Dear Gods...

The iPhone review is out

Bollywood Hollywood

Gosh! I have seen atleast 6 movies this past week..the reason solely being my darling parents who are absolute movie buffs...Don't get me wrong, I love movies too...but I can safely say this coming weekend is going to be spent doing something more outdoorsy...sitting in a theatre for 3 hours is not my idea of a good summer's day...Anyway here's a few movies that stuck out in my head:

- Oceans 13: Now I expected a lot more from this third part of the Oceans series...of course, I should have guessed that sequals are NEVER as good as the first in the series...seriosuly, apart from the eye candy, there really wasn't too much to the movie..it moved along at a slow, languid pace and everyone was pretty expressionless. If it hadn't been for George Clooney and Brad Pitt, I'd have probably fallen asleep!!

- The Last King of Scotland: Now here's a movie worth watching. Do I think Forrest Whittaker deserved the Oscar - nope. Quite frankly, James McAvoy (Dr. Nicolas Garrigan) deserved not only a Oscar but also a standing ovation for his absolutely brilliant performance as a young doctor swayed by wealth and power, who witnesses his own slow downfall at the hands of the ruthless Idi Amin - the Ugandan dictator. Now Idi Amin is a pretty interesting character...the movie provoked enough interest in me to actually google him...and here's what I came up with...regardless, a movie worth watching as it provides a peek into a powerful figure's twisted personality and talks about wealth, success, power and the complete disregard for human rights.

- Khosla Ka Ghosla: This is a pretty funny movie about a family's quest to reclaim their own land from a real estate goon. Now I expected a lot from this movie, so maybe that's why I was a tad dissapointed. It is funny, but not hilariously funny like Hera Pheri....It's a movie that tries to be too manyy things at once - comedy, emotion surrounding a father-son relationship, a love story....plus, the beginning scene never ties into the end....but nevertheless, worth a couple hours of a Sunday evening...and for me, it also opened my eyes to the complete lack of property laws in India...where any rich and powerful real estate developer can take over a middle class family's land...

- (Life in a )Metro: Set in Mumbai and starring our new sensation, Shilpa Shetty, Metro is a story about relationships and is brilliantly executed....it weaves a tangled web of relationships - some more complex than others all with Mumbai as the backdrop. Despite my annoyance with Shetty's sudden fame and the attention shes's being given for nothing, I must admit she's pulled in a pretty good performance...

- A Mighty Heart: This is a movie I leave for the last as I can say with 100% conviction that it has left a lasting impression on my mind. Based on the book by Marianne Pearl, A Mighty Heart stars Angelina Jolie and is produced by her beau Brad Pitt. A Mighty Heart is Marianne's account of her husband, Daniel Pearl's (South Asia Bureau Chief for the WSJ) abduction and subsequent beheading at the hands of the Al-Qaeda in Karachi. What's remarkable about this movie is their brilliance in bringing out the political nexus that exists in Pakistan - the fact that terrorists are current police officers and are given protection by Musharraf's government...there's so much that is revealed in this movie about terrorism, how Islamic extremists think, bureaucracy and how the government is shrouded in secrecy and conspiracy - from Pakistan to the US...but most importantly, from an artistic perspective, is Jolie's brilliant and passionate portrayal of Marianne as a woman who is tireless in her quest to find her husband although she is 5 months pregnant. A woman who shows no fear and refuses to be terrorized by her husband's killers. Her strength of character and conviction is exemplary. Mighty Heart is her story, and is next on my reading list. This has got to be one of the best movies I've ever seen.

The Best Story I've read in a long time...

I just finished Khaled Hosseni's The Kite Runner...Ok! I know I am a little late reading it, considering it was a huge success back in 2004 when it was published...but I picked it up recently and just couldn't put it down...As accurately stated by Isabel Allende, "all the great themes of literature and of life are the fabric of this extraordinary novel: love, honor, guilt, fear, redemption"...it is truly a classic story and absolutely riveting...

