Shantaram

i finally finished the book. It ended so abruptly it took me some time to get used to it. Shantaram, written by Gregory David Roberts is, to put it simply, one heck of a book!!!

A friend of mine who has never and i repeat NEVER read a book in his life told me he was reading it and he actually liked it. Then when he gave me a copy i kept wondering how he'd finish atleast half the book cos it's one HUGE book!!

Gregory David Roberts, a convict running from the Australian Prison who adopted the name Lindsay in New Zealand and to Lin'baba' in Bombay and Shantaram in the village of Sunder, lets us peep into his highly adventurous and sometimes scary life in Bombay.

It was different reading this book because i was really aware of the fact that the people in the book were real, breathing and existing at one time or another. I don't know why that really gave me the goosebumps! I've finished reading the book i still want to know more. I want to know EVERYTHING!!! lol i know it's crazy but that's how it is. I want to go Leopold's cafe, to the zopadhpatti near the World Trade Centre and meet Johnny Cigar and the others!!I want to meet Didier and Vikram and Lettie! I want to see them atleast. That's the effect the book's had on me. I cannot stop thinking about the book which may be partly because i'm pretty jobless but majorly because it's so well written. I keep wondering about their lives and how it's changed over the years. :)

After i started reading the book i wanted to see what Linbaba looked like so i googled him. what i expected what not what i got!lol but now that i know the face of Linbaba it somehow fits in its own way. The fact that all this is true doesn't fail to amaze me everytime i think about the book. It's just...WOW! comparing my life to all the lives mentioned in the book i feel like i know nothing about anything!!!

This is the only time ever that i've wished there was time machine so that i could go back in time and look over everything that happened. The closest i've come to that is reading the book and in a way that's the only time machine there is. I'm so glad i read the book because it's taught me loads. Some of the ideas expressed in them is so different from what i've been taught and what i've learnt that i'm forced to reconsider and adapt to the new ideas. They say a book can change ur life but i never read a book that did. This may be the closest i've come to change something about me and my life.

I can't really explain it. Abdel Khader Khan's words make sense to some extent for me. I don't agree with everything yet maybe because i don't know much yet or maybe because i just don't see it like he does. But it does have an impact.

Lastly Linbaba gave a tour to Madonna recently. He showed her Leopold's and all the other places. I saw it on tv. lol all i wanna say is Madonna isn't the only one who wants to experience the magic of Leopold's and Haji Ali Mosque and Strands and the other places that's been so vividly explained in the book!!!!! :)
*hint hint* Linbaba!! :)

It's been a while since i last posted but that's the way i am! LAZY! :P

Anyway i'm one of the billions of fans of cricket and i've been following the ongoing India Vs Australia series with a lot of interest! They are my two most favorite teams in the World. Yes i like Australia! They play good cricket - Most of the times atleast. They know how to win and that makes them more aggressive..more invincible...
One of the reasons why everyone is so damned pissed with the Australian cricket team is that they can almost get away with anything. And the thing that annoys us even more is that they talk the talk AND walk the walk!!!

Of course that is no excuse for the kind of cricket being played... It pains me to watch Anil Kumble on the television set. The man doesn't deserve what he got.. first the racial row and later watching his team collapse around him to a defeat by 10 minutes..literally!! I almost cried watching his interview on star cricket! He looked so absolutely devastated and angry! Now everyone's talking about his last statement at the post match press conference - "only one team played in the true spirit of the game" or something of that sort.

Coming to the racial row.. No Evidence...No case. PERIOD! Bhajji doesn't deserve the ban!!! If Bhajji does then so do most of the Aussie team!!! On the news channels i read a bulletin that claimed that Mike Procter said Bhajji meant to offend Andrew Symonds! Of course he did! Does that mean Symonds didn't mean to offend Bhajji? or that everytime there's an argument between two players they don't mean to "offend" each other?!?! The only factor to determine here is if the comment was racist and since they don't have evidence there's no case!!! hey but the odds seem to be even-ing out now.. Brad Hogg! here we come!!! If you abuse u got to face the consequences right? isn't that what happened with Bhajji? though noone can say if it's fair or not! Don't they abuse too? The kind of language used on the field isn't all gentlemanly..all u have to do is read their lips which isn't really that tough! My question though is... Why would Bhajji call Symonds a "monkey" for no apparent reason? According to Symonds, Bhajji hit lee while taking a run and Symonds went in to have a word with him and that's when Bhajji retorted! so how is that Bhajji's fault? Now are we saying that even touching an Aussie is a crime?I can't stop speculating!!

