Holi - Indian festival of colors brings freshness in Subways from Mumbai to New York!

Do you stink? Please take a bath this Holi ... :)

We casually joke in India, pointing at the lazy bums, “You take a bath from Holi-to-Holi?” Not sure how true that joke is, but with people stinking in sub ways and public transports, it sometimes looks like it is true.

Holi - for once in a year everybody takes a public bath, quite literally :). Holi is an Indian festival which is played with colors and water with a lot of enthusiasm. It has a rich cultural history, read more about it here. On the first day it’s celebrated by a bon-fire signifying burning the demoness Holika and on the second day (dulhendi) with colors and water. Even though it is a little dirty festival (as many people might say) it at least cleanses the dirt off your body and at the end you smell good. I would say it’s more of a mass cleaning operation :).

Why don’t people play holi every month in Mumbai and New York? I think it’s more important for people to adopt this festival considering the increased stink in the subway trains. Just a few days ago while I was talking to my friend in New York and he pointed that people stink in sub ways and it seems as if they haven’t had a bath in ages. It made me reminisce my days of travel in local DTC and Blue line buses in Delhi, and the journeys in local trains in Mumbai, even some of my early job days in Chennai, the stink on these public transport systems was so bad that I sometimes almost killed myself pressing my nose hard to escape the smell.

Our politicians don’t stink: They all love holi. In India, right from politicians to small kids, people of all ages, castes, creeds play holi. UP and Bihar have a unique style of playing holi called “Kurta Faad” holi. Our favorite railway minister, Laloo Prasad Yadav, is known for this style. Recently The Hindu reported that Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and AB Vajpayee all enjoyed holi.

More facts on Holi: Holifestival.org gave tips on how to make natural colors (I hope these colors take the stink off the subways). Also I saw a holi calendar till 2021 which tells you when holi is (you can visit here). I was wondering if I can rewrite the calendar and celebrate Holi every month. More facts about holi can be found here.

BTW: For social service I do play holi and here is the proof!

Festival of Lights-Joy-Fun- Diwali 2007 Well Enjoyed

This is a little late though, a great Diwali festival celebration in the heart of India, Delhi. Wow what a great fun festivals are in India.

A full entertaining day it was, this diwali. And it's amazing to watch how Delhi celebrates Diwali, it's an episode in itself. With all the markets full of glitter, lights, people eating, shopping and more.... you can see the women folk enjoying to get their hands decorated with some elaborate mehndi designs in local market roadside sitting arrangements.

And yes the day rocked for me coz of many other reasons:

Watched Om Shanti Om - SRK and Deepika starrer movie. Full entertainment and fun movie. Enjoyed SRK's performance as always, though he looks a little old now even with his 6-pac abs. And deepika is a pure stunner. She looks amazing and a very fair acting performance for a movie debutant.

And offcourse how can you forget the home decoration and fire crackers and all that lighting...this all lights up your home, surroundings and you feel esctatic.

All this and more makes India and Indians to enjoy their lives and lead with those happy hearts. As I get to talk to people all over the world I have realized, indians are by far the happiest lot of people. With their own ways of facing the difficulties and still keeping that smile on face and acually getting satisfied and still craving for more and always ready for that extra mile to make things happen. I am proud being an Indian!

Day Occasions

Friendship Day (I call it another Day Occasion) celebrations take place on the first Sunday of August every year. The tradition of dedicating a day in honor of friends began in US in 1935. Gradually the festival gained popularity and today Friendship Day is celebrated in large number of countries including India. On this day people spend time with their friends and express love for them. Exchange of Friendship Day Gifts like flowers, cards and wrist bands is a popular tradition of this occasion.

Though I am not a great follower of all these days, still I don't mind remembering my friends and colleagues on this day. I anyways keep in touch wth them and I believe in the spirit of friendship which should kindle always! However such days give you another opportunity to do so. I feel all the marketeers would feel happy on such "Day Occasions", as they get an opportunity to sell more. Fair enough, sympathy, empathy, emotions and more always are well exploited by marketeers and they would love to take on such occasions.

Anyways, no more story....My celebration Idea:
"Send a SMS or Email to all your friends and let them know that they are special to me. Friends are the relatives I have made by choice! And may be a quick meet-up."

To all my friend's, lets keep in touch!

Royal treatment on my Birth Day!

Royal treatment on my 25th Birth Day!

I didn't expect the Royal treatment I got this 4th of july on my 25th B'Day. I turned 26. Yes the venue was Leela Palace, Bangalore. The location was Jamavar. Thanks to my wife who had done some pre-booking. I was impressed. We had fun time that night, I njoyed a lot. And i think we ordered food in excess as always. The aloo tikki dilli style was good, i relished it. The rest of the food was also delectable. With the enjoyment in the air, coz of Independence Day of America, there was hustle n bustle. And we could hear some fun party going on there. Overall good music and good ambience.

Cheers again and thanks to my biwi for this ossum treat!

Did you think Harry Potter was a children’s Movie? – Think Again!

Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Ihe movie's fame has gone beyond just being a children’s movie. Rowling and Yate has made it clear with the 5th part, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, that its not just for the children. It’s a full fledged entertainer which is power packed with the right ‘masala’ for being a complete entertainer for all ages (a little better editing would have propelled it more)! However lacks in fun or the funny element (I expected, a little bit, though). The story, plot, special effects, acting, costumes, make-up, fight scenes, drama, performances, screenplay, emotions, intimacy…am I forgetting anything, I guess pretty much it, the entire curry cooked very well!

I watched this movie, after all the juggle, this Sunday afternoon at REX theatre, Bangalore. Actually this movie made me think, was this for children or adults? Teens may be, but not for kids… for sure!

