Book Reviews

This book is by a writer who was an Assistant Director in Bollywood. The main character is also an AD trying to get a foothold in the movie industry. She goes through happiness and pain... affair with the main actor, unwanted pregnancy, success and failure in the career. Very 'Page 3'. I don't think every AD has affairs with the actors but the author needed to spice it up.

Very chicklit and not bad for a time pass read.
This book is by a Pakistani writer- Mohsin Hamid. It is based in Pak and is about a young man who loses himself to drugs. The beginning is good, book is short but loses everything in the end. Its as if the writer could not figure out how to end it and did so abruptly. Avoidable.

The Perfect Couch

The last 2 years KC and I have not bought too much furniture... for the first 6 months after marriage we did not even have a bed. The relocation, deposit and rent cost too much and we decided to wait a while. After the 6 months, we bought basic minimum furniture- bed, mattress, sofa cum bed, dining table, a center table and a TV unit. It filled the 1 bhk to the brim. In our current 2 bhk it looks sparse. But now all our savings have and will go in the flat we have purchased in Noida (I will come to that later).

We have also realized that we will not be able to live in our own house for atleast the next 5 years and waiting for so much time to buy proper furniture is not feasible. Anyway, now we are in a dilemma... we want to buy furniture but cannot spare the cash. That does stop us from window shopping and picking items we will buy later.

Yesterday, I dragged KC to Lifestyle's Home Centre. It has a sale on furniture. The top item on my wishlist is a good couch... a leather couch which will welcome me into its arms after a hard day's work... a couch on which I can lounge around while watching TV on weekends... a couch where we can invite friends for movies and drinks. We found the perfect couch and I am dreaming about it... hoping to buy it soon. Of course, it costs a bomb. The next item on the wish list is a lazy boy or a recliner... a good one. This also costs a bomb but is so worth it. KC is a little reluctant to blow up money on a chair but I am all for it. I know he will love it.

Anyone here interested in gifting them? If you have a tree where money grows, please let me know.

The papers are full of Noida farmers' agitation on construction of flats on their lands and low compensation. I will not get into who is right and who is wrong. We recently bought a flat in Noida and have not received any notices YET. We checked out all the constructions which are conflicted right now. I was a little keen on going for something which cost less, took its time in construction and development was to happen... while KC wanted a flat in a developed area even if it cost more. We went with the later and thank god for that. The construction is 60% complete... it is within Noida and not on the outskirts and the builders are very well known.

I sympathize with everyone who bought their flats in the conflicted area... it is like buying a flat in the to-be constructed airport area of Mumbai and finding out later there is a problem. It seems like a damn good opportunity right now but how are buyers to know who the land has been bought from and at what rates?

Its a sad situation with both parties being right- farmers and the buyers. Maybe the builders are also in the clear... it is the Govt who bought and sold the land.

Lets see how this gets resolved.

Back from Mumbai

Hiya. I have not blogged since my return from Mumbai but there has been loads of work.

We headed to Mumbai on Friday night. After a restful sleep, I met up with my old colleagues on Saturday. The realization that I have moved on and not a part of this team hit me finally. Evening was spent with my bro in Marine Drive. The weather was awesome with mild showers and Marine Drive was teeming with youngsters. We watched Delhi Belly again in Eros and the tickets were so damn cheap.

Sunday was lazy... I visited Candies for the very first time. Getting the food was torture... the wait in the queue and self service... and they don't take cards. But the ambience is awesome. Who knew such a green place could exist in Mumbai? We also had our fav sausages at Pot Pourri.

Monday and Tuesday was the conference. I reached home at midnight on Tuesday and was back at work at 9 am the next day.

My life has become really busy... after work on weekdays there is always some housework... and there is Jazz or gym. Weekends also are busy with grocery shopping and other chores. And I am ok with it. I wouldn't want it any other way. As I see it, the 1 year in Mumbai was a waste.... I don't want to regret next year that I didn't do anything. I want to do more than just work and come back home. I want to read, blog, watch my fav serials (right now it is 90210), learn Jazz, go to the gym, cook... and anything else I can fit in.

Thats how I have always been.

This week I also realized that friendship does not end when your friends are not there for you. As long as they are there when you ask them to be there. Thats all that matters.

In today's busy schedule it is difficult to expect someone to keep in touch regularly... on phone or mail or in person. Priorities change... people change... but with good friends you can abashedly call and ask for help... even at 5 am.

A big revelation.

August should be fun... we are going to Leh/Ladakh for 7 days.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

The theatres are running housefull. We could not get tickets for any evening shows yesterday and had to go for the 11.40 pm show. 12 is past my bedtime and there was a chance I would fall asleep. I had some teas and hoped for a good time.

