Short Movie "Dawn"

Watch the movie @ the following link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNOxpuvJLRs

Send in your comments... Thank you!!!

My new OTHER blog

My New Blog is now Live!!!!

http://www.smileyreviews.blogspot.com

For all the latest reviews, head on to my new blog... For everything else under the sun, you are at the right location @

http://www.smileysays.blogspot.com

Sports Update: Jose Mourinho leaves Chelsea!!!!

Jose Mourinho, one of the most arrogant and successful coaches in football history, quit Chelsea FC on Sep 20 2007 in a way only he can-controversially. Though his on and off the field antics have attracted much criticism, the fact that he was able to achieve so much success made him one of the most sought after coaches in the world. Mourinho leaving Chelsea was expected after his long standing feud with Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, thereby robbing English football of one of its colourful people.

Being an Arsenal fan myself, I should be happy at Mourinho’s exit but i am sad for I enjoyed the competition he threw at the English league. England’s loss will be someone’s gain.

All the best Jose!

SWIM Event @ Great Lakes

It may be true that men are from Mars and women are from Venus but August 25th 2007 was all about bringing both sexes down to the same planet. The SWIM (Successful Women in Management) event, an inspiring initiative by the Great Lakes Institute of Management showcased the need for equality between men and women. The support of our Hon. Dean Uncle Bala and an enthusiastic SWIM team ensured that the show was more than a huge success.

For more about the event, visit:

www.greatlaker.wordpress.com

Sangamithra July 28 2007 @ MGM

Sangamithra happened on Saturday 28th July 2007 @ MGM Resort on East Coast Road, Chennai. A lush green, open aired area played the host to the event. With clouds looming there was a chance that rain may play spoilsport but thankfully they stayed away until after the event.
Nalli was the main sponsor for the event. A stunning backdrop was prepared for the stage. The backdrop had photographs of all the 165 Jaycees along with photos of Uncle Bala, Prof Sriram and all other senior faculty members.

The Chief guest for the evening was PadmaShri Shri. Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti.

The event kicked off at 6pm with music from the Great Lakes Band. They managed to keep the audience engrossed with foot-tapping Hindi and English numbers. Then we had a small video about Life @ Great Lakes which was shown to the audience. Prof Sriram then welcomed the gathering. Uncle Bala then spoke and as usual we were enthralled to hear him. Our Chief Guest then spoke on his experiences with Uncle Bala and Great Lakes. Prof Murthy then provided the vote of thanks.

The festivities of the evening resumed with the first of many dances. Archana and group provided an enthralling display of contemporary fusion including Classical Dance and Kalaripayattu for the song "Taye Yashoda". Then we had a totally fun filled dance by Arunachalam and Group for the song "Saroja". It was a totally fast paced number and had the audience dancing with them. Then Sudhir, Vaibhaw and Rashmi provided a dance which was quite well done. What made this dance even better was that Vaibhaw and Sudhir both had broken hands to worry about.

Then cameth the skit. A 20 minute performance titled "Munnabhai MBA" had the audience rolling in laughter. Brilliant performances and amazing voice overs were the hallmark of the skit. The directors Sunil, Suraj and Dharmesh deserved the huge applause that they got. Abhishek Rai then got into the groove with some awesome mimicry performances.

Rashmi Bhat then gave a solo performance which was simply superb. Ankur and Naveen danced their hearts out to a Bhangra number which then was followed by a medley. Three dances back to back.

Finally came the dance that everyone wanted to see. Arunachalam and Sudha with a Michael Jackson Medley truly capped an amazing night for all.

A big kudos to the events team and all the people who made it possible.

Mozhi (Tamil) Movie Review

Mozhi (Language) is a movie that is quite brilliantly made. The movie deals with the psyche of deaf and dumb people as well as the people around them who wish to make a difference.

Jothika portrays the role of a deaf and dumb girl who wishes to make it on her own and who doesn’t want any help from anyone, especially men. This is due to the fact that she was traumatized by the past reactions of her father to her impairments. Prithviraj plays the role of a music composer who wishes to woo her. Prakash Raj and Swarnamalya complete the core four of the movie. How the hero and his friends manage to change Jothika attitude forms the rest of the story.

Though happy endings are the order of the day and this movie is no different, it still manages to take you on a roller coaster ride until the Grand Finale. All characters from the apartment secretary to the professor stuck in a time warp to Prakash Raj’s antics manage to keep the audience enthralled from start to finish. The music is good and creates all the right moods.

Overall a great movie. A definite must watch.

