Fusion Curry at the Oscars

A R Rahman performs 'O Saya', followed by a performance of 'Down to Earth' from Wall-E by John Legend (after Peter Gabriel, the original singer pulled out of the performance because the producers of the Academy Awards decided to present the 3 songs nominated in the Original Score category as a medley & allotted only 65 secs to Gabriel).

Then Rehman comes back with 'Jai Ho'. The track has been modified to give it a fusion feel. Towards the end of his performance, Rahman is joined by Legend & both sing their respective songs side by side, Rahman very careful not to drown out Legend's voice with a high-pitch rendition of 'Jai Ho'. We like :)

What we didn't like was Sukhvinder Singh's opening act being cancelled by the producers and Rahman not mentioning him & Gulzar in his acceptance speech. But this isn't time to be petty, is it? :)

Ladies & Gentleman, Put Your Hands Together For Our Next Champion

16-year old Yuki Bhambri won the Junior Australian Open Boy's Title & became the first Indian to do so. He trains at the Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy in the US & is currently World No. 2. Only a matter of time till he becomes World No. 1, should we say? I just hope our great countru recognizes this talent & give him the support he deserves.

Love, Actually

I purchased four DVDs this week – Love Actually, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason & The Holiday.

When a couple of movie enthusiasts in office came to know which movies I bought, they balked. They asked me why I didn’t buy movies that are more realistic….serious, moving, heartrending movies.

I agree the movies I bought are by no means cerebral movies or classics, but my idea of buying movies is simple – I want to buy movies I would watch time & again. Such as ‘Love Actually’, ‘Bridget Jones’ & 'The Holiday'.

We have so many bad days in life. Days when we feel generally low or depressed (they certainly outnumber the days I come back home from work feeling on top of the world!) On such days, don’t we all wish to unwind with a light-hearted, funny movie? I know I do! So why would I want to buy movies that will depress me even further?

Love Actually is a brilliant movie, for those who haven’t watched it yet. It’s a perfect Christmas movie (haven’t come across a more heart-warming Christmas movie) but can also be watched any time of the year for feel-good factor. It’s nine stories in one, the characters related to each other by extension. The stories take place in London and culminate on Christmas eve.

There is a young couple who has just gotten married. The groom’s best friend video-records the marriage ceremony. The girl (Keira Knightly) later asks him for the tape, which he says is lost. One day she lands up at his house, insisting on looking for the tape herself, and finds it lying right in front of her! As she’s watching the tape, she realizes that the guy has been in love with her all along!

There is a man (Liam Neeson) who has just lost his wife & is left to take care of his pre-teen step-son with whom he has practically no bonding. However, in the process of helping his son win over the girl he (the son) is in love with, they come closer.

There is another girl (Laura Linney) with a brother who is in an asylum and a not-so-hidden crush on one of her exotic-looking colleagues. Finally, she & the colleague come together but just when they are having an intimate moment, there is a call from the brother who has had some kind of an attack. She eventually ends up breaking up with the guy because she always chooses to be with her brother, who because of his illness has a tendency to get violent.

There is an author (Colin Firth, people!!) whose wife has left him for his younger & more attractive brother (how could she! lol :). He moves to France to get some quiet time alone & continue writing his book, where he ends up falling in love with his Portugese housekeeper who speaks not a word of English or French! He does not speak Portugese either. They go their separate ways only to get reunited months later when he has learnt enough Portugese to ask her father to let his daughter marry him, in Portugese.

There is a much-married-with-kids man (Alan Rickman – Snape from Harry Potter movies!!) who is smitten by his Secretary, who keeps hitting on him. He buys her a diamond ring for Christmas, which the wife happens to see but thinks it’s a Christmas gift for her. When instead he gives her a CD on Christmas Eve, she realizes what is going on!

There is a couple who end up falling in love while shooting an erotic movie.

There is a guy who is desperate to get laid but is not able to in London. So he decides to travel to America because he thinks American women will dig him for being British.

