January has rushed past and I am left wondering which one of my New Year Resolutions still stands. We were given an unexpected 4 days off during the last week of December and that made me come up with umpteen resolutions. Does it sound like I am blaming the person who gave us the off? Well, ya. The off gave me a lot of time on hand, and I came up with resolutions which I know for sure, I won't keep. I came up with them hoping I would keep them - but deep down I know I won't. Ufff.. this is one helluva vicious cycle.
Anyways, I have the usual ones that include going to the gym regularly to keep fit, keeping in touch with friends (especially school and college frends), remembering anniversaries and birthdays of extended family members and inviting MIL over.
I also had this whacky list that included getting a decent sized colourful tatoo done, going bungee jumping, learning odissi, growing out my hair, curling my hair, getting a total makeover, playing a part/role in a movie or play, and learning to skate in an ice-rink. Whaaa?? Whyy are you laughing?? Do I have to wait to have a terminal disease to come up with the bucket list kinda wish list - why not come up with it now so I have no regrets later...
Then comes the status update: Of the usual ones, most of tht stuff except the fitness stuff is on track :D Of the whacky ones - not one :(
I guess the lack of time is one reason why a bucket list works - but let me prove it otherwise. Wish me luck fellas and gals :D
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Day the Earth Stood Still
It was a weekday and I really felt that I needed to watch a movie - the Arien decides on the new Keanu Reeves movie - The Day the Earth stood still. I am totally against watching this movie. The Arien refuses to budge. He tries to make me like it by telling me that it is a remake of an old sci-fi film and that Will Smith's son is acting in it. I think I growled in response... Anyways, once the Arien's mind is made up - it is very difficult to change it and so I decide against my will to watch a sci-fi movie. What do I have against this movie b4 I even start watching: Firstly, I hate sci-fi movies. Secondly, Keanu Reeves has done way too many alien type movies and he looks pretty old in this movie - in the trailer tht I saw. I decided to watch 'cos I wanted to know who was Will Smith's son.
After watching more than half the movie - I was in total agreement with my earlier view - I do not like Sci-fi movies. For a change, the Arien called it Bakwas - Tht is indeed rare! Of course, he watched the movie till the end to see if there was a single saving grace :D I wud have liked to call Will Smith's son the saving grace - but the role was cliched and really after his role in "The pursuit of Happyness" - this was a major let down.
The movie starts as follows: Somewhere in the icy mountains of India, an alien spaceship that looks like a gigantic sphere, is sighted by an explorer, Keanu Reeves. The explorer moves closer to the sphere and makes contact - I am distracted by the pressure cooker's shrill whistle. When I return, Keanu is lying on the ground - asleep? fainted? Dead? no clue - the Arien does not answer! I realize tht he (not the Arien) has fainted and is gradually becoming conscious... he notices a scar on his hand. The next shot is at Manhattan - in Jennifer Connelly's class room. We are introduced to her son who calls her by name and generally does not seem like "goody two shoes". Well, Well, Well... tht is pretty normal - only he wasn't an adolescent yet.
All scientists, including Jennifer are summoned by the government as an alien missile is going to crash land in Manhattan within an hour. The alien spaceship - the same sphere - lands in a park in manhattan. An alien, Klatu, gets off and attempts to make contact with Jennifer who, suprises or surprises, is the only scientist close enough. Klatu is shot at and a giant robot kinda alien (GORT) disables the wiring of all the vehicles. Keanu is rushed into surgery with Jennifer holding his (its) hand.
I pick up my book - this is so bollywood ishtyle! Klatu looks like Keanu Reeves - you are told tht the aliens had come earlier to take a sample - if it was an old bollywood movie - there wud be a white hypnosis inducing circle used to signify flasback or rewind - that was thankfully not added - but you get the picture :D
There is more - Klatu recovers after a whole lot of Uggghhhy stuff is removed, including the bullet. He wants to speak to the UN and he is refused by a bureacrat (this is oh so India). He is then injected with truth serum - which Jennifer cunningly substitutes with H20 - and is then sent to take a lie-detector test - he escapes. He then goes to the airport and gets smne to call Dr. Jennifer and she comes to rescue him. There is more but this is where my story ends.... I got so bored by the very predictable turn of events tht I decided tht my book was a lot more interesting :D
If you would like to know wht really happened - catch the movie. Jes don't tell me that I didn't warn you :D
After watching more than half the movie - I was in total agreement with my earlier view - I do not like Sci-fi movies. For a change, the Arien called it Bakwas - Tht is indeed rare! Of course, he watched the movie till the end to see if there was a single saving grace :D I wud have liked to call Will Smith's son the saving grace - but the role was cliched and really after his role in "The pursuit of Happyness" - this was a major let down.
