Blood Diamond

'I wonder.. Would God ever forgive us for what we are doing to each other?
I realise.. God left this place a long time ago!!' - Danny Archer, Blood Diamond.

Di Caprio is nominated for Best Actor in Leading Role for the Academy Awards and this drew my attention to watch the movie.

A Blood Diamond (also called a conflict diamond or a war diamond) is a diamond mined in a war zone and sold, usually clandestinely, in order to finance an insurgent or invading army's war efforts.

The movie mainly captures an african man estranged from his family due to the civil war. How his son turns into a rebel and is forced to be a part of R.U.F is a story that shocks the very soul. Di Caprio plays a smuggler alongside Jennifer Connelly(from Beautiful Mind), a journalist.

This is Caprio's best performance ever and he has played the role to perfection. Its horrifying to realise how different the world is in Africa. The horror, the violence, the beauty, children and deprivation is quite unthinkable. Blood Diamond is a must-watch especially for women who dream of story book weddings and a 24 carot diamond for their engagement.

* The World Diamond Council set out to draft a new process, whereby all diamond roughly could be certified as coming from a non-conflict source.
* Conflict-free diamonds are diamonds of certified origin which are guaranteed not to be tainted by violence, human rights abuses, child labor, or environmental destruction.
* The Antwerp resolution called for an international certification system on the export and import of diamonds, legislation in all countries to accept only officially sealed packages of diamonds, for countries to impose criminal charges on anyone trafficking in conflict diamonds, and instituted a ban on any individual found trading in conflict diamonds

A Diamond is Forever - there is a shocking story behind this gliterring stone.

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Mega Serials and Mindless Entertainment

For all those, who have seen or heard about the mega serials that run in Sun TV and the likes, this might not come as a shock. For the rest, the good news is that you dont miss much even if you miss an entire week's episodes, the bad news is that it never ends.

I remember in Selvi or Annamalai, the entire episode was about Radhika climbing down a set of stairs and there are memories from the past which come as flashes.

For me, this is mindless entertainment and a cluttering nonsense in the idiot box. The quality is down to cheap entertainment and by and large the silver screen actors are paving way to the small screen.

If mega serial amounted to water supply, India would never run short of water ever.

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I wonder

I wonder
A Gentle breeze titilates you,
And i wonder,
Do you bend down feeling shy or out of shame?

Was it because you sway to life's pressures
Or was it because you were too ecstasic in its touch!!

A few words that entered my mind while walking thro the fields in Walldorf, Germany.

While in Germany, i used to walk from my hotel to office, to watch these fields, hear the church bell ring and see people cycling by. Old men & women sit on park benches unmindful of the clock ticking and a myriad of thoughts and emotions cross my mind. A perfect world it is!!

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2006 - A year that was and not!!

Today is probably the time i look back at the year that whizzed past. The funny thing is i cant remember most of 2006. It just went past in a jiffy. Probably 2006 was in more hurry than i was.

Nevertheless, this year has been good. I travelled to a part in the globe which i never though i would be in. I learned to eat with Chopsticks, speak mandarin and realized that the globe was bigger and more diverse.

Germany - WorldCup FIFA 2006.
To be there in the land where the world's greatest football event was hosted was definetly an eye-opener. I learnt more about the legends Zidane, Pele and Maradonna.
Following every match, every minute of the game was exciting and FIFA 2006 was worth the effort. A memory to relish and remember for years to come :-)

Hoganekkal - Giant falls and a coracle ride. Friends to have fun with and talk and giggle. This trip was memorable and i spent a good deal of my time wading in the water.

The trips that were made and some i dint make. To Mangalore, Calcutta and Amsterdam.
I read good books and watched some excellent movies.

I wanted to make new beginnings, end old ones that wasnt meant to be. Some dreams came true while others are lignering around. I came a full circle with myself and 2006 was a milestone in my life.

I leanrt that life sometimes can be very mean on you. When your going through tough times, you simply have to keep going. This is a new beginning and am sure 2007 has lot of surprises to be unveiled and am making a positive start. Bye bye 06, Come on in 07.

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I Do..

We live in the 21st century and yet Weddings are the culmination of a woman's life.A conversation with a close friend in my terrace sipping tea led to the unravelling of this mystery.

Why does the life of every woman encircle the concept of a wedding? Why are we dreaming about the perfect man to spend the rest of our lives with, from the day skirts turn into salwars?Why is the wedding day the most special and treasured day of our lives?

Yes it is true, you can oppose it or you can ignore it but Marriage is the line every woman has to cross to be on the other side of the bridge.
It is still a bridge over troubled waters and there is little calm beyond the line, neverthless you need to cross it.

