Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Finding HappYness
How happy and successful is someone? The answer according to me is quite simple. The people whom he chooses to love and by whom he’s chosen to be loved decide how happy one is.
A sea of faces, billions of voices, an assortment of people - but only some make an impression; only some hearts touch us more than others; only some people form life-long bonds with us. They give us reasons to live, reasons to smile, reasons to dream, hope and cry. Life is filled with such amazing people and equally amazing relationships. You find happiness when these things happen.
-Calling a friend late into the night, chit-chatting for hours together and ending up feeling woozy the next day
-Receiving a text that says “Miss you”, when you feel low
-Going back to school/college and telling people about all the memories good and bad and breaking into peals of laughter, for the silliest of things
-Receiving a text from your best friend asking what’s wrong, when you are crying out all by yourself
-Getting wet in the rain with your loved one knowing you'd be down with fever the next day
-Going out with people, having truck-loads of ice cream, getting back home and still feeling that you have had a cup less.
- Hugging your mom really tight knowing no matter what, you’d still be her baby.
-Cutting classes for no reason and going out with classmates, doling out a million stupid excuses to the teacher.
-Fighting with your friend knowing it is pointless, calling him/her back and offering him/her an apology
Guess these little things really make life worth living. Cherish the people around you and the relationships.-the Joker
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Burp : Balaji Mess
FOOD: Welcome to Sri Balaji Mess, a typical mess, that has no fancy decor or valet parking!
It’s a simple and an ordinary eatery, but it’s extremely neat, as opposed to the stereotypical idea of a ‘mess’, that we all tend to possess. Bachelors tend to frequent this place more often; however there are quite a few families, who enjoy eating in this mess.
Coupled with good ambience and good portion size, Sri Balaji Mess guarantees you a fine dining experience.
For those of you who belong to the non-vegetarian spectrum, Fish, Mutton, Chicken kurmas, sambar and rasam are packed into a single meal. For the vegetarians, plain biriyani, mushroom fried rice, and egg biriyani (I would suggest this, if you like eggs) is served.
And before you finish your lunch/dinner, don’t forget to gulp down a glass of cold buttermilk.
PRICE: The food here is extremely affordable. An unlimited non-vegetarian meal would cost you Rs 50. If you are planning on treating your friends to a good meal, then you should try this place because the food is good and more importantly it won’t burn a big hole in your pocket!
HOW TO GET THERE: A 5 minute long walk from college will take you to this place. Just take the road next to pazhamuthir nilayam, face a few zigzag turns; you’ll reach the mess, which is located on the right hand side of the road.
-@!
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Going by the book : The Bartimaeus Trilogy
In times when Magic and fantasy invariably mean Harry potter to the people of the world, I find myself fortunate to have chanced upon “The Bartimaeus Trilogy” by Jonathan Stroud. JKR’s Harry Potter Series has gained so much popularity that not many people know about the various other authors of the same genre like Philip Pullman (The Golden compass), Christopher Paolini (The inheritance cycle) and the likes. One such person is Jonathan Stroud, who wrote “The Bartimaeus Trilogy” among other works, which like all trilogies has three books, The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye and Ptolemy’s gate.
The trilogy revolves around three characters, Nathaniel, Kitty and Bartimaeus. The title character, Bartimaeus, is a five-thousand year old djinn (genie) who can be summoned from “The Other Place”, where all demons roam around as spirits, intertwined with each other. The story is told from the viewpoint of Bartimaeus, Kitty and Nathaniel at different times. The tale is set in an alternate history to our own, borrowing people from original history and mixing it all up to provide an interesting plot.
Nathaniel is an apprentice to the magician, Arthur Underwood, and he assumes the name of John Mandrake to protect his identity (like all magicians do). When he is disgraced by Simon Lovelace, a powerful magician, he decides to summon a higher level demon and summons Bartimaeus by chance, in order to get revenge against Simon Lovelace by stealing the Amulet of Samarkhand, which is a powerful magical object which can ward off evil. Thus starts a rollercoaster relationship between the two – Bartimaeus a quick-witted, sly demon who shirks work and Nathaniel who refuses to let him be. Kitty Jones, enters the plot as a commoner, who unlike the muggles in Harry Potter, knows about the existence of the magical world, and unlike most other commoners, can even see the demons.
