Diwali sans BOOM.
Posted by: Manny on: October 27, 2008
- In: Freakout | holiday | perceptions
- 9 Comments
Yoohooo …. !
Back on air ?!! ……. Not exactly !
But, what better occasion to write ,than a diwali ?!
Well .. India doesn’t celebrate its diwali on any one day. It happens throughout the year, in different selected parts of the country. Nothing to rejoice when a few 100 lives are lost annually. It is when this country meekly surrenders some of its citizens to groups that massacre innocent civilians. 90% of the crackers in india are produced in sivakasi, the other 10% must be in some dingy, stinkpot of a place,where they are wrapped in nuts and bolts. Why nuts and bolts ?!! Thats because if the blasts don’t get you, the metal pieces will !
Er …. Sorry Guys !! Wat a time to be talkin abt such stuff 
,pardon me.
Now let me see … Diwali …. its that one day in a year, when i thrill to wake up early and wake up the rest of the ‘hood.
This time it seemed there was lesser noise preceding diwali !
Were people waking upto the environmental havoc it did, or was it the Inflation effect !?
But i was happy watching my neighbour from the distance, looking around desperately, bcos
this time there was no me to compete with.
We were like the cowboys u saw in the wild west movies,our guns ready and drawn 
. [Yeah.The agarbathis were our guns!]
No words were spoken, but for a “Happy Diwali” that sounded more like “Bring it On!” than any bonhomie.
The usual rivalry – over who bursted the most crackers, or who’s made more noise [?] was missing this time 
.[ Considering it was the one time me & my sis joined forces, fr this strange annual event ! ]
Because this year I was not bursting crackers. Did that mean i wasn’t celebrating ?!
Absolutely not.
It is what they call a cracker-free diwali !
It could also mean more talk less noise,less pollution, more sweets, more tv, lesser nausea and a clean u.
what with so many i know deciding against crackers this diwali !
Suddenly it seemed not wishing to burst crackers was ultracool !
It gave u a chance to prove that u do read the news, and an excuse to talk about global warming and other such seemingly complicated stuff, with a few jargons thrown in for effect
Ok, i’m not completely serious, the above 2 lines were meant fr people who blink in slo-mo at u,
or rub their eyes in disbeleif over what they just heard, when u go “Crackers ?! I gave up a long time ago ! “.
Imagine that with a halo to boot 
!
Its time we gave pollution,environmental degradation and other such stuff the spotlight they deserve.
So what can ‘U’ not bursting crackers mean to the global scenario ?
[Here i go on one of those preachy stuffs again !]
Its fine if u don’t actively campaign for such things, but the least u cud possibly do is to not give in to the temptation of pollution 
.
The world cud do with one cracker less. Maybe just ‘one’ for ol’times sake !
This diwali the din wasn’t from the road, but from the parking lot,When all the cars began singing in unison.
From when was the sound of crackers so stimulating for anti-theft alarms ?!
Anyways folks, have a Happy & Safe[crackerless] Diwali !
| OVER AND OUT |
BATMAN – Once again !
Posted by: Manny on: October 1, 2008
- In: getting it started | Movies | reviews | timepass
- Leave a Comment
In a long time there hasn’t been a movie that has so struck me- on the frailities of the human mind such as this one.
When joker says ,”Give them the choice – these same civilised people will eat each other”
he isn’t kidding. 
Almost everyone among the cast pulls it off with aplomb. Even the ones who appear for just a
scene or 2 are very convincing. Hail ! Christopher Nolan .
One look at this cast and you would have to try hard to miss this – Michael Caine, Morgan
Freeman, Christian Bale, MaggieGyllenhall, Gary Oldman, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart.
I would say it belongs to the Drama genre as much as it is an action flick. At places the
movie is so fast – u really have to read between lines to find the bad guys from the good !
In certain scenes you just wish,from deep down – that the joker’s evaluation of the human
mind’s weakness is wrong, but the joker wins in the end. He succeeds in dousing Gotham’s
very soul.
I was forced to revisit a dialog from a trend setting hit of the past – The Omen – as i can
recall -
“Man will be turned against Man. Brothers will fight brothers”. If it was Satan there, it
was the joker here.
What a role for Heath Ledger, who’s lived his role. Honestly & rather shamefully i admit to have never heard that name
before this movie. Brokeback Mountain
was in distant memory – but hadn’t watched that.
If ever a posthumous Oscar was to be awarded – this guy deserves it.