Another thing that i really didn't get was when Ponting in the post match press conference said he absolutely did not ground the ball that he caught while Dhoni was batting. I mean Look At The Replays!!! If that isn't grounding the ball i don't knwo what is!!! It was quite funny actually and it sounded quite silly when Ponting said that at the press conference. oh well..!

And the umpiring decisions! They were painful to watch. Everytime we got a wrong decision i would swear and yell at the tv screen hoping for a miracle and wishing they would reverse the decision. I don't want to say that it cost us the match because that would sound like we're sore losers. The reason i say that the umpiring was only partially responsible is because Jumbo and Bhajji fought it out until the almost end! It did play a big role in the outcome of the match and i don't see how the Aussies can enjoy winning this match. It doesn't really prove they're a superior team. I just don't get that. The way they celebrated. Yeah i know they equaled their own record and stuff but it isn't the destination that matters..it's the journey! :)

Considering all the umpiring errors and the pressure tactics used by the ever "aggressive" Aussie team, i'm proud we almost made it! :)

phew! feels good to get this off my chest! :)

Alright...i read the book! i didn't buy it...but i did go and beg my librarian to give me the book first and i went at 9 in the morning to collect the copy! After all the waiting...after all the speculations...after all the expectations...i have to say i feel let down. I fell cheated. cheated of the right to a good book with a decent ending. after all the hype this book created...i find it less than ordinary.. the worst part..characters were killed with no proper reason. i know it was the "war" but some of the deaths were totally unnecessary. totally unnecessary. and dear god i did not get the epilogue! i mean what the hell was that?! Albus Severus!??! seriously?? what was she thinking?!?! and not one mention of George...poor poor George! and will someone please tell what that baby like thing was at Kings Cross that Harry felt repulsed by?! but the book wasn't all bad...some parts were really good! i totally 'dug' the holey joke! and Ron...There cannot be another fictional character in a million years that i would love more. i'm so grateful that jk didn't kill him off! so so grateful!!

Oh well...College's started. Third semester SUCKS!!! period.

I have got to say Khaled Hosseini is a genius. I got to read his second book - A Thousand Splendid Suns. The book is brilliant! I did like The Kite Runner better but this book is no less. It's a really nice read and i hope i get to read more books of his. Oh yeah I even started Stephen King. The first one - Misery. This book is so twisted that i love it! Like it says in the book...the whole story is so vivid!! i can literally picture everything that's happening in there like as if it were real and live! it's scary in that sense. Can't wait to read more of his books! thanks to this sucky semester i'm getting to read more books. there is a good for every bad in this world!lol
Oh a Happy Friendship Day to everyone. Personally i don't think too much of the day. For one thing people you've almost forgotten or are sure don't exist anymore come to wish you. It just feels like such a lie. Sure i think it's nice to get such messages or calls but it all seems so shallow. Just to go with the flow - Happy Friendship Day! Hope everyone has had a blast!

Okay...the potter craze has caught up a little with me too...i wanna be able to read the book tomorrow and i want to finish it tomorrow!! I WANT TO KNOW THE END!!! lol it scares me...all this hyperness!:P but i need to know what jk has come up with...if she kills Ron i will never ever read that book again...okay i can'ts tick to that but yeah something close to that! She just cannot cannot cannot kill Ron! guess i'll know tomorrow...!!! lol
hmmmm....apart from that...work is pretty good...got to write about some really neat stuff.
recently Radio Indigo...FYI it is the only all english radio station in India...they conducted an acoustic contest for college goers and recent alumnis. The contest was AMAZING. there are some really really really amazing artists in Bangalore. AH! just watching them sing and play their instruments gave me goosebumps! and left me wishing for the gazillionth time that i could play the guitar. It's been rotting at home for more than 3 years now and i don't seem to find the inspiration to learn to play. The guitar is dying- in ross' words...i will try and learn sometime...sigh...one of the many promises i make to myself...others include sky diving and bungee jumping btw...!
So yeah..the event...man it was brilliant! there were A cappella versions of la bamba and even summer of '69! A cappella rules! should listen to more of it. glad i got to cover the event. Was loads of fun. wish there was more stuff like this happening around town. would be good fun!
i don't have time to write more right now...will write later..!
chao!

