The Revelation

During my early childhood, I was regularly fed with a heavy dosage of desi movies; be it Malayalam or Hindi. It was good fun! But it had its banes too.
When the hero and heroine used to kiss, they used to show two flowers coming closer in the wind and then shaking right in front of my innocent eyes.
And the next thing I know is that hero heroine had a kid!!! It really made me wonder which flowers were responsible for me.

Some months after that our teacher was giving us some advice about not to harm butterflies.

Note ~ She had seen a few of us catch butterflies in the school garden and tie a thread to it to make it fly like a kite.

She started teaching us about pollination, and how butterflies help with that. I did not quite get her explanation and all I concluded after her sermon was that apart from butterflies producing (pollinating) baby-butterflies, they also pollinate flowers!!! And flowers pollinate us!!!

One day I asked my mom about a mark on her stomach and she replied that I had kicked her a lot of times when I was inside her.
Now I was utterly confused!

Flower pollinated me and Mom ate the flower. Ah!!! That's why I landed in her stomach. I thanked my stars that she didn't chew the flower properly when she ate it.
I did not quite like the idea of being chewed by someone, be it my own Mom!!

Later, after a few more months of ignorance, the TRUTH actually hit me. I don't remember the real dialogues, but it was pretty close to the ones mentioned below.

Deepak: "Do you know where babies come from?"
Me: "I know! From flowers!"
Deepak, Dev, Ram, Murthy all give me a "Are you insane??" look.
Ram (the wisest of us all): "You buffoon! What gave you the idea that you came from flowers? Children resemble their parents. And in your case it is correct. You resemble a FOOL"(Phool - Fool!!! Got the connection? ;-)
Dev: "My Mother told that she asked me from God. And that an angel came one night and handed me to her!"
Murthy: "Yes! My mom too!"
Me: "Then how come everyone becomes fat before having a child?"
Deepak: "Ah! That is easy. To produce milk they have to eat a lot."
Ram: "Ya! Once the God gifts the children to the mothers, God tells her to feed the baby milk. That’s why they grow fat."
Me (trying to hide my surprise at the startling revelation): "I was kidding! I wanted to test you guys if you knew it!"
Ram & Murthy (in unison): "Ya fool! We know!"

Now I was more confused than ever!

• Why did my mom lie to me?


• If it was not me then who kicked her stomach?


• Why do they show such blatant lies in the movies?

Why! Why! Why! Who gives them right to screw around with such an innocent mind?

It was then I decided to go back to my movies ...
And after watching a few of them I came to the conclusion that my friends were right! “And why?” you would ask!
Because in most of the movies back then, the hero or the heroine would invariably say "Dekho! Bhagwan ne hamein chand sa pyara beta/beti diya hain na!”

And thus I discovered the truth!

Have Fun!
Stay Happy.
TLT

P.S> I don’t know what I am going to tell my (whenever it happens) kid in case he/she asks? I guess I will still go with "You are a gift from God!" ;-)

We are welcome...

I was really tied down with so much work, that I did not get time to post anything new. But here it is! My new post. ;-)

You know what my favoutite verse from the bible is?
It is taken from the New Testament, Matthew, Chapter 7.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Or what man is there
of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a
fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in
heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Ask and you shall receive..... Amazing! So that does not give me a licence to ask anything under the sun. Well actually, I may ask; but I might not receive it coz it is also said in the testament of John, Chapter 15, Verse 7

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you.

So we are all welcome to ask for his blessings and mercy! And I believe that our merciful and most wonderful Lord would listen to all our prayers and answer them. The maybe what you may not have expected, but he sure will answer.
There have been so many events in my life where my Lord has stepped in for me and carried all my burden.

His door is always open for us sinners! And all of us are welcome.

Stay Happy.
And May God Bless Us All.

TLT

Twenty Five Minutes....

My family and friends recognize that I was always a charmer. I had my way with people... looked at them with my goody-goody, toatally innocent looks and everyone used to fall over like nine pins. But that was the past. As I grew older; the charm seemed to drift away from me. I no longer seemed to have control over it. ;-(
When I was in the UK, I met a buddy of mine. He is a self proclaimed LoveGuru. He tried to impart his wisdom to me. All I did was laugh at the pick up lines that he taught me.
Last week, being bored out of my wits, I decided to use some of his tricks on an unknowing hapless victim. ;-) (wink wink..)
Location - Cafe Coffee Day
Me -> sipping Irish Coffee
She -> sitting all alone, messaging frantically on her mobile.
Note ~ She is a BOMBSHELL! The type that blows away the brains of any man who lay his eyes on her.
Me -> thinking aloud in a muffled voice "Ah!! So there's my test subject ;-)"
I wait for some time, intermittently glancing at her,making sure that she knows that I am aware of her presence. Then, I walk up to her and say "Twenty five minutes.."
She -> in a surprised tone "Excuse me?"
I repeated my words "Twenty five minutes.... That's the longest time that I ever taken to finish a cup of Coffee!!"
She -> Still in shock...but adds with a sweet smile "Do you want to take a seat?"
Me -> smiling back in return... "Sure!"
She -> "Do you want another Coffee?" she mutters out laughing.
Me -> straight faced and controlling my laughter... "No. Thank you. I wouldn't want to lose out on another twenty five minutes of my life."
She -> now laughing out aloud. "Do you use that on all the girls you meet?"
Me -> smiling.. "No. Only the ones whom I meet at Coffee Day!!"
Both of us share a laugh and some more coffee.

