Breaking Traffic rules: A different perspective

A motor-vehicle riding on the wrong side of the road. A motorcycle rides over the divider to get to the other side. Aren't these sights common in India? How do you react to it? I get irritated on seeing these as the perpetrators are endangering not only themselves but also others. Recently, I talked to a management consultant who has been to India several times and also love India. Her take on this was surprising for me

On a visit to India, she was caught in a traffic jam. She noticed a rider on a motorcycle waiting impatiently in the jam. When the rider realized the entire exercise would mean an indefinite wait, he rode over the divider to the reverse lane. In order to ride over the divider, he had to find a few brick pieces since the divider was of a different height. In addition, he also had to let other people blocking his way to use the same technique.

My friend, the management consultant, has a different take on this incident which broke all rules and also should have astonished her. Indians are able to find a way out of tricky situation. They do not wait for things to happen. They make things happen.

Personally, I differ. You will find these characteristics regardless of race and creed. But what I learnt from the conversation is what many people often repeat. Keep your eyes. There is always a different perspective. It is indeed a fresh view of an issue which usually ends up driving up my blood pressure to the roof.

Tags: Musings,Indian,Traffic

Movie Review: Horrible Bosses

Nick Hendricks(Jason Bateman), Dale Arbus(Charlie Day) and Kurt Buckman(Jason Sudeikis) share the same predicament. They have horrible bosses. Nick works for an overbearing, unscrupulous and pompous Dave Harken(Kevin Spacey) who extracts work from him by waving the "promotion" flag. Dave humiliates Nick whenever he gets a chance. Dale works Dr Julia Harris(Jennifer Aniston) and is busy fending off her sexual advances. No matter what he tries, Julia never backs off. Kurt is happy working for his boss till the latter meets with an accident and is replaced by his pervert son Bobby Pellitt(Colin Farrell).

The trio meets often at a nearby bar to discuss their problems. While venting about their bosses one evening, they casually remark about killing their bosses. Although none of them gives it a lot of thought, the events at their work forces them to take up this option. After deciding to go all the way, the trio unsuccessfully tries to find a hit man. Finally, they meet a "murder consultant" in one of the dangerous bars in the neighborhood. The murder consultant Motherfucker Jones(Jamie Foxx) takes 5000 dollars to give them ideas. The trio then tries to implement this idea.

Seth Gordon directs this entertaining comedy about the underlings trying to get rid of their horrible bosses. Seth manages to keep the audience laughing without going overboard with his politically incorrect jokes. The biggest strength of the movie is wonderful casting he has managed to rope in. It is the bosses - Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell (unrecognizable with a balding head, smirk and a beard) - who makes this movie worthwhile to watch. Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis reacts to the situations created by their bosses.

Pick it up if you are in the mood of comedy.

Language: English

Genre: Comedy

Rating: ***

Tags: Movies,Jason Bateman,Charlie Day,Jason Sudeikis,Kevin Spacey,Jennifer Aniston,Colin Farrell,Seth Gordon,Comedy

Fete de Ganesha Paris 2011

Craziness. That is summing up in one word. Fete de Ganesha is the festivities organized by Parisian Ganesha devotees. Does it coincide with Ganesha Chathurthi? I am not an expert. But this year, it coincided with the period. The main attraction of this festival is the procession which starts from the Ganesha temple returning back to the starting point after taking a stroll through the narrow local streets infested with Srilankan shops. Though I call it "Little India", this is not true. This is "Little Srilanka".

The streets and the shops were decorated for the day with Tamil and Hindi devotional songs flowing out along with the smell of incense. There were a lot of jasmine sellers on the street. Parisians have come in hordes to see the festivities. Their curiosity factor added to the sales of jasmine. Once bought, jasmines were tied in different innovative styles which invoked laughter. The traffic came to a standstill. The local press covered the event. Press and volunteers controlling the traffic had yellow badges either hanging from their pockets or tied around the arm.

The procession with the floats were the main attraction. Each of the float is preceded by people playing Indian instruments or the dancers. The bigger floats were pulled by people. There was one float pulled by men and another pulled by women. It was fun to watch people dancing and pulling with religious fervor.

Some Parisians looked at the event from their balcony.

