of them reminded me of some soothing melodies in Telugu especially from Venkatesh's films...maybe in the middle of this, I happened to see "Rab"...:D...[Pun Intended!]

The first song, the bike chase, the first 15 minutes, Shahrukh as Suri, Anushka and the end credits sum up all that you need to see in the movie. At the end of the day, I have nothing much to say about the movie...and if you wondering why I have written so much about this movie, then it's all...Rab Di Marzi....[Dear God, I don't mean to offend you with all this, I think I am searching for you in the Taani's around....:D...hehehe...]

Till Then,

Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar Key. Phir Milenge. Chalte Chalte

Picture Courtesy: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (Wikipedia)

WOW!

WOW-World of Women, call it fiction or fantasy, it's every man's dream. The most often plaguing our mind is, does it really exist? There have been countless attempts in the past right from creating a Matriarch Society like The Other World Kingdom to bringing the most gorgeous of them under one umbrella. Browse the net and you are bound to find thousands of websites boasting best of women on their sites. Truth be told, most of these does contain a lot of objectionable content and thus get filtered out. But...thanks to Break Media,WOW finds a new address. Few days ago, when I happened to this, wiki-like website, I was surprised by the style in which the information was presented. It's not cramped and just gives a brief introduction and work of the chick. And hence the website's name....Chickipedia.com


It's sort of addiction which keeps me awake and blog at this odd hour when more than 80% of my fellow country men are fast asleep. It's the addiction to write, addiction to chat and browse, addiction to find the next most interesting stuff on the net. And I can say, this has been one website which has evoked a lot of interest in me. Now, don't think of me as a pervert! Maybe I am...but I would like to say, I am trying to remain sane all the time...:P...I admire beauty so much that I can't stop at one!

One such stunner I have across on this site is Sarah Varone. No words to describe what I should call this senorita...:D...and as I scoot to watch out for the next best thing on the site, I just wanna say...Go. Check it out. You Will Love It...!
Amen!

Warning: Some content in these links might require Parental Guidance. The author is not responsible for any possible accident and no objections to the content shall be entertained!!!...:P

Go Fly Kites...

Amazing as it may seem, but there's no wonder that for once the leading political parties in India have reached a consensus. At last! And riding on the pulse of the populace, both Congress and BJP have taken a united stance on terrorism. This is where the brilliance of both the parties lies in. Both of them have had their share of ups and downs in the recent past, be it some high profile BJP members involved in Malegoan blasts, mutual slandering and mixed results in the recent state elections and yes, of course the major embarrasment which the Congress Government had to face in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai. At this juncture, this united stance assumes significance.

For once, they seem to have put their political differences behind and get down to some action. BJP is in a fix, because it doesn't have a face to portray as a dynamic and charismatic leader for the next elections. (Accept it...Advani is too old!). Same's the case with Congress, unless of course, due to an extra-ordinary turn of events, Rahul Gandhi is touted to be the next PM! I wouldn't be surprised anyway. I have always wondered, why from a country of 1 billion plus we haven't been able to select 550 (or somewhere around that) leaders who can lead! All we see is some bunch of folks fighting with each other because the other had interefered in one's area of influence. I bet people would end up laughing on the floor, if there was a positive statement from the opposition about anything which the ruling party does. (Which is what I am doing now...after having read that both the parties have reached a consensus!!!).

Now that there's a consensus, the obvious question is, what's the way ahead? Will we see another war? Or a spate of economic sanctions? or just pure dallying till the next government comes to power so that the entire blame could be levied upon that government for all that has happened during these months of dallying! Sooner or later, each one of us will end up looking in the mirror and wonder, who's this person standing in front of me! We don't look the same, the glow ain't around, there are zillion different things in each others thoughts...all trying to find answer to a simple question. What am I doing?

And if you still can't find an answer to that question...as my boss would say...."Go Fly Kites".

Because....Life Goes On....

Absurdity of Reasoning

Yesterday, I saw this post on Rediff.com written by a professor from IIM-Bangalore who was fuming over the terrorist attack in Mumbai. Looks like the day of tolerance are a thing of past and we have now come out of a shell to address the situation head on. 452 comments in little under 2 days is a force to reckon with to understand the magnitude of anger and frustration we have against our neighbours. Oh...wait, this time the guns are set right at the human rights activists and liberals of the country as well.