LoveGuru's trick does actually work.
;-)

I think I will ask LoveGuru to publish his works as "Twenty five minutes to a date."

Have fun. Stay happy!
TLT

Lo main aa gaya ;-)

Hi friends,

By God's Grace, I have reached India safely and have resumed work from my Mysore office. It is really good to be back to India. The icing on the cake was my mini vacation in my hometown in Kerala.
I could not myself believe that I was setting foot in Kerala after a span of 7 years.
It was great to be in the company of my family and relatives.
Already missing them :-(

God Bless Us All.
TLT

Yaar main India chala!!!!

Yaaron sun lo zara....Apna yeh kehna....
Going back to..... India mein
rehne...
Big Ben nahin na sahi na sahi
Westminister nahin na sahi na
sahi
Lords nahin na sahi na sahi
Sky Connection nahin na sahi na sahi
Inki humko kyon ho fikar
Jee lo jaise mast Indian!!!

;-)

Catch you guys soon!

Cheers,
TLT

Thank You All!

Everything is decided! Finally I am heading back to India. I don't know what I feel? I always thought that I would be happy to go back to India. I don't feel that happiness. And I am not sad also! Actually I don't feel anything at all. I really don't know why!!

My colleagues gave me a farewell party today! Maybe it is a relief for them that I am leaving... Or maybe they can't let anyone go without a send-off? Or Maybe as they said they will geniunely miss me ( Duh! That was way over the top I know! ;-) Who is going to miss me??)

Ahem. All right, guys! It was a great evening! Thanks for the wonderful parting gift! I know that somewhere down the line I will remember each and everyone of you.

There are a few things that I will miss when I leave UK. The points enlisted below are not in any particulal order.

1> Cold wind blowing against my face
2> Evening rounds of TT with Sumeet
3> Guinness Irish Beer
4> Fish and Chips
5> Sky TV Subsciption
6> British Countryside
7> English Summer
8> Friends here! (But on the other hand, I will be going back to some!)
9> Lying all wrapped inside my 14 Tog Duvet ;-)

Also before signing off, I need to read out some thank you notes.

Thank you Amar/Debo for being good mentors.
Thank you Patro/Guru for trusting in my abilities.
Thank you Sumeet for being a good friend and an even better partner in TT.
Thank you Kanchan for being such a good stress-buster. I always feel good after our chat sessions.
Thank you Subba for being my Idol. I would love to be as technically sound as you some day.
Thank you Karan for being a such an irritating friend. I like the way you carry yourself, but simply hate the sarcasm in your voice sometimes. I will miss you.
Thank you Dimitre for being such a good analyst. You have been so approachable. Thank you again.
Thank you offshore team for staying so helpful and enthusiastic about everything. We owe the project success to you guys.
Thank you Gagan, Atul, Diptesh, Rachit for being good roommates.
Thank you Subharna/Sumeet and Nagu/Venky for being such wonderful hosts. I know it takes a lot of courage to endure me.
Thank you everyone whom I may have missed! I could have taken more names but being a lazy person as I am; I will ,with all my heart, thank "Everyone" with this one note.

Have a good day!
And thanks you again friends!

Cheers,
TLT

Someone to watch over me ;-)

I guess some of you would remember my copyright (wink wink) PI factor.
Well the notorious PI factor has caught up with me again!
I had been worrying so much about my US Visa from the time I set my foot in the UK. First I booked an appointment in India. When I finally came to know I couldn't make the appointment in time, I cancelled it.
Then booked a new appointment in the UK. The harder I chased, the further it seemed to slip away.
I think this time I forced so hard, that I messed up the entire equilibrium. I spent so much time thinking about it, that I forgot to ENJOY my stay in the UK.
And to top it all my Visa appointment yesterday couldn't have gone any worse. The interviewer asked me no questions at all. He just told me point blank that since I haven't undergone any courses in the UK, he wouldn't be able to judge my educational qualifications, and that I should have this appointment rescheduled in India.
Poor me. ;(

On the other hand I think that everything will turn out to be just fine. The Lord is my shepherd and he keeps watch over all his flock. I will get my VISA when the right time comes. And I believe that the 'GKWIBFM' ,pronounced \kweeb-femme\ :-),theorem totally negates the 'PI' factor.

Have a great day and God bless us all.
Cheers,
TLT

P.S> If you are still wondering what 'GKWIBFM' stands for? It is 'God Knows What Is Best For Me'.

P.P.S> I got an update today that I will be moving back to India soon. Yipeeeee!

A Mushy Weekend....

What would you do when you have loads of time in hand and a nice cold weather for company?

I decided to watch movies..Yes! Loads of it. And believe it or not all mushy ones.

Some on my faithful IBM Thinkpad, and others on TV. The list comprized of movies like Spanglish, Four Wedding and A Funeral, A Lot Like Love, The Last Kiss, DDLJ, and believe it or not Main Meri Patni Aur Woh!