The facts at the bottom of the page from the point of view of Bartimaeus, the changes in narration, the witty remarks and the nuances of Bartimaeus make the book move at such a fast pace that before you know it, you’re too deep in, to keep the book down. People, who think magic is childish, should read this. I bought these books because of the fantastic cover art, and I’m thankful I did. Buy or borrow or download the e-book, if you’re one for magic and fantasy. Trust me, you’ll love it.-Ryan.A.Nash
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Projector and the Popcorn : Quick Gun Murugan
With its catchy trailers, Quick Gun MuruGUN (QGM) created a strong impression amongst film-viewers all over India, that it would be India's foray into the parody genre. All 'important' characters were introduced and given the diversity of the cast, the trailer brought people's interest to what everyone thought was going to be ‘Fundaa-stik’ or ‘suuuber’.
The plot of the movie is straight forward: our vegetarian and well decorated hero Quick Gun Murugun (Rajendra Prasad) tries to stop non-vegetarian Rice Plate Reddy (Nasser) from converting the vegetarian hotels in a retro town to non-vegetarian hotels. Unfortunately, our hero gets killed in the process and gets sent to Chitragupta. After pleading his case to him, QMG gets sent back to complete his job of stopping RPR from spreading the message of non-vegetarianism. However, upon returning, QMG finds himself in present day Mumbai where our hero finds himself with the task of hunting down our villain (a bit of 'glamour' is furnished by Ramba, who plays Mango Dolly and some gangster action is thrown in by Gun Powder and Rowdy MBA).
Though the script makes abundant attempts to pull off jokes from stunts, colourful costumes and interesting names, all of them seem utterly ineffective and lame. Even stunt scenes are (*yawn*) boring since they are all based on bullet dodging and nothing more.
The movie is very colourful though and the music is surprisingly refined and creates expectations instantly.
The movie is very colourful though and the music is surprisingly refined and creates expectations instantly.
QGM seems to want to ridicule the Clint Eastwood style Cowboys but ends up making them seem like maestros. Cowboy movies probably aren't something that the Indian public can easily relate to.
Verdict: Think twice before this one. You won't blame yourself for not seeing this one.Rating : 2.5/5
-Slither
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Savvy!
Greetings mortals! It is my best luck to have a few of you poring over to read me, and I cannot thank you enough. Yeah right! Observing the usual formalities, I need to introduce you to my side of the world, given that I already know about yours. I belonged to the neo-urban, rock-with-bhakti fusion loving, having-an-opinion-about-everything-on-the-planet sect of the world population. I particularly loved the talking, opinionating, laughing, sharing, and eating part of your world.
Moving on, my parents first met each other at a company board meeting, they liked each other instantly and I was subsequently born. I spent most of my childhood at a semi-urban school, where I realized that I was smarter than the rest of them. I was, at one point, strapped down to one desk, and forced to socialize with human beings of my capability of understanding, but it was a futile attempt. I yearned travelling, learning how I could solve life. But I knew, they would never let me have my way. So, I decided to make a run for my freedom and finally managed to hop into a plane to India.
Now is when I expect to you to draw your breath and ask "And then what happened?" ………………..Sigh.. I am disappointed.
Anyhow, this country was a lot different from what I expected it to be. It was like seeing a whole new world, through a whole different kind of a kaleidoscope. Here, designs do not change, the colored glass does. You will understand what I really mean, later on maybe.
I am at present stationed at the service of this nineteen year old girl, going to this institution, in a city called Coimbatore, in the Southern part of the country. This kid is okay and she does not bother me so much. She loathes reality television as much as I do. So, I am still surviving. Only, the silly girl gave me a name and I could not say no. I guess I'd just have to live with it for the rest of my processing lifetime. She calls me Savvy. You can call me Computer Savvy (If you still haven’t understood that I am an inanimate being – a computer, you are requested to read this all over again) After all, not all computers get to see the world from a teenager’s point of view.
