Sherlock

Set in modern day London, this one's quite good. But then so are all of them. I mean Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation- Sherlock Holmes! Have just seen two episodes and Benedict Cumberbatch does a good job of it- though he looks much younger than the traditionally portrayed detective. And when you google him, you get to know that the guy has quite a few achievements under his belt. He's done a fair bit of theatre as well. 

Why is it then in India, that theatre actors were always theatre actors? They were never seen in the commercial light, could never be thought of as bankable in a film setup and I could go on. But that seems to be heading for some change. Long overdue.

Finally Monday!

Whoever coined 'monday morning blues' had nothing to do over the weekend, which sometimes is pure pleasure!

Sometimes now, I think Mondays are a welcome end to the weekend :-) especially if the weekends happen to be so exhausting as most of ours are turning out to be. We started the weekend harmlessly enough with K's karate class; but from then on it became a steady run from one point to another. And all this includes kiddie birthday parties, friends coming over, and then a Sunday lunch which gave me such a cracker of a migraine that it lasted well into the Monday morning- and I mean early early morning. The lunch itself was great- food was really nice. 

It has suddenly become very hot in Delhi- the temperatures shooting up to 36! Doesn't bode so well for the summer months- it's only the middle of March!

Dinner Party!

and A junior is just not sleeping....

Have had a fairly relaxing day thanx also to the efforts of A and although we've had a tight journee with birthday parties etc...I thought we'd be able to crack it as S & D come only after 9...
It turned out that I still had a fair bit of work to do...

And even now A refuses to 'skeep' as he calls it and to top it all food needs finishing and dessert needs finishing and table needs to be laid and spare bedroom needs to be put into some kind of order!

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep already A.....

So on edge and this post is so full of needless period points....

Mobile Me!!!

No, this is not about the Apple application; it's just about mobile phones.
And that's a long way one has travelled- from being portable phones- 'portable' in french or mobile phones or simply 'mobiles'; there is now the 'IPhone', the 'Windows Phone', the 'Smartphone', the touch screens and many many more. Like almost every thing which stems from a need, phones also are now a 'statement'. I don't want to get into the hows and whys- enough posts/articles about that already.

No- my reason was simple. The other day, i had gone to pick up my younger one from school. There were 10 people waiting. 8 were glued to their mobile phones. I actually felt so isolated that I picked up my phone and called my husband at work. There was a time and not too far back, when people or in this case- mothers, would try and strike up a conversation with others. Now, one uses the phone as a tool to aid the opposite. Just sit on the bench and play with your downloaded games- you could still manage to look 'importantly' occupied. Or the classic- pretend calls to avoid talking to someone, except don't forget to kill the ringer!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The books were gorgeous.
The Swedish films were not quite so.
The first in this trilogy wasn't bad at all, though it definitely left some to be desired as far as as staying true to the book was concerned.
The second strayed a bit farther away.
The third had nothing to do with the book- it looked as if it had been made in a hurry. Oh it did carry the story but only in outlines- it totally missed out on the beautiful details.

Now I know books have to be adapted to screenplays and moving pictures don't have the beauty of a 'thousand words' to fall back back on; but one can at least try.
And then I saw the new Daniel Craig starrer 'the girl...'! It is a fabulously made movie. It stays true to the book, manages to squeeze in all the major and minor details/events of the book without compromising on the pace of the movie. It shows what the other one had missed completely- Lisbeth Salander's relationship with her now-ill ex guardian; exactly how she manipulates money into her account and a number of other things.
Though I get terribly depressed and scared in equal measure after seeing the movie- I would still give a big thumbs up to the new version, even though they do twist the story in parts, especially the end where Harriet Vanger is found in London!

Anthony Bourdain- Medium Raw

I'm sorry Mr. Bourdain, but I'll have to pass on this one.

I liked Kitchen Confidential- it was irreverent, honest to the point of being offensive and offered a very fresh look into the glamour world of prima donna chefs/cuisine art- oh what the hell- cooking.

