I dream of her ...

Wow, that was clearly the best dream I have had in a really long time! And to think that it was so very "filmy"! And guess what it was about .... my lifemate. Now don't ask me who it was, because I swear to God, I myself have no frigging clue. I just remember that she seemed a tad worried at the very end of the dream, but before I could even ask her why, I woke up! A small chink in an otherwise amazing dream. And this was just the finale of a series of dreams actually, something like an episodic tale which played out in my subconscious, the episodes being telecast on random days but apparently in order. The basic theme was similar to the movie "Definitely, Maybe" or the popular TV series "How I Met Your Mother", where a father tells his daughter how he met her mother.

But let me rewind back to the beginning .... of the part that I remember, that is. I was walking down the road with a good friend of mine. She had just broken up with her boyfriend, so I was trying to cheer her up with some light-hearted banter. It was quite late at night and we were talking about something I have no idea about .... but it was quite an animated discussion, and finally, she was saying something while poking a finger at me as I stood pinned to a wall in a funny pose. Just at that moment, a posse of policemen walked towards us and one of them asked her to step aside. The other one did a "human breathalyzer" check. I wasn't drunk so I was pretty confident I wasn't in any trouble. He seemed satisfied, when suddenly he reached into my shirt and pulled out a condom attached to the end of the chain around my neck!!!! He showed it to his deputy and they chuckled. I tried to explain that it was not intentional; it was just something I took from a friend in a drunken stupor some nights back, and attached it to my chain just for amusement. I had no idea OR intention that I would be using it that night. Heck, I had even forgotten I had it there! The policeman then led me towards his vehicle. They had a lorry standing next to it (maybe it was confiscated), and pulled out a small packet from under the tarpaulin cover (I have no idea what it was). But he seemed quite amicable while giving it to me, as if he were wishing me luck with my endeavour that night. He let me off with a smile, and I looked around to see that she was walking some steps ahead. I called out to her as I wanted to explain to her that "there was nothing like that", but she started running and I chased her (and here begins the "really" filmy part). Very soon we were running through what seemed like a corridor of a hotel or a large bungalow ... with her sari's pallu flowing in the wind a-la Yash Chopra style ... and then she disappeared around the corner.

When I emerged from the other side, I saw my dear friends Zohra and Moiz sitting alongwith my sweetheart. (I am assuming this was the point where I switched from "flashback mode" to "present mode" in the dream). All of them were dressed up for some occasion, which I would guess was my engagement. And there was another girl standing in front of them who was being narrated the whole story. The last thing I remember was noticing my fiancee's tense expression, and poof ! .... I was back to my lonely world.

Apocalypto - A rare review

Yeah, it's been really long since I found something apparently strong enough to motivate me to write a blog entry. I watched Apocalypto today, and I was mighty impressed! And that's why I call it a rare review, for it's really hard for the common movie-watcher to look beyond the throbbing hearts with blood oozing out, and the graphic scenes of blood and gore. But this review talks about none of that. I know how queasy most people feel watching such stuff, but if, and only if, you are able to digest it, can you really appreciate the movie. Mel Gibson is probably known for his predilection for graphic violence (recall Passion of the Christ?), and knowing that probably helped me to expect what was coming.

First and foremost, I liked the underlying theme of the movie: fearlessness. As Flint Sky, the father of the protagonist, Jaguar Paw, says: "Fear. Deep rotting fear ... Fear is a sickness. It will crawl into the soul of anyone who engages it ... I did not raise you to see you live with fear." And he passes on the same message to his son in his dying moments: "Don't be afraid." The entire movie then shows how Jaguar Paw gradually loses his fear of anything and everything, enabling him to conquer those who seemed far more powerful than him.

I loved the setting of the movie - deep inside the forests of the Yucatan peninsula in the age of the Mayan empire. It was so close to nature, devoid of all the sophistications of the modern world that you normally see in action flicks .... so raw, so real!!! The adrenaline rush that one gets watching them attack each other with clubs and spears is ten times more than watching Neo skittle the "Agents" with his guns - the latter awes you, but it doesn't get under your skin as much as this does. The reason, I think, is because of the realistic nature of the whole thing, giving you the feeling that you too could be on either side. It transports you from a third person view to a second/first person one.

The first half of the movie has a generous dose of humour, allowing you an insight into the lifestyle of the tribals. But once the struggle begins, it's a grave story of life and death. The role of the little diseased girl, though small, leaves an ominous impression. Some of the scenes are just amazingly shot, my pick being the waterfall scene, where Jaguar Paw takes a giant leap of faith for the sake of his survival. Seemingly trivial things, such as the use of giant ants for stitching a wound, and making blow-darts from the venom of a Poison Dart frog, showcase the immense knowledge of Nature possessed by the Mayan people. James Horner's (The Titanic) background score also deserves a mention.

So is there something I didn't like in the movie? Yes. The sequence in which the captives are being taken through the city to the sacrificial altar was a bit too stretched, I felt. Also, if there's something I was simply unable to accommodate in my region of believability, it was the scene where Jaguar Paw's wife delivers a baby underwater (yeah, you read that right!) and then pulls him out of the water, all wet and crying! I'd have imagined the baby to atleast choke a bit?

