2008 = 365 + 1

I sat down to write about the year that is about to end; 2008 as it happened to me and many. The year brought lot of ups and tremendous number of downs. But its no fun writing about what has happened to me or to the country or to the world. Everyone will write about economy, Obama, terror attacks and many more facts of 2008. 

So let me try and put it in a different way.   2008 was a leap year and that means one extra day, 24 extra hours, 1440 extra minutes, 86,400 extra seconds or 86,400,000 extra milliseconds. Why am I counting to milliseconds? …that millisecond mattered to Usain Bolt or Michael Phillips who made history at the Beijing Olympics. That millisecond also mattered to the fortunate passenger at the CST station who just missed the bullet and also to the unfortunate passenger who wasn’t that lucky on 26th November.    

As I think about the year gone by, I can’t resist thinking about that extra day. What day would you choose out of the 366 days that did matter the most to you; in a good way or bad? For everyone, there could be that one day of this year that changed something dramatically in their life. It could be the best thing that ever happened to you or could be the worst nightmare that came true on that day. You will either hate it forever or cherish it forever. All in all, you will never forget that one extra day.   

Million dollar question!! Or should I call a billion dollar (bailout question) is that if not for the extra day, could we have avoided the economic crisis? Who knows? For now, I will welcome 2009 with open arms and clear mind… 

Happy New Year to all!!! 

A Million Dollar Movie ... Slumdog Millionaire

Bottom Line is that this movie is brilliant. Ok, I said it. Now let me elaborate. But I would want to ensure that I won’t give away the movie as I sincerely want the readers to watch it.   

I was wrong when I thought that a love story cannot be attractive and appealing to me. Slumdog Millionaire did just that. A story that is close to an Arabian Nights tale with current affairs, brutal reality and pictures so real that you can feel the movie. Many thanks to Danny Boyle and his wonderful crew for this wonderful treat on the Christmas Eve..   

There are several reasons why I liked the movie. Let me begin with the most obvious one. The movie takes place in Mumbai.. Aaamchi Mumbai!! The movie is shot in the extreme interiors of the city; by the big sewage pipes, slums, dhobi ghaat, filthy toilets, brothels, call centers, chowpati and last but not least by the C.S.T. railway station. However, there is not a single frame when I was ashamed at what I was seeing. The beautiful work of the cameraman and the smooth direction blends each shot perfectly to the need of the story.    

The story is about a boy from slums in Mumbai who is on the Hot seat of “Who wants to become a Millionaire?” and is close to victory. Everyone is surprised at the knowledge of this uneducated chai wala to an extent that the cops interrogate him. The interrogation takes us through his life story. The story of his life reveals the secrets of the notorious city and also exposes how his practical experiences helped him answer the questions for the “Millionaire” show.    

The movie touches topics that corrode the city to failure and also those that lift the city to success; from the lust of brothel to the love of bollywood, from the dirty gangster network that grows like a weed to communal riots that rottens the society, from the bone chilling reality of the child torture to thriving call centers. The movie throws at us the horrific facts of the dark side of the city and at the same time presents with the tickling humor of love for Bollywood. And all this has the central them of love.

The movie has 3 lead characters that meet at 3 different phases of life; childhood, teenage and adulthood. The brilliance of the author and director ensures that the story grips the audience and makes each character more truthful to the storyline. Excellent and perfect star cast makes the movie very solid. It seems that most actors were tailor made for the roles that they played. No overacting, no frivolous melodrama and certainly no over analysis of any topic however serious the topic might be. The story flows smoothly and works itself to the climax that has the flavor of anticipation. The audience will get involved in the movie and with the characters.   

However, I must warn that few shots are graphic and troubling. “Slumdog Millionaire” is an offbeat movie but by no means can it be called a documentary or an art movie. It is as filmy as it should be; keeping in mind that the audience is international. I applaud the writer, director, cast and others linked to the book and the movie. I can predict this movie to go all the way to the Oscar nominations and give other nominees a fight for their money.   

