There I was. At the world famous Niagara Falls. Without my camera (which I stupidly forgot at home). And before I reached the place I was sure I was going to say "WOW, this is beautiful".
But the spectacle disappointed me. I cannot believe people go so many times to a place where water falls from a height. I'd rather look at the shower while showering.
OK...bad joke. But you get my point. There seemed to be nothing spectacular about the Falls. Atleast not from the American side. I may change my opinion after looking at it form the Canadian side. But that's going to be a while. And what made it more boring was the fact I forgot my camera. And it's a place where you can now find more Indians than in India. I don't really mind, but it's about time there were sign posts in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, etc. I mean, come on, there were people in Dhotis and stuff. I remember being at the F1 race in Indianapolis and having seen an Indian woman, around late 50s, sitting there without any emotions, in a Saree!!!!!!!
There are more Indian restaurants there than any other. It's similar to a Chowpatti in Mumbai. You will meet atleast one person you know. And maybe even everyone you know. That's possible.
Still, not everything is boring. There is Maid of the Mist ride which was wonderful. Now that's the way to see the Falls. It's a great spectacle from underneath the Falls and the ride was well-worth the time and money spent. Time spent in the line for the ride. Not the time spent traveling for more than 6 hours and paying toll every other half hour.
All in all, a simply boring experience barring that one ride. Let's hope I like it from the other side.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Book to Movie : A 'Da Vinci' Tale
I have read the book once before and I have seen the movie too. But I was just too eager to read that book again. I don't know why, but there hasn't been a book like that (with the mysteries and conspiracy theories) and I had forgotten much of the story. So I went to the library and picked up a copy, and read through the whole thing and I have to admit I found the story much clearer as I knew what happens next.
So it was a Sunday when I finished this book and I have this Blockbuster membership with the online rentals and I had a movie to return which I could exchange for a new free one and I didn't have a movie in mind.
Anyways, I thought it would be cool to see the 'Da Vinci' movie again right after I read the book.
And so I rented it. Now everyone knows that most movies made from books do not turn out to be exact copies of the book. Many plots and storylines are changed. I don't know why. Maybe it's because the new plots make the movie more interesting. I don't know. I never thought so.Anyways, I thought that this movie can't really be that different from the book. I mean to build a new plot seemed tough.
But I saw some glaring differences. First and foremost, Robert Langdon in the movie may not be 'for' the 'real' story of the Holy Grail, but he never disagrees with Teabing during his accounts. He infact adds to the story. But in the movie he is shown to be skeptical about the whole 'truth' and argues with Teabing. Now why would that happen? Why do you want to change the character's personality?
And secondly, the major difference is the presence of only one cryptex rather than two as in the book. I believe they did so because they wanted to shorten the movie. But I think they have made it longer by some of the inbetween sequences. And I would have like a 'Series' like the 'Band Of Brothers' instead of a shortened movie. That would have made a better thing to see, spanned over a few weeks, showing every bit of detail as in the book. But they made a movie, with one of the worst editing I have ever seen. They run through the Louvre part of the book like they wanted to get out of it as fast as they could. And then they spend time in the Park, etc.
And that's not all. Another big difference is in the relationship between Saunière and Neveu. I do not recall the book saying that they weren't really grandfather-granddaughter. But the movie says so, and I don't know why. Langdon and Neveu go below the Roslin Chapel which never happens. Also, Fache is shown as an Opus Dei member and Aringarosa has a slight negative edge which is not present in the book. Silas doesn't actually die in the book.
All this makes me believe that books turned into movies is not a really good thing. Look at the Bourne series. Even the first movie is not similar to the book, let alone the next two movies which are actually different from the books titles the same.
The Da Vinci Code movie was meant for only those who had read the book as the rest didn't understand what was happening. And those who read the book found the movie so odd, that it would have been a better idea if they had not made one at all. It would have saved all the controversy it created during it's release.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Dessert Dilemma
Imagine yourself in a nice Italian restaurant. You have just had the best pasta there is with shrimps and grilled chicken in a zesty Arrabiata sauce after a nice Pasta e Fagioli soup. And now you are thinking of the best part of the meal. The DESSERT.