Elsewhere in the walls of US and Indian political establishments, strategies are being made to analyse the posibility of a war! So much so that, Rice and McCain have been threatening Pakistan that India will attack if an appropriate isn't taken against the terrorists. Talk about India's sovereignty...there it goes for a toss. A war ignited by speculation, and suspicion that some terrible and dangerous activities are going on across the border on either sides. Funny thing is, I don't even know why we should go to a war in the first place.

If the intention is to take revenge for the lives lost, then an eye for an eye wouldn't make any sense. If it's just to vent out the anger, frustration or to pass on a message to Indian people that Government is indeed not so handicapped, then maybe this is not the right time! Economy has been horrible over the past year, rising oil and food prices have taken its toll. On top of that the stock market collapse and the gradual erosion of foreign investments and cash reserves. It's absurd to even think of going to a war unless we want to test the strength of our defence forces! The missiles aren't gonna rust if we rest them for a little more time!...Will they?!

And for God's sake, stop the notion of going to a war! Because tomorrow nothing will make any sense...nothing. Just the illusion of having won over the neighbour....

What the terrorists need to do?

On 26th November, 2008 a terrible incident in Mumbai shook the entire nation. The battle between the NSG commandos raged for 3 days during which around 170 people lost their lives and several others were injured. And immediately after this chaos hit a pinnacle in political circle. Someone had to be made a scapegoat and media had to put blame on a handful of people. First among the bigwigs to go under the hammer was Shivraj Patel, the then Home Minister of India; R R Patil, deputy CM of Maharashtra and Vilasrao Deshmukh, CM of Maharashtra. This was not all..

The major impact, however, this time has been from the citizens. Countless protests led by some concerned citizens of Mumbai and several other places took place across the country. And as usual, media hasn't missed a chance to highlight the growing anger among the populace. I was going through some articles on various websites and newspapers which have highlighted the statements given by Sanjay Dutt, Shahrukh Khan and other celebrities about the insecurity they as citizens have been facing. What's most interesting this time is the outburst of India Inc. In a recent meeting between the Corporates and Police authorities in Bangalore, Corporate houses have demanded AK-47s be given to the security guards who guard the zillion offices around-a request which has been categorically denied by the authorities. All these incidents in a way form a perfect RGV film's plot. No wonder, he left no stone unturned to be on ground zero, 'apparently' inspired from the events and decided (or was it announced) that he would soon make a film based on these events.

Back in the headquarters, wherever these terrorists might be from I sense some really tense faces! There could be a notion that their plan backfired. The reason, they chose the wrong targets. Of course, they killed lot of people, brought the nation to its feet, but I wonder whether they can withstand the backlash and the international attention which this incident has acquired. As an Indian, I have a request for the thousands being trained for future Jihad missions.

For whatever your mission maybe, please choose India as your destination! We offer the best hospitality, best tourism, best health care, best transport, ample resources who can help you out with almost anything, right from smuggling goods to getting you an entry to a 5 star hotel. Keeping in view of all your low-cost model of execution, India should and is perhaps your most-preferred onsite location. But please fire your chief strategist! He (or she) may have been of great help in the past killing people in massive numbers, but this time he has got it all wrong. All Wrong!

We in India, still haven't forgotten the rich and poor divide. The poor always struggle for their rights and justice and not many pay attention to them! Whereas the rich, have the power which would make a nation like yours envy! This time, you chose the wrong targets, places frequented by rich and famous...no wonder there has been so much of backlash. Something which has forced the government take a strong stance for the first time in years! The next time you choose a location to plant a bomb, the usual and tested places are the best...nobody would give a damn in a day or two! If your plan is to create chaos in India, then I suppose, killing people is perhaps the worst technique. You see, everytime a bomb goes off in any location across the country, there's massive publicity, media attention, leaders asking people to show our unity...and indeed all this is true!

We, over the past 60 years have been seeing you through a prism. So, no one has a clue what your true colour and intentions are. Instead, try for once to stay calm and divert your attention to some other activity; could be as simple as searching for water and oil deposits right under your soil! That would ensure that RAW (if there is one!) is on tenterhooks 365x24 hours! Need I say more?!?!...Please nuke us...and we shall reply in a way (or atleast try to) that you will never ever forget.