The procession lasts more than 2 hours. The streets are so thickly packed that you can hardly move. I didn't wait for the entire drama to unfold. I moved away with lots of picture and memories to write about. But soon I realized the restaurants were charging "Ganesha" specials in their bills.

Tags: Travel,Paris,Ganesha

Movie Review: One Day

Following their graduation party at Edinburg University in 1988, Emma(Anne Hathaway) and Dexter(Jim Sturgess) end up in Emma’s room. It is early in the morning and nothing sexual happens between them. Instead they spend time snuggling and falling in sleep. The day is 15th July, St Swithin’s day. For the next 23 years, their relationship goes through many ups and downs while they struggle to prove themselves in life and also to find how important both are for each other.

Lone Scherfig directs this drama based on an adaptation by David Nicholls of his own eponymous novel. Using one day in an year(15th July) for 23 years to tell the love story and also inner turmoil of the protagonists is an innovative way of story telling. This technique holds the attention of the viewer. This technique aided by performance and conversation helps the movie. The drawback of this movie is the abrupt ending.

Anne Hathaway steals the show with her portrayal of Emma. When she appears on the screen, all the players are relegated to the background unintentionally. Anne’s Emma transforms throughout the movie; from an smitten young girl into a woman lacking confidence to a woman who forever waits for Dexter to many more avatars. She takes the audience with her in this journey. Jim Sturgess has a role which is not too difficult to play. The other notable performances are Patricia Clarkson and Ken Stott as Dexter’s parents.

Perfect watch on DVD on a quiet evening.

Language: English

Genre: Drama

Rating: ***

Tags: Movies,Anne Hathaway,Jim Sturgess,Lone Scherfig,Drama

Movie Review: Cowboys & Aliens

A man(Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of desert. The year is 1873. He has a wound on the side of his body and a metal bracelet on his wrist. He cannot remember his past. He finds his way to the nearest town named Absolution. The man gets medical aid from a preacher. He gets into a fight with Percy Dolarhyde(Paul Dano) which results in the imprisonment of the latter. The sheriff recognizes the man to the outlaw named Jake Lonergan. Jake is also imprisoned by the sheriff with the help of a mystery woman named Ella Swenson(Olivia Wilde).

When Jake and Percy are being transported to another city for prosecution, Dolarhyde(Harrison Ford) rides into the town in order to stop the sheriff. He has two purposes. Get Percy released and get Jake to deliver the money stolen from his bank. When there is an imminent showdown, alien spaceships attack the town. Some of the residents scramble for cover while the others put up resistance with their primitive weapon. To Jake’s surprise, the metal bracelet becomes active and he uses it to destroy one of the ships.

The alien spaceship abducts some of the residents. Percy, the sheriff and the wife of the local barman Doc(Sam Rockwell) are amongst the abducted people. Dolarhyde decides to pursue the aliens and organizes a posse. Soon, Jake also joins them as he remembers flashes of the past and the key to his loss of memory lies with the aliens. The posse is aided by the Indian tracker Nat Colorado(Adam Beach). During this journey, Jake finds more about himself and also about Ella. The whites and the Indians have to forget their enmity to form a bond to fight against the superior enemy.

Jon Favreau directs this uninteresting movie which combines two genres – Western and Sci fi. An interesting premise is ruined by an unimaginative script which has all the trappings of Hollywood. At the end, there are only two things good about the movie – photography and the music. The photography reminds the viewer of the good old western where the protagonist is on focus; be it in the middle of the screen or at the edge. It aids in heightening the romance of the Western genre. The music is good. It tries to lift us even when the happening on the screen is boring. CG is subtle.

Daniel Craig is perfect as Jake Lonergan. He does not reveal his emotions. But that is what is needed for this role. Harrison Ford as Dolarhyde impresses in the introductory scene but fails then on. After this point, he clearly looks uninterested.

Seeing James Bond and Indiana Jones on the same screen would be a dream come true for a movie buff. But this is a lost chance. Avoid it.

Language: English

Genre: Western

Rating: **

Tags: Movies,Daniel Craig,Harrison Ford,Olivia Wilde,Jon Favreau,Western

Multi-purpose cannon

Cannon is a good weapon against approaching attackers. This serves as a good defense from a safe distance. You can see the picture of one in Gent. This reminded me the Jaivana in Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur. Both of them have common history. By history, I do not mean they originated from the same factory. Or did they? I'm not sure. But that is not the point I'm trying to drive.

