Searching for perfection...

Two good movies

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:53:00 GMT

Saw an excellent movie last weekend: "Divorzio all'italiana", a 1961 Italian comedy which won the Academy Award for the best original screenplay. Very well made and brilliantly enacted.
Saw "Johnny Gaddaar" yesterday, which is one of the better movies released in Bollywood in recent times. Taking the audience up one path, and then yet another twist - several times over.

Have been reading a lot lately, will post comments on some of these books soon. Latest has been John Grisham's latest, "Playing for Pizza", featuring an NFL quarter-back playing in the Italian league.

Movies to see some-time...

Sat, 19 May 2007 11:31:10 GMT

16 Great Films You've Never Heard Of
Source: http://movies.uk.msn.com/features/galleries/filmsyouveneverheardof.aspx

16. In The Company Of Men (1997) - Aaron Eckhart and Matt Malloy show just how ruthless the modern businessman can be in this pitch black comedy. Hilarious and disturbing!

15. Nine Queens (2000) - Adapted in 2004 by John C Reilly vehicle criminal, nine queens is an extraordinarily clever look into the world of the con man. More double crosses than a cat's cradle convention.

14. Rosemary's Baby (1968) - Although not often thought of as a major Polanski film, this is actually one of his best. Intensely psychological to the point of horror as Mia Farrow becomes obsessed with her own child. Biblical references abound…

13. Pink Flamingos (1972) - Disgusting, repulsive and often hilarious, Pink Flamingos may not be the best in terms of cinematography. But it still raises a chuckle as people such as Divine battle to be 'the filthiest people ever'.

12. The Straight Story (1999) - From David Lynch, an amazing story of a man who takes on a long-distance journey on a lawnmower!

11. Thursday (1998) - Delight in the hilarious and violent events that occur when big-city architects get mixed up with heroin.

10. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) - The first of two forgotten road movies in this list, this highway racer movie depicts life on the road as you've never seen it. Weird, wonderful and including some hilariously eccentric characters…

9. The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (1988) - One of those fantastic films where love blossoms in the most extreme of circumstances (a Soviet invasion in this case). Juliette Binoche is fantastic in this often-forgotten tear-jerker

8. Cube (1997) - Not to be confused with hopeless Jennifer Lopez vehicle The Cell, The Cube is an astonishing horror actioner in which the victims are trapped in an inescapable 3D prison.

7. Roger And Me (1989) - Most people associate Michael Moore with Bowling For Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11. But this early work is at least their equal as Moore hounds a GM CEO.

6. Vanishing Point (1971)- Meet Kowalski. He's taking his awesome Dodge Challenger from Colorado to San Francisco and no-one's stopping him. One of the best road movies ever…

5. Eraserhead (1977) - Henry Spencer lives in a world run by machines being screamed at by his mutant baby. Is he dead? Or has the apocalypse happened?

4. Drugstore Cowboy (1989) - An early work from Gus Van Sant. Matt Dillon and Kelly Lynch are a convincing heroin-driven modern-day Bonnie & Clyde.

3. Bad Lieutenant - One Of Harvey Keitel's greatest performances as a corrupt NYPD Detective. But no-one ever talks about it!

2. The Big Blue (1988) - Sure, it may be a little cheesy in parts. But The Big Blue is always criminally overlooked. Jean Reno and Jean-Marc Barr are competing free-divers who discover strange illusions deep beneath the waves.

1. Jacob's Ladder (1990) - Although not much actually happens in the warzone, this could actually be counted among the great war movies. Tim Robbins is brilliant as a scarred Vietnam Veteran on the path to insanity…

20 Modern-Day Classics
Source: http://movies.uk.msn.com/features/galleries/modernclassics2007_gallery.aspx
Note: Modern here implies 'Since 2000'

20. Donnie Darko (2001) - 'Cult value' is a term that's far too easily bandied about nowadays. But this impelling clash of psych, sci-fi, and horror just about embodied the word. In his breakthrough role, Jake Gylenhaal is an outcast teenager haunted by a six-foot bunny named Frank. There's mystery, chilling horror and questions raised as to the nature of destiny as Gylenhaal struggles through a life of legal drug addiction. Pretty impressive when you consider that writer/director Richard Kelly was only 26 at the time of release.

19. Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Ang Lee fully deserves the Oscar he won here, combining Western and romance in the most stunning of settings. For mainstream Hollywood, new ground was undoubtedly broken here.

18. Casino Royale (2006) - It may not be Oscar material. But the best Bond since Connery is not to be taken lightly. This is the rebirth of movie-dom's greatest franchise. And, thanks to this tough new version, Bond is back to his best.

17. Sideways (2004) - Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church take a gentle stroll through the Californian vineyards here. Far too much wine rhetoric has been used in the description ('a hint of City Slickers with a dash of When Harry Met Sally…' etc etc). Forget the wine, it's actually a brilliantly and subtly created coming-of-age comedy exploring the predictability of middle age and two differing characters' reactions to it. You don't need to be a wine-o to love Sideways.

16. Amores Perros (2000) - Alejandro González Iñárritu came to the fore this year as the man who could have ruined the Scorsese Oscar party with Babel. In fact, Iñárritu had already perfected the multi-stranded drama here, connecting three involving storylines to one car crash.

15. Chicken Run (2000) - It may be hard to think of this as one of the greatest cinematic feats of the millennium. But Chicken Run is perhaps the greatest exponent of Aardman Animation's charm. The parallel's to The Great Escape with Mel Gibson as Steve McQueen only seem to add yet more Brit value.

14. The Bourne Supremacy (2004) - Almost certainly the greatest action franchise of our time. Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon won the studio's trust with the first installment, allowing them to go bigger and better with this sequel. Bring on The Bourne Ultimatum!

13. Gladiator (2000) - 'My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius…' we all remember the monologue. And it made the career of Russell Crowe. Seven years later, Gladiator seems to have attained that classic 'film they put on the telly at Christmas' status. One viewing a year is probably too little…

12. United 93 - A visceral look at the heroics that occurred on the 9/11 plane that never reached its target. Powerfully effective as both thriller and tribute...

11. Amelie - So French the DVDs should come in stripy jumpers, Amelie lured us into the imagination of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. A golden vision of Paris for the brilliantly eccentric Audrey Tautou to track down her man.

10. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) - The high-wiring Wu Xia generation of martial arts films has been consistently spectacular (Hero, House Of Flying Daggers). But the mould was cast by this absorbing tale of high-drama and heroics.

9. Shaun Of The Dead (2003) - "You've got red on you." The team behind cult stoner-comedy Spaced made a one-movie leap to A-list movie-players here. Where Hot Fuzz may have had the action, Shaun Of The Dead has double the charm. And Zombies…

8. Memento (2000) - Guy Pearce came to everyone's attention with LA Confidential in 1997. But this role as a tattooed vigilante with no short-term memory will probably always remain his most-remembered role. Confused? Check out the chromatically organised version on the DVD.

7. The Departed (2006) - With Scorsese in the director's chair and Nicholson watching over them, DiCaprio, Damon and Wahlberg must have felt the pressure to deliver their life-best performances. The results, as Oscar agrees, are spectacular.

6. Children Of Men (2006) - Far too often overlooked, Children Of Men presented some of the best action sequences of 2006; all of them set in a future uncomfortably close to the world of today.

5. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Steve Carrell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin and young Abigail Breslin all excel in this long-haul trip in a VW campovan. Simple, charming and heart-warming, Little Miss Sunshine will live long in the memory.

4. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - It's a brave filmmaker who sets an adaptation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey in the deep south circa 1930. But Joel and Ethan Coen were very much up to the task, perfectly casting John Turturro, George Clooney and Tim Blake Nelson as their three chain-ganged convicts.

3. The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) - Obviously, there was no way this list wasn't going to include a Lord Of The Rings film. The question is which one? Where The Fellowship lacks the battleground magnificence of the second and third films, it lays such a solid foundation that Towers and Return Of The King couldn't really have failed. It just seems to be the one that people go back to, reminding us of the tingle we felt when we first arrived on Middle Earth.

2. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) - Jim Carey cemented his propensity for 'proper' acting here as his relationship with Kate Winslet turns sour and the couple decide to have each other erased from their respective memories. But the real credit should go to screenwriter Charlie Kauffman for a script that blurred time and reality as it tells one of the best romances ever committed to film. Simply fantastic.