And although you have tried to be as irreverent- sex, drugs, expletives et al; it's already sounding tired. And I haven't even crossed page no 100! I know you have tried not to blame your loving parents by blaming them (it doesn't make sense at all does it? ) for all your initial fuck ups, your wrong decisions, your drugs. But unless you are being completely dishonest and your formative years involved an abusive relationship with your parents; you claim- not imply, that had your parents been less normal and more abnormal, you wouldn't have gone out seeking other thrills.
Wow- what a case in point for parents to withhold love, engage in physically and verbally abusive relationships with their children, offer them drugs and alcohol from a very early age and generally give them thrills at home for them not to seek outside.

Also the books jumps from one thing to the other.
With chapters titled- Virtue/Lust etc- yes even to the non initiated, we know the biblical references. But the meat of the chapters itself is like you said at one point- cheap and too lean.

I am not trying to trash this book- it just doesn't appeal to me at all. I love all things food related- books, literature, films, ingredients- the works. And though I tried very hard to like this book, this one will be the third book I am abandoning without completing- just don't want to waste my time.

Downloads Inc!

Don't worry I have patented the title of this blogpost- it's too yummy to be out there all by itself- unprotected.

I have been on a download high for quite some time now. In fact some time ago, someone from my husband's family while snooping around in my computer (in my absence of course), remarked that all I ever did was 'download' games for my kids. Well, this guy couldn't have been more off the mark- he had to be taught how to open a facebook account (which is ok in most cases but in the case of this super sarcastic supercilious person- is not!)

Let me not digress. I download. I do not download a whole lot of things for my kids. In fact in this respect I am quite selfish. My hard disk is rapidly filling up with movies, books and tv series- hoping one day I will land up watching the complete season of New Girl, Suburgatory, 2 Broke Girls etc. Out of these, I truly like New girl- it's funny and makes me laugh. Something that Cougar Town just doesn't.
Having been through two seasons (I know- what the fuck was I thinking of), I reluctantly start on season number 3. And for the life of me, I just can't remember, why I bothered. Everything about it is pure, unadulterated SHIT. Courtney Cox and her monicaesque obsessions are a pure pain, and so is Ellie and the blonde giant with the horrifyingly colored lips. The fact that it exists, actually is quite heartening. It means someone or someones out there have a lot of money to waste on producing crap like this.

Which means there is hope for me!

And for the record- pirate bay rocks!!

AND WE ARE BACK!!!

After ages, during which we were out of commission :-); we are now back.

It's also been ages since the year turned- and what a turn for me (details to follow or not depending on my mood).

So what have I been upto these past few months?
- Moving
- Setting up
- Cooking
- Aaaaaaaaaah (pls don't let your minds run away with you)- this is just a breath- so breathing!!!!!

2012

So any plans for the new year yet?

I know the ones we had haven't really gotten on track till now but hey who am I to say no? And although I wanted to write about so many different things, I guess the one thing that is non controversial and top of mind is the New Year's eve!

Also praying hard for all my friends going through terrible times- really feel for you my friends and pray and hope that with the new year 2012, our kismet changes as well.

The one who's daughter is suffering from a terrible something- I pray on behalf of my entire family, that your baby girl becomes absolutely fine and comes back home happy. It would take some time to get out of this and I pray that God gives you strength and happiness as a family again and soon.

The one who went to rescue her mother from an old age home- I pray you and your mom spend many happy years in each other's company. May God bless you for being so considerate and so helpful. You were there for us, we are too- for you.

The one who's living away from her husband of many years- I pray you find happiness and the inescapable note of sadness from your voice leaves it forever. May you be a family again- happy with each other.

The one who is a single mother. She's been through a terribly tough time which has lasted years. She has fought with all that life has handed out to her and though she doesn't have all that she wants, she's thrashed the fuck ups with all her might and I do believe she is a winner. May you find someone to love and cherish you the way you deserved to be loved. May you find lots of work which gives you a lot of satisfaction. May you finally get what is rightfully yours- everything your heart desires.

And my husband and my little children- May you find happiness with me and find in me- a less irritable wife and mother. May God give us peace and happiness as ONE family - finally.

Happy 2012.

Martina....

Thanx for being there.

We really love you and think you are doing a great job.

You are fabulous just the way you are.

(and yes I am shamelessly using this as an excuse to complete my numbers :-)

No cupckaes at midnight!