Set in Afghanistan (where Hosseini hails from), the Kite Runner is essentially a story of two boys, their friendship, loyalty, and life's journey, all set against the backdrop of war....what is particularly well written and vividly described are the atrocities the Taliban inflicts on Afghanis and particularly, the "hazara class" or the underpriveldged class...that's what makes Hoseeini's novel a must-read...his words translate into images right before your eyes..you feel Amir's (the protagonist) pain and hate the Taliban for their ruthless, blinding, completely inhuman beliefs...its that well written!!!

There's been a fair amount of debate over whether the novel is a true story, based on Hosseini's own experiences in Afghanistan before he sought asylum in the US...Hosseini vehemently denies any such association, but sometimes you have to wonder whether he's narrating his own story (which explians why it feels so real) or if he's just a literary genius!!

The story of course, becomes predictable towards the last few chapters and has some twists and turns (quite like a hindi movie) which I deemed very unecessary, but overall, highly recommended!

Next on my list: his new book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and "The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot" recommended by Dad, of course!

My Big, Fat, Indian Engagement...

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity...after all, Akshay and I were throwing an engagement party for our closest friends and family...What was supposed to be a poolside party for 50 guests, ended up being a three day celebration...and despite my nervousness at pulling it off, It was what I can only call the most fun weekend of my life...

People flew in from all across the country and some even from abroad to attend our special occassion...all I can remember is a flurry of activity, lots of laughter, gifts, dancing, alcohol, games and most importantly, the overhwelming support of those who cared so much as to not only fly in from thousands of miles away, but also help in organizing and prepping for the big day - basically working non-stop with no sleep, but staying awake late into the night and partying....

For your help, support and unconditional love, I will forever be grateful...

The most memorable part of the weekend, was the "after party" - where we cousins got together and played mafia and other games for hours, with alcohol freely flowing...some of course, drank more than others and made the night very entertaining indeed....I think they know who they are..ahem ahem...staying up all night was well worth the hangover and tiredness the next day...
Mom - you were a true sport and Axe, try letting me stay in the game longer the next time...

For those who missed this great, fun and very special weekend, here are some pics..

For those who came all the way...you made my weekend very special...and I am fortunate and blessed to have family and friends such as you....

The Eagle has Landed...

I don't know why Axe refers to his parents' arrival as the "eagle has landed" on his blog, but I'll steal his phrase nonetheless ;-)

My parents are here, and its been a whirlwind weekend of planning - for the engagement and wedding...

Although they have their usual list of complaints about the house and our "disorganised" lifestyles, it's great to have them here and witness their enthusiasm for their daughter's wedding...

Feels like home...

This weekend is the BIG event and apart from some stress and angst around getting everything organized, I am damn damn excited!

S-E-A-T-T-L-E

If there's one thing I am truly passionate about its travel...now I don't get too much vacation to begin with, so this Memorial Day weekend, we decided to head to Seattle. The primary reason being - I am always game to check out a new city and I had heard a lot of great things about this city from colleagues. So armed with great restaurant and nightclub recommendations, we headed to Seattle. I literally had a folder full of printouts of what to do, where to eat and what to see from locals.

This was an interesting experience for a city I had great hopes from. Its a quiet city...not quite like Boston or NY, thats bustling with life (and tourists) during the summer. Microsoft co-founder Paul (wateva) has invested a lot in Seattle..being the city where Microsoft was founded, so there are some really unique museums such as the EMP and the sci-fi museum, but this is also a city that has no history or culture, quite unlike where I'm from..now I don't mean to be a snooty Bostonian, but definitely not a city that tops my list of 100 places to see before you die;-)

So, for all those thinking of a trip to Seattle, here's the do's and don't of the Seattle experience:
Do's
The EMP is a must see. Its probably the single most unique and interesting experience I've ever had at a museum. Ok! I admit most musuems I've been to feature art - like the MET, the Louvre, etc etc. But the EMP is just fascinating. It features memorabilia (actual handwritten song lyrics), costumes, smashed guitars, etc. from the most defining moments in rock and heavy metal history. My biggest takeaway was how social and political revolutions influenced the music of the era. Definitely worth a trip...we ended up spending almost a day there, despite the fact that this is Axe's third trip there, but he wasn't bored even a single minute...not to miss is the Sound Lab where you can actually play with instruments like the drums, guitars, even jam in your very own recording studio...I must admit Axe was pretty good at playing the drums and guitar..I kinda sucked, but it was soo fun nevertheless!