1. City Of God (2002) - If you haven't seen it yet, you most definitely need to. In Gangland Rio De Janeiro, where drug dealers rule and life expectancy doesn't go far beyond thirty, one kid - Rocket - manages to dodge the bullets of a drug war to take pictures and escape the slums. Stylish and sleek yet also jarringly real, City Of God is a clear winner.

Another year passes by

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 08:52:53 GMT

Has been a calm (I would not call it boring) year which is now coming to a close. However, the next year seems to be exciting on several fronts.
Completed reading "Omega Scroll" by Adrian d'Hage yesterday and started with "Templar Legacy" by Steve Berry
Absolutely no plans for the new year, all the more difficult considering that Jan 1 is a holiday this time. Hence, an extended 3-day weekend, of rest and relaxation, in the offing.
Came across this interesting article in slashdot a while back:

100 things we didn't know last year
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/index.html#a007948

Next in the reading list are "Cell" by Stephen Fleming and "Like a Flowing River" by Paulo Coelho
A batch get-together, of all of us who joined the company together, planned for Jan 26 at Bangalore. Tickets booked, and waiting.
New mallu restaurant in the city outskirts has given a chance to catch up with the state cuisine occasionally

Ready for the weekend

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 10:31:47 GMT

The article "In praise of questions" by Shashi Tharoor in The Hindu recently made interesting reading. It is about the puzzling absence of Malayali Chauvinism and can be read at:
http://www.shashitharoor.com/articles/hindu/praisequestions.php

Looking forward to the weekend, with plans for "The Departed" and "Casino Royale" hoping that the former stays in town and the latter comes to town.
Also planning to go to the Chilkur temple [aka 'Visa' temple] this saturday.

Some interesting links

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:57:01 GMT

If you dig really creative ads, http://www.hemmy.net/2006/10/15/creative-advertisements-around-the-world/ would be a feast.

Check out an interesting human-clock at: http://billychasen.com/clock/

For those who have not yet got the time to visit Rio, enjoy a panoramaic view at http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen6/f40-rio-de-janeiro.html Click and drag using mouse to see all around.

Going home...

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:10:52 GMT

Have been having a hectic time at work recently. All set to go on a week-long vacation on 20th October to Kerala. Will be back on 29th October. Expect to be stepping into pouring rains and of course the characteristic greenery all-round.

Life as usual

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 03:45:48 GMT

A quick update, have been having a rather busy time recently.

Saw Lage Raho Munnabhai on Opening Day..Excellent Movie.
Read "Seven Ancient Wonders", a well-written book, supported by very good illustrations.
Have been a regular visitor to the hospital for the last three weeks, with a fever et al....hopefully the sequence of specialists is coming to a close shortly.
Had a rather quite birthday, end of last month. Yet another year added, but glad that I am headed where I want to be in life.
All set for the vacation next month, shopping completed.
Going to Mumbai this weekend. Now busy planning for two days before attending the wedding on sunday evening.

Holidays galore...

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 06:05:17 GMT

Lots of Holidays in August, not that it makes much of a difference as am in office on all non-statutory ones as usual. Saw "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna" on Monday evening, at Hitech. A movie, stretched to its limits with just the songs and some excellent performances offering some solace in the nearly 200 minute saga.
Went to Prasads after a long time last Saturday. The trip was primarily to check out the Mirror Maze (not yet started) and enjoy the McDonald's burgers (yummy !!!). Also saw "Anthony Kaun Hai", an okay movie with a different style of narration.
Took a temporary break from fiction and bought "Toyota Way", "Short history of nearly everything" and "World is flat". Next on the sights is "Undercover Economist".

Ideal environs for rest...:-)

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 05:01:55 GMT

T'was a weekend, dominated by 'rest' that just passed. Completed two books over Friday and Saturday - "English, August" and ""Mammaries of the welfare state" by Upamanyu Chatterjee - both very well-written satirical reads. Reluctantly started with a third book late on Sunday - reluctance, owing to the fact that it is the last unread book with me as of now - the book being, "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Almost through 70% of the book, and have loved it immensely. Will write more about it on finishing the same. Weekend was topped up by a delicious dinner yesterday at gurukkal's house.

Quite accidentally, finally came upon the meaning of 'fana' - one which fits the theme of the movie and the line in the song - 'Pyaar mein fanaa ho jaye'. In the current book that I am reading, there is a line referring to an Islam mystic, a sufi, that he "sought fana - Union with God". A perfect fit, and enllightenment, at last...

