Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Mr. Magorium: When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written "He dies." That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is "He dies." It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with "He dies." And yet every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words "He dies." but because of the life we saw prior to the words.

Mr. Magorium: I've lived all five of my acts, Mahoney, and I am not asking you to be happy that I must go. I'm only asking that you turn the page, continue reading... and let the next story begin. And if anyone asks what became of me, you relate my life in all its wonder, and end it with a simple and modest "He died."

Molly Mahoney: I love you.

Mr. Magorium: I love you, too.

Mr. Magorium: Your life is an occasion. Rise to it

Natural Parenting....

This is something I had read over the net and really wanted to share on my blog....

Je suis triste....... :(

Following a dismal week, this post has two songs, from my knowledge, capture my mood well.....

A La Claire Fontaine

À la claire fontaine,
M'en allant promener
J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle
Que je m'y suis baigné

Refrain :
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
Jamais je ne t'oublierai

Sous les feuilles d'un chêne,
Je me suis fait sécher
Sur la plus haute branche,
Un rossignol chantait

Refrain

Chante rossignol, chante,
Toi qui as le cœur gai
Tu as le cœur à rire,
Moi je l'ai à pleurer

Refrain

J'ai perdu mon amie,
Sans l'avoir mérité
Pour un bouquet de roses,
Que je lui refusai

Refrain

Je voudrais que la rose,
Fût encore au rosier
Et que ma douce amie
Fût encore à m'aimer

Listen to the song here




Les Regrets- By Alain Souchon

Rêvant des révolutions
Sur le bord de la rivière,
Il y avait des illusions
Dans ma main que tu laissais
Sous ton pull over.

De mal penser, la faiblesse
De n'avoir pas fait d'études,
Les chansons de ma jeunesse
Et de Robert Zimmermann, l'altitude.

Oh, des regrets, des regrets, des regrets,
Des regrets.
Oh, des regrets, des regrets, des regrets,
Des regrets.

J'ai perdu mon allégresse
Sur des bateaux de conquêtes.
J'ai perdu, par leur vitesse,
Quelque chose que, dans mon c?ur,
Je regrette.

Oh, des regrets, des regrets, des regrets,
Des regrets.
Oh, des regrets, des regrets, des regrets,
Des regrets.

2 CV Citroën,
Où sont les gens, dedans,
De mon baptême,
La timbale d'argent ?

Je voudrais que tout revienne
Alors que tout est passé
Et je chante à perdre haleine
Que je n'ai que des regrets,
Des regrets.

Oh, des regrets, des regrets, des regrets,
Des regrets.
Oh, des regrets, des regrets, des regrets,
Des regrets.


Listen to the song here

The Movies that I saw this past week

So, I had a really filmy week, I saw a lot of movies, partly because my frustration towards the city of Pune has reached a new height!!!!(lets not discuss why )

Here are the movies that I saw and what I feel about them:

First, I really wanted to see a horror film (and not a grotesque one involving a lot of melons or ketchup), so I searched for "top horrors of all time" and found 'Rosemary's Baby'.
My thoughts : The movie majorly sucked. I hated the acting and I felt there was nothing horror about it.
Verdict: CRAP

Second, I saw Hounddog starring Dakota Fanning and I have to say, I WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN OFF.
My thoughts : A great performance by Dakota. Neither having an extremely strong script nor great costumes, etc.. yet the movie was just amazing! and the only reason for that is Dakota's acting. Though at the rotten-tomatoes, it got a rating of just 16% with 42 rotten votes, I really beg to differ. Controversial- why? beautiful-yes! great acting- definitely
Verdict: I am keeping it in my collection.