Ouch! I can feel my battery charge draining down, so before I get into one of my 'hibernate' states, I was asked to keep our introduction short and crisp. Tata, stay alive, eat smart, and read smart. See you sometime soon!
BEEP!
-Zilch
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And that's what it's all about
Do you at times think that your life is becoming dull and mind-numbingly monotonous?
It’s raining outside, and you are looking out your window, onto that luscious green lawn of yours. Two little robins are perched on the tree, dodging the sparkling, limpid raindrops which make a tune of their own as they strike the ground. You, experiencing all that lightheartedness, feel like breaking free, run out there and dance in the rain, sing, frolic, swirl whirl and twirl, till you fall flat on the wet ground. Your mom’s there at the doorway, with those unwavering, sharp piercing eyes staring at your, now limp, wet body as you walk up the stairs. That sure would destroy the moment, wouldn’t it?!
What would make the world a much better place is if it were like a big, extravagant musical? Think about it, life would be great if it were like a Broadway spectacular. For no apparent or explained reason, ordinary people would burst into song. Everyday people like you and I would sing our inner feelings to the world. No one would even notice our self-indulgence and lack of talent.
Young couples serenading idyllic and dreamy tunes at the parks would be a wonderful sight to behold. A furious quarrel, a heated argument could turn into lively, sprightly bout of voices. A girl sobbing at the porch would soothe her own soul by humming melancholic tones. Children would sing as they dance their way to school. The waiters at the restaurants would twirl as they bring the dishes to your table, and you would even thank them by singing with your euphonious voice. Why, even the flowers shall waltz with the melody!
Surely, that would be an exhilarating life, wouldn’t it? It would bring back that spirit, that cheerfulness, that boldness that’s been sleeping inside us and would let us break free! So try it out… Life, as a musical. After all, singing is no crime! -Hy Nitro
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The nth Harmonic
| MUSIC, to me is that thing, that makes me want to sit in a comfortable position in a dark room and forget about the whole world. It’s that which makes me want to dance on the terrace and look at people incredulously and think ‘they aren’t listening to what I am listening and boy, are they missing out on something’. Music is what I like to associate my moods and my thoughts (the named and the unnamed ones) with. It gets me high and gets me low. This time, the artists featured are my personal favourites. Best served with a long journey and a window seat! | |
| Moby: This man, nicknamed after his ancestral relationship with the author of Moby Dick, is one of the most critically praised international Techno artists. Moby, who is currently working from his bedroom-converted-studio, has been so successful that every single song of his, from the album Play was licensed to advertisements, movies and TV shows. Writer’s picks: Extreme ways (Bourne Ultimatum soundtrack), Flower (Gone in 60 seconds soundtrack), God moving over the face of the waters. John Mayer: From being the guy who worked at a gas station to earn money to get his first guitar, John Mayer has come a long way to become the man who has a guitar model named after him. Multi-talented blues-rock artist, Mayer, is as acclaimed for his song-writing and guitar-skills as he is for his singing. Writer’s picks: Slow dancing in a burning room, Clarity, Stop this train. Evanescence: Described as a rock band with various influences in metal, classical music and electronica, Evanescence shot to fame with its haunting music, ruling the charts for a long time with singles like ‘Bring me to Life’ and ‘My Immortal’. Writer’s picks: Hello, Everybody’s fool. Dido: The unforgettable voice and the superb song-writing abilities of Dido have contributed significantly to her being respected in the Alternative Rock crowd. A review can’t do justice to her. One just has to “listen” to Dido. Writer’s picks: Hunter, Isobel, Sand in my shoes. Shania Twain: The seasoned Canadian country singer, who renamed herself “Shania” meaning “on my way” in Ojibwa, has charmed lots of people all over the world with her portrayal of life, through her songs. Writer’s picks: You’re still the one, That don’t impress me much, Ka-ching! -Swati Khare (IV Btech Biotech) | |
The serpent's trust
He had done it! For three years, he had remained undercover- working close to the dangerous Columbian drug-lord Alfonso ‘The Serpent’. It had cost him all his skill and cunningness to infiltrate The Serpent’s operations. His findings were shocking- even to himself. The Serpent was connected to at least a dozen US senators and many more European politicians.
