Changeling

It is a Clint Eastwood Oscar winning movie.... so you know what to expect. It is a true story about a mother whose child vanishes without a trace. The cops find the boy but he is not her son. Thats how the fight for justice begins. It is a good movie.... but heavy... and sad. No happy ending here...

I like Angelina Jolie... she never plays trivial roles unlike Catherine Zeta Jones and other actresses. Angelina looks sexy only when her role demands it.... she is not in-your-face sensuous like Bipasha...

Very watchable movie with good performances.

I am going green

Green was the theme of the day...

Yesterday:

Me: So...I went to Vodafone store... then to Croma... wanted to finish most of the work today... so I can relax tomorrow

KC: Were you an ant in your last birth?

Me: Sigh!!! I need to be active... don't know why

Today:

• Cooked Sai Bhaji...which is a famous, typical Sindhi dish. "Sai" in Sindhi means green. The veg is made of spinach and channa dal. It is generally eaten with rice... but can be eaten with roti as well. It was my first attempt at making it... and turned out very very well. My cooking has improved... a lot. I don't know if it is the practice or the enthusiasm. My mom always said that the feelings while cooking are reflected in the taste of the food cooked. I used to cook in Gurgaon also... but to kill time. It gave me something to do once I returned from work.
• There are 2 balconies in my house... one in the living room and one in the bedroom. The bedroom balcony is used for drying clothes. 2 balconies in a 1 bhk flat is a luxury in Mumbai. The living room balcony becomes dirty and it is not possible to get it cleaned every day or even every week. I decided to decorate it with plants. Another problem is.. the balcony faces an inner road due to which sunlight falls directly here. Plants will help cool it. I am a virgin at this... lets see how it turns out. I hope the plants don't die on me within a week. Any tips? The final touch was a wind chime. I love wind chimes.

Death at a funeral

Saras movie che.... very very funny. 'Daddy Cool' is a remake of this one. I can imagine how screwed it must be.

'Death at a funeral' is a situational comedy.It is not in-your-face comedy where you will roll with laughter... it is something which will make you smirk... The movie revolves around the incidents during a funeral.

Don't miss it.

Diwali gifts

Everyone looks forward to the Diwali Bonus/Gift. I shifted into this building 3 months back and was not sure if I should give Diwali baksheesh... should it be money or gift??? If it is money... how much should it be? Thankfully, the building association gave all the employees baksheesh and they didn't bother me. I was a little concerned about the laundry guy and the Bai. They are my crutches... pissing them off would not do. I gave the Bai 100 bucks (which is 14% of her monthly salary) but she was unhappy and asked me for more. Fortunately, those were the last 100 bucks in my wallet. Today... she demanded Diwali Mithai very diplomatically... "My kids were asking... hasn't madam given you mithais???" I mumbled; "Well... I didn't know you wanted Mithai... I don't have time now"... The laundry guy also demanded Diwali money and I put it off for another day. Mithai or money??? I still have to decide.

In case you think I am a heartless bitch (which I am)... I treat my Bai quite well... I have already given her loads of old clothes... she collects old newspapers from me every 15 days... I help her clean on Sundays...

Come to think of it... she has become very dedicated since Diwali... she does more than her job profile demands... which is scary. Is she trying to make me feel guilty??? It is weird the amount of control she exerts on my life.

Anyway... coming to my Diwali gift... I miss the old days when companies gave a bonus. My previous company gave us useful stuff like... microwave... DVD player. Everyone... from top management to the bottom guys received the same gift. My new company has given me 15 free products... good ones... very good ones. Thank god.. my previous company didn't do that... cartons of confectionery would make a very pathetic gift and lower morale+motivation.

The cupboard of my dressing table is stuffed... it is full of toiletries... some I bought in the staff sale and others I got as Diwali gifts... I have 6 bottles of Shampoo, 5 conditioners, 3 serums, 2 hair sprays, 2 eye roll ons, 1 age lift roll on, 4 face washes, 4 face moisturisers, 4 deos... sigh!!! I am stocked up for aeons... And all this... after I gifted Shampoo bottles and make up to my friends...

2 States

Chetan Bhagat writes like a kid... Five Point Someone was a hit 'coz it was the first book of its kind in India... we all know how obsessed people are with IIM and IIT... a book written by an IIM pass out on IIT was bound to be a winner.

Things have gone downhill after that... One night at Call Center was fuck all... so was the next book on cricket and Gujarat riots (don't remember the name)... 2 States is quite clichéd... and predictable... Thankfully it is priced at Rs 95 and can be read in one day.

Wake Up Sid

I waited a long time to watch this one. It is a done to death story... rich spoilt kid is tamed by a more serious mature female... Karan Johar isshtyle.

The first scene where everyone is discussing their future plans in front of clueless Sid reminded me of Hrithik in 'Lakshya'. Ranbir was nowhere close... I mean... he is not bad... but there are better actors. Another scene when Anupam Kher tries talk him into coming to work reminded me of 'Dil Chahta Hai'... Aamir was so much better.