I have often noticed friends of mine, metamorphise into brides-to-be and then settled comfortably into the shoes of home-maker, mother and a partner.
There are always things to worry about and the lines on the forehead hardly ever crease out but maybe its the idea of a couple that makes us run faster to the line.
The pact of love and hate, to lean on and to fight. To love and to be loved is probably worth the entire cosmos.

Woman today are crossing all boundaries and manning space shuttles. Some are governing countries but there are still those sides to them longing to get home into the strong arms of their partners.

Two of my friends are getting married by the ring of the new year and am really excited for both of them. Ah!!! The metamorphosis again. Does marriage kill the adventurous spirit in you? Well when you chain one the other gets unleashed :)

A toast to a life of fun, laughter, tears and love. To be together till death do you apart!!May the insanity and pleasures never end!

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Tantalizing Twenties

Some call it Quarter-life crisis. A phase where everything and nothing meets your approval, where you always seem to be in search for that quintessential something which is called the call of your life. A point in time when nothing you do at work gives you sense of accomplishment and you keep going. Life characterised by giant see-saws swinging back and forth between intimacy and isolation.
A very interesting definition for this is given by Wikipedia. This article examines the emotional, financial aspects of this crisis situation.

This is the point in you life where you want to travel from the Himlayas, to the Amazon, from the Artic to the Oriental. I still have 78 places to visit before i die.PHEW! There are always more things to do in life and i find myself in constant dilema of whether i should or shouldn't. The million dollar question of To be or not to be. Fortunately, am flanked with people who give me their unconditional support in letting me grow so quarter-life crisis seems more like growing up for me :-)
While am still figuring out the way to untangle myself from this web,life goes on!

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Postcard from FIJI

I felt like adding some color to my blog. So here goes.

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Google - The creation and the creators

I cant remember the last time i picked up a book which talked about the history of a corporate. The Google Story which talks about the creation of the Google empire is one fascinating read. The determination and the passion two Stanford graduates had to create a multi-million dollar worth empire truly amazes me.
Grab your copy today.

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Food Fetish

Uptill now i always thought i was hardly adventurous when it came to trying out different cuisines. The easy excuse was being a vegetarian.
But in Hong Kong, although the choices are limited for a vegetarian, i have learnt to try my hand at different cuisines. So here goes the experience.


Itadakimasu - Japan
SUSHI is a packing of fish with rice.As the fish ferments, the rice produced a lactic acid which in turn caused the pickling of the pressed fish. Ofcourse there are vegetarian alternatives to this ancient culinary art. What we had in a Jap restaurant, is an egg sushi and a cucumber sushi.Apparently these days Sushi is customised and vinegar is added to the sushi rice to produce a pleasant flavour of tartness. Along with Sushi one gets a WASABI Sauce. I say simply beware of this. Extremely pungent, this is the Japanese horseraddish. Unmindful of its flavour i simply ate a chopstick full and in a second my nose was hanging free of my face. It took me a full minute to recover.

Bon appetit THAI.
We walked into a Thai restaurant the other day and was simply taken aback by the ambience. It was pleasant, most restaurants in Hong Kong are noisy and cluttery.
We first explained to the proprietor that we were vegetarians. He was eager to please.The first dish that arrived was scrambled eggs with bitter gourd. One mustn't think of this as a weird combination. Its sinfully delicious.
The main course had the THAI GREEN CURRY and steamed rice. Although many of you would have had this in India, what we had was exquisite. The blend of the coconut milk with the vegetables was just perfect. We almost licked the bowl of the curry.
I was simply bowled over by Thai cuisine.

Sihk Faahn - CHINA
This is the what i eat most of the time. There are some specialites in Chinese cuisine too.
I will start with MOON CAKE. This is a special chinese dessert made during the mid-autumn festival.They are round or rectangular shaped pastries.The egg yolk in the center signifies the moon.(Its a full moon day during which the autumn festival is celebrated.)Traditional mooncakes have an imprint on top consisting of the Chinese characters for "longevity" or "harmony" as well as the name of the bakery and filling in the moon cake. Imprints of a moon, a woman on the moon, flowers, vines, or a rabbit may surround the characters for additional decoration.
As part of the chinese cuisine we get many rice paste dishes similar to idiappam in india. Except that they have a samosa kind of shape and are filled with sauteed vegetables and spring onion. Delicious.

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East meets West - Welcome to Hong Kong

When i stepped foot in Hong Kong, i dint quite expect to see what i saw.
Yes Hong Kong reminds me so much of Bangalore - Concrete Jungles, mind-blowing traffic, N+1 Shopping malls and an almost oblivious crowd.

When we were on the way to the hotel from the airport in the express we saw a few apartments that would have put Indian Puravankaras and Brigade Groups to shame.


