the "BIG" stores

yesterday I went to a nearest WalMart to buy a pair of gloves. this store was just opened for the public and it's a really huge one. its 2 acres inside and I easily got lost :) and I never managed to find what I needed, though the store claimed to have them. none of the customer service people were able to help me, as they themselves are figuring it out inside.

I'm beginning to wonder the real use of these huge stores if customers cannot find what they need. its cheap, ok, but definitely not worth the time searching for stuff and standing in those never ending queues at the counters.

the same applies to the big grocery stores as well. their fresh vegetables aren't that great either. I have resorted to organic stuff and farmers market, and I'm enjoying it :) somehow I find these small shops filled with more life :)

changing times

its been a long time since I've written anything on a paper, like an essay or something like that. and these days most of the communication takes place through emails. and even the meeting minutes, I take my laptop and type in the stuff. finally, when I settled down last week to write something, it was then I realized how shaky my writing has become :) it was really pathetic...not that I had a great hand-writing, but its wasn't this bad atleast :)

this is just one of many things that has changed over the past decade. computers and internet in particular, have changed our lives to a very great extent. I dunno if it is for good, but I do realize that if I don't use it, I maybe left out :)

and the real season begins...

the day I was eagerly awaiting so long, has finally arrived. the NBA playoffs begins today and I'm looking forward to an exciting post season. this is the real season, all those 82 games during the regular season were only teasers :) this is when teams play a totally different ball game.

this year there were many surprises, most prominent being the domination of the Phoenix Suns (thanks to Steve Nash). it was absolute fun watching them play the game up and down, complete magic. thats how I feel basketball should be played, instead of the versions played by the dull Spurs and Pistons. but this is playoffs, so teams play only defense. lets see is the Suns break that trend and emerge as champions, playing only offense :)

the Lakers demise was no shock for me, what else can you expect when you trade the most dominant player away. lets see if they rebound next season.

I want the Suns to win it all, and they have a fair shot at it too. but I somehow feel that its going to be the Spurs or the Pistons again.

baharatanatyam and men

though dancing is common for both the genders, I think Bharatanatyam (and even a few other classical Indian dances) is more feminine (well its just my humble opinion, I may be wrong too :) ). I don't like watching men performing Bharatanatyam, even the established ones. and they make it even unbearable by having long hair, no moustache or beard, and a big thilak on their forehead. can't stand it man. whay can't it be normal, I mean why can't the guy perform with a frenchie. I'm sure it'd be good.

Reason for the shout out ---- watch Chandramukhi. Vineet would have a dance sequence in the final song. he has done a wonderful job, but still.....

But if you see Kamal in Salangai Oli, he never sported any long hair. Instead he even had a moustache and it wasn't that bad.

just and observation :)

Mumbai Express

a clean comedy movie after a long time. thankfully this one was not like Thenali or Panchathanthiram. I never thought Kamal could do such a wonderful script job for a comedy movie. hats off to him.

If you think that Kamal would have dominated this movie, then you are wrong. Its Pasupathy, the guy who played the villian in Virumaandi. this guy is unbelievable.....his facial expressions are hilarious. he is not of the Senthil, Vivek type, this is something special :) I'm sure he will go a long way.

my friends and I kept recounting most of the scenes, especially the "avaru A, B hospital la irukaaru, naan C...pudhu C" and laughed the whole weekend :) this is an offbeat movie, so most of will find the climax sudden and even disappointing. don't go for any logic, you will enjoy the express :)

But still, I don't think there can ever be a funnier one than Michael Madana Kaama Rajan...and I'm sure even Kamal knows that :)

why Gandhi bashing.....

its has become more or less a fashion for many people to take a dig at the Mahatma. "what has he done for the country", "he didn't get us independence", "it was because of him that Pakistan is creating all the trouble"..... and many more.

its very sad to see how ignorant people are. well to tell the truth, I was like that while in high-school and early college years. what people don't realise is that Gandhiji created a movement. A movement that had no shape or structure, but a movement that resided in people's hearts. non-violence and non-coopertaion, these are not easy to follow. Gandhiji practised before preaching them, and that made him a Mahatma. it was quite a big movement, led by a man with a singular vision.

had we (that includes pakistan as well) only listened to him properly, we wouldn't be suffering today.

Kanden Chandramukhi ai :)

hey people, just came back from the theater. My verdict ---- Superrrrrr!!! All thumbs up, including yours :)

Good movie but don't expect any usual Rajini punch dialogues and styles. expect him to be the Rajini of Guru Sishyan :) absolut fun when he is on screen. Super Star and Vadivelu rock.
a good family entertainer, SURE HIT. padam kandippa 175 days :)

songs are beautifully picturized, every single one of 'em. kathi kathi thondai kizhinchiduthu :)
and oh yeah, Nayan Tara looked great.

thanks for all the comments to my earlier post :)

and the day has arrived.....finally

after a long time, I'm gonna watch a Rajini movie in a theater today evening. Yup, Chandramukhi is released here a day earlier and I'm excited to be one of the privileged few to watch it the first day, first show :)

initially it was scheduled only for the 22nd, but looks like the distributors here managed to get the film rolls from somewhere :) i don't care as long as they have it :)

mark my words, this movie is gonna be the hit of the century, seriously. never underestimate the power of our super-star :)

12 Angry Men

this 1957 classic is a mind blowing movie. Its about the delibrations of a jury, comprised of 12 men, on a murder trial. the whole movie takes place in a small room and it involves just the jurors, thats all. a very simple and yet a powerful movie.

its starts off with a 11-1 vote in favor of a conviction, with Henry Fonda being the lone questioner. and slowly he sows the seeds of doubts into his fellow jurors minds.
the emotional outbursts of the jurors, the un-avoidable personal feelings on the case, and their egos are so naturally portrayed in this movie. really a treat to watch such a smooth movie. it also has some catchy one liners.

economy......here and there

other day I was at a friend's place. I've been to his place before and this time I noticed a new TV sitting in the living room. thought he moved the old one to his bedroom, well actually he trashed it.... and it was only a yr old :) apparently something went wrong and to just examine it, the cost was about $125, while the original cost of the TV is itself $200.

not only TV, any consumer product in the US is basically use and throw. the economy here strongly encourages spending. In a way its good for the general economy of the country, as stagnation can be prevented. But looking at the middle class here, a significantly large chunk lives paycheck to paycheck, some without even medical insurance. and they are forced to spend too, on a variety of stuff.

in India, the situation is totally reverse. we still have that TV we bought more than 10 yrs back :) people can keep saving for unforseen expenses, but generally we tend to burden ourselves with minimal stuff. people don't embrace new technologies quickly.......it may hamper growth.

both have positives and negatives, but the more I think about this, the more confused I am :)