The Bougainville Love

Thorny ornamental vines, bushes or trees, named after French admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville. 

That's bougainville to Wiki. 

When I was a kid, a walk after dinner with Appa was a norm of life. It was an exclusive father-daughter time of the day. 

We would walk the length of our street, then go around this huge house at the street's end, and then walk back home the same way we came. We would catch each other up on our day's accomplishments & challenges, plans for the next day, upcoming events at my school/his office, some fatherly wisdom & advice (they just can't resist), and as we returned home, we would plot how best to trouble Amma. 

So, coming to that huge house. To me it looked nothing short of a palace, in size and grandeur, which I couldn't care less for back then. What appealed to me the most about that house, then, was its huge compound wall that had massive overhanging bougainville vines all over it, all around. Oh! What colors it added to the otherwise drab landscape! 

A part of our walk was dedicated to admiring this plant, its so many colours & shades. I would call them out one after another. For the colour/shade that neither of us could agree upon ("It's purple. No, it's magenta."), we'd come up with new names (Purgenta!!) 

I might not remember exactly what was said or what was seen, but everytime i see these colourful plants anywhere, I can still feel what I felt back then, walking hand in hand with Appa - his love. 

This is bougainville to me.

TDK [2008]

Its been a long time...since Independence Day...that i have actually been THIS impressed with a movie/ a character in particular...

Watched the movie four times, and not once did any scene get boring...
Plus, this dude is just awesome! :-)

A few exchanges/dialogues i really enjoyed...

The Joker: “I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger.”

The Joker: “Why So Serious? Lets put a smile on that face...”

Harvey Dent: "You Either Die a Hero, or Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become the Villain"

The Joker: "Y'see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little...push.”

The Joker (to Rachael) : A little fight in you. I like that! Batman: Then you're going to love me.

The Joker: You just couldn't let me go could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won't kill you, because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.

The Joker: The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules!

The Joker: If you're good at something, never do it for free.

Bruce Wayne: So, let's put a couple tables together. Harvey Dent: I'm not sure they'll let us. Bruce Wayne: Oh, they should. I own the place.

Lucius Fox: Let me get this straight: You think that your client, one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world, is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands. And your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck.

The Joker: Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair.

P.S. Its the Joker who has left a lasting impression on the minds of the viewers, and not the Dark Knight.

Rain Rain Go Away...

Monsoons...
Rains...
Ah! The things we do on rainy days...
Smell the earth’s fragrance;
Marvel (through glass panes) at the puddles of water fast filling up the roads outside;
Laugh (while happily sipping hot tea) at the plight of the guy whose umbrella’s upended;
Dive into the warm blankets when it thunders;
Make small paper boats to go out and make float in those puddles...
...
...
...
...and the list can go on and on...
All the to-do items are actually done only when we are safe, dry and cozy...with a roof over our heads...yes, its great fun!

The rains in Karnataka have a specialty – their perfect timing...heavy showers during the office-going /office-leaving hours...and a pleasant drizzle the rest of the day. Just as my luck would have it, the intensity is at its PEAK only when I decide to go out someplace.
I go shopping - it pours;  I enter the shop – it stops; I get out again – yes! It starts!!
I leave for the office – it pours; I leave early the next day – it pours early; I leave deliberately one hour late the following day – there it is...
No matter where I go, when I leave, it just seems to reschedule itself to match my timings...

Take this evening, for instance –
Just as I finish work early and decide to leave it starts drizzling; I think I can manage it and by the time take my vehicle out, it pours with all its energy (with orchestra); I park the bike and get back to my cube – its been raining for nearly 2 hours, when there’s the first sign of subsidence... Happily I leave, only to get caught in the middle... On the slippery roads, riding a two-wheeler(cars are still better off, remember the roof?), rain beating down on my face(cant see with visor on), spectacle’s all wet and hazy, chilly winds...
Rain definitely not so cute anymore :-(
Sigh! :-

I feel that I am the chosen one!!! Well, now I can totally identify with Little Johnny’s feelings when his playtime is ruined and cries out...
Rain! Rain! Go Away!!!
Come back another day!

P.S. Having said all this, I still believe that the most soothing sound is the moosic of the rains, beating down hard...esp while trying to fall asleep...Nature singing a lullaby! Aaah! :-)

Before Sunrise

There’s this friend of mine. Our wavelengths/frequencies (or whatever other term there exists in the science textbook) has always matched. Have always trusted her judgment. As always, wasn’t let down this time either.
Read about this movie in her blog. Without even giving it a second thought, got the movie and just finished watching it.