I am glad that I watched this movie. It is an English movie but I will categorize this more as a Hinglish movie or even as a Hindi movie directed by a Hollywood director. A.R. Rahman is as good as always and even the Hollywood director couldn't resist putting some catchy background scores.   

Please note: Don’t leave the theater until after the credits at the end of the movie. That’s when earth meets the sky and Hollywood meets Bollywood.   

A Tooth Story

I finally managed to enter the dental clinic. Years and years of dental phobia had to be put aside as my tooth was killing me. Normally, I would rather accompany the Death than face a Dentist. The anxiety and fear of sitting in the Dental chair should be worse than sitting on the Electric chair. On an electric chair, I know the outcome.

On Thursday, I managed to visit the dental clinic. No surprises here. I had nurtured a bad tooth for a long time. Tooth number 19 (I had no clue that teeth had numbers) was long gone and it meant that the ultimate procedure of “Root Canal” had to be performed.

“A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form.”

– WebMD

My appointment was for Friday at 9 a.m. Against all odds, I managed to get up early that morning, take a shower, pray to the Almighty, dress up and walk out. The weather was as haunting as it could be; foggy with visibility less than 10 feet, low light and sweet silence. I couldn’t get scarier. It was a perfect setting to where I was heading. I was the first appointment of the morning. I sat in the waiting area looking through the misty glass at the parking lot where I could barely manage to see my car. The light from cars on the street dispersed in the fog and I could see the faint yellow candle like flicker each time a car passed by. The eerie silence in the clinic was broken by the radio that played Christmas carols in a low volume. This all made my heart pound harder and faster and I literally jumped off my sit when the attendant called my name.

The assistant calmed me and explained the procedure that I was to undergo today. All I could hear was words like drill, fill, remove, cavity, etc. I am much more scared of these words than words like taxes, interest, bankruptcy, recession, depression. Anyways, after I was scared to death, she placed a happy gas mask on my face. I think this is necessary to get the patient out of the trauma. I guess the gas worked as I was feeling slight numbness and was almost knocked out.

For the next 2 hours, the doctor and the assistant were boring hole in my teeth, digging up stuff, hammering, chiseling and polishing up things in my mouth. I have done most of this on an cast iron block in my smithy classroom during my engineering days. I had no clue all this can be performed on a tooth as well. If you are wondering about me, I was under anesthesia and had least/ no pain at all. The doctor asked questions and I was left speechless as I couldn’t speak even with my mouth open. I was in my own happy land as the artists were working on my tooth. Finally, the doctor was satisfied with the procedure and I was get go. Of course, I had to come back in less than a month for the crown.

I couldn’t feel anything on the left side of my mouth and I knew I was speaking like Marlon Brando from the movie “Godfather”. I had no control over that side as I rinsed my mouth and washed my face. I took my belongings and walked out of the clinic after 3 hours of a surgery. My mouth was still numb and was slightly high as a result of the happy gas.   For the last 2 days, I am having soft food and liquids as a precautionary measure. Nothing is hurting but I can feel something different in my mouth. The dentist did a great job as I have no pain. With the happy gas, anesthesia and pain killers, I shouldn’t complain. It should be a lot better than old times.

It makes me wonder whether I have overcome the fear of dentists. I don’t know. My next appointment is on Jan 6th and till then I will have time to think.

Passion Play

20,000 people at the Chidambaram Stadium and millions of viewers all across the globe erupted as the little master paddle swept the ball to score the winning runs of the 1st test against England.     

We saw another brilliant knock from Sachin Tendulkar. He is the 35 year old veteran of the game who has dominated the batting arena for over a decade and has held almost all batting world records. With 41 test centuries, 42 One Day centuries and close to 30,000 runs in International Cricket, Sachin has achieved what most can only dream about. The tally of his records and achievements can overwhelm anyone but the little master himself. For most he is the God of modern day cricket.