Plus: Story, Music, Cast, Comedy, Prakash Raj
Minus: Not much really.

The ICC Cricket World cup West Indies 2007- A Review

The cricket world cup 2007 was the most talked about cricketing world cup for a lot of weird
reasons.

The bad side of the cup

A farcical joke of an ending to what might have been the most closely contested world cup
final in the last decade.

The murder of Bob Woolmer, South African coach of Pakistan (till date there is no news of
the murderer)

The shock elimination of India and Pakistan in the first round at the hands of Bangladesh
and Ireland respectively cost the WC a lot of its sheen, both commercially and talent wise.

Bangladesh would subsequently beat South Africa as well before succumbing to the Irish.

Matches played out to near empty stands or to hordes of school children. The prices of the
tickets and the ban of instruments were not taken well in the Caribbean.

The length of the tournament and subsequent cases of boredom faced by the players and the
public alike.

The retirements of many players from cricket including Brian Lara, Inzamam ul Haq, Glenn
Mcgrath, Sanath Jayasuriya will rob the game of charm in the future etc

The staying behind and non-retirements of players like Sachin Tendulkar etc

So what happened? Why? These are questions for which we have to wait for answers for. Heads
will surely roll a long way.

The good side of the cup

Australia Winning the third successive WC, while Sri Lanka ensued that there was an asian
finalist for every world cup since 1992.

Upset wins by Bangaldesh and Ireland

Some classic moments like Malinga's 4 wickets in 4 balls against South Africa, Gibbs' six sixes in an over against the Netherlands etc

Overall a disappointingly long world cup with plenty of meaningless matches.

Weather Update

Bangalore was hot but cooled down a bit after some evening drizzles.
Chennai is hotter and i sweat under the fan...

Restaurant Review # 5

Today's Restaurant: The Green Hotel (aka Green’s aka Chittaranjan Palace)
Location: Hunsur Road, Mysore, India
Style: Indian

The erstwhile Chittaranjan Palace, built for Mysore's princesses, has been lovingly restored as a small hotel. In extensive gardens, with formal lawns and shaded pergolas, and fringed by majestic trees, the hotel is an oasis of calm. It offers comfortable surroundings, friendly staff and a restful open air atmosphere. Each table is lit by candles only and is quite a refreshing change.

The food in “The Green Hotel” is quite delicious and provides a wide variety for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food lovers.
The soups are decent while the starters are quite tasty and filling. The main course offers a variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian delicacies which tickle your taste buds. The desserts are not too great and may be given a miss but the paan-wallah near the parking lot makes sure you have had a delicious evening.

Downsides: Dishes take a little long to serve so order your main course while you start wolfing down your starters to avoid waiting too much.

Overall a good meal and a good time is guaranteed.

Avg. Cost for 2: Around 500/- INR

Rating: Locale: 7/10
Ambience: 9/10
Service: 7.5/10
Food Quality: 8/10
Food Quantity: 8/10
Vegetarian Variety: 7.5/10
Non-Vegetarian Variety: 8.5/10
Value for Money: 7.5/10
Menu Card: 7/10
Recall value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 8/10

Question???

Why is it so difficult to understand someone at times???
Are expectations always too high?
Why do we feel bad?
Why do we feel lost?
Is it really difficult to reason without getting emotional?

The Train: Story No. 1

The following is an attempt by the author ( me :) ) to create three different stories with the same beginning and different endings. Hope you like them. Bouquets and brickbats welcome!!!
Enjoy reading :)

The First Story

It was a dark night, not one of those nights which had the moon and the stars. It was just plain dark. You would probably not be able to even see your hand in front of you in the darkness. “Power Cut!” I heard someone say in the darkness. Well here I was all alone in the dark night on platform No. 2 at the train station. A chilling breeze blew across from the railway tracks and made me shudder all over. I dropped my bag.

As I bent over to pick it up, the lights came on and I saw the train in the tracks in front of the platform. “Now how could that be! I didn’t even hear the train come by.” I picked up my bag and peered into the train. It was empty. I looked around and saw no one. Suddenly I had a feeling that I was in some cooky B-grade horror movie. I pinched myself hard and left a mark that lasted three days. Ow!!!!

“Ok, now is not a time to think of movies. Just find your coach and get in” and so with this thought I bravely stepped into the coach. I walked ahead, found my seat and sat down. The lights flickered. I turned off the ceiling fan and heard its slow whirrrrrrr.