You know there are some days when LOVE is all that you care about. And today was such a day.

The morning opened with me watching the beautiful sunrise over the Canary Wharf. It's funny how indulging a small treat like this can kickstart a beautiful day. It showered me with with so much of beauty, that everything else was sidelined.

The gloomy pessimistic shadows are now brightened by the optimistic shades of the sunlit skies.

I am happy! I am contended! I am in love with the beauty around me!

And I promise myself - "I am going to stay the same."

Some of the mushiest lines from my mush favs:

"I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One"
Nicholas Cage in 'City of Angels'

"I love you. And not, not in a friendly way, although I think we're great friends. And not in a misplaced affection, puppy-dog way, although I'm sure that's what you'll call it. I love you. Very, very simple, very truly. You are the epitome of everything I have ever looked for in another human being. And I know that you think of me as just a friend, and crossing that line is the furthest thing from an option you would ever consider. But I had to say it. I just, I can't take this anymore. I can't stand next to you without wanting to hold you. I can't, I can't look into your eyes without feeling that, that longing you only read about in trashy romance novels. I can't talk to you without wanting to express my love for everything you are. And I know this will probably queer our friendship - no pun intended - but I had to say it, because I've never felt this way before, and I don't care. I like who I am because of it. And if bringing this to light means we can't hang out anymore, then that hurts me. But God, I just, I couldn't allow another day to go by without just getting it out there, regardless of the outcome, which by the look on your face is to be the inevitable shoot-down. And, you know, I'll accept that. But I know... I know that some part of you is hesitating for a moment, and if there is a moment of hesitation, then that means you feel something too. All I ask, please, is that you just, you just not dismiss that - and try to dwell in it for just ten seconds. Alyssa, there isn't another soul on this fucking planet who has ever made me half the person I am when I'm with you, and I would risk this friendship for the chance to take it to the next plateau. Because it is there between you and me. You can't deny that. Even if, you know, even if we never talk again after tonight, please know that I'm forever changed because of who you are and what you've meant to me, which - while I do appreciate it - I'd never need a painting of birds bought at a diner to remind me of. "
Ben Affleck in 'Chasing Amy'

"They should name a gender after you. Looking at you doesn't do it. Staring is the only way that makes any sense. And trying not to blink, so you don't miss anything. And all of that, and you're YOU. I mean...
Look, forgive me. It's just you are DROP DEAD, CRAZY GORGEOUS! So much so that I'm actually considering looking at you again before we finish up here"
Adam Sandler in 'Spanglish'

"I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible"
Billy Crystal in 'When Harry Met Sally'

"Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me."
Richard Gere in 'Runaway Bride'

Stay Happy,

TLT

P.S> I watched the entire Season 10 of Friends yesterday. It was awesome. I cannot believe that there is no more Friends. This was the one sitcom that redefined the benchmark in entertainment. A lot about love, friendship and caring; I owe to Friends.

Gabbar Vs. Sambha

Do you know what happens when idle brains clash? They remake Sholay, making Gabbar and Sambha as the lovable fiendly (spelling mistake intended!!! ;¬) duo.
Preeti, henceforth addressed as Gabbar, is a lovable nocturnal creature working at a TOI office in India.
Your's Truly, hereafter addressed as Sambha, is a (not so) lovable daytime beast working at a Client site in London.

One fine day.....

Gabbar:
Haan to sambha kya ho raha hai re???????

Sambha:
Kuch nahi gabbar pyare!
Bas kaam chal rahe they dher saare!
Tu suna tera kya haal hai..
Hum toi yahaan behaal hain.

Gabbar:
Sahi... itne nikkamme ho gaye.. ki shayari shuru kar di..
bura nahi hai.. likho.. hindi filmo mein kaam mil jayega..
isi tarah ke lyrics ko jazz music ke sath bajate hai..
woh suna hai na..

hai huku..hai huku.. hai hai
yeh ladki mere samne mera dil liye jai

so the idea was to say that girl took my heart away...
lyricist ko kuch sujha nahi to pehle line mein
hai huku..hai huku laga diya...
Saala junglee!!
Kuch dino mein naya gana aayega

jinga jinga... hum tum barsat mein bhinga...
hulu hulu... tera mai.. meri
tu.

Sambha:
Saaley! Gabbar!!
Mere shayari ko tumne hai huku se compare kiya.....
Is gustakhi ki saja milegi..
Zaroor milegi magar pyar se.... gandhigiri se!!!

Gabbar, tumhare jaisa dost ho to shukriya upar wale ka..
Hum jaiso ko raasta tumhi to dikhate ho..
Warna yaar- dost to saikdon hain jahaan mein
Magar har roz tumhi kyon yaad aate ho..

Gabbar:
Gabbar-Sambha ki jodi..
Jaise khate-pite ghar ke godha -godhi
Dono saat samundar ki doori hai..
Phir bhi nahi koi majboori hai..
Aish karte hai....karwate hain
Koi interfere kare to uski waat lagate hai..

Sambha:
Ispar humein bhi kuch kehna hai..