Sachin still remains a child and avid lover of the game of cricket. He is still the exuberant, enthusiastic kid that we saw 18 years back. The celebration today after the victory talks about the passion that is filled in this 35 year old. Punching his fist in the air, Sachin couldn’t and wouldn’t resist his emotions that have burst out every time the team has won. The excitement on his face after he became the 2nd youngest Test Century scorer in 1990 against England was the same as that we saw today.

Although 18 years have past, the delightfulness and the love for the game has never subsided in the Little Master. For a long time, he has held the beacon of competitiveness, teamwork and modesty. For years, he has made millions forget about their worries and has made thousands join him to celebrate Indian victory. Dileep Premachandran writes beautifully about the role that Tendulkar has played in the hearts of millions.

“Those that aren't Indian struggle to fathom exactly what Tendulkar means to so many millions, and it's doubtful whether even those that live here really comprehend just how much a part of the national consciousness he has become. He is such a unifying force, a personality capable of stirring the emotions in every nook and corner of a vast land.” 

Today’s victory is something special and what I would call “perfect timing”. As the nation attempts to rise after the inhuman carnage in Mumbai, the Mumbai lad himself rose to the occasion and brought back smile on our faces. 

He is no celebrity!!!

Ajmal Kasab is the lone surviving terrorist captured from the Mumbai attacks. He is responsible for deaths of 170 innocent people and numerous injured. He is responsible for several families that have lost their bread earner and loved ones. These acts of terrorism were in no means anything that any sane human would ever do. Ajmal Kasab is a terrorist and terrorists have no race, religion, family; they are no humans.

In the last few weeks, I have read a lot of media coverage on the attacks and heard several analysts talk about it. Knowing the basic identity of the terrorist is enough for the people of India and the world. We know their name, we know where they come from and we know why they came. I think that is enough to know about the terrorist. I feel the frustration when media provides frivolous information about Ajmal Kasab. For e.g. 

- Kasab wants to eat meat everyday and wants to watch movies of Amitabh Bachchan 

- Kasab asked his mother for blessings as he embraked for Jehad

Why should the people care about his likes and dislikes? Kasab is no celebrity and we do not want to get up, close and personal with the terrorist.   There were 170 people killed in the carnage; 3 top police officials, military and NSG jawaans that lost their life fighting for the country. I haven’t heard the media talk about the likes and dislikes of anyone of these warriors. What does Mr. Karkare like? Who was Mr. Unnikrishnan inspired by? 

If the media wants topics, then write columns about the soldiers that fight on the borders while we sleep in peace. We would like to hear their voices. I request the media not to try and make a human out of a terrorist. 

Memories

My friend called me last night from Mumbai. He was walking from the airport to his house and I could hear the busy traffic. The traffic was so busy that I could barely hear him. The traffic sound was like melody to my ears as it put me in trance and took me down my memory lanes to Mumbai; the cars honking, hawkers calling you, people speaking loud and various other constructions and road side chaos that is a routine in Mumbai. I miss all that.   

My friend talked about the play ground where we spend most of our childhood. He had just passed it as we were speaking. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he was narrating the surrounding. He was talking about kids rolling the cricket pitch, richshaw wallas dodging the puddles and people checking their watches as they rush to work. A scene that is very regular for any Mumbaite. He talked to me and I could visualize it sitting half way around the world.

I felt like Dhritarashtra as my friend became Sanjay to me. I was thoroughly enjoying every word he was saying.

Will Wall Street Journal become Hollywood Street Journal?

Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times have filed for bankruptcy. The bad market is not leaving the newspaper industry as well. In the midst, Wall Street Journal is now trying to compete with the market of New York Times.

Wall Street Journal or WSJ as it is commonly known has been the guiding star of Business news for millions around the world. So is the most well known newspaper of the business is about to change its image? As it turns towards NY Times, are we going to see a different feel of the newspaper?  I fear that the WSJ might lose its grip on the financial and business reader while trying to deliver to the standards of its competitor.

We have already seen color pictures on front page of WSJ as against its traditional look.  However, am I going to see a Jessica Simpson picture or a Super Bowl review on the front page of WSJ? I hope not.

GPS for Life!!

