Oh..How the world has changed!!!!

I just discovered a Chennai metroblogging pool on flickr.com. There are some amazing Photos of Chennai, and if you browse through other collections of the contributors, you can check out some beautiful pictures of Thamizhnadu.

You have GOT TO SEE THIS PHOTO. It is one of the best i have seen recently. The picture speaks a 1000 words, and captures the essence of Chennai in one snapshot -- The fancy multi national company hoarding jostling for space with the little potti kadai, PCO booth and tiny Aruna repair shop in a blue box...The crumbling sidewalk and bright plastic water buckets...Hmmm...I miss you Madras....really do..

Cool music blog

If you love Ilayaraja, you have to check this new blog out. It carries the most comprehensive article about Ramarajan hits !

The exhilaration of bicycling!

Summer in the midwest

I've lived in Chicagoland for nearly three years, and I've only now discovered the beauty of the great outdoors. I used to try and run, but found it really boring. You require a tremendous amount of energy, no skills (except the ability to constantly propell yourself forward), and you really do not see new places (how far can you run before you should turn back?). I've finally discovered something i truly enjoy - bicycling! Dupage county is a haven for bicyclers. There are trails in the various forest preserves (Herrick, Blackwell, Mcdowell etc). The different forest preserves are connected by the Illinois prairie path, which is a gravel path running through many counties.

Cycling is deceptively easy, but it really is a superb workout for your lower body. You are so busy having fun, you barely notice your pumped up heart rate. Some tips, especially if you are a newbie like me -

* Avoid backpacks especially in hot weather. I just sling a little handbag over the handlebars
* Always carry a water bottle. You get dehydrated faster than you think. Gatorade is also a good option
* Carry some identification with you, and a little cash. You can stop by a gas station and get water if you need
* Carry a digital camera if you can!

Back to hindi movies

I stopped watching hindi movies a few years back. I'd had my fill after watching movies like Devdas, Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham etc and thought Bollywood was not capable of making good movies anymore. But i was wrong, and i've spent the past few weeks trying to play catchup. Here are some of the good ones

Parineeta - Parineeta is surprisingly different. The director almost succeeds in recreating a period feel (1960s Calcutta). It is an endearing love story, bolstered by fabulous performances from Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan. Newcomer Vidya has been as lovingly photographed as Rajjo in 1942 a love story. The movie's end is botched up, but it doesnt detract from the effect the rest of the movie has.

Darna zaroori hai - Darna mana hai was good, and Darna Zaroori hai is even better. More power to you Ram Gopal!

Fanaa -
Usual Bollywood candy fluff, made watchable by Kajol! She looks slimmer, and her performance is as heartfelt as her DDLJ Simran. The music is catchy too (i know, i know, usual mushy stuff, but its fun nevertheless)

Mr. and Mrs Iyer
Simple good cinema, with a strong storyline and fantastic performances. Konkana Sen excels as the Iyer mami.

I know. Some of the above movies are kinda old, but I am playing catch up. Better late than never right?

Where are my blogger friends?

I usually click on all the links to the right (Paranoid, Parvathi etc etc). They have been super silent for a while. And then there are the one-post-wonders. Mother Blogger and My bad....I have their links in the hope that one day, they will suddenly start blogging again!

My new fav song...

Mere haath mein tera haath ho..
Saari Jannathein mere saath ho...
Tu jo paas ho, phir kya yeh jehan?
Tere pyar mein ho jaaoon Fanaa...

This elephant can dance too...

Source. - www.time.com

During my first month in the USA, sometime in August 2000, I called my dad, and I was giving him a detailed account of my new world. Comparing it to India, I remember telling him this ..... "People criticize India all the time. NRIs visit India and constantly crib about the pollution, and the bad roads. Foreigners still look at India as the land of Maharajas and snake charmers. Indians while patriotic, often have little pride in their motherland, hankering after approval by anyone not Indian. What all these people forget is, it took countries like the USA many centuries to get to where they are today. Despite its centuries old history, India is a relatively young country. Its been just 53 years since we got our independence. Its only a matter of time before India realizes its true potential"

Looking back, I guess i was echoing the sentiments felt by almost every Indian who moved to a foreign country and realized that if there was heaven on earth, it was in India, right in the crowded streets and cramped apartments that we grew up in.

Time magazine's cover story for the week is about "India Inc", touting India as the next great economic super power. I read the article with mixed feelings...intense pride, cautious optimism, and a good deal of fear. Why fear? Whatever India does, India does incredibly and exceedingly well. Any phenomenon in India does not grow - it exploded. I refer both to the good and the bad.

The good? The incredible brilliance and ingenuity of Indians. Our tenacious, and single minded ambition have built an unshakeable reputation for us in every major company across the world. "Hes a typical desi guy, pretty good" - is a common refrain in the corporate world. The 80s and the 90s saw a phenomenon - hordes of bright young Indians migrating to the USA and Europe. While people in India lamented about the terrible waste of talent and brain drain, these expatriates slowly but steadily built a solid reputation for Indian brain power. Indians in mainland India also slowly but steadily chugged along, building a solid India, despite the government in many occasions.

The bad? We all knew that India would one day break out of its ugly shell...I dont think anyone ever imagined that in this decade, we would actually be recognized as a superpower, in an incredibly positive article, published by America's leading magazine. However, India's explosive growth and success is unprecedented..even Indians shake their heads with disbelief. The rich are richer, the middle class better of than ever, but what about the poorest of the poor? The caste distinctions in India are stronger than ever, rearing their ugly head in reservations. Excessive wealth is leading to many social ills. I do not wish to sound like a wet blanket, but are we growing too soon, too fast? With tremendous power comes great responsibility (as a certain comic movie said, alluding to the USA in fact). Are we ready?

Check out the article at the link below...
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/current
You need to try and read this article this week. When the article is archived next week, only subscribers can have access.