On an entirely unrelated note, read recently that PVR (of the PVR Movies fame) stands for "Priya Village Roadshow". Just bought a car cassette adapter (http://shopping.rediff.com/shop/productdisplay.jsp?prrfnbr=1077313&frompg=ipod_search) from Rediff. Let us see how it turns out to be. Also bought two CD wallets from eBay.

Hyderabad has been uncharacteristically (for July, that is) cold the past 5 days with overcast skies and rains, threatening to fall at any instant. Ideal environs for rest....

Weekend, well-spent

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:37:01 GMT

Completed reading three books, back-to-back, over the weekend:

The Afghan - Gives excellent insights on the two organizations known to have a strong hold in Afghanistan, as well as taking us through an effort involving multiple intelligence agancies.
Map of Bones - Science meets History, in a well-written story.
Secret Supper - An excellent read about Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper".

A weekend, well-spent. No good movies in the offing, in the city currently. Da Vinci Code has released in some theaters in the outskirts, but suppose I would watch it on DVD later anyways, considering the bad reviews I am reading/hearing consistently.

History unveiled...

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 13:07:12 GMT

Virtual human development game

www.human-age.com

Filmi Start to the month

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 03:26:20 GMT

It was a filmy start to July this weekend, despite the fragile health status. Started the month with back-to-back movies on Saturday at PVR, "Mission Impossible 3" followed by "Superman Returns". Did some shopping before the movies, and ended the day after the Brazil-France quarter-final. Purchased a few books after quite some time.
Ordered the following from Fabmall on Saturday:
    Map of Bones - James Rollins
    The Afghan - Frederick Forsyth
    The Secret Supper - Javier Sierra
Bought the following from Odyssey (Central), the same evening:
    English, August - Upamanyu Chatterjee
    The Mammaries of the Welfare State - Upamanyu Chatterjee
    Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Da Vinci Code, it seems is not destined to be watched in the big screen here in the city. It was released in a hurry the day after the ban was quashed by the high court two weeks back but the screening never happened after the christian youth movement activists vandalised the theater. And to think that I can watch the movie without any issues in even Christian-majority areas in other parts of the country.

E-Books Galore

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 04:41:59 GMT

Check out the E-books sharing community in Orkut at http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=789306

A sample of the links obtained from the community:
Sidney Sheldon: http://esnips.com/web/gculahore-SidneySheldon
Clive Cussler: http://www.greylib.align.ru/listauthor.php?author=172&lang=1
<More authors at http://www.greylib.align.ru/>

Life goes on

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:31:00 GMT

Fanaa was the most recent movie seen, it was good in the first half but disappointing in the latter. First half was littered with Shayaris...

Shayaris from Fanaa... (From a forward circulating around)

Bul karke bhi humse koi bhul hui ho to,
Bhul samjkar use bhula dena,
Lekin bhulana sirf Bhul ko,
Galti se bhi Hume na Bhulana.

Be khudishi jindgi hum jiya nahi karte,
Jam dusro se chin kar hum piya nahi karte,
Unko mohobbat hai to aake Izhar kare,
Pich hum bhi kisi ka kiya nahi karte.

Humse dur jao ge kaise,
Dilse hume bhulaoge kaise,
Hum to khushbu hai jo sanso me baste hai,
khud ki sanso ko rok paonge kaise.

Baithe hai hotho ko si kar,
pachtayengi aap,
Ishq jag uthta hai akshar,
Aisi khamosi ke bad

Dard se aankhe char kar lenge,
Hum odti me imtiha de denge,
Teri dosti ke khatir Ae DOST,
Hum bhi dushman se pyar kar lenge.

Insan ki khwaish ki koi imtiha nahi,
Do guj jamin chahi ye Do guj Kafan ke baad.

Tumhari Khubsurti ne Khuda se eik khata kara di,
kahi khud se nazar na lag jaye, is liye tumhe Nazar na Di.

Tere Dil Me Meri Sanso Ko PANAH Mil Jaye,
Tere Ishq Me Meri Ja FANNA Ho Jaye.