But hold on a minute. It was just two days ago that your friend told you that you seemed to have gained a few pounds. And also, your pants didn't exactly fit you when you wore them this evening. You can still feel the 'pressure' on your tummy. So, you are trying your best to avoid the dessert menu. You try to look the other way, but your friend is holding the menu in his hand and thinking (out loud) what he would like to have for dessert. So you close your ears and now you look like a fool.
And then the waitress comes. Usually it's a cute young girl, a girl you don't have the heart to say NO to. And she comes up to you and says ever-so-sweetly, "And what will you have for dessert?" You say, "No, Thanks. I think I'm full." And she eyes the 'box' in front of you which has most of your dinner packed, as lunch the next day. And you feel sheepish and look down, avoiding here stare and the face which is now saying, "Come on, you know you want to."
And in your mind you are saying, "Come on, you know you want to. So what if you have gained a few pounds, you can shed them easily in the coming week." And then you have convinced yourself that you can have the dessert without guilt and you order a Tiramisu and the waitress smiles the best smile and you feel you have accomplished something.
The Tiramisu arrives and you finish it in a jiffy because it's so good. And the others are just starting and now you feel left out and you just sit there looking at them wondering what made you such an animal. And then you pay the check and then you leave for home feeling good about yourself and looking forward to a nice sleep.
But hold on a minute. It was just two days ago that your friend told you that you seemed to have gained a few pounds. And also, your pants didn't exactly fit you when you wore them this evening. You can still feel the 'pressure' on your tummy. So, you are trying your best to avoid the dessert menu. You try to look the other way, but your friend is holding the menu in his hand and thinking (out loud) what he would like to have for dessert. So you close your ears and now you look like a fool.
And then the waitress comes. Usually it's a cute young girl, a girl you don't have the heart to say NO to. And she comes up to you and says ever-so-sweetly, "And what will you have for dessert?" You say, "No, Thanks. I think I'm full." And she eyes the 'box' in front of you which has most of your dinner packed, as lunch the next day. And you feel sheepish and look down, avoiding here stare and the face which is now saying, "Come on, you know you want to."
And in your mind you are saying, "Come on, you know you want to. So what if you have gained a few pounds, you can shed them easily in the coming week." And then you have convinced yourself that you can have the dessert without guilt and you order a Tiramisu and the waitress smiles the best smile and you feel you have accomplished something.
The Tiramisu arrives and you finish it in a jiffy because it's so good. And the others are just starting and now you feel left out and you just sit there looking at them wondering what made you such an animal. And then you pay the check and then you leave for home feeling good about yourself and looking forward to a nice sleep.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Re: It's a 'nosy' affair
This particular post is in reply to an article I read in the Bombay Times
It's a 'nosy' affair
Now this author is a funny man. He is as funny as Himesh is a bad singer. But I have some comments on his article.
I have to agree, Himesh is talented. He has his own style of music and is good. He has the 'beats' and his songs are popular. I personally like some of his songs. It's not the case that there have been singers who haven't deserved to have sung before. Anu Malik is pathetic, Shah Rukh Khan tried his luck at it, Sanjay Dutt does it. And they are bad, I tell you. And so is Himesh. It's fine for him to sing, I have nothing against that, but to adore him for his singing is just a bit crazy. No...not a bit, a lot. First of all, he is unbelievably nasal. And when he continues his 'OOOOOOOO' in that fashion, i just want to cut my ears off. And nasal is not that good. Ask anyone if they like hearing Kumar Sanu sing.
And now Himesh has his own film, with that damned leather jacket and a torn cap. I am not going to see that film, because I know I'll be wasting precious time and money. But then this author compares him to Kishore Kumar...and it hurts me. Kishore Kumar, now he was an all-rounder. A good comedian, a terrific singer and a gifted music director. To compare Himesh to Kishoreda is the height of stupidity. I understand that Sonu Nigam can't act, but in no way is his voice nasal at any pitch. And if this guy says so, he is a deaf dude. Sonu Nigam is currently one of the best singers alongside Shankar Mahadevan.