You know he is good at his role – from the hatred you reserve just for the joker.
He is that ideal vector of chaos.
The Dark Knight proceeds to tell you about Harvey Dent’s transformation into – Harvey Two
Face.
There is this drift that has come into the superhero movie genre- of this human disposition
of super heroes.
That as a human – they hold the right to go astray,be jealous,feel greed, be corruptible,be
vulnerable.
Spiderman-3 told you so.
But this goes the extra mile.
People can be a victim of situations.
Its when they are given choices and they get the cushion that – “Noone will ever know !” that they err.
Because for man doesn’t fear himself – he fears for his reputation & image.
A misplaced sense of self- righteousnes.
Joker capitalises on this very weakness of the mind.
Brilliantly directed by Christopher Nolan. The film would stand out for some exceptional
acting by the lead be it Gordon,Harvey, or Bruce Wayne [aka Batman].
And for how chaos can still so easily creep into the mind’s core and strike you where you
are softest.
There are just so many lines of the joker that i loved. Here is one -
” Madness ,as you know is like gravity -
All it takes, is a little push “
I have watched it 4 times and counting…in the last 2 days.
Because Batman is not just a hero,
he’s a silent guardian,
a watchful protector -
he is the dArk kniGht !
[ I just couldn't resist posting this one ]
A Break from blogosphere …
Posted by: Manny on: September 17, 2008
[ Drum Roll ]
” Hear Hear
Happy news for one and all …. !!
As u would have found out … my resolve to keep posting is weakening alarmingly … !
To give you a small proof of that – i must say, i’ve run out of innovative ideas , to tell u that i won’t be here to drive any of you mad with my mokkais or make you tear your hair out with my supposedly sarcastic tenor …
I’m taking a brief sabbatical from blogging …
The semesters, record work, etc.etc have together strangled my flow of thoughts … [ Uh ! Poor me ! ]
SO, u won’t be seeing any new posts here for the next few months . [In that interlude - I hope those of you insane people i know ' ' stay that way and keep me company ! ]
And for those who are breathing that sigh of relief -
Here’s a reminder -
U haven’t seen the last of manny yet … [ And ....er..... please don't mind the punches !]
I ‘ll be back soon …
…. very soon “
Losing myself …
Posted by: Manny on: September 13, 2008
- In: thats me | timepass
- 8 Comments
When i was much younger (started when i first ‘accidentally’ got lost at age 8 or 9) – getting lost was my idea of an adventure.
Whenever i realised i was lost
a strange excitement would grip me. I would smile to my self .. nah … it was more of a laughter !
Then after a long frantic search when my relatives or someone among family found me … u could just tell
the anger in their eyes seeing me smiling and laughing !
But i couldn’t help it. It was my idea of fun ! Could i call it wanderlust – but im sure my kinfolk would disagree ..
I used to do this so often that … my relatives or anybody fr that matter feared to take me out anywhere 
!
They would insist on my parents accompanying me – they were blighted by this Dennis photocopy !
I still do it !!!
And I like doing it my Way !
Which was to never ask anyone for directions. I then do things purely by gut instinct. Whatever my mind tells me that particular road could lead to …
Thats the only way i seem to remember routes to any place ! There would be this map thats taking shape inside my head
with every corner i turn, every bend that i take. And when the map is finally complete – its time to put it to the test !
These days I don’t risk doing it without my mobile in hand, of course .
Over a period of time – i’ve invented so many lies for being late at home, getting lost and retracing,- that i need to start getting patents for them !
On many such escapades – i’ve got suspicious stares, “Whats this guy doing moving about in circles ?!”
Bcos i don’t ask directions, its houses, the feel a place gives me that helps me take the right decision.
I can’t think 2 streets ahead.
I won’t know which turn to take unless i make the forthcoming turn !
In a way my poor sense of direction just adds to the excitement of getting lost !
Feeling lost was the only time i’ve felt – i needed to use every available resource of mine – to get to where i wanted !
It sounds strange but liberating !
So when somebody asks me to GET LOST !
I say , ” I would love to ” !
P.S:
If it is poorly sequenced , Don’t mind it. Its raw, unedited – the way my mind chose to remember stuff .
Kindly adjust .
Corvus Strikes back !!
Posted by: Manny on: September 3, 2008
- In: holiday | timepass | wild side
- 16 Comments
Well, to make the dullest of things sound interesting ,u need some build up … so here i go …
It is big, yellow and crawls at not more than 30kmph.
