SHUBHO NOBO BORSHO!!! (HAPPY NEW YEAR)

Yesterday was 14 April and according to the Bengali Calendar was the beginning of the new year 1419.

I visited one of my favourite temples in Shivaji Park, Dadar.

The ambience was just amazing - nice weather, shady below the trees, light breeze blowing, people of all ages greeting each other, just enjoying the feeling of nostalgia and purity of the ending of another year and beginning of a new one.

Just wondered? Why do people come to temples or places of worship on the new year?

Every year brings with it new hopes, dreams and ambitions. With the coming of every year we hope to let go of the baggage of the past and pray that the coming year be one of happiness and fill ourselves with joy and bless our lives to the fullest.

Though, now technically no one solely follows the Bengali calendar due to mix of traditions and east-west integration.
But we do look at the new year as an opportunity for a new start and new hopes and dreams and all.
Like they say that Morning is the prelude to the day, guess poila boishakh is a prelude to the coming year...

Movie opinion - Kahaani

I recently saw Kahaani starring Vidya Balan. Must say one of the better Hindi movies I have come across in the recent past.
Vidya who is seemingly pregnant in search of her husband leads you through the streets of Kolkata (where u can hear many background dialogues in Bengali)and while you slowly get accustomed to Bengali culture (like having 2 names, saree style etc) you get entangled in a plot of intrigue, suspense and thrill.

What I loved most was the ending (spoiler! Alert).. When she suddenly changes her avataar from the helpless pregnant woman to quick, agile, and destroyer of the Villain.. and with Durga Puja going on in the background could easily be mistaken for the modern avataar of Maa Durga vanguisher of evil in the 21st century..

Must say was a great plot and beautifully executed and great acting and versatility by Vidya Balan.

Hope to come across more movies like this

Transition - from Nokia to Android

Recently when my phone got stolen in the Mumbai locals was placed with the task of purchasing a new one within Rs 10,000.

Was a real dilemma.. I was always a Nokia user - from my first very basic 2600 to my E90 communicator to my X2 01 (first time querty for me)

Now in March 2012, after consulting so many people who had moved on to smartphones was thinking if i fall in that category of Non - Nokia users..

But decided it is time for a smartphone - now that i'm using an android .. Just can't imagine how i did without it for so long.. the unlimited apps download, market, and hassle free email checking..

Though initially was difficult with the touch screen (typing speed reduced to 1/10th) and sometimes ended up calling people without meaning to.. After a while felt really good and really in touch with today's day and age..

Was telling a friend about moving on to Non-nokia and he remarked - "maine to bahut pehle nokia ko NO KIA"!!!

Guess there comes a time when we have to let go of the past and move on to the future - though will always cherish the memories.

Random favourite songs - Pachai Nirame (The Colour Green)

Mumbai Muses

Soon, will be leaving Mumbai and starting my career as a Probationary Officer..
Spent two years in the city and now am feeling nostalgic leaving it. Being a born and brought up Delhiite (although stayed in a Bengali area) have really enjoyed pursuing my Masters in Management from Mumbai University and staying in Mumbai for these 2 years.
Now that am about to leave, will cherish these things about Mumbai:

- No matter how late you get at office or a party - u can always count on the Mumbai locals to be running and get you back home

- Sunday evenings at Bandstand and Linking Road Market at Bandra with a cosmopolitan crowd

- folding up jeans and wading in the knee deep water during the monsoons

- Sunset at Marine Drive and Priyadarshni park where can walk and catch beautiful glimpses of dusk

- Ferry rides from Gateway of India

- Long journeys in Mumbai locals - where can sleep, listen to music, purchase various stuff or just look out

- 5 different types of Pav Bhaji

- Going to Shivaji Park early morning - can see youngsters jogging, old people reading Marathi newspaper and catching up

- College trips to Khandala, Lonavla and bringing back fudge and chikki

- Pushing in crowded Crawford market to get stuff at wholesale rates

Was one of the greatest experiences of my life and hope to keep coming back..

Thank you Mumbai for the best 2 years of my life..