A last word is that after reading the recent news about Sonu Nigam making it open about being sexually harassed by this particular author, I have no doubt that this article was just a way to let everyone know that Sonu Nigam is not what people claim to be and that there is a 'superstar' there right now, who overshadows everyone in the industry.
It's a 'nosy' affair
Now this author is a funny man. He is as funny as Himesh is a bad singer. But I have some comments on his article.
I have to agree, Himesh is talented. He has his own style of music and is good. He has the 'beats' and his songs are popular. I personally like some of his songs. It's not the case that there have been singers who haven't deserved to have sung before. Anu Malik is pathetic, Shah Rukh Khan tried his luck at it, Sanjay Dutt does it. And they are bad, I tell you. And so is Himesh. It's fine for him to sing, I have nothing against that, but to adore him for his singing is just a bit crazy. No...not a bit, a lot. First of all, he is unbelievably nasal. And when he continues his 'OOOOOOOO' in that fashion, i just want to cut my ears off. And nasal is not that good. Ask anyone if they like hearing Kumar Sanu sing.
And now Himesh has his own film, with that damned leather jacket and a torn cap. I am not going to see that film, because I know I'll be wasting precious time and money. But then this author compares him to Kishore Kumar...and it hurts me. Kishore Kumar, now he was an all-rounder. A good comedian, a terrific singer and a gifted music director. To compare Himesh to Kishoreda is the height of stupidity. I understand that Sonu Nigam can't act, but in no way is his voice nasal at any pitch. And if this guy says so, he is a deaf dude. Sonu Nigam is currently one of the best singers alongside Shankar Mahadevan.
A last word is that after reading the recent news about Sonu Nigam making it open about being sexually harassed by this particular author, I have no doubt that this article was just a way to let everyone know that Sonu Nigam is not what people claim to be and that there is a 'superstar' there right now, who overshadows everyone in the industry.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Weary Wimbledon
Rain...Rain...and more rain poured throughout the 1 1/2 weeks of The Championship. Now there's something the English haven't learnt. Tennis in London has always suffered the consequences of perennial rain, and still they go on as it is. I feel for these players even though I haven't played tennis.Think of the inconsistencies. There was Federer, who lay in his hotel suite for around 5 days before he got to his Quarter-Final match. And Nadal swayed onto the court for 3 days to get his match completed. Sharapova lost all her control after a rain delayed match and she was over-run by Venus Williams. Serena Williams got a break during her big injury and came back to win. Djokovic has now played 2 long and hard matches in 2 days to now play Nadal on the 3rd day and go on to play the final on the 4th day. If he continues his form he will take Nadal to the final set and then all his energy will drain out.
My point is why haven't the English thought of something to prevent such drastic consequences of rain delays? Why don't they have retractable roofs when it rains? And this is not the first time such delays have happened. So many finals have gone to Monday and players have had to play too many games in too little days.
"It's tradition", they will say. But traditions don't mean to exhaust players and rob the people of competitive matches. Look at tomorrow's final. Bartoli has to play Venus Williams who had an easy semi. But Bartoli had to go through 3 sets to beat the No.1 Henin. How energetic will she be to face a strong Venus? I can see the scoreline as an easy straight sets win for Venus. Not fair really.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Transfer Market going haywire
The transfer market in European Football is going crazy. The sheer number of big-name transfers that have taken place in the summer is crazy.
The biggest one till now is the transfer of French talisman Thierry Henry. Now I didn't have to say all that. Just 'Henry' would have said it all. His move to Barcelona, though in talks, was a thunderous change to the European Football look. Barcelona now seriously look unbeatable. With a man who can make almost any pass and a man who can make almost every goal will definitely be tough to overlook.
And then there is the more recent signing. Athletico Madrid youngster Fernando Torres to Livepool. The Kop will be celebrating their hearts out now. A prolific striker, and a much needed force for Liverpool, he will up Liverpool's ambition to win the big titles again.