Suddenly I heard footsteps and looked towards the aisle. It was a fellow passenger carrying his suitcase to his seat. I heaved a sigh of relief. Other people! Slowly and steadily more passengers trickled in and I did not feel scared anymore. An old man sat across me. He kept looking at me. I turned my head away. Suddenly I felt something brush against my leg and jumped. No scream would leave my mouth on this fateful day. I looked down in shock and saw a little black cat. Feeling really stupid, I sat down again and grinned sheepishly at the old man. He grinned back. Suddenly he didn’t seem to be very dangerous. We got chatting as the train slowly moved out of the station.

He was a rich guy, (I have always fancied rich guys, the money, and the power) and he told me that I was a very pretty young lady. I blushed and thanked him. He began cracking a few jokes which were actually very funny. As we laughed, I noticed his teeth more closely and felt my heart sink like a ten ton brick in the ocean. He had four gold teeth and four silver. That’s right! Four gold and four silver. Only one person did I ever know who had them, Boss S.

Boss S, after all these years, had come back for me. I watched in horror as he pulled out a knife from his jacket and looked at me. Those eyes, those teeth. I was hypnotized. A single word “Sorry” escaped my lips. I do not remember much after wards except for the fact that when the police and the ambulance found me, my legs were in my hands, blood all over my dress. An ear and three fingers were found gift wrapped near me.

The cops said that this was the most gruesome thing that they had ever seen and the doc was surprised that I was still alive. I looked like a mummy in the hospital bed. A feeling of guilt swept over me. Why did I do it? Greed, perhaps?

Ten Years in the past, would have found me to be the fiancée of Boss S. He was a brilliant underworld don who was able to escape from everyone for a long time. He had just beaten his rivals to Q’s box of diamonds. We were rich beyond expectation. Boss S promised me one fourth of the diamonds and I was overjoyed. But soon this joy would turn everything around. Four days later I was approached by three cops. They told me that the diamonds weren’t important, Boss S was. And so a deal was finalized, half the diamonds would be mine if I led them to his hideout and another one-fourth of the diamonds would be mine if I testified against him in court. Imagine 75% of Q’s diamonds!!! My eyes lit up, I guess the cops could see it as well. After all, diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

I did all that the cops asked me to. The greed and the lust for the diamonds were far more valuable than the love for Boss S. After all what is love, but power and money. Boss S was sentenced to life and death. It was a very unique punishment. He would serve his life sentence and then be put to death. I was relieved. I was safe, he was out of my life and I had the diamonds. It was a perfect dream.

“But dreams have a horrible way of going wrong when you aren’t looking. – Max Payne”

Last week I read a newspaper article which mentioned that Boss S had escaped. I was terrified. I decided to settle everything and flee. This brought me to the train station where unfortunately he found me.

And now here I lay in bed, never to venture out into the open again. He had his revenge and I had paid my price!!! After all, greed is a sin and all those who have sinned must be punished…

The Train: Story No. 2

The Second Story

It was a dark night, not one of those nights which had the moon and the stars. It was just plain dark. You would probably not be able to even see your hand in front of you in the darkness. “Power Cut!” I heard someone say in the darkness. Well here I was all alone in the dark night on platform No. 2 at the train station. A chilling breeze blew across from the railway tracks and made me shudder all over. I dropped my bag.

As I bent over to pick it up, the lights came on and I saw the train in the tracks in front of the platform. “Now how could that be? I didn’t even hear the train come by.” I picked up my bag and peered into the train. It was empty. I looked around and saw no one. Suddenly I had a feeling that I was in some cooky B-grade horror movie. I pinched myself hard and left a mark that lasted three days. Ow!!!!

“Ok, now is not a time to think of movies. Just find your coach and get in” and so with this thought I bravely stepped into the coach. I walked ahead, found my seat and sat down. The lights flickered. I turned off the ceiling fan and heard its slow whirrrrrrr.

There he was, sitting right opposite me. He had asked me to accompany him on this journey. It was a little awkward. Here I was, a young lady, with a person whom I have known only for about three months. So why am I doing this? Because he told me that he had something really important to tell me. I am surprised though by the fact that I did agree to meet up and travel with him. Very surprising! But what was more intriguing was the discussion!!!!! What was it that he had to tell me so urgently? What could it be? All week long he sent me little clues and teasers but they were all too vague. Just when I thought that I had finally cracked the puzzle, he sent me a clue that totally took me off guard. He asked me if I was comfy and I replied back saying that I was. I asked him what he wanted to tell me and he told me to wait until the train began to move. The next five minutes felt like five hours. The train then slowly started chugging out of the station. I started pestering him again, “Tell me, tell me tell me.” But all that he would say was “Be patient.”