In the end, Jaguar Paw does survive despite all odds, but not before he espies the Spanish conquistadors making their way ashore in boats. In response to his wife's query if they should go and greet the strangers, he says: "We should go to the forest. To seek a new beginning." And thus continues the story of life ... and death.

Peace.

Chori Chori - Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar

This is not an immortal composition, but it just bowled me over with its perfect capture of the sort of constant leg-pulling friends often resort to when they discover that one of them has "hooked up". The style of singing is enjoyable, the humor classy, and the lyrics couldn't have been apter. Just one of those songs you won't find topping the charts, but which you should definitely listen to once. Yenjoy it!

In memoriam

You know how things which you'll spot in the same place a zillion times when you don't require them, will go missing the moment you are in the most dire need of them. It's as if these inanimate objects have a will of their own, and this disappearance is their way of getting back at us for the prolonged indifference we afforded them. The same has happened with me right here, right now, as I give up on my search for the second credit card. You see, I have two credit cards, one of which is the primary one, carrying the bulk of the credit limit, and therefore also the bulk of my transactions. However, on this fateful day when I need to make some ticket bookings, I find that it is already reeling under the weight of my "discreditable" sins of the past month or so. But the transactions I need to make are of an urgent nature, so I turn to my second-in-command, the second credit card. Agreed that it's lilliputian in stature compared to my prima donna, but this is the exact time and opportunity for it to play a memorable cameo role. I fish for it in the little brown wallet in my drawer, where I always spotted it when I would be looking for other things. But lo! it has decided to do a Houdini! I rummage through the miscellanea twice, thrice, but to no avail - it has done a nice old vanishing act! Bags, suitcases, cupboards - everything is searched inside out, but not a sign of my trusted-but-neglected deputy. So it's with a dejected feeling that I decide to blog this down, to at least destroy the apparent futility of the whole episode.

In loving memory of ... the second credit card.

Yenjoy.

Bummy ride :P

My Business HR sent this mail to discourage people from giving birthday bumps to their teammates. However, he mixed up "bumps" with "bums" - the result is open to your imagination ...

[quote]
Folks,

While I totally encourage all of us to celebrate enthusiastically, I have observed many us getting carried away with bums and I have been part of it too!

However, I hear and also feel this can get very dangerous while we don't realize that. So as a rule we will not have any bums from now, we can choose other means of having fun.

Managers, please discourage this practice whenever you notice it.

With regards

[unquote]

'Getting carried away with bums, and I have been part of it too!!' Hahaha ... We can surely choose other means of having fun! :))

Yenjoy.

History in the faking ?

Just a random thought ... we all know about the September attack on the WTC by Al-Qaeda. Ever noticed what a significant date it was? 9/11 ... in the American style of mm/dd. Pronounced "nine-eleven", this is the exact number to dial for an emergency in the US ... 911. I was wondering if one of the Al-Qaeda thinktanks had proposed this date! Or if, going off on a "conspiracy theory" tangent, the US itself masterminded the whole thing right down to this detail. I won't belabour the political/economic reasons behind why the US would do that, but come to think of it, this would literally be akin to manufacturing history. I mean, of course they knew it would be a historic event, so why not choose a date to make it all the more mnemonic? Knowing what all Uncle Sam is capable of, I shudder to think: what if this were true? Preposterous? You can never be too sure.

Yenjoy.

For a change ...

Innumerable times in my daily chitchats have I heard the common refrain about the unscrupulous Bangalore autowallahs - how wicked they can get, and how avaricious they can be when they spot a helpless techie in a hurry. While I wouldn't dismiss all such talk as a bunch of hooplah (I myself have been at the receiving end at times), I always maintain that these characteristics hold true not just for the auto-drivers of Bangalore, but of all major Indian cities, and then some more.

Today, however, was a different chapter altogether. My roommate had eloped (to office, where else :P) with my bike keys (which he borrowed last night), leaving me stranded at home. And without a spare key, I figured I was going to be at the "mercy" of the dreaded auto-drivers. I flagged one down on Airport Road, and told him where I wanted to go. And only when I was sure he knew the destination did I get in the auto. (TIP 1 for novice auto-passengers: Never get into an auto unless you are sure he knows the way, or you do :D) Immediately after getting in, I asked him to set the meter (TIP 2: If {way!=known to you} {decide on fare BEFORE getting in} else {insist on meter}. Haggling after you get down is NOT an option.

As he flicked the meter, he asked me if I had the required change, showing me a crisp 100 rupee note as all he had, apart from a few coins. Since I didn't, I replied I would arrange it somehow. He went on to explain how passengers often had no change, and would be in a tearing hurry on reaching their destination, creating quite a situation.

When we reached my company, I asked him to wait outside while I got the change. Surprisingly, he was in quite a jovial mood despite the long time I took to make the jugaad. The fare was 31.50, and the clincher came as I handed him three tenners : "Leave it if you dont have the 1.50 change. Maybe some other day." I was quite amazed, for this was an example of generosity from the most unexpected quarters! The typical "vampirical" autowallah never lets go of even the last bit of change. Happily, I paid him the remaining amount, and some more.

While occurences like these might be few and far between, it only proves that the virtuous auto-driver isn't dead yet. And with those two valuable tips above, having a trouble-free auto ride should be a cinch. Bon Voyage! :D

Yenjoy.