Broken Camera

Lost Memory Card and Camera Cover

Shed 3500 bucks for repair and no memory card yet….

A wonderful start to my new year!

Over the last 48 hours, I have been glued to my television set. I have never watched so much news before. When you are living abroad, everything is much more painful.

When I first heard of the news of indiscriminate firing at the Taj, I did not bother to keep track of the sequence of events since I though it could be a crazy gunman. I only realised how serious the issue was once S was home and checked the news again. What started off as random firing soon turned out to be a full-fledged terrorist attack on the city of Mumbai.

After the blasts in Delhi and Assam a few months ago, I knew such news could not affect me anymore. I think Indians are tragically used to listening such news and have unfortunately made them part of their everyday lives. But what unwrapped in Mumbai was phenomenal. You saw terrorists who were not scared to show their faces, who came well prepared, who had the ammunition and food to survive for days and the most scariest part was how old the terrorists looked…they seemed so young but yet so fearless…hell-bent on bringing terror to the city.

I was deeply saddened when I learnt that the top cops of Mumbai, Mr. Hemanth Karkare, Mr Salaskar and Mr Kamte had tragically succumbed to terrorist bullets. It is such a loss! The BJP and it’s allies like who stated that Mr. Karkare was anti-national for his revelations on the Malegaon blasts paid the ultimate price trying to save people like you and me.

There were some heroic tales of hotel staff both at the Taj and the Trident and also of the Army Men, Commandos, RAF and the Police who tried to help the guests whilst stuck at the hotel. Some of them sadly lost their lives and I hope their sacrifice won’t go in vain.

There are so many things I’d like to mention in this post…I feel like pouring my heart out…but it is just so difficult…hard to find the words. Mr. Krishna Kumar, VC of Taj group of hotels told us of how the GM of Taj Palace hotel helped rescue the guests only to find out later that his wife and two sons who were situated in one of the suites of the Taj were burnt alive. How can anyone come to terms with such loss. His grief is unimaginable. This is just one of the horrific tales that has come out of the crisis..there are many more.

I do not trust our politicians to resolve the crisis. Infact, I’ve never trusted them in anything. It is only the will power of the common man of India that has brought us to where we are economically but it is he/she that suffers the most.

But how do we move forward from here? What can we do as the citizens of India. There is alot of anger. There could be anger towards a certain community or towards our neighbour. Personally, the only way I could see a better future for India is by introducing out-reach programmes for certain communities who feel alienated. There are few questions our politicos and Intelligence bureau need to answer. How did so many terrorists enter India? Why are our borders so porous? How did the terrorists know where to attack? How did they know every inch of the Taj Palace Hotel? If 9 terrorists have so far been killed and one has been held alive….where are the remaining? Are they still freely going around the city?

There are so many questions…but no answers from the authorities. Obviously, the ‘Mumbaiker’ (and also the ‘Indian’) is tired of listening to cliched terms like ‘the spirit of mumbai’ and the ‘resilience of the city’. Please don’t take us for granted. We don’t deserve this.

And if the MNS chief Mr. Raj Thackeray does happen to read my blog…Can I just clarify, that I am not a Mumbaiker…I am a Hyderabadi…but I feel the pain of the city…and pray for the affected. So please do not try to regionalise us. Mother India is already bleeding…Mother India deserves respect. If you can contribute positively…please do…otherwise keep out!

Went to watch Yuvvraaj over the weekend and man what a experience it was!!!!!! Terrible! The only best part during the film was me ringing up my friend and telling her how fab the movie was (she was watching Dostana at that time)…and she ended up watching the movie and I get a call during the interval with a very annoyed person on the other side. ROFL!!!!

There are so many faults with the movie that I don’t even want to start counting. It was absolutely rubbish….the only good thing about the movie was its music/songs.

Also watched Max Payne…which I thought was OK. Movie could have been edited better…but what the heck…it had Mark Wahlberg in it

Body of Lies review coming up very soon….and I loved Dostana

Right…so what else was happening this weekend. Oh yea…cricket. Didn’t watch it ‘cuz of the rain in B’lore…but what a BORING series this has been…I mean c’mon….the English cricketers didn’t even put up a fight and India won the series. Just wondering though, didn’t the Australians ever get bored of watching their team winning all the time???

The weather as always is very gloomy. Depressing!! It definitely will be much better in India where I will be in the next 3 weeks. Yippee!!

I’ve updated my photoblog…do take a look and leave any comments

I know I know…I said I was back…and then I vanished But I just couldn’t get myself to write…there wasn’t much going on or anything except for me being lazy…but hey…I’ve seen some wonderful things happening during my break from blogging…and one of them being Barack Obama winning the US elections. How wonderful is that? I do not expect him to bring any drastic changes to the world (and neither do I live in the US) but just the fact that a black man (or a mixed race man) could make it to the White House sounds exciting. History turns full circle and makes us believe that if you have the will, anything’s possible. 