Well to start with the plot was very well portrayed in the movie, though sometimes it looked like you are watching the abridged version of book. Most of the scenes would quickly remind you of the chapter in the book, but would get over quick, however fairly conveyed the messages and the story. The plot was not revealed till the end, which keeps people glued who haven’t read the book and were watching the movie for the first time.

Another interesting area, which I would like to comment upon would be the special effects. I liked them! They make or break a Harry Potter movie. Very well picturized flying scenes, well sequenced, breathtaking heights, brilliant sound effects, flying witches and amazing flying horses. What more would you want?

Oh well, there was a keen importance given to costumes, I liked Sirius’s cloak, Hermione’s pink striped dress (and the way she wears her Tie), Imelda’s dress and off course Mr. Potter’s Suit! The make-up artists had spent good amount of time to ensure that every scene looked genuine and it did. The fiction brought to reality was looking true. The picturiziation and the screenplay were like the story unraveling scene by scene…like the pages of the book rapidly flipped.

Performances go like this, Harry’s kind of shedding Ron and Hermione (I felt it). Evanna as Luna was brilliant. The best performances, however, were by Helena and Imelda - as Bellatrix and Umbridge, respectively. Helena portrayed Bellatrix perfectly and supremely pulled off Bellatrix’s obsessive (and deranged, creepy) devotion to Voldemort - she was practically licking her Dark Mark! Imelda was a great Umbridge, sinister in her own way - as we all know. However I felt, because of the length of the book, the movie was made fast paced, where lots of performances just got missed like the Grawp, Grimmauld Place, Kreacher, Tonks, Quidditch, Giants, Centaurs etc.

Other interesting things were the drama, emotions and the intimacy! Well-well-well, Mr. Potter’s onscreen kiss, an intimate one, surely not for kids, made the crowds go howling. It was pretty much like any other Hollywood adult flick. Scenes with Harry holding hands, Harry going towards all the women, Hermione’s way of looking at Harry and others, all clearly suggested, NOT for my Kid. Not to forget the blood on the faces of Harry and others after every fight sequence. The order of the phoenix has grown out of being a ‘children’s movie’ to an adult/teen entertainer well.

What I missed though was the funny side of it, which was there in initial parts. Who says teens/adults don’t like fun? Anyways….another thing which I didn’t like was poor editing of the scenes of Ministry of Magic. The long dialogues, the last scenes of the Prophecy, Dumbledore’s and Valdemort’s fight sequence.

In short, a little over than an average watch! Worth watching once, if you are a Harry fan!

College days part 1

College Days....I did my engineering staying away from home for 4 yrs (not continuous, as in, use to frequent home) and had a GR 8 time in college…
Again I had an 8 guys group @ college and we used to go to various colleges all over India to attend the various Cultural and Technical fests…
I’ve been to BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi, NSIT Delhi, DCE Delhi, REC Jalandher, Thapar Patiala, PEC Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panipat…..and the list goes on
We were a mast group with guys who were best @Dance,music,quizzing,debating,JAM,skits,plays,singing,dancing,presentations,Literary events, marketing events…etc etc
We won a lotta event and used to collect a lotta certificates…J
Had a tremendous fun @collig…I was into Hosting, Organizing etc for various events…and even I organized Blood Donation camp in our collig…I was a regular Blood Donor so it struck me that I can organize the whole event…And even in Wipro I have consistently month after month won some prizes in extra curricular and hosted some events @Wipro Technologies level..!!!
In college I used to be a bit short tempered however from the time I have joined this job I have mellowed down. I have become very patient, I listen to others very meticulously and that has actually made me a mature and sensitive person. Now I don’t react to situations rather I respond to situations!
However sometimes if some1 really gets on my nerves then there r 2 options…either I’ll blast him/her or won’t talk to them ever!
Now don’t get scared…generally it doesn’t happen and I most of the time forgive people!!!

The Chun Chu sounds...

Ok the topic name suggests that am gonna write something about some weird sounds...and that is absolutely what I am gonna write about.
Now you must be wondering what is this “chun chu”sound. Ok so lemme take you to the world of rust. You must be knowing that when things get old and don't get proper oiling they get rusty...and that is the time when they start producing this weird and embarrassing “chun chu”sounds.
Now just imagine sitting in a conference hall and the chair that you are sitting in creates this “chun chu” sound...and the client is giving some presentation...its almost an embarrassing situation which you can't avoid. I don’t know how to avoid that situation and u obviously can’t sit in a position without moving for a long time…and the moment you’ll move that “chun chu” sounds comes…!

Now this is my rant against our office Library, am always interested in reading some things in our library so frequent there. First to start with, any place with a size of 12 ft by 10 ft shouldn’t b called a library and not then when it hosts 5 computers to surf net too, in it. Now even if we accept that mini room as a library then we should at least get some feeling of a library in there.

Just imagine people sitting on computers surfing net, typing emails, chatting to friends on messenger and you are sitting and trying to concentrate on a business strategy or something…I don’t know how much can make out of that reading in such an atmosphere.

Now the icing on the cake is the “Chun Chu” sound that will echo in that tiny room. The moment you turn to adjust your butt, it will create that same funny noise. You move in front or you relax your back you are bound to hear that sound which will tickle your ribs and bring a grinn on your neighbor’s face.

And the moment your face starts going red in embarrassment you will hear that sound again from the guy sitting across the table and that sends a relaxation signal down your spine…and now this is the time when that grin should appear on your face.

Oh I forgot that was a library and we were supposed to read something over there and to get some knowledge but this “Chun Chu” sound won’t let you go ahead.

So I have a simple request to the guys in the admin that they can loosen up there pockets a bit more and get us those chairs which won’t make that “Chun Chu” sound!

Thanks for patiently reading my rants!