Baahubali.

I don’t think I will have any kind of closure until I put my thoughts into words and sent them away into the Internet Universe. I fell for Baahubali 2 hook, line and sinker and don’t know what to do with all the built up obsession and craziness that suddenly has engulfed my life. Flashback to July 2015, the kids and I were in India when Baahubali 1 was released and the husband watched it in Zurich with his friend and told me I have to watch it. I was a bit skeptical but went anyway to watch it with my mom leaving the kids home with my dad. Mom and I loved the movie and that was it. I might have watched the video of Manohari song one too many times after that but that was for the choreography. I did nt know who Prabhas was at that point of time. (ahem!) Did nt know the older Bhalla was Rana until the younger Bhalla showed up and I had goosebumps at Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj and Nassars acting and the whole story and music was fascinating. And then early this year, the whole Baahubali 2 release fever began and I was eagerly looking forward to the movie. The trailer was fantastic and I could nt wait! I listened to the songs a few weeks before the release and they were ok. And then the big day came. Hd and I decided to watch the part 1 the previous day and my kids who have almost never watched any Tamil or Hindi movie were invited to watch with us. 

Side note:
Ashu and Antu have never watched an Indian movie in the theatre or at home. Hd has always wanted them to watch Tamil movies so that they can speak the language better, know the celebrities (Rajini!) and enjoy Indian cinema. But for me, no movie seemed appropriate to show the kids. So I was always reluctant.  Then a few years back, Hd tried to show them Anjali movie but Antu walked away after a while and Ashu watched the whole thing and did nt say a word. Many people think that if there are kids in a movie, then kids can watch it. Sadly, Hd is one of them! Then last year, I chose Kaaka Muttai and we 4 watched it together. My kids have no cinema sensibility (gee! i wonder why!) and kept asking stupid questions and I swore I ll never watch any more movies with them. Then early this year, we watched English Vinglish together and it was fun. Even though Ashu thought I chose the movie to teach her a lesson about respecting mothers! So yes, thats a grand total of 2 1/2 Indian movies my kids have watched.
End side note.

I was afraid Baahubali 1 would be too much for an almost 9 year old Antu. She enjoyed the movie but went to sleep during the climax war scene. And had dozens of questions and doubts the next day. I think Ashu enjoyed the whole movie because I did nt hear or see any groans or eye rolls! And thats high praise from her! But like a true Bhagyaraj fan, I sent them to brush their teeth and change into pajamas when the Pachai Thee song came! Well, sue me! (What were you thinking, Mr. Rajamouli?) On 30th April, Hd and I left the kids home and went for an afternoon show of Baahubali 2. I knew I was going to love it but did nt think how much! I had this stupid grin in my face the entire time Amarendra and Devasena were in Kunthala desam! Died at the duos archery scene! Oh God, it was so beautifully choreographed! The action scenes were mind blowing and the songs were so good. But the drama, oh God, the drama. Has any woman character so strongly written before in the history of Indian movies? Sivagami and Devasena were amazing. Rajamouli totally redeemed himself for that song in the earlier movie. And Amarendra is going to be my favorite character for a long, long, long time! Is it the same Prabhas I watched in Part 1? I mean, how did I miss THIS guy in that movie? He was born to do this role, I believe. His acting, his costumes, his action, his romance, his walk, his SWAG! Sigh. I was afraid my heart was going to give away before the movie ended! I have always been a big fan of historical fiction from Sandilyan’s Kadal Pura days. Not to mention growing up with our good old Ramayanam and Mahabaratham. The unmatched bravery, the promises that have to kept at any cost, that one does nt give their word that easily but once they do, they will die trying to keep it. Theres something to be said about these things. Raja thandhiram, Por murasu, Kottai vaayil, Vyooham,… these words give me goosebumps anytime I hear them thanks to Sandilyan! (side note- did u know Sean Rolden is Sandilyas grandson?)

Hd and I came out with a "did we just watch an epic” look on our faces. I came home and Antu wanted the entire story to be told. Gave her bits and pieces of the story while I downloaded all the songs and have been listening to them non stop on a loop since that day. (not exaggerating!) Take a bow, Madan Karky! And Maragadhamani! Dude! Where were you all this while? As a die hard fan of Sangeetha Swarangal from Azhagan, I salute you! And then I read every review, watched every interview, trailer reaction, poster reaction, movie reaction,… And watched Chatrapathi, Bujjigaadu, Pournami, Darling, Mr.Perfect and Mirchi in less than a week and came to the conclusion that its not Prabhas but Amarendra and just to make sure, went to watch Baahubali 2 again the next weekend! This time with Ashu. I still felt Antu was too young and Hd and I had to fight out for who will take Ashu. My love for Amarendra won over his for Devasena. I thought Ashu should be part of this movie making history and this had to be watched in big screen. And her first ever Tamil movie in Big screen! Could anything else be more perfect? I enjoyed the movie even more this time. I don’t think I have ever watched a movie twice in the cinemas back to back! I sent a text message during the interval to Hd which was not appreciated at all! Well, I had to try!  (“Can you take up archery?”)

I watched Baahubali 1 again a few times and the scenes where Shivu is running towards Devasena to save her and then sees her in the chains! Man, what a scene! I did nt appreciate it the first time. But now knowing what we know about Devasena, it was an Oh My God moment! How did Rajamouli even conceive this scene? And him cutting Bhadras head while Devasena gives that now familiar smile? I wish I could watch both the movies together in a chronological order! It would be fantastic! Anyway, it has been a month and Im down to looking at photos and gifs from the movie and reading every bit that has been written about this movie. I don’t know what happened to me.  For the first time in my life, I feel the need for someone to delete my browser history if I die suddenly!

Walk in the woods with "Aagasatha..."

I have been hearing good reviews about the songs from the Tamil movie "Cuckoo" and about the movie too. But I have not watched the movie and heard the songs only last week. I had just downloaded the songs in my ipod and took it with me when I went for a walk this week. I was exploring a new path in the woods near our house and this song "Aagasatha..." came on and before I know, tears were trickling down my face and I kept walking and crying and towards the end of the song, I started sobbing uncontrollably. I was not feeling sad or upset though. I don't know if it was the music, the lyrics, if knowing that its a love song between two blind people, if it was the silent woods, the sky, the trees, the sun,.. May be it was a bit of everything but it was such a magical moment. One of those "Whats the point of this life" moment. Sigh!

Kung Fu Panda 2.