Then there is the Prime Minister of Britain (the delicious Hugh Grant) who, the moment he steps into 10, Downing, is smitten with Natalie, his catering manager who had already screwed up at the first minute, and is marked by other staff for being rather ‘chunky’. The two share a back-stage kiss during the climax when the curtains are yanked, and there they are…exposed to the world!!

And finally there is an old rocker (Bill Nighy) who is climbing back up the charts after battling a heroin addiction, is on the radio & TV either trashing his new CD, insulting his manager or a new hearthrob boy band, or calling Britney Spears the worst sex he's ever had, and who promises to go naked on national television if his latest CD (which he has been trashing) does well! And it does! And he does go naked!!

The characters in Love Actually are falling in love, falling out of love. Some are with right people, some with wrong. It’s a snapshot of reality – love begins and love ends, and there’s not much we can do about it except accept it. Though the movie ends on a very happy, uplifting note.

My favorite scene in the movie is part of the track with the couple who’s just gotten married. It’s Christmas eve, they’re at home. Suddenly the bell rings. The girl gets the door. It’s the guy’s best friend, and he tells her through placards that maybe by Christmas next year, he'll be dating some hot woman, but for him she's perfect & he'll love her till the very end.

I'm planning to watch the movie this weekend. But why am I in such a mushy-gushy mood? How do I know??!! And who cares!!

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Love is all around me
And so the feeling grows
It's written on the wind
It's everywhere I go
So if you really love me
Come on & let it show
You know I love you, I always will
My minds made up by the way that I feel
There's no beginning, there'll be no end
Cause on my love you can depend....

Today's Fortune

My fortune on Orkut today : The guy who reads your fortune lost his psychic powers (and his job). We hope you are feeling lucky.

Hilarious! I wonder how they come up with such random fortunes!

Submarine

I love Subway!

There was a time not too long ago, 2-3 years ago to be precise, when I was no great fan of Subway food. I wondered what the big deal about Subway was! After all, they just sold sandwiches. I felt they were over-hyped because they were an American chain and because of the “yuppie” factor associated with “health food” such as sandwiches, suchi etc. Besides, I always found Subway to be overpriced. I mean, 100 bucs for a sandwich…no way!!

But about 2 years ago I got converted! I don’t know exactly when or how I started loving Subway, to the extent that I sometimes get Subway cravings & I’m satisfied only after I get myself a sub!!

My favorites are Chicken Seekh Sub, Subway Melt (turkey, ham & bacon), Italiam B.M.T. (ham, pepperoni & salami) & Spicy Italian (pepperoni & salami). They also have chocolate chip cookies to die for, and they’ve recently introduced rich dark chocolate truffle pastry that they serve hot!!

I absolutely love the Honey Mustard & Southwest sauces.

They also serve breakfast all day, which makes them even more endearing. They have these awesome cheese & egg, ham & egg and bacon & egg subs. Don't you just love to have such breakfast food for dinner or in the middle of the night?

I have still not managed to become a fan of Subway salads, and I doubt I ever will because I generally feel eating salads is a royal waste of time & digestive juices that can be used to digest other far more evolved & delicious forms of food.

The most enjoyable part of having a sub though is getting the sub made as per your specifications. You get to choose the ingredients that go in your sub. I get such happiness once my sub is ready, it’s like I made it myself!!

I think I can have Subway for lunch everyday…..

David Gray Comes Calling...

I can’t stand to fly

I’m not that naive

I’m just out to find

The better part of me

I’m more than a bird…I’m more than a plane

More than some pretty face beside a train

It’s not easy to be me

I wish that I could cry

Fall upon my knees

Find a way to lie

'bout a home I’ll never see

It may sound absurd…but don’t be naive

Even Heroes have the right to bleed

I may be disturbed…but won’t you concede

Even Heroes have the right to dream

It’s not easy to be me

Do You Have Someone In Your Life You Can Sing This To?

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
'Coz she will be loved
She will be loved

PS: You can replace the 'girl' with 'boy' & 'she' with 'he' :)