Both has been fired only once. Jaivana one was fired to test it. It may be the location of the cannon on the small hill which prevented any attacks that warranted the use of the cannon. Similarly, the one in Gent was fired only once. But it was pointing to the wrong direction while firing.

If you observe the picture carefully, you will see a glass wall blocking the mouth of the cannon. What is it for? The answer is simple. People started using it as a garbage can and finally the city decided to close it up as a preventive measure. As you can see, littering is not only a problem in our cities but also European cities.

Tags: Musings,Cannon,Littering

Movie Review: Conan The Barbarian

In order to crush the Acheron king, the barbarian tribes unite to conquer them. In order to crush their power after defeating the Archerons, the barbarians break the supernatural mask into pieces and store each piece from it with different tribes. Years later, Conan is born in the battlefield to Corin(Ron Perlman). As a young boy, Conan displays the characteristics of a warrior. A pleased Corin builds a sword of steel for his son. Before Corin could mentor Conan into a warrior, their village is attacked by Khalar Zym(Stephen Lang). Khalar causes Corin's death and steals the piece of mask hidden by Corin. For Khalar Zym, this is the final piece he is looking for.

Years later, Conan(Jason Momoa) is a grown man waging wars against tyrants with the help of his friend Artus. One day while rejoicing in a bar with Artus after a battle, Conan finds Ela Shan hiding from a group of soldiers. Conan identifies the leader Lucius to be the man who accompanied Khalar Zhym. Conan gets captured along Ela Shan in order to interrogate Lucius. When Conan gets the upper hand, Lucius squeals the whereabouts of Khalar Zym. Meanwhile Khalar Zym and his daughter Marique(Rose McGowan), who is also a witch, are in search for a pure-blood woman Tamara(Rachel Nichols). How all these characters cross path culminating in Conan's revenge forms the rest of the story.

Marcus Nispel directs this action film which starts off well but soon loses momentum. Marcus tells us the beginnings of Conan. In order to do this, he concentrates on his younger days and then how he avenges the death of his father. The younger days of Conan is interesting while the adventures of an adult Conan is not very interesting. To make the proceedings interesting, Conan does not win the first battle with Khalar Zym. But how Conan is able to overcome the initial shortcoming does not translate well into the screen. The movie has a lot of blood shed and gruesome scenes. At the end, the movie stands out only for the initial portions and imaginative set design accomplished with CG.

There are no performances worthy of mention.

Avoid it!

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: *

Tags: Movies,Jason Momoa,Stephen Lang,Action

Two leadership styles

A football fan told me about the rivalry between the fans of the two teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan, when they play against each other. The tour guide told me about the history of the stadium, San Siro stadium, highlighting the care taken in maintenance. The latter event happened during my visit to Milan. Despite all these, what left a lasting impression was the changing rooms for the two teams. It reflects the leadership styles of the respective team owners.

The changing rooms of AC Milan was closed on the day I visited. But the guide explained in detailed description of how it is laid out. She didn't want to disappoint the tourists. AC Milan is owned by Silvio Berlusconi while Inter Milan is owned by Massimo Moratti. In case you are wondering about Berlusconi connection, yes he is the Italian prime minister.

The changing room for AC Milan is characterized by red color. One look at their jersey and you will figure out why. There is a place marked for each team member. Berlusconi believes each team member has a unique place in the team.

The changing room of Inter Milan is devoid of any striking color. The seats are plain white. There is no specific seat for any player. Moratti believes a team is like a family and hence there should not be a differentiation.

Here, both the owners are trying to make the team members to blend in. But how they achieve is a derivative of their philosophy. There are lessons to be learnt from both. But, what would you choose? Would you pick one of these or something entirely different?

Tags: Musings,Berlusconi,Moratti,Team,Leadership

Books: A Year in the Merde

Paul West moves to Paris for his new job. He plans to open up English styled tea rooms in Paris for a French company specializing in beef. Residing and working in Paris is challenging for Paul as he have to learn & deal with bureaucracy, office politics and relationship complications. This forms the crux of the story.