Ashu's KG graduation gift was a movie - Kung Fu Panda 2. I was thrilled to go for a movie with her. Though her first movie was Toy Story 3 last year, she watched it with my Bil. So this was our first time to the big screen together. Naturally, I was making a big deal and she did nt care! The news spread and more moms and kids joined our plan. At the end, we were 4 moms and 9 kids. Hd could nt believe we were leaving him and Antu and going on Father's day but we reminded him that every day is fathers day and we don't believe in all this marketing scam! Mother's day is almost a year away. So he ll forgive and forget, Im hoping! ;)

Armed with 3D glasses and a pick-your-own-sweets bag (madam does nt believe in popcorn, the ultimate movie companion!) she walked to the dark screen and plonked herself in between two of her friends while I stood and glared at her! "Do you want to sit here, Ashu?", I managed to squeak. "No, Amma! I'm going to sit here!", came the prompt reply. hmph! I could have just dropped her at the entrance and gone home, I guess! The ungrateful child! Anyway, we loved the movie. Even though there were nt many laugh-aloud scenes, Ashu seemed to be laughing whenever Po was on screen! The 3D experience also enhanced the movie and the animation was just breathtaking. The colors were just brilliant. I could nt take my eyes off. I wanted to pause each scene and look at every little detail. What an effort! Lord Shen, the peacock was my favorite! ( But he seemed too stiff when he was walking. No offence to the Dreamworks team, but I have never seen a peacock walk without moving his long neck. Thats the classic movement of the peacock, is nt it? May be Lord Shen had a botox or something? ;)

After the movie, Ashu said that she liked this better than Toy Story. (Come on, Pixar! Do something!) I asked her if she understood the story and she said she did. "But I did nt understand one thing, Amma. What is Inner Peace?" Err.... A profound question indeed! But I expect no less from Ashu. "You know how Amma is on a school day morning, Ashu? When you cant find your water bottle and Antu refuses to drink her milk and your dad is on a phone call and I'm making tea and breakfast and lunch and trying to comb your hair all at the same time?" "Yes....", Ashu gulped. "Well. Inner peace is exactly the opposite!", I declared. She, of course, did not get it. But I found inner peace alright, even if it lasted only a minute! :)

By the Water Cooler.

I think Parul times her book release to coincide with my India trip! :) Just like last time, I bought her second book, By the Water Cooler, at the Landmark in Chennai. But this time I could nt find them in the shelves and had to ask the staff and the guy brought me a copy! hmph. How rude! But it was fun searching for "Sharma" in the shelves and telling the guy "Parul NOT Poonam Sharma" and giving him a look as if hes from Mars! Even though I could nt wait to read the book, I could nt begin to read it before I finished the other books in my waiting list thanks to my OCD. Especially since they were by a certain Stieg Larson.

I started reading the book in a nervous state. Will I like the book or wont I? If I dont like it, should I be honest in my blog review? But how can I lie to my BFF[citation needed]? This is the problem reading books written by people you know. (In my case, the grand total is just ONE - Parul.) But I need not have worried. Its a total fun read just like her blog. A very fast moving book and thats saying something in my case. Because if I get stuck in a book, it takes quite a long time for me to continue that book again. Which means I dont read any other book. Which means Im blog hopping like crazy! Phew. You saved me there, P!

I was in awe of Parul through out the book. Almost every line I read made me go, "How did she think of that?"

All the antics by Tanya planning her wedding right in the office were just hilarious. Genius idea, that!

I LOVED Tanya more than Mini. There, I said it!

I liked how Mini never quit. And a little jealous too.

I was picturing Paruls face for Mini, Deepika Padukone(!) for Anuradha Menon, that manager guy in the Rocket Singh movie as Avinash, an ex colleague of mine for Varun, etc... I could nt picture anyone I know as Shipra because I dont know anyone who would fit the name "Lardie" perfectly! Except for one person whose name begins with B, ends with an O and has another O in the middle! *ahem* Anyway, so now you know whom to cast when the book becomes a movie, right Parul? :)

Malaysia Vasudevan, MMKR and my Mom.

A couple of days back, I was listening to "Vachaalum Vaikaama Ponaalum" song form Michael Madana Kama Rajan (MMKR) in my car and was giggling like crazy thinking about the picturization of this song. Ashu asked why I was laughing and I told her its a funny song and that I will show the song to her later. ( But soon forgot. ) I can never listen to this song without at least a smile in my face. God, what a movie! I cant event think about MMKR without going "bheem boy bheem boy" in my mind! And then yesterday when I learnt that Malaysia Vasudevan has passed away, it brought a lump in my throat. The same person who put a smile in my face every time I listened to his voice is no more. RIP, MV.

Im sure I have a screw loose up there somewhere to mention this song as one of my favorites when people all around me are going "Kodai kaala kaatre" and "Poongaatru thurumbumaa" but let me redeem myself by saying that "Vetti veru vaasam" is my epic favorite too.

This made me wonder what are the other Tamil songs which are really funnily picturized. And the first one which came to my mind was the one from Bale Paandiyaa - "Neeye unakku"! God, MR Radha's body language is hilarious! And the whole suspense of what will Sivaji do when he sees MR Radha is just edge of the seat funny. (on another note - how the hell did Sivaji lip sync with such perfection for this extremely difficult song? The mind boggles!) And the "Jambulingame" song from Kasethaan Kadavuladaa. Thengaai is just too good in this one.

And talking about funny songs, I have to mention that Nithyashree song from Jeans - "Kannodu". I know that its not really hilarious or anything but then you dont know my mom. So my mom. You know how we type "ROTFLOL" for everything these days. But are we actually Rolling On the Floor Laughing Out Loud? Most often, we are nt even smiling while typing it, are we? Lets just say that who ever coined ROTFLOL got the idea after seeing my mom go ROTFLOL for the Kannodu song. In the cinema theatre that too! One second my mom was sitting right next to me and the next, she was on the floor and I thought she had a heart attack or something! It was 1998. Sis was in the USA and my dad had better things to do so it was just my mom and me. And then I heard her laughing with tears in her eyes and everyone was looking and I was so embarrassed. Then she managed to get up and sit in her seat. But she laughed so loudly the entire duration of the song, slapped and pinched my thigh so hard when the skeleton dances at the end that I had tears in my eyes too. From the pain! God, it was all so embarrassing that I pretended I was not with her when the lights came on. I should have known better though. She has a history. All my cousins and uncles and aunts run a mile from my mom whenever any scene from MMKR comes on TV. "Ava pakkathula ukkaandhamo, sethom" (we will die in her hands if we sit near her!) can be heard from various parts of the household and Im not exaggerating here! So imagine watching MMKR the first time with her in the theatre. Sis, Dad and I kept switching seats because our legs were getting sore!! "anga joke varudho illayo, unga amma kai namba kaal kitta varudha varudhaa nnu paakardhuke time sariyaa irundhadhu! padatha yaaru paatha?" - this was my dad after the movie!! (who had the time to see the movie when I had to watch out for your mom?) Play any of the Thiruppu-Kameshwaran scene to my mom if you want proof. But if theres Delhi Ganesh or Thiruttu Paati in that scene too, then watch it with her at your own risk!

I am just like her too but a bit more restrained after seeing family members run from her! I am always the one who laughs the loudest in any group. We watched Quick Gun Murugan last week with some friends and man! It was awesome! What a brilliant spoof! It was so wonderfully funny that I was truly ROTFLOL. But then I watched it sitting on the floor, so it did nt look quite as bad as my mom! :)

ps.