And then there's this signing that I was hoping would come last January, But now that it has happened, the Champions League will look much more clear to Sir Alex. And who can count out 2 other midfielders, Nani and Anderson, who join the Red Devils, bolstering the center of the pitch. If Giggs and Scholes can continue from where they left last season and Ronaldo can create the same magic, there may be no stopping for United. And now reports coming out that Teves may be the next to join the Old Trafford side. That's something out of the blue, but they do need a striker. I won't be surprised if they sign a big name defender in the coming months
Here are just a few of the biggies. Many things going on around Europe. Klose joins Bayern. Ribery also joins Bayern. Malouda may be on his way to Chelsea. Carlos and Beckham left Real. And many many more. And I do believe this is not the end.
The biggest one till now is the transfer of French talisman Thierry Henry. Now I didn't have to say all that. Just 'Henry' would have said it all. His move to Barcelona, though in talks, was a thunderous change to the European Football look. Barcelona now seriously look unbeatable. With a man who can make almost any pass and a man who can make almost every goal will definitely be tough to overlook.
And then there is the more recent signing. Athletico Madrid youngster Fernando Torres to Livepool. The Kop will be celebrating their hearts out now. A prolific striker, and a much needed force for Liverpool, he will up Liverpool's ambition to win the big titles again.
And then there's this signing that I was hoping would come last January, But now that it has happened, the Champions League will look much more clear to Sir Alex. And who can count out 2 other midfielders, Nani and Anderson, who join the Red Devils, bolstering the center of the pitch. If Giggs and Scholes can continue from where they left last season and Ronaldo can create the same magic, there may be no stopping for United. And now reports coming out that Teves may be the next to join the Old Trafford side. That's something out of the blue, but they do need a striker. I won't be surprised if they sign a big name defender in the coming months
Here are just a few of the biggies. Many things going on around Europe. Klose joins Bayern. Ribery also joins Bayern. Malouda may be on his way to Chelsea. Carlos and Beckham left Real. And many many more. And I do believe this is not the end.
IKEA - Cheap and Expensive
It could be the best thing in the home shopping scene here. It has cheap and durable stuff. They sell stuff which has 2 pluses (in my case atleast)...one being that the things are cheap(er than many stores) and the second that you have to build the furniture yourself, which I can tell you is a lot of fun. Ask my roommate who spent his afternoon building a rolling cabinet we got from IKEA yesterday. He kept sating how much fun it was. I have built 2 tables and tonight I am about to tackle a bed. Fun times ahead.
But there is a big no-no there. Now I have a Grand Am, not the speacious kinds of vehicle when you have to haul a lot of stuff, and particularly not when i have to carry 10-12 feet of packaging. And so I have to either rent a truck, which is absolutely impractical, or have it delivered by IKEA. So here is where they make up for the 'cheap' selling prices.
I wanted to ship my bed and mattress and that was going to cost me $69.99. Now they must be delivering around 50 items or more in a day. So why $69.99. And that is because I live on the second floor, they have to carry it over one flight of stairs. So, it would cost me that much. So, I took the other option of paying $49 and have the items delivered 'curbside'. I hauled them to my apartment on the second floor with the utmost ease and I was relieved I didn't waste $20 on hose guys, who by the way were bigger than I was and were 2 of them.
A few months earlier, I had my recliner delivered and that too cost me $50. A real rip-off I can tell you. So take care when you see the prices at IKEA, coz you may find out that you have to have your items shipped and that would just cost as much. Still it will be cheaper than other places, but $50 for curbside delivery....NO! Thank God I wasn't obliged to tip the delivery guys!!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
News Flashes...What's up with this world!!!!
So, the big news....Paris Hilton was released from jail after 3 weeks. WOW!!! Wonderful!!!
All this news will do is make the paparazzi happy...that's all. Coz now more than half of them can get back to work after a nice vacation. And what says that she'll not be visiting the jail again? She's so damn messed up that it's only safe to make a bet that she'll be retracing her steps. This experience is supposed to have a changing effect on her....according to her. I respect her in a way that she knows and accepts that she's crazy and immature. But how can anyone be so stupid as to have herself filmed naked and in compromising situations, then deny about it, then accept it and sue the people responsible for making the tape public, then making the tape an official video and selling it to the public (which of course wouldn't see as people already had the whole tape with them) and then top it all by making another video with similar graphical content.