Third, Pirate Radio, the film released under various titles,The Boat that Rocked or Good Morning England.
My Thoughts: I had been dying to watch this film ever since I was in France, however I somehow always missed it (either to Le temps qu'il reste or to La-Haut (Up), till ultimately it was removed).
I really enjoyed the film, it was fun fun fun from start to end. I liked the music and it rekindled my love for rock-n-roll. Yeah, there are many rock-n-roll fanatics who feel that the portray of the history is sloppy, but damn-them! (no offence), its a movies for pleasure, of pleasure and by pleasure, and not a Discovery documentary. I am sure even the cast had great fun making it.
Verdict: Keeping it in my collection

Fourth, Across the Universe. I had started watching this move at my aunt's place 3 months ago, on my arrival from France and when I was just about to come to Pune.
My Thoughts: As I was already in love with musicals(which I usually am) after The Pirate Radio, I decided to watch this as well. Its not a bad movie but not a great movie either. One musical with which I am not in love.
I felt that it was well done, to make a movie using the songs of just one music band (The Beatles, in this case) is not easy. I simply adored some songs, felt they sounded much better than the original(Get by with a little help from my friends, Prudence, Hey Jude... just to name a few), yet there were some that were there just to show artistic excellence(though could have been edited out).
Verdict: One time watch

Fifth, Shortbus. I would like to tell a little about the plot of this movie. The movie has 3 main stories, first of a gay couple, second of a sex-therapist or a relationship advisor(as she prefers) and third of a whore each having some problem either sexual or emotional and how they seek answers to their problems while visiting an underground modern-day salon famous for sex, music and art (in some way, yes I feel the salon was artistic)
My Thoughts: I felt that the director used a very unconventional way to express some very basic human emotions, expressing emotions via just sex, and thus hats off to him/her for that! Though I do feel that the film could have done with a bit less carnality.
Verdict: A good watch.

Sixth, .....yes there is a sixth and still one more after that :), Vickey Christina Barcelona.
I had downloaded this when I was in France, but saw it now.
My thoughts: okie-dokie. really liked the Spanish guitar scene, locations were very pretty and I loved Antonio's father's house and also his own, I would like to describe it as, actually quoting from a review as I feel they put it exactly I would have wanted to, a breezy summer entertainment. Of all the actors in the film, my favourite has to be Penélope, beautiful performance.
Also, why the hype about Scarlett and Penélope's kiss? it was not that steamy....
Verdict: One time watch

Seventh, Chinatown.
My Thoughts: Not such a great movie, why is it such a great classic?
Verdict: One time watch, so that you do not feel you have missed out on one of the 'top movies of all times'.

Déjà Vu

This weekend I visited Mumbai, which is some 130 Kms from Pune. We(my cuz, my to be brother-in-law and I ) drove to the city and stayed at our another cuz.... Isn't this great about an Indian family- you can always rely upon them, they never leave you!

Anyhow, this was my second visit to the financial capital of the country (the first déjà-vu) and I completely enjoyed it. My first trip to the city had been with my grand-father and had been a complete disaster! I had had hated the trip completely!

This time, I had a heavy brunch at Leopold Café, dessert from the Pastry Shop of The Taj Mahal Hotel, some snacks at CCD at the Atria Mall (where we also saw the Ducati Showroom and the Rolls Royce Showroom) and a heavy dinner at Bademiyas followed by drinks at the Red Box.
The next day I visited 2 of my cousins who live near Powai. It was a fun day and a lovely weekend indeed!

My second déjà-vu, one rather disturbing, was at the Taj Mahal Hotel, rather outside the hotel! I was taking a pic of the hotel, when I was troubled by the police force in the area as I had not shaved and was taking photographs of "The Hotel".
It remeinded me of the frisking I had to undergo at Cannes Film festival, because I have a beard and was not wearing jeans-T-shirt!
I don't even want to get into any discussion regarding this, as I feel it is dismal that even the Indian police has a mind set that a man with a beard is a terrorist! WTF

If you read my itinerary for the 2 days in Mumbai, I actually did not do anything special,nothing atall, yet in the two days that I spent there, I got this sense of power from the city, a different kind of sensation(I can assure you it was not the alcohol)!
It is said that those who get accustomed to the life of Mumbai, do not like living else where.
Why does this happen? Cant be definitely because of the countless slums that are there in the city. The cost of living is also quiet high there, then what is it???

Mumbai- the city of dreams. If you want to live your dream then go to Mumbai, weather in cinema, theatre, corporate world or under world!What makes it so? I think it is the spirit of Mumbai. The city that allows you to be exactly what you want to be, it does not judge you on being different or trying to be different. If you have the wish, the want and the will to make something out of your life, the city does not bind you in its dos and donts, less shackles to break! There is less hypocrisy.
A very wise aunt of mine told me that the city is extremely professional, and I do agree with her. She had explained to me giving example form the advertising world but even the home-delivery guy is smart and professional; he carries the exact change that would be required(unlike in Delhi, where we often hear, " Saab chutta nahi hai").