Can someone settle this for me once for all? Who sang the "Nila Kaayudhu" song from Sakalakala Vallavan? SPB or Malaysia? The song is credited to SPB but it totally sounds like Malaysia and I ve been thinking it was indeed him until a few years ago when my sis raised this doubt. It has been nagging me ever since. "Kattavandi" is credited to MV, "nethu raathri amma" is credited to SPB. So why not this song to MV? But if it was indeed SPB why did he sing it so different from his own voice? Discuss.

Madras Musings.

Ashu and I went to the Bombay Jayashree concert at the Krishna Gana Sabha. Fil had front row tickets and was begging us to go. I knew it was a bad idea to go with Antu. So Hd decided to stay home with her. Ashu was thrilled but after 45 minutes, she went to sleep. I had a wonderful time listening to Jayashree. Live. Wow! My first Margazhi Kacheri. Unforgettable experience.

Hd and I managed to watch Kamal Haasan's recent movie "Manmadhan Ambu". Was a pleasant watch but the last 30 minutes were horrible. I was squirming in my seat especially since we had a train to catch in a couple of hours and I was kicking myself that I decided to watch the movie instead of hanging around with my parents and saying teary goodbyes! We also watched Mynaa a couple of days earlier in the same awful theatre and loved it. The songs were wonderful. The performances were flawless. I felt the tragic end was so unnecessary but then it would have been an ordinary movie otherwise, I suppose. "Mynaa, Mynaa" is the current favorite song on non stop loop.

I listened to this particular SPB song many times on FM Radio whenever I was in the car. I had no idea what song it was or which movie it was from. After coming back to Zurich, I was you tubing the songs from Aadukalam and thats when I realized it was the "Ayyayo" song. And what a song! Sigh!

Talking about movies, let me list all the movies I watched on the plane while going and coming back.

Teen Patti (hated the end. Also I had watched 21. So was nt impressed)

Anjaana Anjaani (horrible)

I hate luv stories (was OK)

Udaan (brilliant movie. loved it)

Megamind (absolutely awesome. Must watch)

Thiru thiru thuru thuru (Tamil comedy. Was time pass)

Once upon a time in Mumbai (was good)

Can you believe that I'm now in a stage where I can watch movies on the plane instead of juggling two food trays in one hand while making a kid sleep in my shoulder and at the same time reading a book to another? I never thought I will get here. But I did. Yahooooooo!! Or may be it was because Hd was also flying with us and that there was Dora in the kids channel! Whatever! I am not complaining.

Shopping is such an exhausting experience in Madras. Uff. Especially being the Christmas/New year/Pongal season, there were oceans of people in every shop and theres no way I could take the girls if I wanted any shopping done. We stayed clear of Pondy Bazaar and Panagal Park after this one trip to a Jewellery shop to buy Golusu (silver anklets) for Ashu where Antu tried on a heavy gold necklace and tried to make a run for it!!

And whats with all the anti piracy laws when I see a shop right in the middle of a busy road selling DVDs of every recent movie? I mean he was selling "Tees Maar Khan" and I think it got released like half a day earlier!! I was trying to find some DVDs to teach Tamil alphabets for Ashu and the guy was asking if I wanted "Eesan"! I said no and the guy says "Neenga naalaiku varuveenga, Akka!"* to which I replied, "Naan varradhu irukkattum. neenga iruppeengalaa?"** and he laughs!

*You will come back tomorrow, Madam.

** But will YOU be here?

Hd and I managed to go out for one meal without the kids while in Madras at the new Japanese restaurant called Teppan at the Benjarong. Being vegetarians, we have never tried Japanese food before and if not in Madras then where else? The 9 course meal was just a fantastic experience. The main course was cooked right in front of us and the whole set up has been so thoughtfully designed. Another interesting restaurant we went to is Rasa. I fell in love with the menu when I saw "Thulasi Vadai" and "Nellikkaai Soup!" Yum yum yum yum Delicioso!

It was lovely to meet Itchy and the boys again. I was so jealous seeing Mr.Itchy's paintings on the walls. Immensely talented. The twins and my girls had their proper first playdate and it was a relief when the four of them kept themselves busy leaving Itchy and me to gossip! (I swear we did nt talk about you! ;) We managed to go out for a dinner too along with the whole jing bang family and it was such fun. I think I talked too much though. Did I even let you talk, Itchy?

I'm sure not all women do this. But I have this annoying habit of wearing some old salwar suits I keep in the cupboards in Madras every time I visit. I don't know whats in fashion and whats not and for the past so many years, its the same old faded green salwar kameez and the pale pink churidar kurta I wear, at least for the first few days before I go on a shopping binge. So theres quite a possibility that I might be mistaken for a maid! This one time a shop keeper refused to show me a box of hair clips because they were expensive and out of my range! ("Adhu ellam fifty rupees, madam!") You think I would be hurt? Nah!

You know what hurts me though? The clothing sizes! Whats up with them? I think someone up there seriously hates me. Let me tell you that it takes immense courage to even ask a salesperson to show you XL sized kurtas. And then you go to the trial room and try it and it does nt even fit you! And you are so mad and hate the whole world and come out cursing only to see the salesperson standing outside and asking you, "Shall I pack this, Madam?" Argh! I wish they built trial rooms with emergency exits! If this is nt an emergency...

And this one time I get inside an accessory shop and ask for glass bangles and the guy says "unga size illai, madam!"* I told him, "Kai la dhaanga pottuka poren, neenga kaattunga!"** Bloody hell!

*we don't have them in your size, madam.

** The bangles are for my wrists. So show them!

Madras is growing on me. While I was a staunch Anti-Madras at one point of time, it seems like every Madras trip is making me like the place a wee bit more than the previous time. I told the husband, "I cant wait to hit forty and become a true blue Madras Maami" much to his utter shock!

Movie going experience indeed!

Last Friday, BFF and I decided to go out for a movie. She, very wisely, took the train while I drove from home since the bus connection to my place is nt great after 11 pm. Big mistake. I was near the theatre at 8.00 pm for the 8.30 pm show but absolutely no parking spot. I circled that area a dozen times. No luck. (Im sure my Paati would be saying, "pillayaara pradhakshnam panninaa punyamaavadhu kidaikum. ippadi cinema theatre a suthi irukkiye*?")There were so many cars parked illegally and the nearby indoor parking garage which I had counted as my backup plan (because its uber expensive) was FULL. 700 parking spots and it was full! At 8 pm when none of the shops are open. Only restaurants, bars and cinemas. Guess every one decided to go out on the one day I decide to go watch a movie! And do you think its easy to out for a movie for us poor folks? The same time the previous week the husband and his friend decided to go for the very same movie (The Social Network. I ll come to it eventually.) They decided in the evening and vamoosed within an hour and even found a parking spot 2 mins from the theatre! But us? Me and some other friends talked, talked and talked about going out for a month. One or the other was always busy. Or the kids were sick. Or the baby sitter was nt available. Or the husband was traveling,... yaada yaada yaada. And at last, S and I decided enough is enough and that we both will go whether the other friends could come or not. Once the day was decided, then theres the whole planning for the day, of course. Make dinner, eat dinner, pray all Gods that the husband comes back from office in time to hold the fort, go online and find nearby parking garage from the theatre, say bye to the crying kids who are hanging by your feet,.. Ok the last bit is not true. Ashu actually said bye and slammed the door on me! But you get my point, right?