Ae dost, tumhe meri dosti ka hai waada...
Tang na kiya kar, humein itna zyada...
Jaag utha agar mere andar ka khoonkhaar janwar...
Bemaut mar jayega tu mere yaar...
Aur yeh na kehna hi kiya nahi tha tumhein khabardaar.
Gabbar ho ya Gobar.. Pitega mujhse tu baar-baar..
Lagatar.... Hoshiyaar!!!

Gabbar:
Agar tumhe janwar jagana aata hai..
To humein tumhara bhoot bhagana aata hai
Dosti ke naam per paan ki peek...
Itna maar khayega ki ho jayega thik..

Bemaut marne ki baari tumhari hai..
Jeet to kal bhi hamari thi aaj bhi hamari hai..
Chikta rahega khabardaar hoshiyaar....
Aur upar se padti rahegi tujhe maar

Itna nahi kafi... to hum karenge upkar
Gift mein denge tujhe juton ka haar....
Kyon darpok... tera josh kidhar gaya
Yaad rakhna-- gabbar ne kaha tha-- jo darr gaya woh marr gaya
ha ha ha !!!

Sambha:
Ab bhoot hi keh diya humein to yeh lo jawaab!!

Jaanwar to kabu me phir bhi aa jate hain
Shaitaan ko kaise kabu me kar paogi?
Abhi door hain to 'tang' kar leti ho mujhe..
India agar aaon to kya yeh continue kar paoge..

Jeet tumhari kabhi na thi...
Kabhi na hogi...
Gabbar ki jeet sirf khwabon mein..
Sirf khwabon mein hongi poori!

Kar le jatan..kar le koshish...
Ae Joonton ke haar ke sartaj !!
Gabbar ki batein humein yaad rahengi..
Itni maar ke baad Gabbar ko khood yaad ho, yeh maalom nahi!

Ye maan le dost, ki tang karne me mazaa aata hai
Jazbaato ke saagar mein lehrein uthti hain
Tumhara mann un lehro me gote lagata hai..
Kya karein dost, tu mere mann ko bahut bhata hai
Aur iske aage mujhe kuch nahi aata kai :)

Ab bol kambakth!!!

Gabbar:
Jaldi hi khud ko shaitaan man liya tumne
Hamare taquat ke samne
Hathiyar dal diya tumne
Khair isme hi tumhari bhalai thi..

Warna kya tumhari shamaat aayi thi..
Jo gabbar ke samne sir uthate
Idiotic shayri se mera mood jalate

Waise gabbar ko tumhari ek baat pasand aayi

Tang karne ka maaza hi kuch hai bhai
Dekho tang kare-karte hum shayar ho gaye
Sholay ki duniya se nikle to shayari ki duniya mein kho gaye.

Friendship ka yeh andaaz accha hai
Par maan le tu mere samne bacchha hai.

ha ha ha ha !!!

-------------------------------------------
Gabbar ki in baaton se Sambha bilkum darr gaya...
No reply for some time...

An ecstatic Gabbar replies:
Kaisa saathi hai tu gabbar ka jo darr gaya
Kya main samjhu tu marr gaya
Dena nahi aata jawab
Ab to teri halat hai kharab
Teri halat dekh kar taras aa raha hai
Jo kal tak sher bana phirta tha.. aaj ghas kha raha hai ha ha ha

---------------
Hope I didn't bug all with my stupid (as ME) post ;-)
Take care.
TLT

O SGM! Where ART thou ;-)

SGM hates meetings!!! Most of the meetings serve no other purpose rather than to have an alibi for your presence for an hour or two.
Well today he was forced into attending one. SGM was the last person to enter the room. He sat there with a notepad and a pen placed neatly on the round table.
The other attendees had lots to debate and discuss. But all that SGM could hear was the ocean. The wide blue ocean symbolized freedom for him... freedom from work! freedom from relationships! freedom from thoughts! freedom from life itself!!

Note ~ SGM longs for such freedom...

His hands now shifted and cupped his ears in a different way! The boisterous waves crashed against the rocks. The magical rhythm of sea upped a beat.
As SGM breathed the moisture laden ocean-air into his nostrils and danced to the ocean beats, his pen moved unknowingly over his notebook scribbling something in a frenzy.
When the waves subsided, silence fell across the land! SGM put his pen down.
The scribe read the minutes of the meeting. It sounded all greek and latin! SGM was glad that there was no action item on his plate.
"Thank You", the leader called out.

SGM breathed a sigh of relief. The meeting was over! And there were positive results from this meeting. He had created a masterpiece! ;-)

Cheers,
TLT

Movie Maniac....

I am a passionate follower of cinema, not just restricted to the likes of Bollywood and Hollywood, but cinema on a global scale! I just love watching movies day in and day out. And having watched so many movies, it's difficult to pick the best among them all. But daring as I am, I am going to take on the daunting task to name a few.
Note ~ This list was compiled almost an year back! I am just adding a couple of new names to the list.

The compiled list is not set in any particular order ;) And another thing to note is that this list excludes a lot of the cult classics like Golfather, Fight Club, Star Wars etc.