Run Lola Run

Title: Run Lola Run (English)

Lola Rennt(German)

Language: German (Original)

Year of Release: 1998

Director: Tom Tykwer

Actors: Franka Potente , Moritz Bleibtreu

Awards: The film was nominated for 41 awards, 26 of which were won. These included the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Best Film at the Seattle International Film Festival, and seven separate wins at the German Film Awards

Verdict: 4/5 (Awesome! Must Watch)

Have you ever wanted to change your destiny? What happens when you alter some things in your present? How does that impact your future? How far can you go to save the one you love? Is it possible to earn $100,000 in 20 minutes?! Sounds impossible...but it's not so. Check out this awesome German Flick, "Run Lola Run" for all the possible answers. And you will end up admiring much more than you will realise.

The story begins with Lola receiving a call from her boyfriend Manni who tells her about an impending danger to his life. And to save himself, he needs $100,000 in 20 minutes which has to be delivered to his boss. Lola forseeing a possibility of Manni making some stupidity warns him from doing anything and pleads him to wait for her. And she drops the phone and runs....runs....runs.

Probably that's the maximum story I can divulge, anything more would be stupidity and anything less doesn't serve the purpose of this post. Coming back to the story, its divided into three parts which each ending in a different way. So, the movie is all about, what happens when Lola arrives after 20 minutes, just before 20 minutes and right at 20 minutes. The story brings forth an important perspective that the road to your destiny is paved by your present actions. The brilliance of Run Lola Run lies in its ability to surprise you at every stage. The style of film-making, soundtrack, editing and narration are awesome and mind you calling it "awesome" is denigrating the fast paced action and the adrenaline it boasts of. Of all the people associated with this film, Tom Tykwer(director and writer), Franka Potente (Lola) and Mathilde Bonnefoy (Editor) need special mention.

Tom Tykwer relies on the pace and narration of the story, so much so that, the entire story rests on Lola and her bumping into several people. With a clever mix of animation and themes like time limit, Tom scores the maximum in leaving a great impact on the audience. Honestly, I wouldn't have stopped raving about this film, had I seen this 2 years ago while I was in college. I say so, because you rarely get to such a film where there's no threat of a terrorist attack or someone threating to blow up a bus/building! It's a concept driven by love and doing anything for the ones you love.

Franka Potente (who later appeared in "Bourne Identity") is more than good in her role. She captures your imagination with her bleached hair and a zeal to earn 100 grand in 20 minutes. Watch her in one of her runs when she manages to get the money from the bank, it's possibly one of the best shot sequences in the flick. She's what I would call a perfect diro's actress! And at the end of the day, the most important thing is, she delivers a stunning performance!

Mathilde Bonnefoy, the editor of the movie is another asset. It's not easy to show three acts back to back with the same beginning but a different ending. With her brilliant editing, Mathilde makes sure that we as audience, don't fret about the repitition of certain scenes.

I have always wondered why our Indian film-makers don't make such genuine fast paced action flicks. Although they have over the past few years, it's still a long way to go before they reach a stunner! Perhaps some sensible people should watch this "Run Lola Run" over and over again....I would hate them to the core if they rip the entire movie and give it a local name, but some budding sensible film-makers, I believe have the conviction to do what's right. And hopefully we will get to see a truly stylish and genuinely good action flick sometime in future.

Watch this film over and over again....it won't fail to surprise you. One of my favourites!

Quantum of Solace

Title: Quantum of Solace

Language: English

Year of Release: 2008

Director: Marc Forster

Actors: Daniel Craig, Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Judi Dench

Verdict: ***

First things first...What happened to Bond, James Bond?! To put into a proper perspective, the iconic character of our age seems to have been slowly stripped off his panache. Of course, the new interpretation of James Bond is enthralling for those who bask in realism. But where is his wit?! Where are his jaw-dropping gadgets?! Where is the charm which women find irreristable?! Where did his Tuxedo go? What happened to his own Martini?! There are way too many questions than this if you have just walked out of the latest James Bond flick, "Quantum of Solace". Having said all this, I will not take any credit away from this. Despite all its shortcomings, including a theme which is very unBond like, wayward editing and total absence of everything what we have known Bond for, "Quantum of Solace" is still a movie which has loads of energy and edge-of-the-seat action.