And after all this, I cant find a parking spot! Grr.... Anyway, parked at another Parkhaus and literally ran from there to the theatre in the freaking cold for 15 mins to reach the theatre in the nick of time! S was waiting for me with our tickets while I walked in panting like a dog. Once inside, more surprise awaited! First row seats!!! oh Goody! Thankfully the two corner seats next to us were free and we moved there and turned our heads in a 75* angle to the right so that we don't have to stretch our neck upwards! But then it was all worth it! What a movie! I loved it. What fantastic dialogues! And the casting was pitch perfect. Did anyone think of Sheldon when watching Zuckerberg on screen? I did. (May be the dialogue delivery?) Though I have watched The Fight Club, Seven, Panic room and liked them all, David Fincher was never in my favorite directors list. I dont know why. But with this movie, hes up there in my list. (slightly below Nolan, mind you!) And I read that Rooney Mara who played Erika, Zuckerberg's ex girl friend, is playing Lisbeth Salander in Fincher's next movie, The Girl With The Dragan Tattoo. I cant W.A.I.T! I read the Stieg Larson books only recently and loved them. Yet to read the third book though. S, the above mentioned friend, pulled a fast one on me by lending me only the first 2 books! Since I tried to beg, borrow or steal "The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest" and did nt succeed, Im going to buy it. Soon.

"Pay them. In the scheme of things, its just a speeding ticket" is so going to be my new motto for 2011. Its one of my favorite lines from the movie. But Hd is a bit wary. He thinks I mean, Pay "for" them, them being shoes, clothes and bags. Cant blame him, can I? ;)

* "You should walk around a temple instead of a theatre". (It sounds better in Tamil what with the rhyming words and all, trust me!)

By the Water Cooler - Parul's second Book.

A very dear blogpal, Parul is out with her second book, By the Water Cooler. She has a fun contest in her blog. But Im late in announcing the contest so the last date for entries has passed by. But that should nt stop you from going there and reading all the entries. Such fun. I was going to twist the title a little and write my own entry "By the Microwave" and how my boss (Ashu) and a coworker (Hd) harrassed me while my super boss (Antu) watched and did nothing while I was heating milk for them in the microwave but I guess now the world will never know that story! ;)

Good luck, Parul. Wishing you loads of luck. Cant wait to get my hands on your book.

ps.

My review of the first book, Bringing up Vasu, here.

First Day First Show.

Let the records show that today while Ashu was really unwell and running a high temperature and taking a long nap in the evening, the father of the said sick girl sneaked out of the house to watch the first day first show of Enthiran and hes not even a Rajini fanboy!

You thought I would let this one go, Hd? *insert evil laughter* My sis and I have never ever let my dad forget the fact that he was watching a cricket match in a different city while our mom was in labor. This is Ashus trump card. Use it well, my dear.

ps.

Hd's records might show that we tossed a coin to decide who goes and who stays but lets focus on whats important, shall we? I was home. He was NOT. ;)

Gym diary.

Today at the gym, I left Antu in the kids care and was filling the form there. The one which asks for our names, check in time, phone number, etc... Theres a column where one has to write the date of birth of the child. While I was writing Antus, my eyes went to the last entry and saw that there was a March 2010. I was shocked. I ve seen infants at the kids care there and the moms taking a break from the work out and breast feeding them in the changing room. Yes, its true. And these are non celebrity women, for your kind information! But I was still shocked and saw the date again and tried to calculate how many weeks old the baby was when it struck me. The mom had, by mistake, written today's date in that column! phew! But you never know. Some mom might hit the gym right after the birth straight from the labor ward! These women just exist to make me feel bad about myself, I tell you.

I am the most over weight person in my gym. Except when this other woman comes to the gym. But I don't see her most days. Guess she waiting for a member fatter than her!

Its like a fashion show out there in my gym. I gotta admire these women. If I look anything like them, I ll sitting at home ODing on chocolate instead of sweating in the gym. And I still do it some days - the ODing on chocolate skipping gym, I mean! ;)

The gyms lake facing and its lovely to look at the water and the ducks and the boats while running in the treadmill. I feel so alive. Cant say the same about the ducks though! Poor things have to watch me run and sweat!

Antu is loving the kids care. Runs inside without even a backward glance at me. I cannot believe shes Ashus sister. Ashu who cried, screamed and yelled for WEEKS before settling down in her play school.

I'm on Week 7 of my C25K programme and jogged for 25 mins for the first time yesterday. Almost collapsed at the end. Oh Eesa kept me going the last few mins. Today it was Dhan te nan.

Ashu asks me everyday, "Did you go to the gym today, Amma?" If I say no, she gives a very disapproving look. So I ve appointed her as my personal trainer.

I have nt lost any considerable weight in these 7 weeks. (Do you even have to wonder why after that chocolate confession I just made?) But my clothes are looser and I feel good about myself. Thats a start, I guess.

Even though the programme says 5 kms, I am able to jog only 3 kms in 30 minutes. So I'm planning to repeat the programme by increasing the speed slowly and trying to achieve the 5 km mark.

My Gym playlist:

Aahun Aahun - Love Aaj Kal
Adiye Kolluthe - Vaaranam Aayiram
Boom boom - Boys
Chiggy wiggy - Blue
Title Song - Delhi 6

Dhan te nan - Kaminey
Dol dol dol - Ayutha Ezhuthu
Excuse me - Kandasamy
Fatak - Kaminey
Honey honey - Ayan

Ibn e Batuta - Ishqiya
Jana Gana mana - Ayutha Ezhuthu
Kodaana Kodi - Saroja
Masakali - Delhi 6
Oh Eesa - Aayirathil Oruvan

Vennilaavin theril Eri - Duet
Yakkai Thiri - Ayutha Ezhuthu

Can you please suggest some songs that really keep you going? I would love to add more to my list.

ps.
Im embarrassed by most of the videos. So dont judge me! Think of the greater good - me getting fit! ;)

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya.

I am really silly when it comes to certain things. Especially about movies. For no good reason, I would decide not to watch a certain actors movies in the cinemas. Simbu aka Silambarasan is one of them. Or should I say was? Sigh! I gave in and watched his movie last night. Yes, its his movie all the way! I made all kinds of dramatic dialogues like "Let History not say that Boo watched a Simbu movie in the theatre" and "I'm a card carrying member of the I hate Simbu club", etc.. much to Hds asmusement the last couple of days. "You want to watch the movie, don't you?", asked Hd. "Go and watch. I promise I wont tell anyone", he goaded! We could nt watch the movie together anyway and I did nt want to go alone so I decided to let it pass. Then the Universe conspired and a friend called me yesterday and asked if I'm game to watch the movie. The Universe is really jobless, I think. If it had to conspire, cant it do something about my weight loss or that lottery I'm hoping to win? Anyway, so I went with the friend, the friends friend and the friends friends husband(who does nt speak a word of Tamil) for a 11 pm show last night.