Stephen Clarke writes this humorous novel whose theme is about a man displaced from his natural and comfortable surroundings to an alien land. As with any story based on this theme, this also provides a lot of comedy based on misunderstanding. Although named "A Year in Merde", Stephen opens up his novel in September and ends in May. There is a valid reason to this. Stephen exaggerates the events to heighten the humor. So this has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Anyone who is not French and lived in Paris will thoroughly enjoy this book. For others, this is a book that will still bring a smile on your lips.

Tags: Books,Stephen Clarke,Merde

Isola dei Pescatori, a perfect island to forget your worries

Isola dei Pescatori is one among the three islands a few minutes boat ride away from the quiet little town of Stresa. Stresa lies on Lake Maggiore on the Italian side. The lake is shared by Italy and Switzerland. It is also the second largest lake in Italy.

Don't visualize a majestic island which is well connected with modern transportation. Instead imagine an island which can be covered on foot in 15 minutes. Imagine an island where the mode of entry is using a boat or swimming from Stresa. Even if you are able bodied swimmer, I do not recommend the latter option. For boats, there are different operators and attractive packages.

Pescatori was a fishing village. Now the smells arising from the restaurants spread around the island are the reminders of the past. You are greeted with shops selling souvenirs and also straw hats. The hates makes perfect sense as it is very hot in here at this time of the year. Your eyes go weak in the sun. You can walk along the coastline and crisscross the island wherever possible. While crisscrossing the island, you walk through narrow alleyways flanked by buildings that are mostly restaurants. There are wooden benches all along coastline for you to sit down and enjoy the nature.

The tips of the island has been converted into places where you can do various activities like sport (volleyball), swimming or nature-gazing. You could sit here for hours forgetting your worries.

See below for pictures taken from the other islands.

Tags: Travel,Pescatori,Maggiore,Italy

Milano, the city that rises up again and again

After being plundered multiple times, Milano rebuilds itself often transforming the city landscape. It is like a fighter that refuses to give up. Raids, plunder, revolts and plague were not able to dampen the spirit of the city. Every time, it emerged stronger and more elegant.

The city offered a welcome change from Paris. The weather gods over here are not unsure like their counterparts in Paris. The resident gods were determined to give a lot of sun for tourists like. In August, the residents behave the same as those in Paris. They flee from the city.

My first experience in the city was not pleasant. While taking the Metro tickets from the automatic vending machine, a lady materialized out of thin air to help me. She not only helped me to procure the tickets but also to charge extra Euro and swindled another 3 Euros from me. How did I manage to lose 4 Euros? I'm still figuring it out.

All the worries vanished as I soon as I stepped out of the Metro into Piazza Duomo. Right in front of me was the towering Duomo. The cathedral is an imposing figure which tells the story perseverance of the clergymen and townsmen to build something for the rest of the world to visit and gape in awe.

On the outside, the walls are adorned with sculptures of all sizes and shapes. You could also find tourists feeding the pigeons. A man came forward and thrust his open hand toward me. He was giving me a handful of grains to feed the pigeons. I politely refused. How can I fall for another tourist trap?

The interior of the church contains mausoleums, crypts and stained glasses. There are stories encrypted on the stained glasses.

You can also go up the roof either by climbing 250 steps or using an elevator. I chose the steps. Although tiring, the view from the roof was rewarding.

First of all, walking on the roof admiring the complex sculptures is devoid of danger. Yet, you feel like an adventurer racing the rooftop adorned with artwork escaping an imaginary assailant. Most of the pointed structures on the top end in a saintly figure. It gives out an illusion of these saints are watching over the city.

Once you have admired the city from the rooftop, you can climb down and walk into Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It hosts a lot of restaurants and also shops. Towards the centre, there is a bull on mosaic. Stomping on it's testicles brings you good luck. For a man, it is extreme pleasure of kicking another male where it counts. My sadist streak became dominant on seeing the mosaic bull.

When you walk out of the gallery, there is Teatro alla Scala, the local theater. There is a statue of Da Vinci in this piazza.

A short walk from the theater is the fashion district. It is aptly called so for you will find all the world famous and the very expensive brands over here. You name it, you get it.