He then pulled out his earphones and told me to listen through them. I listened and giggled. He was talking to me in the recorded message. He told me how difficult it had been to keep the “secret” for so long. Then out of nowhere the message said that to know the secret, I should ask him :(
How the ***$%^&%$#? I was both amused and irritated. How could he still keep up the surprise? Then I asked him. He got up from his seat and sat beside me, looked into my eyes and said “I Love you”.

And there I was, shocked and surprised and happy and overjoyed. Too many emotions in one instance. I looked at him and tears started rolling down my cheeks. It had been a while since I had tears of joy. He looked at me concerned and asked if everything was alright. I said yes and that I was really happy. I got up and gave him a huge hug. The horn of the train ensured that only he heard my response and no one else.

The Train: Story No. 3

The Third Story

It was a dark night, not one of those nights which had the moon and the stars. It was just plain dark. You would probably not be able to even see your hand in front of you in the darkness. “Power Cut!” I heard someone say in the darkness. Well here I was all alone in the dark night on platform No. 2 at the train station. A chilling breeze blew across from the railway tracks and made me shudder all over. I dropped my bag.

As I bent over to pick it up, the lights came on and I saw the train in the tracks in front of the platform. “Now how could that be? I didn’t even hear the train come by.” I picked up my bag and peered into the train. It was empty. I looked around and saw no one. Suddenly I had a feeling that I was in some cooky B-grade horror movie. I pinched myself hard and left a mark that lasted three days. Ow!!!!

“Ok, now is not a time to think of movies. Just find your coach and get in” and so with this thought I bravely stepped into the coach. I walked ahead, found my seat and sat down. The lights flickered. I turned off the ceiling fan and heard its slow whirrrrrrr.

I felt suffocated in the coach and so I opened the window to let in the breeze. The train began to fill up with people. I was happy, atleast I wouldn’t be the only person in this train. Soon enough, there were so many people, I felt the need to be alone.

The coach was packed… The train, still, wouldn’t move. Fifteen hot, sweaty minutes later (it felt like two hours), the train began chugging slowly out of the station. As the train began to pick up speed, a cool breeze wafted in. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. I guess the relief was too much for someone who decided to pass wind very loudly.

*PPPPPRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPP*

Instinctively everyone reached for their noses. I wish that was all, but it was just the beginning of the end. I guess everyone who got wind of the action decided to contribute in their own way. What followed was devastating. There weren’t enough windows in the whole train. It was an hour before everyone decided to call it quits. Some too tired and some too disgusted to continue anymore. Us neutrals heaved a sigh of relief and then choked on the disgusting odours. Now I know what it means to survive a biological warfare battle.

The next fifteen minutes were spent in silence. Suddenly I had the extreme urge to relieve myself. I got up from my seat and swam through the sea of humanity to reach the end and possible salvation. When I reached the end of the coach, I felt a sinking feeling envelop me. There was a long queue to use the restrooms. I couldn’t hold it in for too long. This would take me at least thirty minutes to get to my turn. Will I be able to hold it in for that long?

10 Minutes later:
It seemed like an hour. I could not hold it in any longer. Suddenly the train seemed to be slowing down. The train stopped and was waiting for a signal to move on. Suddenly everyone standing in front of me got down from the train and went their respective ways through the paths in the fields. I was shocked. The path between me and salvation was as clear as a lake in the mountains. The relief was so immense that I felt a warm liquid running down my leg. So close and this is what I ended up doing!!!

With a sheepish grin, I looked up at the guy who had just walked in. He couldn’t control his laughter. I tried to clean myself and walked back to my seat. My fellow passengers took one look at me and lost control. It was as though the whole coach erupted in laughter. My embarrassment knew no bounds. Sheepishly I pulled out a grin and hoped that the earth would swallow me up.

In fifteen minutes, the train pulled up to my station. As I was about to get off, my fellow passengers thanked me for the best laugh they have had in years. What could I say!!! :)

R I P Leon

Leon Ireland, lead singer of the popular Indian Rock band "Moksha" passed away during the wee hours of Monday (18th Dec 2006).

It was one of the biggest losses to Music itself.
Leon was a great person and a brilliant performer. He will sorely be missed.
Only angels will now rejoice, listening to his amazing voice.

RIP Leon. The void you leave behind cannot be filled.

The Horse and I

Disclaimer: The following is a true incident. Any similarities to any form of fiction are purely coincidental.