This decade has witnessed the evolution of a new *supergenre of movies which I’d like to call No-Frills Movies. Despite expensive sets, exotic locations, world-renown cast, great background score, cool graphics, billion-dollar promotions and a plethora of other such accessories, a movie might go lost on the audience. What really never fails to leave an imprint is a simple story just told in a simple way. They might not be huge collectors at the box office, but they certainly do give the audience their money's worth and something worthwhile to think about outside the theatre as well.

If you haven’t already guessed it, Before Sunrise belongs to this new-era genre - No-Frills, Romantic. The movie is nothing but pure conversation between 2 complete strangers from completely alien cultures, who meet on a train. Annoyed by a bickering couple (more so by the fact that the couple is fighting in a language they cant understand :-)), they strike a conversation, build a rapport and then go on to make this absolutely impulsive/freaky decision to explore the city of Vienna together and spend the day together; the wildest thing they have done so far.

No spoilers here...I couldn’t reveal more of the movie even if I wanted to because there is nothing more. This is the plot. That’s it. The whole 1h.36m.44s is about how they spend the day simply by talking to each other. Natural as it comes. I know there's room for skepticism here. I really never thought something like this could hold my attention, let alone make me sit and write a blog about at this hour of the day! Pleasant romance. There are so many exchanges between the lead actors which make you wonder "now, there's something I’ve never thought about like this..."

liked 2 tracks -
Come Here (Kath Bloom : woven in)
Living Life (Daniel Johnston/Kathy McCarty : closing credits)

On the whole, a simple story brilliantly executed.
Before Sunrise, anytime of any day!

P.S. I have this feeling that JAB WE MET, on some level, might have drawn inspiration from here; with the added masala that is so characteristically Bollywood. Well, in my opinion, good from good is always good :-)
P.P.S. I hear there's a sequel to this - Before Sunset. Sincerely hope they've not killed the spirit of the original in this one....as always happens with most sequels.

1:40 ki blog...Ooty ke naam!

एक चालीस की blog...

Surprisingly I'm awake way past this time almost everyday these days. It has become my biological clock that just doesn't let my system shut down any earlier. I realize that it has been quite a while since I've written anything here...lack of time...in the office and out of it there's a lengthy list of the daily chores to be done...that by the time I'm done crossing out the last item on it, I'm exhausted and its time to call it a day.

Moreover, its a pain to have to sit in front of a computer again at home when all that I've done for the last 10hrs at work is precisely that!

Anyways, found some time and energy to spare today...and am going to write about the first thing that comes to my mind in this flow...

The last couple of weeks and weekends have been really hectic - the former work-wise and the latter on the personal front. Of the umpteen number of places I've been to, the most memorable has been the ride to Ooty last weekend.

The longest/highest/steepest/most nerve racking/gut wrenching/breath taking/horribly sun burning yet THE MOST enjoyable bike ride of my life till date....hold on, breathe easy....i obviously wasn't riding! (wat were you thinking!?!)...all these adjectives are my observations strictly as a pillion :-)

As has been observed time and again, only last minute plans have worked out and was no different in this case. We had decided to go ahead with the weekend plan (to any place) with how many ever people we interested. Most of the plans get cancelled because we try to accommodate our plans into a common "free weekend"...which is practically non-existent! This time, since we were in good number, we decided to carry out the long-pending plan of a trip to Ooty.

The logistics were to be arranged next. The guys had already been to Ooty a couple of months back...by bike...it was ONE adventurous trip where the 5 were luck to come back alive :-) They decided that THAT adventure was NOT enough and felt the need to relive it. Hence the decision to RIDE to the hill station. The challenge was to secure one more bike (7ppl-had 3 bikes in hand-needed one more). Got it friday night, all bikes tinkered here n there and made fit to carry load...

Assembled @ the Vontikoppal "adda" at 5a.m. We were ALL supposed to be there at that time, but some people conviniently snoozed their alarms, ignored 2 wake-up calls and slept on... :-) After a nice hot cup of tea to rid us of the last remnants of sleep, we hit the roads by 6-6.15a.m.

Morning Tea

Rise and Shine!