1>Good Will Hunting : Kudos to Gus Van Sant's amzing movie about a gifted math brainiac ( Matt damon ). The screenpay deservedly won an Oscar for Matt and Ben Affleck for the screenplay. I still do not believe the rumours that a major chunk of the screenplay was discussed an written over the phone. There are lot of really riveting dialogues in this movie...the best one being Matt's reply to why he doesn't want to join the NSA ;-) Don't remember? Read this.
"Why shouldn't I work for the N.S.A.? That's a tough one, but I'll give it a shot. Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. So I take a shot at it and maybe I break it. And I'm real happy with myself, 'cause I did my job well. But maybe that code was the location of some rebel army in North Africa or the Middle East. Once they have that location, they bomb the village where the rebels were hiding and fifteen hundred people I never had a problem with get killed. Now the politicians are sayin', "Send in the marines to secure the area" 'cause they don't give a shit. It won't be their kid over there, gettin' shot. Just like it wasn't them when their number was called, 'cause they were pullin' a tour in the National Guard. It'll be some guy from Southie takin' shrapnel in the ass. And he comes home to find that the plant he used to work at got exported to the country he just got back from. And the guy who put the shrapnel in his ass got his old job, 'cause he'll work for fifteen cents a day and no bathroom breaks. Meanwhile my buddy from Southie realizes the only reason he was over there was so we could install a government that would sell us oil at a good price. And of course the oil companies used the skirmish to scare up oil prices so they could turn a quick buck. A cute little ancillary benefit for them but it ain't helping my buddy at two-fifty a gallon. And naturally they're takin' their sweet time bringin' the oil back, and maybe even took the liberty of hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes to drink martinis and play slalom with the icebergs, and it ain't too long 'til he hits one, spills the oil and kills all the sea life in the North Atlantic. So my buddy's out of work and he can't afford to drive, so he's got to walk to the job interviews, which sucks 'cause the shrapnel in his ass is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids. And meanwhile he's starvin' 'cause every time he tries to get a bite to eat the only blue plate special they're servin' is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State. So what do I think? I'm holdin' out for somethin' better. Why not just shoot my buddy, take his job and give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president."
Truly amazing!!!
Even Robin Williams and Ben Affleck were amazing in this movie. Read more amazing quotes from this movie @ IMDB

2>Shawshank Redemption : Shawshank Redemption is by far the best movie crafted out of Stephen King's novels(The Green Mile came really close). This film boasted of a stellar cast, with Tim Robins playing an inncoent man in prison accused of murdering his wife. This is one of the best survival stories ever. Watching this movie you realize that there is always hope...hope of some thing better...and it is this hope that can help you endure the worst of pains."Salvation lies within!!"...yes it truly does!!

3>Finding Neverland : Being a Johnny Depp, this movie had to appear in my list...I love almost all Depp movies. He knows how to get into the skin of any role he plays...for example, in The Brave...he plays a convict just out of prison being offered to star in a "snuff" movie to help his poor family. In Pirates of the Carribean..he plays captian Jack Sparrow with such sincerity that it made this chidlren's movie an adult's fav too...i can put a lot of his movies in my list but that wouldn't be fair to other actors, so I am sticking only to Finding Neverland..Another day I would have put "What's eating Gilbert Grape" or any other of his movies.. In Finding Neverland, Johhny plays J.M Barrie the author of Peter pan...His relationship with Kate Winslet and her kids is truly endearing....

4>Forest Gump : I bet this movie will be in my top list for years to come. This is Tom Hanks at his best..Who can forget the opening lines.."My name is Forrest, Forrest Gump. Do you want a chocolate?". This movie is not a fairy tale, but it is as beautiful as one...Forrest's love for Jenny, his fiends, his `momma`...I could watch this movie over and over again without getting bored.

5>Shrek : This was one of the foremost children's movie to appeal equally to adults. Shrek, the ogre voiced amazingly by the funny Mike Myers...his best pal "Donkey" voiced by the talented Eddie Murphy...Princess Fiona voiced by Cameron Diaz..and the King voiced by John Lithgow....All truly remarkable performances...
This fairy tale is full of surprises....The are a lot many brilliant scenes in this CGI movie but the best scene for me was the song "Halelujah" when Fiona and Shrek part ways... Shrek 2 came in later with a new character -- Pussy Cat, voiced by Antonio Banderas. This too was a great movie earning more that the original, but still the original remains closer to my heart.

6>Bull Durham : I personally know a lot many people who just hate Kevin Costner. They feel that he is very much overrated as an actor. Watch "Dances with Wolves", "The Untouchables", "Bull Durham" and I bet that you will feel otherwise. I had a tough time deciding between these three... And I choose Bull Durham, because it captures the essence of sports. It is one of the best movies on Baseball...
The movie takes you on a journey with Crash Davis, played by Costner who loves baseball more than anything in the world..Tim Robbins, plays a rookie, who is mentored by Crash. The best dialogue of the movie..
"You don't respect yourself. That's your problem. You don't respect the game. That's my problem." Wow!!!

7>A Beautiful Mind : I must say that I read the book by Sylvia Nassar after I watched the movie.. The movie did not show everything what the book said...but to hell with that....This is really a wonderful movie.. Crowe, plays a brilliant mathematician, John Nash who is affected by paranoid schizophrenia...The supporting cast was great, Jennifer Connely, Ed Harris. payed their parts really well.

