Wanted (2009), Dil Bole Hadipaa (2009)
Wanted – The preview, where Sallu kicks up a table with an assortment of things on it, and then selects which item to kick on the baddie - was scary! No, it did not inspire fear, but it made the mind numb… Oh my God!! Kya shot hai…. Pop! There goes my brain!
Sallu who danced so well in No Entry, was reduced to doing idotic and vulgar pelvic thrusts in the movie! While these steps are a hit in Tollywood, they didnt look fly in bollywood… It reduced him to an ape who was mimicking what was being shown to him… Not suave and smooth at all! Too much movement, no finesse!
4 stars for this piece of crap .. ha ha ha ha ha.. how much was paid for these reviews Sallu bhai? Movie did well coz of the timing of its release during Navratri and Eid….
Ayesha Takia breaks her way into being reduced to a screaming, crying, voluptuous bimbo, for her role required little acting skills… Just a tight top to show off the plump chest! The face required some acting to milk its Oomph, so Sallu bhai asks her to take out her tongue and puts his hands in her mouth to teach her to whistle… And then the bimbo grabs his fingers and holds them lustily in between her teeth while keeping a thoroughly innocent expression! Whew! Thanks to the censors for giving it an A!
The action was atrocious, yet satisfying… Given that I like violent movies, the spray of blood from the baddie’s mouth as Sallu kicks him was a nice touch. Great imagination (or inspiration from various hollywood movies – makes me wonder why didnt someone patent that blood spray shot! Imagine the royalty wealth he could have amassed from such a patent!)
Story was totally unimaginative and more twist than the curls in Maggi noodles! If the movie was a building, it had a 1970’s structure (story) coated in 2009 Asian Paints colours (action)! It reeked of innumerable Amitabh Bachchan movies. In fact, one can easily replace Sallu with Amitabh, Ayesha with Zeenat/Parveen, The baddie with Shakti Kapoor and viola! You have an Amitabh movie from 1970 with an equally mind-numbing story with contemporary action scenes and vulgar pelvic thrusts dance moves famous in South Indian cinema!! It even has a rape scene with the commissioner’s daughter in it! Perhaps Prabhudeva had not seen “Taken”, else he could have had the tough talking Police Commissioner taking to the streets in a hunt for his daughter! HA!
The humor is atrocious and UN-wanted! No connection to the story at all…. Fail to see humor in a fat guy trying to woo Ayesha and her making fun of him! Also fail to see another roly-poly fellow interacting with an inspector who are chasing a robber and the fattie giving maa-behen ki gaalis (Mother-Sister Bad-words) to the inspector at the behest of the robber! Wonder how the censors passed this piece of crap for humor and how come the Police didnt object to it! Thoroughly insulting to the cops! It was almost as if the director forgot to introduce humor in the movie and then when some people queued up outside his office and expressed their desire to be in the movie that he choose to give them these comic roles!
4 stars? My ass! This gets 2 stars out of 5! How can the (so called) critics dish out 4 stars for this after they have watched Kaminey in the same year? Were they brain dead? Or did their brains really get fried with that “pop” I heard while watching the previews??!
Dil Bole Haddipaa : Touted as a comeback vehicle for Rani Mukherji, DBH sees her getting paired with the HOT Shahid Kapoor! If Ayesha looks like Sallu’s daughter in Wanted, Rani looks like Shahid’s Aunty in DBH… Fortunately she can still act, but in DBH, rani goes overboard while trying to please…
The scenes in the movie are raw and feel chopped! The dance steps are good and will be copied by many… The nautanki scenes were also done good… This is a family movie with Cricket as its backdrop… However, the level of cricket shown in the movie is equal to gulli cricket and the movie fails to utilise the sport the way it was used in Lagaan! It also cashes in on Shahid’s recent success after Kaminey… He was wasted in DBH.
Fun fact: I was confused to find Sherlyn’s looks getting changed in the movie and kept wondering why…. It was at the end that I realised Rakhi was also in the movie! Between the three of them, they managed to have an average cup size of C!