Mumbai reminded me of Paris, OK definitley not as architecturally beautiful, but the way of life is exactly the same.... laissez-faire!!!!
I finally understood that it is that sense of freedom that people search for and do attain in this city.

I would definitly like to live a part of my life in the city, but would like to live it in comfort. That means I really need to start earning big soon(HR, beware, I am soon going to ask for a raise)

The week that rattled

This week passed rather fast for me, during which a lot of things rattled... ranging from my notions about Pune to my official itinerary to the trees in the city and my temper!

Let me handle each separately.......

During a late night excursion in the city, with my cuz bro and to be bro-in-law, to eat rabri and kulfi (near the railway station, it was really YUM)followed by coffee and muffins (at Costa Café),

I was told, that many students in Pune (both male & female) do prostitution to earn pocket money, money not used to obtain the daily ration/to help meet the ends, but to enter pubs and and cafés(hard-rock café eg.). I was really shocked. Despite the fact that this concept is not new to me, given that I personally know students in Paris who do prostitution to meet their ends, but most of them are ones who do not get any support from families or belong to families who cannot support their finances! But here, I could not see any rhyme/reason to it.

Abu Azmi was, 2 days ago, beaten in the assembly house because he took his oath in Hindi and not in Marathi. Today the newspapers reported that the MLAs were ready to apologise to the house but not to Abu Azmi! .....
WOW, The political leader of the largest democracy of the world cannot enjoy his Cultural and Educational Right!

The political party that goes around protesting against Valentine's Day, forces boyfriend-girlfriend to get married if caught together and does what not on the name of preserving the sanctity of Indian culture, is the one that did not respect the Constitution of India (something that is much older that most of them and had been written by much sane , cultural and aware politicians) and it is the same political leaders who go about ranting as to how they are preserving the Indian culture that turn a blind eye to the rising prostitution in the city!

It made me question, has my english-medium education from a premium institution (one rather (in)famous for many such incidences) and a 2 year stay in a country where sexuality and its expression are very open failed to 'modernise' me. Am I as hypocritical as a politician from one of the political parties where it is OK and acceptable if it occurs in Paris but not digestible if it happens in 'The Land of Cultures and Customs- India'.
What is it that gives me different levels of acceptances for the same situation?

Next thing that shook this week was the vegetation of Pune. Pune received rains for 2 continuous days with very strong winds. My office which is a manufacturing plant has a stainless steel roof, and thus magnified the sound of the rain drops and the raging winds. However, I am not exaggerating, the winds were strong enough to uproot many trees causing the Pune traffic to become horrendous as compred to the normal state of being the worst!

And due to the all above reasons, my temper was on a high and rattled in the office!

However, I am really looking forward to the drive to Mumbai tomorrow. Hopefully the week-end there will raise my spirits and rejuvenate me to go to office in a good mood!

Accident Ho gaya.. Rabba rabba......

pre-requisite knowledge for the post: 1.My office is on the outskirts of the city and I have to drive a highway to reach it.

2. And ofcourse, my previous post about introduction ;)

What to post next had been been on the back of my mind for some time. Juggling between the beautiful moon that I see now every eveing and its comparison with my pics taken in Paris, my report of my family's sweet, home-made love incidence or another learning from the life, I finally have a winner, my own "Tryst with Destiny".

I had an accident today, that could have turned really bad, but I escaped with nothing but a dent and a dislodged headlight.

As I was driving to office, my nose started bleeding and 'I think I was loosing conciousness' (coz I do not remember it) when I became totally aware with a loud thud. I had just hit a bus and that that very moment a SUV,speeding towards me, was just meters away from me. I did manage to not completely go into either the bus or the SUV. However I did manage to bump into the bus from the left. Subsequently, I decided to stop and wash my face. And as I glanced at the speedometer I was at around 100 Km/hr. God forbid, had it not been a bus, and had been someone on a 2 wheel drive, I would have completely knocked them off/kiddled them.

I consider myself luck that I escaped the incidece with no major loss.

But then, I definitly need to go and visit a doctor, and get my nose and BP checked!

Till then, phir milengey !