We've all heard the sayin 'an empty mind is a devils workshop!' While this may be true to some sense it isn't always! I find that clearing my mind gives an amazing feeling! The number of times i've stayed awake at night thinking nothing yet everything! I find that really relaxing actually! It's a lot of fun!to be thinking about nothing in particular..to day dream even in the night...just before falling asleep! To let your flow of thoughts take over and have absolutely no control over them! :)

I read this book called Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. It has left me feeling all depressed! lol I don't know why! It left me wanting to do something! Something i haven't done ever before! something really fun for a change!:) Like Sky diving!!!! That's one thing i definitely wanna do before i get too old!:D It should be loads of fun!!! The story is nice and all! I hate depressing endings or rather a story which has no happy ending. Hey life is tough so why be depressing or 'correct' in the books as well? This is one reason i don't want to read the last harry potter book! i couldn't care less if harry died but not the other characters. Not Ron or Fred or George or Luna or Neville or Lupin! I can't believe Sirius is dead! Ok moving off topic here! So yeah..The story of Message in a bottle is nice and i'm sure the ending is all 'correct' and stuff..but hey sometimes i'd like to read about all happy things! I also read The Kite Runner recently! It's an amazing book! it really is! This is the only book that almost made me cry! It's just so good!i recommend this book if anyone wants a nice read! :)

Go Green!!!!

Okay i'm hooked to Greenpeace! And i know it's not only a phase! I'm one of those people who's really really concerned about the environment!!I don't know how many others are...knowingly or unknowingly! I want my children and their children and their children to live and see the world as a nice place!hell ya i want that! what's so bad about that!? Doesn't everyone deserve a chance to live?! I do think on these terms! I'm sure everyone does atleast i hope so! because nobody i know shows the concern! Okay a little about Greenpeace. It's an organisation that started in the 1970s and their branches are spread around 42 countries. I don't represent them. I'm just a fan! The Ban the Bulb campaign in India is a start! Who uses bulbs now anyway!!!
I do believe it's better if we use the cycle and car pool and stuff but i haven't really got there yet! I'm not too into cycling!:)
This may sound like i'm preaching but please oh please don't throw stuff on the road! There are a few dustbins provided here...yes even in India! Just throw all your garbage there or carry it home and throw it in your own dustbin! and yes that's one thing i do and am proud of it! I don't really like the idea of the Metro here in Bangalore. There will be no trees along MG Road!! There are so many instances to this! why would anyone want to tear down trees and build more railway tracks!! yeah there's also the whole public transport thing into this. I just hope the government plants the trees as they've promised! :)
Log onto greenpeace! check out the website and be a part of saving the world ! :)

fashion-ed?

what exactly is FASHION? Seriously...what is it? I keep wondering about this. A lot! When u stay in Bangalore u can't help but wonder. Everyone seems to be all dressed up all the time! I'm like whatever happened to good ol jeans and tee?!? I feel so...out of place if u will lookin at all these people walk around. I love my old clothes and if given the choice i'd wear em all around town...lol..maybe not but u get the picture.
All these places...you're expected to be all proper and perfect! I just find it weird!!! I have nothing against people who dress up and stuff but i don't like it and hell don't bug me about it! and seriously... Is it necessary to wear those branded pairs of jeans or sneakers or tee's or whatever they sell nowadays....my fashion sense or whatever you call it is zero and i think it's a total waste of money to spend on such stuff! i really don't care if my shoes are from Bata or any of the local stores! Is it really worth it? Somehow it's become a matter of pride - to wear something that is branded!
i just don't see it! and i personally don't think it's important or necessary. I go to these boutiques...or rather asked to go from work and here are people who would spend freakishly large amounts of money on something as simple as a pair of ear rings! oh well...that's my take on this! maybe i'm jus one of those not fashion conscious people...lol...didn't find a word for it! :)

My first ever article!!! :D

lol yes i'm self obsessed! Hell i deserve to be!:)
my first ever article came out yesterday in Metro Life....!!!!