You can also take the Metro to the Meazza stadium which is also known as San Siro stadium. It is the stadium for the local teams - AC Milan and Inter Milan. Taking the guided tour will reveal a lot about the conflicting philosophies that govern these teams.

You can end the day by having your brand of poison or food near the canal or navigli as it known locally.

Foot note: For touring Milan, you should have 2 days in hand.

Tags: Travel,Milan,Duomo

Swans and their significance

Signs play a a major role in communication. During my visit to Gent, there were two swans on the building that hosts Marriott hotel. The building is a remnant of the past. Thankfully, it has been maintained well.

Swans are a symbol of love. This was told to me by a guide. On thinking more about it, I agree with it. Wasn’t there a story we heard in our childhood where swan played the go-between?

If you look carefully, the swans are not facing each other. If the swans face each other, it means love. When the swans are not facing each other, it means paid love. Yes, the building was a brother in the old days.

Picture Courtesy: http://lodging.uptake.com/blog/marriott-ghent-in-belgium.html/marriott-ghent-belgium

Tags: Travel,Gent,Swans

I want a sister, Dad

The following is an excerpt of a conversation between a five year old daughter and her dad.

Daughter: I want a sister.

Dad: *like a government official, nods* Okay. Will consider that

Daughter: It is okay for you?

Dad: It is okay.

Daughter: How will I get a sister?

Dad: *uncomfortable but quick to recover* Magic! *now fully recovered*. Magic and you will get a sister.

Daughter: I know how.

Dad: *completely in panic* Huh?

Daughter: You will just ask someone to become my sister. Right?

Simple solution to a complex problem! No?

Tags: Parenthood,Dad,Daughter

Movie Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

In 1942, Johann Schmidtt(Hugo Weaving) attacks a village in Norway and takes a tesseract using force from the local church. Using the tesseract, Johann is able to harness massive energy. Subsequently, he decides to break away from Hitler and take his organization named Hydra to another level. Meanwhile in New York, Steve Rogers(Chris Evans) repeatedly tries to enlist in the army, often lying about his details. He is always rejected on medical grounds. Steve is a weak little man who is determined to serve his country during the war. His best friend Buck Barnes is enlisted leaving Steve alone in the city. During an attempt to get enlisted, Steve meets Dr Abraham Erskine(Stanley Tucci). Erskine is impressed by Steve's earnestness, perseverance and innate goodness. As a result, Erskine overrides the protocols and selects Steve for the army.

Steve is recruited for the "super soldier" experiments program which is run by Colonel Chester Philips(Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent Peggy Carter(Hayley Atwell). In the ensuing days, Chester and Peggy sheds their doubts and are convinced about Steve. The day before the experiment is conducted, Erskine confides in Steve. Erskine was injected the serum, which was a work in progress, into Johann. The serum had side effects. After the first attempt, Erskine realized the serum makes good to great and bad to worse. So, he needed a good man to conduct the newly perfected serum. Moreover, he chose a weak man because a weak man will realize the importance of power. According to Erskine, Steve will be perfect foil for Johann.

The operation to transform Steve succeeds. But a jubilant Erskine is assassinated by a killer sent by Johann. The killer consumes cyanide before Steve can apprehend him. With Erskine gone, the "super soldier" program is scrapped. Even the smart Howard Stark(Dominic Cooper) is not able to decode the machinery constructed by Erskine. A dejected Steve is paraded as symbol by a politician to generate money for scientific programs and also to motivate people. On a promotional tour in Italy, Steve discovers his friend Buck has been captured by Hydra. Steve decides to take matters into hand with the help of Peggy. Soon, a super hero is born.

Joe Johnston directs this entertaining action movie. It is a story of a simple man trying to make a difference to the world. When he is endowed with superpowers, he is able to able to help everyone around with his powers and intentions. The story has everything to entertain and also to connect emotionally. The movie also scores on CG effects. Steve and Captain America have different physique. This is achieved through CG. The third act is where the action begins. The action on the top of the train and also the final fight to capture Johann are worthy of mention.

Chris Evans is perfect as the title character. He convinces us Steve and Captain America are two different persons with his performance. Steve is unsure and adamant while Captain America is a young guy to whom new opportunities have just opened up. Hugo Weaving is unrecognizable behind the costume and the accent. The rest of the performers stick to their part of making Steve/Captain America look good.