To say I LOVED the movie would be an understatement. Now I get what people saw in Vaaranam Aayiram. May be that movie resonated with them in some level and I just was nt able to relate to it. I'm sure there are loads of people who might hate VTV too. Its mushy, its long, its intense, its love love love, its confusing,... But I got zapped into the movie completely. I had a lump in my throat as soon as the movie began. And had it hours after it ended. I came home at 2.15 am after dropping the friends home and could nt sleep for an hour after that. I said all sort of mushy nonsense to a sleeping Hd. Yes, I had gone that crazy! And no, I don't drink.

I think Jessie is one of Goutham Menons fantastic female leads. Never in my life have I ever seen a film where I could totally be in the head of the female character and feel the same way as her. And Simbu as Karthik is such a revelation. I whispered, "Simbu is good" to Hd today morning and added "Oh who am i kidding? He was great okay. He was awesome!" and thankfully Hd was sitting down when I said that! He has played Karthik just perfect. Trisha was good too but its his movie all the way. The ending is what clinched the movie for me. Kudos to Goutham for that ending. You ARE good, dude! I sort of underestimated you after Vaaranam Aayiram and I'm sorry, OK?

AR Rahman - where do I begin? What can I say that has not been said already? Aaromale is so good that I want to drown in that song. Especially after watching the song on screen, I get the now familiar lump in my throat every time I hear it. Sigh! What a hopelessly romantic, mushy person I actually am! I'm embarrassed to admit that. The picturization of the other songs did nt work for me though. Except Mannippaya.

Now lets talk about Jessie - for some who call her immature, confused, b****, etc... etc... and say most modern women are like her - always leading the men on and then breaking their hearts and moving on - Yes, its true. Been there, done that. And whats wrong in that, may I ask? I ve never understood this blanket statement that women are so selfish and they are not in "real love" if they ve any desire of their own. Have nt we seen it in tonnes of Tamil movies where the hero berates the girl for dumping him? "Did nt you know I was poor when you roamed the streets with me? Did nt you know I was a lowly mechanic when you came to repair your scooty? You women are so selfish. You don't ve the guts to leave your family while we leave everything for you"! Yawn! Give me a break! He falling in love at the first sight is nt immature but she trying to see what kind of a person he is by going out with him is? He deciding that she is the woman of his dreams just by seeing her behind is nt stupid but she deciding that he ll be a mechanic all his freaking life and does nt want to be a part of his life is? He, leaving everything behind, is getting a woman of his dreams at the end of the deal. What is she getting out of it? Pregnant and alone when he is off to see some location and being a edupudi to a film director? Why should she settle down? Yes, he makes her head giddy and heart go boom boom, but how long is that going to last? When did being smart and logical become a crime? The only dialogue I did nt agree with Karthik in the movie was when he says that Jessies sister would nt be happy. That shes just acting. I disagree. Women are made of stronger stuff. When we can move on after burying our children, whats something as hormonal as first love? I can hear you ask, "So why get into the relationship in the first place?, Why lead the men on?" Because we want it all. We want our heads to go giddy. Our hearts to go boom boom. We want that first kiss. We want that excitement. We want to see if the guy is worth fighting the world for. Worth leaving the family for. And we can't decide all that based on his posterior. Even if it looks like Brad Pitt's. And as cliched as it might sound, we do believe its better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. And be loved.

ps.
Thanks Gowtham for the fantastic Jessie. And let me tell you one more important thing. Since we ve established the fact that the Universe is pretty jobless, it might conspire again and try to make you think of casting SJ Suryah in your next movie. But I beg you. Don't. Just don't. OK? Promise? Its the least you can do for a woman who left her husband and two little girls at home to watch your movie at the middle of the night. :)

Whats the opposite of writers block?

Loads of things I wanted to write about and forgot promptly. So be warned! Here comes the bullet points post.

. Firstly, thanks to the kind soul who sat next to my mom in the flight to Dubai from Zurich 2 weeks back. As if sitting quietly next to my mom was nt a punishment by itself, you confessed to her that you read my blog as well. I understand how much my mom would ve talked if you asked her if she was "boosbabytalks mother" in less than two minutes! My sympathies. And thank you for letting her use your phone to call me from Dubai. Now I can tell Hd confidently that my bog is at least worth an international phone call! :) And please email me when you can. I don't think I can trust my moms memory and write to the email id she gave me because the last time I did something like that, some stranger got to read about my churidar kurta measurements!!!

. Ashu is leading a busy life with weekend ski lessons, play dates, parties, etc... and school of course! ;) Its her ski break this week and her father promptly signed her up for ice skating classes almost every day of this week. At this rate, he might also put her in a bicycle class to learn cycling! (No! That was nt a suggestion, Hd!) She is in the one hour group ski classes for kids on weekends. Go 15 minutes before the ski class, pay and learn! (kootathoda govinda dhaan!) Shes having fun and after 4 weekends, shes able to walk with her skis on! We sledge for a while after her ski class is over and thats my kinda fun. Though Antu is her grumpiest best in snow! (Thats Ashu with her friend in the picture.)

. Antu did nt look for my mom after she left like I thought she would. When asked where paati is, she answered that shes gone. ("paati oorukku!") Who asked her to grow up? We went to a friends place for dinner a few days back. Their 5 year old son, as a rule, does nt like babies. Though he played well with Ashu, he was nt nice at all to Antu. Within an hour of being in their house, Antu came and told me, "anna naanaa. vaasalla ponum" (the boy no-no. wanna go out) and was all set to go wear her shoes and leave! Hd and I could nt believe our ears! That a nineteen month old could understand that she was nt wanted and could vocalize her feelings so well. Sigh! Wish I could too.

. Out of the blue, I decided to do the C25K thingummy inspired by a friend. Did nt want to announce here and jinx it. But now that I am in my 5th week of the programme, I can safely say that I ll stick to it. Though my fitness level has been average, my running has always been pathetic. I could nt run for 2 mins straight. C25K seemed to be the right beginning to rectify that and I'm also enjoying it. Now I ve a plan when I hit the gym. Hope it improves my fitness because running down a slope trying to catch a wayward sledge in the snow is no joke, I tell ya. Especially when the resident 4 year old is sitting on the said sledge!

. I cant get over the song "Dil to bacha hai ji". I just cant. This song has been in repeat for the past one week in this household and its driving Hd crazy. I go to sleep listening to this song, I run on the treadmill to this song on repeat, I cook, play with the kids, read,... with this song in the background. Its playing right now too. Is nt it a fantastic song?

. Ashu and I have been doing lots of finger painting stuff thanks to Shruti of mindfull meanderings and her artsy craftsy contest. Since I dont ve a creative bone in my body, I show that page to Ashu and we do whatever work she chooses! So far, the caterpillar, the hand tree, the flowers and the thumb print cards are the most repeated projects.

. Watched Three Idiots. It was on okay movie. Did nt understand all the hype though. Aamir Khan annoyed me for the first time.