Dil bole haddipaa? Naaa… Dil maange a better movie!! 1.5/5
Renault Formula1 cheating and FIA debacle…!
In a sport that is known for its speed, it is heart-breaking that the allegations of race-fixing that were raised in 2008 took 1 year to be taken seriously! What is more appalling is – the news of Renault’s race fixing has hardly seen any coverage on the official Formula1.com website! This spells clear bias by the FIA in going in the favour of money against upholding fairness of the sport!
Going by the way things have progressed in the scandal, I would not be surprised if Renault is fined, but is allowed to compete in the sport even after the team principal Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds were found guilty of pre-arranging a crash in the Singapore GP of 2008. These two ‘gentlemen’ instructed the 2nd driver Nelson Piquet to crash his car just after their 1st car driven by Fernando Alonso had pitted. This was no spur of the moment decision, but it was part of their race strategy! Utterly shameful tactics that brought disgrace to Formula1 in particular and to sports in general! Even before the race went underway, the 2nd driver knew exactly when and where to crash his car – at a part of the circuit where, Renault knew, there wont be a crane to whisk away a crashed car quickly thus ensuring that the safety car is deployed for a long period. This will force every one else to pit while the safety car is deployed thus throwing their race strategy for a toss and Renault taking the trophy for 1st place! Flavio and Pat’s goal was simple – if the car lacks pace, lets cheat! Cold blooded, calculated, timed, pre-determined CHEATING! The only problem was…. they were caught!
Whats more sad? The issue came to light only after their 2nd driver was recently sacked. Nelson Piquet, son of a 3 times F1 world champion was recently replaced by Romain Grosjean after Piquet showed ‘lack of performance’ – is that another term in Renault’s dictionary for not agreeing to another crash?
Piquet Sr. now states that he had brought the incident to the FIA’s notice at the 2008 Singapore GP, but the FIA didn’t take his allegations seriously… Going by the chronology of events, the FIA probably wanted to brush the incident under the carpet, but the Piquets would have decided to go to the press. Is the FIA so lured by the cash generated in F1 that they didnt look into an allegation of cheating by a team? Where’s the Sporting spirit in Formula 1 racing if the governing body can only look after money instead of ensuring fair racing?
Were the FIA so threatened by the consequences (Renault being barred from F1) that they choose to retain 2 cars on the grid and abet cheating instead of being fair to the rest of the teams who were racing fairly and were spending large sums of money to compete in the sport? Did the FIA forget the basic marketing principal – that a good product will sell itself, but a rotten participant will only result in disappointed fans!!!! And disgrace, not to mention lack of faith in the regulatory authority!!
Flavio says – he did it to save the team… but then again, doesn’t every crook cheat for someone/something?
I say Renault should be banned from competing in F1 for a decade! Flavio and Pat should be banned for life! They should not even be allowed to watch a Formula 1 race on their television sets in their homes, let alone be allowed near a race track! These despicable creatures have brought such a disgrace to Formula 1 racing, they should not be allowed to watch donkey racing!
The weekend muse… Aquarium idea
Friday was dull… Wanting to watch the Tim Burton movie ‘9′ and the Peter Jackson’s ‘District 9′, I was left waiting for the want of company.
Saturday morning was wasted after being ditched by the IT consultant for whom the morning was kept free. Plans for the evening were already drawn out when a last minute meeting with a close relative sprang up! It had to be attended and suddenly after a spate of free time, I was double booked. Was suddenly glad that friends did not agree to movies as that would have made things even more complicated! The day ended after enjoying Kaminey for the third time and chit-chatting till 4 am.