He had already faxed his infernal findings to his superior at the Interpol. He was the only one he trusted there; for if there was one thing he’d learned in this mission, it was that “trust is a fickle little thing, which is not to be bestowed on everyone”.
He still couldn’t believe that he had fooled The Serpent. Shivers ran down his spine just at the memory of those cold grey eyes. Looking into those eyes and lying through the teeth, were perhaps the highpoints of the mission.
But, the truth was that The Serpent actually trusted him, and only him. Not during any debriefing would he ever tell anyone what ghastly acts he had to commit to win that trust.
During their last meeting, he had requested The Serpent to be granted a jet to the US to visit his ‘ailing father’. Without any ado, The Serpent had provided him with his own private jet. The jet had landed in an unknown hangar in Michigan, and he was there now- waiting in a cabin. He’d be picked up from there by a team from the Interpol. A smile lit up his face. I’ve fooled The Serpent! He used the flush, in the toilet, and the smile on his face disappeared, only to be replaced by mortal shock.
The whirl of the water in the toilet was in the clockwise direction. He was supposed to be in Michigan- a place in the northern hemisphere- where the whirl should be in the counter-clockwise direction!
to be contd...
-Ganja (IV BE PROD)
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Litchi Garden (contd.)
In the previous issue… Chutki lived next to a litchi garden. She would just sit there and smile and she would dream. She would dream of land beyond and life away from the garden. Many of her friends at school had moved to the city. She heard so many stories one day wished that she could go there. She wanted to learn about science and economics and about the rest of the world and she sang about that all day long.
...………………………….………(Contd)……………………………………
One day, her mother rushed into the hut, with tears in her eyes. These were tears of joy. “Chutki! We are going to the city!” she cried enthusiastically.“The landlord’s son is moving there and he wants us to go in order to help him. Isn’t that wonderful? This is what we have been waiting for. Aren’t you happy Chutki?”
Tears fell down Chutki’s eyes forming rivulets as it marred her young cheeks. These were tears of sadness. “NO! I’m not coming”, she screamed and darted out of the house.
Her mom stood there, surprised. Chutki was always dreaming about life in the city and now she wondered what possibly could be the reason for the change of attitude.
Chutki ran to the garden and kept running till she could run no more. She knelt down on the soil, her tears now mixed with sweat. She herself could not understand what was pulling her back. Why would she ever leave this haven, her real home, where she had been happy for all this time? It was as if a spirit had seized her and was not letting go or maybe she just couldn’t apprehend a nostalgic feeling. But she was sure of one thing, that all her dreams would come true in the litchi garden.
-Hy Nitro
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In Tune with Tunes
What you find here: If you wanna add a little bling here, there, everywhere; a dash of colour, some “Stripes and Polka dots”, those cute slogans and cheeky captions – on your kurtas, jeans, tees, salwars, dupattas, shirts, hankies, bed linen, pillow & cushion covers and whatever else you can think of, just head to “Tunes”.
Choose from over 6000 block prints and design your stuff all by yourself or ask Mrs. Jaya Narayanan, who runs the place, for her suggestions and come up with exquisite designs. This is truly an exciting and funtabulous way to spice up your wardrobe, for all you fashion conscious guys and gals.
In case you are racking your brains to gift that perfect, personalized and unique stuff, head to ‘Tunes’ . And voila! Your work is done.
For that extra colour and fun in life, call Mrs.Jaya Narayanan on 9442350926 or 0422-4369810.
Price: Very reasonable and affordable.
Location: Tunes, 115, West Venkataswamy Road, R.S.Puram (near GreenTrends).
-Sanu
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On board
I had not been an active sportsperson in my school days. But after entering college, I have been a regular trainee of short sprints early in the morning. I undertake the training dressed not in sportswear but in formal salwars and sandals, with a bag slung across my shoulders. The race I thus take part in daily is to get into a bus that takes a direct route to college and that in which I can also be comfortably seated to spend the following forty minutes listening to songs or reading.
