11/11/11 came and went. Millions made crappy pictures and displayed it on Twitter, Facebook, where else? An ex-neighbour captured the moment with candles and put it on Facebook. Some people had a baby ‘by chance’ at the 11th hour of 11th day of 11th month of 11th year of this century and put a status message at the 11th minute of it. Really, it happened on my wall! But sadly, no Ab’s baby popped out and thousands lost millions of rupees.
And now, according to the ‘latest’ reports our Bollywood damsel is all set to deliver on 17th November. Media will unnecessarily create another Gandhi Jayanti out of it and MY birth date will lose its importance. People will remember me not because I was born, but because a great man had a good-looking son, married a Miss World and delivered a future star.
Yes, Bachchan baby you are stealing my thunder. But I will still give you and your family good wishes. You know why, because people born on this date have a BIG heart, you will see!
P.S. Did you know pregnant Aishwarya is having spicy cravings?And, that there are pictures of her today entering a hospital? And you could watch those pictures with or without music? Aah, could the media be more irritating!? Leave the woman alone!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Movie Review: Rockstar
Impeccable direction by Imitiaz Ali and flawless acting by Ranbir Kapoor makes Rockstar one of my favourite movies of 2011. Nargis Fakri’s lips stood out in the entire movie, but one really wished she didn’t speak through them. And the music, I thought it could be better.
The movie starts with Ranbir wanting to become a Jim Morrison. He is advised to have a heartbreak so that the true artist in him can come out. Ranbir is both dumb and cute in his approach. So, what begins with an act of falling in love with the hottest girl in the college progresses to be a passionate love story and ends in a tragedy. It rightfully transforms Janardhan into Jordan and brings out the Rockstar in Ranbir who gains all the appreciation in the world but remains a heart broken, gloomy man.
I kept waiting to get bored and things to go wrong. But Ranbir surprised everyone with all his avatars. And Imitiaz kept you interested in knowing what will happen next.The background scores were decent but a couple of songs could have been avoided. And yeah, the supporting cast did a real bad job!
But Rockstar proves that if the script is good and the lead actor does his job well, the movie can be a stunner. For me, Rockstar really is one.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Arab world
The Arab world is a mystery to me. What goes under black veils and white chongas is such a puzzle. You can read the likes of The Princess, Girls of Riyadh and Daughters of Arabia but still remain unsure about the authenticity of what has been said. You hear such incredulous stories that you wonder if it’s all true. One blog that leaves you shocked and looks a little genuine is http://muttawa.blogspot.com/. Read it and feel happy about your freedom. Sadist? Yes, we all are.
I’ve been reading here and there and thought I’ll share a few astonishing snippets.
The founder of Saudi Arabia had numerous kids (the exact number is unknown, 37 were boys). According to Wikipedia, the first was born in 1900 when he was around 24, and the last was born in 1952 before the king died in 1953. Yes, wow! And then we say our last generation in India had too many kids.
Saudi Arabia is the only nation in the Middle East where covering your face with a veil is compulsory for every woman (Maybe Iran also, I’m not sure). Even if me and you go there, we’ll have to wear a burkha with our faces covered. I have seen Saudi women in restaurants having such a tough time eating with their face covered with a long cloth. This is small in comparison to the death of 15 schoolgirls on March 15, 2002 because religious police refused to let them exit a burning building since they were not properly dressed. I wish they were called ‘The Cultural Police’ instead of putting this disgrace on religion.
Women are not allowed to drive a car/ride a bicycle or move around in Saudi Arabia without their brother/father or husband. Yes, even if there is a man with you, he has to be a close relative. Oh, and by the way, there are no movie halls in the Kingdom since entertainment is such a crime.
Having said that, it’s just Saudi that has such strict rules. In other Gulf countries, I’ve seen women in everything from a Bikini to a halter at public places. Dubai is so fashionable that it would make you look at your wardrobe and cry. People in Qatar and Kuwait are so rich that you feel like a pauper and wish to marry a rich Sheikh! You can wander on Bahrain streets at 12 a.m. on a weekend, and easily find someone who suits your budget. Yeah, when you are not allowed to do something, your craving increases manifold.