Though it drags a bit in the second act, the overall movie is entertaining. This is recommended.

 

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: ***

Tags: Movies,Chris Evans,Hayley Atwell,Hugo Weaving,Joe Johnston,Action

Gent, always dwarfed by it's sibling

Like Bruges, Gent has churches, canals, different architectural styles, horse carriage rides and boat rides. Like Bruges, it undergoes periodic facelifts in the name of restoration. Even today, there are works underway in both cities. Despite the best efforts, Gent is dwarfed by it's sibling Bruges.

I say best efforts because the information center at Gent was the friendliest one I have come across today. The person at the desk provided detailed information and a self guided walking tour pamphlet with maps & pictures. She also asked me which country I was from and duly noted it down. My guess is they are analyzing the visitor demographics to find places to promote Ghent.

Ghent has a history of financial troubles. This is evident from their buildings. A church does not have a bell tower as it ran out of money. Another church took 400 years to complete as they ran out of money in the middle of several attempts to complete it. Now, this church is an amalgamation of different architectural styles. Talk about blessing in disguise! There is also huge building that was designated as the postal office initially which was transformed into a shopping mall. Now there is no businesses inside this building despite the location.

Be the financial woes as it may. But then Gent lacks the old world charm of Bruges. There are roads that are not clearly designated for pedestrians for either savoring the architectural beauty or a peaceful walk in the past. The canals lack the controlled yet seemingly uncontrolled vegetation around it which elevates the experience of the pedestrians and the canal riders.

For all the above reasons, Ghent would always remain the sibling who is perpetually overshadowed. Unless the city takes innovative steps to overcome these shortcomings like reworking the city layouts or really cheap tourist packages, this will end up as just another city to visit in a hurry.

Tags: Musings,Gent,Bruges

Gent, a quiet city but sassy too

Gent is a derivative of the word "confluence" and indicates the joining of two rivers(Scheldt and Lys). The name of the city is written as Ghent in English and Gand in French. Known for textile industry, Gent reminds a traveler of it's sibling Bruges. It is also marketed as an alternative for Bruges.

The city has a central square surrounded by St Bavo's Cathedral, Civic theater and a Belfry. By now, I'm used to city squares. All European cities have one. The Belfry served as a lookout for attackers in the past and the guards warned the city on the escape routes from the attackers.

There is also an academy of music near the central square and a traveler would hear the practice sessions by the students. But, it is vacation time now. So, the streets were quiet.

Vrijdagmakt or the Friday market is located in another square a few minutes away. The market is open only on Fridays keeping up with catholic customs. This square has an imposing statue of Jacob Van Artevelde with the fingers pointing to Britain. He was responsible for maintaining neutrality of Gent during 100 years war between the British and the French. The wool used by the local textile industries during those times were imported from Britain. So, it was important to keep cordial relations with Britain although the city was ruled by French.

In addition to the statue, the square also hosts the socialist house of the people known as Ons Huis, Bond Moyson. The Art Nouveau window and the horseshoe arch are prominent features of the building.

Once you cross this square, you hit the canal. There is the Castle of Counts along a road running parallel to the canal which serves as a museum now. Very close to this castle, there is a lantern connected to the hospital of Gent which lights up every time a child is born.

There is also the old fish market which is converted into a fine dining fish restaurant. The works are underway to convert this place into a multipurpose shopping mall.

This route also gives you a good sight of the only remaining wooden building of the city. The wood has withstood the sands of time with the care given by the owner and the city.

There are two prominent buildings on this road. One displays the six works of mercy and the other five senses. A little further down the road, another house displays crowned heads (kings).

Alongside the canal, an old institution for war widows and young children is converted museum for folklore now. During the day of my visit, there were people from various age groups exhibiting their knitting skills. This was an interesting sight.

Further along the canal, two streets were joined together by a bridge. From the bridge, the old guild houses along the canal with other buildings ending in a modern bridge with the backdrop of another church, Saint Michael’s church, provided a breathtaking view. This spot also is the most photographed place of the city.

The distant bridge is the vantage point to enjoy the skyline of Gent with a good view of three churches.

A short walk from there took me back to the starting point, the central square.

Tags: Travel,Gent,Bruges