8>Groundhog Day : This is a cute film. Just try to put yourself in Bill Murray's shoes...he is having is worst day of his life repeating over and over again.. Bill Murray is a fine actor and he has displayed that over and over, the latest being `Lost in Translation` and 'Broken Flowers'. If you don't like this movie at first, watch it again... This movie had truly left me amazed till date.

9>When Harry Met Sally : This is one of the best romantic movies ever made( Sleepless in Seatle is also a close competitor in this category)... Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal were brilliant in this movie. The question that this movie tries to answer is that, Can men and women be only friends? Even after watching the movie, I cannot make my mind. ;-) I can watch this movie again and again without even blinking an eye....the story moves so fast and you will not realize how soon one and a half hour passes by.

1O>About A Boy : Being in London, I really had to put a British film in my list...I thought long and hard..the only two movies that come to my mind were "Love Actually" and "About a boy"..Both are great movies..Hugh Grant revelled in both of them. Please read this book authored by Nick Hornby...It's a great read and the movie even better ;)

11>Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (a.k.a Amelie) : The only foreign language on this list. The movie has best and the most colourful visuals that I have ever watched in a movie. Compared to most other films "Amelie", is just an ordinary story about a girl living in Paris seen through the lovely eyes of Audrey Tautou. She is extremely beautiful!!!
If you haven't already watched 'Dirty Pretty Things', please do watch it. Audrey looks fab in that too.
Hero (A Jet Li masterpiece) came very close to dislodging Amelie from this list. Maybe next time!!

Other movies that I love :- 'The Usual Suspects', 'American Beauty', 'Fight Club', 'Chasing Amy', 'Chupke Chupke', 'Kilukkam', 'Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il', 'Sin City', 'Roja', 'Musa', 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'Agneepath', 'Ramji Rao Speaking', 'Green Street', 'Gladiator', 'The Sixth Sense', 'Serendipity', 'Munnabhai M.B.B.S.',and so on and so forth

So thats all for today!
Signing off.
TLT

2007: An Introductory Retrospection

2006 has been a different year for me. I wouldn't classify it as good or bad, but I would just say different. It was exciting, challenging, interesting, lonely, difficult, lucky, happy all at the same time.
If I were to just scribble what 2006 meant to me in a couple of minutes it would be :

new place--new people---new work---time to establish oneself---struggle---work load--lots of bugs---trip to scotland---shifted residence---awesome apartment overlooking a canal---work load reduces---lots of treks and travels---misses family and friends back home---trip to india postponed---project released successfully---lots of initial hiccups---now stabilized---another Christmas in London---travel plans to india gets delayed again---new year---wiser

BTW, yesterday midnight, I was at the London Bridge to view the fireworks sponsored by the Mayor of London. The sight was simply awesome.


Please find below a video of the same.


Have a fun-filled New Year 2007.

God Bless,
TLT

Amazing grace...

Hi.

Some of my friends met with an accident couple of days back while they were driving around Scotland during the Christmas holidays. I don't have the complete updates yet, but by God's grace all of them are safe.

Some of the folks suffered minor injuries whereas for the others, the wounds were more severe.

Note ~ I understand the trauma casued if someone from a family meets with an accident. I have been a part of one when my Dad met with a near fatal accident in 2003. God has given my family the strength to cope up with it.
Our loving Lord has miraculously healed my dad's wounds and has blessed him by returning back his memory. We are praying for further miracles each day.

I pray that our lord give strength to all the family and friends of the people involved in this accident and let them rejoice in God's magnanimous grace that preserved them all.

Please pray with me for my friends and their families.

God Bless,
TLT

Aisa bhi hota hai...

Manager : Your India travel plans have been approved!
Me : Great!
Background : Tak dhina dhin... Tak dhina dhin...
Dhuchchik dhakchik...dhukchik dhakchik..dhum!!

Manager : You may book your tickets for this weekend!
Me : Ok.
Background : Yipeeeeeeeeeeee! Yaaron sun lo zara, Yaar main india chala... dhooom machale ... dhoom machale... dhoom!

Manager : Book a return flight for next week.
Me : What?
Background : WTF?????????????? Dil aisa kisi ne mera toda! Barbadi ki taraf aisa moda....

Joyeux Noel

Hey Friends.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

★★　　 ★★～* *～★　 ★★
*°★ ★Merry X'mas　*°★
‧*°∴°°☆☆★　*°☆☆*°
     °°☆°∴★*°☆∴
      °∴°°☆★∴°
       °∴★☆∴
        ★　　☆∴
        *樂°∴°
        ☆☆*
         ☆
       ﹨/
         ▏
       \●

Note~ To learn how to wish Merry Christmas in various languages you may click here.

This is my second Christmas in London. And I am missing my family and friends back home... :(

Cheers,
TLT

Pssssst, I guess The Lonely Traveller is feeling very lonely this X'mas!
We should something to cheers him up. What say you? ;)

Crushed...