Sunday was eventful too - A dash from Thane to Chowpatty had me battling unexpected traffic snarls in Dadar as many taxis started coughing up water from an unexpected spell of heavy rains that hit Bombay on Sunday. It was a welcome relief inspite of the ensuing traffic jam! The pav-bhaji and pizza at Sukh-sagar was worth the hassle especially as it was followed up by this Falooda! (pic clicked by me)
A walk at chowpatty beach reminded of college days spent in the company of friends and girlfriends… The sight of 
the Saifee hospital was something! (pic from internet) It definitely adds another jewel to the glittering Bombay Skyline! The good foo, the architecture and the moisture laden sea-breeze got me thinking as I lay my eyes on the shoddy state of the Taraporewala Aquarium! Instead of building a 300 crore (thats Rs 300,00,00,000 or US $ 60,000,000) statue (no offence, but Shivaji has nothing to do with Bombay’s development or rise)…. Anyways, Instead of building a Rs 300 Cr Shivaji statue, the Govt should construct an aquarium on the Queen’s necklace promenade! Yep! The place next to the ocean which is a nice place for a walk should be turned into a giant aquarium UPON which the people would walk. It can be made from thick glass to sustain heavy weight and the brunt of nature and man. The aquarium would be the largest open air aquarium in the world and it should be free – a tribute to the people of Bombay and to tourists who come to visit the city! Instead of trying to mimic other countries by making tunnels inside aquariums, why not build an aquarium in a tunnel upon which people can walk???!!! Now that would be original and different and creative!
Instead of erecting statues as a tribute to heroes, this would be something creative that would be enjoyed by the young and the old alike irrespective of their caste, color or creed! Something that unifies us as a people and does not divide us into various groups and factions!
The drive back from Chowpatty saw me have a petty skirmish with another car driver who scrapes my vehicle and does not even bother to apologise. A gentle nudge at his car from the rear while he was waiting at a signal promptly resulted in an apology and an explanation for the incident! Sometimes the civic sense in people needs to be shaken up as it drifts into a slumber from the daily drudgery of the city life…
Sunday evening was Plum cake, followed by a 4th place victory by Force India at the Italian GP. The Brawn GP cars once again showed their might as they drove their way to a 1-2 victory after a brilliant pit strategy at the Italian GP at Monza that saw them taking just a single pitstop! Rubens Barrichello was a delight to watch as he goofed about in delight post race at the podium. “Dead-fish” Raikkonen was 3rd. He did not bother to congratulate the other winners or take part in celebrations. Even drank more champagne than he showered upon his team. No smile on his face to show joy for the 3rd place finish after Hamilton crashed in the final stages of the race with 2 laps remaining. Q: Do they call Kimi the ‘iceman’ becaue he is as cold as a fish? Perhaps another Pav-bhaji, pizza and a falooda will help me ponder over that one…
PS: It was sweet to see Force India give Ferrari a run for their money on Ferrari’s home race @ Monza, Italy! For the uninitiated, the two teams have a bitter history. Kimi Raikkonen, while driving for Ferrari, has crashed twice into a Force India car driven by Adrian Sutil and prevented the Force India team from scoring points in Formula 1! Every point garnered by a F1 team helps the team earn revenue from the sport and other benefits like free transportation to races, revenue from television rights, etc. The Force India team also switched from Ferrari Engines in 2008 to Mercedes engines in 2009 when Ferrari refused to give them their current and most latest engine. Now the team, owned by Vijay Mallya, in its 2nd year at Formula 1 has improved from being a back-runner to a front-runner and has been giving the top-runners tough competition since the past few races. Force India has a budget that is about 1/3rd to 1/4th of the big teams in Formula 1. While the big teams have been competing since decades Force India is 2 years old in the sport. Toyota, who is reported to have a budget thats even larger than Ferrari’s budget has failed to show performance in the sport that has seen manufacturers like Honda and BMW who have exited and are planning to exit the sport from next year! This makes Force India’s most recent success even more phenomenal. The team finished 2nd on the Podium in the previous race at the Belgian GP and now has 13 points in the 2009 Formula 1 season.
The inscrutable Americans: book review
The inscrutable Americans is the journey of Gopal. An Indian from a small town called Jajau in Madhya Pradesh. His father owns a hair oil factory there and Gopal will soon inherit the family business. He goes to America to get a degree and the book showcases the year of Gopal’s life in USA.
The book is funny and simple – it uses many myths and nuances of the Indian and the American way of life in humorous situations, without berating either. It takes the reader on a journey of America as seen through Gopal’s eyes and also attempts to show how the Yanks view him as a person with comical english. Gopal thinks The penthouse letters and Deep Throat summarise America and uses incidents from those media to adjust to the American way of life!
