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Showing posts from 2008

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Talks Tough

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has definitely been on all the TV channels and news headlines as his visit came right on time when Pakistan has alleged that Indian air force violated its airspace. Of course, India has denied this. What interested me more was that Gordon Brown asked India's permission to allow British cops to question Kasav, the main suspect and Pakistani terrorist who survived the Mumbai militant attack. Somehow, it struck me that the request has nothing to do with the Mumbai attack. After all, there is so much to read between the lines when the talks are about terrorism. Every country seems to be talking a different language on this, particularly Pakistan. It is not just India that has blamed the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the siege and assault that took place in Mumbai but Kasav himself confessed that he had been trained by LeT. Perhaps the reason why Gordon Brown made the request for British cops to question Kasav has nothing to do with India at all but has e

Mumbai Attack Shocks the World

The whole world was shocked by the ruthless terrorist attacks on Mumbai's premier hotels, Taj and Trident. What shocked me as an Indian is that the so called Indian government failed to take adequate action, apart from the PM's robotic speeches and other politicians frothing with dignifed verbal gymnastics. Meanwhile, cops, encounter specialists, hotel staff, police constables and top army officials put their lives and famillies at risk to save hundreds of Indians and several foreigners who were trapped in the hotels. I totally agree with an angry Shobha De who lost her temper about our politicians and their ridiculous speeches to stay calm and peaceful when the city of Mumbai was under siege for over 30 hours. It is sickening that our President (by the way, who is the president of this country-do we have some one in charge???) was touring some foreign nation and was gracious enough to send a few lines expressing her sadness about the situation. What is happening to this count

Big Love on HBO

Nowadays, I've got hooked on to HBO's Big Love series. It's not just about a man who has multiple wives, a secret wish that most Indian men are likely to entertain though outwardly they would be too chivalrous to admit so. Well, coming back to Big Love, it is about a polygamist group, which is banned in the US, and how they live under the fear about the society which we all know will not take kindly to such an arrangement in civilized society. The main lead features is played by Bill Paxton. As Bill Henrickson, he plays the role of a successful professional based in Utah, to perfection. Always well dressed, well behaved and a decent family man who loves each of his wives, he is the epitome of a fine gentleman. In Big Love, he runs a successful chain of hardware stores called Home Plus and his home is amidst 3 different wives who live like siblings but in three different homes. All the three homes have one unifying backyard. The first wife is played perfectly by Jeanne Tripp

Fruity Thoughts

There are few things that are as colorful, rich and staggering in experience like fruits. There are so many beautiful fruits in this world that I cant help thinking, "What an artist the Creator is!" and maybe this sounds ridiculous, but organic food is a strict no-no for me right now. I dont buy it at all. Okay, getting back to fruits, I have always loved lemon, orange and strawberries. Right from the time I was a kid, those were my favorites. In Zambia, we had a beautiful home that was once owned by a devastatingly handsome Egyptian guy and he had maintained a sprawling garden where later my mother grew vegetables on the back portion of the house, lawns and dahlias on the front driveway and we had lots of mulberry trees from which I used to pick ripe, juicy berries and just eat them fresh. It's still a memory that is so rich in my mind. In our garden, we had a rather thorny looking flower clusters that if you touched the red bud flower, you would end up cr

My Sweet Cravings

Every one knows I go weak over yummy cakes, chocolate sundaes and desserts, not kheer or any other Indian dessert. Strawberries and cream....hmmm, totally yummy, dont you think? Chocolate flavor isnt far behind.....there's nothing that perks me up the way chocolate does. You know, the novel "Chocolat" was a sensational experience coz of the amazing, delectable descriptions of chocolate that the author gave, it was moutwatering, literally. But the movie was so dissappointing and colorless in comparison. Call me a chocoholic, whatever, but I totally get the point when my two year old son Jyotiraditya yells out, "Amma, Choca" coz i know exactly what he means.

Lisey's Story

Though i have read many books of different writers especially books by Stephen King, his novel 'Lisey's Story' fascinated me in a strange way. For once, Stephen King author defied my imagination as I couldnt visualize where the story plot is headed to yet every page posed a challenge and my curiosity as a reader made me want to make sense of the strangest terms that are used as intimate expressions of language such as 'blood bool' and 'babyluv' and many more. Writing books seemed to come naturally to the author. In this novel, two hidden worlds are explored, one is the private life of a recently assassinated best-selling writer, as seen from the perspective of his widow. The second relates to imaginative landscape that is part of the reality the writer is believed to have experienced in his childhood and related it to his wife,Lisey. Lisey is hounded after his death not just by memories but by academics, dangerously obsessed fans, and fame-struck people who

Mithya Unveiled!

Last weekend, I hopped in to watch Rajat Kapoor's movie, Mithya. The cinema hall seemed virtually empty but that didnt deter me. I was told the movie is a rare type to watch. I decided that yes, it is good to watch a different movie once in a while. This thriller was like a rollercoaster ride. Till the end, I had no clue about the twists and turns although something about the way the movie portrayed the characters failed to touch my understanding. The characters seemed lost in the sobering, uninspiring screenplay and the often quoted crass jokes that peppered every body's mood once and again. VK, the protagonist is played by Ranvir Sheorey, who is definitely not my favorite by any means but he convincingly plays the role of an ambitious, aspiring Bollywood extra who likes to rehearse Hamlet using his bedspread as a cloak. His dream is to eventually become a hero in a Bollywood movie but his life is suddenly changed when he gets caught amidst two mob gangsters internal war, shoo