WUS does not inspire... does not evoke any feelings... you go in.. watch the movie... and leave. It does not leave its mark.

The lesser said about Konkana... the better it is... Konkana has made it till here only on talent. Trying to dress her up like a KJ heroine makes her look worse. Her fake eyelashes irritated the hell out of me. Why Konkana... why??? Can we please see you in some "good" roles? Give up these stereotypes.

Movies... Books... enjoy maadi

The final in the series... Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and finally... Breaking Dawn. It took me weeks to finish this one... Bella and Edward are married... and Bella gets pregnant. She also becomes a vampire in this one... the book is as exciting as the others. The problem with all these books is that they make you anticipate action... but the action never happens... specially in this book. I was a little disappointed in the end... the end is too happy... too soon.

I expected better from Abhay Deol... it is an ok ok movie.... quite predictable.

17 Again: Another predictable flick about people becoming young... somewhat like '13 going on 30'... but slightly more tolerable. Zac is kinda cute... Watchable once on DVD...

Vicky Cristina Barcelona: I watched it last weekend... It stars Penelope and Scarlett Johansen... A very weird flick... The story is about 2 friends... Vicky and Cristina. They go to Barcelona for the summer. Vicky is engaged... a practical, down to earth, no nonsense female... Cristina is impulsive, romantic and recovering from a break up. They meet a man 'X' who propositions them and offers to take them sight seeing. On the trip Cristina falls ill... Vicky and X have sex. On returning, he sleeps with Cristina and they start dating. Meanwhile, Vicky gets married but cannot take her mind off the one night stand.

X's ex-wife Penelope is a psycho and barges into the relationship... Cristina, Penelope and X start having a relationship... In the end, Cristina leaves.. Vicky approaches X for another one night stand... but Penelope intervenes with a gun.Vicky and Cristina leave for home...

Totally avoidable!!!

VLCC Vs Kaya Vs Lakme

I have travelled to all regions of India. Finding a good parlour in a new place is very very difficult. Thankfully, branded salons provide standardized services.

One trend I have noticed is... VLCC, Kaya and Lakme are all located near each other in most cities be it... Gurgaon, A'bad, Mumbai, Bangalore,Kolkata... which is no coincidence. After all, they compete.

Kaya: The positioning is that of a skin care consultant. I have never visited any outlet 'coz it gives me an expensive feel. I am not sure about the services offered... but I think they are mainly related to skin. They have started slimming services(who hasn't???). All said and done they have a professional sound to it.

Lakme: It is a salon... no slimming packages and stuff. The problem is... locally the standard of services differ... a Lakme in Kolkata is damn good... but the one in Gurgaon is pathetic. Not very reliable... and they have not even updated the services they provide... there have not been many additions in last 2-3 years. They do not even retail their products which a lost opportunity.

VLCC: They provide salon services... slimming packages... and many other specialized services... It is a like a hypermarket with everything available under one roof. The staff is courteous... there have been times when I have not been happy with the service or the result... they have offered me complimentary services... Thumbs up to VLCC!!!

PS: VLCC has not offered me any money to give a positive feedback... they should.

Chota sa update

Hiya... its been a long time. Last week was exhausting. I have eaten out a lot... come home late... missed the gym... driven for hours. One night out (till 2 am) was enough to ruin next 2 days. I am not one of those people who can be up all night and fresh the next morning. I need my beauty sleep... on time.

A firang was supposed to visit the Mumbai market and all my energy was spent setting up things... you know how it can be... Malad had become my 2nd home. Unfortunately, the visit didn't happen.

I am looking forward to the holidays.. need to relax. Going back to work and parting from KC will be torture.

I am not attached to any festivals... they don't make me sentimental or happy or excited... Diwali has never been a good time for me...

Need to buy candles, diyas and rangoli stuff... sigh!!!

I met Betty today after a long time... it was nice.... and another school acquaintance. She is married and all with a kid.

And now I am waiting for my food to arrive.

Good night!!!

PS: Btw... Obama is being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize!!! For what??? I don't know... It is amazing to live in such a world.

War Zone

My kitchen looks like a war zone today. I have been experimenting... successfully.

The day began with the maid ringing the door bell at 7 am... the bane of my life... she refuses to come later on Sunday. After cleaning, oiling my hair (weekend ritual), face pack (bi/tri weekly ritual) I tried my hand at making pancakes. I first tasted them in USA... my sis would call this guy who makes amazing pancakes, inquire his whereabouts (he operated a moving deli and would station himself in different locations) and then take a cab to the place to purchase pancakes. Pancakes come with all kinds of toppings... maple syrup, blueberry sauce, whipped cream, chocolate sauce etc. Unfortunately, they are a rarity in India... we have a chain which retails doughnuts but no pancakes or waffles. Doughnuts are too American... I have never liked them. Pancakes are also liked by a very niche crowd. Mc Donald's has pancakes as a part of their B'fast menu in premium outlets (e.g Phoenix Mills).