The inscrutable Americans highlights many misconceptions that Indians(and a person from any other developing country) have about USA. It also pokes fun at how things are “opposite” in USA, like lights that turn ON by flicking the switch in what is the OFF position in Asia, cars that travel on the “wrong” side of the road, etc.
The book also delves into racial attacks and curious situations that lead to embarrassment…
1) “Once a child had come up to him and swiped his little fingers across Gopal’s arm to check if perhaps the brown colour was merely dirt that had congealed. Finding no dirt on his fingers, he trotted back puzzled to his mortified mother.”
2) The man was upon him, his face an inch from Gopal’s. “I jest dont like eyr-ranians, boy. No furrin niggers neither. I jest dont like them. Comin in here, takin our jobs, takin our women. I jest dont like it. Why dont you get back to your camel land while you can? Know what I mean? Know what I’m sayin you furrin fuckin filthy asshole?” “I am Indian.” Gopal gasped pleadingly.
He is awed by America!
1) “Brother,” roared Gopal making Sushant swerve, “can you park quickly?” Gopal gazed ahead transfixed. ”What’s happened?” “Ah, New York!”… Gopal nodded, still mesmerised by the city swathed in platinum glitter…
2) Here there was tranquility, efficiency, a certain new world courtsey and civility all their own… The business of living was made easy, so you could get on with doing much more than surviving. Ye Gods, the very phones worked. Initially he used to pick up the phone and listen to the dial tone as if it were music.
The protagonist from India has trouble in communication when he mistakes a greeting and starts narrating his life to strangers-
Gopal wandered about the lobby watched by a girl at the reception counter. He looked her way and their eyes met “Hi,” she smiled, “how’s it going?” “What to say,” confessed Gopal, touched by her interest and not wishing to let it go unrewarded. “So many things are happening. First I am not finding bathroom and having to close door and things like that. Then there is vegetarian food problem…” so on and so forth! (Gopal uses “things like that” as a filler in every sentence)
The book is funny where Gopal goes to a party and finds himself at the clutches of a girl who has slept with 999 boys and wants to de-virgin-ise Gopal as her 1000th conquest. Gopal in turn, tries to woo her by seducing her and winning her over in his own way and when things dont go as planned, he fears getting physically hurt by her brother and for protection, turns to a guy called “The Peacock”! A colorful character who dresses jazzy and speaks in rhyme! The Peacock takes Gopal on a tour thru his neighbourhood -
Gopal shook his head in disbelief. “It is not even looking like America. No one is working, there is so much dirt, it is so poor”. “I figure they dont think it is part of America either. The white boys keep the junkyard between them and us and they dont want to see us or hear about us.”
He attends church where he gives a speech and is asked a question by an old lady -
“Young man,” she rose ceaking to her feet, “tell me. Do you drive elephants in the daytime as well as nighttime? I mean do they have headlights and tail lights that blink when they turn at night?”
Gopal finds a cause for debate when he finds a head-waiter at a restaurant distributing pamphlets -
The man’s leaflet was far more fascinating. It reminded the reader about the global communist conspiracy against America and warned that its latest manifestation was the attempt to mix coloured blood with white Americans so as to “dilute the perfection of the Aryan race whose achievements have taken the world to where it is.” Gopal brightened visible at the prospect of an argument. He had come to believe that though the American personality contained many positive elements, it lacked the essential one of enjoying arguments.
He attends church after having thoughts -
The desire to seek converts was a palpable one among all Christian preachers in India despite firm discouragement by the Government. In America where there was something of a shortage of people who remained to be converted, preachers must be starved of heathen souls to save.
