Saturday, September 22, 2012

K is Masculine and O is Feminine!

I have this really bad habit and a good habit. I miss out on some wonderfully great movies. And, later on, after all the hustle and bustle of the film has quieted down, and noone is really talking about anymore, I go dig 'em up, and watch them.

Truly, it adds so much value into a film. Watching without any expectations whatsoever. And, thusly, I saw the movie that the quoted title belongs to!

Men In Black 3. Wow! What an awesome movie :)

Christopher Nolan once asked, "How many good 3rd movies of a trilogy have we got?"

Looking at Mission Impossible 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Final Destination 3 and such, I couldn't find a proper counter to his statement. Now, I have one.

However good a movie, its the ending that stays in the mind. Played over and over again. And, a movie with a beautiful dialogues and a good ending is like icing with a strawberry on a cake!

When K says to James, "I'll tell you the one thing that you'll ever wanna know, 'Your daddy was a hero.' ", that moment is priceless. Brilliance by Will Smith :)


P.S.: Don't ask questions that you don't wanna know the answers to.

P.P.S.: Do watch it, if you haven't already.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Let me tell you something you already know!

Sometimes, dialogues transcend themselves. They become chants. Words, become sources of inspiration. They are repeated over and over again. For a ray of hope, a resurrection of strength, a gleam of faith! Disappointment, fear, restraint all seem to vanish when these powerful words are heard. There've been countless times that I've shared these verses in Facebook & gTalk. Still, here goes one more time. They're not said by real people, they're not from great speeches. They are from movies, movies that I love.

The two that I love the most. Here they go!

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!"

A true father's advice! He could've just said, "No pain, no gain.". Rather, such an elegant way to put it.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

The first is from Rocky Balboa and the second is a quote by Marianne Williamson, featuring  in Coach Carter. Do watch them, if you haven't already.

There're a lot more. Lot more words, put together, strung like pearls, forming beautiful ornaments. Ornaments of inspiration. Much needed, much loved.  

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

What a spectacular ending!

Somehow, I think that T20s are too flashy, commercial; filmy even; I think its because of IPL. I am one of those people who fell in love with Test Cricket watching Dravid, Laxman and Lara explore its beautiful bittersweet caverns.

But, out of the blue, today, I enjoyed a T20 match very much. What a brilliant match between India and New Zealand! Tantalizingly so, India lost by 1 run. Aaaaahh!

That final over was just too brilliant. Screwing up the best chance they had with 7 overs remaining and 49 runs needed, Dhoni and Yuvaraj had bought the equation down to 25 from 12 balls. At first, I was furious at their disastrous batting! Then I realized Vettori's brilliant tactic of saving the medium pacers for the last.

Nerves were wracking. Sitting on the egde. Rotating strike through singles and doubles wasn't enough. And, at 18.4, Yuvaraj hit a brilliant six. Returning from cancer treatment, it was his time to shine, and for quite sometime, he did. A very valiant effort!

Last over. 13 runs needed. If someone were to walk in at that moment, he'd have said, "Ah, Dhoni and Yuvi na? Easily they'll score." But I, having watched the previous overs, wasn't so sure.

Scoring a single, it was Dhoni's turn. And, for God's sake, Dhoni was disastrous. Swinging the bat like a wild boar on rampage! Luckily, it hit the bat and went for 4.

8 from 4.

Wide!

7 from 4.

A deep breath. "Happa!"

Single.

6 from 3.

Yuvi on strike, facing Franklin. It was surely going to be the slow ball. But who would've predicted that Franklin would conjure that beautiful one from back of the hand? Before he knew it, Yuvi had lost his stumps trying to go for a six. Always a bad habit! 3 balls there no? Why hurry?

2 balls. 6 runs. Rohit Sharma. I was facepalming.

Double!

Last ball 4 runs. And, another double was all that could be managed.

Lost. By 1 run.

Such close encounters, edge-of-the-seats moments, seen and cherished on ODIs, rarely occured in a T20. Last I remembered such a thing, it was the first T20 World Cup final.

Vettori had planned and gambled, it had paid off. It was a brilliant match. One I surely wanted to write about :)

P.S.: Kohli's innings was beautiful. Wouldn't be fair if I didn't mention it.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

A Walk to the Park

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 31; the thirty-first edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is 'Strangers in the Night'
"Lunch had no salt in it! I was so hungry and had to stand in that damned queue of the canteen. Can't you even cook properly?"
"I know, I ate the same thing. Oh come on! Can't you adjust for one day? I am a working woman too, you know! Oh you would forget it unless you see the pay cheque every month."
"Don't you talk to me like that!"
The argument was heating up. Harish knew better than to let out words in fury. Sita was always easily irritable.
"Now, stop it there. I'm gonna take a walk. Not a worse mood spoiling environment than two irritated people in the house!"

Harish put on his t-shirt, closed the door behind him and started out towards the park. This park, situated about 6 streets away, was a bustling area. People of all ages would crowd there. Old men discussing politics; young toddlers playing on the see-saw and slide; damsels gossiping and giggling; boys playing shuttle; all sorts of people. Harish was born and brought up in the same locality. And, seldom had it happened that he'd walked the whole length of a street without meeting someone he knew.

"One chewing gum please."
A childhood habit. Still carried on.

He crossed the street, and walked. Surprisingly, the streets were emptier than usual. "I wonder why!", he thought.

In his effort to keep his mind occupied and diverted from the argument at home, he was thinking about random stuff, the shape of the clouds, the unfinished things on the to-do list, so and so..

By now, he'd crossed the 3rd street.

"Son, can you help me?"

He looked down the road and saw the silhouette of an aged man.

"Yes, sure. But what're you doing in a dark alley?"
"Is it dark?"
"Are you kidding me? Can't you see? Its so dark."
"Oh, is it so? For me, its always dark dear man. Haven't seen in 3 years."
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know.. Please excuse me.. Tell me, how may I help you? Are you lost?"
"No, son. It is not I, that needs help. Its my wife. She can't see either."
"What can I do for you?"
"Earlier, her slippers tore. There's a thorn stuck in her foot. I can feel it, but I can't remove it. She couldn't walk. I was carrying her on my shoulders but my aged back hurts.
Could you help please?"
"Yes, of course!"

He bent down and examined the old lady's feet.

She shrieked. "Dear me, that's not necessary boy. Please. Its alright. I can bear with a little pain. In fact, what is life without a little discomfort?"
"Atleast let me take you to a doctor. He'll take out the thorn."
"If I could afford a doctor, I could surely have afforded to buy new slippers dear boy. Beggars like us, can't afford such luxury."

Harish was stunned. He insisted on helping the old lady and pulled out the thorn and loosely bandaged her foot. He didn't mind the fact that they were beggars.

"Done. Will suffice for now. I have to go."
The man said, "Thank you so much son."

Harish left them and resumed his walk. His mind was occupied with a different thought, however. It was something that the lady said.

"What is life without a little discomfort?"

They were strangers in the night. He didn't know their names. They were beggars. Yet, what he learnt from them seemed priceless.

He realized that in his preoccupied state, he'd walked back to his own home.

Sita opened the door.
Harish hugged her and said, "Sorry dear."
"What is wrong with you? 10 minutes ago, you were so red and furious!"
"Oh what is life without a little discomfort?"
The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: Jaishree Srivatsan, Participation Count: 1