The flick has been most awaited 'coz of the actors... and Zoya Akhtar. Luck by Chance is one of my fav movies but it was a safe way to start as a film maker. Who else can portray the actual world of filmdom?

Anyway, I loved the movie... it captured a new terrain... Spain instead of cliches we see in Bollywood. I love Abhay Deol... the rest are also good... chemistry between Hrithik and Kat is hot hot... songs are superb... Farhan has never played such a character... Kalki was good. All the actors were given equal screen time. Nobody overshadowed the other.

The only drawback was editing... some parts were avoidable... and felt like they dragged... songs were too many...

Overall, superb.

I am glad there were 2 good movies this weekend after the previous lull.

Hari Putar

We caught this flick on Friday night... If I could, I would have seen it first day first show. Harry Potter is the only sequel which has lived up to the book and to the first part. The reason is not just the direction or the editing. It is mainly 'coz the book is soooo good and the actors are so apt. I could not have imagined a better Harry or Hermione or Ron or Dumbledore or Hagrid etc. They have been the heroes till now... but there are new heroes in the last 2 movies... Bellatrix... Voldemort... and the best... Snape. Bellatrix is perfect as the mad crazy woman... and Snape has this measured way of speaking. I cannot think of any Bollywood actor who could have acted it this way.

I wish the movie would have covered the entire book and I sympathize with the people who haven't read the book. 4 hours also would not be a deterrent. It has been edited well and does not cover Albus, Aberforth and their sister's back story. The search and finding of the horcruxes is too fast.

I loved it ... and Harry will be missed.

Hiya

Hey... Sorry for the long pause... loads has been happening and yet nothing has.

I have been a little stressed, tensed and troubled all week. Nothing major. There are major changes happening at work which may or may not affect me. The old stress of sales is back and I do not like it.

I have seen these organizational changes in my earlier company and they are not good... atleast not for people who want to work their way up on merit.

Even in my dreams I think about work. No kidding. When I am talking to myself (in my mind) it is about work. Don't ask me why. I don't have major responsibilities but tend to take un-necessary tension.

Also, there was the mid year review. I spoke my mind. I don't know how well it was taken but everyone has their own managerial style and with me, each member of the team should know where he stands.

Tomorrow we (KC and me) are off to Mumbai for the weekend. I have a conference on Monday and Tuesday and for once I am looking forward to it. It will be nice meeting my old colleagues.

Coming to the very good part. I joined Jazz dance classes. Jazz is a street form of ballet and focuses more on technique than on movement. I mean, its not like usual latka jhatkas. I did learn a bit of it 3 years back at 'Danceworkz' and joined it again. The weekday batches are on Monday and Thursday from 7-8.15 pm... but they begin at 6.30 pm (basic revision of previous class) and go on till 8.45 pm. 1 hour is spent on exercises and technique and rest 45 mins on routine. It is so exhausting. I reach home at 9 pm, take a shower, have dinner and am dead. But it is 4 hours in the week when I am not thinking or worrying. Its a nice feeling and its been a long time since I felt that way.... when I can cut off from everything and focus on one thing. My gym has suffered in the process but thats ok.

Coming to the hilarious part... On Saturday I went to the gym early morning. I was very energised and actually running at a speed above 7... then, my hand towel fell down and I didn't want to break the rhythm (I just used spell check to write this word... I am ashamed) and decided to bend a little and pick it up. Of course, I lost my balance and fell off the treadmill... for the very first time (I know...I know... nobody even has a first time). The instructor was very, very concerned. He banned me from listening to the ipod 'coz he thought I lost concentration. What an embarrassment. Now I totally seem like a country bumpkin who cannot even run on a treadmill.

Coming to food, we bought a toaster cum grill cum waffle maker last week. B'fast on Sunday was sandwiches and waffles... yum while lunch was risotto and pizza. The risotto was sort of bland and I will look up better recipes. I didn't want to add too much cheese. One thing I am grateful about in Gurgaon... all the imported ingredients are available. Arborio rice (used in Risotto) is not there even in Hypercity in Mumbai but I found it here in Spencers.

For another amusing incident you can read this link.

Good night... catch you next week.

Delhi Belly

I know I have been gone long.

I loved, loved, loved this movie... it is hilarious, original (there are rumours floating around about this but I don't care), smart, has abuses never heard in any Bollywood movie.

A movie for the youngsters... the characters and actors are oh-so-perfect.

Please go watch it... you are an ass if you don't.

Also, don't watch it with family... definitely, not with parents.