During Christmas time, he feels lonely for the want of his family and friends and takes a bus-
From the whites, he had found extremes of friendship or dislike. Even when they ignored him, it was an active kind of ignoring. With the blacks, he had sensed an acceptance that was passive and therefore felt much more genuine….. He contemplates further – He could only wonder why there wasn’t a continuous violent insurgency by the blacks, given the wealth with which they were surrounded and their own poverty. He also thought it short sightedness of the whites not to have made a determined effort to bring more blacks into the middle class in order to lower the crime rate, if nothing else. After his visit to the Peacock’s ghetto, he had tried to educate himself about the situation of the blacks in America and had been shocked at the statistics regarding black unemployment and crime. He believed that people in such large numbers could only have turned to crime out of desperation. And Gopal didnt believe that a country as wealthy, as well run, as cohesive as the United States couldn’t solve this relatively small problem if they actually wanted to.
He even becomes a make-shift Santa in a mall; after which he ponders when everyone is out shopping on christmas eve and is delighted to see a crowd at the stores as it reminds him of India -
He was pleased to see that their year-long languor was the result of excessive availability rather than a softening of that vigorous American spirit that had stolen California from the Mexicans, Louisiana from the French and much of the rest of the country from the American Indians. When confronted with opposition, he noted with joy, the Americans wrestled, abused and snatched their prizes with a vigour that would have won them applause even in an Indian bazaar and boded well for the future of the Free world.
The inscrutable Americans is a book that summarises the state of the country (USA) so accurately and presents it in a format that is fun to read. The author makes the reader connect to the protagonist and has written the book in such a way, that a person who has stayed in USA will go nodding “yeah, I have experienced that…” and a person who has not been in USA will not get bored by the details as he can have fun at the expense of the protagonist.
Anurag Mathur’s “The inscrutable Americans” is my 2nd book by an Indian author after Chetan Bhagat’s “Five point someone”. I liked it much more than Five point someone. I give it 4/5 for its accuracy and 3.5 for its entertainment. It is a must read for Americans who want to know about Indians in their country and for Indians who are traveling to America!
ISBN :81-7167-040-7; Price: Rs. 95 – Will make you laugh and will also make you ponder!
Indian Money in Swiss bank!!
Latest update after Swiss Bank has agreed to disclose the funds….
Our Indians’ Money – 70, 00,000 Crores Rupees In Swiss Bank
1) Yes, 70 lakhs crores rupees of India are lying in Switzerland banks. This is the highest amount lying outside any country, from amongst 180 countries of the world, as if India is the champion of Black Money.
2) German Government has officially written to Indian Government that they (German Government) are willing to inform the details of holders of 70 lakh crore rupees in their Banks, if Indian Government officially asks them.
3) On 22-5-08, this news has already been published in The Times of India and other Newspapers based on German Government’s official letter to Indian Government.
4) But the Indian Government has not sent any official enquiry to Germany for details of money which has been sent outside India between 1947 to 2008. The opposition party is also equally not interested in doing so because most of the amount is owned by politicians and it is every Indian’s money.
5) This money belongs to our country. From these funds we can repay 13 times of our country’s foreign debt. The interest alone can take care of the Center’s yearly budget. People need not pay any taxes and we can pay Rs. 1 lakh to each of 45 crore poor families.
6) Let us imagine, if Swiss Bank is holding Rs. 70 lakh crores, then how much money is lying in other 69 Banks? How much they have deprived the Indian people? Just think, if the Account holder dies, the bank becomes the owner of the funds in his account.
7) Are these people totally ignorant about the philosophy of Karma? What will this ill-gotten wealth do to them and their families when they own/use such money, generated out of corruption and exploitation?
Indian people have read and have known about these facts.. But the helpless people have neither time nor inclination to do anything in the matter. This is like “a new freedom struggle” and we will have to fight this.
9) This money is the result of our sweat and blood.. The wealth generated and earned after putting in lots of mental and physical efforts by Indian people must be brought back to our country.
10) As a service to our motherland and you contribution to this struggle, please circulate at least 10 copies of this note amongst your friends and relatives and convert it into a mass movement!!
Notice for animal killers!
Hunter Ad
Found this ad on the internet… needs no explaination 
Note: I dont own rights to this image
Do check out this post by Lynn for an eye-opening take on chicks.