The movie starts as follows: Somewhere in the icy mountains of India, an alien spaceship that looks like a gigantic sphere, is sighted by an explorer, Keanu Reeves. The explorer moves closer to the sphere and makes contact - I am distracted by the pressure cooker's shrill whistle. When I return, Keanu is lying on the ground - asleep? fainted? Dead? no clue - the Arien does not answer! I realize tht he (not the Arien) has fainted and is gradually becoming conscious... he notices a scar on his hand. The next shot is at Manhattan - in Jennifer Connelly's class room. We are introduced to her son who calls her by name and generally does not seem like "goody two shoes". Well, Well, Well... tht is pretty normal - only he wasn't an adolescent yet.
All scientists, including Jennifer are summoned by the government as an alien missile is going to crash land in Manhattan within an hour. The alien spaceship - the same sphere - lands in a park in manhattan. An alien, Klatu, gets off and attempts to make contact with Jennifer who, suprises or surprises, is the only scientist close enough. Klatu is shot at and a giant robot kinda alien (GORT) disables the wiring of all the vehicles. Keanu is rushed into surgery with Jennifer holding his (its) hand.
I pick up my book - this is so bollywood ishtyle! Klatu looks like Keanu Reeves - you are told tht the aliens had come earlier to take a sample - if it was an old bollywood movie - there wud be a white hypnosis inducing circle used to signify flasback or rewind - that was thankfully not added - but you get the picture :D
There is more - Klatu recovers after a whole lot of Uggghhhy stuff is removed, including the bullet. He wants to speak to the UN and he is refused by a bureacrat (this is oh so India). He is then injected with truth serum - which Jennifer cunningly substitutes with H20 - and is then sent to take a lie-detector test - he escapes. He then goes to the airport and gets smne to call Dr. Jennifer and she comes to rescue him. There is more but this is where my story ends.... I got so bored by the very predictable turn of events tht I decided tht my book was a lot more interesting :D
If you would like to know wht really happened - catch the movie. Jes don't tell me that I didn't warn you :D
Monday, January 12, 2009
Automotive Expo 2009 - Food Court
The food court at the Automotive Expo was located to the right of the expo and was a separate unit. The food court was almost as big as the Expo. That surprised me. The Arien remarked tht food was indeed a gud business to be in - whether it is in a temple, an exhibition, a road show, a concert - the food business is assured gud money!! That reminded me of our visit to ISKON where we could order for Gobi Manchurian at the resturant located in the basement.
The food court was teeming with ppl and most of them were eating Sandwiches, Paav Bhaaji, Noodles, and of course, Chaat. To say we were not tempted, would not be true - we decided we must try smthng at the food court. We decided to opt for the ever popular Chilli Bhajji. We decided to drown the oily snack with Minute Maid's Pulpy Orange and happily did that. The Arien decided that he was hungry for another snack. I was not too sure if that was a gud idea but the Arien was sure and decided to order Paav Bhaaji which was selling like hot cakes. We walked over to where a man was making Pav Bhaaji after paying for the same. As we watched the entire process of Paav Bhaaji making/serving, I did not want to eat it -neither did the Arien. What do you think?
This is the place where all those who visited the Auto Expo, parked their vehicles in as organized a manner as possible, including us. To say that we were parked in a hapazard manner would be very fair - the moment we entered we were asked to take the first right - after doing so - we were left to struggle as there was no space in sight - finally a savior arrived to show us a chuntu space where we could park our car.
The number of vehicles parked outside was a zillion times more than the number of vehicles on display inside :D
The food court was teeming with ppl and most of them were eating Sandwiches, Paav Bhaaji, Noodles, and of course, Chaat. To say we were not tempted, would not be true - we decided we must try smthng at the food court. We decided to opt for the ever popular Chilli Bhajji. We decided to drown the oily snack with Minute Maid's Pulpy Orange and happily did that. The Arien decided that he was hungry for another snack. I was not too sure if that was a gud idea but the Arien was sure and decided to order Paav Bhaaji which was selling like hot cakes. We walked over to where a man was making Pav Bhaaji after paying for the same. As we watched the entire process of Paav Bhaaji making/serving, I did not want to eat it -neither did the Arien. What do you think?
This is the place where all those who visited the Auto Expo, parked their vehicles in as organized a manner as possible, including us. To say that we were parked in a hapazard manner would be very fair - the moment we entered we were asked to take the first right - after doing so - we were left to struggle as there was no space in sight - finally a savior arrived to show us a chuntu space where we could park our car.The number of vehicles parked outside was a zillion times more than the number of vehicles on display inside :D
Automotive Expo 2009 - BIAE 09
The Bangalore International Auto Expo 2009 happened at Palace Grounds from Jan 9th to Jan 11th. The Arien wanted to leave as early as post lunch so the place would not be too crowded but whom was he kidding - the crowd at the expo never ceases to amaze me. We finally left only at 5. We have almost made the Auto expo visit a tradition - the Arien truly lowes going to the expo - I can only say that I am dragged along.