For the first few days everything around me was moving in a fast forward pace. People here walk, eat, work and talk at an amazingly rapid pace. Am not speaking relatively mind it.

We even got lost one day while trying to get out of their metros and a kind lady helped us with a map 45 minutes later since we couldn't stop anyone to ask for directions.

The people here dress similar to the Europeans but the streets are crowded and noisy and makes you feel right at home.


Dal fry and rice in Hong Kong. Yeah you can have it anywhere in the world these days so why not in the dragon country? We found a Kashmir Curry place although i tasted Thai, Japanese and Chinese Cuisine first.

Tommorrow is the Autumn Festival a kind of a family reunion day - Thanksgiving. They have a dragon show and a lantern festival from morning to midnight. This is the Discover Hong Kong 2006 special.

Am all set to party so let the show begin.

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A Great Way To Fly

People who have travelled through Singapore Airlines would definetly agree with me that it is a great way to fly.

The staff are amiable and dont frown on you when you ask for an extra glass of water.
I had some bitter experiences flying Lufthansa and i wasnt cashing on all the free beer mind it!! Just one cup of water.

Anyways, singapore airlines had me enthralled from start to finsh.

They have more leg space in their aircrafts. They even give you a vanity pouch with socks and a tooth kit.

You have menu cards for supper and lunch and the food is good. Its not like dining in Sahibs sindh sultans but what more do you want when your amidst clouds.
They screen some really good movies on air. I managed to watch Break-up and The devil wears Prada on air.

All in all am totally looking forward to flying Singapore Airlines on my way back.

Thumbs up to them!!

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Raindrops on Roses..

What is it about rain that cheers me up?
Being in Bangalore, Rain, is an everyday phenomena. But that doesnt diminish the enthusiasm that raindrops bring.

People always picture a rainy evening with Bajjis or pakodas and a steamy cup of coffee. Imagine a rocking chair and a book to read. That makes the picture complete doesnt it. The smell of the earth, the trees and plants all smiling and clean, people oblivious to the rain and walking around, children jumping into puddles.
It brings joy, a sense of overwhelming joy in my heart.

But not everyday i have the time to stand and stare at these simple yet pleasurable scenaries. Sometimes i rush home in the rain because dinner needs to be done or i dash to my stop otherwise i would miss the shuttle.

Yesterday it rained in Chennai(my hometown). My mom and i had all the time in the world to simply stand and stare. It was then i realised all the money, the hardwork would mean nothing if life isn't filled with simple moments of joy like this. Even if i worked my whole life i wouldn't get the satisfaction if i dont appreciate the beauty in front of my eyes. Maybe life is not so complicated after all, maybe we have complicated it somewhere along the way.

"Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens,
.. these are a few of my favourite things."

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Star Wedding

Tinsel Town Weddings always carry a lot of glamour and a star showdown.
Surya and Jyotika tied the knot on September 11, 2006.

This wedding was happy to most fans of Surya and Jyotika. Their love story was known for many years now.
Happy couples, happy fans and one big happy wedding.

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Who Am I?

I took this personality test to pass time on a monday morning.
The first one with 9 questions had me as JFK

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

and the second..

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

It also tries to find your personality match with a movie.

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

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Clutters in my mind!!!

I am thinking about...
why the world isn't flat..

I said...
Leave me alone!!

I want to...
be able to disappear when i want too and also get into people's mind to know what they are thinking.

I wish...
we could rewind or fast forward life..

I hear…
noise from inside my mind all the time, constantly..which doesnt make sense.

I wonder...
how and why?

I regret...
that i have something to regret!!

I am...
what i am.

I dance...
to the rain and the songs which can make me to tap a leg!!

I sing...
pretty well ;-))

I cry...
Consider anything, only dont cry.

I am not always...
this beautiful

I make with my hands...
BEEP!!BEEP!!

I write...
to empty the dust collecting in my mind and to throw the anger out. Mostly because i like to write.

I confuse...
hmm...am slightly confused now.

I need...
what you cant give me.PEACE as of now.

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Muted Dreams or Soaring Faith?

Sometimes when am all by myself with no sense of time and space(these moments i truly cherish), i wonder who am i? There is always this sense of identity we want to associate ourselves with. It has nothing to do with being successfull or not, it has something to be able to define yourself with.

Its very abstract, all of us want to be happy(in our own terms).We want to be able to make that connection with ourselves where we can sit in a comfortable silence and not feel lonely. We want ourselves to be able to feel the pride and a happiness that comes from within.

Some childhood memories, some mistakes ride past me when i sit and gaze at those solitude moments. I never knew there would come a day when i would look forward to reading Bharathiyar kavithaigal and be able to say it.