Living in the Middle East is an experience. Most(most, not all) citizens here are extremely lazy and full of themselves since they have oil and therefore a lot of money. It’s frustrating for a lot of people who have subordinates who just refuse to work and are only employed because of a certain quota. Anyway, as long as we are hired and paid enormously to do their work, we are not complaining!
On that note I’ll leave you with a joke that’s been doing rounds lately:
Japanese attitude for work: "If one can do it, I can do it. If no one can do it, I must do it."
Arabic attitude for work: "Wallahi if one can do it, let him do it. If no one can do it, ya-habibi how can I do it ?"
I’ve been reading here and there and thought I’ll share a few astonishing snippets.
The founder of Saudi Arabia had numerous kids (the exact number is unknown, 37 were boys). According to Wikipedia, the first was born in 1900 when he was around 24, and the last was born in 1952 before the king died in 1953. Yes, wow! And then we say our last generation in India had too many kids.
Saudi Arabia is the only nation in the Middle East where covering your face with a veil is compulsory for every woman (Maybe Iran also, I’m not sure). Even if me and you go there, we’ll have to wear a burkha with our faces covered. I have seen Saudi women in restaurants having such a tough time eating with their face covered with a long cloth. This is small in comparison to the death of 15 schoolgirls on March 15, 2002 because religious police refused to let them exit a burning building since they were not properly dressed. I wish they were called ‘The Cultural Police’ instead of putting this disgrace on religion.
Women are not allowed to drive a car/ride a bicycle or move around in Saudi Arabia without their brother/father or husband. Yes, even if there is a man with you, he has to be a close relative. Oh, and by the way, there are no movie halls in the Kingdom since entertainment is such a crime.
Having said that, it’s just Saudi that has such strict rules. In other Gulf countries, I’ve seen women in everything from a Bikini to a halter at public places. Dubai is so fashionable that it would make you look at your wardrobe and cry. People in Qatar and Kuwait are so rich that you feel like a pauper and wish to marry a rich Sheikh! You can wander on Bahrain streets at 12 a.m. on a weekend, and easily find someone who suits your budget. Yeah, when you are not allowed to do something, your craving increases manifold.
Living in the Middle East is an experience. Most(most, not all) citizens here are extremely lazy and full of themselves since they have oil and therefore a lot of money. It’s frustrating for a lot of people who have subordinates who just refuse to work and are only employed because of a certain quota. Anyway, as long as we are hired and paid enormously to do their work, we are not complaining!
On that note I’ll leave you with a joke that’s been doing rounds lately:
Japanese attitude for work: "If one can do it, I can do it. If no one can do it, I must do it."
Arabic attitude for work: "Wallahi if one can do it, let him do it. If no one can do it, ya-habibi how can I do it ?"
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The kind of people I love
The one’s who accept the fact that they can be extremely silly!
The one’s who can feed you anytime of the day.
The one’s who’s compliments are genuine and can make your day.
The one’s who’ll call you to inform about an ongoing sale!
The one’s who ask you for a particular recipe suggesting how much they love what you cook.
The one’s who will dress up not because there’s a crowd but because they felt like it.
The one’s who will bring you a cake on your birthday.
The one’s who call/text you even if you forget to call/text them like always.
The one’s who don’t mind you pulling their leg.
The one’s who love food as much as you do!
The one's who act funny just after one drink. And the one's who sing and laugh out loud with you after several shots!
The one’s who are regular at reading your blog :)
I could go on and on suggesting that I love a lot of people!!! Yeah, I could think of atleast one person I know for every line I wrote. So, who are the kind of people you love?
The one’s who can feed you anytime of the day.
The one’s who’s compliments are genuine and can make your day.
The one’s who’ll call you to inform about an ongoing sale!
The one’s who ask you for a particular recipe suggesting how much they love what you cook.
The one’s who will dress up not because there’s a crowd but because they felt like it.
The one’s who will bring you a cake on your birthday.
The one’s who call/text you even if you forget to call/text them like always.
The one’s who don’t mind you pulling their leg.
The one’s who love food as much as you do!
The one's who act funny just after one drink. And the one's who sing and laugh out loud with you after several shots!
The one’s who are regular at reading your blog :)
I could go on and on suggesting that I love a lot of people!!! Yeah, I could think of atleast one person I know for every line I wrote. So, who are the kind of people you love?