I started watching 24, Season 4 last weekend. 16 episodes are over and I still can't get over the cute Leighton Meester who starred in the initial 3 episodes.
Just check out her smile...Amazing!!!!

P.S> I have lost count. I can only say that Leighton is my Umpteenth Crush!

Monkey Sense!

This monkey has been feeling weird all day long! His monkey sense is telling him that something's gonna happen real soon!
Good or Bad, He doesn't know! All he knows is that Good things happen to Good people.
And he is sure that he ain't Bad.

Lord, We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Today... Tomorrow... And Evermore!

The Sp'Octa'cular Adventures of Soooper (GREEN) Man!

Having been tagged by Life Lover, whose Eight Wonders were as brilliant as it were honest, this post deserves a lot effort.
And being slightly out of breath due to my current project crisis, so this most definitely will have to wait ;-(

*Banging my head against my laptop now.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ouch! It hurts!

There have been so many Sp'Octa'cular events in my life, that I am not sure what to write and what not to. But, I promise myself that I will complete it by this weekend.

Take care folks! Have a good evening.

To be continued.....
----------------------------
Hello. I am back!
Yours Truly a.k.a the Sooooper(GREEN)Man (hereinafter called "SGM") would like to share some stuff from the past.
And continuing in the tradition of other super-hero/heroine friends, he will disclose eight Sp'Octa'cular events from his Sp'Octa'cular life.

One---> Chillies and Thrills

As there was a legend behind the Superman's cape, there is a powerful story behind his Green pants. Here it goes...
SGM hated Green in his chilhood days, from green leafy vegetables...to the green jumping peas....to the green "Kerala" canopy that prevented SGM from running to his Soooper parents.
Note ~ SGM's early childhood was spent under his grandparents tutelage, while his parents toiled in the land of the Tatas(Jamshedpur)

Now this chain of events triggered an OCD in SGM. Whenever he saw a "Padre", his demons used to force him to spit on them. He was cautious enough to hide this fact from his grandparents.
But, his Grandparents also being Sooooper Grandparents, caught him in the act. Granny rushed out into her garden and pulled out a bunch of Sooooper Green....Soooooper Hot chillies. She then came into the room, held SGM by his ears and laboriously proceeded to rub the chilies onto his palate.
He cried and cried... but Granny wouldn't stop!
SGM now loathed Green more than ever. Green had caused him enough hurt.

But, later when the fire was finally put out by lots of sugar and honey, and when SGM finally regained back his composure, he was happy!
He was CURED of his ailment! His tongue would never again curl to spit when he saw any Padre.
Years later, when the time came to choose the color of his Soooper pants.. Green was the only color that made sense!

Keep watching this space for more adventures.....

------------------------

Two---> Ball Thumbing

It was a dull evening @ Bari Maidan, Jamshedpur where Your's Truly was keeping goals for his soooper football team.
There was a stiff wind accompanied by a slight drizzle but the match had to go on. The visiting team from a colony nearby were actually quite good.. and to be frank everyone expected the home team to lose.
Note ~ SGM was 6 years old then.

Your superhero SGM had already let two goals slip through. And from the way the opponents were playing a third was certainly on the cards. SGM wiped the prespiration from his forehead, as he saw a charged up 4 footer, dribbling the ball smoothly, sprint across to him. As his huge frame entered the D, he swung a mighty kick at the ball.
The ball rushed at incredible speed to wards SGM, who charged forward to gather it.
The ball brushed his right thumb and got deflected away from the the brick that signified the goal post. Teammates gathered around and hugged him, as he had saved them from further embarassesment.
It was at that instant when SGM to his horror realized that his soooper thumb had bent the other way. He quit the game then and there. Then rushed to his soooper mom who held his thumb under cold water and gave it a jerk the other way round.
The thumb slipped back in it rightful place.
SGM presently can use his right thumb for all purposes. But there sometimes is a slight weird tickling sensation at the joint, which he thinks is a constant reminder to the fact that even soooperheroes are human!!!

------------------------

Three ---> First Crush

When SGM was 10 years old, that's when he first saw her. She was standing in another class's queue during the school assembly. She gave him the most beautiful smile that he had ever seen. All day long he thought about her. Even when the History teacher smothered him with barrage of questions, all he could think was her smile.
Two years later.... His first day in the 7th grade...
Note ~ He had not seen the smiling gal again for a couple of years.

He saw a beautiful damsel walk up to and sit next to him. He saw her smile. It was the same smile that he had fallen in love with.
Later they were to become the best of friends!

------------------------------

Four ---> The Reunion

SGM was not a very popular kid in his class. The reason was that he was a studious dork! He had a very limited set of friends. Few months back he met a friend from school thru Orkut. And to be frank, he never expected her to remember him but she scrapped him back. SGM was ecstatic. They chatted for days! But, then one fine day she said:
"Hey Rosh! You know, I don't remember anything about you. Can you upload some snaps of yours onto Orkut!"
And that was the day when SGM crashed back to reality! ;-(

--------------------------

Five ---> Sooper Sis saves the day

Note ~ SGM's Soooper Sis is 2 years younger to him.