There is a sense of difference in the Generation i see today. We are not scared of what we are. We take full responsiblity of the actions and the repurcussions.We have a certain sense of self-worth. We are not confused but struggling to prove a point.

In one of the coffee conversations with my bestest friends, i reasoned that the cause of constant turmoil for the generation of today is the fact that we do not see eye to eye with our family. Yes, we dont.We have laid our own principles for our lives and it is (alarmingly)different from those of our elders.
We are able to decide between the good and the bad and the right and the wrong.
We are more tolerable and more reasonable. Infact, i have been living with my room mate for two years(harmoniously) which has made me more adapatable and accomodative.
It is very difficult for my parents to understand my goals and sacrifices and it is very strange for me to make them see it.

This is the sense of conflict and somewhere in this whole battle one of us lose.Not always but sometimes. Somehow for me it is difficult to live a life without passion. I have made many mistakes and sacrifices not because life became that much easier but because that was the right thing to do(for me).

I dont see my buddies everyday, infact we are all geographically very far apart, but i know that somewhere within me a piece of them lie and vice versa. We are willing to learn, from our mistakes and from others. I'm beginning to think that we would bring a new dimension to this world. A world where people can live by their own rules. Most of my idealogies about religion and caste shock my parents, but that doesnt change mine.

It always comes as a choice between making your dreams come true by holding faith in what you beleive or savrificing your dreams for a sense of temporary relief.

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Venice

When i told people that i visited Venice, the first question was 'Did u take the gondola ride'? The answer was a NO and an added wait for the prince charming to accompany me. With Venice on the list for the city of love, no point taking a gondola ride alone.

I landed in Venice without a good night's sleep and catching a good hour of it even if it meant stratching myself on the railway platform din't seem very disgusting.
I have to remind you that when ur in abroad, things are almost always spotlessly clean and i took that as an excuse.



The first sight of Venice took me by shock. I stepped outside the train station and bingo there is water. No roads but canals. Now this is truly a water city.
Being built on water, Venice is a romantic place.

But something told me Kerala was better.

I want to write more, but this post has been lying here for long so before it rust and melts i publish :)

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WORLD CUP 2006

ITALY - The proud winners of the FIFA World Cup 2006.
Zinnedin Zidane's fabulous career comes to an almost choking end.

For the good of the game, ITALY has a reason to celebrate.

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ITALY - Rome

Roman Colosseum


The Colosseum was designed to hold 50,000 spectators, and it had approximately eighty entrances so crowds could arrive and leave easily and quickly. It was inaugurated in 80 AD.

The Flavian Roman emperors built the Colosseum of Rome for entertaining their subjects with bloody games where Gladiators fought wild beasts.(Quite similar to Russell Crowe in Gladiator).

There is a cross inside the Colosseum which the Pope visits every friday owing to a popular misconception that hundreds of Christians were killed by lions. The visit of the Pope in itself could be a fabrication.

Rome is filled with places of historical importance and it is important one does the homework before visiting this place or you would'nt be able to appreciate the splendour and wonder of this place.

It is also said that Italians have a spritual breakdown when they leave Rome.
We all know, Rome wasn't built in a day.

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A Time To Remember

When you're in a country hosting the biggest sport of the year, its difficult to ignore the euphoria. Its quite contagious and before u know it, your part of it too.

Germany Vs Argentina was a match that would go down in history as a nerve cracking match. Germany struck thunder and got past to the semi with Argentina wondering what had hit them.

When i reached the Market Plaza where there was a big screen and a maddening crowd chanting deustschland, cries erupted. By the time, i could get a peek at the screen i had realised it was Germany 0: Argentina 1.
After that there was no looking back for Germany.

Ballack and Klose teamed up to make the score equal and they kept it that way all through the extra time.


The match ended in penalty shoot-outs. Not my kind of way of winning game but anyways. When Argentina missed one which was Germany's card to the semi-finals, a whole nation celebrated. Ballack, Klose and Lehman were heroes and there was a thunderous applause in Berlin, we could hear it all the way through Walldorf - an otherwise quiet town.



A moment of victory, a sense of euphoria and a glorious record. Germany beat Argentina. As happy as i was for Germany, they deserved to win, i couldn't beleive Argentina had lost. Many of them were sure that it would be a Brasil Argentina final.
Germans celebrated for the team and Klinsmann was the mastermind.



A few days later, they lost to Italy. But the team had much to be proud of. I would never forget my stay in Germany this time. They made me do a follow-up on soccer and i even knew a few rules of the game. Now its the run up to the finals and all i can say is may the best man win.

World cup, Germany and me were not such a bad combination after all.

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