Petals!

Spanish Movie is a film I enjoyed watching because it is a romantic comedy. For one who likes both romance and comedy, it is a refreshing blend, a brief sojourn into a dream like world. After all, how long can one thrive on the heavy dose of realistic movies? I appreciate them but at the end of a very tough day, I am not sure those are the movies I look forward to. I want to laugh, smile and feel like the heroine instead. This movie does it. But to break it down into specific reasons, here's why I recommend this film: The Director & his Presentation - Lal Jose I never like to miss a Lal Jose film. It always has something to look forward to. I also like his casting. He usually gets it absolutely perfect. Right from the film's trailors, the film had a positive buzz. Also, the fact that the Dileep-Lal Jose duo were coming together after a long time made it something of a visual treat to anticipate. I've always felt that Lal Jose has a distinct style of re...

This delightful book written by Giles Andreae is beautifully illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees and published for three to six year olds. Adi and I love to read "Giraffes can't Dance" almost every day. As you can guess, this story is about  a giraffe called Gerald who dance. So, when he goes to attend the famous Jungle Dance held every year in Africa, he gets teased by all the other animals.  A wise cricket tells Gerald, "Sometimes when you are different, you just need a different song." Moral of the story: It is brave to be different from the others. We all can dance when we find music that we love. What makes this book delightful to read over and over again is its illustrations. It shows rhinos who rock and roll, chimps doing a naughty cha-cha,  lions tangoing, and baboons dancing  a Scottish reel. For kids and grown ups, this book offers refreshing humor and memorable moments. Adi laughs with delight from page to page of this boo...

When I sat down to watch the Malayalam movie 'City of God,'  I expected nothing great. But once the movie began, I was totally glued into the unique way the story is presented, interlinking incidents in the lives of Tamil workers who work and live in the state but whom many Keralites may see as a 'nuisance' than as laborers and how they are caught in the ugly  war between Kochi's real estate mafia and business groups. No doubt, it shocks me that the depiction of life in Kochi has become so violent, brutal and almost adulterous. But the movie represents the changes that have shaken Kochi as a city that is increasingly becoming a hub for the bad, the deadly and the dangerous. A small time Tamil labourer, Swarnavel (starring Indrajith) is in love with Marathakam, a Tamil woman who flees her village to escape from her cruel husband..Indrajith is impressive in bringing to life the Tamil labororer he portrays. His performance is authentic and definitely a fanta...

Traditions are something that I love but not in a conventional sense. I treasure those little rituals that are passed down from generation to generation. It brings  a sense of unity and closeness in the family. These family traditions revive memories that fill your heart with happiness and love. My sister and I didn't have the luxurious kind of upbringing that many kids had at the time. Looking back, I am so glad we didn't have luxuries because it helped us to stay sensible and grounded. The family traditions we had were very simple but they helped in defining my values as a person. What I remember is that we had tremendous love and closeness which still remains, with God's love and grace.  Here are some family traditions that I have brought into mine. These come from those special moments that my parents created for my sister and I while we were growing up. 1. Reading a bedtime story every night Unlike myself, my parents never ever gave me a feeling that they ha...

2011 is an unforgettableyear in my life . It tossed up challenges that I’d never had to face before in my whole life. It was like making tea, custard toast, chicken do pyaza and packing rotis with sabji but never getting a whiff or taste of any of it till the end of the day coz one’s got two hands and both hands were doing kitchen chores and endless tasks. Got the drift? Well, perhaps it was inevitable that some of the bread got roasted instead of toasted. It was also inevitable that the year roasted and grilled a few friendships too.  No, honestly, I’d give my best to all relationships but sometimes things don’t work out because, well, birds of a feather tend to flock together. So, I guess plain pigeons don’t really stick with the eagles. Know what I am saying? And don’t place bets on whether I’m a pigeon or an eagle.  So, between flying low and keeping close to home as well as juggling lots of work, it happens that I had to prioritize my peace of mind over everyth...