Sunday, November 28, 2010

And it happened!

"I hope the Pacific is as blue as I have always seen in my dreams." ~ Shawshank Redemption.

With the ceiling fan as a constant companion from the past 17 days, this ending line from Shawshank Redemption seems to make a lot of sense.

I had registered for the midnight marathon, Bangalore and started practicing. Was planning to take tips from Shubs. I had also given my name to participate in the cultural event of our company's anniversary. It started like any other working day. The colleague with whom we carpool had to fly to Delhi for a conference. So, the remaining two of us decided to go in a bike. i was pillion riding and suddenly, we were thrown out of the bike. i have never got up from the time i hit the ground.
My colleague who was riding, suffered a fracture in her hand and stitches on her head. She had to undergo surgery on her hand, while i fractured my ankle and pelvic bone and I am bedridden. A gentleman called Vishwanathan from Infosys helped me reach the hospital and contacted my husband. He carried me physically from the auto as there was no stretcher in the nursing home that I was first admitted to. God bless him! On the other hand, my mobile phone got stolen from the accident site as my bag was left behind in the confusion. My laptop and purse were safe as another gentleman managed to save it from the people who were taking it away and handed it to my office. I choose to believe in the goodness of strangers and ignore those selfish morons who tried to steal even when two women were lying helpless with blood.

Well, such is life. It comes with a plan of its own. S was to fly to the US in two days time. He had to cancel it. I had the marathon, the salsa dance, the product release and what not. Now, my only plan is to walk again.

Time stopped for me on November 11th. The days just bled into each other with no major change. Only thing that seemed to change was the table calendar. The pain was excruciating as I could not even turn to my left or the right. But then, my old and retired parents flew in. The brother and wife came from Tamil Nadu and the husband took care of me night and day and  I am trying my best for them.

Like a child I have to relearn everything. To sit up, to turn, to lie on my stomach, to walk again.

On a lighter note, S is living his marriage vows and he is doing pretty well and not making me become a weapon of mass destruction by washing and giving me sponge baths. I'd be too embarrassed if I had died as nobody hit us. The front tyre of the Scooty punctured. There is a window in my bedroom, but i cannot sit up and look outside as of now. So, i am keeping tab of the ceiling fan and i say sweetly,"honey, the fan needs cleaning." :-)

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

movies, serials and some such

I boasted about watching movies every other day, and then I could not watch any for over a month. Tsk tsk, not doing it again. However, I finished all seasons of the series, Lost. I am a few years late, but I made up for it in 2 months straight, sometimes watching the whole day and night too :-)

My favourite series is still The Big Bang Theory.

Coming back to the movies, watched this German movie, Das Experiment . Based on the Stanford Prison Experiment, it was gripping. It could be sickening to some people. About 20 people are hired for 2 weeks and kept in a mock prison. Some of them are made to act as prisoners and some of them as prison guards. They are asked not to resort to violence and given the option to opt out any time, by surrendering their payment. A scribe and a pilot enrolls and the movie is about the turn of events.

Also, loved Music of the Heart starring Meryl Streep. Based on a true story, it is about a music teacher, a single mom at that and her struggle to teach the violin to inner city Harlem kids. There were many touching scenes. If it was in Hindi, I am sure it would have flopped. There was a scene where she tries to get a grip of her life. She fires the electrician and all the workers at her new apartment. In the same tone, she fires her boyfriend saying her kids need stability and since he cannot be committed, he is fired from her life. Amazing performance by Meryl Streep. I am sure, to some of you, it would look like I am reviewing Sholay, which everybody has watched on T.V  again ...and again:-) but I am sharing this because it was really heart warming to see this movie. To a parent of a black boy who accused the white people for giving them false hopes, she said she took up the job because she needed it, and she should come and look at her son play the violin in  the class once, to see the enthusiasm on his face. A woman like any of us, vulnerable with insecurities and yet she finds the emotional wherewithal to weave magic in the lives of the kids.