Jules et moi

Till now, having ginger chai...listening to Amelie's music...being on a terrace would give me the most joy ever. Yea, these are my top 3. There's a slight difference between happiness and joy, I have gathered somehow..!!

And oh-yes Jules, for the uninitiated, my Juliet Merida cycle provides me pure, unconditional, unassuming JOY. Owning a cycle, riding about town, was a dream nurtured for a really long time which was realised only in this monsoon. Add to it, my workplace is 10kms from home. Ergo, imagine, saying the words, "I willingly go to office".

Professional cycling, Leisure cycling, Mountain cycling, Long distance cycling, Cross country cycling..all true..But I discovered Mindless cycling...absolutely essential for my epiphany & Eureka moments. Finally, found something which is incompatible with melancholy. Mr. Morley, very rightly said, "The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets."

Add to it, meeting a 32 year old, PhD in Math, German man who came cycling to India from Germany. I want that serenity I saw in his eyes.

For now, a sense of freedom, sense of fulfillment…I had only read and seen in movies has been experienced. Holding Jules…feeling the wind in my hair when I ride...“I guess this is what it feels like to be God.”

Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia. --H.G. Wells

Wisdom Inc.

Last day at office..
I was interning at a MNC in Mumbai..it was a great phase as I had very little to do..but jokes apart..though I din't get to physically do anything substantial...I got soo much to learn by simply observing everyone around me..i guess i fully realise the meaning of becoming wiser day by day..
I was surrounded by 8 managers for 2 months..that introduced me to 8 different personalities..8 styles of working..8 styles of negotiations..also 8 habits not to have..LOL.
There is art in not doing anything as well..it too requires lot of focus..lot of thought process..
no kidding but I could actually utilise this free time to my best..especially after a grilling 4 months of college..back to the point..you gotta learn what to do with time..resources at hand
learning doesn't always have to be tangible..something you can put down on paper..it can be visceral, something internal..and that in itself is magical.
On the verge of sounding philosophical..which i don't want to..i learnt one thing for sure..its all about the choices you make..a good start isn't always important but a brilliant finish is.
A particular day I did a little exercise..of jotting down new strengths and weaknesses I found in me..and it was humbling to know that both lists were equal in length.
2 months over..I get my stipend (psst...which is very generous..still can't believe I got paid soo much) no not revealing..u guys will jump at me for a treat..hahaha..
I leave with nice memories..happy moments.
Get a long weekend as 1st happens to be Holi..all geared to go back to college
Wish me good times..
Thank you God for a sweet finish..!!

Le fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain

First let me tell u wat the title means…"the fabulous destiny of Amelie Poulain"

It’s a French movie. Very poular French movie..one which wud be screened at film fests first..i watched dis movie just recently..but had heard about it a couple of years ago at my first day at French class in Alliance..its an interesting anecdote in itself..my teacher was asking evry1.."soo, tell me why u learning French..” we all gave the typical answer.."its good to learn a foreign language..”
One guy gave an amazing answer..he said..”I want to lean French coz I want to watch the movie Amelie widout subtitles and truly understand it in French”..wat a perspective..really !!
So back to d movie..directed by jean pierre jeunet..amelie is played by Audrey Tautou..(she was in da vinci code). The 1st word dat came to my mind after watching dis movie was ‘quirky’. Its French..so its granted..lol.
Amélie is a story about a girl whose childhood was suppressed, hardly any real life contact with other people. This leads Amélie to resort to her dreams of love and beauty. She starts working in Paris as a waitress. One day she finds a small box containing a child's mementos and decides to set about finding its rightful owner. .seeing the effect it has on him, she decides to set out on a mission to make others happy.
The movie has beautiful moments..like the 1 wen she finds the owner..and d guy is overwhelmed to find his treasures..an old Tour de france poster..his toy soldier, marbles he won. Imagine guys li’l things of ours in a box..u don’t see dem from 2mrw and suddenly find 50 yrs later u get dem…wat a moment dat wud be..
D guy goes to a nearby bar to hav a drink..she follows him, the guy thinks of reconciling wid his daughter..And dat he says, “Life's funny. To a kid, time always drags. Suddenly you're fifty. All that's left of your childhood... fits in a rusty little box.” In d end deres a scene, which shows dat the guy goes meet his daughter after a long time and feeds his grandson the soft part of the chicken which he enjoys d most eating..i almost cried wen I saw dat scene.

Another scene..she helps a blind man..through the street and narrates wats happening around. "Step down. Here we go! The drum major's widow! She's worn his coat since the day he died. The horse's head has lost an ear! That's the florist laughing. He has crinkly eyes. In the bakery window, lollipops. Smell that! They're giving out melon slices! Sugarplum, ice cream! We're passing the park butcher. Ham, 79 francs. Spareribs, 45! Now the cheese shop. Picadors are 12.90. Cabecaus 23.50. A baby's watching a dog that's watching the chickens. Now we're at the kiosk by the metro. I'll leave you here. Bye! " (copied in Ghajini..remember) hehe..
The movie has a narrator and sumtimes its Amelie herself.

The soundtracks mostly instrumental by Yann Tiersen…are soo beautiful..i feel like i have to learn d piano jus so dat I can play the OST .. “comptine d’un autre ete : l’apres midi”
The continuity the movie has is phenomenal..it gets dark at times..slow at times..deres black humor..but its all worth it..till d end scene.
My dream of visting Paris jus gets stronger wen I see dis movie..
Bon Jour….!!

foodie till I die

The new year couldn't begin on a more delicious note than this..I got togetherwith 2 of my closest friends from school. My friend prepared a brilliant meal for us..Tomato soup, fancy salad with the dressing and oranges in it...pan fried chicken..
We rounded it up with a chicken sizzler (again home made)..vanilla icecream and cake followed..
Ate and ate till I could barely move...
Back in Mumbai..back to skipping breakfast..sandwiches (that sums up my lunch) and a tiffin from my neighbour auntyfor dinner is what i am going through.
Good part is my current work place is in South Mumbai, near Flora Fountain..and some awesome eateries buzz this place, making it easy for me to go there and dig on food.
Tried Cafe Churchill, Piccadilly, PressClub..brill palak khichdi..Theobroma for the oh so gooey cheesecake.
Surely wallet is feather weight..but i follow the dictum.."live to eat and not eat to live".
Desserts don't always have to be all the la-di-da items..coz i had a really great Merwan cup cake for Rs. 7/- the other day which kicks every cup cake batter's ass.
Plan to explore more..after all "anna tey purna brahma"
Cheers for now..!!