Having studied in a school that was hardly a kilometer away from my house, I was used to being independent and leaving home at any desired time. The concept of having to stick to a schedule that was not my own did irk me in the beginning, but as they say, Human beings are creatures of habit who can get used to an amazing variety of things in life over a period of time and daily bus travel happens to be one of those.
The very first day that I got introduced to a drafter in Engineering Graphics, I had to travel in s11 which is perpetually crowded. The Assurance “Crash-Proof” on the drafter’s cover did not convince me. The gladness I experienced that day when an understanding Engineering graduate held my drafter was of such a magnitude that it still brings a fractional relief to my heart. I was introduced to many harsh realities in the town buses. For instance, the myth in my mind that women were always delicate beings who could not utter rude words in public was shattered. I came across a completely shocking new vocabulary of swear words (thankfully I have not been at the receiving end of any of those, due to the innocent look I can easily conjure up in my face). After several instances of being squeezed like an inanimate being, stamped upon and even leaned on by people much heavier than me, I got used to the experience of travelling by buses, sometimes even on the foot-board which gives the thrills and chills, provided you are the only one on the board.Nowadays I can boldly get into crowded buses and push my way through the crowd and travel with the optimum achievable comfort. It is something that comes through sheer practice which helps develop immunity. Bus travel is an experience that should not be missed during this prime of our youth, as I strongly believe that it makes bold individuals out of us, teaching us that life is not a bed of roses and that our journeys in life are not always smooth ones, but those that actually test us and nourish us with the much-needed experience, both good and bad.
-Shilpa Suresh( III B.E. ECE)
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42 laid a brink in the wall
Ola to our one issue old readers!
Another month gone by. And what a month it has been, right? H1N1, petrifying us (got your N95's?). The economy, continuing on its downward spiral. 2 Indians - Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza, qualifying for the US Open and making it to the second round no less. Giancarlo Fisichella claiming second place for Force India at Belgium, and causing a stir of sorts when he moves to Ferrari for the remainder of the season (an utter betrayal in my opinion, in spite of what Vijay Mallya has to say about letting Fisi off on "compassionate grounds". Though which Italian driver would not want to race for the Prancing Horse, right? But I digress.). And the clincher. More like the shocker. YS Rajasekara Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh found dead in a chopper crash. A natural leader and charismatic administrator, lost (a piece of news which has the conspiracy theorists working on overtime). But, enough sadness for one page. Let us move onto a more "in-sync" (as Quickquotes so aptly put it) topic. Ahem - is social networking, life?
Aah, this is something which a lot of people would go against. Social networking websites like Orkut, Twitter and Facebook (the former for the masses; the centre for the microbloggers, who don't have enough time on their hands yet want to keep updating on their every blink, sneeze and phone conversation to their friends; the latter, a more refined version of the former) have taken the web by storm. Everywhere you go, they're there. Why, I even saw an advertisement for Facebook on our very own Notice Board right next to the Multimedia Lab! No exaggerations here. These "SN" websites (as they are popularly known) have grown on an individual, so much so that teenagers hardly go out to play or do any other sort of extracting work. Myself included, of course. We are a generation that is glued to the computer screens, our eyes becoming as wide as the wallpaper of the NASA image of a planet or as small as the mouse pointer. All we need to have is somebody online on our IM list, just so we can say 'hey, sup, nothing much', and the like. As my dad so kindly told me, "When we were young we used to go out and play cricket man. And you. Cha." (No offence meant to the people who still go out and play cricket of course)
I know guys who get up at 2 A.M, just so they can check their Facebook notifications. And for what? Some person commented on some picture. Couldn't that have waited till a saner hour? Seriously, is this the life you want to lead? I for one would not disrupt a good night's sleep, even if you give me a million dollars. (Well, maybe if you give me a million, but no less :D)
Get a grip. Life is for the living. A lesson which everybody should learn. This does not mean you should not check out our e-zine @ http://www.whatelseels.blogspot.com :P Now that you guys have sunk your teeth into that one, let's dive into the issue. On with the show, and all that jazz. Keep thinking, and do keep reading.