. Read The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Was a good read. I dont know why but when a best seller(especially Indian writing in English) is about the poor people, it bothers me in so many levels. I ll leave it at that.

. Reading Thillana Mohanambal. Finished the thalahaani size part 1 and onto attack part 2 now. Amazing read. Too bad that I cant wipe out Sivaji and Padminis faces while reading though. Though no movie ever justifies the book and this one especially is such a long novel that no way they could squeeze everything in the movie, the book is a must read even if you ve watched the movie. Just for the Vaithi character. Its hilariously written and Nageshs Vaithi character in the movie is not even 10% of the book character.

Avatar.

So we watched Avatar while we were in the US since I wanted to watch it in 3D Imax. Like the majority vote, it was an experience in itself to watch the movie. But I just could nt help comparing the story to the dozens of village subject Tamil movies and snigger. Replace Pandora with a village in interior Madurai area. Replace the dragon with a murattu kaalai, Panchayathu thalaivar, his daughter, bad rich people who want to construct a hmm... factory? in the agricultural fields, the hero falling in love with the village belle, good over evil climax scene, praying to Mariamman and dancing with Veppilai to save a life, the murai maapillai,.... No? You dont think so? Im not able to stop once I start. Even Neytris father, the leader of the clan has a distinct nose like Nasser. (and coincidentally he has acted in the tamil movie named Avataram!!! LOL! )

Seriously! The hero falling in love with the first alien he sets his eyes on! Typical or what! Why cant he be involved with the Pandora people just like Sigourney Weaver was? The boy meets girl angle is so unnecessary for this kind of a movie, I thought. That said, I loved the movie. If in spite of the story line I loved the movie so, its only because of the stunning visuals, the attention to details, the amazing way a brand new planet with aliens have been created,.. Pure genius. And watching it in 3D was mind blowing.

Also watched Kurbaan. There was this movie theatre which was showing this movie FOR FREE and Hd and I went to watch it. We even got soda and popcorn free! Only in the US, I tell you! It was an ok movie. It was good the first 30 mins or so. Then *yawn*! I told Hd later,

"if I were her, I would nt care about my dads life. I ll do everything to get away from you".

Hd - If I were him, I would know in an instant that you were seducing me to get the map!

Me - *rolling eyes* And you would ve stopped anything happening I suppose?

Hd - Well,.. I did nt say that!

Men, I tell you! May be they WILL fall in love with the first alien woman they set their eyes on, after all! With or without a tail.

Movies Galore.

It has been a movie marathon for the past couple of months.

Pasanga
About two little school boys who fight all the time. And their families.

It was a cute, sweet, real, feel good movie with a filmy climax. The two little boys were wonderful to watch without the over the top acting which is very common with child actors in Tamil movies. I could nt name even one actor in that movie. Every ones new but what a fantastic performance! I especially loved the female who plays Anbus mom. The way her expression changes when her husband disappoints her on their anniversary is fantastic. I always like movies with a rural touch in them. I fondly remember my Dindigul days, the Madurai slangs and get nostalgic.

Eeram
A super natural thriller. A young wife dies. Her ex boyfriend whos now a Police officer investigates the case.

Brilliant movie. I was blown away by how sleek the movie was. Agreed that I had expectations since it was from Sankar productions but this from a first time director? Awesome. Not that the movie was without flaws but I could easily overlook them because of the brilliant dialogues, the cinematography and the wonderful performances by all the actors. A must watch. Sent a shiver down my spine when I went to the restroom after this movie and saw a red tube of hand cream on the top of the sink staring at me while I was washing my hands! :) Water and the color Red are a constant part of this movie.

Achamundu Achamundu
Set in the USA, its about an Indian family's ordeal when the guy who comes to paint the basement turns out to be a paedophile.

The movie was OK. Prasanna and Sneha have done a good job. The dialogues were good. Kannil Dhaagam song is awesome. But I did not like the story. What was the point of this movie? What does the director want to convey? One has to be very careful with messages like this in a movie. According to me, most of the target audience is going to take this movie in a wrong way. That these bad things happen only in the US.(since its set in the US and the painter guy is an American) That even little girls should be "properly" dressed and be adakkam odukkam in this Kali Yugam! And the people who will take the right message from this movie - well, they already are aware. So whats the point? I would ve liked it if this movie was set in India. And if the child were a boy. Now that would send the right message.

Wake up Sid
A carefree, rich boy gets life lessons from a girl with whom he falls in love with.

Cute movie. The one which would ve made my heart go flippity flip if I had watched it while I was in college! :) Ranbir and Konkana have given a beautiful performance. Actually, every one has done a good job in this movie.

Blue
A stupid movie about a stupid treasure.

Who does Akshay think he is? John Travolta? Oh please!! And Sanjay Dutt - dont put wordsu in my mouthu!!





Tha Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Hostage situation. Sleek Villain. Smart Hero.

I can never get tired watching John Travolta scheming some bad, bad things! ;) and add Denzel Washington to the mix, its a treat to watch them just talk. One lazy Sunday last month, I just wanted a break(shut up, sis!) and took off to watch this movie alone not knowing anything about the movie. It was a good time pass.





Inglourious Basterds
Is it a war movie? Is it a Tarantino movie? Hey, its both!

Now that's what I call a movie! Oh boy! What a treat to watch a movie like this. Amazing, just mind blowing. I just did nt want the movie to end. Christoph Waltz steals the scenes. The first 20 or so minutes of the movie is so gripping that even if the rest of the movie had Sanjay Dutti in it, I would nt have noticed!




2012
Another Doomsday movie. Yawn!

Agreed that the visual effect are mind blowing. But after a point, I stopped caring. Tell me this. When the ENTIRE world is being wiped out and billions and billions of people have died, do you really care if a big bunch of rich snobs and the protagonists family live or not? I dont. Die, die, die. Lets kill everybody, I say.

Bringing up Vasu.

Dear Parul,

During my recent India trip, we were in Landmark. Sis, Bil, Hd and I. As usual, I was in the children's books section and wondering if it ll be easier to just shift to the book store rather than lunging the books back to Zurich. In the two minutes I had to browse through the adult section, I picked up Bringing Up Vasu. Even though I had planned to buy the book and had seen how the cover looks like in your blog, it was a total shock to see the book in the shelf. I mean, books. There were more than one copy. Dozens, actually! If I was thrilled so much seeing that, I could totally imagine how you would ve felt. I picked up the book and grinned from ear to ear and showed the book to the trio. "Oooh! Nice cover", said Sis. "So this is the book you went on and on and pretended you were nt jealous about, huh?", asked Hd. (Liar!) The clueless Bil gave a blank stare and I readily explained to him. "My best friend wrote this book. I have nt met her, of course. Shes a blog friend but nevertheless this is the first book that someone I know has written. Cool, no?" (shhh Parul. Bil does nt read blogs. We are best friends, ok? ok.)