We all want a GPS for life; a device that will guide us through the thick and thins. We need a device that will recalculate the route and get us back on track whenever we take the wrong turn.

We desire for something that will take us to the destination. I think that such a GPS is inbuilt within each individual. It’s the voice in your head. However, that GPS needs to be brought back from the hands of our evil Gremlin (Richard Carson talks beautifully about this narrator in your head that needs to be tamed in his book “Taming Your Gremlin”). The voice within is the true path to success and the most advanced GPS that we will ever know. It’s the God to all of us. Spend time finding yourself and that will help attain Nirvana. The lyrics of a marathi song are apt to describe the same.

“Shodhishi manava raooli mandiri” (man strives to find God in temples)

“naandto dev ha aapulya antari” (God lives within us)

and the last 2 lines correctly call out the unknown path that we all travel through when we can avoid the road to perdition by peeping within. 

“Shodh re divyata aapulya jeevani” (find enlightenment within your life) 

“aandhala khel ha khelshi kuthvari” (to what effect play this blind game)

Journey "through" the center of the country

You may find the picture beautiful. It is a good composition with blue sky on top (signifying freedom) and man made road at the bottom (signifying journey). The dry grass and scrubs adding color to the journey towards freedom. The only problem is the slight glimpse of an interstate board that spoils the beauty of the picture. However, that board is supposed to the “Main Subject” of the picture. This is Sheetal’s “Attempt” to capture the board with her camera. 

You can see the board on the right hand side (blown up for clarity).  If you closely observe, you can see the west coast of the country on the board as well.  Apparently, that board shows the map of the country and mentions that we are at the center of the country. Sheetal in her excitement went a little off-center in capturing the center.   

In Rohit’s terminology, Sheetal is completely “Naapaas” (Fail) in her attempt. I agree… she truly showed “Gaarib” (Poor) skills over here. We went to the center and we came back and all I got was this lousy picture.

To add to the misery, Sheetal provided incorrect information. Now, nobody knows what this board was all about. Anyways, the talent still exists and will exist until proved otherwise.

I am leaving on a jet plane.. Don’t know where I will land again? :)

My flight was rerouted to another place about couple of hours away from my final destination. I hoped that they would put us back on the flight and take us to our planned destination. However, soon I discovered that the airline changed the route and took the flight to a third destination. Now, I was strangled at an airport that was smaller than the parking lot of YMCA. There was no way that I was reaching the final destination until I made a move. And so I did. I contacted the rental car office to know that they were out of cars. Hmm… let me think. I was stuck in the oddest place and had no where to go.    

Luckily, some gentleman just returned a vehicle and I got the weird looking orange color vehicle that had no cruise control or arm rest. I love to drive but now my feet hurt as the accelerator was oddly positioned, my arm hurt as there was no arm rest, my head hurt as I had not eaten anything since morning and my tooth hurt because.. well, I have a toothache for a week now. I reached my final destination after 12 long hours in air and on land driving over water.    

Altogether, I have managed to be in 4 different states and 6 different cities in the last 7 days (excluding home town and home state). So next time I get on an aircraft (which is tomorrow), I will keep an open mind and will be ready to step anywhere… even where no man has gone before.

A ray of hope...

The nation mourns as the city limbs back to life.

The night glows in the flicker of thousands of candles. People meet at Taj Hotel exactly a week after the carnage and inhuman slaughter of freedom in Mumbai; A vigil is observed at the Gateway of India. The vigil includes people from Bhopal who have visited Mumbai with feelings similar to that Mumbaikars and rest of India have today. It is a national tragedy. Today, December 3rd also marks the 24th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy. It’s a shame that the stance of the government hasn’t changed a bit after 24 years of multiple instances when innocent lives have been lost. 

Today nobody is talking about being North Indian from Bhopal or South Indian from Chennai. For once, we feel Indian, breathe Indian. I wish that we all feel the same not only in the time of terror but also in the time of peace. Is this the beginning of a new India?

What are the odds?