And oh yes, what else?
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Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
And..what else??
This is a caption writing contest. What we require you to do, is to pen down a caption (the caption should extend only upto 10 words) for this picture. Mail in your captions to whatelse.els@gmail.com with the subject being "Caption Writing". Keep mailing to us because the chances of you being the one to grab a prize at the end of the year is higher, then !
Picture courtesy : Al
X word (Volkstein)
Across
2. The original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated. Also, the person having prime responsibility for an obligation
4. A small container used esp. by soldiers and hikers for carrying water or other liquids. Also, a snack bar or small cafeteria, as on a military installation.
8. An ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects.
9. to clear (someone) of blame or a criminal charge
10. Giving sound when struck; resonant
11. Rice with raw fish wrapped in seaweed
12. Energetic devotion to a task or an endeavour; diligence. Also, the commercial production and sale of goods.
Down
1. A sea nymph, according to Greek mythology whose singing lured sailors to destruction on the rocks. Also, a device that gives out a loud wailing sound as a warning or signal
3. A word coined by blending two or more words
5. One who spends money extravagantly or wastefully.
6. Government by a single person having unlimited power; despotism.
7. A discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds.
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Solve the crossword and mail your answers to whatelse.els@gmail.com, with the subject being "Crossword Solution". The person who wins the most number of crosswords at the end of the year will be eligible for winning a surprise gift ! So keep mailing !! The more, the correct-er, the better !!
Burp ! (Phoenix and Bella) - Hotel Vevina
LOCATION: Standard Towers, Avinashi road,Peelamedu. (barely a km from college)
FOOD: What makes this place different from any other? The manager tells us that they actually combine two completely different cuisines (Chinese base with Indian masala) giving Vevina its unique identity. The authentic “Biryani” is what they are known for. You could also do more than just quench your thirst with their exquisite mocktail bar which has a whole lot of weird combinations starting from coke to fruits to masala and what not-all in your drink!! Lastly for all you “health freaks”, this is THE place, because there aren’t any artificial flavors and ajinomoto added.
AMBIENCE: The first thing you would notice when you enter is the ‘IN YOUR FACE’ orange that’s all over the place. It’s blinding! Vevina gives you a semi-fine dining experience. It also has three different menus-the thunder offer menu, the standard menu and the door delivery menu. For entertainment there’s just a TV which is something to take your eyes of the bling orange.
PRICE: Reasonable.
BOTTOM LINE: It’s a pretty decent, fairly new and reasonable hangout joint. So if you need a ‘not so fancy’ place with good wholesome food and not too far, this is the place you should be in!
RATING: 3.5/5
The nth harmonic (Ryan. A. Nash)
Musical compositions, it should be remembered, do not inhabit certain countries, certain museums, like paintings and statues. The Mozart Quintet is not shut up in Salzburg: I have it in my pocket. – Henri Ribaud.
______ is a column dedicated to the delight that is music. In this small box on this page, we’ll attempt to explore the various genres there are; numerous artists and their songs, the notes that make your head nod in rhythm or your feet tap involuntarily. Here we go, From the top!
This time round let’s talk about 5 artists who can be called the greatest exponents of their genre.
1. Elvis Presley : “The King” Elvis, the pelvis, Presley immortalized Rock n’ Roll in the years he was active from 1954 – 1977. His music was so iconic that he has the dubious distinction of being the victim of most impersonations by other people.
Writer’s picks: A little less conversation, Jailhouse rock, Suspicious minds.
2. The Beatles : I don’t need to tell you twice about the Beatles, probably the most famous Rock and Pop band from Liverpool, England, whose iconic members were John Lennon , Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, Lennon, when asked, how he thought he’d die, stated "I'll probably be popped off by some loony.". In 1980, that’s exactly what happened, to the shock millions of fans.
Writer’s picks: Yesterday, I wanna hold your hand, Help!
3. Pink Floyd: They shot to fame with “Another Brick in the wall” a best seller from their very first album. From then, it’s been a one-way street as far as Pink Floyd and progressive rock is concerned.