And yesterday, I finished the book. I could nt go and read your blog posts or leave comments while I was reading your book. The one time I tried, I wanted to leave a comment asking if Vasu got into Teddy Footprints or not! And did you actually meet a film star couple in Goa? The exact blog posts came to my mind when I read the similar chapters. Guess, Im your true blue blog stalker, after all! And it did nt help that I was on a train when I read Chapter 19. Baby Boo in Public? I was laughing out loud thanking my stars that I did nt name my blog - Baby Boos talk!

What Im trying to say is, I cant review the book objectively. I could nt even read it without picturing you as Mira. But that only makes me go in awe of you to have written a novel. The way you ve interwoven fictional stuff with your actual life and come up with this great read is amazing. I think with unknown authors, we dont know how much of the book is their personal experience and how much is purely fictional. So we can choose to empathize or not and judge the book without any qualms. Not that I know whats what with everything about your book, but I have developed a general idea. Its a book written by a friend (best friend if by a remote chance my Bil is reading!) and Im not able look past it. Now you ve gained a fan as well, Parul. A loyal one, at that! Thanks for the wonderful read. Wishing you all things wonderfull!

Luv,
Baby Boo :))

I only get jealous when I see such talents.

Ever since I heard this little boy sing this song,



Im hooked to this original song.



Why do I always, always discover songs late?

Needless to say, the song(both the versions) has been in non stop loop at Boo's! :)

ps.
ha! see the time stamp of this post? Cheap thrill. ;)

Thriller Movies and Me.

Any Mommies out there who watched A Clockwork Orange, Kill Bill, Oldboy and Pans Labyrinth in a span of one year? I need to know that I'm not the only freak. In my defence, all the above movies were shown on Film Four and I did nt rent the DVDs.

A Clockwork Orange - Watched it about a year ago, so the effect has worn off. But I had nightmares for an entire week.

Kill Bill - Watched it while I was pregnant. What to do? I could nt resist. I just covered my eyes with my hands and watched it through the gap between the fingers. That did nt help.

Oldboy - Watched it last week. If you have watched it, you know what I am talking about. If you have nt watched it, do NOT watch it. Violence, gore, mentally upsetting, physically revolting,... You name it, the movie has got it. And that too in EXTREME doses. How did someone come up with such a story and screenplay is what puzzles me? Is he a genius or a mental? Am I insane that I actually liked the movie?

Pans Labyrinth - Watched it yesterday. Excellent movie though some scenes were revolting.

I cant believe a weak hearted, easily scared person like me watched these movies. Till date I have nt watched the ending of Moondram Pirai/Sadma because I could nt take it. Did nt watch the second half of the movie Kaadhal because I knew it had some disturbing scenes. Some scenes in Mahanadhi and Kurudhi Punal freaked me out. I cried buckets after one of the Kajols gets murdered in that movie with Ashutosh Rana as the bad guy. By the way, I watched all the said 4 movies alone. Hd watched only Kill Bill after I watched it. He did nt watch the rest at all. And I promptly deleted the movies from the DVR as soon as the end credits rolled. I was a little ashamed for having watched them. Anyway, Hd does nt have the time and unless and until I force him, he would nt watch them. And I did nt want to watch these movies again. I wanted to erase them from my memory as soon as possible. A repeat viewing would seriously affect my mental health!

Anyway, to cleanse myself off these movies, I watched "The Prestige". Just WOW! Officially, The Prestige has become my most favorite movie EVER. I bow to Nolan. I watched Memento five years back. I just knew that it was a great movie but did nt know anything about it before watching it. Hd and I fell off from the sofa when we watched it. And as soon as the movie ended, we watched it again. Back to back. We even thought of watching it in reverse. It was mind blowing. But The Prestige is not as confusing as Memento. I mean, it does leave loads of questions unanswered but Im so much in awe with this movie that the whole world seems more brighter and happier to me. "The Pledge, The Turn and the Prestige" - Michael Caines voice will haunt me for a long time. While I see loads of people raving about Christian Bale's performance in this movie, I just loved Hugh Jackman. I think the casting is stellar. Now Im nagging Hd to watch it with me again. I cant wait to see his reaction and discuss the movie with him. I want to watch The Dark Knight badly now. But apparently, the movie is releasing in Switzerland only in September. And Wall E too. Can you believe that? Sucks!

Dasavatharam - My Take.

We watched Dasavatharam on Saturday. I am a HUGE Kamal fan. I loved him in the movie. I was in awe. I was bowled over by his performance. But the movie sucked. BIG time. What WERE you thinking, dude? And all this incredible and brilliant performance for this script? What a waste. But hats off to him. I ll always be a fan.

(Pictures collaged from sulekha.com)
Liked Fletchers make up and performance. Brilliant. And Balram Naidu and Poovaraghan. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Liked the Japanese dude and Nambi too. Bush was nt as bad as I expected him to be. Avtar Singh get up was good but hated that character and the Paati and Kalifulla. Total waste. And these were my honest, first impressions. I dont want to be told how its a movie on chaos theory and how these characters matter. Just because its based on chaos theory does nt mean the story has to be chaotic. I mean some story discussion did happen before making the movie right? Or did they just let 10 characters loose and asked them to be as chaotic as possible and shot them candidly? Give me a break.

And here I went for the movie 38 weeks pregnant for the 11.30 pm show leaving Ashu with my jet lagged mother. It hurt my back to sit there for 3 hours. The ticket cost 50 freaking Francs for both of us. I had read dozens of reviews, discussed the movie with my sis and parents. Did nt expect too much but still I was disappointed. Even though I had made up my mind to like it. I think theres no cheating oneself. What you feel is what you feel. Cant help it. But saying "I hated the movie" in one sentence is such a huge insult to Kamals performance. That I can say for sure. But right now, I am the black sheep in my family. My mom, dad, sis and bil have let me live because I'm carrying another life. Indha oru vaati, mannichudungapa please.
Some of the ridiculous reasons I was given defending this movie:

1. Its better than Kuruvi.

2. It does nt have romantic duet songs.

3. I did nt get the story.

4. Kamals performance is brilliant.

5. That I discussed this movie for 45 minutes on a long distance phone call to my dad.

6. I had too much expectations.

7. I ve watched far more worse movies.

8. Kamals performance is brilliant.

9. I should not compare this to Devar Magan, Anbe Sivam and Virumaandi.

10. And did I mention, Kamals performance is brilliant?

Yes, Kamal is God. Hes already up there for me, even without Dasavatharam I would worship him. So I ve nothing against Kamal but I did NOT like the movie. Came out of the theater with a bitter taste is my mouth, thats all. Im only wondering how far worse the movie could have been if it were nt for Kamal. But then Ajith did prove that in Citizen, did nt he? ;) Hd and I decided to make hay while the sun shines and went for Indiana Jones last night. Now this, me likey! What to do? I can totally imagine Kamal saying something like "Namba vera naatula porandhurukalaam da"! If only...

Bose, the Boss!