Daniel Craig stars as James Bond, tracking down the people behind Vasper Lynd's death with vengeance in his heart. The movie begins with a stunning car chase in Italy as Bond tries to escape from the henchmen. In Siena(Italy), M awaiting Bond to bring forth Mr.White tries to know about the organisation for which Mr.White works for. And sooner she finds out that the organisation has infiltrated even Mi6, she's caught unaware when her own aide shoots at her. Back in Mi6 as the forensic experts successfully tracks down some of the key people associated with suspicious money transfers, Bond is on his heels. His voyage to track down those responsible for Vasper's death takes him to Carribean and later to Bolivia, Austria. Dominic Greene, the chief of Green Planet, and as a member of Quantum, the organisation behind some of the most heinous crimes across the world. How Dominic tries to dictate terms to the governments in South America? Who helps Bond in his path to redemption? Does Bond successfully tracks down those behind Vasper's death? All this form the basic theme of Quantum of Solace.

Quantum of Solace originally is a short story adapted from Ian Fleming's "For Your Eyes Only", and it really is SHORT! With a running time of around 105 minutes, the film hardly has time to lay down the plot for the convenience of its audience. It's stuffed with as many action sequences, car chases, hand to hand fights ., etc in those 105 minutes. And we end up getting a half-baked plot which could have been a much better one to talk about. When you clinically look at this movie, you will realise that, despite some great cinematography and action sequences, the editing is so wayward that, atleast I had no clue what was happening in that scene. The frames change faster than you can gaze, the scenes and the acts are just too short to give much of a thought and in the end, the void is so clearly seen. Daniel Craig as the Bond, looks as good as any other action hero, but isn't it the charm which the likes of Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan once displayed which makes Bond, the Bond?! These are the moments when I truly miss Brosnan, the erstwhile Bond, who despite not having the muscle, had unparallel charm and wit. Olga Kurylenko as Camellie is good in her role, but with zilch chemistry between her and Craig, it's as good as not having her in the same frame as Bond. And what happened to the "Other" Bond Girl?! She's supposed to be the hottest chick in the flick; and they had to choose Gemma Arterton, of all the beautiful women in the world! Phew, if this is what the hotness parameter has fallen to, God save Bond! (She supposed to be the one who can surge the adrenaline levels when she's on screen, but watch Gemma on screen, and you will realise why I am fretting so much!). Dominic Greene(Mathieu Amalric) is perhaps the worst antagonist of Bond I have seen in ages. It's not that Mathieu hasn't done a good job, but his character in the film is so weak that you will realise that the purpose of his existence is to wait for Bond to kill him!!!

The only reason why you cannot walk out of the cinema hall is because of some stunning action sequences (however incongruent they may be), the conversations between M and Bond, and a new theme which takes us to places where no Bond film has ever gone before! And Thank God, the antagonist is not from a country which US and UK always has on their blacklist. He's not into building nuclear weapons or any other such thing to create havoc. Judi Dench as M, shows why no other woman can usurp that role atleast for the next few years. She's almost perfect to her role and delivers a commendable performance. This film was said to be most jinxed in the history of Bond flicks. You will realise why stunt drivers lost their lives and others ended up with broken bones when you see the first 5 minutes of the film....don't miss the beginning!!!

Lets hope that someone who's thinking about the next Bond film's script sees what Bond has missed in this flick. Bring back his gadgets, his tuxedo, his style, his wit, his way with women ! Put the sex back into Bond!!! You don't feel like having seen a truly genuine Bond movie unless we see all this on screen and hear his iconic line....Bond, James Bond!

Amen!

Coming Soon...

Woah...been a long time since I wrote about a movie! Not that I haven't been watching any, in fact, I have been watching quite a few over the past one month. Multiple reruns of "Infernal Affairs" has been the best so far! Fashion was the last Hindi movie I saw, and I don't feel like blogging about it here, but nevertheless shall blog about it on my other blog...http://isawthisflick.blogspot.com.

These are some of the movies, which I will be blogging about soon....

1. Infernal Affairs-I(Cantonese)
2. Run Lola Run- (German)
3. Quantum of Solace- (English)

And many more...

Till then....Adios!

Kotha Bangaru Lokam

Title: Kotha Bangaru Lokam

Language: Telugu
Year of Release:2008
Director: Srikanth Addala
Actors: Varun Sandesh, Shweta Prasad, Prakash Raj, Jayasudha, Ahuthi Prasad and others
Verdict: 3.75 / 5 (Don't miss it!)