If I am not wrong…it’s been a year since I started this blog. It survived for 365 days which is shocking I’ve never dedicated myself to anything for so long. Even though I ditched my blog for some other stuff in life, it always managed to pull me back…and mostly because of the lovely comments people leave. Keep ‘em coming!!

Life’s changed for the good after moving. Made some wonderful friends, social life’s fantastic, fantastic restraus nearby, great sights but weather as always has been crap!!!! Nevertheless, I am trying to see the positives in life…and I shall continue to do so :D

I’ve updated my photoblog too…do take a look

Ciao

Ahh….so finally I got myself to sit infront of my laptop and write. Moving was a real bummer!!! I hate relocating…I hate it hate it hate it!!! I am definitely not waiting for the next one. It took us more than three weeks to set things up…and since it was just S and I with occasional help from friends…it was tough.

When I really wanted to write…all I could think of was the bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahemdabad. I was disturbed. I want to punch our politicians black and blue. The statement that got onto my nerves was our PM announcing compensation for the vicitms…like it matters!!! Our govt thinks money is the answer for everything wrong and ugly that happens in our country…No it’s not! I don’t understand what the freakin Nuclear Deal is worth when there are hundreds of Indians dying in terrorist attacks almost every other month.

The weather has been terrible. In the UK, the really hot days last for a maximum of 30 days in 365 and unluckily for us…it had to begin just after we moved…so we not only had to cope with all the unpacking and arranging…but also bear the brunt of the hot sun and no wind coming our way

As it is…I have really bad mood swings and all this together just made me even more angry and somewhat crazy. The only time I enjoyed in the last few days was walking in the evening with S to a nearby restrau and enjoying a few cool summer drinks.

It’s high time and I want to get my groove back Vent out all the frustration in my blog   So get ready guys and girls…hehee

Pic Courtesy: http://crazygirlclub.files.wordpress.com/2006/10/angry-face.gif

I am soo excited. Read rediff reviews of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (JTYJN) and Love Story 2050 and you will know why. JTYJN apparently is jhakaas while the latter seems to be crap and boy am I happy!!!!!!!! I mean….going by the trailers itself…I had my own doubts about Love Story 2050. The Pink Teddy on Priyanka’s shoulders looks absurd, Harman’s dance with the robots…God!!! I mean c’mon….jhatak mataks in a land of robots??? Be realistic!!! Imagine a bhangra number suddenly popping up in Will Smith’s ‘I RObot’ or Bruce Wills’s ‘Fifth Element’. GOsh!! I do like our song & dance numbers but they should be situational.

I desperately want to watch JTYJN. Songs are wonderful…I listen to them atleast 5 times a day…loved Genelia in Bommarillu….Imran seems to have got his acting skills from Uncle Aamir and Abbas Tyrewala is definately one of the most talented guy’s in Bollywood…it cannot get better than this and Pappu Can’t Dance Saala basically rounds up my Philosphy of life

Njoy!!!

I usually don’t miss any of Will Smith’s movies. He is one of my favourtie actors…and there’s only one other in the list. I love Fresh Prince of Bel Air and watch some of the very old episodes when ever they are on tele. He is one person who lives life to the fullest, has a great sense of humour and is a great example of the ‘rags to riches story’. Last friday, I watched interviews of Jay Z and Will Smith on ‘Friday Night with Jonathan Ross’ and when asked how he is motivated…Jay Z  simply replied ‘Being Broke is the Greatest Motivator’. Few videos…

…..and I love Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Fantastic show!

Oh Yes…Hancock..I forgot!

Hancock (Will Smith) is a story of a super hero everybody loves to hate. He unlike any other super heroes out there. He hates chasing the bad guys and prefers to get himself drunk and sleep on the streets. Along comes Ray (Jason Bateman), a kind PR exec who takes up the responsibility of improving Hancock’s image even though his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) is not so sure about her husband’s friendship with Hancock.

The rest of the story is how Hancock’s life changes when he comes to know of his origins and why he was sent to earth. There is no ‘real’ bad guy in the movie…like Lex Luther in Superman or Joker in Batman since this is just a toaster.

Jason Bateman was terrific in the movie. Totally charming and humourous as a PR exec…a loving husband and a loyal friend. Will Smith is his usual. He doesn’t need to put much effort into the roles he plays…it comes naturally to him. Be it action, comedy or romance. He is fantastic. When ever he is on screen, there is a certain energy he brings to the audience.

I won’t say the movie is mind-blowing or anything. It is definately watchable but don’t expect a Spider Man or Batman. This one is different. Give it a try.

My Rating: 3/5

Sowwiee…was tempted to put up a pic of Will Smith instead of Hancock Love Him!

We went to watch Female Agents (Les Femmes de l’ombre) yesterday starring Sophie Marceau and what a fantastic movie it was. Once in a while you get to watch a master piece and this was one of them. THe only mistake we committed was to watch Thoda Pyar THoda Magic after and what a dreadful experience it was!