Er… that would be my college bus -route 206 ! as i have been deemed by fate to wait everyday for this strange yellow bus. My embarassment increases with every passing day, to wait for it at a stop where other students wait for their buses. I’m sure u wud understand when u see my bus in a particular shade of yellow which makes u turn away 
.
It can come at any time between 6.40 am to 7.00 am. And almost always – its late when u r early and early when u r late !! So chasing this bus in an auto or my 2 wheeler is what happens on most days .
As i hav been doing fr several years now, i waited under this neem tree when – a crow came swooping down at me……. Whaaaao 
!!
In all honesty myself and the crow don’t have any previous history of enemity[Seriously !]. But he had picked me, out of all those college students standing there ,to have some fun. He would swoop down close to my head, then land on the nearest branch, then after some thought and some Caw Cawing, swoop down again !
Well i had to duck every time he did that ,& it must have been one funny sight . Talk of the daddy of all embarassments !! This was it !
Why was this happening ?!! Could it be my strange lukin hair-cut ?……. Nah !
Could it be this neem tree ?! … er … Dunno …
Could it be that nest that i see up there ?!! Sheesh ! that was it !
I stepped away from the neem tree and the bird relaxed – until my college bus came along and the yellow colour frightened it so much – that it flew away Cawing madly.
Moral of the story :
A Yellow bus may be an eyesore – but it sure can save you from a mad crow !!
Ready or Not ! Here we come …
Posted by: Manny on: August 21, 2008
- In: holiday | travel
- 6 Comments
A welcome 6 day break from the humdrum of college….
To be honest, i’m not too excited about touring Kerala. Not as much as the fact that i’m touring [atlast !!!]. I haven’t been to kerala much – but Kerala reminds me of non-stop rain, wet earth, cool air,long beards [somehow my any association with the place figures atleast one bearded dude ] lots of coconuts, and a sing-song language, which,to me is as foreign as it can get !
The one good enough reason for agreeing on this is that i’m going with friendz. And however bad or good it might end up to be, I’m pretty sure- that its gonna be one unforgettable 6 days !
So to all ya pepl in God’s own country …
Be prepared for some blasphemy …
Singh is King !
Posted by: Manny on: August 17, 2008
- In: sports | timepass
- 2 Comments
This is no review on the movie “Singh Is King !”. So if u have clicked on this link to get a load of Akshay Khanna/Kumar/Khan[Watever his name maybe !?]. I hope you woud have moved on by now. But hey ! if u are one of those gung-ho about India’s showing in the boxing ring of the Olympics ! Stick around !
Gurbax Singh must be feeling on-top-of-the-world right now. As i am typing this ,there are 3 Indians in with a chance to clinch the gold ! To prove to the world that Indians are no push overs in the ‘ring ! Reaching the quarter-finals of an Olympics is no mean feat in itself.
I remember catching a show on CNN-IBN just before the Boxing Team left for Beijing. The lads looked promising. Well … thats the way its been evey time. They only promised ,but they never brought home anything. I have no idea which way things are headed, but i just hope, they bring home 3 medals from the boxing arena !
Akhil Kumar : Men’s Bantam Weight Division (54kg) : Round of 32
Jeetender Kumar : Men’s Fly Weight Division (51kg) : Round of 32
Vijender Kumar : Men’s (75kg) : Round of 32
Three Cheers to India’s Boxing Team !!!
Manny
Not Wanted !
Posted by: Manny on: August 9, 2008
- In: Movies | timepass
- 13 Comments
Before you read this review -
Answer this -
What is common to weavers, bullets and FATE ?
Tick Tock -Tick Tock- Tick Tock
Times UP !
Well .. if you couldn’t come up with anything … u need to watch Wanted.
I didn’t find too many interesting things in the movie. So i ‘ll keep it short.
To start with,the hero [James Mcavoy] is a really nice guy.
He says “Sorry” before he kills anyone.
Thats like Waaoow ! …. How much nicer can you get ?.
He does resemble Russell Crowe to an extent.
As for Angelina – ….. Time to retire ma’am .
The film has some unbelievable stunts … because they are totally unbeleivable !
No laws of physics apply here. You just take a gun,take aim [at what?! Don't ask me !], and
you can blow someone’s head off – on the other side of the planet.
How do they do it ?
mmmm …. er …. Good question …
You need to be asking the director that…
They tried for 100 odd mins and they couldn’t convince me – that bullets bend around objects !
