Photos of 2008

Just great this slideshow... http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/the_year_2008_in_photographs_p.html

A pity I can't embed a slideshow right here.

Photo Journalism

2 interesting photos from the this slideshow

But is Taiwan a separate country at all? I'm confused because of this, where it says "The island groups of Taiwan and Penghu (except the municipalities of Taipei and Kaohsiung) are officially administered as Taiwan Province of the ROC." So Taiwan is a province maybe?

Intrstin'

Slumdog Millionaire - nominated for Golden Globe Awards!!!
[Youtube search link]

Good Un

From Prem Panicker's blog:

Gregory David Roberts, the one-time bank robber turned bestselling author who famously wrote Shantaram over beer and dhansak at Leopold’s, on his website condenses reader emails and sms-es into a list of 10 most often asked questions, and responds to each in some detail. And then there is this:

I’ll talk about what’s happening in Bombay in the next few lines, but first, before you read any further, I want to ask you, I want to plead with you, to keep the faith with India and the city I love, Bombay. If we continue to visit the country and meet the people, if we spend our time in the beautiful chaos and chaotic beauty, if we spend our money in the bazaars and hotels, if we buy the books by great Indian writers, listen to the music by brilliant Indian composers and musicians, marvel at the splendour of Indian dancers, watch the captivating movies, wonder at the art galleries – in other words, if we go on opening our hearts to the best that India teaches us, the people who did this violence can never win.

Good'z

Message In a Bottle - Police

[Youtube search link]

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Youtube search link

List of Movies I Want to Watch

• Old Boy
  - done. I had watched Zinda (Indian copy of Old Boy) before and heard that Old Boy was gross-er than Zinda. I did not find it so. Where Old Boy outdid Zinda was the plot. The slight change in the plot had to be made because Indian audiences would not have been able to digest the original version.
  
• Hors de Prix (Priceless)
  - done. Awesome!!!
• The Lady and The Tramp
  - done. Sweeeeet.
  
• Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
  (recommended by my English ma'm when I was in class 9. In front of the whole class, she said, "Kriti, you must watch it." I was one of her favorite students... but now it strikes me that there was something more to the recommendation. Hmmm gotta see it.)
  - done. A pretty serious movie and I wonder my ma'm recommended this specific movie. But I liked the movie and would recommend.
  
• Bridge on The River Kwai
  (my father has been recommending this since God knows when)
• Juno
• Pink Panther
  (the original series with Peter Sellers as the Pink Panther)
  - done, Pink Panther - the 1st movie. But I refuse to call it a comedy. Peter Sellers is hillarious but this movie gives equal weightage to other characters and emotions.
  Have to see the sequels to see if those are more comic. 
• Mary Poppins
  (saw it as a child, must see again)
• Singing in the Rain
  (again, childhood repetition required)
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  (again, childhood repetition required)
  
• Synecdoche, New York
  (good review at Lyric blog)
  Watch-movies link 

Ah Music! Sweet Music!

While listening to Yanni channel on Pandora, I stumbled upon this delightful piece of music. 

The sheer joy of it made me wonder about the fascinating world of music and creation. I just wish that someday, someone would derive such joy from my creations.

Youtube search link on "Cristofori's Dream by david lanz"

A Cool Author Advises Grad Students to Loosen Up

published on PhD Comics (click here for original link and probably better resolution)

Trailer Time

Youtube links given below. But the best place to see the trailers remains the Apple site.

Sunshine Cleaning
(from the makers of Little Miss Sunshine PLUS the trailer's real cool)



Youtube Search Link
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Let The Right One In
(scary. Yet promises other stuff too)



Youtube Search Link
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Good Dick
(cheeky name... awesome trailer)



Youtube Search Link
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Sex Drive
(cheeky name again... awesome-er trailer)



Youtube search link

A sad song that I love to hear

I fell in love with this song many years ago when I used to watch videos at home on Channel V or MTV. (And the video is also real good). 

Much later in life, I searched it up online and then fell in love with so many more of Moby's songs. Today I felt like hearing this song again.

Moby - Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?



Here's the Youtube search link.

Sweet Little Song

Ricky Nelson - Poor Little Fool

2 versions here: Seeqpod and Youtube. I found the YouTube version better.

YouTube search link.

Romance - with a dash of humour added

Youtube search link for "The Lion King - Can You Feel the Love Tonight"

I gotta learn this dance

Youtube search link for "Hippo and Dog"

2 Bollywood Songs I liked recently

1.> Bas Ek King from Singh is Kinng. The lyrics are goooood.



Youtube search link in case above vid not working.

2.> Heyy Babyy from Hey Babyy

Mostly a peppy song, but some of the lyrics are meaningful.




Youtube search link in case above vid not working.

Discovery of 2 Songs

Linked previously on my main blog, these two songs are now personal favourites. You gotta listen carefully to the words - they are beautiful. The two songs convey completely different messages - they are for different moods. But they both work wonders for the listener.

1. Closer by Travis. (unfortunately this does not allow embedding of the video)
2. New Shoes by Paolo Nutini
   

YouTube - Taj Mahal Anthem - Ek Mohabbat - A R Rahman's One Love

This was one of the first songs I listened to on my iPod Touch. Funnily not many people have heard it. Even A who is one of the most ardent fans of A R Rahman had not heard it. So for the common good, here goes:

Do Gaane Shahar Mein

Yeh nayan darey darey

I recently remembered the lines:
"Raat haseen
Ye chaand haseen
Tu sab se haseen mere dilbar

Aur tujh se haseen tera pyaar"

"Night is beauty
The moon is beauty
Most beautiful are you, my love

And even more beautiful is your love for me"

Then I also fell in love with the following lines while listening to the song:
"Kal ki kis ko khabar
Ek raat hoke nidar
Mujhe jeene do"

"Who knows about tomorrow?
Tonight, let me live
Without care or worry."

Koi gaata main so jaata

Another beauty - I have picked out a few lines below
"Aankhon mein bhar kar pyaar amar
Aashish hatheli mein bhar kar
Koi mera sir godi mein rakh
Sahlata
Mein so jaata

Koi gaata mein so jaata"

And all I need to fall asleep
Are eyes full of love
A hand that blesses
A lap to keep my head
And one's soothing touch.

And all I need to fall asleep
Is for someone to sing to me.

Santhal Dance in Agantuk

Found myself humming a tune since morning. Initially could not remember where I had heard it. Then I realized that it was the Santhal Dance in Agantuk (I saw the movie yesterday).

You can watch the dance in the video below. The tune's really catchy. Enjoy.

On the Look Out

I always maintained that watching English movie trailers is a fantastic way to pass your time. Regardless of whether the movie is good or not, trailers are always 100% entertainment. The Apple Trailers website is a cool place to get to see a lot of trailers. Here are a few which caught my eye when I visited the site for the first time yesterday.

The Last Mistress (Warning: Trailer contains adult content)


Vicky Cristina Barcelona


Man On Wire



Flash of Genius