Wanted to see Da Vinci Code, and even booked tickets. But the movie was banned in the state the day before it was set to be released :(
Checked out the newly opened Walden, and bought "Anything for you, M'am - An IITians Love Story" by Thushar Raheja. A good read...

Food is good...:-)

Tue, 23 May 2006 04:42:36 GMT

Last week was, culinarily speaking, the best in a long time while in hyderabad. With the initiative and expertise of G, we had Fish Curry and Fish Fry (Venjaram and Mackerel), Chicken Biriyani and Chicken Curry. Thursday and Friday were spent at a resort (Alankrita) in the outskirts of the city, for an official training and it was classy food in ethnic environs both days.

Read "Dilbert Principle - Joy of Work" and Michael Crichton's "Rising Sun" over the weekend. A new Walden has opened closeby (for those who know the city, it is opposite KBR Park), planning to check it out next weekend and make a few purchases.

On a closing note, here are two quotes that I just came across and liked.....
"Civilization is just a slow process of learning to be kind."
-- Anonymous
"Some of us learn from the mistakes of others; the rest of us have to be the others. "
-- Anonymous

A weekend with the books...

Mon, 15 May 2006 05:25:16 GMT

That was one rare weekend that went by just now, where no movie was seen. In addition to a dearth of movies worth a watch, the major reason for the same was that I spent the entire weekend reading after quite some time...finishing a Robert Ludlum (Moscow Vector) and a Michael Chrichton (Sphere) and then starting with "Freakonomics". Now I have to buy one soon to read.... The weather is becoming really really hot here, let us see how far it would go !!!

Predicament of a bachelor...

Thu, 04 May 2006 06:54:39 GMT

Good fortune comes in groups, it is often heard. In my case, it came in pairs, in the form of two free travel holidays both of which were known within a week of each other. One is for a 3Days/2Nights package at any of 40 locations across South-East Asia and the other is a 3Days/2Nights adventure trip by the Ganges. There is only once complication though...the fact that I am a 25-year old 'single' male. The travails that a bachelor has to go through does not start and stop with the new year eve parties...:(
Since the gift packages can be availed of only in pairs, and the packages being non-transferable and non-negotiable, I resorted to the one thing that I could do in this age of cyber awakening. I posted details in 3 different travel companion forums/discussion boards hoping to find somebody in a similar state or somebody interested in having a nice, fun trip. Now, keeping the fingers crossed and waiting....else I would have to let go of both the prizes.

Back from vacation

Thu, 04 May 2006 06:28:55 GMT

The 2.5 week (well, nearly considering that I reached home late on Friday Night) vacation was great. The oft-quoted dictum 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' was at it again as the lush green topography started tugging at my heart ever since the train crossed the kerala border. Having the 'pazham pori', 'masala vada' and 'veg cutlet' after a long time made the train journey worth while, it also once again registered the fact as to who (all) I was missing in this particular trip. The timing of the train was perfect (it was late by hours which was just fine for me owing to other factors) which enabled me to meet my brother at the station and finally reach home after collecting a brand new 'Chevrolet Tavera' from the show room (which was booked a week back in anticipation of my arrival).
Back in home, it was total rest for the entire duration of the vacation reading some books and indulging, after a long time, in the idiot box, the television. Worshipped at the local temple, went on a trip to Guruvayoor and visited a few relatives. That sums up my vacation, apart from the opportunity to mark the acceptance of my conscience ("..ningalude manassakshiyude angeekarama rekhapeduthi vijyappikkaname, vijaya tilakam aniyippikkaname ennu vineethamayi..."-from the campaign) at the assembly polls.
It was an uneventful and short journey back home and it was to a sizzling day at mid-40's that I stepped into at Hyderabad after the pleasant 30-32 degree days at Kerala. There was a huge backlog.....not of work, but of subscribed magazines that had piled up in 2 weeks, at my desk in the office and have been working on that since then. Shifted flats (from first floor to second floor) last sunday and all set for a few trips shortly currently.
By the way, while going through the humor special edition of Week, came across Melvin Durai whose articles make interesting reading at: http://www.melvindurai.com. Had taken 3 bags full of books home this time around. Now have to build up another collection. Bought "Freakonomics" and Michael Chritchon's "Sphere" from the Kochi Airport on the way back. Have to start with the same as soon as the mag backlog is down.

Numerically ordered...