Writer’s picks: Another Brick in the Wall, Comfortably numb, Hey you.
4. Black Sabbath : A little less popular than the above, but nevertheless brilliant, are Black Sabbath, the pioneers of Metal, the genre of music which first explored the tritone, which was considered as the note of the devil. Metal, which has the most sub-genres now, started off with Black Sabbath.
Writer’s picks: Black Sabbath, Evil Woman, War pigs.
5. Michael Jackson: You didn’t think we’d leave him out did you? Michael Jackson is rightly dubbed “The King of Pop”. The fact that his album “Thriller” still holds the record for most copies sold worldwide bears testimony to this. RIP, MJ.
Writer’s picks: Thriller, Beat it, Heal the world (to name a few)
We leave you with these, for now. And remember what T.S.Elliot once quoted, “You are the music while the music lasts”.
The projector and the popcorn (42) - The Pursuit of Happyness
I watched The Pursuit of Happyness for the umpteenth time a few nights ago. It was the first time for dad though. He cried.
I love this movie. It's one of the most honest films I've seen. Will Smith has portrayed the character with such conviction that it seems like he IS Chris Gardner. You feel for him throughout. You laugh with him. You cry with him. This movie really makes you want to get out there and do something worthwhile. The life lessons that Gardner teaches his son (Will Smith's own son, Jaden Smith, is unbelievable as Christopher) should really be put into practice in all of our own.
” Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period. “
The story of how a guy who sells bone density scanners for a living gets an internship at a stock brokerage and emerges top of his class to become a broker, setting up his own firm in 6 years and selling it in a multimillion dollar deal 25 years later is something that everybody should wonder at. This was a guy who loses his wife who moves on to something better because she does not believe in him; gets evicted because he can't pay rent; moves into a motel and gets kicked out because he can't pay the bill; spends a night in the bathroom in the subway; spends a night in jail and attends his interview for the internship without a shirt; which leads to my most favorite dialogue in the movie -
Mr. Frohm: What would you say Chris, if a guy walks into the interviewer's office without a shirt? What would you say if the interviewer gave the guy the job?
Chris Gardner: I got to say sir, he must have been wearing some really nice pants.
It's a perfect father-son movie, let me tell you. The relationship Chris shares with his son Christopher is something to be admired and lauded. The part where Christopher touches his dad's face and says, "You're a good papa" underlines this point. The last scene, where they say knock-knock jokes to each other, is especially touching.
This movie is about determination. It's about the will to succeed . It's about the underdog. It's about how a guy can overcome all odds and go on to be somebody, just because he knew he had it in himself. It's about belief - belief that you can do something with your life; belief that you can prove your detractors wrong; belief that you can make it on your own.
Chris Gardner says “Thomas Jefferson mentions the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was right. Happiness is something which one can only pursue, and can never acquire. “ Happiness isn't meant to be got. It's like you reach out to grab something and yet it's not there anymore. People have their own goals, their own definitions of happiness. But once you get there, what then? Does that mean you can never be happy again? Does that mean you can stay happy forever? Happiness is a myth. There's nobody in the world who can ever be truly happy, unless you achieve what you want
Which is why, in my opinion, you should set short term goals. Once you reach them, you are one step closer to becoming happy. You move on to your next goal. And so on and so forth. After which, once you reach your long-term goal, there you have it. THAT's when you are truly happy.
I love this movie and I love cinema. The beauty of it is that you get to think things over and come to conclusions after the movie's done. I decided upon a few from this one, and you?
Going by the book (42) - Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
Let me start off by saying that it took me an age to figure out what book I should critique for this magazine. I finally managed to hit upon the right one. The One, I should say. (Credit to my friend who helped me choose the book)
So, what's this book all about you ask? Well, it's basically a chronicle of life lessons, a dying sociologist Morrie Schwartz gives his students, one of them in particular, the author Mitch Albom, who wrote this book in 1997.
