Monday, August 28, 2006

Vera Drake

“I help young girls out.

How do you do that?
I help them start bleeding again.

Don’t you feel that it is wrong?
No

And for how long have you been doing this?
I don’t remember. A long time.

Around 10, 20 years? 20 years?
[Nods]

Mrs. Vera Drake, do you know it is a severe crime to conduct abortions?
[sobs]

How much were you paid?
No dear, I never took any money. I just helped them.”

This was the main theme and the most moving scene in the highly acclaimed movie (critics), Vera Drake. Her helplessness and fear of seeing her world fall apart as the severity of the crime in the eyes of the law (which has been a noble act on her part) sinks into her is done immensely well.

Based on 1950s England. Vera (Imelda Stuanton) is a middle-aged lady who is really compasionate about others and is often seen humming as she cleans and scrubs as a domestic help in many households. She has a very loving life partner in her husband who is a mechanic and two children and they lead a very modest lifestyle.

She looks after her mom and paralysed neighbour. She also conducts abortions of young girls who could not or does not want to go through legitimate channels by local procedures.

One fine evening as she was partying with her family for her daughter’s engagement, the police march in. One of the girls, whom she had helped had complications and was admitted to the hospital brining law into the picture.

The setting is really subtle and the pace of the movie is slow with the protagonist in almost all the frames.

Not for Pepsi-Cola-drinking, Pop-corn-eating, designer-wear-loving, beautiful-bods-on-screen-liking audience. e.g: KANK [because I haven't watched it, :-) I am making fun of those who did]

The movie changes your mood and gets you involved.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Attention Deficiency Disorder

I feel like writing I am back by popular demand but I don’t want to exhibit the symptoms of Attention Deficiency Disorder though it is itching inside to just say it out. So, by denying it, I am assuming my blog doesn’t suffer from it.

Well, I like challenges, challenges that make me laugh at the other person actually. I was asked to stop blogging by some people because they could not digest what I wrote. Today, I am planning to write a fat-free post but while at it, Mr. ex asked me to blog somewhere else with a different ID. His lady of the moment, reads my blog too. I wanted to say, why don’t you change your name, leave the country or leave the world? I am too hurt you see?

Whoever said, “You shouldn’t date someone who reads your blog”, said it so right. I replied very lovingly ‘Eff off!”. It is still in my Sent folder for sweet memories. Firstly, you dump me and then you tell me what not to do. And please, don’t even talk anything about her. She might be Angelina Jolie to you (which, I know she is not. Don’t be happy simply) but to me, she is a B@#$%. I don’t need to see her. I have already decided.

My dear reader Mungeri, you commented in my last post that I sound pretty dumped. How could you say that? What’s so pretty about being dumped? It was actually miserable.

Now, I had decided that I would be cutting cost in July as I had been traveling a lot in the month of June. I was keeping up my words but truth came marching on my face on the 30th of July. It was a Sunday and there was a SALE at Bangalore Central. I bought two pairs of sandals/slippers, white and blue. Now, I need to buy matching dresses and bags.

I was very angry and pissed with myself that I went back again over the weekend, to shop. The garment I wanted had no discount on it so I bought some more with discounts to cover up my guilt. I had my two-minutes of glory in front of the mirror and I hate SALEs. They are just marketing strategies to trap innocent citizens like me. Next time, I see SALE written on any newspaper, I am not going to use it as toilet paper but I am going to sleep.

Now, there is the India International Salsa Congress happening at Bangalore. I’ll be going with some of my colleagues for the Grand Finale at Leela on 18th. Question is again, what do I wear? We are not those regular party people and I have just one salsa skirt, which I have worn 2 times out of the three parties that I attended. I pity the celebrities when I think about dresses. Imagine the amount of agony they must be going through whenever they have to attend a party.

It has been rainy and on days like this, some of you might be feeling romantic and all that. I feel it too sometimes. Thing is that, today I happen to be concerned about tomatoes. Have you noticed that the price fluctuates between 22 and 5 Rs per kg. because of the rain? (In Bangalore). I even tell my roomy that her mood fluctuates like the price of tomatoes.

Yes, I am blogging from home very soon now that I know I am not shifting out. Airtel said they would take one month to get it done. Went for Tata Indicom. They showed me the cable and the router and wham, they have gone vanishing.
We’ve been calling up the customer care everyday for the past two weeks now with loved-filled adjectives.
Once it gets done, fellow bloggers, every move you make, every breath you take, I’ll be watching you.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Simply cynical

" Will you raise me up, will you help me down?
Will you get me right out of this Godforsaken town?
Will you make it all a little less cold?
Will you hold me sacred?

Will you hold me tight?

Can you colorize my life, I'm so sick of black and white?
Can you make it all a little less old?

Will you make me some magic, with your own two hands?
Can you build an emerald city with these grains of sand?
Can you give me something I can take home?
Will you cater to every fantasy I got?

Will ya hose me down with holy water, if I get too hot?
Will you take me places I've never known?

After a while you'll forget everything
It was a brief interlude and a midsummer night's fling
And you'll say is that it's time to move on

I know the territory, I've been around
It'll all turn to dust and we'll all fall down
And sooner or later, you'll be screwing around. "

This is the part which I like best in the song, "I'd do anything for love"