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 03:34:57 GMT

On Wednesday of this week, at two minutes and three seconds
after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date (in mm/dd/yy format) will be:

01:02:03 04/05/06

That won't ever happen again, for a long time !!!!

Homeward Bound

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 05:58:31 GMT

All set to go home this Thursday. Having taken zero leaves in the past 12 months, really looking forward to this. One major difference from previous home trips would be that it will be my first journey home without either of two close friends who were there in all past trips.
Have more than a hundred books to take home this time, collected since last April. Have read all, barring a couple which I intend to read while at home and on the way. The two books read recently have both been of a management strain, namely "Straight from the Gut" by Jack Welch and "Toyota Way" by Liker.
Hyderabad heat is really on the upward spiral right now, and I fervently hope, though realistically unlikely, that the weather will be better when I return on 23rd April.

Getting hotter...

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 03:31:24 GMT

Nothing much happening nowadays, life going on while awaiting the planned vacation in April. Saw Taxi 9211 last weekend - a very well-taken movie. Went to Odyssey to redeem a Rs. 251/- gift voucher and ended up spending much more than that, as was of course expected. City is becoming hotter by the day with temperatures reaching 38 degrees as early as February this year. All busy with tax filings nowadays while the city is all set for the Bush Visit today.

Love is in the air...

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 03:18:36 GMT

It is that time of the year again, when 'romance' is in the air, and Rediff has come up with a 'Reader's Choice' list of romantic movies yet again,

Most romantic Hollywood films ever

An Affair To Remember
Roman Holiday
Pretty Woman
Casablanca
Titanic

Source: http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2006/feb/08slid1.htm

Bollywood romance

Kuch Kuchh Hota Hai
Dil To Pagal Hai
Veer - Zaara
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Abhimaan
Kabhi Kabhie
Silsila
Maine Pyar Kiya
Ek Duuje Ke Liye
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge

Source: http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2006/feb/09sd1.htm

Having fun at work....

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 10:52:23 GMT

Three official outings within a month's time.....!!! First, there was the company outing, with family, on 7th Jan. There were around 500 attendees and party went on till late night. Then came the team outing on 4th Feb. It was a day-long affair, finally breaking off around 7:30 in the evening. And captured on all cameras were several snaps of the 'umpire' holding the ladies' bags while they are batting/bowling - poor me ! Latest, yesterday the team went out together to see "Rang De Basanti" at the recently-opened PVR Cinemas at the Central Mall. Nice movie and a very good theater.
Lot more activities are in the pipeline....the idea is to retain the enthu level among all at a high.

New Year Update...

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 06:38:48 GMT

Updates have been few and far between from my side in the recent past. Reasons for the same are plenty including the hectic schedule outlined in my previous post.
New Year this time has been relatively inactive, what with most of the like-minded friends having left the city last year. Had a fun New Year at home, the residency had a grand celebration with dances by the kids and lots of fireworks, followed by everyone dancing on the lawn into the wee hours of Jan 1.
Have read/bought a lot of books in the last 3 weeks. Major ones among the reads include Chrichton's "Prey", "Sari and Sins", "Michael Angelo's Notebook" and "L'Amande". Have lost track of the books I have bought recently, all waiting to be read, but I do recall that there are a few John le Carre's among them. Rearing to start with the backlog.....
Life is a breeze now in Hyderabad. I commute my 12km from home to office in not less than 15 minutes, with the needle hovering around 80 kph for most of the time. I know it is overdoing a bit, but can't help it, what with atleast one lane free at every point at any instant. Lanes....yeah. The road from office to home is mostly 6-lane (and 4-lane when it is not 6), and same is the situation almost everywhere in the city. Much of this was a fast-track development, in light of the aicc plenary meeting held last week. So the various hitherto congested parts of the city (such as Abids and Begumpet, for those who know Hyderabad) can be reached very quickly in a pleasant drive.

You like puzzles?

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 08:53:02 GMT

Some of you may already be familiar with the Crimson Room

Here is another challenge - Hapland 2
It may be a better idea to start with Hapland 1 It's a little easier as there are only 25 items to click as opposed to Hapland 2's 48.

Another puzzle to solve is at: http://www.iimi-iris.com/iris/irising/klueLESS
Also check out a similar one at http://deathball.net/notpron/notpron.htm