SGM was once confronted by 5 bullies from the colony where they lived in Jamshedpur.
He had nowhere to run! Nowhere to hide!
That was when Soooper Sis jumped in. She said : "If anyone dare lay a finger on my Bro! I am gonna beat the hell out of you".
The dare being too much for them, all the goons fled that very minute.
That was the day when Soooper Sis saved her bro.

Another Note ~ SGM's Soooper Sis was 6 years old that time.

------------------------------

Six ---> Soooper Mom - Soooper Athelete

SGM's Mom was a amazing athlete during her teens. She had kept her Soooper Athletism a secret. It was only when SGM was in his late teens, he found way too many certificates confirm this fact! Throwball, Volleyball, Javelin, Shotput, Hurdles to name a few sports she excelled in.
Later that day, she confided that she owed her current job to her Sooper Athletism.
The only question that the company asked her during her job interview was "Would you play for us?"
Note ~ She worked in the same company for over 25 years without ever getting on the field!

----------------------------------

Seven ---> The Underdogs

From his childhood days, SGM was sympathetic towards the Underdogs in Cricket. He cheered for Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Holland. He cheered when Lance Klussener smacked the ball all around the park when there was no hope for the South Africans. He cheered when Holland mocked the Indian batting lineup and bowled them out for a meagre 200. He cheered when Kenya beat the crap out of Indian attack. He cheered when Bangladesh sprinted to a Test victory over the Mighty Australians.
Note ~ SGM's dad hated when SGM cheered for any country who played against India. Even though SGM wanted India to win, he loved teasing his dad into thinking that he was cheering against India.
:-)

Eight ---> The Graduation Night!

Yours Truly hasn't mentioned this to anyone about this. So whoever is reading this, please be discreet! You know what was the first thing that we friends did when we graduated out of school.
One of us went into a bar, and bought few cans of beer. Afraid of being caught red-handed by friends or neighbours, we went to a park in the nearby colony. We gulped the booze in the dark of the night.
Note ~ SGM did not like the taste of the beer but it was the excitement of doing the forbidden that tasted much better!

--------------------
This was a rather long post but I totally enjoyed doing this.
I thank LL for tagging me, but I am sorry coz I won't be passing on the tag to anyone.
Sorry again! ;-0(

Cheers,
TLT

Thoda sa roomani ho jayein...

Today I was going through some snaps taken during a party at a friend's few weeks back. I recalled a song that one of my mates had sung that night, in a bout of drunken frenzy, but with so much passion that all of us stared at him in awe.
"Raah mein unse mulaqat ho gayi... Jisse darte they wahi baat ho gayi" from a Ajay-tabu starrer Vijaypath.
Now talking about romantic songs, I too have some favourites.

1> "Everything I do, I do it for you." OST Robinhood: Prince of Thieves, concocted in a soul-stirring melody by Bryan Adams, a mastermind behind other romantic hits like "Please forgive me" so on and so forth..

2> "Kahe sataye..kahe rulaye...Raam kare tujhko neend na aaye" OST Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. A young and vibrant, Juhi and a handsome charmer, Aamir .. sure recipie for success. I almost fell in love with Juhi when I watched this song on screen for the first time.

3> "Leaving on a jet plane" by John Denver. There was pain in this song... pain of leaving his girlfriend...pride(patriotism) of fighting for war for country.... and more than that... hope of returning back to his beloved. Everything was captured to perfection in this song.

4> "Jab kisi se dil" OST Pyar To Hona Hi Tha. There is something about Kajol and Ajay, a mysterious chemistry that never could be captured with the lenses. All of their movies tried it in vain, but it was this one song that won over my heart. Even though it's is cover of the Bryan Adams hit - "Really love a woman", I love it.
I loved the way Ajay tries to shy away from Kajol.. Really Sweet!
"Yeh pyar bhi badi ajeeb cheez hai, Sanjana. Jahaan iqrar ki ummeed ho wahin kehne se darta hai..aur yahaan to inqaar ka poora bharosa hai!"

5> "Na bole tum..na maine kuch kaha! Phir na jaane aisa kyon kaga?
Ke dhoop mein khila hai chand..Din mein raat ho gayi!
Pyar ke kahe suna bhi baat ho gayi". I don't remember the movie but it was the ordinary charm of the spec'tacular Amol Palekar and the charming Tina Munim. That's what an ordinary love song looks like. I loved it.

These are mentioned in no order. there is no way that I can pick up five favourites. These are just the five lovely songs that I remembered tonite.
Another new song also comes to mind... "Jiya dhadak jaye." OST Kalyug. Beatiful song. Earthly lyrics..Great music...Kunal Khemu and the director's sister.

P.S> Well, Who thought that he would ever play the lead actor in a movie? And Boy oh boy! He sure knows how to act?

Later,
TLT

Bas yun hi...

I love my customized Google Homepage. I have my calendar on it. I also subscribe to various news feeds... local weather... quotes of the day... so on and so forth.
And BTW today's quote was not too bad!

There are two ways to slide easily through life; to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking. - Alfred Korzybski

P.S> Meri (project wali) jung abhi bhi jaari hai! And we are not holding back.
Jeetne ke ab kaafi aasaar nazar aa rahe hain...
Bhai log, koi nazar mat lagana. ;-)