Did I tell you I got an iTouch from the husband for my birthday in March? Since we were in the US then and Hd was leaving back to Zurich a week before my birthday, he took me to the Apple store and let me choose an iPod. Of course I fell in love with the iTouch as soon as I saw it and I wanted that or nothing! Its as cool as it comes, I tell ya. Love it! Yes, this is my first iPod. Hd got an used iPod(bought it from my sis) a couple of years back and somehow I never bonded with it as much as I did with my 1 Gig MP3 player. The trusty player helped me through the boredom of breastfeeding Ashu 24/7, three years back. So I thought that iTouch would be ideal for the coming months. Then Hd with his mastermind kept ordering this and that from Amazon sitting in Zurich and a package a day was arriving at our door steps with my sisters name there! A beautiful leather pouch for the iTouch one day, a language translator the next, then a Digi cam lens protector, some Digital photography books and then came one more package. I knew about it of course but was discouraging Hd but he went ahead and bought it anyway. A Bose Headphone (the one in the picture) is what Im talking about. It looks bulky but light weight and when I opened it from the package and tested it, I knew for sure that I was never going to give it to Hd!! All my favorite songs sound even more fantastic now and the way the music surrounds me and the way I can appreciate every single musical instrument which is a part of the song is truly bliss! Hd is mighty annoyed that I ve stolen it from him even though I was the one who did nt want him to buy it in the first place. Hey, a girl cant change her mind or what!

Currently, Jodha Akbar and Guru are on non stop loop! Oh God, how can I describe the feeling. Its 10 pm. Ashu is in deep sleep in her room, Hd is busy with some office work and Im lying on the bed in the darkened room with just the music surrounding me. Occasionally, the baby kicks and reminds me that Im not entirely alone! And then my mind goes on a tangent and I start to look forward for the months of feeding the baby when the baby will actually be kicking me from the outside. The moment is just precious.

If only I can lose some weight post partum with my innumerable (mentally) choreographed moves for the Mayya Mayya song from Guru, life will be just perfect. I think I can be at the Elpitical for hours if I have this song on repeat. Got to hit the gym as soon as possible. Crossing fingers.

Now for some bashing. Why would Harris Jayaraj make Bombay Jayashree and Madhushree sing the same song and release them both in the album? Pachai Kili Muthu Charam was released sometime last year and I have heard the songs hundreds of times so far. But with Bose now, every little mistake is glaringly obvious. Unakul Naane is truly amazing when Jayashree sings it and annoying as hell when Madhushree sings it. Wont a Music Director realize that? What was the whole point? Did he have something against Madhushree? I definitely think so. Every "vaa" (sollavaa, allavaa, paarthidavaa, ...) sounds like a question when Jayashree sings it which is what it should be and is like "Vaa" (come) when Madhu sings it which is just annoying like hell!!(solla VAA, alla VAA, paarthida VAA,...) I mean theres a huge difference between "Ranamum Then Allavaa" and "Ranamum Then Alla VAA", no? I cant help but remember that old Bhagyaraj movie where the Hindi Teacher is trying to teach Hindi to that friend of Bagyarajs ("Ek Gaaon mein ek Kisaan...") and in frustration bangs the students head and beats the hell out of him because he cant learn one sentence properly after all those classes. I feel the Hindi teachers pain. (Madhushree thalai la naalu kuttu kutti, nangu nangu nu nalla nokkanum pola irukku!) On a good note, how fabulous is that song "Karu karu Vizhigalaal". Why am I not surprised that Karthik is one of the singers! *drool*

And I also realized that my most favorite movie album is "Mudhal Mariyaadhai". I know! I am surprised too! The movie is 25 years old, I guess. But what great songs. What great lyrics! The thing I like most about it is that you cant take these set of songs and use them for any other movie. Unlike movies today where the songs are totally interchangeable with any other movie. Of any other genre even! Every song of Mudhal Mariyaadhai is just so apt for that particular scene and the lyrics are as if they are part of the screenplay. I never thought I would rave about Bharathiraja, Ilayaraja and Vairamuthu so much especially for the same movie! The trio truly rocked. And the singers Malaysia Vasudevan and S Janaki. They just created magic. Of course, the entire credit goes to the cast. If not for Sivaji Ganesan, this movie would have never worked for me! Comparing this to Kizhakku Seemaiyile where the music(AR Rehman) was great, the lyrics too and the same Bharathiraja as the Director. And great acting too. But somehow Vijayakumar did nt do justice.(But Napolean rocked though!) Sivaji would have taken the movie to a different level, no? According to me, Devar Magan would nt have been Devar Megan without Sivaji even though its a Kamal movie. By the way, I either like a movie or dont. I dont care whether I like the actor or not! On that note, I have made up my mind that I like Ilayarajas music better than Rahmans. But I like Rahman better than Ilayaraja.(If that makes sense!) And thats the reason, celebrities should nt give too many interviews. It totally affects a fans impression of them irrespective of how great their work is. In a good way and bad! It should nt be that way but hey, its not a fair world. If it was, would PR be such a thriving business? ;)

Deep Sea.

I totally missed doing a post on Ashus first something in the excitement of getting my driving license. (Btw, my Swiss license all proper with a decent looking photo of mine came by post and I also got back my Indian driving license, so yippee! ) So 2 weeks back, on a last minute impulse we decided to drive to Lucerne to gorge on some idlies and dosas in a South Indian restaurant there and also take Ashu by the beautiful lake and the picturesque wooden bridge. But it got too cold so after walking for a little while, we decided to catch a movie in the Imax theatre. I always wanted to take Ashu to the cinemas and see how she reacts the first time. Imax seemed to be the right choice and off we went. "Deep Sea" was the current running movie and it was only 40 minutes long, ideal for Ashus attention span. But only when we got there, it occured to us that the commentary will be in German. But I was ok with it. Anyway, Ashu is not going to follow the commentary. But Hd decided to wait in the cafe pretending that he had to make a call. Yeah right! The man is stingy enought to save 16 Francs. But me, I would nt trade Ashus first experience at the movies for anything! So off went mom and daughter to the dark interiors. Ashu was all puzzled at the environment and sat beside me in a chair wondering what was going on. Then the screen lit and the dolby effect kicked in. The lady at the ticker counter had warned me that they don't recommend children under 5 to watch as it is too loud for kids. I thought about the times infants and toddlers watched "Virumaandi" when we lived in Basel and the family of six with 2 boys at the age of 5 and 2 who were at the late night show of "Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu" in Bangalore. I dont mind, I told the lady smugly!

We watched a few trailers and when there was an avalanche of snow falling down, Ashu held my hands tightly. Then the movie started and the ocean animals arrived one by one and except for one scene when a shark suddenly swallowed a fish and gave Ashu a scare, the rest of it was quite slow. Ashu kept saying "Crab, Octopus, Shark,..." and was enjoying the movie. But after about 30 minutes, she turned around with her back to the screen and started watching the little girl who was sitting at the back with her dad. As if to say, "I have watched better stuff on TV"! I don't blame her! Thank God, it was only for 40 minutes. We both came out after the movie ended to find Hd sipping Cappuccino. Ashu excitedly told him all the fish she saw and how the Octopus ate a crab, "crunch crunch nu"! All in all, a nice experience. May be I ll wait for her to be old enough to take her to some animated movie next time. Hd can have his coffee at home that time!