Time: 1830 Hrs
It was a dark Wednesday night as I rode back home from work. There I was, on my bike riding, humming a tune from a Metallica song. The streetlights were off. I guess the electricity guy must have forgotten to switch them on. He must be sitting in some roadside bar drinking his fill with illicit liquor. Poor government guy: wasting his life and earnings. As I continued on the road, I overtook a car. Then a minute later, as I went over a tiny speedbreaker, I saw it. Even as I saw by the headlight of my bike, I was trapped in a moment of wonder. There it was, a white horse trotting across the road. For a moment it looked like a fabled unicorn, the mythical beast that was one of my favourites after the dragon.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeech!!!!! Crash!!! Thud!!!! Swoooosssssssshhhhhh!!!!

My moment in mythical grandeur came crashing down like a house of cards tipped over by a kid. The next thing I knew was that I was down on my bike on the side of the road. The unicorn, sorry, the white horse was down on the middle of the road. The dust was beginning to settle down. I got up, it was painful. My right hand and right leg hurt a lot. I looked back at the horse. It got up gingerly and limped off across the road. I somehow managed to start the bike after that and slowly drove back home.

The mirrors were twisted and the front mudguard cracked. I struggled up the stairs and fumbled with the key. Then I got in and dropped my stuff. I slowly got out of my clothes to survey the extent of the damage. Deep bruises in 7-8 places on my right leg and right hand. Not too bad, I thought. Then I thought about the horse, hoped it was alright.

Some Reactions to the incident:
Su: What happened to the horse?
Ni: So did the horse chase you down and kick you? Did the owner sue you?
So: Oh My God!
Da: Why did you go kiss a horse? !!!!!
Many others: Hahahahahahahahah.

See my predicament. :(

Restaurant Review # 4

Today's Restaurant: Aangan
Location: Koramangala, Bangalore, India
Style: Punjabi

Aangan, located in Koramangala, is one of those normal day-to-day restaurants most of us encounter. But what probably separates Aangan from the rest is the fact that the food is not so-so, it’s quite delicious. The quantity of the curries/sabzis is good and filling. But one drawback you would find here is the size of the Rotis etc. They are really small and command a bomb of a price for that size. The place is quite noisy at peak hours. Service is decent though when I asked for a Peas dish I got Butter chicken. :(
The thali was decent although the sabzis in the thali were not very inviting. So I wouldn’t recommend the Vegetarian Thali. Just order a la carte and fill up. :)

Overall, a good decent place for a quick and filling bite.

Avg. Cost for 2: 400/- INR (Meals for 2: 200/- INR)

Rating:Locale: 8/10
Ambience: 6.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Food Quality: 9/10
Food Quantity: 7/10
Vegetarian Variety: 7/10
Non-Vegetarian Variety: 8.5/10
Menu Card: 6/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Recall value: 7/10
Overall Rating: 7/10

A Point to ponder

Do you feel so elated that a feeling of being light just sweeps you away???

Restaurant Review # 3 - The Dhaba

Today's Restaurant: The Dhaba
Location: Outer Ring Road, Near Marathahalli Junction, Bangalore, India
Style: Indian

The Dhaba located on the first floor of Malgudi Restaurant is a very different experience and definitely the place to be. The whole place is setup like a roadside dhaba with tyre tubes hanging outside... The first surprise you will find is on entering the restaurant. The back end of a lorry greets and immediately has you in a smile admiring their ingenuity. Tables and chirs are comfortable and quaint. One table even has the honour of being placed right in front of a lorry. Talk about creativity. This place was simply superb.

And if you thought that was all, wait till you see the menu card. A Lovely menu card created by joined two pieces of blackboard slates which we used to carry in kindergarten. Wow!!!!

Well now was the big question!!! Would be food be this good too??? And you wouldnt be disappointed. The paneer and tava dishes are simply superb and so is the hospitality and service. A huge feeling of satisfaction and heavy stomachs are guaranteed after a trip to the Dhaba. So what are you waiting for???!!!!

Avg. Cost for 2: 450/- INR

Rating:

Locale: 7/10
Ambience: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Food Quality: 8.5/10
Food Quantity: 8/10
Vegetarian Variety: 8/10
Non-Vegetarian Variety: 8/10
Menu Card: 9/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Recall value: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Action of the Day # 7

Be aware of what you speak! For you may hurt the ones you love even without knowing!!!

Action of the Day # 6

Make an effort to make someone smile today... Its the best thing that you can do to anyone...