Rohit riddles us as we drive back from Oklahoma City to Tulsa. With bullets in 2 consecutive slots of a pistol, will I roll the slots or take a shot after clicking an empty slot? It’s a game of probability and question is “What are the odds?”

Our topic today is not about the brain teaser; it is about the odds during my trip.

I drive with Sumeet from Dallas, Texas to Bixby, Oklahoma to meet Rohit, Sheetal and little Ruhi. We have rented a Toyota Prius and I am still surprised that we got the efficient hybrid car. The flat terrain of Texas (puts me to sleep) and further more the silent roads of Oklahoma (haunt me) is not the most exciting drives I have made in the country. Sumeet shuffles through the gizmos of the hybrid vehicle as I try to focus on the road. The topic of discussion is without any surprise the recent terror attacks in Mumbai that were still in progress. The series of what are the odds start exactly from here.

I just made a trip to India to visit my family. During my trip, I had a chance to show my friend from USA around the city. No surprise that I took her to the Gateway of India, showed her the Taj and walked on the streets of Marine drive as I talked to her about the Indian culture and other historical significance of various places. I would have laughed off if someone would have told me that in just over a month, someone would spread terror in the city. A terrorist would be shot dead at same spot where I was standing a month back. What are the odds? I told my friend about the wonderful Taj as I wondered the significance of the century old hotel that stood tall and proud. Only now, that I know the real importance of the Taj.

Reel forward to my visit to Oklahoma. Here I am sitting with my childhood friends (all from Mumbai) talking, watching and hoping for the terror to stop. We become food junkies whenever we meet and I don’t feel even a bit guilty as we dig through couple of cheesecakes, 3 trays of biryani, mouth watering poha and more (thanx to Sheetal).

To give Sheetal a break from the kitchen, we stop by the Red Robbins on the Black Friday. The traffic of Bixby on the Black Friday would make a person from DC laugh to death. I think midnight traffic over the weekend at DC can beat hands down the black Friday noon traffic at Bixby. Anyways, we get the corner booth at the RR with a TV set playing CNN. What are the odds? Four people from the same city, same school sitting at a restaurant half way around the world in a tiny town watching CNN that is broadcasting the news of terror of a city that we four are born and brought up. We were the only one from India in that restaurant and I wonder if the other tables were wondering the same thing as I was (except for the fact that they wont know what part of sub continent we are from).

The very next day we drive to Oklahoma City and stop by the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. We read about the terrorism spread in 1995 when the Oklahoma building was blasted by terrorists. And here we were walking down the memorial thinking about a similar incidence that was currently taking place in our homeland. Terrorist act doesn’t differentiate person, religion, nationality.

We decide to have lunch at the restaurant called “Bourbon Street Cafe`”. Apparently, I will be at the real Bourbon Street at New Orleans in couple of days. What are the odds? Maybe it was a dry run of the experience that I would have in few days. Lesson learnt from the dry run is that I shouldn’t order what Sumeet ordered. His order was sweeter than the dessert we ate.

The last coincidence occurred that night as we were playing Taboo. Rohit had to just say 2 words “Player” and “Bricktown” for me to guess the right answer. We had visited the Mickey Mantle Stadium that afternoon at Oklahoma City.

This trip was a much needed break and it is always like being back home when we meet. The comfort that you have with childhood friends is beyond my understanding. I had met Ruhi once before and this time she could walk and talk. It was fun playing with her as she called out for me and Sumeet early in the morning. She was as comfortable with us as her parents were. I spent some time with my 2 year old nephew during my trip to India, played with Ruhi and am planning to meet the newest member of our group, Neel. That innocent age when voilence, terrorism, and worldly worries are aliens and unknown. I watched Ruhi play with us and I wished we all were kids again and played carefree.

“Yeh daulat bhi lelo, yeh shohorat bhi lelo, Bhale chinalo mujhse meri Javaani; Magar mujhko lautado bachpan ka saawan; woh kaagaz ki kashti, woh barish ka paani” Gist: I do not want wealth, fame or even my youth; Give me back my childhood and all the fun I had as a child. 

But, what are the odds?