Why is this book so good? There's no one or two reasons. It just is. It's one of the few books that can give you an immensely feel-good sensation right after you put it down. [Not to take anything away from the fact that Morrie is dying (no, this is not a spoiler, the author mentions it head-on)]. It teaches you valuable life lessons, and you really have to sit back and appreciate the thought process that has gone into writing such a book. It doesn't use impossible-to-understand words, no, rather it's a book about stuff which most of us would have known but not thought about. It welcomes the reader with arms wide open and coerces him into a period of introspection, which he will ultimately benefit a great deal from.
There are quite a few themes dealt with in this book. Acceptance, communication, love, values, openness, and happiness. Morrie describes to the author the importance of forging your own culture. "Be your own man", he says, which, frankly speaking, most of us don't want to be. As the DoCoMo advertisement goes, why follow the herd when you can "do the new". Unfortunately, that just doesn't happen. He also describes how he detaches himself from experience, which allows him to experience life more fully. He says that he fears death, yes, but once you know that you are dying, acceptance becomes inevitable.
Morrie Schwartz was a man to admire. He makes you think about various aspects, the various stages of life. Birth, school, college, university, work, marriage, children, and the end. It's a routine which most of us follow, and very few of us want to break away from. Why would you break away from something which has been already set in stone, right? Morrie teaches us to accept life as it comes, with a pinch of salt, and be what you want to be. Because at the end of it all, it's the happiness quotient that matters. If you aren't happy doing what you're doing, don't do it.
Tuesdays with Morrie was an amazing read for me. I dare say it will be the same for you.
R.I.P., Prof. Morrie Schwartz.
Celebrating Coimbatore (Quickquotes)
I remember sitting in the ELS interview, scratching my head and trying to find the answer to the question that this quizzer-senior-ex-ELS member (who subsequently became a good friend) had asked me – How did Coimbatore get its name? There was a smug expression on his face and being the interviewer, he had the power to utter those golden words – ‘YOU will get into the club, only if you answer this question’ (Trust me, many such questions will be tagged with the golden sentence, during the course of these interviews, that at the end of the interview, one ends up getting too used to gold, that one wants to listen to the platinum sentence). Being the hard-core-Coimbatore-lover that I am, I rebuked myself severely for having scratched my head a little too much that evening and for grinning wide to admit that I did not know the answer (And I got into the club, without answering this question, yes).
Coimbatore (a.k.a Kovai) was once a dense forest and amidst all those trees, it managed to house a small tribal group called the Irulas, who gradually started refurbishing the land. The Irula tribe was led by King Kovan and he christened his land ‘Kovanpudur’ (no, not Kovaipudur). The Kovan and the Pudur elements of the word became diluted and due to the British influence, the land came to be known as ‘Coimbatore’. During the period of the Cheras, Coimbatore was known as ‘Veera Kerala Nallur’ and it was also known as ‘Koniamanpudur’, because of the presence of the Koniamman temple. Doesn’t this make you want to go “What’s in a name?”
Coimbatore has been gracious enough to put up with me for 20 odd years and during this period of time, I have managed to befriend the city and lead a symbiotic relationship with it. This city has never been ‘the third largest city in South India’ or ‘the Manchester of South India’ for me. It has been the unfussy and simple city that lets you lead a much uncomplicated life (According to me, a city is very VERY important in determining the life that you lead). Coimbatore has faces to it, unlike a couple of cities that wear masks. While many metropolitan cities pant vehemently, this city takes some time out to breathe meditatively.
The tree laden curvaceous roads of Race course, the crowded bus stand in Ukkadam, the lustrous cross cut road, throbbing with the dynamic pulse that can so rarely be found in other parts of this city, the amiable Saibaba colony, the parallel silver-tongued Avinashi and Trichy roads, the harmonious lanes of Vadavalli furnish the city with naiveté, that can seldom be found in any other metropolitan city.
Through this column, I will attempt to capture scents (like that of Annapoorna’s mouthwatering sambar), sights (like that of neatly cut Krishna Sweets’ Mysore Pak, arranged homogeneously in a tray) and sounds (like that of the noisy crowd in Kannan departmental store, on a Saturday or a Sunday evening) of Coimbatore. Because they make me want to Celebrate Coimbatore !
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