- like light !! Maybe its got something to do with light, er..refractive index,density of matter .. what else 
!
Ooops !
I just forgot i’m watching Wanted – a film thats got nothing to do with physics !
Yeah ! Super Hero movies are similar too. But you had some history, a reason for those
powers. A reason thats unexplored !
Here you get some story about a guy inheriting this ability from his father
,to bend bullets around obstacles,whose heart beats @ 400 beats per minute [whoa ! ]… and some other story about adrenaline increasing your agility.
Aaalll this when the guy is some weaver !
Man !
.. this is one story where these weavers spin a lot of yarn !!
If it wasn’t for all that blood and gore – you would be laughing at this movie.
Whats even worse ? There could be a Part Two !
Definitely Not Wanted !
Cheers
Manny
Bus Diaries …
Posted by: Manny on: August 6, 2008
- In: timepass
- 9 Comments
Bus travel can be equally reminiscent of college life. Because it can make you a busaholic – when you start preferring buses, for long distance travel, over other modes of transport. For the others it can be a traumatic experience and has an exact opposite effect ! My reluctant association with buses started 3 yrs back.
When i wanted to write this blog entry ,i couldn’t help thinking about my route’s bus driver.
He is affectionately called “Thatha”.
There isn’t a day when our bus driver fails to get cursed by another road user for our man’s road rage [ and its probably the side effect of a hangover !]. The victim would unleash a slew of abuses.
One of the mentionable ones ,- an angry ” I will Knock all your teeth OUT ! ” . You can only laugh when he says this because our man doesn’t have much to loose, he has very few teeth and it is as good as having none. He usually responds long after the angry guy has threatened Thatha in every possible way. Because by that time the poor road user would have given up and left, gasping for breath, not to mention a perplexed expression of not having evoked the slightest reaction from the driver [Years of practise doing the trick for Thatha !!] . He now and then lets loose his punch lines that just knock you out cold .
Then there are the bus races. Actually none of this is ever pre-planned, they just haPPen !! I still can’t forget the day when Thatha and an FLSmidth bus did some sort of a ” Dogfight ” [ ] among buses. It was a clash of contrasting proportions, Thatha hardly ever steps on the accelerator pedal and the Smidth guy hardly ever steps off it ! Same goes for the fleet that our next door neighbour flaunts .
Yama rides on college buses these days . The context of that line should be well known to you if u are a part of AIHT [Well ...! if you aren't a part of it , don't bother thinking about it, why waste brain cells when u are not going to hear that name a second time ?!].
But accidents are a serious issue which means that it belongs to a totally different dimension from this blog [not that this blog deals with any logical issues either ... !].
And if u have found this even remotely funny, then stop smiling, because in reality it has taken lives . [I 'll excuse myself for posting serious stuff this instant alone ..] Though this is a funny take on a serious issue, its scary – to see these buses take off and land – when these bus drivers play with the lives of college goers just to prove a point to another driver – when they refuse to shift to a lower gear – when running over a dog or a cow is an everyday thing – when drivers of such vehicles don’t realise, there are other road users – and when escaping the law is as easy as 100 bucks [as i found out !]
Cheers,
Manny
[P.S: This entry isn't the product of any grudge that i hold against the driver . But this is just somebody's vain attempt [mine !] to finish one last post. Ok, maybe there is one more to follow , before I take a break from blogging. ]
A Scene @ T.Nagar !
Posted by: Manny on: August 2, 2008
- In: bizarre | sober hues
- 11 Comments
It was at about 6.30 am on one of T.nagar’s streets.
There was this guy who was casually looking at the trees and the taller buildings. It seemed like there was something specific that he was looking for. He then took out a catapult, without any fuss, and took aim at something several storeys above. There were just windows where ever he was aiming at ! Or so i thought.
After that All I could perceive was a whirring sound, a burst of feathers and a dead bird.
The stone must have hit the bird like a bullet because i never saw the stone.
He must think himself to be one sharpshooter ! He trudged upto the dead bird, picked it up, and dropped it into a bag that was already sagging. Presumably some more birds !
Not just me, there were quite a few people witness to this ! It seemed such a mad act, that they had already concluded- the guy must be mad and most people pretended to take no notice. The now ‘mad’ guy strung the bag onto his shoulders and walked away.
The hunt was over, time to return home and savour a meal of fresh pigeon ~er … whatever :!: !
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