Not that i wanted to eat them...just wanted to make the promised batch for my babies Christmas morning breakfast.

But I dozed off, putting them to bed and when I woke up, it was already too late- considering I currently inhabit a full house with almost the same number of people per square meter as a crowded beach!

And although my dear husband said what the hell- just go ahead and cook, I thought the noise of the hand mixer would draw more than a fair share of 'what the hell do you think you are doing in the middle of the night'!

So I gathered material for the morning-falling short of a couple of ingredients (hopefully the poor soul will run to the market early morning to get them!), and hope we have a freshly baked cake (i decided against the cupcakes) for Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas everyone! 

and the ones with the double standards...

...are not always or just the people I am related to, even by marriage!

On one of those rare occasions that I sneaked out for a Christmas-y eve at a friends' place nearby, met a whole lot of people. And it feels nice to meet people. Nice people.
Long story short (and this post is basically to cover up numbers...have to reach at least as much as last year!)- ran into someone I knew very well till some time back. So well, so well. Turns out I did figure her out pretty well.
Anyway, so here's this lady who has told me in no uncertain words, her opinion of my food, my taste in music among other things and had really belittled ALL Hindi music claiming complete lack of knowledge of the Hindi music scene. Guess what I caught her dancing to 'Choli Ke Peechhe'!

Ha Ha...now I do know what goes on uske 'surface ke peechhhe!!!

The Dirty Picture

I have no idea why everyone is going gaga over this very mediocre film.

I like Vidya Balan- just wanted to say it at same time of proclaiming that the film is very average.

The film is loosely 'inspired' by the life of a southern siren Silk Smitha. They have shown Vidya Balan and her ample body to perfection; actually like nobody could. She is the one on screen actress besides Kajol, I adore. You really don't need to ask why. Hello? With a two-baby-body, I know I don't have the time to work out and aspire to be the fitter ones, so if these babes can carry it off, so can I. Yippee!

Back on track- the film is quite crap. Lots of cleavage, lots of titillation, lots of implied sex, lots of irreverent dialogues mouthed almost obscenely by the protagonist but where's the acting?

Has anyone seen 'Black Swan'? The internal struggle, the pain, the sheer agony, the almost psychotic devotion to the ballet portrayed so beautifully by Natalie Portman. And this particular film even boasts of an almost lesbian scene besides scenes of self pleasure and not once does the film try and ride on it alone.
Truth be told, my dear husband asked me this question and got me thinking. I had cheated on him a bit and quietly saw the downloaded copy of this film (so I am not prefect). He asked me if it was worth watching, was the turmoil even come close in intention to the Black Swan or was it only short dresses and boobs?

Would not take my two year old also too long to answer- Boobs!

It is a filmi story- poor girl becomes famous by using the only thing she has- her body. Said girl unable to handle neither her success nor her temporary failure. So far so good. What would've made this film infinitely superior- using some of Vidya's acting talents, may be meeting up pre-production some people who actually knew the lady in question...

While everyone can not be a Natalie Portman, nor can everyone make another Black Swan, the producer's laughing all the way to the bank.
Seems like the joke's on the world- the rejection of SS and her subsequent suicide led many many years later to this film based on her life, which goes on to make tons of money!

Nebuliser

Well...A Jr had to be...poor thing has been ill since more than a month. And I have had to do it. Of course he's terrifies of it and I would've been as well. Takes very poorly to it and cries the whole time!
The year's almost ended.

When will this hell of a situation end for all of us?

Beat It!

I nearly did!

Just didn't want to write. Just could not.

Could barely on.

Somehow I have come this far. And then I saw, my vow to beat the last year's total number of posts doesn't have a chance in hell, unless I blog like a mad person that is.
The problem with me is, I put the pressure- ON ME. How stupid can you be? Nobody's holding a gun to my head saying, and here it gets reallly (that's why the 3 'l's) corny- BEAT IT (the last year's number that is).
I do it to myself. Maybe I can cheat and write one line per post and still BEAT It. Ok enough of the beat it!!

Of course am still not allowed to spend extended periods of time on the computer, so...let's see.

How have you all been- my millions of fans worldwide?