Female Agents is a partly true story of Louise Desfontaines (Sophie Marceau) a trained sniper with the French Resistance. When her husband is shot dead by the Nazis, Louise along with brother (Julien Boisselier) recruits four other exiled French women; Suze (Marie Gillain), a showgirl and a seductress; Gaelle (Deborah Francois), a chemist and explosives expert; Maria (Maya Sansa), a Jewish Italian radio operator, and Jeanne (Julie Depardieu), a prostitute for the SOE in order to infiltrate a German Hospital and recoup a British Geologist (pretending to be a German) captured in Normandy whilst checking to see if D-Day aircrafts could land on the beach.

The women successfuly manage to retrieve the British Geologist only to be told that in order to go back to England, they will have to complete a final task of assasinating an SS officer Col. Heindrich. The rest of the story is about how these five women go about in completing their task in Nazi controlled France.

What I liked most about the movie was how realistic it was. You feel for the women once the movie ends. So often, we have heard and seen how men die during wars but rarely did any movie capture the plight of women in war. The suffering and abuse they go through for sacrificing thier life for their country.

I will recommend everyone to watch this movie.

My Rating: 3.5/5

As I said previously, the only aspect of yesterday that did mess up my head was watching TPTM (Thoda Pyar THoda Magic) after Female Agents. S consistently pestered me to walk our of the cinema but I resisted. Even the two most boring movies of my life; Saawariya and Mohabbatein, I had to sit through…TPTM was better than those atleast

For me TPTM was a mixture of many english movies. It has bits and pieces of Mary Poppins, Sound of Music and Nanny McPhee. Rani Mukherji does not look like an angel…not that I came across one…but when you see one..you will know I mean, you’d expect an angel to have a glow on his/her face which Rani absolutely doesn’t have anymore. She looks dull and tired. Her clothes are deplorable. She looks more like a hippy than an angel. The movie could be a good watch for people who haven’t watched the english flicks I mentioned earlier but for me…it was boring. And also, there’s a little too much crying and illogical dialogues which are not in my comfort zone. The only good thing about the movie was the Kids, Saif Ali Khan Topless and one song…Beetey Kal Se…which touches many important issues….like Save the Tiger, India’s new found wealth and how the poor are missing out etc etc…which I feel strongly about.

You could probably watch the movie once but it was not my cuppa

My Rating: 2/5 

I have been so utterly busy the last few days but the good news is that packing is almost done. Just a few bits here and there which can be dumped into a bin bag the day we leave…which is this friday I am not so much sad as excited about the move. New place, new people and making a home out of a house sounds very exciting. All this meant, I could only turn a few pages of my book

Last sunday, we not only did most of our packing but also managed to prepare Chicken Biriyani and Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk :D

S is a ‘pro’ when it comes to cooking Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk. It is one of our favourtie dishes. Goes very well with Plain Rice, Biriyani, Pulao Rice or even Chapathis or Parathas.

Ingredients:

1. Oil - 6-7 Tbsp
2. Onions (finely chopped) – 3
3. Tomatoes (finely chopped) – 2
4. Chicken – 1/2 Kg (Clean thoroughly with turmeric powder and water)
5. Canned Coconut Milk – 1
6. Ginger+Garlic Paste – 1 Tbsp
7. Cloves – 3
8. Cinnamon Stick - 3 half a inch pieces
9. Cardamom (Elaichi) – 3 (split open)
10. Green Chillies – 5 (Split longitudinally)
11. Curry Leaves – 6
12. Cumin Seeds – 1 Tsp
13. Mustard Seeds – 1 Tsp
14. Turmeric Powder – A pinch
15. Salt – According to taste
16. Coriander – To Garnish

Method

Add oil to a pan or a wok and let it heat.

Later add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Now add cumin seeds and fry. Add curry leaves and green chillies and fry.

Now add onions and mix them on medium flame until they turn golden brown in colour. Then add chopped tomatoes and mix well.

Once tomatoes turn soft, add a pinch of turmeric powder and ginger+garlic paste and mix well. Leave on simmer for atleast 5 minutes mixing it in between

Now add chicken pieces and mix well. Leave it on medium flame for atleast 10 mins mixing frequently in between.

Then add coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Close with a lid and leave for 10 mins mixing inbetween.

By now, you will see alot of water retention. Remove lid and let the curry cook on medium flame. (Do not add any water to the dish).

Approx after 20-30 minutes, water oozed out of the meat should have reduced leaving the curry nice and creamy. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapathis

This time, I took some pictures :D

Njoy!!

YayyY!!!! I finally got my own ‘A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS’ A gift from S I know…I know…the book came out long time ago…and I was equally desperate to read it..but somehow I could not manage to get hold of one I loved ‘The Kite Runner’ and now that I have this book…I can’t wait to finish it.