And she has her effect on all others around her. She had a fued with Lindsay Lohan (do not get me started on this i-think-i-am-a-bikini-model bimbo). She became best friends with Britney Spears who left her child all alone and shaved her head and showed off her privates to the world. And again, Paris' friend Kim also has her own video now. COOL!!!
Well, there...that was too much said on a two-word issue....TOTAL CRAP.
Now there's this other news. Chris Benoit allegedly has murdered his wife and kid and then committed suicide. Horrible thing, and for WWE fans, that's really tragic to lose a favorite. The show on Monday may have been a bore, and the sentiments felt by the roster may have been a bad case of acting, but it was a good gesture.
So, two bad things have happened in one day. A crazy woman let loose again and a disturbed man went over the edge.
All this news will do is make the paparazzi happy...that's all. Coz now more than half of them can get back to work after a nice vacation. And what says that she'll not be visiting the jail again? She's so damn messed up that it's only safe to make a bet that she'll be retracing her steps. This experience is supposed to have a changing effect on her....according to her. I respect her in a way that she knows and accepts that she's crazy and immature. But how can anyone be so stupid as to have herself filmed naked and in compromising situations, then deny about it, then accept it and sue the people responsible for making the tape public, then making the tape an official video and selling it to the public (which of course wouldn't see as people already had the whole tape with them) and then top it all by making another video with similar graphical content.
And she has her effect on all others around her. She had a fued with Lindsay Lohan (do not get me started on this i-think-i-am-a-bikini-model bimbo). She became best friends with Britney Spears who left her child all alone and shaved her head and showed off her privates to the world. And again, Paris' friend Kim also has her own video now. COOL!!!
Well, there...that was too much said on a two-word issue....TOTAL CRAP.
Now there's this other news. Chris Benoit allegedly has murdered his wife and kid and then committed suicide. Horrible thing, and for WWE fans, that's really tragic to lose a favorite. The show on Monday may have been a bore, and the sentiments felt by the roster may have been a bad case of acting, but it was a good gesture.
So, two bad things have happened in one day. A crazy woman let loose again and a disturbed man went over the edge.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Some things to think about....
Just read about it....Michigan Stadium...also called the Big House (and rightly so) is the largest American Football stadium in the world. Well OK, American football is not played outside the US, but note this...it is also the 5th largest sports arena in the world. Bigger even than the Nou Camp of Barcelona FC. Now that's something. I can personally tell you that as being one of the 111,000 people to fill this stadium last year. That's an amazing statistic.
Playing with numbers...here's one more. Apparently, Formula 1 does not have a driver with the number 13. Jarno Trulli is number 12 and then David Coulthard is number 14. No number 13. Now that's superstitious....or is it? Well, it so happens that 13 has been used only twice since 1974 when it was apparently decided it was never supposed to be used. I haven't a clue why this is so, but I am going to find out.
Speaking of F1, I read somewhere that Toyota has spent the most in development in the pre-season and their team is not performing so well there. More than Ferrari who lie second and even more than McLaren who sit comfortably at the top of the Constructors' Championship, not to mention, McLaren's 2 drivers 1st and 2nd in the Driver's Championship. Spyker incidentally spent the least.. a meager $50m...I know that's a large number, but when you consider Toyota spent $400m+.
Playing with numbers...here's one more. Apparently, Formula 1 does not have a driver with the number 13. Jarno Trulli is number 12 and then David Coulthard is number 14. No number 13. Now that's superstitious....or is it? Well, it so happens that 13 has been used only twice since 1974 when it was apparently decided it was never supposed to be used. I haven't a clue why this is so, but I am going to find out.
Speaking of F1, I read somewhere that Toyota has spent the most in development in the pre-season and their team is not performing so well there. More than Ferrari who lie second and even more than McLaren who sit comfortably at the top of the Constructors' Championship, not to mention, McLaren's 2 drivers 1st and 2nd in the Driver's Championship. Spyker incidentally spent the least.. a meager $50m...I know that's a large number, but when you consider Toyota spent $400m+.
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