The early morning ride was simply awesome as this was the first time i got to see sunrise in Mysore. We took our own sweet time on the road...stopped again for breakfast. The ride through the forests was enjoyable. It was a really pretty sight. As usual we were greeted by a cute elephant family, of which the youngest decided to clean its nose on the first hand offered o it! Nevertheless, we also got to see a couple of deers & chipmunks as well.

The jumbo family & the unfortunate incident :-)

Great Roads

After crossing the forest, the road was pretty bad for a few kilometers. The inevitable twists n turns had set in along with the uncomfortable pressure drop inducing that *pop*ing in our ears :-) The much dreaded hair pin bends (36 in all) were traversed in succession...it was the FIRST time that I could appreciate the steepness, altitude and the danger of these U's....gets missed in bigger vehicles.

Stopping for rest/refreshments/photo shoots at regular intervals, boy were we relieved when we crossed the very last hair pin bend...1/36 and Welcome to Ooty were an oasis in the desert...

OASIS

Our first task on entering the city was to find a decent place to stay in...the added constraint of 2 girls made the search a little more challeging. After 30minutes of dust, exhaust, cement and blistering heat, we found a good place to rest our tired limbs (yes! being a pillion, sitting behind doing nothing is also extremely tiring!!)
After depositing our luggage, we prowled on for lunch and the attraction for the day - Doddabetta Peak.

Our Hotel

The place had no charm of the winters, but was breath-taking nevertheless. Misty or not, nothing could stop the photo shoot :-) Thee was on fire with the cam in hand...after spending about an hour on the peak, we decided to go visit the Rose gardens.

DoddaBetta - BigHill

On the way we bought my favorite item - the bubble blower...blowing those streams of bubbles into the sunlight, watching them glitter, flutter and then pop into a mist is a splendid sight! That is precisely how we entertained ourselves in the rose garden as it had nothing much to offer to us.

Another game the guys (read Sridhar) decided to play was Tie the ShoeLaces...Thee and i were the only 2 who had the necessary props (shoes/laces), hence, we were the chosen targets. After fighting for a few minutes, decided to give in to his whim...

We (esp. the riders) were beat and so decided to call it a day. went back to our cottage, freshened up (got horribly burnt - got neither sunscreen for the heat nor moisturizer for the night's cold) and watched TV for a while before getting the cards out...i learnt a new game - 5 (i think thats what its called) - and we ended up playing this one on and on and on and on and on......broke for dinner....resumed and continued till we were all delirious with sleep...

We were woken up the next day as early as 7am...பக்தி பரவசமான ஒரு channel போட்டு எழுப்பி விட்டான் ஸ்ரீதர் - that பக்தி பாடல் was கந்தர் சஷ்டி கவசம்...it really worked, though....we were all out of bed in no time :-) after our baths, morning tea, photo sessions and check out, we headed for the attractions of the day - 6th mile, 9th mile, Pykara lake...all the while continously munching one thing or another.

The 'N' miles are all shooting spots...a lot of films/songs sequences have apparently been shot at these amazing locales. After the வித விதமான photography on the 6th mile, we decided to move 3 miles down :-)

"Log"ged on the 6th mile

The masti that ensued @ the 9th mile was one of the very best! The sight that greets you as you climb up the hill is a complete contrast to the awaiting scenary on the other end. Lush green forest, bright-as-sunshine flowers, the mountainous backdrop...a sight to behold... reminded me of the title track of the movie - "Sound of Music"

"The hills are alive with the sound of music

With songs they have sung for a thousand years

The hills fill my heart with the sound of music

My heart wants to sing every song it hears"

The boys were on a roll in the 9th mile...well, literally!!!

Adra raama adra raama adra raama!!!

The triple roll

The RACE - வெற்றி நமதே

The road to Pykara was simply superb - bike ride, such good road, surprisingly pleasant temperature, the company and music....couldn't have asked for anything more! :-)

After Pykara, we decided it was time to head back home if we were to make it before sunset. it was already 3pm. We made excellent time back down - with limited no. of stopovers...we only broke for tea once - where we checked our weights (nope...don't even think about it...NOT going to reveal the figures) and got to play on the swing - another top scorer on my list of favorites!!!

By the time we reached home (read as Vontikoppal adda), it was 7.30pm and the stress of the 2-day ride was beginning to tell...we decided to make dinner at home - kept it simple and sweet. While dinner was getting prepared, we played one more round of that card game (yea, had become addicted to it), settled expenses and uploaded pics...after sumptuous dinner, bid goooodbyes and headed home and straight to bed.

It was a great weekend, albeit a beauty spoiler :-)