The endless middle east war!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090827/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan
Read the above news that explains why July and Aug are the deadliest months for US in Afghanistan. The number of soldiers killed in these months?
44
WOW! 44 US soldiers in a month is considered DEADLY! The irony lies in the other news clipping that says, a bomb killed 40 in Afghanistan! http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/ynews?ch=4226716&cl=15234462&lang=en
Funny how certain human lives are cheap while others are worth a lot more.
The article on the top of the page also explains why the war could be endless.
“An insurgency cannot be defeated by attrition; its supply of fighters, and even leadership, is effectively endless,” the new guidelines said. When U.S. and NATO troops battle a group of 10 militants and kill two of them, the relatives of the two dead insurgents will want revenge and will likely join the insurgency, the guidelines say, spelling out the formula: “10 minus 2 equals 20 (or more) rather than 8.”
It seems like after so many years of fighting, killing countless Afghans and almost reducing Afghanistan to wilderness, the US army has finally has gathered some real intelligence! How many more years will it take for them to know that there is a “Gandhian” way to resolve things too.
PS: I have respect for the soldiers who lay their lives for the country – this article is directed towards the people governing the country and those who are responsible for the war!
The great darshan – Lalbaug cha Raja
The talk
Me: Mom, lets go to Lalbaug for the darshan. Mom: When so and so went there, they had to stand in line for more than 12 hours ! From Morning 10′o clock till night 11!…. Me: We wont have to do that as we’ll go during odd hours… Mom: Not now. Your sis wants to go there too. we’ll all go together!
The darshan
So sis and I decide to go to Siddhivinayak on Tuesday. Our logic was – it being Ganesh festival and swine flu, the crowds will be diluted and less in numbers.And we were right! We did not have to wait for even 20 mins at Siddhivinayak temple to get the darshan.
The diversion
I had done it before – When people had to wait for 10-12 hours in the queue, I went on my whim and was able to get the darshan in 1-2 hours! And today I felt like doing that… So instead of turning the 2 wheeled menace left, I turned it right! Sis was immediately excited – “Are we going to Lalbaug? Why are we turning right? Did you forget the road?”. Lest she protests, I pretended to not hear her under the helmet 
We found a nice parking spot for the 2 wheeler and started walking towards the Ganpati pandal. We were looking for something that said “Lalbaug cha Raja”!
The Instinct
Sis had been to the same pandal more recently than me. She even had a good sense of direction (at least, that’s what I thought!). I asked her if we were at the right place, and she said yes. The decorations were grandiose and there was also a queue and crowd. I believed her. The queue was less and I attributed this fact to my keen instinct for such things! It was not till we were in the queue and waiting for the darshan when we realised we are in the wrong pandal! This was Ganesh Galli and Lanbaug cha raja was 2 lanes away The man who shared ths deep insight with us also told us that the queue there was only 20 mins long. He had just had the darshan there! WOW! 20 mins @ Lalbaug is like winning the Ganpati lottery! People have to wait 10 hours and more to get a glimpse of the elephant head god! My instinct proved to be correct!
The other pandal
The other pandal was not what we were looking for, but it was still the same God and the decorations were good here. So we decided to stay. It was here that we decided to call home and ask mom to come to where we were. “Mom, the queue is only 20 mins long, please come soon” She refused! We both were livid! I suggested we skip the darshan and go to pick her. But only after taking the darshan here.
The idol and the decor were both nice @ Ganesh galli.
About turn
We decided to take a cab on our way back as there would be parking issues. But I had a good parking spot in mind and we ended up taking the car as it would be faster. We would park the car at a distance and then take a cab from the parking place to the pandal. We had not reached too far from our house when it happened!
The accident
As the car was descending a bridge, the car in front suddenly slammed on its brakes. I followed suit, but it was a moment where anything can happen as our car, with all 4 wheels locked up, was skidding and the distance between our car and the one in front was gradually diminishing. I had to do something else the result would not turn out to be good. Who knew what had happened ahead and a series of “what ifs” ran thru my head!