The Sci-fi Museum
This is STRICTLY ONLY for folks who have a deep interest in sci-fi...and who get teary eyed when the soundtrack of Star Wars begins to play (hint, hint: Axe). Although Axe was glowing as he took three hours to pass through three exhibits, the Sci-fi museum was a tad dissapointing...it had no interactive exhibits and was almost entirely a display of costumes from movies and TV shows....however, that being said, still probably the only museum of its kind in the US atleast, so worth a quick stop.

Pike's Place Market
This market is really festive....we kept it for our last day in Seattle (a balmy 85 degrees) and had a great time here, checking out all the food stores, restaurants and jewellery stores. Pike's Place is also the venue of the first Starbucks! Yes, and we shot a video right in front of it for all those folks who claim I am addicted to Starbucks (no question there - I am probably their biggest customer!!!), to pay homage to my daily caffeine supplier. Pike's Place has this amazing little cheese store, where we splurged on their Marco Polo and No Woman cheese (obviosuly named after Marley's song "No Woman, No Cry"..the cheese has flavors of Jamaican Jerk spices) as well as a pretty fancy cheese knife! Definitely worth the trip....Pike's Place is bustling with activity and a must-see for foodies....


Space Needle
The Space Needle is one of those touristy must-see's...its just like the Sears Tower in Chicago or the Empire State Building in New York that provides a panoramic view of the city and Mount Rainier. The Space Needle was a special experience for us, because although we went late in the evening and it was veryyy cold, we got to watch the sunset and that was gorgeous...the gorgeous pink sky and Mount Rainier towering in the background. Mount Rainier just seems so elusive and mysterious that it makes me want to climb its summit and explore its beauty - well, maybe someday.

Since I've ranted on about the must-see's in Seattle, the dont's will follow in another post....but I've got to say, althought the city may not have impressed us much, we did relax a lot...the hotel was just gorgeous - the room faced the ocean with the Olympic Mountain Ranges on one side and Mount Rainier on the other. We got a break from our otherwise busy lives and spent some "quality time" together, without the blackberrys, email, cell phones, laptops (umm..ok! Axe just had to log in by day 4)...

Seattle 2 coming soon to a blog near you...

At the movies this weekend....

Knocked up - This has got to be one of the funniest, sweetest romantic comedies I've seen in a long time...most importantly, the way it's shot makes it soo realistic...the characters, the dialogues, the acting...its all so natural...it's a must see...

Pirates of the Carribean 3 - Definitely better than 2 but not as good as 1....in any case, I haven't come across a single movie whose sequel is better than the first in the set..so I was definitely not dissapointed with Pirates 3. It does have a few sub plots that melt away without an actual tie-into the main plot, but overrall its an entertaining 3 hours and well worth the time. The ending, though, does leave plenty of room for a 4th in the franchise. Did I hear Keira Knightley say she wouldn't do another Pirates movie and she would quit acting altogether?

On a side note, we actually saw Pirates 3 at the Cinerama theatre in Seattle...a 60's style theatre with one 70mm screen...very cool experience...Jack Sparrow really comes alive;-)

Trip Down Memory Lane

This weekend, in NY, we met up with some of Axe's friends from BITS (BITS PILANI - that's where he got his engineering degree), including one of his closest friends - KLA. We went to Little Italy for dinner and then to a cafe in the village for well, coffee....and we ended up chatting till the wee hours of the morning....

It was soo much fun, especially because I heard these guys talk about the good ol' days...nagar's cafeteria, all the cute women they collectively had a massive crush on, the pranks they played on innocent "wingies" and more importantly, I got to tease Axe a lot....

But, apart from the laughs (at Axe's expense), it gave me a very warm-fuzzy feeling to witness the camaraderie between the boys, how far they've come since their BITS days - from engineers to bankers and from teenage boys craving the attention of one woman to fathers of beautiful baby daughters (ummm..solely referring to KLA here:)

Made me miss school a lot too and all the pranks I've played on countless innocent bystanders.

Here's to the good ol' days.....and to more sweet memories....