The drive takes almost an hour and a half - thnx to B'lore traffic - and we walk into the expo at 6:30 - the Arien is pretty upset as the expo closes for the day by 8:30 and he feels we may not have time to see everything. The Arien stands in the queue for the tickets that are reasonably priced at Rs. 49/- per person and reminds you of Bata and their 399, 499, 199 pricing style. The Arien informs me that the change is never returned and so whts the beeg idea of this stooopid 49, anyway - they cud have priced it at Rs.50/-
The first thing we both stare at in awe are not the latest wheels but the Bangalore Palace - if you have not been to this part of the Palace Grounds - there are chances you may not even be aware that this palace even exists in Bangalore - I have lived here a solid 10 years and I have been to the Palace Grounds a zillion times for shows, concerts, etc. but have never set eyes on this palace. The Bangalore Palace has been modeled after the Windsor Castle in England and is currently owned by Wodeyar. The Arien's mood has been restored and he is happily shooting away.
The expo was not as huge as usual and we were a lil surprised at tht. I was thankful - we wud be able to see all the exhibits and also my feet wud not hurt much :P For once, I was wearing sensible sandals - not footwear that was gud-looking and not meant for walking. My patience level was a lot higher than usual, thanx to my comfy shoes :D
An interesting exhibit at the expo was the Garuda project from the RV College of Engineering. Their exhibit was already in the news sometime ago and so we thot we must talk to a few of the students - however, the sheer number of folks milling arnd - made us change our mind. We took a few snaps and moved on. It looks kinda like the car in the movie "The Fastest Indian".
The next place tht we moved to was so crowded - I was not so sure I wanted to get pushed and pulled - however, one glimpse at the ATVs and I was drawn in. The one thing I noticed was tht it did not matter how rich or how poor you were, what age group, gender you belonged to - the ATVs had everyone staring in awe. In case, you are wondering wht the hell is an ATV? - Do not worry - I was also bulbing until the Arien told me it stands for- All Terrain Vehicles. Ppl flocked to take snaps of themselves with the ATVs - it was so funny!
Yamaha had their own stall. There were quite a few stalls that consisted of all the accessories such as the hub caps, interiors, navigational systems, and a lot others. The women who were sharing brochures of these "marty" Ovilon interiors - were dressed to kill - they were wearing leather boots, denim skirts, and clingy tops - me thinks most men went there jes to stare at them :P
Was it boring? Naaaah... I guess it jes did not enthrall enuf :( We left by 8:10 - after visiting the food court.
The drive takes almost an hour and a half - thnx to B'lore traffic - and we walk into the expo at 6:30 - the Arien is pretty upset as the expo closes for the day by 8:30 and he feels we may not have time to see everything. The Arien stands in the queue for the tickets that are reasonably priced at Rs. 49/- per person and reminds you of Bata and their 399, 499, 199 pricing style. The Arien informs me that the change is never returned and so whts the beeg idea of this stooopid 49, anyway - they cud have priced it at Rs.50/-
The first thing we both stare at in awe are not the latest wheels but the Bangalore Palace - if you have not been to this part of the Palace Grounds - there are chances you may not even be aware that this palace even exists in Bangalore - I have lived here a solid 10 years and I have been to the Palace Grounds a zillion times for shows, concerts, etc. but have never set eyes on this palace. The Bangalore Palace has been modeled after the Windsor Castle in England and is currently owned by Wodeyar. The Arien's mood has been restored and he is happily shooting away.The expo was not as huge as usual and we were a lil surprised at tht. I was thankful - we wud be able to see all the exhibits and also my feet wud not hurt much :P For once, I was wearing sensible sandals - not footwear that was gud-looking and not meant for walking. My patience level was a lot higher than usual, thanx to my comfy shoes :D
An interesting exhibit at the expo was the Garuda project from the RV College of Engineering. Their exhibit was already in the news sometime ago and so we thot we must talk to a few of the students - however, the sheer number of folks milling arnd - made us change our mind. We took a few snaps and moved on. It looks kinda like the car in the movie "The Fastest Indian".
The next place tht we moved to was so crowded - I was not so sure I wanted to get pushed and pulled - however, one glimpse at the ATVs and I was drawn in. The one thing I noticed was tht it did not matter how rich or how poor you were, what age group, gender you belonged to - the ATVs had everyone staring in awe. In case, you are wondering wht the hell is an ATV? - Do not worry - I was also bulbing until the Arien told me it stands for- All Terrain Vehicles. Ppl flocked to take snaps of themselves with the ATVs - it was so funny!
Yamaha had their own stall. There were quite a few stalls that consisted of all the accessories such as the hub caps, interiors, navigational systems, and a lot others. The women who were sharing brochures of these "marty" Ovilon interiors - were dressed to kill - they were wearing leather boots, denim skirts, and clingy tops - me thinks most men went there jes to stare at them :P
Was it boring? Naaaah... I guess it jes did not enthrall enuf :( We left by 8:10 - after visiting the food court.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)