As soon as I found an opening I swerved the car to the left and took my foot off the brakes and stepped on the gas. I avoided the car in front and managed to avert disaster – I also managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of the cause – unfortunately, I also saw a cab go over a man lying face down on the road towards the end of the bridge! The idiot cabbie was driving with his lights switched off – a standard but deadly practice amongst the cabbies of Bombay! I presume the man had either been stuck by some other vehicle or he had had the misfortune of falling in front of the vehicle. The man could have been drunk too…
Because of the traffic, I could not wait to find out what happened of the man but a few cars, including the one that was ahead of me, had stopped to help the man. Mom was shaken, sister was stirred! I drove on. The cab responsible for the accident had jumped the signal ahead and fled. A few people on bikes took off after the cab in an attempt to catch him.
The next couple of miles were passed in silence. It was only when some driver cut me off at a circle, and I returned the favour, that mom spoke “Spike!, How are you driving?” she yelled at me…. Normalcy
I told mom, there is an unwritten rule on the streets of Bombay – If someone cuts you off and you do not return the favour, you will get cut-off by motorists for a whole entire year. “Did you not know that mom?” I asked. Sis started laughing… Of course, no such thing exists, but Mom didn’t know that and she bought it
The Queue
We proceeded as planned, parked the car and took a cab – the queue was long, it also started raining when we got out of the cab. We were told the wait was a good 2 hours from where we were standing! I was disappointed as my instinct did not work and I had to make Mom wait in queue under the rain (we forgot our umbrellas in the car). But I hid my disappointment as I wanted mom n sis to be in a good mood. “The rain will pass in no time, look the queue is moving already.” I said with a smile. Our spirits lifted as the rains slowed and stopped. The queue moved with surprising agility!
But soon the wait proved to be illusionary – the queue started moving fast and we were close to the idol in no time. Mom, sis and I finally got a glimpse of the lord! The wait in the queue lasted a mere 30 minutes in lieu of 2 hours!
The darshan!
Bliss… Mom had a darshan of this famous idol called “lalbaug cha raja” after more than 35 years of living in Bombay! That in itself was deeply satisfying for me!
Note: lalbaug cha raja =King of Lalbaug. Lalbaug is an area in Bombay famous for hosting large Ganesh Idols with lavish decorations during the Ganesh festival. The idol is believed to have divine powers to grant your prayers if you pray with utmost faith and conviction.
tagged
Thanks CP for tagging me… This tag is fun!!!
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.- Fiat is planning to launch a low cost car for India in 2011.
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch air? – The Wii remote
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV? – I dont watch TV
4. Without looking, guess what time it is? – 10:45 pm
5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time? – 10:40 pm
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?- Sounds of dhol-manjira-banjo (casio) playing a peppy beat as the one and half day idols of the Ganesh festival head for immersion!
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing? – Went to buy flowers…
8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?- CP’s blog… and my credit card bill – wondered where did I spend it all…
9. What are you wearing?- Blue jeans and brown t-shirt
10. When did you last laugh? – 10 mins ago before looking @ CP’s blog
11. What is on the walls of the room you are in? – curtains
12. Seen anything weird lately? – my CC bill!
13. What do you think of this quiz? its fun and Slightly voyeuristic (last part from CP)
14. What is the last film you saw? G.I. Joe
15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?- A mansion, some farm land, a stable, few horses, some Jersey cows and some scottish-women to milk them, a 4×4 quad to drive around the property, a golf club membership and rest in stocks and bonds… maybe a jet and a pilot if those stocks go up in value….
16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!- CP, you dont now that I have a bad internet connection from MTNL!
17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?- free food and water for everyone.
18. Do you like to Dance?- yes (thankfully, the question is not – are u a good dancer!)
19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?- Dlink (saw it on my modem)
20. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?- Router
21. Would you ever consider living abroad? – yes
22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates? – Nice ranch you have! Wanna go there once more?
I tag – Varun, Valerine, Anamika, Nikki, Nikita, Floreta, Lynn, Friendly Giant, Shanu, Foreign Desi, Sujata, Aparna, (have to tag these 2 sisters together – they remind me of the two Indian sisters in the HP books).