2008 has had its share of ups and downs for Tollywood. There are no huge blockbusters to talk about... the success of Jalsa, Ready, Krishna, and other movies may be the only so far which has the rung the cash registers. But I wouldn't be surprised if the audience complained of some void which arises for lack of fresh stories or atleast something to talk about incessantly! Finally, the wait seems to have ended...atleast in most quarters. And it's once again from the production house of ace producer Dil Raju, who has Addala Srikanth as the chief bastion to his reputation of producing good movies! The team has definitely come up with a winner which will draw in the famillies and more particularly the teenagers and youth.

Kotha Bangaru Lokam (KBL) is the story of Balu (Varun Sandesh) and Swapna (Shweta Prasad), who meet in a Residential Junior College. Balu is the kind of guy whom you would associate any teenager...the happy go lucky guy, who believes that anything is possible and for whom life's a beautiful dream which can be led as one pleases. His life takes a new turn when he bumps into Swapna in college and is compelled to know more about her. As time progresses, love blossoms...the only problem is, they don't know if it's love or attraction. When they come across their Physics Lecturer who believes that life's all about the decisions you make at different levels, they are compelled even more to question themselves as to what exactly is the funny feeling they are enduring. After a short while, they realise that it's the love for each other which makes them restless...all's well so far! But how can life be so smooth??! Obviously, the girl's father discovers the affair and takes his daughter away from the college. Now that, with the girl gone and him being sent out of college, what will Balu do? Will he confess all this to his parents ? Will he be able to meet Swapna again? How does all this end??!--To find answers to all these questions...you must watch the movie!

It's just not the question of what happens in the latter part of the story, but the movie on a whole is an earnest attempt to portray the lifestyle of a teenager and what he thinks and does. The steps to discovering oneself are sometimes the longest and the hardest to walk. If leaving your parents hands (in a strictly Indian Sense) was so easy, there would have been no question of a struggle of conscience. At every step of your life, you have this going in your mind...how would my family react if they find out what I have done? Will my family support my decision? When will the society realise that I am mature enough to make my own decisions?!....yada...yada.

Probably a dozen more of such questions have always plagued us sometime or the other. And after having seen the movie, I can say with my hand on my heart that the writers and the director understand what it's to be like a teenager....watch out for that physics class where this concept is explained as XYZ axis! Coming back to the movie, Varun Sandesh is here to stay! He's got another good role which he performs with ease after his role in "Happy Days". Of course, his American accent doesn't seem to have completely veered of him, especially for a film where he's portraying a Konaseema lad. He has shed lot of weight...and has that funny looking mush...hehe...pretty much like how most of us used to look like back then (Of course, I personally cannot claim to be thin at any stage of my life!!! :-P...). He looks a bit like Danush in this flick...check it out yourself if you don't believe me! Shweta Prasad, the girl who earlier played the role of Iqbal's sister in Nagesh Kukoonoor's "Iqbal" is the find of the year! She's just perfect for the role and has a remarkable innocence etched onto her face all the time. No wonder, her smile and the catchy phrase "Ekkada" will stand out in the movie. Ahuti Prasad is content in his role...he's got some really funny lines. Jayasudha and Prakash Raj team up again...and leave no place for any shortcomings. Although I would say, their roles don't have much footage, but the entire film owes it to their presence and the impact which they leave in those scenes in which they appear. Another big asset to this movie is the set of friends which the hero and the heroine have! I haven't laughed so much for such spontaneous lines...and the Konaseema accent adds to the sparkling humour!

Mickey J Meyer's music is another asset...couple of songs, Nijanga...Nijanga...and Nenani will continue to be among the chartbusters for a long long time! Chota K Naidu's Cinematography is probably the strongest pillar to this movie...all those wonderful scenes across Godavari, the songs and the general scenes between the hero and the heroine are wonderfully captured. The colours are rich and they exude such brilliance...one thing in particular...most of the scenes have been shot amidst the most brilliant of the sunlighting! The golden rays of sun and the soft music are probably more than enough to make you belief that you are feeling good within for some odd reason. Kudos to the director for bringing in such a wonderful team together and bringing out a genuinely fresh product. The direction is particularly brilliant towards the final act in the movie, and I truly hope this talented director comes up with something more consistent. A final word for the producer, Raju...he seems to have got the knack of finding good talent most of the times. Have got just one thing to say-"Your Bank Balance just got multipled!!!"....:D

There might be plenty of reasons for watching this movie, but probably the most important thing would be....go for the sweet romance, sparkling comedy and some beautiful music and cinematographer. Don't miss this flick...you never know when you might come across another truly genuine piece of work like this one!