Anyway.... after a lot of research online the ingredients were purchased and pancakes cooked for b'fast... and I'm loving it.

Lunch consisted of soya bean and potato sabzi... another first for me. It was good.

Dinner was dosa, sambhar and coconut chutney... all prepared at home.

I made the coconut chutney and green sandwich chutney on Sat night.

People like to eat out and party on Sat and Sunday... I prefer to eat at home... I get enough time to cook and experiment.

Watched the movie 'Twilight' which is based on the book of same title by 'Stephanie Meyer'. I liked it... but... someone who has not read the book may not like it too much.

I found a really nice DVD library in Mulund- near the Nahur station. It is owned and run by a couple. The charges are astronomical (Rs 1000 for lifetime membership- non refundable)... Rs 99 per DVD. The DVDs are picked up and dropped by their executives. The collection has only original DVDs... even of Hollywood movies unreleased in India... Totally worth it!!! It is so much better than the dingy dvd libraries where the shady guy stock only 'popular' movies. They also have a website where the movie details are updated regularly... and the membership kit contains a list of the movie titles available with them which is delivered at home. Very impressive.

Who is a drunkard?

The other day I wondered.. what is the definition of a 'drunkard'?

Is it someone who

• Drinks everyday without getting drunk?
• Gets drunk easily?
• Drinks regularly and gets drunk?
• Drinks regularly without getting drunk?

I come across people from all 4 categories.. and ask myself; "Is he a drunkard?"

The encyclopaedia defines a drunkard as "One who habitually engages in the overindulgence of alcohol.

In order for an individual to be labeled a drunkard, drunkenness must be habitual or must recur on a constant basis. A person who regularly drinks heavily but is sometimes not under the influence of alcohol would be considered a drunkard, whereas a person who occasionally gets drunk would not. The test is the question of whether or not excessive drinking has become a frequent behavior pattern for a particular person."

Traditionally a drunkard was easy to identify... someone who would come home after work.. drink... and then beat his wife... or maybe just drink everyday... and then lose control.

It is a little more complicated now... most people drink... most drink regularly... for some the alcohol affects after many drinks... for others few drinks are enough. Everyone has a different limit... what is termed as excessive? For me... more than 3 drinks is excessive... for another it could be 10 drinks... who decides?

I have friends who used to drink everyday... now they drink regularly or infrequently... are they drunkards??? Or were they drunkards earlier? Or they don't come under the category?

What are your views?

Games in trouble

I have been trying to install Flash Player on my system for 2 months now... nothing worked... went through 20 websites for solutions... tried many tips... last night I decided 'now or never'... actually it was more of 'now only'... I have not played games on FB for 2 months... KC has been nagging and nagging... we generally play Scrabble on FB.

Today... I succeeded... downloaded Google Chrome and re-installed flash player in safe mode.

Goodbye IE and Firefox... welcome Chrome.

Not another review

Before this blog gets the reputation of being a 'reviews blog' let me update it.

Yesterday... I had a monthly meeting with my team. For lunch we decided to go to 'Phoenix Mills' or the restaurant in the office campus instead of ordering in. We headed to campus wala restaurant... I paid with my credit card... and headed for another meeting in Powai. On the way I stopped at the petrol pump... and realized my credit card was missing. I went into a shock... hoping I had left it at the restaurant (losing it would be devastating) I called and confirmed. They had the card... one of my team members was in office and picked it up from the place. We got late for the meeting... I parked at Hiranandani in a 'No Parking Zone' expecting to be back by 5.30 pm... cars are generally towed away after 5.30... I was back at 6.30 pm... the car had been towed away... I rushed to the police chowki to retrieve it. The cops were demanding an atrocious amount 'coz I didn't have a PUC... the guy at the petrol pump had asked me to get the PUC but I was so upset 'coz of the missing credit card I ignored him... we could not attend another meeting since it got so late... but I made it for the doc's appointment.

So.... if only we had lunch in office... I would not have misplaced my card.. the car would not get towed away... I would have attended the 2nd meeting...

Reminds me of the movie 'Run Lola Run'...

Inglorious Basterds

I was planning to watch 'Wake up Sid' (despite Rishabh's thumbs down on FB.. I remembered he didn't like Kaminey and appreciated Love Aaj Kal)... but then my eyes fell upon 'Inglorious Bastards'. It stars Brad Pitt (I am not a fan) and is directed by Quentin Tarantino (big fan).

This is the best flick of 2009... Tarantino has a particular style... the movies progress slowly... very slowly... till the interval I was wondering where this is leading... what is the purpose of the movie... which way will it go.

The show stealer is not the hero.. but the villain 'Jew Hunter' played by Christopher Waltz who is a German actor. Fabulous character and amazing acting. One of the strongest characters I have come across.

The story is set during World War II... Germans have occupied France and are exterminating the Jews... Brad Pitt and his gang are the 'Basterds' trying to remove the Germans...

Please... please... please... don't miss it.

PS: The violence quotient is very high... typical Tarantino isshtyle (remember Kill Bill???)