Favourite Lines from Revolution 2020

During my train journey read Chetan Bhagat's Revolution 2020. Though am not a die hard Chetan Bhagat fan but could really relate to the protagonist- Gopal's adventures in his teens. I guess a few students would relate to his state. Some of my favourite lines were:
1) Parental love overestimates Progeny's abilities
2) One of those unfortunate cases who had done well but not well enough
3) Regret - biggest manufacturing defect in humans. We keep regretting though there is no point
4) Sometimes the only way to get rid of an unpleasant feeling is to replace it with another unpleasant feeling
5) As people took international holidays, and indulged in their passions, i gave AIEEE
6) Losers - if they don't have a brain, they have a heart
7) Sometimes a chance is all one really needs in life

Kerala and Kanyakumari trip

Am in final semester of MBA or MMS as it is called in Mumbai University. Me and my friend decided before we finally part ways and before everyone gets busy with end of semester lets have a holiday beyond Lonavla.. Decided to visit Kerala and Kanyakumari.. Spent around a week in God's own country as it is called..

Was beautiful.. Dunno what captured my heart.. was it the peaceful backwaters of Kumarakom, green tea gardens of Munnar, sunset at Kovalam beach in the midst of sand and coconut trees, or standing at the Southernmost tip of India and looking at the three water bodies surrounding it..

Was a great change from the fast paced life of Mumbai..

Vivekananda Rock is where it is said Swami Vivekananda got his vision to visit the Western world.. Just standing there gives you so much inspiration..

Really cherished the memories of this wonderful place and hope to go again soon..

Evolution of photography

Recently I heard Kodak - the pioneer of the cameras and film technology filed for bankruptcy.

Was really a shock.

Then realized how much the process of taking pictures has changed over time.

Earlier they were the black and white cameras which only a few had, and then came coloured ones. Both had a reel of film of 36. I used to remember my mom telling me to use it conservatively so as not to finish the reel.

Then with the advent of technology came the Digital Cameras of the "Digicams"as they are known today. And with increasing number of megapixel and zoom technology its becoming almost affordable for everyone.

Now you can take unlimited photographs (not worried about finishing the reel), can store them in your hard disk, no need to give to the studio to print, and due to large megapixel pictures can get it enlarged without blurring.

So, just like that an entire industry went out of business including - reel manufacturing, printing photographs from negatives, and outdated cameras. They were replaced by cyber shots, memory cards and recently DSLRs.

So with the filing of bankruptcy of the Pioneer of the Camera industry, we definitely learn something. Its not enough to just have the first mover advantage - we have to change with the times else perish. (Confirming Darwin's Rule of Evolution)

random movies which i like - Alaipayuthey (Tamil)

Most of us have seen Saathiya (2002) starring Rani Mukherji and Vivek Oberoi. It did quite well at the box office.

Recently I saw the movie it was remade from - Alaipayuthey(2000) starring R.Madhavan and Shalini. Must say I was really floored by it.

Don't know what made me like it so much. Was it seeing Madhavan so young and fresh, amazing chemistry between the pair, mesmerizing songs which had meaningful lyrics, or the simple middle class life shown so simply yet beautifully.

It uses the Chennai suburban trains as the background and the story is presented so beautifully doesnt even seem like a movie.

Songs are beautiful -be it festive "yaaro yaarodi", colourful "Pachai Nirame"(Green Colour), mischievious "Kadhal Sadugudu"or seductive "Snehagidhane".

Story goes where most stories end -showing married life and all the ups and downs that come with it.

Hats off to Mani Rathnam, and can say no amount of writing or anything can do justice to this movie (not even its remake - Saathiya)

Google Plus

Most of us, well most people my age definitely spend a substantial amount of time on the popular social networking site - Facebook.

We use it for different purposes - tracking down old school friends, people who we lost touch with, sharing pictures, chatting etc.

Basically its an adda or a common platform for everyone to get in touch.

Google - the world's most popular search engine and inventor of many innovative products like gmail (which introduced unlimited storage and integrated chat at a time when it was unheard of), blogger etc had made social networking popular in India through its network - orkut.

Orkut popularized social networking in India and facebook cashed in on it.

Then Google came back with the much awaited google plus which eveyone joined in with full gusto. In the first week itself, people signed up for it.

But after that ?? after making our display pics and all we left. It was like a gym membership we all join but didnt go.

Guess it takes time for our old habits to die.