Upcoming Events...

Came across this pretty good site for the upcoming events in Bangalore...am sure most of you Bangalorean folks must have stumbled across it...EventsBenguluru

Upcoming Events:

In Bangalore:

Open Business Quiz on Sunday 12 October at Vista, IIM-B’s Business Fest

In Hyderabad:

Hindu Plus Presents: Theatre Fest 2008- It's Playtime Folks....click here for more details on this fest

Happy Quizzing and hope atleast some of you drop in at the Theatre fest...they do feature some good ones from time to time!

Have you been "Gaming"?!!!

Have you ever laid your hands on a book and wonder if it's "The One" which will change your life?! If you go by the reviews that you find behind the book, then almost 1 out of 3 books claim that this is the best book you can ever come across...but sadly most of them don't live upto the expectations.

So, what so different about "The Game"....Yes, it's a book! Written by Neil Strauss, it chronicles his journey which he takes to understand the art of seduction and how pick up artists perform and share their information with others!

"The Game- Penetrating the Secret Society of Pick Up Artists"- By Neil Strauss is perhaps one such book which somehow manages to surprise you at every corner. Written in a very casual manner, it's not exactly a gyaan which the writer is giving out to the readers, but the extra-ordinary turn of events which at times sound too good to be true! But who knows...as time has shown us nothing is impossible!!!...The book is about Self-Discovery, believing in oneself and making your presence felt in social gatherings. This is what you would realise the book is about once you get the essence, of course, on top of all this, it's about nerds and geeks realising that they have something special going inside them. It's about people like you and me shedding their deepest fears (of rejection) and inhibitions...with the overall impact depicted when it comes to starting and carrying on a conversation with every blue eyed (or otherwise) girl who interests you!

I wouldn't go far and say that, this book will change course of your life, but then it's something which you can't stop raving about once you begin it! Right from the almost surrealistic conversations to discovering what women prefer...from discovering self to what makes you a runaway hit...the book's got it all! It's a must read for all single men...of course, mere reading of this book won't get you laid (or whatever your intent is!) but it definitely ignites a spark in you to start doing something about what you want!

P.S: Although, some would say the book is just for men, because all that people seem to be doing is flirting around with girls...but WTF...it's a brilliant book...which anyone can enjoy!

Check out...some of the related videos of how people actually go sarging!! Click Here

To know more about the Game or Neil Strauss...check out their official site...

Where's the Awesomeness??! .....

TV perhaps should be categorized in the same league as that of Cigarettes, Drugs, Alcohol...basically any damn thing which makes you addictive! It's just the news and entertainment, every program on TV caters to its respective audience across the world! And most probably it's the 40 mins (in some cases 20 mins) episodes of an ongoing or previous TV series...it sets the whole generation scouting for resources to watch the episodes by hook or crook! One TV series which has been a huge hit with our generation has been...F.R.I.E.N.D.S...it ran for almost 10 long years!...And then there were plenty of them...Numbers, Prison Break, Family Guy, Simpsons, South Park, How I Met Your Mother, Heroes...etc! The list goes on and on...

One of these which had taken me by storm was How I Met Your Mother! Thanks to Harsha and Vetti who introduced me to this series earlier this year...this series has always been something to watch out for...the reason....of Course...Barney and Robin....(Drooling....Drooling!!...;-)...).

It's 3 seasons down and the 4th one began on 22nd September in U S and A. Already 2 episodes of the current season have hit the screen...and after a long gap, I happened to see both of them...Couple of things seem to have changed. Over the past 3 seasons, Barney has been the most awe...wait for it...some, thing in the show. I say this because, he's got the diction and the style especially when it comes to his funk one-liners and also while seducing countless chicks in McLaren's (and in other places). Season 4 so far has been a little rusty when it comes to the Barney we all knew of...where's all that awesomeness!!!...maybe I should wait to check out more episodes to see if Barney's at his usual best!.....