i'm at 'work' right now...lol...no work to be done as such...so enjoying the free internet service here...lol...sadly orkut is banned!!!:P

here is the online link to my article...it looks better on paper tho!!!:D :)

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jun292007/metro200706289947.asp


it may not be too much and may be all straight forward and shit but who cares!!! my name's there !!! :D :D :D It's a totally different feeling when u see your name in print....in the newspaper...can officially call myself a journalist now! the work i'm doing here is pretty fun...i get to sit in an ac office...learn from the "seniors" , go on 'assignments' and 'file my report' ...lol...all seems unreal! But i'm having a blast!!! and as usual..when i have to file a report english fails me!!! everytime i sit to write something i dont get the right words...! and at other times it's not that bad..lol..
anyway i think i should go before im caught and they decide to throw me out of this place...!!
adios!

4 days as an intern and counting!!

hmmmmmmmm.....finally i'm an intern!!:) it's all so exciting!i'm interning for MetroLife that's a supplement of Deccan Herald true i haven't got too much work to do as such...havent realy been on an 'assignment' everyday but it's still fun...first day i learnt how to use a software used to write stories and stuff and also had to go through old Metrolife supplements to get to know the style of writing and stuff...! second day was fun! my friend and i were asked to go cover a presentation by the final year fashion designing students of a college here....my first assignment!! woo hoo!! lol...was so exciting! dunno if it'll come in da paper though...!keeping my fingers crossed!:)day three was BORING!! jus had to sit in the office...!! the whole day...!!! today was nice....i was watching them do the layout...it was fun...learnt quite a lot...and today had to go for a fitness equipment launch...! :) had to "cover" it...lol...feels good to be a temp!! or an intern if u will...! looking forward to another 26 days here!! oh and the treatment u get when u say ure a member of the press...hehehe...awesome! everyone's all nice to ya!:) i could totally get used to it... :D :D :D all the same...workin has been fun...killing time and im not so bored with life anymore...! it should be a good fun!

AND PLEASE VOTE FOR TAJ!!! it's our duty to do it!!! india is the 4th in terms of number of people voting!! i'm sure we can do better....it's kinda sad that noone really bothers about it....
the details...
SMS TAJ to 4567 or log onto http://taj.indiainfo.com

Sivaji - The Movie

Just back from watching the movie Sivaji...!! went with the whole family...!! around 14 of us!! was lots of fun actually....!! i wasn't really looking forward to it...one cos i dont understand tamil very well and two cos i dont really like rajinikant movies...no offense meant to anyone! this is my view...!!!
so, the movie...it was...hmm...let's see....it was funny, yes...cos i always find his movies funny...the dialogues are totally kickass!! i love the dialogues of his movies...they're so funny....and they rhyme!..lol...i cannot get enough of them!!! and yes only if u know tamil u'll get the point of the dialogues...they lose their charm if translated...!
the action scenes are totally matrix-ised! too much of special effects....they're beyond unreal! even for his movies...the action scenes are too much to take....there's one scene in the movie which looks totally like a take off from spiderman...one stance of his...so totally spiderman like...but i guess the whole point of a rajini movie is the overdramatised action sequences!
usually rajini movies have a theme behind all the exaggeration...this one is about corruption and bribes within the government...of course in the movie rajini is this super amazing hero who gets everything done by his fighting and style and stuff...obviously it's nothing like that in reality...the problem has been adressed...like many other movies...but the whole point of his movies are to entertain...and that it does...almost...the songs...none of them worth remembering...and some parts of the movie are seriously boring....!!!
some of the things to look out for in the movie...his way of eating centrefresh....the way he says cool......the way he plays with a one rupee coin...the way he taps his head...these are a few...lol...and of course his one liners...they're amazing...yup...truly amazing! oh even vivek must get a mention here...i totally love his comedy and he's great as usual! :)
on the whole i guess u can watch the movie once...totally not worth paying 1500/- for a ticket!!
i just had to watch it because it's a rajinikant movie and i have no serious complaints as such...!!:)

ps: i got an internship with Deccan Herald ...!!! an english daily...and im so excited!!!i officially start from tomorrow and i'll be glad to do ANY work they give me!! jus the whole idea of being an intern there is amazing!!! :) can't wait to start "working"!!!!! :D :D :D yay me!