Robin has been another surprise. She seemed to have lost some weight...and has toned her bhhhoody a bit!...(Sorry for my slangs...can't help it!). She's still hot as ever...but has lost a bit of her cuteness!!...:D. The rest of them don't seem to have changed at all!!!....Enough of my talk...I scoot to re-re-rewatch some episodes from previous seasons of HIMYM....

Check this site out....it's got an awesome collection of all your favourite shows and also tons of movies....http://surfthechannel.com

For more info on HIMYM....check this out...How I Met Your Mother-Official Site

And this one is an absolute must read....But I recommend you to read this only after having seen the awesomeness of Barney!.....Barney's Blog

Anything for you Ma'm : Book Review

Remember, back in 2004 there came a book titled "Five Point Someone" by Chetan Bhagat and it took the Indian publishing industry by storm. What added to the craze was the IIT tag to this book, it was after all marketed as "Five Point Someone- What not to do in an IIT". Oh...boy, Chetan Bhagat and the publishing house did indeed mint money with this book. Oh, just in case if you didn't know this...according to some sources, selling 5000 copies of a book is enough to put in Bestsellers bracket in India! And his book according to some reports in May, 2008 has touched 7 lakh copies!!..and still counting. Whatever maybe the case, it proved that you don't have to be a Rushdie to become a star overnight. If I may take a stand on this issue, I would go on to say that this book has given confidence to so many other budding writers who dream of getting their book published. And whatever maybe the case...a book would eventually find its reader.

Anything for you Ma'm, is a book written by Tushar Raheja who was a final year student in IIT, Delhi when this book was published back in 2006. The book follows the trail of a IITian named Tejas Narula who's longing to meet his lady love Shreya who's in Chennai. As you would have expected by now, the girl's dad realising that she's in love has grounded her in Chennai. And it's upto Tejas to do whatever it may take to meet his girl.

The book has got some good reviews from various newspapers and magazines, some calling it a laugh a minute book, others comparing it with a typical masala film from Bollywood...one chap even drew parallel to Virginia Wolf owing to the narattion technique which the author uses here. I would say, the book's all that...and probably it's a bit over rated! As a fellow blogger points out that, the book is filled with coincidences which one needs to build an interesting plot. Another points out that, there's not one single thing which the author disparages! Everything is beautiful...the months...the sun...the winters...the trains...the people...you name it! I don't blame him anyway...as some of you might argue that being in love one would tend to think of like this...:). I wouldn't know anyway!!!...:-P

If you are one who doesn't go for some heavy reading...this is not a bad one to flip through. It's charming in parts and treads the road travelled in other cases. The author didn't have to really use the IIT tag here...there's nothing in the book which adds to the aura of the character being an IITian. But it sells!! And that's what matters....(No offence!). Not a masterpiece in any angle, but an honest effort....:D

P.S: I have an idea....I think we all should brainstorm and come up with each and every random stuff we have done in our college lives...am sure there are enough tales to tell to the rest of the world. If not anything, we would atleast end up having a log book which we could share for our 25th reunion...should be fun! What say guys?! Who's with me?!...

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

You guessed it right by now...that I would inaugurate my blogging streak with a movie review.And probably for the first time, I have written about a movie which I wouldn't have even dreamed of blogging about till sometime back. I realised that I can't just go on praising movie...have been doing that for quite sometime now! So, it's time to balance out few things and write about movies which aren't awesome...but good enough to kill a good 2 hours of your weekend!....I am putting all that stuff on this blog....http://cornflicks.blogspot.com

The first post to go up in the blog is "You Don't Mess with the Zohan". Quite a ridiculous movie it is...almost unexpected from Adam Sandler. RC if you are reading this blog by now...this one's for you, because you wanted me to write about the mundane stuff as well....:D

This year, Adam Sandler's in the limelight again with his act as an Israeli Counter-terrorist named Zohan. And the movie is all about Zohan and his wildness...:). There couldn't be a better way to start a movie, than showing some really really hot chicks with the minimalist possible bikinis and thongs running on the sandy beaches.....To read more about this flick....click here


P.S: Please let me know if you would love to write on Cornflicks as well...somehow too many of us do come up with awesome stuff libeling as well as praising anything and everything!!...:D

Where were you?

Far across a land, I had never been to,

There was a treasure which was a legend.

Some said it was the creation of God,

And others that it was the Holy Grail of our times.

Deep in the dungeon of my life I was trapped,

Where the only concern was to be or not to be,

Some said the only way to break free was a quest,

And others opined that it would be foolish to go on a wild goose chase.

Then one day, I saw a moon kissing the star,

It left me wondering how the moon touched the star.

And it struck me that life’s just an illusion,

Sometimes it lets you walk on water,

And sometimes sucks you deep within.

I had resolved that the only way out of this trap was a quest,

To a land far away that existed only in legends and in my dreams.

I ran…ran and ran…to a place where earth touched the sky.

But that never came so I kept running.

I asked someone if they knew about the treasure,

And they told me a secret that none had known before.

One after the other the secrets kept tumbling out,

And what was once a legend was now a princess who was wilting with seasons.

When the palace where you were was insight,

There were no dragons and fires to scare me away…

Just a single long tunnel to across,

And I saw you on the other end of it…waiting for someone.

All I had to do was to cross the tunnel,

But little did I realize that those would be the most difficult steps I would take!

The demons of my past kept pulling me behind,

But that wouldn’t stop me going towards my glory of my future…inch by inch.

And today after all these years, I stand before you,

And wonder if I could touch you,

I couldn’t move an inch further because I was blinded,

Blinded by a beauty that was only in legends…a beauty which was a creation of God!

I shed a drop of tear out of happiness,

And something happened…something no one had told me before.

The flowers around bloom as if it was spring,

The lamps lit all by themselves and slowly darkness vanished…

As I stood agape to what had happened around, I see you lifting your face,

And there it was….the smile!

So, then we hold our hands and look into your eyes,

The pearls which had me rolling towards life,

And ask…”Where were you when the moon kissed the star?”

And you reply…”I was wondering how did the star touch the moon?”

And I smile as I lay my arms around you and gaze at the moon and the star kissing each other…again!

Let's Brainstorm....

Dear All,
In less than 15 minutes I sent invites to my friends to join this blog, we already have 5 of them onboard and I am sure, many more would join. This just shows how addicted we are to the comp!!!...:D. Well, wanted to put in few things before we go full throttle with the blogging....

1. As usual, I have no idea what design would look good for the blog. So, please if you have or have across a brilliant template which would be appealing to everyone, do send it to me!
2. If you don't want to blog a particular thing directly here, you can write 3-4 lines telling us what you have written and provide a link to the blog/site where you have posted that stuff.
3. Blogging about Randomest of ideas, thoughts, deeds are encouraged. It just shows, that we do a lot more when we are not compelled to do something...(Perhaps, what Freedom to do anything is all about!)
4. I do understand that life goes on during weekdays too...so do write about almost anything and everything if you feel like!
5. If you are writing about a place you have visited or describing a pub, restaurant or any other thing which you are recommended others to visit, please be more elaborate while describing about it. This is for the common interest of everyone...:-)
6. Posting pics/videos or links to where they are put up is highly encouraged!
7. If you have your buddies/colleagues who would be interested to blog here...please let me know.
8. Since most of you already seem to be blogging (sometimes on multiple blogs), let me know which of your blogs can I put on blogroll.
9. And finally...this is your blog, so suggestions and ideas are highly required!....:D

Enjoy the long weekend! Which also means, there are tons of things to be written about...:-D

Yours,
Hemanth

The mother of all weekends is here!

Firstly, thanks hemanth for inviting me to this blog. Its a great idea to blog about the weekends, especially for young professionals like us. Gone are the days when we used to laze out everyday like a Saturday in BITS. We now live a life from Friday to Sunday. The rest of the week is dedicated to evil corporates who squeeze out every drop of juice in us. And that very thought makes us look forward to this lovely day called Friday.

Malaysia being an Islamic country with a difference (the difference being that the weekend is still sat-sun, unlike thu-fri in most others) can afford to boast of the mother of all weekends. Three days of Hari Raya (literally means Celebration Day, for Ramadan) on wed-thu-fri and the normal weekend after that. Its really a Friday after Monday. And I am off on some private adventure to celebrate. Will blog about it when I am back.

I look forward to reading some splendid chains of thought in TGIF, from various places on the planet (amazing how our batch ended up scattered on all the inhabited continents!), hoping to learn various cultures, the good about them and the comedy of errors they sometime become and to just dump in my random travels across peninsular Malaysia. My trip here is almost coming to an end and I hope to put in some memorable weekend adventures I have had before I forget them.